Keys Weekly heard from Monroe County School District staff that Tinashay Cunningham, a 14-year-old 8th grader at Marathon High School, is an exceptional student. Intrigued, we asked her for an interview, and she was excited. But scheduling the conversation was another matter. Due to all her school activities, she’s busier than the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Meanwhile, we spoke to Christina Rodriguez, the assistant principal of Marathon High School, about Tinashay.
“I’ve had the pleasure of being Tinashay’s assistant principal since she was in first grade at Switlik Elementary,” she wrote to us in an email. “Since then, Tinashay has been a strong female leader. In fifth grade, she became the president of student council and served as a leader for her peers. Tinashay has always excelled in academics and in sports. She has earned all A’s since first grade, has won multiple reading awards and has motivated her peers to follow her path to success. She’s a driven young lady with a strong determination to succeed and one day attend Harvard University.”
Tinashay’s mother, Georgina, agreed that Tinashay is a determined young woman. “She’s very dedicated and hardworking,” she told Keys Weekly. “And disciplined and very friendly. She likes to make sure things are going perfect and to do things ahead, like homework and for a family trip,” she said with a laugh. “And we taught her to be nice even when others aren’t.”
Here are Tinashay’s answers to Keys Weekly’s questions:
You’re very busy. What’s a typical day like? I get up at 5:45 or 6 a.m., then I go to school at 7:30 a.m. After school, on Tuesdays I have Champions for Change, a group where we talk about drug prevention and spreading the word about that. Mondays and Wednesdays, I have cheer in Key West, and Thursdays I have dance. And I have track every day.
What did you think about Netflix’s “Cheer”? I liked it. I liked Gabi Butler. It was fun to watch the cool flips and tricks.
What courses do you take? I take all advanced classes. I’m in algebra honors. I’m in 8th grade, and that’s a high school class. And also advanced science. I’m also in high school band — I play the flute. I’m also president of SGA — the Student Government Association.
What do you want to be when you grow up? A cardiologist. It seems cool to learn about hearts. And “Grey’s Anatomy” is my favorite. And I love (surgeon) Cristina Yang — she’s my favorite character.
Whom do you credit for your success? God and my family.
What would you say to other children of color who are having problems and/or unmotivated in school? Reach out to teachers and counselors, because they can provide them with additional contacts and support they need.
What can white people do to support people of color? They can have an open mind when people of color speak about injustices they face and use that education to advocate for equal opportunity.
If you could make a rule for the whole world to follow, what would it be? For everyone to watch “Grey’s Anatomy.” But also, if everyone can be nice to each other and show respect.
What superpower would you most like to have, and why? Teleportation. So if you want to travel somewhere, you can just get there. Because going to cheer competitions in Orlando, the drives are so long. You can just teleport there. I just want to get there fast.
What makes you laugh? Anything. I laugh at anything (said while laughing).
The hardest part about being a kid is … Having to follow rules? I don’t know. I like being a kid.Anything else you’d like to tell the readers? Read a book by (young adult fiction writer) Colleen Hoover. Her books are nice to read, and I think the ones that are the best give different aspects of topics and situations. I think reading helps you and is fun.
