Hiiiii

Welcome to my first and most likely last blog! This ride of four years of English, consisting of four portfolios, was one of improvement and self exploration. I started by writing strictly from prompts with a background in analytical essays only but now I am a writer of poetry, short stories and descriptive paragraphs. Yay me! I'm very proud of how far I've come and believe all that I take from my short ride of English in high school will be of value to me in the future.

Freshman Year

Ok freshman year, English 1H with A. Zimmermann... good times? Not really, I can actually barely remember it. I know I hated reading the Oydessy, the Bible as in Literature and Romeo and Juliet. I really was just not all that into reading a passage and then writing about it. Anyways I was able to find a piece that I wrote about some random rainy day, which involved looking out a window? Dont know how or why I wrote this. Basically the only thing that this shows is my ability to make complete sentences. My extensive vocab? No such thing. When I look at this I really do see how I've improved not only with creativity but also just the fundamentals like grammar, vocabulary and sentence structure.

At home I sat anxiously a waiting my bus to take me to the first day of school. I set my arms on my windowsill.  Looking out of the open window I could see my neighbors struggling to get into their cars in the rain. I could see the clouds begin to form together and change from their beautiful crème color to a cold harsh black-gray. The flowers in my front garden that had been so beautiful yesterday shining in the sun were now saggy and wet as if someone had intentionally stomped all over them. For the past nine weeks I could recall looking out of my open window feeling the fresh breeze off of Lake Michigan, or watching my two younger siblings playing in the pool or jumping on the trampoline. But today it wasn’t the same as it always was.  Something in me changed too, no longer feeling a sense of simplicity and warmth like I remembered feeling when I looked out of my window. But now instead a feeling of dread and sadness came over my body as quickly as the raindrops were falling on the ground. As it began to pour even harder as time went on my heart started to race faster and faster. The fresh vivid colored greens leaves were falling off the trees as the rain got heavier and heavier.  I could see cars driving fast trying to maneuver around each other. People seemed different through the window too. Everyone around me was in a horrible rush as if they were running from a serial killer.  People no longer had grins on their faces but seemed hasty and annoyed. Waiting and waiting for the bus to come seemed to be as hard for me as a young child waiting for Christmas morning on Christmas eve. Restless I kept staring out the window looking at each car as it came around the corner, being thankful it wasn’t the school bus. After several more minutes the bus finally turned around the corner and pulled into my driver way, grabbing my book and backpack I took one last glance through the window. Finally standing up I put my two hands on the handle, closing the open window seemed to be more of a struggle then I had ever imagined.

Ok so lets hope things get better..... 

Sophomore Year

English 2H with Mr. Hawkins was a lot more productive then my next year to come. We read Catcher in the Rye (obsessed), Our Town, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Death of a Salesmen, and lots of short stories. We also had a portfolio which was quite the task but nothing like this year of course. Here's my first poem of high school. The First and Final touch was about a work trip I went on in Mexico the previous summer, I was able to use my arm at the end of each stanza to represent my closed in palms, to finally my arm fully extended with my palm open.

The First and Final Touch

My arm hung tight to my body

A deep breathe

Eyes open with curiosity

A heart filled with hope

A small twitch in my elbow

Stomping of feet

Shoulders aching from the brand new day

Children’s pain makes me ache inside

Beginning to reach out

A hammer swung

The nail dug in closer

The product was created

Arm extended

A touch of their hands 

A look in the eye kills

The smile that brings fulfillment

My first poem of high school was somewhat well written. This piece had a lot of heart in it and although I can recall it needing a lot of grammar help through the process I had a deeper meaning which was me growing as a person with my arm extended. 

Junior Year

Ok I loved loved loved English 3H. Not because I learned very much.. or wrote very much, or even read more than 2 books throughout the 9 months--- I just was obsessed with my teacher Mr. Osing!!!!!! How I miss him so, but anyways we had somewhat of a portfolio... I guess just turning in three pieces was how it went, maybe my memories not too sharp but it was a great time. We had to write 2 papers one on To the Lighthouse and Asher Lev, but lucky for all of you I have a short story I wrote for my portfolio about my summer before 8th grade.

LF POOL HOPPING

A hot summers day and nothing to do. This seems to be the story that reoccurs everyday in Lake Forest. But it was the first day of summer, could I actually be bored right now?

