10 - Hailey M; The Big Day

 

The Big Day

I like to think of graduation as “the day I’ve been waiting for, but don’t want to come” because It’s an exciting day of course, I get to finally start living my life the way I’d like to, without having to worry about my grades and school 24/7. Although that’s true, it’s also a day I sort of wish would just go away and never happen. Because once that day comes, it’s over. My teen years, having fun, being carefree, and having a job at the same place as my best friend, will all change. I’ll no longer be guided by my teachers and mom, and I’ll have to figure things out for myself. 

I'm afraid I’ll lose contact with the people most important to me. I know I won’t be able to speak to them as often, atleast at first so I can get used to being on my own, but I’ve heard about how most people lost contact with their high school friends entirely. I sincerely hope that won’t be the case because without my best friend, I would be completely lost. We already planned on getting an apartment together after graduation, but I’ve heard plenty of stories where that’s pretty much never worked out. 

High school graduation and finally being on my own doesn’t always have to be a bad thing though. I’ll finally get to start the career I’m interested in, and the idea of living in my own space sounds amazing. I think it will be nice to move away and have a fresh start, where nobody knows who I am.

Word Count: 267

9 - Hailey M; Alone

 Alone

Being independent is one of my most wanted and scariest dreams. Once I turn eighteen, I graduate, go to college, live on my own, and rely on myself only, instead of my mom. I’ll have to learn how to pay bills, do my taxes, and all the adult stuff, which does not sound fun at all. Adult life and being independent sounds extremely stressful, and I’m already stressed enough living with my mom and almost starting my senior year of high school, so I can’t even imagine how stressed I’ll get when I have to start college applications, and eventually graduate. 

It’s even more scary when I have no clue what to go to college for, and the one thing I find that I want to do, people tell me it will be years of schooling and I’ll have to work extremely hard to get to where I want to be. Usually I wouldn’t listen to people who tell me to give up on my career choices, but I’m not a very motivated person, so it stresses me out that I feel like I can’t work hard enough to do the job I’ll most likely be doing for the rest of my life. I’d definitely like to try though, rather than taking an easy career path and do something I wouldn’t enjoy doing. 

Other than the adult stuff being a stressor for becoming independent, living on my own sounds exciting. I’ll be able to do whatever I want, and not have to worry about my mom nagging me about my grades or what I’m doing 24/7. I can go out whenever I want and not have a curfew, or have to ask anyone before I go. I can make my own schedule with the classes I choose in college, and decorate my home however I’d like. In my opinion, I think all these positives can weigh out the negatives easily. 

Word Count: 321

8 - Hailey M; Observations

Observations (#8)

The difference between an ear and an eye, obviously, is that one listens and the other observes. Both retain different information, and have a different perspective of situations going on.

I’d have to say I’m a little bit like both, only because I observe and listen rather than speaking out and taking action. If I had to choose between one though, I’d probably choose being more like an eye, since my sight is what I use more. I’m constantly observing my surroundings, looking into everything I see when I walk in a room. I’d rather observe what’s going on around me, instead of getting involved myself. I hate being in social situations, and would definitely enjoy sitting out and observing what’s happening much better. Other than observing my surroundings, I enjoy observing the people I interact with as well. It helps me understand them better, and make sure I don’t say something wrong when talking to them. 

I wouldn’t say that being a silent person is a bad thing, but sometimes it has some disadvantages. For example, if I’m struggling with something in one of my classes, (it would most likely be math) I observe the lesson and what we’re learning, but I don’t ask questions if something confuses me. Then I get even more confused as we go on, which is frustrating. I sometimes wish I was more like a mouth or something more extroverted, as it would probably make social situations for me a lot better. I don’t fully wish for that to happen though, because I actually enjoy the silence of my life. It’s more comfortable, for me atleast.  

Word Count: 272

eliya A-10- the mountains say, the mountains say

 

The mountains say, the mountains say.

