Mason grad Melissa Arcila found solace in books, aspires to teach literature

Editor’s note: This is one in a series of Naples Daily News stories on Graduates of Distinction, who are selected by staff at the high school. 

Melissa Arcila, 18, is a bookworm and proud of it.

When she's not being editor-in-chief of her school's yearbook or working a part-time gig at a local PetSmart, the Mason Classical Academy senior is exploring the colorful shelves of a library. She is always on the lookout for her next favorite book(s).

Arcila plans to turn her passions for reading and writing into a career. She will attend The King's College in New York City in the fall in hopes of becoming a literature professor.

On a recent Tuesday, she held two books in her arms after she had checked them out at one of her favorite local hangouts, the East Naples branch of the Collier County Library. One of the books was the modern classic "Catch-22." She especially loves the classics. She has a collection of about 150 books of her own at home.

"I've always been stuck at libraries and read anything and everything I can get my hands on," said Arcila, who wore round glasses and a bright yellow blazer, which matched her friendly disposition.

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Books are more than just pages with words bound together inside a cover. For Arcila, they helped brighten her world in a time of darkness. 

Arcila's freshman year was far from the fun, carefree experience often depicted in movies. She faced personal challenges, which made it difficult for her to focus on academics and extracurricular activities. 

For one, her mother was remarrying, years after Arcila's father had walked out on their family. Secondly, she suffered from an eating disorder, which led her to seek help at a rehabilitation center. She was attending Naples High School at the time.

"A lot of that took a toll on me, and my self-confidence plummeted," she said. 

Everything changed when she opened the pages of "Walden," written by transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau. Her eyes opened up to a world full of possibilities. 

"Walden," first published in 1854, is a reflection of living simply in nature, inspired by Thoreau's time living in a cabin he built in a forest by Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. 

His words spoke to Arcila. 

"The book makes you say to yourself that I can enjoy my surroundings and enjoy the intricacy of what's around me," she said. "Our mere existence is a beautiful thing, and I think that's what (Thoreau) was trying to get at.

"The book really helps you dig out of that hole and make you go, 'Wow, there's something to aspire to.'"

That's where her love of writing started.

She transferred to Mason her sophomore year. There, Arcila said she felt at home and gained the confidence to follow her dreams. She knew she wanted a life full of books and knowledge.

She will be the first in her Colombian family to go to college.

Arcila, who was born in New Jersey, moved with her family to Southwest Florida when she was about 7 years old. Arcila was taught the value of a good education early on, but with that came certain expectations.

"They said I should be a doctor or a lawyer or something along those lines where you can get a lot of money," she said. "But I realized if I'm not passionate about it, I'm not going to get as far as I could. If I'm enjoying what I'm doing, I know I'll get far with it."

Sarah Bucknell, an English teacher at Mason, said Arcila's passion shone through in the essays she wrote for her class during her junior year. 

"This is a student who would read (Ralph Waldo) Emerson for fun," Bucknell said. "The elevated academic style in her writing was an imitation of those good writers and thinkers she reads." 

Bucknell made a future in the literary world seem attainable, Arcila said. 

"(Bucknell) was able to teach us ideas from books so vividly, and her passion for them made me realize this is amazing and something I want to pursue," Arcila said.

"This is why I do what I do," Bucknell said. "If I can touch even one life and inspire one person ... and make them see the joy that these timeless stories and lessons can give, I've succeeded."

Arcila is one of nine students in Mason's inaugural senior class, which, in total, brought in $2.3 million in college scholarships. The school's graduation ceremony will take place June 2.

In August, Arcila will call New York City home. She doesn't know anyone there, but she hopes to find people as passionate about books as she is.

"I'm going through it a little blind, but hopefully I'll find my way through it once I get there," Arcila said. "I'm excited to be able to bond with people and find a shared love for learning."

She visited her new school a couple of months ago for the first time and said she felt at home knowing the nearest public library is nearby.