The Initial Letter- Section 1
I feel like I am sharing similar thoughts that I had last year when I was entering the school year. I had uncertainties, I did not know what to expect because I had not had a normal high school year yet. This year however, having gone through a somewhat normal year of high school, I have a better idea of what to expect coming into the school year. However, I am still uncertain because I have not taken this many Advanced Placement classes before. I am going from taking one Advanced Placement class to five this year. I have taken Honors classes in the past, but I know that they are far from being similar to Advanced Placement classes, they simply take more time and effort to be able to succeed in those classes. I still face uncertainty facing the school year because I truly do not know how those Advanced Placement classes will play out, and how much time will be dedicated to them, or how I will manage my time to accommodate all the work for these classes. I hope that I am productive, that I complete my work in an efficient manner, to be able to spend some time with my family and friends and have a social life outside of school. I hope that I am also able to relax on the weekends, perhaps hanging out with my friends and having fun times with the people that I care about. To be able to take a break from school every once in a while, I know that I will need to work very hard during the school year, I will try my best to stay organized and if I ever need help, I will come to my teachers and see if they can help me understand the material better so that I can have a good grade in the class. That is the reason why I want to be so organized in all of my classes, including my five Advanced Placement classes, Leadership class, and Precalculus class, because I want to have good grades in all of those classes. I believe that is definitely possible as long as I stay focused and committed.
Part I: Favorite Quotes – Section 2
"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."
— Malala Yousafzai
This quote has made an impact on my life because I have just been wondering what sort of career I should pursue, what job I want in the future, what I want my major to be. In a sense, what my future will look like according to the career choices I make. I often worry that it might be too late to decide to change what I am interested in, and that I have to stick with a certain major or career, but after seeing this quote, it has changed my view on this topic. I don’t think that I have to stick to one career field forever, or that I have to stick with the major that I initially pick forever, I can always change. Now, I don’t believe that there is a definite time in which it is too late to change what I want to do. In fact, I think it is better to start at something late rather than to be stuck in something that I don’t like forever.
"You don't always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens."
— Mandy Hale
This quote has made an impact on my life because I worry a lot when things don’t go in the way that I want them to. I’m talking about, for example, if I wanted to stick to a definite schedule, but something happened in my day that didn’t allow me to stick to it. Instead of constantly worrying about that, I just need to take a step back and figure out the rest of my day and see how it will go. I dislike how everyday is not perfect, how I am not able to predict how everyday will go, but I just need to get accustomed to the fact that that is just how life is. I need to see what happens, I need to go with the flow instead, so I don’t get so worried everyday. Instead of wasting all this energy worrying, I can spend my energy on breathing and letting go. I also need to have trust in myself that the day will be alright.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” —Mark Twain
This quote made an impact on me because I believe that it speaks about getting started on your work, or your projects, in an effort to make progress on your dreams and hopes. To be able to accomplish my own goals and dreams, I cannot just sit around and be lazy, I need to do my work all the time, I need to get ahead, so that in the future, I can relax. Actually getting started on your work opens the doors to success, because it can be a big deal, you have finally made the decision to actually do the work that is asked of you. Keeping a steady pace on your work will lead you onto the road to success and I believe that is very important.
— Malala Yousafzai
This quote has made an impact on my life because I have just been wondering what sort of career I should pursue, what job I want in the future, what I want my major to be. In a sense, what my future will look like according to the career choices I make. I often worry that it might be too late to decide to change what I am interested in, and that I have to stick with a certain major or career, but after seeing this quote, it has changed my view on this topic. I don’t think that I have to stick to one career field forever, or that I have to stick with the major that I initially pick forever, I can always change. Now, I don’t believe that there is a definite time in which it is too late to change what I want to do. In fact, I think it is better to start at something late rather than to be stuck in something that I don’t like forever.
"You don't always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens."
