Book Reviews

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek- Annie Dillard

"Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" became one of my favorite books and one of the most inspiring/life changing books I have ever read. The vivid details that the author provides allows for the reader to have the sense that they are a character within the book. The way the author appreciates nature is rather different than others. Some people appreciate from a distance and just look, yet, sometimes they have fear in that admiration. The author, Annie Dillard, lets the reader know and understand that the smaller things in nature that we tend to ignore, be afraid of, and often times refer to as ugly, can also be beautiful.

Dillard sanctions for the mysteries of nature. She explores nature at gruesome yet, intriguing levels. Her personal accounts of how she grew up, her religion and her faith all played a part in allowing the reader to understand her perspectives and circumstances while at the same time learning to appreciate much more of life. After reading this book, I learned to not be so afraid of bugs and other animals.

Beauty Will Save the World- Gregory Wolfe

Gregory Wolfe, in "Beauty Will Save the World," uses personal accounts along with contemporary art and literature perspectives to allow the reader to fully understand and appreciate beauty and eventually embrace culture and tradition to rescue the world we currently live in. This book arises the question: if politics and logic have failed at reconstructing our world, why not try something different? Perhaps beauty, the one thing that people doubt will work, will be the one to “save the world.”

Mind of the Maker- Dorothy L. Sayers

Dorothy Sayers, in "The Mind of the Maker," lets the reader better grasp God's mysteries, His divine works, and His creations. She helps the reader understand their Christian faith more thoroughly and provides theological explanations in regards to the Trinity (the persons) and the nature of it, and God's incarnation. In all, this book enhances the readers theology and faith. The author also does a great job examining the image of God; it is truly a great read! I would recommend this to anyone who searches to enhance their life in all areas.

Movie Reviews

Pulling Strings

The movie “Pulling Strings” is an adventurous romance comedy film that anyone would enjoy, especially if one is familiar with the Mexican culture. A common mariachi lead singer, Alejandro, attempts to get a visa to the United States at the embassy in Guadalajara, but his application and request is denied by a lovely gringa (or white female) named Rachel. Somehow, later on that day, Rachel attends a party where Alejandro and his mariachi are performing and the adventure begins there. It is a fun and family-friendly film that will make you jump out of your seat, leaving scenes engraved in your mind that allow you to recall in the car, which could lead to inside jokes for the family. This is a movie I would definitely watch again and again!

Bad Grandpa

The movie “Bad Grandpa” was literally a bad movie; bad, in terms of respect, manners, and morals, not in terms of the quality of the production. I went to watch it with friends without realizing that there were obscene scenes, but after knowing that the movie was from the same makers of “Jackass,” it all made sense. Despite the inappropriate actions of the grandpa, it was a hilarious film. What I found more fascinating about the product in its entirety is that the “extras” were not actors, rather real people who had no idea that they were being filmed. This made everything throughout the movie seem more realistic, even when one assumed that certain parts had to be fake. It’s not a movie that I would watch over and over again (and I don’t think I will ever watch it again) because of some disturbing and inappropriate scenes which go against my morals. However, it does have a neat story line to it and the ending is a cute yet, typical finale.


 

Villanelle Poem

To Love You

 

On that cold, cold day it was love at first sight

Your gorgeous eyes were blue like clear skies,

If only you knew I love you with all of my might.

 

Evening after evening as time passed by

Each and every time you gave me a surprise,

On that cold, cold day it was love at first sight.

 

But when you’d depart, I knew I would cry

Luckily this did not involve at all, any lies,

If only you knew I love you with all of my might.

 

I wanted you back, I just needed to try

Because I’ve never felt like this for any other guys,

On that cold, cold day it was love at first sight.

 

This time my love for you I cannot deny

My love in my heart for you keeps growing in size

If only you knew I love you with all of my might.

 

Before I ever met you, I used to be shy

Forever I’m grateful that we shared common ties

On that cold, cold day it was love at first sight

u with all my might.

ht.odeas won him over.  listen to each of the group' persuade an audience.video t

If only you knew I love you with all of my might.