    Allie, Joanie and I were on our bikes circling around Westminster and Lake Road. The sun seemed to blaze harder with each pettle I pushed. The scent of fresh lawns, wonderful roses and the lake all seemed to mix together in the scent that I have always known as summer. Surrounding us were glorious homes built in the twenties. Each house that we passed captivated our eyes. We knew who lived in all these houses, and can remember going to Christmas parties and luncheons there, but something seemed to be different when snow wasn’t on the ground and instead it had been replaced with beautiful flowers that surrounded and embodied the homes

Almost on cue of all the memories that were flooding my mind, Joanie interrupted my thoughts saying, “I’m so hot, lets go to the Lake” Allie and I groaned at the idea of swimming with the disgusting dead fish, and murky water that all the little kids decide to go to the bathroom in. But it was true; we were all dieing to go swimming. Allie suggested swimming in her pool, but biking all the way to Sheridan Rd. would feel like an eternity, that would simply not be worth the effort. We all stopped to think of something to do in front of what seemed to be the most beautiful home I had ever seen. Stone Arches surrounded the front of the property, looking out into an enormous back yard that sat right on top of Lake Michigan.  Looking around at this beautiful home I was sure the same thought entered all of our minds, but I couldn’t be entirely sure.

In my mind I thought about it, we were now finally 8^th graders. The summer was in our control and we needed to finally start having some fun and adventure, after all it’s only one year till were in high school Right then I decided I was going to step up to the plate. I would suggest it casually, so just in case they weren’t thinking the same thing I could act like I was joking, but I had to do it, this was my summer to enjoy and at that moment I felt that this very decision depended on how the rest of it would take place.

“Uhhh I wish we could just go swimming in these houses, it doesn’t even look like their being used, everyone’s out of town… we should totally just open the gate, just to look and see what’s inside”

Then two grins appeared on Allie and Joanie’s faces. From that moment I knew my idea was a success. 

Joanie, always the daring one, quickly answered “Yeah I’ve never gone pool hopping”

“ Guys, its illegal we can’t just swim in someone else’s pool” Allie replied. Allie was always the one to ruin our fun plans by reminding us how stupid the things we came up with were. But Joanie and me could tell she was a little curious and just needed a little convincing.

 “We can just go in look, we don’t have to actually get in,” I said hoping Allie would go along. Allie reluctantly said sure, and all three of us parked our bikes behind bushes so no one could see them.

The thought of breaking an entry was odd for three girls who came from a little private school filled with goodytoshoes who spend their summers reading books, at our country clubs or just hanging out with close family and friends. But naturally we picked the most beautiful house I had ever seen in my life. The rustic yet elegant brick house overlooked Lake Michigan. I hesitantly opened the squeaky side gate that led to a gorgeous back yard filled with beautiful flowers and Greek statues. There was a beautiful stone path through a rose garden, which led to a marble Olympic pool with a diving board.  Joanie, Allie and I stood there, looking at the pool on the Lake, none of us saying anything. I was waiting for something to ruin this moment, an alarm, the owner of this house, something. But as I stood there I realized we would get away with this. It was fate. Over thinking this moment could do no good at this point, so we timidly put our toes into the water checking the temperature. I was ready to get in slowly but then a loud call “1……2………3” shouted out of Joanie’s mouth. I took a huge breath and went for the plunge.  When I got in it was scary but the most exhilarating feeling I’ve ever felt. We all became more and more comfortable as time went on. Joanie, Allie and I started to play marco polo, sub, colors and other pool games. After getting tired out from all the games, we sat there floating, catching up on the gossip that had already circulated after one day of summer.

About twenty minutes later a screech at the garden gate made a huge cry. “Crap” I said in a quiet voice, I grabbed my shoes and sundress and ran to the other side of the house, getting out in the nick of time. We got on our bikes, laughing historically. It was so much fun, how could it end now.  We naturally went to three more houses on Lake Rd. having a similar scenario happen in every case except for screeching gates, it would be a barking dog, or a neighbor pulling into their drive way.

At around 5:00 we all realized our parents had no idea where we were and unless we wanted to start the whole summer grounded, we should probably ride on home and take a break from pool hopping.

I entered my driveway-waving goodbye to Allie and Joanie because my house was the first stop. After I parked my bike in my family’s garage I ran past my parents who were out on the back porch barbequing with my neighbors, and rushed to my room to just think about how much fun that was. It was maybe one of the riskiest things I had done in my life at that time, and of course I was with two of my best friends laughing the whole way through, could this summer start any better? For the first time ever, I felt like I wasn’t just a 7^th grade Country Day middle school-er, I was finally, well, an 8^th grader.

Looking back at this piece a ton of editing could be done. I think I must have had a mindset in which using adjectives was the only way to be descriptive. Hmm, but anyways this was an improvement for me, anything without structure (5 paragraph essays) are usually not something I lean towards, but this short story really is fun to read.. at least for me, because being caught up in high school I forget about how easy going everything was in middle school, no drama (well fewer drama), not stressing over homework, college apps, making varsity sports, the right decisions while also keeping steady relationships with peers, teachers and family... yep those were the days. This verses my previous year showed how I was able to fully tell an entire story, and although I might not have been 100% successful I still finally realized the importance in using a lot and lot of description!