— Mandy Hale
This quote has made an impact on my life because I worry a lot when things don’t go in the way that I want them to. I’m talking about, for example, if I wanted to stick to a definite schedule, but something happened in my day that didn’t allow me to stick to it. Instead of constantly worrying about that, I just need to take a step back and figure out the rest of my day and see how it will go. I dislike how everyday is not perfect, how I am not able to predict how everyday will go, but I just need to get accustomed to the fact that that is just how life is. I need to see what happens, I need to go with the flow instead, so I don’t get so worried everyday. Instead of wasting all this energy worrying, I can spend my energy on breathing and letting go. I also need to have trust in myself that the day will be alright.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” —Mark Twain
This quote made an impact on me because I believe that it speaks about getting started on your work, or your projects, in an effort to make progress on your dreams and hopes. To be able to accomplish my own goals and dreams, I cannot just sit around and be lazy, I need to do my work all the time, I need to get ahead, so that in the future, I can relax. Actually getting started on your work opens the doors to success, because it can be a big deal, you have finally made the decision to actually do the work that is asked of you. Keeping a steady pace on your work will lead you onto the road to success and I believe that is very important.
Part II: Quote –Section 3
“The secret is to believe in your dreams; in your potential that you can be like your star, keep searching, keep believing and don’t lose faith in yourself” -Neymar Jr.
I feel like this quote is very important to me because of the recurring themes of determination and resilience and how you can be successful by following your dreams and trying to be like your stars. This was the secret that got me through the whole year, that I just kept following my dreams of wanting to develop good habits in high school so that I can translate them later on when I go off to college. Through this program, I kept searching for resources that I could use to better myself, so that I can become a productive member of my class. I was able to find this through the several community projects that we had over the year, like the Grateful for our Origins project, which made me fully realize the importance of giving back to our community.
I kept believing, even in the moments where everything seemed to be failing for me. This year is my junior year, and it is often reported that this is the hardest high school year. I would agree with this statement, because I found myself at times feeling like I was lost because of how hard school could be or how many projects I had to complete. But I still kept believing in myself, believing that I would be able to get out of this situation soon, and I always did. I was always back to calm down and relax after figuring all of my work out and seeing that it was all going to be alright. In this way, I never lost faith in myself because I knew that I would always be able to make it out.
Words can be very important because of how they have impacted me throughout this whole year, they changed how I felt, how I lived, and how I thought.
I feel like this quote is very important to me because of the recurring themes of determination and resilience and how you can be successful by following your dreams and trying to be like your stars. This was the secret that got me through the whole year, that I just kept following my dreams of wanting to develop good habits in high school so that I can translate them later on when I go off to college. Through this program, I kept searching for resources that I could use to better myself, so that I can become a productive member of my class. I was able to find this through the several community projects that we had over the year, like the Grateful for our Origins project, which made me fully realize the importance of giving back to our community.
I kept believing, even in the moments where everything seemed to be failing for me. This year is my junior year, and it is often reported that this is the hardest high school year. I would agree with this statement, because I found myself at times feeling like I was lost because of how hard school could be or how many projects I had to complete. But I still kept believing in myself, believing that I would be able to get out of this situation soon, and I always did. I was always back to calm down and relax after figuring all of my work out and seeing that it was all going to be alright. In this way, I never lost faith in myself because I knew that I would always be able to make it out.
Words can be very important because of how they have impacted me throughout this whole year, they changed how I felt, how I lived, and how I thought.
Part I: Goals– Section 4
Leadership Based:
Long Term:
- Revamp the Renaissance program so that the students enjoy it and teachers like it.
- Make the freshman class and new students feel more comfortable in high school and inspire them to participate in events.
- Be successful in all of my AP classes so that I can continue to have a 4.0 GPA.
- Have fun with my friends while being productive each and everyday, essentially maintaining a balance
Long Term:
- Find a job that best fits me and my needs so that I am happy working everyday.
- Find my purpose in life.
Part II:
Goals – Section 5
Leadership Based:
Revamp the Renaissance program so that the students enjoy it and teachers like it.
- Sadly, we have not been able to bring back the Renaissance program as of yet, but we were able to discuss it in a meeting with the principal, vice principal, and other students from the school that were a part of different organizations that could help us with their opinion of the program. We have not brought back any aspects of it because of how problematic it was, how students would lie about their grades to try to get the 4.0 Gold Card, so we still have yet to figure out those issues. The other problem is that Renaissance has less money than it had in the past, which limits what we can spend our money on for the new ideas we may have. Hopefully, next year, the program will come back once again, but it is tough to say because there has been no word on it.
