Mr. Donohue's English 9H period 3 2020 by Michael Donohue

Real Knights Write - Vol. 4, Issue 2Â

Introduction - Mr. Donohue

Learning To Be - By John Bonavita

“ One wrong slip, one wrong mistake” -Juliana Cerasuolo

Stranger Danger By: Brianna Chang

Get Back on Stage! by Nicole DePasquale

Everything Happens For A Reason by Jenny Drakoulias

Faith Is Something Good to Lean On by Julia Farley

The Underrated Cavy Cuisine by Andrew Fazio

The Smallest Actions Matter - by John Fernandez

The Action Figure- by: Christian Gomes

What Comes With “Freedom” By - Jessica Herceg

First Day Of Middle School by: Klaudja Hysaj

Grow Roots Before Branches by Kelly Lin

Getting the Ice Cream by Alexandra Lynch

Determination by Celeste Marrero

A Summer of Responsibility

Farewell Silence! - by Joshua Quinde

Touch It Once by Madison Rodriguez

THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE FDNY By: Alexis Wirta

Life Is What You Make Of It. (WIP)By - David Tran

Conflicted Friends- By Camilo Balbin

Introduction - Mr. Donohue

One of the more powerful tools that Google has added to its arsenal is the capability to instantly publish the work you create. The Freshman students at Holy Cross write. They write often, and they learn to write well. By the midpoint of the year, they have had many different experiences in both reading and writing. They are proud of what they have accomplished as am I. With this in mind, the class worked on a longer lesson in how to write a personal, reflective essay. According to the textbook, a reflective essay is one where the writer explores the meaning of an experience. In class, the students read an essay titled “Carry Your Own Skis” by Lian Dolan. In this essay, she explores the importance of the lessons she learned as a child. Using this essay as a model, the students wrote about their own childhood experiences and how these have shaped who they are today. When the class completed their first draft, they edited. And edited, and edited until they created a version of their own story that they want to tell. They prepared their work for publication. What you see here is the result of all of their hard work and effort. Please read and enjoy. Mr. Michael Donohu

Learning To Be - By John Bonavita When I was seven, I remember the time I went to a friend's birthday party at Pump It Up, an indoor playground that included many activities for young children. I remembered that day was the day I learned to carry yourself to the top. There was an activity

where you had to climb to the top of the mountain with sticky banners. No one could do it, my friends quit after a while and then asked me to go to another activity. However, I could not quit, no matter how meaningless the activity was. My mother especially instilled in me to try, try, and try, no matter how impossible it seemed. This was an age where I still did not achieve great things, but learned the lesson to carry myself to the top. Speaking of the self motivation, I had learned to have, this brings me to middle school, where things did get more intense. Despite the fact that my schoolmates were taught not to procrastinate and be one step ahead. It always seemed they were doing projects and homework the day of or night before it was due. They never motivated themselves to try and be ahead of schedule. This middle school experience was very similar to that day at Pump-it-up, because like my friends, these people never learned to be responsible or just motivate themselves toward perfection, towards a perfect way of education and fun. This was the beginning of my noticing of these kinds of people, people who never learned this simple lesson of self motivation. Currently, my high school observations of peers show the same patterns I previously observed. I noticed in my early days of high school football that some can wait too long for important due dates or even stop trying altogether. In the past year, football tried to teach myself and others to learn a simple but difficult lesson, to be tough mentally and physically. In football, the kids that did not climb to the top fell behind, and just like the kids in Middle School, refused to be responsible. Some have refused to continue, so I was able to recognize their lack of motivation that helps push you through difficult phases. The kids never committed themselves fully, showing they never was as wise as I was taught to be, not sharing the level of commitment and respectful attitude I possessed. So, throughout my life I have seen the difference in people. Ever since that day at Pump It Up, my life has relied on that lesson; the simple one that ties together self-motivation and responsibility. That lesson had guided me through the different phases in life--from elementary school to middle school and to high school. In both football and education, I will carry this lesson on my back, and take advantage of the fact that I know it, as others never have the chance. “All the way to the top,” my mother always says.

“ One wrong slip, one wrong mistake” -Juliana Cerasuolo I never liked to listen to my mother. Oh how I hated it. Hearing the words coming out of her mouth like a bird that comes out every hour from its little nesty home in a cuckoo- clock; the buzzing in my ear on a hot summer day that prevents me from having fun. That makes me turn rotten from the inside and erupt my brain, erupt my brain so unpleasantly, it displays on the outside, and my unfavorable attitude awakens from its sleep. Listening to my mother was not something on my to- do list, nor was it something that I ever thought i could accomplish. Successfully hearing my mother out was very rare, for every time, there are unreasonable tantrums, the unforgettable hearing of my irritating voice going higher and higher by the second; that one noise that nobody likes, taking the sound out of everyone's eardrums, which in fact, would be doing them a favor; for they could finally view the world with grace, charm and dignity, without my voice being an interference. But, this time, there was no screaming and yelling in anger, for there was screaming and yelling in fear. FEAR THAT DEATH WAS NEAR AND THE BLOOD AROUND ME WAS GOING TO TURN INTO A STORM AND RAIN UPON ME SO ALL MY NIGHTMARES WILL COME TO LIFE AND HAUNT ME. No no no. Now, it wasn't that extreme. Gosh, that would be some reality if that happened. It was more of a fear that came to life because of shock, and surprise. I mean, it wasn't my fault, at least that's what I kept telling myself as I was in the waiting room of South Beach Carolina hospital with a bag of ice on my open cut skin as I was shaking, because I didn't know how fast my life could flash before my eyes. It was a friendly children's game that started this all. If only individuals didn't like the sensation of running around freely and not being stopped by anyone or anything unless being tapped on the shoulder or touched signaling a stop. “TAG, UR IT” were the words I should've said when I caught my brother and cousin, but I never ended up saying that. My family and I went away on vacation to Myrtle beach South Carolina to go see my cousin (Nick), He was with my other cousin (Chris) and my aunt and uncle. I personally was a little skeptical about going, since it would be my first vacation I didn't go with my whole family since my dad was working and he couldn't take off the days we went. I didn't know if I

