Graduation Speech in the Making

Graduating class of 2014, four years ago we took the road less traveled as our teachers repeatedly let us know. We entered these halls as strangers, uncertain of the opportunities that lie before us. We sat in the commons and participated in a graduation ceremony. Like many of you, I tried to understand why. Why were we practicing already? Before our teachers even knew who we were, they believed in us. They held that practice ceremony to help us make a promise to ourselves- the promise to graduate. Though a stressful roller coaster, we kept that promise.

Graduates take a second and reflect on your time at AACT. What do you see? Mr. Burge making us snap along to the gangs in West Side Story? Mrs. Lopategui becoming overly excited about dissections? Or Mr. Rossi sleeping as we took notes on an educational video? Whatever you envisioned, don't forget those memories. They shaped you into the person you are today.

We can reminisce about our high school experience all day. The community service, the late assignments, old friends, new friends, the PERSIAN packets, and leadership. But today we start a new chapter in our lives. Today we say good-bye to the walls that have become our home away from home. And if we thought high school was a crazy ride, we are in for a surprise. Believe it or not, we are all human. Mistakes are made. Dreams are changed. Friends come and go. This is what life is all about. Don't set a plan for yourself to the date and time. It may not pan out. Success comes from failure. So don't be afraid to fail once or twice. It may lead to your success. Rely on others and let others rely on you. Listen to your loved ones. They have learned from their mistakes and you may too. Finally, don't grow up too fast. As kids we have had this image that becoming an adult was the prize- driving, working, responsibility, and most importantly, independence. Many adults love their job; however, many lose themselves in their work. Don't lose yourself just to pay the bills. Have fun and enjoy your life. Life is a roller coaster so make it worthwhile.

No longer can we walk in to Mr. Burge's class late or hear Mr. Rossi's sarcastic lectures about us being communists, for we are the graduating class of 2014. Even though high school is ending, our life is just beginning. We are about to experience a life that we have been working so hard to enter. And even though I do not know where we will all end up, I do know that we will be successful. Congratulations to the class of 2014, we finally did it.

Slam Poetry

In Burge's English class, he often shows us slam poetry and we have to write down examples of literary devices. Though I don't really have an interest in poetry, I like the slam poetry. The only downfall to liking it is that I focus too much on trying to understand what they say instead of listening to what the devices are. Sometimes I wish that they would speak slower so I can understand it or that Mr. Burge would play it more than once. I do however like how he does these videos so that we can understand the tone of the poem. When reading poetry I have a hard time understanding the purpose and the tone, but when I hear it, I have a better understanding of the purpose because I can hear the tone of the poem more clearly. I also do like how he gives us a chance to discuss the different type of literary devices that were used in the poem. This helps me with my comprehension in understanding how they worded their feelings and why they did it the way they did. Like how in one of the poems the poet used the pun of clicks. He referenced how we all click online multiple times to find and speak to new friends and how we form cliques in life. The slam poetry also helps me understand the literary devices that I did not understand before.

Why Do You?

I was recently asked the question: Why do you want to pursue a career in criminal law? I thought about it and realized that I had no idea why I wanted to study criminal law let alone why I wanted to enter a stressful law career. After thinking for a few minutes I answered him. I said I have always been drawn to it. Now that may not seem like a good answer, but that is how I have always been. I have been drawn. I have all my life. Ever since I was little, I have had this feeling that being a lawyer is what I was meant to do. I find the criminal mind fascinating. I want to understand why they feel to do the drastic harmful things that they do. So why not study criminal psychology? Though I want to study the criminal mind, I want to be a criminal defense attorney. I want to study their mind, but I also want to see how the trial for a criminal works. I want to defend them but also want to defend the innocent in those cases. That seems a little contradicting, but that is how I can explain. I want to be able to understand their obsession with crimes and what drives them to do it. I also want to investigate the crime scene. So like being a DA or a detective is also in my interest. I have no clue. I have been interested in bloody, tragic crime scenes for a long time. I like the crime shows and my grandfather's stories add to my interest. I have started to take the step into pursuing a career in criminal justice by it being my major for the upcoming fall at UNR. Lucky for me, one of the classes I will be taking is criminal psychology!

