Page 1: Initial Letter
As soon as 8th grade graduation ended, I felt the weight of high school. At first I was really nervous. I didn’t know as many people as everyone else did, and that made me even more nervous. The first real taste I had of high school was the very first day of volleyball conditioning. I walked into the room, and there were so many different girls. Just looking at the number of girls was terrifying. Looking back to that day, I don’t really get why I was so nervous. Everyone was kind of getting back into the groove of high school after the covid year, so we were all transitioning. Breaking barriers is the theme I chose for this year. Throughout my elementary years, I noticed that our class, myself included, put each other in boxes and put labels on them. Doing this didn’t allow many of us to reach our full potential. That’s why I wanted to push the breaking barriers theme. Coming into high school as a freshman is terrifying, but it is also a chance to reinvent yourself. When 8th grade graduation was approaching, and we were getting ready for the upcoming high school year, I thought to myself, “How can I break my barriers and reach my full potential?’’ I knew immediately that I wanted to do leadership. To me leadership is something that I hope will allow me to break my barriers, and get comfortable with the uncomfortable. From this program I have already gained so much, just from core camp alone. I have learned so many valuable lessons, and I want to continue to grow through leadership, not only as a leader, but as a person as well. As the 2021/2022 school year approaches, there are so many things to be excited about. From Football games, to dances, high school is full of so many interactive activities. I know freshman year won’t be perfect, and there will definitely be ups and downs, but as long as I break my barriers and reach my full potential, anything is possible. As Andrew Murphy once said, “You are only confined by the walls you build yourself.”
Section 2: Quotes Part 1
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
― Oscar Wilde
This quote by Oscar Wilde is so simple yet so impactful. Everyone has a place in this world, but only a few try to find it. Many, like myself, had a point in their lives where they were trying to be like someone else, but being someone else will not get you anywhere. I heard this quote a while back when I was in the phase of trying to fit in and it really flipped my life around. This quote got me thinking, why am I trying to be someone I’m not? From that point on I always strives to be the best version of myself, and myself only.
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”
― Bill Keane
Many people think gifts are only received on birthdays or Christmas, but really we are given a gift every single day, that gift is life. Waking up everyday is such a blessing because there are many people that won't wake up tomorrow. I was always the one who would overthink the future and miss really important events in the present. From this quote I have learned that tomorrow is not always guaranteed so I shouldn’t always live life worrying about the future.
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
One step, that’s all it takes to start a new beginning. I always worry that I have to get everything done alone, but I now know that’s a false statement. Over the course of middle school, my mindset consisted of me thinking I was all alone. There are so many people in this world that love and support me, all I have to do is ask for help when I need it. The universe is not against me, instead it is full of people that will support me through the ups and downs in my life.
Section 3: Quotes part ii
“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”
~Albert Einstein
Something that I value very much is perspective, even changing your perspective a tiny bit can change the big picture. Throughout this year, perspective is one thing I tried to implement when dealing with any situation. One situation where it was very helpful was during homecoming and winter fest decorating. At first I was upset when some people couldn’t show up to decorate, but then I realized that they are involved in various other activities as well. I took a step back and looked at the bigger picture. With sports and other hobbies, it is really difficult to make it for every single decoration session. The fact that we weren’t very organized during the process didn’t help. I learned to admire my peers for putting their priorities first rather than missing everything in their lives for a decorating session. This small change in perspective allowed me to see a whole new picture.
To me this reflection is a symbol of how far I have come. Often we are moving so fast in life, constantly trying to reach the next best thing and be better, that we don’t even stop for a second to recognize how far we have come. 7th grade me wouldn’t even recognize me from today and believe it is important to realize that.
A simple statement such as the quote above can be life changing. When I first heard this quote, I thought to myself, “There are two sides to every story, so why have I only been limiting myself to one. Because I heard this one sentence, my whole way of thinking had been altered and I definitely would not be the same person today without this quote.
