Since her elementary school days, Marina Fortunato has been attending Nederland schools, growing up with the same classmates for over a decade. Since kindergarten, she has seen the same people mature, blossom, and become their own people, and she considers every moment she has spent with them a memorable experience.

She joined soccer briefly in her freshman year, a sport she has played since kindergarten, but has stuck with the student council throughout her entire high school career. Over the course of her high school years, she has enjoyed “learning all new skills and concepts, whether that be through research, creativity, collaborating, or putting forth hard work and effort into activities and classes.”

She loved taking whatever language arts and science classes she could fit into her schedule, and she highlights Kelly Strong as a teacher who has made her high school life better. She has also been working at Crosscut in order to earn more as she geared up for college.

When asked about what students made her high school career special, she couldn’t cite just one. Fellow graduates Ivy Brundege, Skylee Barry, Natalie Taylor, Bella Herndon, Sara Feeley, Mia Milwicz-Clanton, and Eirwen McClish are just a few of the students that have bettered Fortunato’s time in Nederland in their own ways.

Fortunato’s poignant advice for incoming students is to go to as many school events as possible and have as much fun as you can, but remember how important high school is for your life afterward, find your rhythm, and work hard to achieve your goals. She is planning on attending CU Denver to study pre-med with a currently undecided major.

Fortunato will miss her classmates, friends, and teachers once she leaves for her college journey. However, she is incredibly excited to attend CU Denver and start a brand new chapter of her life.

Congratulations to Marina for graduating and for being accepted into CU Denver!