STEPHANIE HERZON

Our local population of young adults here in Vero is generally of a high grade; with positive test scores countywide and relatively high numbers of high school grads going to college, this community has been spared many of the issues that plague larger and less affluent areas. But, no matter how you slice it, the typical sixteen year old still spends his or her time marching through each school day, avidly awaiting the sound of the final bell that marks the end of the days obligations. On the other hand, Cassidy Layton is no typical teen.

A Florida girl for nearly her entire life, Cassidy has attended St. Edwards here in Vero Beach since the first grade. She is exceedingly well rounded for any age really, but as a sixteen year old high school junior, her academic and extracurricular achievements are that much more impressive. When she’s not waking up at five in the morning to run for Varsity cross country, Cassidy is practicing for a musical theater production or volunteering around town at one of the local nursing homes.

Cassidy loves musical theater with a passion, and has found numerous inventive ways to develop and share her talents with the community. She regularly does musical productions at St. Edwards and has gone to the regional championships for a small group musical, and has also gone to state with a solo number. She frequently plays parts in her schools’ productions and is often at theater practice after school until 8 pm when preparing for a show.

In addition to competing with her school, Cassidy is also a member of The Theater Guild and volunteers for a program called Guild on the Go. Through this amazing organization, Cassidy is able to share her musical gifts by singing to seniors in local nursing homes, where she jokes she gets “paid in hugs”.

This budding student of music also works with the Atlantic Children’s Chorale, an organization that invites young students with musical proclivities from the fourth grade up to learn some of the finer points of music. Cassidy helps teach these younger students the more advanced areas of music such as production and musical theory, thus helping inspire the next generation of music lovers in our community.

Although she is a performer and speaker at heart, Cassidy is also a dedicated academic. In the AP program all though high school, she is an AP scholar, and is set to be an AP scholar with honors next year. She is also a member of the National Honors Society and is excited to join the Advanced Studies Program next year. This program is a more in depth approach to education, in which seniors must present a senior thesis to a committee at the end of the school year. In addition to her personal goals for her own senior year,

Cassidy will also help guide her fellow students through their final year of high school as next years Student Body President.

Another thrilling facet of her scholastic development is Cassidy’s role in the Model United Nations Club, this past year serving as Undersecretary General, and frequently serving as a delegate. In her time with the Model UN, Cassidy has had the once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Russia, Scotland and England to hone her oratory and debate skills in a real life setting among her 1 peers. Aside from the unique educational value of these school trips, Cassidy has acquired priceless life experience in both the social and professional sphere that will aide her every day as an adult.

A typical day for Cassidy is a pretty tightly run ship- if it’s Cross Country season, she wakes up before school at around five, runs a few miles before getting ready and heading to school til about three. After school, she usually has either theater practice for a musical production or possibly practice for Varsity soccer- all of which keep her occupied for long hours, sometimes well into the evening. In her “spare” time, Cassidy does extensive community service with the Key Club, and tries to balance her schedule while laying out plans for the next few years of her promising future.

After graduation, Cassidy plans to major in her true love, musical theater, and to minor in some area of public relations, which is right on track with her natural talents. Regardless of the specifics, a young adult like Cassidy Layton is rare- well rounded and driven, capable but humble, and intelligent but not overbearingly so. It will come as no surprise when young Cassidy finds success on her chosen path, indeed she will likely find a way to inspire and entertain as she goes.