would still have a good time, and I was going to enjoy myself with it being only my mom and brother (Mario). Boy was I wrong. As soon as I got to the hotel I couldn't believe my eyes. There was an outdoor swimming pool with a beautiful beach just a few feet away and comfy beach chairs, as well as an indoor jacuzzi with another indoor swimming pool with a lazy river and little cave area with rocks and a fun game room with lots of activities. Now don't get me wrong, it was a wonderful hotel with wonderful people, but the “fun” really all started when Nick had to go early to his baseball tournament with my aunt and uncle, so, me, Mario, and Chris were in the indoor swimming pool/lazy river and my mom stood with us. Mario and Chris started playing a game of tag, so, being bored, I joined in, and they were running from me and I had to chase them. There were strict signs by the lazy river saying “Don’t climb the rocks” or “Safety hazard, climb at your own risk”-something like that. My mom repeatedly told me to follow the rules, and don't climb what you are not supposed to cause she knew I could get hurt. She stressed the importance of especially when we first got to the hotel, not to climb the little rock cave because there are so many signs warning everyone. Although being the clumsy 11 year old rulebreaker I was, I didn't care, and so, I did what Mario and Chris did, and I went over the rock wall by the lazy river to get to the other side. Simply, when thinking about it, I followed my brother and cousin, and they were just fine, they didn't listen to my mom either. I was in a rush to tag them, so I went over the rock wall, but when putting my body over, I slipped, and hit my chin on the rock. At first, I was okay, didn't think anything of it, but as soon as I looked up at Mario and Chris, their faces of terror said it all. Blood everywhere, dripping down my chin. My bone was visible from their view, as I just split my chin open, and didn't know what action to take next. I started screaming like crazy, and my mom ran from the jacuzzi and started panicking. We quickly went to the hospital after getting ice and a vast amount of napkins/towels from the upstairs office. After all the commotion and chaos of panicking and seeing blood, everything turned out just fine. I went

to the hospital in Myrtle beach and they gave me liquid stitches, but, when I came back to New York, they fell off. I went to urgent care and they said I could either get real stitches, or since I split my chin open, let it heal naturally but there is going to be a scar on my chin for the rest of my life. I was 11 at the time, and I didn’t want to get stitches, so, I let my cut heal by itself, and now, I have a scar on my chin, and will forever have one. Throughout everything that has happened, it gave me the realization that maybe, just maybe, rules are set for a reason, and my mother was, what's the word?, right? Seems quite impossible in my eyes, but, it was the cold heart truth. I should have listened to the signs posted by the rock cave and to my mother, for none of the tragic events would've happened if I wasn't stubborn. I need to think before I act, and think about my actions before doing it. Many of my friends however don’t really think before they act, and I see that risky side of them, that side where I knew if I did that action, I would feel guilty, or I would get in trouble. In some aspects, I do think I am more mature than the average freshman girl now being in 2020, I have grown physically and mentally since I was 11. If it wasn't for being raised the right way, thinking before I act, and especially listening to my family members who always try to help me (including my mom and listening to her), I wouldn't be where I am now. This lesson will help me in the future even more than it will now because I will learn and grow as an individual, how to take much greater responsibilities, and learn social skills that benefit me. I will learn by remembering and encountering this lesson to listen to my mom, and because of that, think why she's prohibiting me to do something; because there's a reason, and she already thought one step ahead of me and thinking of the after effects of doing a certain action. Even after all those times my mom has told me no, yelled at me, and not let me do something, I applaud her for that because as a human, it's hard not to do the thing you want to do most, it's a struggle, and I'm glad I have someone along the way to teach me right, and influence me in my good decision skills. I am no angel, as I don’t think anyone is quite perfect, but I am happy for the events that happened, and I take precaution with most of the things I do. The ironic part of this all, is that, I thought splitting my chin open was the worst day of my life, but now, looking back at it, splitting my chin open was the best thing I could have ever done. It was one wrong slip, that lead to one wrong mistake. That's how I saw it.

But per say it is no longer a mistake, for now, it’s an acceptance that I did the wrong thing, and I needed to learn from there. Oh, let me tell you, how I have learned...