~Albert Einstein
Something that I value very much is perspective, even changing your perspective a tiny bit can change the big picture. Throughout this year, perspective is one thing I tried to implement when dealing with any situation. One situation where it was very helpful was during homecoming and winter fest decorating. At first I was upset when some people couldn’t show up to decorate, but then I realized that they are involved in various other activities as well. I took a step back and looked at the bigger picture. With sports and other hobbies, it is really difficult to make it for every single decoration session. The fact that we weren’t very organized during the process didn’t help. I learned to admire my peers for putting their priorities first rather than missing everything in their lives for a decorating session. This small change in perspective allowed me to see a whole new picture.
To me this reflection is a symbol of how far I have come. Often we are moving so fast in life, constantly trying to reach the next best thing and be better, that we don’t even stop for a second to recognize how far we have come. 7th grade me wouldn’t even recognize me from today and believe it is important to realize that.
A simple statement such as the quote above can be life changing. When I first heard this quote, I thought to myself, “There are two sides to every story, so why have I only been limiting myself to one. Because I heard this one sentence, my whole way of thinking had been altered and I definitely would not be the same person today without this quote.
Section 4: Goals part i
Leadership is more than planning dances for the student body, it also consists of creating relationships with the other leadership students. At the end of the day, leadership is a family, might as well be the strongest family in the world. If there is no family within the leadership class, then we as leaders can not do our jobs properly. Creating bonds with the leadership class outside of school is also really important, and it is something that I will work on. Another goal I have for myself in leadership is to throw the best Halloween dance. I am so fortunate that I was able to listen to Scott Backovich and his new perspectives, this way we can make the Halloween dance a more comfortable experience for everyone.
Two short term goals I have for myself are, being involved in my community and staying strong academically. These two points are very important to me in life. I want to be more involved in my community so I am fully aware of the situations around me, this way I can do anything and everything to help. I lived in a community that wasn’t very interconnected, but Ripon is very connected and I want to be a part of that experience. Maintaining good grades throughout the course of high school and college is extremely important to me. To me, good grades symbolize that I have mastered a certain topic. I do not want to move on unless I know I have mastered something.
One long term goal I hope to achieve is to become a Pediatrician. I love dealing with children every single day, so this would be my dream job. This job is something I will pursue for the rest of my life, so I do not want to be stuck with something I do not love. Another long term goal I would like to accomplish is to balance my work life with my family life. Being a doctor can be very stressful, but I do not want the stress to impact the lives of my family. Staying centered and balanced in life is very crucial to the worth of my life.
Two short term goals I have for myself are, being involved in my community and staying strong academically. These two points are very important to me in life. I want to be more involved in my community so I am fully aware of the situations around me, this way I can do anything and everything to help. I lived in a community that wasn’t very interconnected, but Ripon is very connected and I want to be a part of that experience. Maintaining good grades throughout the course of high school and college is extremely important to me. To me, good grades symbolize that I have mastered a certain topic. I do not want to move on unless I know I have mastered something.
One long term goal I hope to achieve is to become a Pediatrician. I love dealing with children every single day, so this would be my dream job. This job is something I will pursue for the rest of my life, so I do not want to be stuck with something I do not love. Another long term goal I would like to accomplish is to balance my work life with my family life. Being a doctor can be very stressful, but I do not want the stress to impact the lives of my family. Staying centered and balanced in life is very crucial to the worth of my life.
Section 5: Goals part ii
The first goal I made at the beginning of the year was to create a strong relationship with my leadership family. I feel as if I could have done better in this area because although I am a lot closer to people I wasn’t before, I feel as if I haven’t connected with everyone yet. There are still gaps in my goal of becoming a super strong leadership family, there gaps are in my control and I am willing to fix them. Another goal I made was to strengthen my bonds with my leadership family outside of the leadership classroom. I feel that something that really brought the freshmen closer together was the long nights of decorating during homecoming and winter fest. We all had such a blast while also getting things done and out of the way. Something that I have also really enjoyed has been the random hugs and hellos during the passing period. I would have never imagined myself being so close with some of the people I bonded with. At first I was even intimidated by a few of them and now they are my second family. The third goal I made for myself was to throw a successful Halloween dance. For a dance that was not so popular, the Halloween dance was super successful. Our decorations were amazing and planning the whole thing ran smoothly with no major hiccups. I definitely believe that for that dance being our first, the outcome was great.