Short Story

There was an Asian, an Indian, a Canadian, a ton of Caucasians, a student with Irish blood, and then there was me. I was the only freshmen Mexican student sitting in the classroom. The RISE (Restructured Independent Student Education) room of responsible honor students was overwhelmingly diverse. But, it wasn’t just my ethnicity that made me diverse within that group. I had distinctive life experiences that none of those students could have compared to. For one, I went through very struggling stages while growing up. I matured faster than most of them did because of the various trials that God and life put me through. Yet, I also had different traditions, beliefs, and religious customs.

For example, my idea of Christmas was very different. I wouldn’t wake up early morning on December 25 to open presents, instead my family opened presents after going to mass at night on Christmas Eve (or Noche Buena). After mass was over we would go home and play loteria  or sometimes we would crack up playing a type of charades that mocked certain members of our family which in some cases included dressing up as them. We would take the camera out and record everyone while we anxiously waited to place Baby Jesus on the manger at exactly midnight, then we would spin the bottle to see who would open their presents first. This tradition, I believe, is  very important to my family and to other Latin cultures with similar traditions. It shows our unity with each other and with that of God.

We cherish and hold very close to our hearts our beliefs and religious customs. Being raised as a Catholic, there were many things that growing up in a small, highly populated conservative Christian town, made me feel different at times.  But, moving to Mesa made me experience a whole new side of the Christian-Catholic religion.

Fall Sonnet

The leaves stand tall
The yellows and the oranges and some of the red
I can slowly see them begin to fall
As I lay there on my comfy twin bed.

When I imagine the crunch under my foot
I scare away the sleep and the beautiful dream
Rushing out of the closet, putting on my left boot
And wrapping myself with a scarf the length of a stream.

Behind me I close the giant wood door
Hoping that my mother does not hear me
Skipping along, I head to the store.
A buck in my pocket will buy me some candy.

A crunch here and a crunch there, I stepped everywhere
Not excited for winter when from within I just stare.

Gracias-giving

Gracias...
Can you pass me the salt, Gracias
Can you...
Gracias

Adopting a new tradition in our own little way
Going around the table
saying Gracias more than ever
it's the night to be more thankful
To pig-out and have a stomach-ful
Looking like a pregnant lady at the end of the day

At this table there's no such thing as a Cranberry sauce

Instead there are tamales and posole

There's pasta, 

chips and salsa

For cool drinks we have Aguas frescas de Jamaica and Horchata, 

For hot drinks we have canela and champorrado
 A turkey and ham are prepared just for the tradition of the holiday 

but that's it really

There's no cornbread and sometimes we're lucky enough to have someone stuff the turkey

Plus, since the family is large 

and we get as much as 30 members (and sometimes more)

joining together for a dinner

The celebration takes place outside...

It's definitely a thanksgiving feast!

Bella Promesa

The young lady selling goodies across the street kept eyeing me. Alone I was, standing outside the gate, with my school uniform and my backpack strapped on, waiting for my mother to pick me up from kindergarten. The lady gestured me to approach her, but I was hesitant because, even though I knew she was a parent of one of my classmates, I did not know her sufficiently well.

At last, I crossed the street and the lovely young lady asked me where my parents were since it had been approximately two hours since class had ended. I shrugged my shoulders. She handed me some candies and served me a cup of agua de horchata. She smiled at me and said she would not leave me until my mother showed up. To this moment, she has kept her promise.

My childhood innocence blinded me. I never fathomed why my mother always had me waiting. But, each time she was late I chatted with the lady with the goodies across the street. 

Unfortunately, I would no longer be able to see the new friend I made. When I finished kindergarten, my father immediately brought my brother and me to the United States because he and my mother had separated as a result of mother's insalubrious decisions. I cannot recall much of those memories. What I do remember is my father asking me if I wanted to go with him. No hesitations-- I said yes. He took me and my brother with him. Unlike other cases, in which parents separate and one parent is denied communication or interaction with their children, my father always allowed for us to communicate with my mother. She, on the other hand, did not seem to care so much for us, as she only spoke to us roughly once a month.

