Daniella Morales-Garibay

November 17, 2023

Daniella Morales-Garibay is an incredibly talented and motivated senior at John Adams High School. As a full International Baccalaureate senior and a winter athlete, Daniella is extremely busy. Despite this, Daniella constantly remains an exceptionally kind and caring person who willingly gives help to anyone who needs it.

In addition to her intense course load, she is highly involved in clubs and organizations at Adams. Throughout her time in high school, she has participated in Spanish Club, Spanish Honor Society, National Honor Society (NHS), John Adams Volunteer Association, Girls Swimming, Mock Trial, Art Club, Notre Dame Upward Bound Program, and the International Baccalaureate Ambassador Program.

While excelling in academics, she occupies many leadership roles in the high school community, including Secretary of the 2024 NHS chapter, President of Spanish club, President of Spanish Honor Society, and a two-year captain of the John Adams Girls Swim Team.

Three of Daniella’s teachers stand out to her as the people who have shaped her high school experience the most. She loves Mrs. Stanton, her Spanish teacher, because “She is so extremely dedicated to what she does and it shows in her ability to help everyone improve. She is always there for everyone, and is a selfless person who I aspire to be like.” Mr. Cline, her history teacher, is one of her favorite teachers because “he has taught me a lot when it comes to history. He really engages the class and lightens the mood with his jokes, making me happy to come to his class everyday.” Finally, Daniella reflects that Ms. Zablocki, her art teacher, is “a teacher who is just always fun to be around because I can trust her and she is very understanding. I have also had her as a teacher for a long time.”

Outside of school, Daniella is coming upon her thirteenth year dancing for South Bend Tierra Viva Mexican Folkloric Dance Group. Additionally, she volunteers to aid the community, especially at the Northern Indiana Food Bank. She is a lifeguard and has worked at both the Kroc Center and the East Race.

Growing up in a Hispanic household with Spanish-speaking parents, Daniella is bilingual. Her passion for the language has led to her participation in Spanish Honor Society her junior and senior years and Spanish Club her freshman through senior years. Daniella was appointed as the president of Spanish Club and the Spanish Honor Society during her senior year.

Daniella’s favorite extracurricular activity is mock trial, in which she has played the role of a witness on her team, Tonkers Bonkers, for two years. She appreciates “working with the team and being able to receive advice from such knowledgeable people.” These knowledgeable people are the coaches of her mock trial team, Elijah Grammar and John Scanlan.

Some of Daniella’s favorite high school memories have been formed during her time on the girls’ swim team. She notes: “My favorite memories are banging on the bus windows on the bus ride home from swim meets and dying during test sets with Addie Rabbitt.” Her advice for future students is to “immerse yourself in the high school community and join clubs” in order to meet new people and feel at home.

Daniella has been awarded the prestigious Lilly Endowment Scholarship and will receive a full ride to her dream school, Notre Dame, to which she has been accepted and is committed. She is looking forward to studying political science on the pathway to going to law school and becoming an immigration lawyer.

The Tower wishes Daniella a fulfilling rest of her senior year and a wonderfully successful future!

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About the Contributor

Adelyn Rabbitt, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Adelyn Rabbitt, known as Addie by most, is a senior at John Adams High School and Co-Editor of The Tower. This is her second and final year writing for The Tower, and she is very excited about what this year will hold. She values equality and education, as well as enjoying every moment, even when she’s in school. This marks her fourth year on both the John Adams Swim Team and in Mock Trial, with each season culminating in her team's participation in the Mock Trial State Competitions. In her first two years at John Adams, she also participated in track and soccer. In addition, she greatly enjoys going to school events, such as football games and other productions. Addie considers some of her biggest accomplishments to be going to state three years in a row with her Mock Trial team, “For Da Gram” (this year they will win the State Competition), taking multiple International Baccalaureate classes, and getting tickets to the Eras Tour to see Taylor Swift in concert (it was the best experience of her life). She also highly values all of the friendships she has made in high school and throughout her life. Addie’s now-graduated friend Jasmine Kazmirski says, “Adelyn is a very compassionate and accepting person. She is one of the most caring people I’ve met in my life.” Addie loves to be with others and is a very socially-minded person. The idea of college is feeling very daunting to Addie at the moment, though she knows that she will thoroughly enjoy it and thrive in that environment when the time comes. She has not made a decision on her college choices yet, though she is leaning toward choosing Indiana University at Bloomington. As for possible majors, she is considering many different possibilities and is too indecisive to choose one at the moment. The same goes for career pathways, though she has definitely ruled out anything in the medical field, due to her squeamish reaction to any bodily injuries or blood. Outside of school, Addie works multiple jobs. She is certified in CPR and works as a swim teacher as well as a lifeguard during the summer. During the school year, she works at a coffee shop called DeLo’s at the local farmers market. In her free time, she likes to read, hang out with friends, listen to music constantly, and go on long walks. She is a tote bag enthusiast and is rarely seen without one. She is very excited for her final year as a reporter for The Tower, being an editor and writing on topics that she is passionate about.