My two short term goals were to stay involved in my community and stay strong academically throughout freshman year. Both of these have been something I have strived in, from volunteering wherever I can, to just talking to new people in my community, my relationship with Ripon as a whole has become a lot stronger. Academically I have not fallen below a 4.0 GPA and it was not easy. It requires continuous effort and hard work, but it is all worth it in the end. The long term goal I have created for myself was to become a pediatrician. Of course, I am only a Freshman in high school but my journeys off to a pretty good start. I took Medical Terminology to jumpstart my pathway and it has been great to learn the ropes of medicine. Even if I am only learning the basics, I am still learning which is a lot more than others can say.
My two short term goals were to stay involved in my community and stay strong academically throughout freshman year. Both of these have been something I have strived in, from volunteering wherever I can, to just talking to new people in my community, my relationship with Ripon as a whole has become a lot stronger. Academically I have not fallen below a 4.0 GPA and it was not easy. It requires continuous effort and hard work, but it is all worth it in the end. The long term goal I have created for myself was to become a pediatrician. Of course, I am only a Freshman in high school but my journeys off to a pretty good start. I took Medical Terminology to jumpstart my pathway and it has been great to learn the ropes of medicine. Even if I am only learning the basics, I am still learning which is a lot more than others can say.
Section 6: People Magazine Cover
Section 7: People Magazine Article
Sofia Grewal is a freshman at Ripon High school this year. The beginning parts have definitely been a journey for Sofia as a Freshman Representative and as a freshman in general. As high school started, Sofia was ready to take on anything that came her way. In the short time Sofia has been at Ripon High School, she has met many people who have become her family, in and outside of the leadership program. As a Freshman Representative Sofia has dealt with homecoming for the very first time alongside her twin sister and her fellow Freshman Reps. Homecoming was definitely an enormous learning opportunity for Sofia. She learned how to better manage her time as well as making back up plans. Sofia realized that things were not always going to go as you planned, especially with homecoming. Now that Sofia is better prepared with the knowledge and wisdom from her peers, she is ready to take on the world of high school.
High school is not the only thing that is important to Sofia, she also values her family, and she could never live without them. She shares a strong bond with one family member in particular, and that member is her twin sister Gia. Sofia says, “I would not be who I am today id it weren’t for Gia.” Sofia values and cares for all her family members, but she has a special connection with her twin sister. Sofia is the older twin, and that puts a lot of pressure on her to be perfect all the time. Sofia has been compared to her twin sister for most of her life and she really struggled with it in elementary and middle school. As Sofia entered high school she learned that people would always have their opinions, and would always compare them no matter what they did. Sofia has learned to deal with all the comparisons and chooses to ignore them and make the best version of herself.
Being compared to a twin sister who is amazing is no easy task, but it bring positives as well. Sofia said, “I know my sister will be there, supporting me every step of the way.” According to Sofia, having a twin is like having a built in number 1 fan who will never leave her side. Having a number one fan makes it much easier for Sofia to reach her goal. In the future, Sofia knows that she wants to continue taking part in the leadership program, butis not quite sure what she wants to do yet. Way far out in the future, Sofia hopes to someday become a Pediatrician, because she loves dealing with young children. Young children are what bring Sofia joy everyday, and she hopes that she can help as many kids in the world as she can. We asked Sofia what one piece of advice she would give any incoming freshman would be, and she responded with, “ I would tell them to be themselves and they will find people who value them for just being themselves.” Well said Sofia!!