An estimated twelve years passed since the first day I met Adelina. She came back to my life when my mother left me alone once more. In one phone call, my mother told me to pretend that she was dead, that she didn’t exist anymore. It hurt. But, it hurt even more because, although I sort of knew all along that she didn’t truly care for me or my siblings, I refused to recognize it and this was the moment of proof. 

Only the Lord knows why He decided to put Adelina back in my path. She is not simply that lady across the street anymore. In Arizona, she became my spiritual guide, my best friend, and even my stepmother.

Adelina has influenced me in diverse aspects. When it comes to a difficult task or limited resources, she doesn’t give up or sit while help arrives. She gets creative and figures it out herself. When she severely injured her left foot, she only kept smiling and didn’t complain when she had to go to work. Her ability to do anything she proposes herself to inspires me to not surrender in the most difficult of times.

I’m afraid of losing her again. The doctors claim that her heart will not survive for more than a few more months. And still, she remains strong. She is right when she says that the doctors cannot tell her how much longer she will live, no one can she says. Only God.

The love I never received from my mother, and the love that my heart required (but also didn’t obtain) from my father, should only make me stronger she says. She always tells me to find strength through God because His love is unconditional.

I never imagined that the lady across the street that always accompanied me after Kindergarten class would be there for me once again when my mother left me, ultimately becoming the most important person in my life. She is a blessing in my life. With her, I have learned what a mother is; what the true and pure love of a mother is. When I present her, I proudly present her as my mom. No questions asked. I am glad that she kept her promise when she said she wouldn't leave me back when I was in kindergarten in Mexico. This time, I only pray that God is in on this promise.

 I realize that Adelina is a beautiful flower in the garden that God keeps eyeing to pick for himself, but I hope he leaves her in the garden for just a while longer, so the others can enjoy her beauty and her presence, too.

The Lamppost

The Lamppost

There’s a lamppost outside;

It’s bowing down

To avoid getting the rain in his eyes.

He bows all day and looks sad

whether come rain or come shine

because he is too thin and too tall

to cover anyone at all

from the droplets of rain or from the rays of the sun.

From across the office’s glass doors, I see him.

He just stands there,

day in and day out.

On this gorgeous gloomy autumn day

His tears blend in with the rain

And there’s something I wish I could do.

People pass him with their umbrellas

And the more he looks blue.

As I locked the doors behind me at one past five

I approached the evergreen lamppost

And just stood beside.

I lifted my head and looked down the street

There were many more lampposts;

And they all pretended to not notice me.

They all turned away from each other

As if they were all mad with one another

I thought about them and wondered what I should do

I looked up at the lampposts standing beside me

And not even my company had made him change his mood.

I looked back as I walked away,

They all looked so miserable,

And they made me feel that way too.

Forget it, I said.

Tomorrow I’ll bring a sharpie instead.

From across the office’s glass doors, I see them.

They just stand there,

day in and day out.

But now they bow down...

with smiles on their heads.

Author: Laura Sanchez

"What's the [Motto] with you?"

Often times, we like to have a tag line in our lives that motivates us in our every day lives. Sometimes, they serve as a reminder of certain ideas or goals that we set at some point. Then again, sometimes those "tag lines" that we think we came up with on our own, are not really our own, much less the first time for them to be used. For example, Nike's "Just Do It." It is a common phrase we use in our conversations with our peers, but it is also a logo/motto for a major shoe company.

Here is a phrase I have always loved:

"Never b flat, Never b sharp, Always b natural"

In other words, it is saying to just be yourself, in just a more musical sense. 

But, I have never succeeded in finding the original author. Again, that is why motto's are sometimes difficult to work with because we often times do not have an original author. So, if this does belong to someone, I do not intend to steal it from you, it is just a phrase/tag line that I have always enjoyed. I would give all the credit to you if only I knew your name.

