Stanley Switlik fifth-graders took parents and guests on a stroll through history for the school’s annual Living Wax Museum on Feb. 25. Tasked with selecting a noteworthy figure – from recent decades in the U.S. to thousands of years ago across the globe – each student created a poster of fun facts about their selection, narrating their discoveries in costume in the school’s cafeteria. Visiting the school the following week, the Keys Weekly sat down with several standout students to learn a little extra history.
Photos contributed
2801
Name: Skylor Willis
Historical figure: Buzz Aldrin
The coolest thing I learned was that he saved the Apollo 11 with a felt-tip pen. He put it in the ignition switch when the switch broke off.
2792
Name: Owen Loftus
Historical figure: Jackie Robinson
The coolest thing I learned was that he was the first African American to play professional baseball, and he was a four-sport college athlete.
2790
Name: Asniel Marrero
Historical figure: George Washington
The coolest thing I learned was that he was the leader of the Revolutionary War, and our first president.
2833
Name: Mila Lordi
Historical figure: Amelia Earhart
The coolest thing I learned was that she was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic solo, and when she was younger she hunted rats with a rifle.
2795
Name: Kevin Diaz
Historical figure: Ray Charles
The coolest thing I learned was that he wrote his music with a Braille notation system.
2824
Name: Jordanna Garcia-Herrero
Historical figure: Helen Keller
The coolest thing I learned was that in 1964, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She graduated college with honors, which was very rare for blind and deaf people at the time.
2786
Name: Luna Fauber
Historical figure: Hatshepsut
The coolest thing I learned was she was one of very few female rulers in Egyptian history, and ruled longer than any of the others. She proclaimed herself as king, not queen, and wore a false beard sometimes.
2807
Name: Martin Ornelas
Historical figure: Paul Revere
The coolest thing I learned was that he fought against the British and warned people to save the town.
2856
Name: Allie Pettegrow
Historical figure: Betsy Ross
The coolest thing I learned was that she was an entrepreneur and opened a business sewing with her husband.
2847
Name: Aden Cruz
Historical figure: Christopher Columbus
The coolest thing I learned was that he sailed the sea in 1492 and died in 1504.
2784
Name: Royce Schmidt
Historical figure: Stan Lee
The coolest thing I learned was that he was the one who created Marvel, and he didn’t go to college.
2874
Name: Olivia Hurley
Historical figure: Judy Blume
The coolest thing I learned was she wrote a lot of books and liked shopping in Key West.