High school is not the only thing that is important to Sofia, she also values her family, and she could never live without them. She shares a strong bond with one family member in particular, and that member is her twin sister Gia. Sofia says, “I would not be who I am today id it weren’t for Gia.” Sofia values and cares for all her family members, but she has a special connection with her twin sister. Sofia is the older twin, and that puts a lot of pressure on her to be perfect all the time. Sofia has been compared to her twin sister for most of her life and she really struggled with it in elementary and middle school. As Sofia entered high school she learned that people would always have their opinions, and would always compare them no matter what they did. Sofia has learned to deal with all the comparisons and chooses to ignore them and make the best version of herself.
Being compared to a twin sister who is amazing is no easy task, but it bring positives as well. Sofia said, “I know my sister will be there, supporting me every step of the way.” According to Sofia, having a twin is like having a built in number 1 fan who will never leave her side. Having a number one fan makes it much easier for Sofia to reach her goal. In the future, Sofia knows that she wants to continue taking part in the leadership program, butis not quite sure what she wants to do yet. Way far out in the future, Sofia hopes to someday become a Pediatrician, because she loves dealing with young children. Young children are what bring Sofia joy everyday, and she hopes that she can help as many kids in the world as she can. We asked Sofia what one piece of advice she would give any incoming freshman would be, and she responded with, “ I would tell them to be themselves and they will find people who value them for just being themselves.” Well said Sofia!!
Section 8: Role Model There are people in my life that come and go, but one person who is always on the sidelines cheering me on is my mom. Without my mom I wouldn’t be here today, and for that alone I am incredibly thankful. The older I get, the more I realize just how much my mom sacrifices for me on a daily basis. Every morning she gets up at 7 o’clock, just to make breakfast for me and my siblings. This may not seem like an early time to wake up, but considering that she always has a 12 hour shift the day before, and on top of that she is in school so she has homework, waking up at 7 every morning on her days off from work is no easy task. My mom never hesitates to make sacrifices for me. Recently I wanted to play club volleyball,
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which is 4,000 dollars, but I wasn’t going to play it because it was too expensive. But my mom worked overtime, and got the 4,000 dollars I needed to play. This will be something I will never forget. She has provided me with so many opportunities in my life, and will always remain constant in my life, that’s why she is my biggest role model.
Section 9: Inner Animal
I thought long and hard about this prompt, at first I really struggled to find an inner animal, but then I saw the butterfly and something clicked. One of the character traits of a butterfly is that they are very talkative. It may not seem like it in class, but I love to talk and have conversations with people. Another trait of a butterfly is that they are very impulsive. When it comes to making decisions about something important, I usually think my way through things, but most of the time, I like to live in the moment and make up decisions on the spot. From doing this, I have made so many unforgettable memories, some which I would have never made, if I was always worried about the future. The aspect of a butterfly
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that really caught my eye is the fact that they hatch from a cocoon, and then they become these beautiful butterflies. This resembles my life more than I thought. I moved to Ripon in the middle of 6th grade, but didn’t start to go to school in Ripon until the beginning of 7th grade. For the first few months I went to Ripona, right when I was about to come out of my cocoon, mother nature said it was not time yet, and I ended up being transferred to Colony Oak. Finally with time, I was able to come out of the cocoon and be the real me, the talkative and impulsive me. So in a way, a butterfly and I are more similar than I would have thought.