Make the freshman class and new students feel more comfortable in high school and inspire them to participate in events.
- I would say that this goal has been accomplished for the freshman because of their orientation and the various events that we held as the Renaissance and Link Crew committee. We ran Study Buddy Nights successfully, with so many students coming in on both days, talking with their friends, teachers, and other people to get the help that they needed. I felt like this was so successful because of how students were so open to it, but 8th Grade Day was a different experience. We planned out this event successfully, and I liked how the Kahoot part was added in because it was such a fun factor for the students, and my group of students also happened to be fine, they weren’t acting out or anything. But I know that the kids for other groups were worse, and I can only say that this event was helpful to those that took it seriously.
Short Term:
Be successful in all of my AP classes so that I can continue to have a 4.0 GPA.
- I am proud to say that I have kept a 4.0 GPA, which is something that I wasn’t so sure that I was going to say when I entered the beginning of this year. I was so scared of taking 5 AP classes because I thought that I would not be able to do it, much less even get all A’s in all of those classes. But with hard work and resilience, I was able to do it, and I am so proud of myself for keeping up the hard work for all of the year. This means that my GPA has continued to stay at a 4.0 mark, which makes me really excited because I think that that would look good to colleges that I will try to apply to when I am in my senior year of high school. I aim to continue this sort of diligence that I have so that I can end off the year strong with a 4.0 GPA still. As of right now, my grades have been looking alright. I have some wiggle room in those grades in case I do badly on the final or other things, so I am happy.
- I will say that there are some days in which I have not been the most productive, but I think that is only normal for a human. Everyday cannot be perfect and I have adapted to this kid of mindset which has helped me go through life one step at a time. But I still have been able to hang out with my friends and spend time with the people that I love and still having some time left over to do my homework. I knew that this balance was important to keep because I had to find a way to be happy and have fun instead of just doing work all day, stressing out over every little homework assignment that I have. I think that I have created some good memories this year because I have made time for my friends, whether it was going out to the football game, to a random store, or even just doing nothing but talking. I have found that I love being with other people because I just love to talk with them and I value quality time with them so much. I balance it by doing my work on the other days and dispersing it during the whole week.
Long Term:
Find a job that best fits me and my needs so that I am happy working everyday.
- I have not been able to get a job yet but I have been able to work on this bit by bit by learning about different fields that I could be interested in when I am older. I try to look into what these different jobs are like, like how my day could be as a doctor, lawyer, or anything else. The reason why I do this is because I want to be sure of the career that I try to get into in the future because I want to know that I will be happy in whatever that happens to be. I know that I still have a lot of time until I actually am in that career field, but I think that it is best to get started on this early so that I am not stressing out when I am older, trying to figure out what I should do.
Find my purpose in life.
- I think that I am still too young to know what my purpose in life is, but like I said with the other goal, I am trying to figure out what I like to do, how I should serve myself and other people, and what makes me happy. I try to discover new things about myself by having conversations with my friends about what we would like to do when we get older, but I think that I’m too young to even really get an idea of what my purpose is. I feel like my purpose would also go along with what my career would be, which means that my purpose could be things like serving other people and caring for them.
Part I: People
Magazine Cover –Section 6
Part II:
People Magazine Article – Section 7
Gabby Melgarejo is a junior at Ripon High this year and is venturing her life, exploring different available opportunities, while maintaining her AP classes. In the past, she has wanted to be a doctor, more specifically, an OBGYN, but now, she is thinking about becoming a lawyer. She has always been interested in law but always decided to look further into science, towards the world of medicine. “I want to do more research to see what these two different fields are like. I want to make sure that I go into college with something more definitive in mind so that once I start working in my job, I am happy and satisfied with what I am doing.”, Gabby explains in an interview. Whichever career path she chooses, even if it may not be either one of these, she hopes that she genuinely enjoys her job and looks forward to it every day.
As of right now, she is busy juggling 5 AP classes and extracurricular activities, as she is the Vice President of the Red Cross club, Vice President of the Scrubs Club, and Secretary of the Asian Cultural Club. Recently, she participated in the float during Homecoming for the Asian Cultural Club and loved setting up the float and being able to see the crowd of people in the parade. She hopes to get involved with more club-related activities like these in the future!