Stranger Danger By: Brianna Chang When I was little, I would not know the difference between good or bad. In my world people were all good, no bad human would ever cross my mind. This is until later my mom taught me the lesson to never talk to strangers. I always thought that my mom was being crazy since i was very social and liked to talk to new people. This was not the case, until later i realized that her lesson is very important. At the park, I liked to wander around and play everywhere. My mom would yell at me when I did this but I didn't listen. This is when a stranger came up to me and asked me for my name and what school I went to. I was a little scared and I remembered what my mom had told me. I quickly walked away from the stranger without saying anything and went straight to my mom. Others might have a different experience from me. Some might actually be in trouble because they continued talking with the stranger. Unlike me when i walked away and was a bit cautious of my surroundings. My mom has told me a story of how this guy who went up to this little girl at the park, he told her that he lost his dog and he wanted her to help him find it. The girl went missing ever since and they couldn't find her. This has taught me the lesson to never talk to strangers cause this can be a possibility of what can happen to me if I did. This lesson that was taught to me is going to help me alot in the future. It has taught me to be wiser and actually be careful of my surroundings. I know from now on I will be safer if I don't talk to anyone I don't know.

Get Back on Stage! by Nicole DePasquale When I was four and a half years old I had my pre-k graduation. Like the previous graduation from nursery school from the same place, I had gotten sick again.

Which had just been great for me once again. I had just performed one of the songs for my graduation and had to go on and perform another one. Once I had gotten off the stage I had thrown up. The head of the school was back there and my mother had to come back stage too. I was then asked if I wanted to go back on stage and I had said, “Yes!”. I remember my mother being in shock because she would have never thought I would want to go back on knowing I was sick and probably didn’t feel all that well. However I knew I had to go back on. I knew I practiced too much to not finish the performance. I also knew I had family in the crowd and I didn’t want to disappoint them or my teachers or my friends. I knew I wanted to go back on but what I didn’t know was what I had learned from this experience and in my life prior. Before this experience I have seen others persevere. Whether I have seen it in my parents, grandparents, or siblings, I learned persistence. Whenever I noticed my sister didn’t necessarily want to do her homework, she would always push through and end up finishing it in a decent time. Or when my parents didn’t necessarily want to do the dishes, or clean, or even go to work for the day, they knew they had to and would persist and do was needed to get done. In my family I always saw everyone continuing to do the things that are needed to get done. We do not give up, causing me to want to persist. When I was younger I did not realize this, I just thought that was what you were supposed to do, continue and not give up. I would continue to see this trait through my family members and I throughout my life. Throughout life I continued to use persistence. There would be multiple times where I did not want to continue doing homework or a project. Or when I did not want to go to dance, I would still go because I know I needed to. There are always those things I never seem to want to get done, however I do. I never seem to want to

do my homework, however I learned, without knowing it, that I would need to get it done and I would get it done because I wouldn’t give up. There have been times where I just wanted to get the day over with because I just had so much to do. However I have always been able to prevail and do what was needed to be done. Through my years of school I have seen others not being persistent. I have seen people just give up when they didn’t want to continue doing their work. I have seen this in both middle school and high school. People just seem to take the lazy way out of their tasks and do it with no effort. Or they don’t pay attention in class, especially at the end of the day. During the last period, they just seem to stop and they don’t do their work in class. Students will just take a nap or just not simply learn what is needed last period. This is because they didn’t learn how to get back on stage. They didn’t learn how to persist, they just learned to give up. My peers never learned to stop giving up early, causing them to have a very difficult time in finding it in them to continue working when they just don’t want to, causing their future to be very difficult. My future will be less difficult than my peers because of my experience as a child. I will be able to handle my numerous amounts of college work better because I learned how to continue going. Finding a job will be difficult however I will have it in me and I will have the courage to continue the search and will be able to stick the search out. Even when I have a job, I will be able to get through those rough days. Even when I have kids and they are just out of control. I will be able to get through those days and not just barely survive, but thrive in doing them. Because I got back on the stage. Because of my family. I would learn the importance of skill of perseverance and achieve the skill of continuing when times seem to be more difficult.

Learn Young by Savannah Deri When I was younger and I was able to speak and interact with others, my mom would teach me how to start writing and spelling. My mother is a teacher and has to deal with children of ages 4-14, so dealing with her own child, me, came naturally to

her. She started to tell me when I was young so that it would come naturally to me in the future. As I started to grow up, I noticed that writing and spelling was very easy to me even though I was only just introduced to it and not taught it until later on. As I started to notice this, I wondered why other children I was surrounded by did not know how to spell anything. If you don’t get introduced to something early on, like spelling, how are you supposed to learn anything? Many people today still don’t know how to spell. When I see people that do, I see a very knowledgeable person that can take matters into their own hands, considering that they learned common sense and actually know how to do a basic life skill. When I see people that don’t, I wonder to myself what are they going to do when no one can help them; are they going to stop completing a certain task; are they going to break down because they never took responsibility for their own life to learn common sense? My friends depend on me to tell them the certain spelling of a word; are they also going to depend on me to carry their belongings, do their work, or live life for them? As of right now, my friends and acquaintances still ask me how to spell simple words, which makes me wonder if they are just going to ask and not learn common sense. Will they ever take responsibility into their own hands and learn basic life skills, or will they rely on others common knowledge to help them through life. I want to try to tell people to make sure they learn basic life skills so that they won’t get held back by many things. Considering many people don’t know how to spell, they turn to their peers for help which can hold the people that actually know how to do things back. Why would you inconvenience others when you can just take responsibility and learn it on your own. Learning life skills can help everyone grow up and become dependent. With such a small thing such as spelling, it still shows how many people need to stop relying on others to know things for them. People rely on others to provide for them, kids rely on parents to give them money even though they can get a job, people rely on others to cut their hair even though they can do it themselves, people rely on others to fix things for them even though they can do it themselves. The main point is that instead of making others do things for you, you can take responsibility and do it yourself.