Review #1: J. K. Rowling's "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination"

J.K. Rowling's, "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination," at Harvard, is a truly beautiful and motivating speech. Throughout, she never loses her audience because even her speech involves a storytelling. Her techniques involve referencing to her own works, such as the Harry Potter series. Plus, she is humorous, honest, and personal. For example, she humorously and sarcastically explains that the commencement speech made her so nervous that she lost weight in preparation for her presentation at Harvard.

There are also some life lessons that Rowling brings forward in her speech. First, she provides some of her personal experiences and lets her audience know that it's okay to make mistakes because without them we are not truly living life. Because in life, risks need to be made. Sometimes, risks are good. Then, she goes on to explain that imagination is an amazing thing. That our imaginations can save us at certain points. And it's true. If we do not have the capacity of imagining how things can turn out to be, then, we would not be as successful in meeting our goals, needs, and wants.

When Love Arrives

This Spoken Word poem is very unique, true, and humorous  It is very effective in capturing its audience because of the tone and voice the speakers use. At times, the speakers voices will change from excitement to silent-whisper-romantic-like. By having both a female voice and a male voice, the audience is better able to follow and understand the words being said. There is no confusion on who said what, such as a question like, "Was it the female or the male speaking?" This is very different to other love poems and writings. For one, it is an audio, and two, it allows one to follow the reading easily in addition to brief drawings. There is definitely a lot of visuals going on. But, that is in a way what makes it effective. At the same time, the words are very true and humorous because it speaks about love in both the beautiful things and the non-beautiful things like embarrassing moments with family and not expecting love to arrive at certain points of life. It talks about loving the other individual with all its faults and virtues because, after all, that is what love really is-- accepting one for who they are. 

The words do a great job at appealing to the senses such as looks and smells. For example, there is a point in the video in which both individuals talk about how in seventh grade they knew how love looked like. There were certain ways they dressed and did their hair. This was a very unique approach to "love" as compared to classic and contemporary love poems. Shakespeare's, for example, tends to have language that is rather difficult to read, follow, and understand. Plus, they rarely speak about the bad habits of the other individual, instead, they only look at the "good" things of love or the "good" things of their loved one. Rarely do they speak of the negative things of love.

Below you will find a sample love poem I wrote. It has a different approach to love as well. It is not necessarily a romantic kind of love, but definitely has allusions and metaphors to it.

Heavenly “Boyfriend”

       You are my Boyfriend         
the one I dedicate my time to.

I listen to Your Word every night before going to sleep
And
Every morning that I wake,
I am thankful for You being a big part of my life.

For every meal You are there
For every tear You are there
…to wipe away
For every wrinkle on my face
…You were there.

The more I know of You, the more I want to seek of You…

You are my first love
You loved me before I ever loved You

And when I left You,
You never did leave me.

The Rooster let You know the times I denied having known You
and You didn't hold it against me.

You took from me the ones I most loved
So I told You I hated You
I didn't understand how they could be in a better place
when You tried to explain
But with chocolates and roses I forgave you.

I didn't deserve Your help when (on my knees) I asked You for it,
But You helped me anyway.

When I cross a bridge
You send Your Angel to protect me

In my dreams I am like Sleeping Beauty
only a Royal Prince can wake me

You are my Boyfriend
There is no other like You

I Love You

Mission Statement

All of our lives we are in search of that-- our purpose. But what exactly does that mean? It's been said that God sent each and every single one of us to a mission on earth. A lot of us spend years and years seeking our true purpose, and little are those who truly fulfill their mission. Sometimes it's like searching for love, we look and we look and when we think we've found the right one, it turns out it was another one of those that don't hang on for very long. But, once you've found the one, life is much more beautiful. Everyone has the freedom of claiming their mission, it may not necessarily be pursued to its full extent but, it is an attempt nonetheless.

My Mission: 

To obtain higher education and seek the knowledge and wisdom necessary to make a difference in the lives of many individuals, to be a voice for those who don't have it or are too afraid to speak up, to teach and pass on the Hispanic culture and the Catholic tradition for many more generations to come. In other words, my mission is to simply put my life to good use, to be able to use all my skills, gifts, and talents so that I can help others, and to live a healthy and balanced life full of faith, hope, and joy! I want to make a positive difference, wherever I go.