As of right now, she is busy juggling 5 AP classes and extracurricular activities, as she is the Vice President of the Red Cross club, Vice President of the Scrubs Club, and Secretary of the Asian Cultural Club. Recently, she participated in the float during Homecoming for the Asian Cultural Club and loved setting up the float and being able to see the crowd of people in the parade. She hopes to get involved with more club-related activities like these in the future!
Role Model – Section 8
Someone that has hugely impacted my life is my friend, Alizeh. I met her in the beginning of Sophomore year, despite us being in some classes with each other in our freshman year. The reason that we did not know each other in freshman year was because of distance learning, which did not allow us to bond and talk to each other since everything was online. The moment that I found out about Alizeh, I could tell that she was an extremely hardworking individual who was determined to succeed in everything that she put her mind to. I learned of her hard work because of the English projects that we had. We had to reenact a play, which was supposed to be a relatively simple project, but Alizeh came up with the idea to put on a whole musical. Due to the amount of work and dedication that she and the rest of the other group members put in, they are the only group that I have known to get a perfect score on one of Musseman’s projects. Other than that, Alizeh has put in so much dedication and effort into everything she is involved with, such as school, church, and her family and friends. She is someone that is so caring, that checks up on you if you are sick, that is ready to drop anything to help you better understand concepts. She has inspired me to be more hard working and dedicated to the things that I am involved in, whenever I get feelings of laziness or unproductivity, I think of what Alizeh would do, and I know that she would continue to be determined and continue to work hard to do her projects or study for tests weeks in advance. Alizeh is also so kind and generous, she never thinks twice about having to drive me home, even going to Starbucks every single time and paying for my drink. I have never met anyone in my life as unique as her, as hardworking as her, and as funny as her, and I am very grateful for the impact that she has given me. She has not only impacted me in an academic sense, but she has also inspired me to be more helpful to those around me and check up on others more because of the example that she sets for me. I have no doubt that she will succeed in everything that she does, especially in college or in her future career as a lawyer.
Inner Animal… - Section 9
For my inner animal, I chose the wolf. Wolves have many traits about them that I feel like I can relate to, for one, their friendship and loyalty. When I create deep friendships, I make sure and I always try my best to put in the effort to care for that person and make them feel loved by me. I want the person to know that I cherish our friendship deeply through my actions, such as words of affirmation or by treating them with gifts or spending quality time with them. However, like a lone wolf, I also enjoy having my own space sometimes. I think most people would describe me to be an introvert, the opposite of outgoing, but as a shy person who keeps to myself. This is the reason why I have only a small number of deep connections, because I only reach out to those that I feel like I would have a deep bond with. But I think that it is important to remember that wolves have a playful side to them. I make sure that I am not a purely serious person, I make sure to always joke around with my friends because I love to have a good laugh with them and cherish our fun times. Wolves are also known to be protective and caring, which is what I would describe to me, as I have said that I deeply cherish the friendships that I have. If my friends are feeling down, or if I know that people around them have done mean things to them, I feel deeply sorry for them and try my best to make them feel happier. Wolves are also known as leaders, which is something that I am working towards, as I develop my leadership skills in this program and in the future.
Part I: The Best Things About Me – Section 10
Part II: The Impact of Sound & Words –Section 11
Mariners apartment complex
By Lana Del Rey
You took my sadness out of context
At the Mariners Apartment Complex
I ain't no candle in the wind
I'm the bolt, the lightning, the thunder
Kind of girl who's gonna make you wonder
Who you are and who you've been
And who I've been is with you on these beaches
Your die-hard, your weakness
Maybe I could save you from your sins
So, kiss the sky
You lose your way, just take my hand
You're lost at sea, then I'll command your boat to me again
Don't look too far, right where you are, that's where I am
I'm your man
I'm your man
They mistook my kindness for weakness
Can't a girl just do the best she can?
