Senior Anelixa Otero couldn’t be more excited about the upcoming holiday season. She described herself as “…beyond ready…” and excitedly shared her holiday plans. Her family gets together several times during the season and is exuberant about decorating. In fact, she says her house has had Christmas decorations up since December. With mini wreaths on every door and a little Christmas tree in each room, the house screams holiday-ready and so does Anelixa. One of her favorite parts of Christmas is the spirit of gratitude. She said, “I’ve been buying all my gifts for family and friends which I’m so excited to give.”

Anelixa’s family will have an annual Christmas Eve party to “…celebrate both my birthday that’s on the same day and just Christmas in general.” They also spend time with more family members on Christmas Day. Beyond the Christmas holiday, Anelixa is “…welcoming 2024 with open arms.” She admitted that she’ll likely miss high school once it’s over, but right now, she is more than ready to graduate. She has committed to attending USF and looks forward to being a part of their nursing program. In her words, she is “…just excited for the next step.” Anelixa may be ready to finish her senior year but she also doesn’t mind slowing down for Christmas. Her enthusiasm for the holidays is evident, seconded only by eagerness for her graduating year of high school.