As the holidays approach, staff and students are feeling the holiday spirit and compiling their wishlists. A gift can mean different things depending on who you ask. But one thing most people will tell you is that they will never forget a time they received – or gave – a special gift.
“I consider my daughter my greatest gift from God and my wife.” Pedro Rabeje, an 11th grade history teacher, said. “A gift’s usefulness goes just beyond a physical item; there is an emotional attachment to it.”
In terms of giving a gift, Rabeje looks for qualities that the receiver would appreciate. “When I think of buying a gift, I consider what brings the most joy, excitement and what makes them love me more,” he said.
Marco Pompa, a history teacher, says “When you know that someone put a lot of thought and effort into a gift, it shows that they really care about what you wanted.”
“My most favourite gift I received was a Wayne Chrebet jersey I got from my dad for my birthday, because he was my favorite player,” he said.
Marco Pompa suggests that when getting a gift, you should search for things that correlate with the person receiving it. For example, a gift related to an inside joke would connect you with your friends more.
“I gave my mom flowers because it meant a lot to my mom and it made her happy.” said Natalie Gil, a 10th grader.
Reina Cortes, another 10th grader, says, “The best gift I’ve ever received is my vanity, because I have a lot of things like skin care and makeup because it helps me be organized.”
Sabrina Alkayfee, an 11th grade chemistry teacher, says “A student went to Saudi Arabia and brought me holy water.” She adds, “I once gave a student clothes as a surprise, because I thought they needed it.”
“My Ps5, because I can play a lot of games on it and it will prevent me from being bored” said Carlos Canarte, a freshman. “A gift I’ve given to someone is a dog that I gave to my grandma, because she wanted one,” he said.
“The best gift I’ve received was a bike I got for my birthday,” says Darien Zoquier, a 9th grader. “I’ve given money to show care and appreciation,” he says.
“I’ve given people crochet to friends and family,” says Layla Batista, a sophomore. “Probably 200 dollars, because I spent it on necessities like skin care, lashes, lotions, yarn, perfumes, decorations and clothes,” she says.
Kayla Corella, a 10th grader, shares, “going out and spending time with my family all together.”
“The best gift I’ve ever given was I threw a surprise birthday party for my mom,” she said.
“Coming to this country from Guatemala was the best gift I received,” says Fredy Lazaro, a ninth grader. “I once gave flowers to my friend, in which she liked them.”
Pablo Terrero, a 10th grader, says, “I gave my mom expensive perfumes that smelled really good.”
His favorite gift? “My guitar because I like playing it and it means a lot to me,” he said.
Nafies Dunaway, a 10th grader, says “My life, because it’s so rare to be living with the people that you love like your family, friends and your boyfriend or girlfriend.”
Paula Benito, Jocelyn Chicayza Guasco, Miracle Davis and Jordan Wilson contributed to this story.