Catch a wave and take in the sweetness
Think about it, the darkness, the deepness
All the things that make me who I am
And who I am is a big-time believer
That people can change, but you don't have to leave her
When everyone's talking, you can make a stand
'Cause even in the dark, I feel your resistance
You can see my heart burning in the distance
Baby, baby, baby, I'm your man (yeah)
You lose your way, just take my hand
You're lost at sea, then I'll command your boat to me again
Don't look too far, right where you are, that's where I am
I'm your man
I'm your man
I feel like the overall themes in this song represent who I am and how I have been feeling. For the most part, this song is about a girl who has been misunderstood, who is struggling within her life and is trying to reconcile with who she is and state her true identity. She also states her various mindsets that carry her on through her life, trying to make sense of the world around her. There are certain parts in the song that speak to me most, like when she says “I’m the bolt, the lightning, the thunder…”. This part of the song represents my uniqueness and how I aim to make an impact on the world because of the hard work that I put in. The twist that I put onto this song is how I am trying my hardest to aim for success within high school and later on so that I fully can become the bolt, the lightning, and the thunder, and become striking and powerful. I would love for people to know who I am because of my character and resilience, as that would mean that I have achieved my goal. There is also another part in the song where she talked about being a big-time believer and how people can change, which is also something that I agree with. I believe that people can fully correct their wrongs as long as they express their shame for it and try their hardest to win back forgiveness. I even think that sometimes, people are just misunderstood, and you need to look at issues from their perspective.
By Lana Del Rey
You took my sadness out of context
At the Mariners Apartment Complex
I ain't no candle in the wind
I'm the bolt, the lightning, the thunder
Kind of girl who's gonna make you wonder
Who you are and who you've been
And who I've been is with you on these beaches
Your die-hard, your weakness
Maybe I could save you from your sins
So, kiss the sky
You lose your way, just take my hand
You're lost at sea, then I'll command your boat to me again
Don't look too far, right where you are, that's where I am
I'm your man
I'm your man
They mistook my kindness for weakness
Can't a girl just do the best she can?
Catch a wave and take in the sweetness
Think about it, the darkness, the deepness
All the things that make me who I am
And who I am is a big-time believer
That people can change, but you don't have to leave her
When everyone's talking, you can make a stand
'Cause even in the dark, I feel your resistance
You can see my heart burning in the distance
Baby, baby, baby, I'm your man (yeah)
You lose your way, just take my hand
You're lost at sea, then I'll command your boat to me again
Don't look too far, right where you are, that's where I am
I'm your man
I'm your man
I feel like the overall themes in this song represent who I am and how I have been feeling. For the most part, this song is about a girl who has been misunderstood, who is struggling within her life and is trying to reconcile with who she is and state her true identity. She also states her various mindsets that carry her on through her life, trying to make sense of the world around her. There are certain parts in the song that speak to me most, like when she says “I’m the bolt, the lightning, the thunder…”. This part of the song represents my uniqueness and how I aim to make an impact on the world because of the hard work that I put in. The twist that I put onto this song is how I am trying my hardest to aim for success within high school and later on so that I fully can become the bolt, the lightning, and the thunder, and become striking and powerful. I would love for people to know who I am because of my character and resilience, as that would mean that I have achieved my goal. There is also another part in the song where she talked about being a big-time believer and how people can change, which is also something that I agree with. I believe that people can fully correct their wrongs as long as they express their shame for it and try their hardest to win back forgiveness. I even think that sometimes, people are just misunderstood, and you need to look at issues from their perspective.
Homecoming Activities Photo Gallery – Section 12
What I Like Best About Being a Member of Leadership – Section
13
My first favorite memory would start out with Core Camp, this was my first time ever going to Core Camp and I was excited that we would be able to interact with each other in the bonding activities and go to the beach with one another. I loved when we all got into a circle and closed our eyes and a group of us was picked to be in the middle to pick people who made us feel certain ways, like people who made us feel loved, included, happy and other powerful and happy emotions. When my eyes were closed, I felt a good number of people pick me round after round and it made me feel very good about myself. I felt like I could also connect with everyone else in leadership because of how we were all honest with each other.
My second favorite memory was when me, Alizeh, and Sofia went to Starbucks to work on the nametags together for Freshman Orientation. It was there that we got to know each other much better and I just remember it being a very fun experience because of the conversations that we had and how much we were able to bond with each other in the beginning of the year so that we could have a great year ahead.