Doyle Foundation Scholarship Essay

As the years have progressed, I have realized that I want to help people. However, I do not want to pursue the typical cliché medical career; I believe in helping others through the court of law. I want to pursue a career in criminal law as a lawyer. I think that an education and career in criminal law would be exhilarating.

Throughout my high school career, I have participated in classes that are aimed at my interest. My sophomore year, I studied at Stanford University with the Junior Statesman of America (JSA); I took a constitutional law course with many other students who were also interested in pursuing a career in law. I reviewed significant cases, many of which detailed severe crimes. Following my insight to constitutional law, I took a police explorers class and a forensic science class at my high school, the Academy of Arts, Careers, and Technology. In police explorers, I was taught various subjects ranging from the fourth amendment in regards to searching a person to building searches. In forensic science, I was also taught various subjects from analyzing a crime scene and its evidence to criminal profiling. These classes have only furthered my interest in criminal law. Therefore, I plan on attending the University of Nevada, Reno to further my education by majoring in criminal law and later opening my own law firm.

This career path fits my personality because I am an analyst. My work has shown that I take the initiative to do the research that is needed. I believe that no unjust act goes unpunished. Finally, I have the ability to argue effectively with others and I believe that this is one of the most important traits to be successful in a criminal law position.

Win Breakfast

This morning, a fellow Business and Finance Academy student and I had the opportunity to attend Nevada's Win Breakfast that is held once a month. From what I understand, Win is an organization that gets multiple business leaders and new entrepreneurs from around the community to get together to make connections and to become better leaders. As my classmate and I sat with our Junior Achievement mentor we were able to meet a variety of people. People who worked at UNR, district attorneys, people who worked at Renown and even people who worked in different countries. A woman who runs a broadcast show located in Reno had talked to us and we made a connection for our academy and for our company, Feel FAB Industries. She wants us to come on to her show for a segment where she will help us get our names out there to make our company more successful! How cool is that!? Opportunities like this happen at every Win breakfast. Along with these opportunities, we had the chance to listen to a keynote speaker. Like many, he wanted to build confidence in ourselves to make us better leaders. His structure was meant to be witty and boy did he get the crowd laughing. He succeeded in his speech and got many of the adults energized about their work. He told us that in order to build self esteem we have to build our self image. You have to seem confident even if you do not feel like it. He told us that we need to see ourselves as lions even if we are fragile cats. This spoke to me and I am changing my attitude on life to be a more positive one. This breakfast was very beneficial to me. I cannot wait to go back next month.

Junior Achievement

As a part of the Business and Finance academy we have the opportunity to partner with Junior Achievement. Junior Achievement is an organization that reaches out to children in high schools and after school programs to teach them about, well... Finance and Business. In our Business Management class we have started a legit business called Feel FAB Industries where we sell a variety of products. Such things ranging from beanies to water bottles. This program teaches us how to effectively run a business and how to track sales and how to market our products. We have also sold stock and tracked our sales progress. At the end of the school year we will liquidate the business and I am  in charge of doing it. Though this may seem over whelming to some people, this business is really interesting. I never thought that a group of high school students could open a business and run it without it failing. Our company, Feel FAB Industries is profitable and is on its way to pay pack the stockholders and we will even be able to pay our employees, something which is not always able to happen according to our Junior Achievement representative. This program has given me a really good insight on how to operate a business. And through Junior Achievement, I was able to meet a man who lives in Hong Kong. He runs a manufacturing business and he will be visiting our class soon to teach us about global trade. I cannot wait until I am a college graduate and can start my own business.

Poetry, yet again

An assignment that we were given in our AP Literature class was to find a poem that relates to us and to provide a self portrait to go with it. A problem that I have encountered with that assignment is that I cannot seem to find a poem that relates to me. I feel drawn to poems about death and insanity, but that doesn't relate to me in anyway. Unless, I am just some depressed 18 year old. That would not surprise me since I have been under an exceeding amount of stress this last month. But, overall? I am happy. I have a split household. I do not know my biological father, but I do have a step father and a whole step family. I have parents who love me. And I have all the necessities that I need to live a healthy life. I wonder why I like depressing poetry. I guess it just seems intriguing to me because I feel sad due to stress. Oh well, I guess I'll find that poem this weekend. All I know is that it better not have any figures that are related to NATURE.