Most of my entire childhood was spent moving from place to place, I've lived everywhere from Oregon to the hippie commune by fort Bragg. I have to say that I'm more like the mountains, because out of all the houses I have stayed at, the mountains were the only things that stayed consistent.

The mountains and forest have always been something that I have always connected with. Some of my earliest memories are dancing with my parents in the middle of the forest floor or backroads to gypsy music. I think the best place to explain how I was more like the mountains was when I had lived in a hippie commune by fort Bragg. From what I remember, living in this place was like living on another planet, it had trees for miles and miles. With trees and in the middle of nowhere meant that it didn't have any access to the internet which made this place more special to me. Our house was a small yurt with a big floor to ceiling window that would look out at the miles of trees and fog, waking up to it was amazing. Every morning we would hike through the mountains to get to a beach that was close by, however I don't really ever remember arriving at the beach, but rather the trip through the fog and the sunlight that would illuminate the fog too.

Even now, any chance I get, I find myself trying to hike in the forests and mountains. Mountains have always been calming to me, maybe because of the fact that no one can really tell you what you can and cannot do, or it's because it's not as overcrowded as beaches are, and music isn't being blasted out of people's speakers. The mountains have always been the place for me to go to for silence and peace.   

319

10-Aaron Palma: Hero Boy?

 As the Tension between Ukraine and Russia increases, there have been numerous cases where many children travel large distances to find safety. 

A specific case that caught my attention was the case of an 11 year old “Hero Boy” who traveled 700 miles from Ukraine without his parents to find safety. 

To some this could be considered a life challenging experience that requires much bravery and independence. Although this is all true, I truly ask myself if the word hero is appropriate when knowing that it creates inequality.

To give some context this 11 year old boy is white skinned and is traveling in Europe.

My true concern is not in relation to him or his ethnicity, but most importantly in relation to the way he is portrayed and the way WE are portrayed.

As many may know there are hundreds if not thousands of Latino boys and girls traveling from their home countries to the U.S. every single day.

In my own family at least 80 % immigrated from Mexico, some even pregnant while doing so. 

Not once in my life have I seen a national news company or anyone refer to us as heros or even brave. 

To me, this is a clear example of inequality and even racism. 

My grandparents and parents, just as this kid, are all examples of what true bravery is, but the way in which we are both differently portrayed is just not right.

Both sides are running from injustices, wars, oppression, and lack of government guidance, but we still don't get equal acknowledgement.

Word count:261

10- Zack Rabold- more than an education

It’s safe to say not many kids like high school. They might like sports, or seeing friends everyday, or even learning, but most would say they don’t look forward to waking up early and spending hours in classrooms to go home and do more homework five days a week. I fall into this category. High school especially has been a really hard time of my life between the world shutting down and a full plethora of health and personal issues. High School gives me such a great amount of stress as I’m sure it does to most others and I cannot wait until I can walk across the stage and hear my name called at graduation. To graduate will be a weight lifted off my shoulders that I’ve been carrying for almost 12 years worth of math, science, english and history. Graduation is the light at the end saying that all the hard work we had done has paid off and it was all worth it. However High School also brought more than just an education. It’s where I became the person I am now and the person I will be five years from now. There was love, and heartbreaks, and friendships and memories. All because of High School. Graduation is bittersweet in that most of us all have to go our separate ways to never speak again, but we won’t forget all the memories we made. The memories that we’ll look back on in 10, 15, 20 years and laugh about the time my car blew up at a Dutch Bros, or the week in 2020 with 13 different fights, or dress up days and games and dances. All memories that helped shape us. Graduation will be the end of our childhoods. We’ll say goodbye to people we’ve known since elementary school and the ones we just met. It’s not just a new chapter in our lives but a whole new book, filled with new people and places and memories to make, and it starts as soon as we walk across that stage and hear our name called.