My last favorite memory also has to be with Sofia and Alizeh, it was during the night rally when we had to serve hot chocolate to everyone. This was another bonding moment that I loved to spend with these two people as we also had great conversations and were able to joke around and invite people in to take some hot chocolate. Not only was this a memorable experience because of them, but the people who got hot chocolate from us were so kind and grateful for us, always saying thank you’s and things like that. I enjoyed being able to serve hot chocolate because it was a rewarding job.
My second favorite memory was when me, Alizeh, and Sofia went to Starbucks to work on the nametags together for Freshman Orientation. It was there that we got to know each other much better and I just remember it being a very fun experience because of the conversations that we had and how much we were able to bond with each other in the beginning of the year so that we could have a great year ahead.
My last favorite memory also has to be with Sofia and Alizeh, it was during the night rally when we had to serve hot chocolate to everyone. This was another bonding moment that I loved to spend with these two people as we also had great conversations and were able to joke around and invite people in to take some hot chocolate. Not only was this a memorable experience because of them, but the people who got hot chocolate from us were so kind and grateful for us, always saying thank you’s and things like that. I enjoyed being able to serve hot chocolate because it was a rewarding job.
A Reflection of a Peer in Leadership – Section 14
Someone that has always been kind, patient, and helpful, no matter what is going on in their life or what their day has been like, is Dillan Saltsman. There have been so many times where he has gone out of his way to be kind and help others out, and he is always there for you if you need assistance. Being able to work with him not only in Leadership but also in various clubs has been a gift, such as being his Vice President in the Red Cross. Even though I am not in the Environmental Advocacy club, it is amazing to hear of the things that his club is doing, to see the ideas that he comes up with. In a way, he is my role model, because of his true character that has allowed him to reach success anywhere and everywhere, and I am so proud that he was able to get into Stanford. I can already imagine the great things that he is going to accomplish over there. When we were wrapping the doors, we were the last group to finish, and instead of leaving and spending some extra time at home, he helped us, which I still remember and am very grateful for.
RHS Pride Photo Gallery- Section 15
What I love to do… - Section 16
What I love to do in my free time is simply go outside. I don’t like days where I spend all day cooped up inside my house because I feel like I have not really lived the day, but instead have missed out on it because I was not able to go outside. While I do like taking short trips to go to the store or Starbucks, I enjoy going outside and being in nature or going somewhere new as I find this much more interesting. I love those weekends where my parents can find time to bring me somewhere to go shopping and look around at different stores, such as when we went to Walnut Creek because it was just interesting to look at all of the different stores they had there. But most of these pictures are from when I went out with friends and went to different nature areas near where we live, such as the forest trail near my house. I have gone to that trail multiple times already, but every time that I go I still find it so beautiful because of how the river reflects the sky and trees. Although I get my shoes muddy almost every time that I go, I still love going because of the beautiful sights that are so close to me. I wish that one day I could go to Yosemite to experience more of it. One of these pictures, my favorite, is from when I went to the snow for the first time. I did some sledding on a hill that we found in that area and I had so much fun even going down a tiny hill because I had never experienced that before.
Letter to Parents – Section 17
Dear Mom and Dad,
I feel like I cannot truly express how grateful I am for both of you in words, and there will never be enough actions, enough words, to fully use to give back to both of you for everything that you two have given up for me. The plight that both of you have gone through to give me a life that is completely different from yours growing up is something that I will never be able to give back to both of you for. You faced uncertainty, struggle, and pain from having to leave your families to go to a completely different country out of wishes to be in a better financial situation. You two had to learn the new rules, new language, and get accustomed to a new life in a short amount of time so that you could quickly get assimilated into your new country. You two have constantly been so unselfish to me, and allowed me to complete my wishes by taking me to different places or allowing me to treat myself. For example, when you allow me to get Starbucks every time that I ask you, I always take into account how willing you are to give me things that I ask for. Although this is a somewhat small gift, it still means the world to me. You two have always supported me throughout all of my struggles in school, especially in high school, and give me the best advice that I could ever ask for. I know that you two wish that I would take easier classes so I would have less stress but I am just aiming for the best so that I can make you two happy. I hope that I will make you two proud once I graduate high school and hopefully head off to a good college.