My Vision:

Love and happiness. The two things that we, as humans, tend to seek the most in life. It may not necessarily be obtained from knowledge and materialistic objects/items, but nonetheless, knowledge is key in my vision. I see myself reaching far out and obtaining a graduate degree in Law and/or Education. I want to be well prepared for the new challenges that our next generation will face, especially in the minority population. I plan to obtain my graduate degree from the University of Chicago and later find myself working within the United Nations.

My Values:

My morals and values derive from a Christian-based faith. I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church and attended catechism until eighth grade. Religion and spirituality have always been a great role in my life. I seek a life full of faith and wisdom through search in God. Along with that, education has been equally important to me; I am committed to academic excellence. I value education tremendously because it is one treasure we posses that cannot be taken from us. Once we have it, we always have it. No one can physically steal it from us. That is why I am continuing my education, setting up goals and reaching out to them so I can fulfill my mission and my vision more effectively. 

"This is Your Life"

Former Mesa High School Honors graduate, Laura Sanchez De La Cruz is a Student at Benedictine University at Mesa, where she intends to major in Communication Arts. She is attempting to live the traditional college life in a non-traditional way-- as bizarre as that may sound, it's true! Currently, she is a student housing at the Phoenix Marriott Mesa Hotel and Resorts, a partnership of the university's, which is a unique experience because, while she is being "traditional" by housing on campus and having the whole college experience, her accommodations are very luxurious. Her classroom setting is lecture free, making her courses problem based learning. She serves on the Executive Board of Student Government at the Mesa Branch Campus, is an active leader of the Jo Wilson Leadership Program, and is a Student Blogger and Student Receptionist at the university's Welcome Center.

Originally, she was born and raised in one of the smaller states of Mexico, Colima; on the Pacific Coast in a pueblito named "El Rinconcito del Diablo" which in English translates to "Devil's Little Corner." She claims to recall very little about those memories.

Before coming to Arizona, she lived in Washington State for most of her life, having arrived in the Evergreen State at the age of seven. She began high school in Lynden where she grew as a student, as a person, and as a leader. Her accomplishments are incredible, but one that is surely impressive is the one she completed in June 2011, after having finished her sophomore year at Lynden High School.

While in Lynden, Laura lived with her father, her younger brother and younger sister. Being the oldest, she carried great responsibilities. She played a mother role, taking care of her siblings, preparing meals for the family and doing chores, and on top of that she was involved in her community and was an outstanding honor student. Her dedication to helping others was so great that, instead of spending her last days in Lynden with friends and family, saying her good-byes and farewells, she spent them putting together a fundraiser project that she had been planning to put on for a while.

Her goal was to obtain funds for the school's sports department so that they would allow the opportunity for talented students of low-income families participate in sports, covering their sports fees and uniform and equipment costs. She did not like to see the athletic talent of so many students go to waste simply because they could not afford to pay for sports fees. Her last week in Lynden, she managed to organize and put together a fundraising event through the help of her networks. In the end, the fundraiser event was a Kid's Fun Night of which elementary school students had a blast with dodgeball, face painting, popcorn, and much more. The fundraiser was named Equal Playing Field, signifying that in any sports field, there needs to be an equal opportunity for everyone to play. The total amount raised was $466. Luckily, InvestEd.org was willing to match that amount, equaling nearly $1000. When all was finished, she could not believe that early morning the next day, she would be on the road towards desert land. All her life and all her memories were built and constructed in that little town. She never thought that there was the possibility of her graduating from a different high school. She left everything behind, literally, almost everything. All she took with her was what she and her family could fit in her dad's Dodge Caravan.

After having completed her first two years of high school and her family and her moved to the state of Arizona, she enrolled at Mesa High School as an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) student. Here, she had to begin from zero again. At first, she disliked the new changes. She wasn't used to excessive heat, and she was not used to sharing her family. Her father had married. The lady was very nice and her two kids were too. Yet, it took her some time to get used to a new family, a new school, and a new life. It took her her entire junior year to finally adjust to everything. Still, she didn't lose herself completely; she became an active member of her community, volunteering in her school and at other organizations throughout the valley. Including, the Be A Leader Foundation of which she is currently a college-going mentor for senior high school students.

