Jaclyn Falconetti has wanted to be a Riverview High School Highland dancer ever since she saw her older sister perform with the school’s Kiltie Band.

“I went to all the football games and saw her perform, and it seemed like so much fun,” Falconetti says.

Now, the Riverview senior is the principal dancer in the Kiltie Band, a position she has been working for since her sophomore year. Falconetti, who practices 10 hours a week during football season, even gave up her position as captain of the junior varsity volleyball team so she could devote more time to becoming a principal dancer.

Riverview’s Kiltie Band has been ranked in the superior category — the highest possible ranking — at competitions for 54 consecutive years. The team will compete in a statewide competition April 2, in Fort Myers.

Falconetti, who just returned from an International Baccalaureate senior trip to Italy, is also the senior board treasurer, part of the student executive council, a member of the Coexist Club, and she is on a committee for srqvolunteen.com, a website that makes it easier for teens to volunteer in their neighborhoods.

The 18-year-old plans to attend the University of Central Florida and is considering a career as a pediatric nurse.

“I love working with children,” she says.
— Yaryna Klimchak

 

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