I feel like I cannot truly express how grateful I am for both of you in words, and there will never be enough actions, enough words, to fully use to give back to both of you for everything that you two have given up for me. The plight that both of you have gone through to give me a life that is completely different from yours growing up is something that I will never be able to give back to both of you for. You faced uncertainty, struggle, and pain from having to leave your families to go to a completely different country out of wishes to be in a better financial situation. You two had to learn the new rules, new language, and get accustomed to a new life in a short amount of time so that you could quickly get assimilated into your new country. You two have constantly been so unselfish to me, and allowed me to complete my wishes by taking me to different places or allowing me to treat myself. For example, when you allow me to get Starbucks every time that I ask you, I always take into account how willing you are to give me things that I ask for. Although this is a somewhat small gift, it still means the world to me. You two have always supported me throughout all of my struggles in school, especially in high school, and give me the best advice that I could ever ask for. I know that you two wish that I would take easier classes so I would have less stress but I am just aiming for the best so that I can make you two happy. I hope that I will make you two proud once I graduate high school and hopefully head off to a good college.
General Advice – Section 18
The Letter
Dear Future Renaissance and Link Crew Coordinator,
Congratulations on being the Renaissance and Link Crew Coordinator! You will find that this job is very satisfying, and you will be happy that you have been placed in this position. I wish that I had more information and background experience on holding different events throughout the year because it could have been so useful. I wish that I knew how to do certain forms, like the procedure form or the purchase order. However, if you have not done these before, you will see that they turn out to be fairly easy as long as you time all of them correctly. I recommend that you bring back the Renaissance program next year, as I have heard that a lot of students miss having this program. If you cannot bring it back, then I recommend just having additional meetings to discuss the future of this program. You also should make sure that you order any food or snacks in time for the events, such as the snacks for Study Buddy Night and the candy prize for 8th Grade Day. These are very important aspects of the events because I saw that many of the kids who went to Study Buddy Night loved the snacks that we had. But overall, your workload will not be very difficult, you just need to set reminders for yourself on the work that needs to be done and accomplished. Also, remember to get an early start on the Student of the Month every single month so that you don’t rush at the end of the month. I recommend trying to pick students on your own accord because teachers do not tend to reply to emails that often.
Good Luck!
Do’s and Don’ts List – Section 19
Do:
Don’t:
- Plan out who will be the Student of the Month early in the month
- Start on Study Buddy nights early in order to do the Procedure Form in a timely manner
- Separate the tables out during Study Buddy Nights by the different subjects so that the people who participate know where to go, and so that teachers know where they need to tutor
- Brainstorm ideas for the different events that you are holding over the school year so that these events can be fun and innovative
Don’t:
- Procrastinate on the Procedure Forms because they are a lot of work
- Rush the Student of the Month because they require a planned and timely interview
- Order the food needed for certain events late because they will not arrive in time
- Start late on working for 8th Grade Day because it can turn out to be a lot of work
The Contact List –Section
20
Pauline Villanueva
Asia Rose (for Student of the Month)
Gabriel Ortmann (for Student of the Month)
Harleen Kaur (for Student of the Month)
- Unknown
- Unknown
- [email protected]
- Staff Attorney
Asia Rose (for Student of the Month)
- Unknown
- Unknown
- [email protected]
- Student
Gabriel Ortmann (for Student of the Month)
- Unknown
- Unknown
- [email protected]
- Student
Harleen Kaur (for Student of the Month)
- Unknown
- Unknown
- [email protected]
- Student
Your Projects (Multiple Pages)
1. Leadership Procedure Form
2. Evaluation
3. PO
4. Your ASB budget
5. ASB Formal Mtg Report
6. Minutes
7. One social media post
The Professional – Section 21
I loved learning about the resumes with Mrs. Hutto because I felt like she was so knowledgeable, and gave us so many tips and tricks on writing resumes. I also like that she gave us an inside view of what an employer looks for when looking at resumes, because of that, I have developed an idea of what I should put on my resume, because I felt like in the past, it might have been too wordy. I also appreciate how she made us rank those four resumes in the beginning of class, so that we could get a preview of what we were about to do, and then went over what she liked in each resume. I also liked when we ranked the four resumes that her son created as he went from high school to college, because it showed that your resume can really develop as you go along your career. The other professional development that I loved was the Leadership Development Day. I know that this event was geared more towards the elementary school students, but it was so fun to talk to them and hear about their leadership perspectives from each of their different grades and schools. The activities that we did, like the dancing and the circle talks, were also so fun because I felt like a little kid again. What I learned most from this was about working with different types of people, because when I go into my career in the future, I would be working with people who may vary in age and come from different backgrounds, from all over the world, and I need to know how to work with all of them.