Her life adventures and journey's are yet to continue. College is going to be an extraordinary chapter in her life.

I am God and You are Not

I am God and You are Not

 

Love Me or you will die.

Love Me and you will live.

Tell Me not one lie,

And all, to you, I will give.

 

All My love and all My wealth

In My Kingdom, forever, you shall stay

For I promise you the greatest health

As long as you follow My Holy way.

 

Remember always that I am God,

And you are not.

 

 

A Snowy Crush

I was staring out the window, watching how each glittery snowflake gently landed on each other. I had been standing in front of that window for a while, debating whether I should go or not. Today was his last day, he was leaving early morning tomorrow, back to Monterrey, and I had to say good-bye. He was my crush.

I went for it. I put on my boots, my big puffy coat, my scarf and my gloves and I was out the door without anyone knowing it. I still, to this day, have no idea how I managed to go out the front door without anyone seeing me. 

Walking there wasn't far, ten minutes tops. The falling snow had slowed down, everything was still, the only noises I heard was the crunch of the snow as I made each step and every once in a while a car would slowly pass.

When I finally arrived, I took my time trying to ring the doorbell. The woman who opened the door was his aunt. She was also my elementary school friend's mom-- unfortunately, our friendship slowly drifted apart when we began middle school. Now that we were in high school, a friendship no longer existed, we were just teammates in soccer and classmates in some courses-- she was kind and welcomed me inside. I told her the reason I was there and she called my crush to come downstairs because he had a visitor. He was surprised to see me and asked me a ton of questions. How did you get here? You walked, how long? Are you cold? What are you doing here? That last question, I wanted to tell him that I was there because I had a crush on him and I couldn't bear to see him go without saying good-bye and without wishing him we'll, but I couldn't; I didn't have the guts to do it. I ended up telling him pretty much everything except the most important part, that I had a crush on him. He had always seen me as a friend, I had known it all along because he liked another girl, he made it very obvious.

I hugged him before I left. They offered to give me a ride but I kindly rejected the offer. I needed to walk back home and clear my head a bit. As I walked through the slush on the road, I wanted to let my tears become part of the slush, but I managed to hold them in. I took a good look at the snow and began thinking that my crush story is like the snow. At first, it is beautiful to look at and play in, but once it's gone, it's gone.

The Scarecrow-- promo video by Chipotle Mexican Grill

The message that this short promo video portrays is true! Fast food restaurants say one thing and do another. The so claimed "All Natural" really is not; it's no joke when the video says "100% beef-ish!" The funny thing is that most of us know it. There have been a ton of other videos and claims about other fast food restaurants not being honest about what they put in their food. This video works because no words are actually being spoken, it's a very visual and auditory message.

There's one thing that I noticed and it is very effective. Even the birds are not natural, they're robot crows. Also, I love how it does not bash on any fast food restaurant, how it appeals to pathos, and how it doesn't even say it's Chipotle until you see the scarecrow harvesting the actual chipotle. This video tells us to care more about what we eat and to literally "cultivate a better world."

Scar Story

A lot of us have a story to tell from wounds and scars that we carry with us each day. Some have very amazing stories, others are more simple. I have the more simple ones; the ones that I could say are my fascinating scar stories both involve bicycles. Lame? I know. But, hey every story is different and has its own twist.

My new bike couldn't let me down. We were pretty close to a tie, if I could beat him on the curve, I would for sure win the race! I went for it. I'm almost positive that I drifted, that is if an eight year old could drift on a bicycle. I did drift, but I drifted my body onto the floor, landing on sharp little rocks. As my cousin saw me headed towards the ground, he too stopped and stationed his bike. He noticed it before I did, red liquid stuff trickling down my knee, painting the rocks an unpleasant red. I knew something was wrong because my legs and arms ached and the neighborhood kids who were watching us race started to gather around me. I looked at my knee because that's what hurt the most as I tried to get up. I couldn't believe my eyes, I thought I was going to die when I saw a small rock engraved into my skin! I didn't want to move; I sat there crying until someone called my grandma over. Without mercy, she plucked the  rock out of my left knee.