Everything Happens For A Reason by Jenny Drakoulias I’ve never really been someone to have everything planned out. One part of me has been afraid to make commitments to things, while the other part fears what I don’t know. In some cases, it has caused me to be unprepared or procrastinate more. Though it has its occasional flaws, it has worked and helped me to become much more carefree and open to new things. Many people tend to overthink and plan ahead to avoid their downfalls. This can lead to unwanted and unneeded anxieties that can be avoided. By maintaining the mindset of everything happens for a reason, it is much easier to not fear the future and what can come of each situation. Throughout my life my mom has helped me to understand this. Even last year, when choosing the highschool that I would be in for the next four years of my life I was definitely stressed and unsure of my decision. I was afraid of making the wrong one and messing up my future. Although my initial choice ended up not being the right one for me, the right one did come along. When I realized the decision that I made was wrong, I did not panic, I found that it was simpler than I thought to transition to the right one. If I had panicked and been afraid to try and make a change, I would not be sitting in Holy Cross High School today. Even though I did not have a set plan like I was constantly badgered about, by trusting the idea that things would work out I was able to end up putting myself in the best situation and environment possible for me. With this experience, I was able to take away that by not fearing what is to come, a much simpler and calmer mindset can be found. Although I was told by many that plans are needed at all times to be successful, with the help of my mom, I was able to learn that some things, and many things are out of my control, and that is nothing to fear. In the future I will be sure to maintain this mindset by understanding

that everything happens for a reason. This idea continues to help me get through what I think I never will at times.

Faith Is Something Good to Lean On by Julia Farley I was brought up in a practicing Catholic family. I wouldn’t say my parents were the most strict about wearing fufu dresses to church and perfect pigtails, but I was always taught that there is a time for practicing my religion and a reason for it. I believe I have an almost picture perfect family, a caring mother and father and little sister. We are financially stable, I have lots of cousins, and I have the ability to go to a private school. Except I must say we have experienced some trauma in our lives. My father grew up right here in Bayside and had four brothers and they were all close in age and were super close. My mother had one sister and grew up on Long Island. Both grew up in Catholic households and went to Catholic schools their entire lives. Except in 2001 my dad's eldest brother, my uncle Kevin passed away. He had two kids ages 8 & 6 and a wife who happened to be on a vacation at the time. My cousin Michael, age eight at the time found his father deceased on the floor. Every since that day my family has not really been the same, and religion has taught us how to deal with experiences like this. After that my whole family was in shock, we had such a big, beautiful family and then this seemingly healthy man's life gets taken at age 37 with a family of his own. My grandmother had a tough life, her father killed himself and she grew up with four brothers of her own, she was the only daughter in the family. She then married my grandfather and had her five sons. When she heard the news that her son passed, she had almost broken down. She had no emotion and was in physical shock from the news. I can't imagine what went on in her mind, and would never wish that feeling on my worst enemy. All I know is her faith kept her sanity. My parents were a newly married couple and now my aunt was (not really but they could tell) trying to ask them to practically raise my cousins. They couldn’t blame her, she

was now a single mother with no backup job and had to raise these two young kids on her own. So my parents took on many responsibilities in their early twenties without being asked they treated those kids like their own. Yes, there were other aunts and uncles who helped my aunt but my parents still decided they wanted to help as much as they could. I was not born yet and none of my siblings were so my mom and dad were able to take on these responsibilities. They had the kids sleep over their house on weekends a lot, would bring them to events and parties sometimes, and even brought them to Disneyland. I said that my parents were pretty religious but this trauma made them even more. My grandmother lived down the block and my dad, mom, and grandma (sometimes my two cousins if they were sleeping over that night) would now go to church every single Sunday. No excuses. My dad tells me that without his faith he most likely would have fallen into a deep depression. My dad was a strong man, I’ve never ever seen him cry once, except I’m told when his brother died he did end up shedding a few tears at the funeral. My dad also never one who struggled with any mental illnesses like depression or anxiety, but for a period of time after my uncle passed, he would have severe anxiety. My entire family had a party/reunion in a park for no reason the day of my uncle's passing ( he passed that night), so I feel it was God’s way of getting everyone together to say goodbye to him. He complained of chest pains but didn’t think much of it; his doctor said it was just acid reflux. . it wasn't. After the get-together my parents went to a friend's pool party being the young social couple they were. My dad was sitting on the pool side clenching his chest and couldn’t really breathe. We believe he felt his brothers passing, because when he was rushed to the hospital and nothing was wrong. I personally can say I was not alive for this and never experienced something this intense but I was always taught how much religion helps with trauma. I have had deaths in my life though, friends and family but nothing sudden and a young person. Overall even if it wasn’t death, just something I was struggling with. . My parents' advice on letting my

religion guide me has definitely followed me in life. In the future when I have my own family I want to pass this teaching on to my family and command my parents for this great lesson.