Section 1o: The Best Things About Me
Section 11: The Impact of Sounds and Words
Lyrics
Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note Don't worry, be happy In every life we have some trouble But when you worry you make it double Don't worry, be happy Don't worry, be happy now don't worry (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) be happy (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't worry, be happy (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't worry (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) be happy (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't worry, be happy Ain't got no place to lay your head Somebody came and took your bed Don't worry, be happy The landlord say your rent is late He may have to litigate Don't worry, be happy Oh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh don't worry, be happy Here I give you my phone number, when you worry, call me, I make you happy, don't worry, be happy) Don't worry, be happy Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style Ain't got no gal to make you smile Don't worry, be happy 'Cause when you worry your face will frown And that will bring everybody down So don't worry, be happy Don't worry, be happy now |
(Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't worry
(Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) be happy (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't worry, be happy (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't worry (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) be happy (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't worry, be happy Now there, is this song I wrote I hope you learned note for note Like good little children, don't worry, be happy Now listen to what I said, in your life expect some trouble When you worry you make it double But don't worry, be happy, be happy now don't worry (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) be happy (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't worry, be happy don't worry (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) be happy (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't worry, be happy don't worry, don't worry (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't worry, don't do it, be happy (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) put a smile in your face (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't bring everybody down like this don't worry (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) it will soon pass, whatever it is (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't worry, be happy (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) I'm not worried, I'm happy |
The song I chose for this prompt is “Don’t Worry be Happy” by Bobby Mcferrin. Overall this song really stresses the importance of trying to be positive in bad situations. I feel like I can really relate to this song because I’m always trying to be positive and always trying to make a positive impact on those around me. I’ve been around those people who are always negative, and trust me, those people are not fun to be around. One of my main goals is to always spread a positive attitude wherever I go because you never know what someone is going through, and your positive attitude can be something that brightens their day. Without the positive attitude that I believe in, the things that I have been through would have been a lot more difficult than they have been. My positive attitude is something I value so much, and is something that I could never survive without.
Section 12: Homecoming Gallery
Page 14: What I like best about being a member of leadership
Being a member of Leadership has also come with a lot of experiences I will cherish forever. Weeks like homecoming allowed me to form bonds with people that I may never have connected with otherwise. It’s really hard to think about a freshmen year without the love and support from the people in leadership. Homecoming was definitely the ultimate bonding week. Although we may not have been the most organized class, we definitely learned from our faults and had amazing days and nights together. Homecoming week definitely allowed the other freshmen and I to be vulnerable with each other and grow a true friendship. The other part of leadership I enjoyed was core camp and the activities we were able to do that really helped us build a community. When I first looked at the core camp agenda I didn’t know how I was gonna make it through 12 hours but the days when by so incredibly fast. We developed trust and friendship, and it’s these friendships that I will never forget. Last but not least I can never forget the impact that Morty has made on my life. From her rants to her being vulnerable with us, Morty is everything I could ever ask for in a teacher and a mentor!
Page 15: REFLECTION of a peer in leadership
For my peer reflection, I knew immediately who I wanted to reflect on. I chose the person that I idolize for everything she is. The beauty of her kindness is the first thing I noticed about her. That person is April Yan. Since day one April has always been there for me and was one of the most welcoming people at core camp. Not only that but one memory of her will always be vivid in my eyes. Although she was really busy during the powder puff game, she took the time to fix my hair for coronation because it was a mess from practice. This took about 40 minutes because she had to untangle my hair with her hand and I’m so glad she was there for me. That was just one of the occasions where she displayed her extreme compassion even though no one was watching. I truly see April as the big sister I never had.
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Section 16: RHS Pride GALLERY
Section 18: what I love to do
I have many hobbies I enjoy when I have time, but one that has gone from a hobby to a passion is dance. I started dancing when I was about 9 years old in Ceres and have grown to love it more than ever. It wasn’t always easy though, there were many ups and downs in my dance career. Because of Covid, my dance studio had to shut down right before we were supposed to perform at a really big competition. We had a really long break before everything opened back up and many peoples skill levels fluctuated. Because of that, the past few months have been preparing us for the competition team tryout. Out of 46 people, 6 guys and 6 girls were chosen to compete at the upcoming competition in LA. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to go and compete with my modified team. This will be my first competition in a while and I can't wait to get that feeling of being on stage. With the crowd screaming, adrenaline pumping, and all the excitement rushing through, nothing beats the feeling of being on stage, especially when it’s with a team that is closely bonded.
section 19: letter to my parents
Dear Mama and Papa,
You two are my biggest supporters in life, and my number one fans. Without your encouragement and support, I would fall short in many aspects of life. When I was 9 you put me in Bhangra and ever since then I have been in love with it. You have shown me that stepping out of my comfort can lead me to make lifelong bonds with people I wouldn’t have known otherwise. You have shown me the richness of our culture, and my roots that were buried deep, a task only a mother and father can do. Both of you encouraged me in every new sport I have tried, in every new career path I have chosen to research, and even encouraged me to fail because it would only make me grow as a person.