Senior Year

Three short years of English consisting of grammar practice, portfolios, and a lot of reading.. I've finally become a senior. Whoever said senior year was a breeze never took Creative Writing. This was for sure the most extensive portfolio I was required to do all four years of high school. I was able to finally write about things I actually gave a shiz about. My portfolio ranged from a college essay to a poem about a religious retreat I attended this year both two things I care deeply about for different reasons. The piece I decided to show you all is my college essay which basically asked me to show how I'm a diverse person. I decided to do this by comparing myself to an i-pad, and have all the different "apps" show my range of activities and interest- thus making me diverse. Here goes nothing...

Common App Essay

The i-Pad is a handheld computing device that is used for a range of multimedia entertainment. It has become a symbol of modern culture and exhibits the diversity one can experience from the advancing world today, by using the Internet to globalize or entertain oneself. This tablet computer allows one to download many different applications for a variety of purposes.   I believe that these “apps” show the diversity of personal interest that one can have or pursue, just like me. The genius behind this new Apple product is one of my most admired heroes, Steve Jobs. At a graduation ceremony last year he said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” With one fast swipe of your finger, you can unlock all the attributes that have contributed to my unique inner voice as a Latina student.
My inner voice comes from my multicultural family, which blends my dad’s European heritage with my mother’s Mexican heritage and traditions.  I enjoy dual citizenship with the United States and Mexico, and thus have traveled back and forth experiencing family and cultural opportunities from a very different vantage point. For my entire life I have been blessed with being immersed in diversity first hand, and thus believe that my life decisions and feelings are a reflection of this. I have appreciated these diverse social circumstances and believe that it has helped me become a well-rounded human being. My cultural background is one of my most fully loaded “apps”. It has contributed to my ability to appreciate different environments, which has benefited me my entire life, especially in the job I acquired a year ago.
 A recent work experience highlights how I maneuver through many myriads of cultural differences in my life and family. I have worked all year part-time at a local, wealthy country club, Onwentsia, as an assistant in their tennis facilities. The dlub policies demand strict adherence to all white tennis uniforms, proper manners and decorum in a very quiet environment. I had the good fortune of working with not only some of the pros here, but also training some of the teenagers who are eager to play on their high school team, just like I have had the privilege of doing all four years of my high school career, as another one of my favorite “apps”.
After I ended work on Saturday, I joined my mother and her friends for an afternoon fund raising “tardeada” or afternoon picnic. This was held at a public park with many inner city Hispanic young children and again, I was asked to teach tennis. I taught all the children on crumbling asphalt courts with some borrowed racquets and used tennis balls.  The contrast was amazing, as the children’s outfits and mine were bright and colorful, the mariachi music played loudly in the background. Between many giggling matches, we ate my favorite dishes, tamales, taquitos and guacamole. This unique experience reflects my appreciation for the environment that I have been blessed to live in, and my cultural background.
I enjoy my job for not only being given the privilege to play tennis everyday when I show up for work, but also for the impact it has on my business and social skills.
Like my summer internship at Lrn2innovate, where we installed thin client “cloud” devices for inner city schools, I also enjoyed working with the young boys and girls who have fewer opportunities than I do. These children are sometimes picking up a racquet or being exposed to new technology or software for the first time through me.  All these experiences reflect my apreciation for the ability to be diverse and show individual interest that has contributed to my inner voice.
Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, and this is a gift life has given all of us. My inner voice is a reflection of the love of my heritage and the diversity I have been exposed to. Throughout my high school career, I have effectively enriched my life with a variety of applications, and have been able to succeed in almost anything I partake in whether it is tennis, new technology, work, improving on my academics, choral programs or unique social interactions. I believe that this is because of my appreciation of being a diverse Latina student, and also because I am a person who benefits from learning from others’ unique inner voices, thus helping me to create and customize my own.
 The world is a melting pot and as technology continues to evolve, everyone is able to enrich his or her life with the diversity that this world holds for us.  The continuing genius of Steve Job’s is evident again when we watch the new i-Pad television campaign which blurt out single adjectives to remind us of the product’s capability such as musical, instructional, and creative. My growth and development has also expanded these past four years and my new campaign of personal adjectives would be —musical, athletic, social, responsible, giving, teaching, enthusiastic, American, Mexican, writer, reader and learner, and just like the iPad apps, more to come with time.

So to sum it all up I've learned bundles these past four years. I've never really had trouble with organization, so a college essay like this one wasn't as hard to crank out as my poems, but through the course of my four years even my essay writing has improved. Grammar was somewhat of an issue, but creativity has to be my biggest struggle. I sort of dislike writing poems and usually stray away from it, I find myself still writing cliche lines and telling not showing during my poems... just leaves more improvement for the future I suppose. Well, this is the end of my not so interesting life as a writer at LFHS....cya:)