The Underrated Cavy Cuisine by Andrew Fazio As a child, I was very lucky to have attended local schools - both my elementary and middle school were less than four blocks away from me. In my narrow eight-year-old mind, the commute would always be a breeze. Besides, my grandmother came every morning at seven sharp to prepare us for our day. The amount of assistance that she gave me and my sister still astounds me - every morning, a fresh, hot breakfast on the table. A potato omelette. An egg mcmuffin. Even french toast! I was clueless as to what lay ahead of me. Preparation was an aspect of my life that never truly burdened me. High school is a whole new ballgame. Holy Cross High School, god bless it, is no longer a five minute pleasure cruise from my home. Me and my sister now take two buses, and it usually takes about half an hour, if - and only if - we leave early. This year, I have learned that the closer to schooltime it gets, the more crowded the buses are. The buses I take pick up students from three different schools! Within the first few weeks, me and my sister settled on ten past six as an appropriate time to get up. But it does not end there. One of the most notable changes that I ever felt was in the food. The kitchen babying went beyond breakfast. I have two guinea pigs, who need to be fed a gourmet salad every single day. My grandma did this while we got dressed. Then there was the matter of lunches - how could I eat healthy whilst somehow also getting out of the house quickly? Obviously, I could not - not if I wanted to sacrifice ten minutes of my precious rest. So I had to make a salad and sandwich for myself every night. How pestering it was! I admit, many evenings I would put it off until nine o’clock at night. In the morning, however, it was such a breeze - just grab and go! I am fully aware that this may seem overexaggerated and simple. But for me, those two

tasks served as a symbol of the responsibilities that high school provided me with. And do not forget the guinea pigs, with their adorable little whiskers, constantly reminding me to stay on track - and my stomach! That is the quintessential topic that has gotten me through the first few months of freshman year - prepare, prepare, prepare! Although it may seem impractical at first, one will give him/herself a pleasant pat on the back afterwards. And with preparation comes the absolute obliteration of procrastination. Now, I was never one to do so academically - I always got it done. Yet, somehow, that habit did not carry over to my other responsibilities. Nevertheless, I did it. Over and over and over. After the first few weeks, it just became second hand. I was the one who had to prepare - no one else was going to feed me or my guinea pigs. This mindset transferred over to the classroom. For some of my classmates, study halls are simply a free period of social interaction. For me, however, it is simply just another class. It is the perfect time to cram; it is a “prep period” - as teachers call it. By doing so, I am preparing for myself a blissful, wholesome 7 hours of unprecedented peace. Still, I have witnessed many of my classmates fall prey to procrastination. The amount of distractions present is bewildering. There are so many other activities to do that are not productive in any way and have absolutely nothing to do with what needs to be done (I won't mention any names!). In the mornings in the cafeteria, I see students attempting to squeeze in all of their homework from the night before. In study halls, the rowdy ones will converse the entire period without completing an ounce of work - and it drives the teacher to the brink of insanity. Procrastination is always the easy way out. However, life - especially high school - is not just about constantly choosing the most pain-free path. Everyone needs to step out of their comfort zone to see what’s out there - sometimes, that takes a little planning.

College will put my skills to the true test. It is the life envied by adolescents all over the word - to break free from their loving, overprotective, and maybe even overconsiderate parents. A chance to serve their own self in everything that they do. Hopefully, when I have to shop for my food, I will plan out my meals. Hopefully, I will keep my hellacious quantity of notes organized and ready-to-shine each morning. All it will take is some commitment.

The Smallest Actions Matter - by John Fernandez When I was younger, my parents expected me to be a part in taking care of my new baby sister. I never had a younger sibling and it was all new to me but I had to learn how to watch after her if I wanted to be a good big brother. When I was in third grade, my mom had chores for me to do to help with my little sister and one of them was to get my little sister her bottle and her blanket for when she needed to take a nap or go to sleep. My mom had told me that I needed to do things for my little sister and for her, even if it was just getting the bottle and blanket. She had taught me the lesson that even me doing the smallest things can help. One day, when our family was going to the beach, my mother asked me to bring out my little sister's diaper bag. During this time, I didn’t want to go to the beach and I wasn’t in the best mood so I refused to bring out the bag. When my mom saw that I didn’t bring out the bag, she told me, “you could’ve made my day easier.” This event showed me that even me doing the smallest actions of bringing a bag outside could change the attitude of the whole family because my mom was upset with me during the car ride. When I became a little older, we were going to my aunt's house and my mom was stressing out. I remembered the incident that happened when we were going to the beach. Since I remembered this, I helped carry my little sister, carried bags, and did as much as possible to show her that I can be a great older brother and that I was responsible. My mom then came up to me with a smile on her face and thanked me for carrying out the bags and that even the smallest actions can make her day.

I realized that some people still haven’t learned the lesson that even the smallest actions can help others. When I was in middle school and someone dropped their pen or any of their belongings during class, I would pick it up for them and go on with my day. Some people didn’t feel the need to do something so little that could’ve made that person a little bit happier that day. I always try to help others whenever they are in need of it and want to do all I can to help. This lesson is used in my life a lot now, from if someone drops a pen and I pick it up or sharing notes with someone that was absent to help them pass a test. This lesson will help me in the future for when I am just doing daily running around. Now that I am older, my little sister is older and she can help me as I can help her. Sometimes if I don’t want to get something, I’ll ask her for it and she’ll tell me to get it and I told her the lesson that my mom taught me, and that is that the smallest actions matter. It made me think because when my mom asked me to bring out the bag, I was around her age and I wanted to teach her now a lesson so that she can pass it on and so that she can remember it and take it into account. I can use this lesson anywhere I am, from my own home to the store, I can help my mother do something in the house or I can hold the door open for someone at the store. This lesson is a daily reminder that you should always help, no matter how small the action is.