As a kid I never liked going to Kumon very much, but now I realize the true impact of it on my education. If you had let me quit, my journey in education would be much more rocky. There have been many times in my life where I wanted to quit something, but you two never let me, and that’s what good parents do. There are so many parents out in the world that try to be the best of friends with their kids by doing everything that their kid asks, but you are not those parents. You both are the type of parents that aren’t scared to hurt my feelings to see me grow. You can say no to me and I admire you both for that. I have so much respect for the both of you for teaching me to be respectful and kind, and to treat others the way I want to be treated. There are so many teenagers I see everyday, who were never taught that because they didn’t have anyone to drill those fundamentals into them. I am so lucky that I have two amazing parents like you to teach me anything I need.
One last thing I wanted to thank you for is family time. Every night, you both take time out of your busy schedule to sit and have dinner as a family. When I was younger I didn’t really realize the importance of that, but now I do. I always feel as if I can tell you anything and family time has to do a lot with how I feel. Even when both of you have just come home from work, you find time for me, even if it’s just a quick 10 minutes. This short letter can not explain how much I appreciate the both of you. From day one you two have been my number 1 fans, and you will always remain my number 1 fans.
You two are my biggest supporters in life, and my number one fans. Without your encouragement and support, I would fall short in many aspects of life. When I was 9 you put me in Bhangra and ever since then I have been in love with it. You have shown me that stepping out of my comfort can lead me to make lifelong bonds with people I wouldn’t have known otherwise. You have shown me the richness of our culture, and my roots that were buried deep, a task only a mother and father can do. Both of you encouraged me in every new sport I have tried, in every new career path I have chosen to research, and even encouraged me to fail because it would only make me grow as a person.
As a kid I never liked going to Kumon very much, but now I realize the true impact of it on my education. If you had let me quit, my journey in education would be much more rocky. There have been many times in my life where I wanted to quit something, but you two never let me, and that’s what good parents do. There are so many parents out in the world that try to be the best of friends with their kids by doing everything that their kid asks, but you are not those parents. You both are the type of parents that aren’t scared to hurt my feelings to see me grow. You can say no to me and I admire you both for that. I have so much respect for the both of you for teaching me to be respectful and kind, and to treat others the way I want to be treated. There are so many teenagers I see everyday, who were never taught that because they didn’t have anyone to drill those fundamentals into them. I am so lucky that I have two amazing parents like you to teach me anything I need.
One last thing I wanted to thank you for is family time. Every night, you both take time out of your busy schedule to sit and have dinner as a family. When I was younger I didn’t really realize the importance of that, but now I do. I always feel as if I can tell you anything and family time has to do a lot with how I feel. Even when both of you have just come home from work, you find time for me, even if it’s just a quick 10 minutes. This short letter can not explain how much I appreciate the both of you. From day one you two have been my number 1 fans, and you will always remain my number 1 fans.
Section 20: My true legacy
Section 21: do's and don'ts
section 22: contact list
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DJ: Sounds In Motion
Phone: (209) 522-5999
Website: www.soundsinmotiondj.com/
Email: [email protected]
Address: 931 10TH STREET MODESTO, CA 95354
Photographer: Bryan Batty Photography
Phone: (209) 701-6310
Website: bryanbattyphotography.pixieset.com/
Email: [email protected]
DJ: DJ Jerm
Website: www.facebook.com/DJJERMVA/about/?ref=page_internal
Email: [email protected]
Advisor: Mr. Perez
Email: [email protected]
Section 24: The PROFESSIONAL
One major form of development that we have worked on is public speaking. Not only did we practice speaking, but we also practiced speaking on a topic that we may not have been something we were passionate or familiar with. In my opinion this strengthened the overall meaning of the assignment. As a Freshmen, it was like I was coming into a whole new world. New people, new teachers, and new environments were all things I had to learn to adapt to. In order to do my job as a Freshmen Representative, I needed to learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. With public speaking we had to draw a topic from Morty’s hands and stick with it, unlike writing a speech about a topic that you are passionate about, this seemed to be more difficult. Considering my topic was banana slugs, it was no easy task to get up and give a professional speech. By doing this difficult task, I learned to prepare more for speeches and to definitely speak louder. Because my speech wasn’t perfect, it allowed me room to improve for next year. Another aspect of public speaking I enjoyed was the creative aspect of it. In order to do a speech about banana slugs, I needed to twist it in my own way so the audience would be entertained. Of course, this required a lot of thinking, but it did really teach me how there are infinite ways things can be viewed.