10 - Em Lin - A Step Forward

 

    
    College has always been an end goal for me that I was expected to reach by those around me. I’ve never been interested in college, even now, I don’t wish to go or find a need too, but anything to fulfill a parents expectations right? High school graduation means close to nothing to me, it’s just going from one hell to another. Once again I’ll have to find friends that I feel comfortable enough with, once again I’ll have to make a strange place a place that I can call home, and once again I’ll have to wonder if all the stress and work is worth it in the first place. 

Graduating high school, for others, I’d imagine, is like a milestone in their life. They’ve done it, they’ve passed high school and now they get to fulfill their dreams in college and go into student loan debt at the same time. I envy people who can look so happy as they throw their caps in the air and receive their diploma, since I’ve been dreading it for so long. I have an idea of how I want my life to be planned out, but I still dread the transition from high school to college. I’d like to say I can handle change well considering I’ve moved to a whole other country when I was four, but I’ve gotten comfortable in Vacaville. I know where everything is, and I know many people here, but that’ll all change once I head off to college.

It’s not all dread and doom though, cause even then, I am still a little excited. I want to experience new things that I can’t experience here in Vacaville. Well that’s a lie, I’ll probably be holed up in my dorm room, wondering if It’s okay to eat instant ramen for the third day in a row. I’d consider myself an ambivert, so I think I would try and go out and attend clubs and things, but my social battery also runs out really quickly, especially around strangers, so, who knows. In the end, graduation doesn’t mean much to me, it’s what comes after that does. 

Word count: 358

10-peyton miller-graduation

 

    From elementary, middle school, to highschool, getting out has always been the thing I strive for most. When I so called “graduated” from elementary school, it was the most exciting thing, to go to a whole new school at a “new ranking” of classes called middle school. In middle school was where it started setting in that life isnt all rainbows and butterflies but work work work. I knew by then that highschool graduation would be my top priority and id persevere to get there without disruption. 

    After middle school, I got a whole new sense of community, not the greatest community, but a community. That would be high school. Where, somehow, I ended up with no friends because at some point in summer, everyone parted ways, leaving me behind. I knew by then that I would just do with high school on my own. 

    By then, I had started an early college high school program that got me many credits ahead of everyone else and prepared me really well for what id be doing 4 years later. During my junior year (this year), I was told that I could graduate early because of the many extra credits I had and only needed to take two extra classes this year to fulfill it. That was one of the hardest choices I had to make this year. 

    I had to choose between a extra jampacked schedule including the one I already have, and it didnt rally matter if i graduated because i had no friends either way, and graduating and leaving all my scary, embarrassing, and sad experiences in the past with highschool and never have to worry about it plus, get into a college before my other peers. Or I had the choice to stay in high school one more year and have an easygoing senior year, (probably still with no friends though), and graduate with my class with all the senior year perks. 

    I chose to stay (i dont know why though). But essentially, to me, graduation is another step closer to the beginning of my life, because nothing to me in highschool and below even matters until you graduate, but although i matters how you do it effects how you will live outside of highschool so of course i have to do well. But graduating will be a good thing for me to feel like I can actually do something and maybe even make friends in college so im excited for a new environment. 

Word count- 416

10 - Abhishek S: Always Strive for Better

 

“That’s just human nature” or “it’s just nature” are just a few common retorts to criticisms of the current iteration of a societal system or cultural norms. This is a flawed way of thinking that can lead to the perpetuation of unjust actions taking place among us. Throughout history our notions of what is considered “normal” has changed drastically; behaviors that we consider to be normal now would have been considered outlandish in the past. 

Rather than looking to the past for guidance on social issues, our guiding principle should be one of promoting equality and justice for people. 

Just because something has been present within societies for an extended period does not mean that it is the right or necessary part for that society to properly function. This has been illustrated many times throughout history with radical changes in human rights brought about through revolutions. The reality is that change in some capacity is always possible.

The apathetic attitude that comes with the “it’s just nature” point of view is one that settles for the status quo. We should, as humans, make it our mission to be constantly striving to better our own lives and communities' lives. This is in the best interest of every person because it will increase our society’s capacity for empathy. When you empathize with the struggles of others you won’t make excuses for a system that is responsible for said struggles. 