Change – Section 22
I would say that this year, as a leader, I have changed to becoming more hands-on within the inner workings of the program, and I have gotten to planning out more events. With my role last year, I only had the job of being a social media representative for our school, with posting publicity on social media, but that was basically it. I didn’t really have to do procedure forms for any sort of event, or other kinds of paperwork. However, I am proud of how I was able to adapt to all of the different events that we have to plan for Renaissance and Link Crew, like the Study Buddy Nights, 8th Grade Welcome Day, and the Student of the Month that we do occasionally.
I learned how to do Procedure Forms, Announcement Forms, and Purchase Order, which I have my other Renaissance and Link Crew team members to thank. They have been so helpful throughout the school year, being on top of everything, and I feel like I was able to grow as a leader because of them as well. I looked to them to see them as my examples of people that are hardworking, because they are my role models. My work ethic has gotten better, I have gotten more attentive to my assignments, and I have brainstormed more ideas for the events we held.
However, there has been an ongoing issue throughout the whole school year with people not being productive on the work days that we have. Again and again, we get yelled at for not doing enough work on those days, and I find myself getting distracted often during those days because of how loud some people are being. I understand that people want to talk with their friends, which is perfectly fine, but it can be very loud at times. I think that to fix this issue, we need to place more of a punishment on people who are the problem, like having Morty talk to them so that these people know when to quit. I think that’s the main issue here, is that those people think that we don’t know that it’s them who are ruining the work days. I really appreciate work days because it can take so much stress out of my life, so I feel like we need to fix this issue promptly.
I learned how to do Procedure Forms, Announcement Forms, and Purchase Order, which I have my other Renaissance and Link Crew team members to thank. They have been so helpful throughout the school year, being on top of everything, and I feel like I was able to grow as a leader because of them as well. I looked to them to see them as my examples of people that are hardworking, because they are my role models. My work ethic has gotten better, I have gotten more attentive to my assignments, and I have brainstormed more ideas for the events we held.
However, there has been an ongoing issue throughout the whole school year with people not being productive on the work days that we have. Again and again, we get yelled at for not doing enough work on those days, and I find myself getting distracted often during those days because of how loud some people are being. I understand that people want to talk with their friends, which is perfectly fine, but it can be very loud at times. I think that to fix this issue, we need to place more of a punishment on people who are the problem, like having Morty talk to them so that these people know when to quit. I think that’s the main issue here, is that those people think that we don’t know that it’s them who are ruining the work days. I really appreciate work days because it can take so much stress out of my life, so I feel like we need to fix this issue promptly.
The Ideal Leader – Section 23
I believe that an ideal leader is someone who is experienced, who is patient but can still delegate work, and who is never afraid to speak out on something or offer a new perspective. To be an ideal leader would be very difficult, but I believe that anyone who truly wants to better themselves in the Leadership sense should be able to do it. For this class, an ideal leader must take advantage of all of the work days that we have, instead of just goofing off all day. As for planning events, they should be organized, understand what needs to be planned and done and do it ahead of time, and delegate the work to their other team members. I find that a lot of times, people tend to be lazy in this class and slack off on their work, leading to some events or just class work being rushed. I am grateful that my Renaissance team has been so diligent with everything, but this pattern is within so many people outside of our team. An ideal leader would not be like this, but would be eager to begin the work and do it in a sophisticated manner. They would also make sure to complete all of the homework on time and make sure that they meet all of the deadlines and do the journal every day so that they can reflect on their day. While this would take time to learn how to be the ideal leader, I know that it is worth it to be an ideal leader because this is not only important in leadership but in everyday life. Such as in college, you need to know how to be able to delegate work and be impactful in everything that you do.