Another major form of development we have accomplished is interviews to get into the leadership program itself. This is a process all students must complete if they intend on being a part of the leadership program. Because interviews were virtual last year, this was my first year completing an in person interview. This interview helped me learn how to prepare without knowing what questions are going to be asked of me. The interview process had also taught me how to deal with being nervous but continuing to stay collected. Walking into an interview with a panel is no easy task, but it has allowed me to become more comfortable with speaking in front of a panel who is judging me. Without the experience of interviewing, the real world would be a lot more difficult.
Another major form of development we have accomplished is interviews to get into the leadership program itself. This is a process all students must complete if they intend on being a part of the leadership program. Because interviews were virtual last year, this was my first year completing an in person interview. This interview helped me learn how to prepare without knowing what questions are going to be asked of me. The interview process had also taught me how to deal with being nervous but continuing to stay collected. Walking into an interview with a panel is no easy task, but it has allowed me to become more comfortable with speaking in front of a panel who is judging me. Without the experience of interviewing, the real world would be a lot more difficult.
Section 25: The change
This year has definitely been one that has been full of challenges, but with those challenges can learning points. I have definitely grown as a leader in many aspects, from creativity to professionalism. This year has taught me a lot, but it wasn’t easy. There were times where I was frustrated at myself and even other people. A time I was really frustrated was during homecoming. I was mostly frustrated at myself at not thinking ahead and procrastinating. As this was my first major event as a freshmen, I didn’t correctly predict how long it would take to decorate some things. With this being sent we were able to pull it together as a class during winterfest, and although there were still some areas to improve in, we definitely did a much better job. One thing the freshmen struggled with during homecoming was efficiency. It proved to be really difficult to plan a date to set up that would work for everyone. Once we did finally find a date, it felt as if only some people were working the entire time while others slacked off. It was also very chaotic because we had a design in our minds, but when the time came to put it all together, it just didn’t work. One thing that would have helped us would have been to really sit down and review the PO for decoration. As freshmen we really depended on arts and crafts, rather than being smart about what we ordered. Some of the things that came were not quite right and our stuff was usually late. After homecoming we learned to always turn in the PO on time, but what we still need to work on is ordering things of value. Another key thing that was missing in the early stages was communication. There were so many times where we were under pressure just because we weren’t able to communicate. I didn’t really understand it then, but communication really is key.
Section 26: The ideal leader
In my eyes an ideal leader has multiple qualities. One important quality that I value is determination. Without determination it is not possible for any any work to get done in a pleasing manner. Determination is needed in order to push a leader to constantly try and be a better version of themselves. Along with determination should come humbleness. No leader should have an ego because that negatively affects everyone around them. If a leader has an ego they can be near impossible to work with. This leads me to my third fact. An ideal leader needs to be someone who is compassionate and a team player. The best things in this world were created by multiple people working together. One person's idea can be good, but if a leader doesn’t take into account everyone's thoughts and ideas, no one can ever grow. By being compassionate, people will come to this leader for help and will not be scared to ask for help. An ideal leader in the leadership class should always be focused and on top of their work. Procrastination can often lead to poor results and that’s not what we want for our student body. An ideal leader should always respect not only people, but objects as well. It is really important that we as the role models for the Ripon High campus are kind to everyone around us and make sure that no one ever feels left out.