A sentiment of self-critique and introspection will lead to a people that are more conscious of the way in which their society operates and more dedicated to action.

10-Jacob P.- Infernal Rain

Infernal Rain Narrative: Share a “core memory.” Be sure to have a point, a message about what you learned, realized. When I just joined the Boy Scouts of America, my first campout with them had to be the worst camping experiences that I have had to endure. The week prior, me and a group of other scouts were warned by our adult leaders that the camporee had a very high chance of being rainy for the entire three days there. Me, being new to camping in unsatisfactory conditions, thought that it most likely would be a light sprinkling that would periodically occur throughout the day. That would lead to be the greatest understatement I could have made about this campout. Because I already had a preconceived notion that the weather wasn’t going to be that bad, coupled with the fact that I never camped before, I packed extremely lightly without thinking about packing any towels to dry the tent’s interior. I also never thought of packing a waterproof sack that would protect my sleeping bag, a decision which I would really regret later. When we arrived at the campground, it was already heavily raining, so we had to unload all of our gear and set them under a large tarp to protect them from the rain. The problem that this created is that the paths we were using to haul our gear quickly turned into a deep mud, causing some of our equipment and alot of our clothing to be caked in mud. When I finally managed to set up a tent that seemed to be purposefully made to be irritating to assemble, I thought that the tent would at least be dry inside and I would be able to sleep with a little more comfort. This also happened to be another moment in which I set myself up for disappointment. Already there were pools of water residing in the tent, so I had to use any spare clothing I could find to at least mitigate the amount of water left in the tent. Then, I was able to unfurl my damp sleeping mat and bag so I could finally sleep. However, the hard pattering of the rain coupled with the occasional booming of thunder rendered me partially awake for a large percentage of the night. The second day of this campout was mainly filled with every huddling under collapsible gazebos since the rain prevented us from doing anything productive. Then, when it was time to finally go to sleep, I was met with the same problem as last time. Although, I was more used to my current situation by then. On the third day, it seemed like a greater being granted us mercy and the rain ceased. At this point, rays of sunlight began peeking through the dense clouds and spreading its warmth amongst our campground. The presence of warmth caused me and a bunch of other scouts to walk onto the open field in which the sun was most present and then spread out our arms as if we were trying to get the sun's embrace. What this campout has taught me is that you should never underestimate how much nature could affect you and that you should always be prepared for the worst case scenario. (548)

9- Zack Rabold - How to Learn

257

Two wheels, a frame, and handles. A bicycle, such a simple form of transportation that gives us one of the most important skills we will ever know. How to learn. For me, learning to ride a bike was simple. My parents took me into the street and told me how to push the pedal to start and balance myself from there. Five minutes later I was pedaling up and down the street on my own. I had no idea then that by learning how to slowly ease my way into riding the bike and trying out different ways to find my own technique would translate much farther than my little neon green bicycle. Once I was comfortable on my own I started to expand how I rode my bike. I’d teach myself how to ride with just one hand, trying different ways until I got the right one. And then eventually moved on to pedaling with no hands and adding in turns and bends in the road. Through trial and error I was able to learn the ins and outs of how to ride a bicycle and developed the formula of how I would learn every other skill. Start guided, branch off on my own slowly until I can stand on my own weight. Cooking, kicking a ball, driving. All skills I would learn using the same formula for learning I used when riding a bike. Without it it may have been a lot longer to learn all the skills I’ve been able to develop over time.

10 - Mel B - 3 months left.

3 months left 

      In just three months my life will completely change. I will be 18, I will be committed to a one of the six CSU's that I applied to, I will be figuring out how to survive on my own with out my parents, I will be responsible for my own bills, In a new town surrounded by new people, I will be separated from the people that I grew up with, and away from all I've ever known. That being High School. 