The Action Figure- by: Christian Gomes I learned that I was responsible for my actions at a young age. When I was 6 years old, I played in a baseball little league. After one of the games I was playing at the playground with a group of my teammates. My parents were calling my name over and over again because it was time to leave. But my stubborn self refused to listen to them. I just kept on playing as they continued to call my name. Eventually, after a decent amount of time I finally listened and went

over to my parents so we could leave. However, they were already pretty angry at this point. When we got home, my dad got my bin of “WWE” action figures and proceeded to ask me which one was my favorite. Obviously, being so young I would never expect him to be tricking me in this way. Next, I actually told him which one was my favorite. In this case it was the flex force “The Miz” action figure. My dad took that action figure out of the bin and snapped it in half, right in front of my face. The shock was overwhelming because I never expected that he would do something like that. To put it in perspective, this is like showing somebody that is tired a cup of coffee, then spilling it on the floor as they watched. What makes it even worse was that it took a good 3 years before I ever got a new version of that particular action figure. This definitely taught me a valuable lesson, and caused me to start to think before I acted. I also learned that you should always respect your parents. I would say that some people learned this lesson from a young age, and some did not. It all depends on the way you were raised. It is possible that someone's parents did not teach them this lesson and that will lead to some very negative situations for that person in the future. Taking responsibility for your actions and thinking before you act are very important lessons that will help you throughout your whole life. People that do not think things through before they act will not imagine the consequences of their actions either. This will probably lead to some bad decision-making in the future. On the other hand, people that did learn this lesson from a young age will be at a massive advantage. They will think before they act and imagine the consequences of their actions. This will lead to good decision-making. This applies to my life now because it helps me make better decisions. I understand what could happen if I were to do something wrong. I also know that I should always respect my parents because they want what is best for me. Disrespecting them is pointless and will only make things worse for everybody involved. These lessons will also help me a lot in the future. I will continue to follow the guidelines that these lessons have set for me. This will help me as I run into people that did not learn this lesson and act in a dumb way.

What Comes With “Freedom” By - Jessica Herceg My mom was always protective of me, especially because I was her only child. She wanted to make sure I was being smart wherever I was going and whoever I was going with. She made sure that I knew to never go with a stranger no matter what they say, and to be careful by watching my surroundings and how to get where I needed to go. Since I have proven my responsibility from a young age, starting in early middle school she let me go wherever I wanted to go. I got a cell phone when I turned eleven because she wanted me to text her when I got to a place that was far away from home. I stayed with the same friends for the most part of where I went, whether it be to the nearby pizza place, dunkin donuts, the mall, or other people’s houses. My dad worked Monday to Friday, and got home after I was asleep, so I only got to see him on weekends. My mom made her own work schedule which made things a lot easier for us. My parents decided to get my own set of house keys because they weren’t always home when school ended. Doing this made me a lot more independent, and soon after my mom started to work all day on monday, so when I got out of school at 2:30 she would get home around 8:00. I had to make my dog and I’s dinner, shower, do homework/study, and get ready for school the next day. Doing this has taught me so much about how to care for myself and made me a lot more independant. Some of my friends still aren’t allowed to be home alone, take a bus to go places or have sleepovers at their friends houses. I am so grateful that I am able to do all of those things and they have really shaped me into who I am today. The first time I was ever able to go out with my friends without a parent was around 7th grade. I went to the mall with three of my closest friends and we stayed there for almost six hours! We helped each other to buy new clothes and things we wanted, we went to the food court and bought chick-fil-a for the first time and the whole experience was so exciting. Being able to experience the world on my own shaped me into who I am today and the way that I think. Before making plans I have to make sure I know everything before going out so I know I will be safe, for example, who am I going with, where are we going, how are

we getting there, etc. One time however, I was supposed to go to a basketball game with my friends and after the game, my closest friend was going to come over to my house and have a sleepover. When I called my mom to tell her the plans we had, she told me I wasn’t allowed to go because I got a 69 on a science quiz. I thought this was extremely unfair considering the entire class failed, and I actually got one of the highest grades in the class. She picked me up from my friends house a few minutes before we were supposed to be at the basketball game and gave me a whole speech on how I had to start doing better in school, which I was not paying the slightest bit of attention to. I was very mad sitting at home for the rest of the night with nothing to do, but I guess you can say this was a “learning experience”. After this, I figured that I needed to make sure I had a balanced social life, and educational life. If my grades weren’t great and I had a test or quiz coming up, I would make sure to not make plans with friends or go out until I feel ready for the test. By doing this my grades have gotten alot better, and I’ve been able to go to more places on weekends, days off, and afterschool most of the time. I signed up for the lacrosse team at my highschool, and I'm now planning on trying out for the softball team. I really hope I make this team because I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I think the experience of being on a team will make me even more independent and be beneficial during my time at highschool now that I know I can balance sports/other activities and school.

First Day Of Middle School by: Klaudja Hysaj When Igraduated from Elementary School, I knew things were going to be different when I got to Middle School. Before starting Middle School Iwas feeling agitated because I was not ready for this contrast. Elementary School is very different from Middle school, meeting people I have never seen before, adapting to new routines in school, most of all adjusting to a new environment that Iwas not comfortable in. My cousin was already in the Middle School Iwas going to and he said Iwould do fine because he felt the way I felt too.

