Ashley Pineda, Miami Lakes, Barista, Starbucks
“I think my New Year’s resolution is to discover more about myself, to be able to find out what I want to accomplish in this world,” Ashley Pineda said. “I just graduated high school. I took a semester off from college mainly because I wanted to make sure that what I majored in was something I was passionate about and something I’m ready to do for the rest of my life.
“I am going to apply during the spring. I was thinking about studying international business," she said. "I think we get so clouded with things that happen in our lives and sometimes we forget who we are. And that definitely did happen to me for a minute.
“I just want to go back into things I used to be passionate about when I was younger, be able to find my place in this world and to create a big change in this world,” she said.
Cindy Diaz, Miami Lakes, Homemaker
“My daughter will be going to school and I’ll start working in what I studied for, which is working with kids with autism, as a [Registered Behavior Technician],” Cindy Diaz said. “Due to coronavirus, I temporarily left my job during the pandemic to stay home with my daughter.
“My daughter is 4 years old now and will be going to school next year," she said. “Life goes on and I must dedicate time to my job too.”
Gem Garcia, Miami Lakes, Nurse
“My New Year’s resolution is to run a half marathon,” Gem Garcia said. “I’m going to start training. I’m going to be increasing my mileage. The most I’ve run is about 11 miles.
“I’m going to start working towards that goal to run the Disney Princess Half-Marathon," she said. “So that’s going to be my task at hand, to start with small mileage and then work my way up."
Connie Nunez, Miami Lakes, Homemaker
“I am Christian, I go to church,” Connie Nunez said. “I think my New Year’s resolution will be to listen more when God is speaking to me.
“You do hear him in your spirit talking to you. So something that I really want to do is take the time to listen to him and see what he has to say. God is a God of relationship and a relationship involves communication.
“He talks to you not only through the Bible, but through a billboard sign, through a dream," she said. "He’s always speaking, constantly. So I want to listen more to what he’s saying. I want to see more, but with his eyesight, not mine. That’s my New Year’s resolution.”
Juan Gomez, Hialeah, retired Firefighter
“Take care of my grandkids,” Juan Gomez said. “I got my granddaughter for now, keep doing that and try to stay healthy.
“I like bringing her to the park because I can watch her and she releases energy," he said. "At home, I have to [supervise her more closely].
“When my wife and youngest daughter are there, they help take care of her the majority of the time, all three of us combined.
“My daughter says it takes a community to take care of a child," he said. “I enjoy it. I love my granddaughter and I think being with her, spending time with her is awesome. She makes my day, let’s put it that way. My day, my year, my everything. My life is better since she’s been in it.”