    If I would've been asked what graduating meant to me my freshman year I would've said "Making my parents proud" and I am being 100% truthful because I remember writing that in my letter to my senior self my in Ms. Jimenez's class. And to be honest that is all complete BS. That is the last thing that I ever want to do. Like everyone says people change and I have changed a lot since my freshman year due to so much that happened in my life that forced me to mature at an early age. The first three years of high school were fun to me I just lived my life with no care in the world up until my senior year I couldn't even relax because a month in the whole college conversation had got shoved in my face. 

    I have always known what I wanted to do with my life since freshman year and I had everything planned out but all that was missing was college. How was I going to achieve my dreams if I didn't even have a school in mind? I didn't even know what major I would need, etc. This whole year has been filled with so much work but I wish I would've gotten this help way earlier because this whole process would have been so much easier if I had just gotten the help I needed. 

The beginning go my high school career I was content with laying under the shadows and didn't find any interest in taking any AP classes, joining clubs, etc. That has to be one of my biggest regrets because as you fill out these applications you will feel dumb. Those AP classes will get you into college and not taking my first two until this year really hurt me in the process because being a senior in a class filled with juniors and hearing the talk about creating brag sheets, having a list of schools you want to go to, building those letters of recommendations feels a little discouraging. I'd hear my teacher talk about it and how everyone is going to do it or has done it. Everyone has something to brag about but me, writing about my dead brother doesn't really feel good when I know they'll only accepted me due to pity, and not because I was the leader of a club, or had no social life due to taking 5 AP classes but maybe that's just me. 

It made my application process really hard but I tried my best, and trying my best got me into 6 schools all throughout California so not to toot my own horn wait no actually tooting my horn I am very proud of myself. I did this work all on my own. no college advisors, no help from my parents, siblings, friends, etc. with the help from some teachers I will give them that. I got into 6 schools and not once did I hear an "i'm proud of you" from my parents, only from my teachers. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that because that's what I wanted to hear but what I needed to hear is an "I'm proud of you" from my parents. but instead I got 6 arguments that lead into fights, because they somehow managed to make a core memory in of my life all about them. 

    Now a senior I'm not obligated in making anyone proud when it comes to my graduation and success. Just those who helped me get to this point in my life. I dont care if I make my parents proud or not, they will no longer be holding me down so why stress myself out over them? I had to raise myself, not them. I carried myself and I had to call for help all on my own when I needed them and I never got it. I have made myself proud every single day this year and will keep doing it not just for the next three months but everyday until I reach my point of success. Once I walk across that stage I will not be telling my parents "I did it" I will walk across that stage and grab my diploma all by myself telling myself that I did it, because yeah, I did it. 

Word Count 806

10- Cecylia B: Bad and Good decisions

Our teenage years are supposed to be the best times of our lives and yet it's the time parents try to restrict us the most. In all honesty I understand why parents try to be strict on us during our teen years because they worry for us and most of the time they don’t want anything bad to happen to us, but they also don’t want us making bad decisions. One commonality I see amongst teenagers are piercings and tattoos. Many parents disapprove when it comes to their teen asking for either of them but I don’t really see the big deal. Piercings are not permanent. Like at all. The only time they are is when you start to use gauges but gauges are a different story. Other than that most of the time teens either want a nose piercing or maybe a ear piercing and I think that’s totally okay because if later down the road they decide they don't want that piercing anymore they can take it out and it will close on its own. Tattoos are a much different story. Tattoos are permanent but however can be removed with a few rounds of laser treatment that can cost a pretty penny. I don't think getting one should be forbidden though. I think teens can make decisions for themselves and decide whether they want a tattoo or not. The only restriction I would put on that is no tattoos for teens under the age of 16 but if they are 16 or older they can be my guest. If they regret it in the future they're going to be paying for the removal or cover up, so let them live a little. All and all I think parents should lay back a little on the strictness and discipline they give teens and let them live out the best years of their lives just as they did. So, let them get that septum piercing or that tacky little wave tattoo, it’s not hurting anyone. Word count: 335

10- Genecis Z: 464 Days Left

 

            I am a junior in high school, which means that there is 11136 hours left before I walk across the stage and get handed a piece of paper that I have striven for with sweat, tears, and blood. A measly 464 days until I can say goodbye to this (and I mean this in the kindest way possible) god awful, treacherous, living hell of a town. 