On the first day of 6th grade, barely anybody I know went to my school maybe just like 5 people from my old school. I had to go to the yard outside the school to go find my class. Iwas in 604, when I went to my class Isaw 2 friends that had gone to the same elementary school as me. Imade a couple more friends, making new friends early really helped me because Ireally wasn’t as stressed anymore. The first class I went to was Ela, she was very strict on the first day. In this school you have to switch from class to class, which was not used to so that was another thing I Had to adapt to. Everything was different and complex to comprehend. So what I needed to do is make more friends, and at the end of the day making more friends really helped me. Grow Roots Before Branches by Kelly Lin I’ve never had many friends, nor a vibrant social life. I envied those with a large social circle, those with a devout following. In elementary school I was the same- even as I began to click with a few people, I still looked on with a longing for what I did not have. As years passed however, and I joined the ranks of the junior high, I realized how that affected someone. Those that had many friends often did not do well on grades, nor did they care about improving themselves. They focused their time on trying to please every single person. They spent every second of their time awake having fun. By then, I had a small group of friends, which I considered to be the only ones I had, made up of people that made my life brighter and more vibrant. They gave me the motivation I needed to focus on classes and the future- but not enough that I would attempt to be a comedian like some others I knew. It was the only way of life that I knew how to accomplish. I started to see the truth of the matter. Trees that spent their whole life stretching their branches relied on others to stay rooted, while those that spent their time growing roots could rely on themselves to stand. At this point I did not envy those that spent their whole lives seeking to enjoy themselves. They did not think about their future, they did not prepare for the inevitable. Eventually they were washed away with the tides of responsibility and growing up. My group of friends

were the only ones that stayed together after we each went to separate schools. We had grown our roots our whole lives- not even the tallest and fiercest storms nor waves could topple us. Others were not so lucky. Similar to a raft, they stuck together, but they soon broke into multiple pieces and floated in different directions until they could not see each other. I see those that have not come to the conclusion that I have quite often. They waste their lives away, uncaring of the time they spend nor the penalties they rack up while doing so. They put no value in things that will help them in the coming years. Less often, I have the luck of gazing upon those that have been successful. When asked about their successes they often recount with a certain wistfulness their lonesome days largely spent alone. This lesson helps me to acknowledge my shortcomings as well as continue to advance in my life. If anyone might come across me and ask me for a life lesson it would be this: Develop a strong base before building upon it. Apply foundation before you paint. Grow roots before branches. Getting the Ice Cream by Alexandra Lynch From the moment I was born overthinking has been my worst enemy. As a child, and even now, thoughts bounce around in my head like a hand ball, up and down and all around. This caused me to have difficulties with certain things, like asking questions, speaking up, and everything in that region. Though I do get the occasional tightening of the throat and may not necessarily be an extrovert, I have learned. I have mastered enough courage to speak up and ask questions through the mindset my mom has always taught me, “the worst thing they can say is no!” When I was nine years old, my mom picked me up from school, it was a sunny spring day so the usual ice cream truck was there. It was not any kind of tradition for me to get ice cream after school like it was for some kids, but I was particularly craving it that day. I asked my mom if I could get some ice cream, and she said yes, but only if I went out

and got it myself. To me this was even worse than her saying no, how would I get out of the car and buy it all alone? Thoughts started to crowd my head. What if I did not have enough money? What if they’re all out of the flavor I want? How do I walk and what do I say when I order? Of course these worries were completely irrational, but I couldn't help it. I begged my mom to get it for me. The anxiety to complete this menial task ended with me hyperventilating and crying to my mother about how I could not do it. She explained to me that if there I did not have enough money all he would say is, “you need two more dollars,” and if they were out of the flavor I wanted all he would say is, “no, I’m sorry we just ran out.” I tried to gather the courage to go get the ice cream, but my thoughts got the best of me, and my mom got fed up. She eventually went and got it for me, but I felt guilty and I knew she was right. The worst case scenario was not all that bad when I thought about it. It took many more tries to understand that the worst thing they could say was no, but through these failures I eventually was able to gather up the ability to ask. Though even now, on occasion, I forget this lesson, it has helped me many times. In middle school I needed to get recommendations for the high schools I was applying for. Most people did this easily, but it took me a while to gather up the strength to ask. I kept telling my mother, “I’ll do it tomorrow, chill out!”, but tomorrow became the next day, and that became a week. Eventually my mom reminded me, “the worst thing they can say is no”, and I asked. None of the teachers I did ask said no, and I did not think they would, but these are the kind of tasks where I need that reminder. The funny thing is, most people do not learn this lesson, but it’s because they do not need it. Every day I see people easily raising their hand and asking questions without a problem. I see people who are able to get up and go to the vending machine without worrying about the way they walk or if their skirt is uneven. I see people buying food and taking forever to count their change. Though some of these tasks do not require asking, these are the types of people who do not need the reminder that the worst thing someone can say is no. My mom was really the one who has taught me to worry less, but these people are a source of inspiration as well. When I see someone carefree and relaxed, I look up to them. The average person would say that it’s normal, but for me to get up and ask takes a lot of courage, and when others have that courage, it empowers me. I still do ask people to get the ice

cream for me when they can, but I think that’s okay, because it shows me that one day I can get the ice cream too, without overthinking. Until that day, I will continue to remind myself that the worst thing they can say is no.

