a day in the life

A DAY IN THE LIFE WITH Gabi De Melo ‘24

Clubs & Activities: Women of Color in Action (WOCA) Admissions Ambassador Choir Theatre

Favorite Book Series: Harry Potter

Career Goal: Politician - she hopes to abolish the "Pink Tax"

6:00 a.m.

WAKE UP

My alarm goes off, and I get ready for the day! I love that we don’t wear uniforms at St. Mary’s, so I put on jeans and a t-shirt (I like to be comfy at school), grab a hoodie and head to the kitchen for breakfast. Today I’m eating toast with Nutella – my favorite.

7:30 a.m.

CARPOOL

It’s time to leave. I carpool to school with my younger sisters – they are in 1st and 8th grades at St. Thomas More, so we drop them off first.

8:30 a.m.

TA (HOMEROOM)

I start the day with TA, which is like homeroom. I have Ms. Fleming; she is the best. At St. Mary’s you have the same TA for all four years, so you get to be good friends with the other students in your TA. I love when we have TA parties. We celebrate birthdays with ice cream and Pictionary.

8:45 a.m.

LATIN

My first class is Latin with Mr. Peterson. Latin is fascinating, and Mr. Peterson is a great teacher. He’s really understanding, especially when you have other things going on.

10:05 a.m.

MASS/STUDY 12:25 p.m. LUNCH

During Mass/Study, students can choose either to go to Mass or use the time for quiet study. I’m all caught up on homework, so I’m going to Mass with my friends in the chapel. I love the singing, and it’s such a great way to connect with my school community.

11:05 a.m.

HONORS GEOMETRY

We are studying surface area and volume and practicing writing proofs. It’s a challenging subject, but our teacher makes it interesting. I’m starving! Today my lunch is spaghetti. I skip the microwaves in the Café and eat it cold because I don’t want to miss meeting my friends. I head to the gym, and they are waiting for me on the bleachers. We make plans to eat lunch off campus tomorrow and decide on Pizza Schmizza. Conversation turns to the afternoon, and my friends and I make plans to go for coffee after school. I text my mom to let her know.

1:10 p.m. ENGLISH

My last class for today is English. We are reading Much Ado About Nothing. This is my first experience with Shakespeare. It’s no Harry Potter, but I really like it.

2:30 p.m.

ACTIVITY BLOCK

This is a chance to meet with teachers, catch up on homework or participate in activities. I’m headed to choir practice. I love to sing, and today we are practicing the St. Mary’s Alma Mater, “All Hail to Thee, St. Mary’s.”

3:00 p.m.

SCHOOL’S OUT

After a stop at my locker, I meet my friends, and we walk to Starbucks where we will hang out and work on homework until my mom can pick me up.

6:30 p.m.

DINNER

My mom makes a family favorite tonight, pao ~ de queijo, a traditional Brazilian cheese bread.

5:30 p.m.

GAME TIME

My sisters and I love to play board games together, and we’re currently in the middle of an epic Monopoly match.

7:30 p.m.

I help my mom clean up dinner and spend a little more time with my family before finishing my homework and getting ready for bed.