Graduation means absolutely nothing to me, I couldn’t care less whether or not I get a piece of paper that represents all the awful nights I spent crying and screaming into a pillow just because I got a C in chemistry. Or felt ashamed to meet eyes with my parents because my grades weren’t an arrangement of A’s. 

Graduation is seemly my key out of this life I've been living for over 4 years. Once I graduate I get in a plane and I fly far away. 

Where no one I know is there to ridicule me. I want to get rid of the shackles I have been forced to wear for these past years. 

I hate this town. I hate the people. I hate my house. I hate absolutely everything about this place. 

So once those 464 days fly by and I get handed that paper I am gone as the wind. To a place where no one knows my name or my face or my life. To a place where everyone is a stranger just going about their life. 

If it were up to me I would say screw graduation and just leave. But of course my dear mother would send me to hell (again) and so instead I chew my nails raw each time I take a test and I look in the mirror with disgust every time I get a grade back, because I know that my mother won’t be pleased. 

There is nothing worse than feeling like the dumbest person in a room, and yet that is how I feel everyday. 

I hope to graduate high school and be able to forget about every single memory I have made in this hell hole and to never have to relive it again. I want to get myself out of this hole and fill it up so I can be sure that I will never fall in again.

Word Count: 385

10- Destiny D: Hard Earned Cooperation

    It’s often very difficult for people to take the time to consider others' thoughts and emotions. It may never even cross their mind once. Unwillingness to put yourself in others' shoes will result in arguments blowing out of proportion.

Taking other perspectives into consideration could prevent so many conflicts in any kind of relationship. It is very easy to let something go too far simply because you aren’t willing to communicate, and do some thinking. 

When involved in a conflict, you are often thinking about how you feel about the subject. You may even be thinking of and trying a way to try and resolve said conflict, but the other person is uncooperative.

Instead of being angry with the other person you should consider what they are thinking that is keeping them from helping you resolve it. What happened could have hurt them more than you originally thought. If you don’t care as much as they do about it and come up with a solution based on what would make you feel better, you can't expect them to cooperate. 

If you consider how the other person is reacting and pay attention to what behaviors they are exerting, you could come to a solution that benefits the both of you. 

Avoiding looking into how others are feeling is easy, but it is not worth all of the problems. That extra step will ultimately strengthen your relationships with others.

 The more you think about how they are feeling the less unnatural it will feel. 

Word Count: 252

#10: Yasmin G: Standing

  Standing up.

 It doesn't sound that hard. You move your legs so both feet can touch the ground, tense your muscles, and lift yourself up from a sitting or lying position. This can be hard for people with disabilities, where their legs or body is suspended, but for the average person, standing up is a simple task.

         But in cases other than physical, it isn't;

         Being beaten to the ground emotionally over and over again;

         Being told you did something wrong but have no idea what for months, or ever;

         Getting the nasty, teenage girl look whenever you walk into a room;

         Getting egged on and antagonized, but hated when you lash out, shoving you into a corner.

         This

         This is bravery.

         Putting in the effort to continuously stand up, despite everything inside your mind telling you to lie down and let the punches keep flying is bravery.

         Getting up every morning and debating putting on makeup when you don't have time or getting the looks from all the eyes saying you're not pretty without it is bravery.

         Waking up

         Every single morning

         Is bravery.

         Being in high school is something you need a lot of courage to do. It isn't rainbows and butterflies, it's lying men and two faced friends, dreaded teachers and too difficult of tests. It's wanting to make decisions for yourself and your own body, with everyone else going against you. It's fighting. It is walking through a battlefield and no one understands the struggle of waking up to sit in various classrooms for 8 hours a day, when you can't keep your thoughts straight for a single period.

         Being in high school

         Is all the bravery you need,

         And I, for one, know you are so brave.