Sara Garfinkel, 2012 CHS graduate, has traveled all around the world. She currently performs as a dancer and singer on the Oceania Riviera Cruise ship, touring the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas. Garfinkel has cruised through Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Croatia, crossed the Atlantic Ocean and seen most of the Caribbean Islands and Central America.

“I love absolutely everything about my job. On this current contract, I wake up in a new place every day. I spend the daytime hours exploring wherever we are that day and the nighttime hours on the stage. I have met so many amazing people, guests and crew, from all over the world,” Garfinkel said.

Garfinkel’s performance career started with dancing classes at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) when she was still attending school in Clayton. As a student, she loved to write and incorporated her interest in dancing with her writing.

“My most influential teacher was my English teacher, Mrs. Hamilton,” Garfinkel said. “She encouraged me to use dance and performance in as many essays and projects as possible. She had me really dig deep into my art form, and that allowed me to develop an even deeper connection to what I love so much.”

After graduating from CHS, Garfinkel has had a very diverse dancing career. She danced as a soloist with the Tallahassee Ballet Company, auditioned for jobs in the theater and entertainment realm and danced in both productions of “Winterfest” and “Oktoberfest”.

Most recently, she has been performing on the Oceania Riviera cruise ship. One of her favorite places to visit so far has been Taormina in Sicily, Italy.

“It is so breathtakingly beautiful – I spent the whole day in absolute awe that it was a real place!” Garfinkel said.

One of the things that Garfinkel loves about CHS is its supportive and open atmosphere.

“I truly believe that every student leaves Clayton High School as a stronger and more authentic version of themselves,” Garfinkel said. “I left Clayton confident in who I am and what I do, ready to take on the next step, invincible even, and that is something I will always be so thankful for.”