"Ouch!" I yelled.

The other kids oohed and awed because of the wound that the rock had left. It had literally dug all the way into my bone as to where you could actually see the bone. It was the whitest white I had ever seen in my life! I cried even more because I thought it was going to stay like that forever.

I looked over to my cousin, he had a worrisome look on his face. 

"What's wrong," I asked.

"This is all my fault," he said, "if I knew you were going to get hurt I wouldn't have raced you... You win!"

Who am I?

It is a question that often comes up; a question that many individuals seek the answer to, yet, often leave unanswered. Who am I?

A series of other questions usually tag along. Where do I come from? Where am I going? How am I going to get there? These are the most basic and common ones among all the ones that arise. So, who am I?

I am a first generation Latina college student, currently attending Benedictine University at Mesa, intending to major in Communication Arts. Often times, when people wonder where my roots are from, they think that I am mixed and not fully Mexican, but indeed, I am not mixed! I was the oldest of three, until my father remarried; I have  a step-brother who is older than me by a month! My other three siblings are currently in high school, so, it gets chaotic sometimes. (By the way, I am now the second oldest of five.)

When I was asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?," I was always stumped because my thoughts and ideas were all over the place; I wanted to do everything, seriously. First, I would say that I wanted to be a teacher (that was in first grade), then, I wanted to be an artist (I stuck with that one for a few years). It wasn't until my junior high years when I started to enjoy creative writing, including writing essays for my 8th grade English class with Mr.Denniston. But, even then I wasn't so sure journalism and such was what I wanted to do as a lifelong career. I also enjoyed History very much! The social studies, I think, was my thing! After the first semester of high school, I realized that I truly did enjoy the humanities. I was involved in programs and competitions such as We The People, YMCA District Mock Trial, Teen Court, and Model United Nations. That last one listed, that's the one that changed all of my ideas of what it was that I wanted to do "when I grew up." My new dream: I was going to work within the United Nations someday.

So, why a Communication Arts major, right? Well, the plan is to first obtain my undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Arts. The major I chose is something I enjoy doing and is preparing me well for a graduate degree. I intend to go to Law School, possibly immediately after my Bachelor's, if not, I will work towards earning a Master's in some branch of Business first, then, graduate school. However, I do have in mind that most students change their major at least once, and although I feel very confident in what it is that I want to do with my life, I also know that there is a higher King that watches over us and sometimes guides us in different paths. So, obviously my plans are not set in stone. Things change and people change.

What's Your Problem?

My problem? Well, that's a very broad question. It can be answered in a plethora of ways. I could approach this at a personal level, as many  may have understood it when they first heard that question being asked. Oddly, this question is labeled to be a negative one, however, one can look at it in a different perspective-- a positive one! we can turn "bad" into "good" just like we learn from our mistakes. What's my problem? My problem is that I still haven't learned to live each day as if  it were my last, my problem is that I get so caught up in the little things I forget to look at the big picture every once in a while. Don't get me wrong, I do do positive things each day to try to live up to my expectations, yet, there's so much more work to be done! I guess we could put it in another way-- my problem is that I am struggling to find my purpose in life! I know I am young, still, I don't feel quite complete.

Question: What Inspires Me?

The people around me inspire me. The way I see some handle two jobs and they still manage to put great and beautiful smiles on their face, that to me is so inspiring; it tells me to not get so caught up in the little things. Then, there are those that have this intense passion for what they do; it makes me want to do the same, yet, sometimes I worry that I may not reach that point at all. Also, there are the ones that live for others, they go out of their way to help someone else even if it means that they have to sacrifice something that they really needed or really wanted. Now, the next step is not to get inspired rather to inspire others with your story, your struggles and challenges, and what you did to overcome them.