Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School Student Sends Message With Yearbook Cover

Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School senior Shedner Agenor with the drawing that will be featured on the cover of the school's 2015-16 yearbook.

Shedner Agenor knows what will happen to Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School’s 2015-16 yearbook.

For a few weeks, he and his classmates will pore over it, carrying it with them everywhere, signing each other’s pages with promises to keep in touch.

Then he and his classmates will graduate and begin the next chapters of their lives. Little by little, the book will lose importance. It will be relegated to a bookshelf, maybe even a cardboard box. Its pages, and the memories they contain, will fade.

Agenor knows all this, which is why, in designing the book’s cover, he worked all the harder to create a memorable image.

Judging by the response his cover has received so far, he succeeded. Agenor recently presented his drawing to the Polk State District Board of Trustees, who applauded his efforts.

“He did an excellent job creating a very detailed drawing that captures our school’s yearlong theme of ‘Around the World at COL’” said Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School Principal Bridget Fetter. “He put a lot of thought and meaning into his drawing. It’s unique and inspiring.”

Agenor’s drawing, inspired by the FIFA World Cup Trophy, features the words “Money World Cup” and ramshackle huts that give way to a mound of dollar bills.

The message Agenor hopes his image will convey:

“Many of us will be at the top because of our education,” Agenor said. “Because we will be at the top, we will be able to help the large percentage of our world that lives in poverty.”

Agenor, a resident of Winter Haven, explained that to keep with the school’s theme of “Around the World,” he could have simply drawn images of famous sites — the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, etc. Instead, he wanted to make a statement about the world and how he and his classmates should change it.

“A lot of us will be successful in life, but we shouldn’t just think about ourselves. We should give back,” he said.

Speaking of success, Agenor is on track to achieve his share of it. He will graduate next spring with both his high school diploma and Associate in Arts degree. He is unsure what university he will attend after Polk State, but he plans to minor in art and major in biology. Ultimately, he plans on studying anesthesiology.

Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School’s 2015-2016 yearbook will be published in May.

Polk State College operates three public charter high schools, including Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate in Winter Haven, Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate, and Polk State Lakeland Collegiate. All three high schools allow students to fulfill requirements for their diplomas while also earning college credits.