CORAL SHORES’ 189 GRADUATES GRAB DIPLOMAS & TOSS CAPS

JAVIER EXPOSITO/Keys Weekly

A spate of gloomy and rainy weather didn’t deter some 189 Coral Shores graduates from obtaining their diplomas, flipping their tassels and tossing their caps into the air on May 24. The commencement for the Class of 2023 was originally scheduled to be held on the football field. Unsettling weather, however, drew school officials to an alternate plan, as graduates, family and friends packed the gymnasium for the ceremony. 

The Coral Shores Class of 2023 receive their diplomas and celebrate with family and friends inside the gymnasium on May 24.  JAVIER EXPOSITO/Keys Weekly

Jim McCarthy
Jim McCarthy is one of the many Western New Yorkers who escaped the snow and frigid temperatures for warm living by the water. A former crime & court reporter and city editor for two Western New York newspapers, Jim has been honing his craft since he graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2014. In his 4-plus years in the Keys, Jim has enjoyed connecting with the community. “One of my college professors would always preach to be curious,” he said. “Behind every person is a story that’s unique to them, and one worth telling. As writers, we are the ones who paint the pictures in the readers minds of the emotions, the struggles and the triumphs.” Jim is past president of the Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club, which is composed of energetic members who serve the community’s youth and older populations. Jim is a sports fanatic who loves to watch football, hockey, mixed martial arts and golf. He also enjoys time with family and his new baby boy, Lucas, who arrived Oct. 4, 2022.