“I really love Palmetto, and I love being involved,” said Junior Class President Joey Natoli.

That simple phrase might as well be his mantra, although Natoli himself is too modest to ever claim to have his “own mantra.”

But the fact is Natoli is in the middle of almost everything that’s happening at Palmetto, and not only student government.

He is the editorial editor of the newspaper, he is the vice president of Key Club, and he is the secretary of the National Forensics League. He is a member of Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society), Phi Beta Chi (science honor society), the Social Science Honor Society, National Honor Society, and Amnesty International.

And although nobody really likes to talk about it, there are some students who get involved at Palmetto with less than the most honorable intentions to fill resumes.

That couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to Natoli, whose work and dedication is so respected by his peers, he was not only elected junior class president, but freshman and then sophomore class president before that. 

This year, it’s clear that once again Natoli has a handle on the job ahead of him. His task will include preparing for Panther Prowl (last year, his sophomore class team won first place in the “wall” competition) and putting together the class community service project.

“Last year’s student council vice president really pushed for each class to perform a community service project. We did one with the Boys and Girls Club last year, and although it went well, I’d like to expand it this year with more people participating,” Natoli said. “We did whatever the kids wanted to do—we played with them, helped them with their schoolwork. It was a lot of fun.”

Natoli also was chosen to be a part of the Mayor’s Conference last year with David Lawrence and Mayor Alex Penelas to help promote better pre-elementary education.

“It was a collaboration between Lawrence and Penelas targeting the pre-school student, the idea being that if we improve the education they get it can have a domino effect on their future schooling. We were trying to influence educators; and in the process try to get more afterschool centers certified,” he said.

As junior class president, Natoli will also be in charge of prom, both the fundraising portion and the actual staging of it. He intends to work closely with Brad Cohen, last year’s junior class president, to make sure everything runs smoothly.

He’s also pragmatic about the fact that his increasingly difficult schedule will in turn make his work outside of class tougher.

“I’ve really, really liked most of my teachers at Palmetto—particularly this year. In the past, I’ve kind of been able to coast, but this year I’ve had to really work,” he said.

Natoli is a long-time Pinecrest resident, attending Pinecrest Elementary after moving from Calusa Elementary in the fourth grade, and then Palmetto Middle before the Senior High. His family, including his father Joe, Miami Herald president, his mother Jennifer, and his sister, Danielle, a student at Palmetto Middle, share his affinity for the area.

“I like living here—I like that it’s small enough that you really can get to know everyone. It has a real hometown feeling for what is essentially a large city,” he said.

It’s residents like Natoli, people who constantly are involved, that perpetuate that feeling.