Scroll Co-Editor-in-Chief, Scarlet Squad member, sister, daughter, friend, and the glue that holds her family together. These are all things that all describe East High School senior Miley Jimenez. She dedicates herself to everything that she does, whether it’s school or family related; Jimenez holds high hopes for the future and supports her friends and family with a kind spirit. Jimenez participates in a variety of activities at East such as newspaper, Scarlet Squad, and Faith Club. In Scarlet Squad she volunteers to assist East and the East side community as a whole, such as helping set up for school events like freshman orientation, community night and much more.“I enjoy them because in a way it helps me help others, and with newspaper I am informing people,” Jimenez said. Jimenez is a very family-oriented person, she’s always willing to go above and beyond for them, working hard to keep her family a priority while simultaneously battling her own struggles, like losing her mom in middle school.
“I think my mom was the most inspirational figure in my life, she was really hard working, and was like my family’s glue, keeping us together,” Jimenez said. Losing a parent is never an easy thing to deal with, Jimenez has unfortunately had to experience this. The way that Jimenez was able to progress with her grief was through religion, which has served as a great way to process her grief and helped her develop more as a person
“My faith has helped me process my grief, and lessened my anxiety during my day-to-day life,” Jimenez said. Jimenez has become an inspiration for many people she encounters, from teachers and staff as well as her fellow students. Her hardworking spirit and empathetic attitude draws people towards her.
Leib is an example of someone who has been positively affected by Jimenez throughout her time here at East.
“I just think she’s a really brave individual and I have a lot of respect for her in that regard, life is hard, but she always wants to make the most of it and connect with people. My hope for her is that she’s able to take those moments that life has taught her and build into other people,” Leib said. Leib believes that Jimenez’s ability to build into other people with her own life experiences will treat her well and will pave a road of success for Jimenez’s future endeavors and careers.
“My plan is to go to Drake or Simpson, and I want to pursue entrepreneurship and realty. It interest me because I can work more independently, and it is well paying,” Jimenez said. Jimenez plans on becoming a realtor while also owning her own business, she enjoys being able to work more independently while being financially stable and happy in her career choice. Jimenez also has strong ties to many East students, her niece being one of them.
“I would describe Miley as a strong person. We basically grew up together, I moved to Iowa back in 2019 and I have seen a lot of different phases of her, the good and the bad, I got to see her grow up into the person she has become. We helped each other get through some tough times and I’ll always be grateful for that” junior Ana Rodriguez said. Jimenez and Rodriguez have supported each other through difficult times, seeing each other grow and develop as they years went on. Jimenez’s strength and versatility is highly admirable and inspiring to everyone around her.
“My favorite thing about being an East student is the community and the relationships that I have built,” Jimenez said. Jimenez values the community here at East and the relationships she was able to build at East, many people will remember her fondly after she graduates as a member of the class of 2026.