Determination by Celeste Marrero I learned determination at a very young age. I always worked hard for things that I wanted and never gave up. I started gymnastics when I was 4 years old. I was recruited to a competitive team and practiced almost every day for hours. During the competitive season, I went to meets. Sometimes I placed first in specific events, other times I had my bad days which was really upsetting. Gymnastics taught me determination and bravery to be able to do very difficult skills in front of many people under immense pressure. Getting a certain score to be able to go to state meets and move up in levels gave me a lot of stress. However, it taught me how to work through injuries and my team supported me through everything. My team became a family to me and was my second home. My mind went straight from school to gymnastics for 8 years. I never had love for a sport like I did for gymnastics. I have seen determination through my family, my team, and especially my coaches. My coaches never gave up and put in all their effort to push us to our best. My family supported me at my meets and made sure my injuries did not get too overwhelming for me to compete. Even when someone had a bad competition, my teammates supported one another. We never saw each other as our

own competition even when we didn’t compete as a team. Even though I do not do gymnastics anymore, I will always have love for the sport and the people that taught me determination, courage, bravery, good sportsmanship, and humbleness. I feel like this sport made me into a better person overall and I would not change any of my bad meets or injuries for anything. Without these minor setbacks, I would not have been taught how to get back up even when I felt like giving up. I have noticed people do not have this quality. I have seen a lot of people give up after one try and not put all their effort into something. Even if it was important to them. People need to learn determination in order to get somewhere. It can be taught to them or they just gain that quality naturally. I feel people will not get anywhere without this and will struggle to reach their goals. People that did not make the team lacked this trait. Besides the fact they did not have the skills to join the team, they did not have these elements needed to be able to work under the specific circumstances this team holds while practicing. I have also seen this outside of the gym. In school, students can get one bad grade and give up on studying for the rest of the quarter. In order to get good grades, you have to keep studying even when you don’t do your best on a test. Determination is key and relevant to everything in your life. People need to learn they can not just give up and settle for less than they work for.

A Summer of Responsibility When I was nine years old, my parents sent me to sleep-away camp for eight weeks. At first, I thought the only reason I was going was so that I stayed active over the summer. I didn’t realize that my parents were also sending me to camp in order to learn responsibility. When I got to camp, I had to learn how to do things on my own. For

example, I needed to learn to fold my own laundry and tie my own hair. I had to clean up the table after meal times as well as clean the cabin with my friends. As camp went on, I noticed the older campers, as well as the counselors, also had to do the chores and work that I did. They helped to clean the bathroom as well as set up activities. I realized that they also learned to be responsible and have self-discipline. At first, I didn’t understand why I had to do some of these chores. If we had counselors in the cabin, why should we have to sweep the floors or wash the sinks? As I was only nine years old at the time, I thought that cleaning was a punishment. Majority of the time when I was helping to clean up the cabin or wipe down the tables in the dining hall, I thought the counselors were just lazy and didn't want to do their jobs. However, as I got older and continued going back to camp, I realized that the campers had to do chores in order to learn responsibility and maturity. I noticed that the older campers had been doing their chores the entire time without complaining. When I realized that other kids could do chores and jobs without protest, I felt foolish for always putting up a fight. I wanted to be able to help out as well and not act like a child about it. As my years at camp continued, I gradually gained more maturity and independence. I began to do things on my own and become more responsible. I knew that everything I had learned at summer camp would help me sometime in the future. Cleaning a cabin with 20 other people in it taught me patience and teamwork. In the future, this could help me in working with business partners and employees. Eventually, I may be working with hard clients or coworkers. However, the lessons I have learned from my summer of responsibility will help me through it.

Farewell Silence! - by Joshua Quinde When I was in pre-k I went to school in Astoria and I was really shy, I would never speak. I lived in College Point, but I always went to school in Astoria which would cause me to be late to school most of the time. I didn’t really want to talk to anyone except if they were in my family, I didn’t talk to the teacher or the other

students so I didn’t have any friends and I was lonely. Then when pre-k ended and kindergarten came around I changed schools and went to the elementary school in College Point. I was in a new environment with new people and a new teacher. I was so nervous, I was entering a new environment with new students and teachers that I didn’t know. Instead of changing the way I act I continued being shy and not talking to the teacher (Mrs. Vira) or other students. I was assigned a teacher (Mrs. Eberlain) to help me not be shy anymore and talk to others. Mrs. Eberlain and my mom both told me, don’t be afraid. I was continuously taken out of class to be with Mrs. Eberlain so she can try to make me talk to her and not be shy anymore. Whenever the students had to read to Mrs. Vira so she can boost our reading level up I still wouldn’t read. I remained in reading level A for almost the entire school year. Mrs. Vira and I created hand signals for me whenever I needed to use the bathroom so I wouldn't have to talk. Mrs. Eberlain would take me out of class and play board games with me in her office trying to create a comfortable environment for me to talk. She was telling me don’t be afraid to talk to her, Mrs. Vira, and the other students. My mom was also trying to help make me speak at school, my mom didn’t want me to live my life as a quiet person. She wanted me to be brave, confident, and not be afraid to be social. She would record me when I would read at home and show it to Mrs. Vira whenever it was parent-teacher conferences. She would try to exchange deals with me, if I talked in school she would buy me a new toy and other offers similar to this one. During one parent-teacher conference, my mom sat next to me so I could read to Mrs. Vira. It didn’t entirely work because all I did was read one page in a whisper that barely anyone can hear me. My mom didn’t want me to be afraid. Since I never spoke in school the school supposed I didn’t understand/speak english so they placed me in ESL (now ENL). I was then assigned even more teachers to help me speak but I would still mostly continue to be with Mrs. Eberlain. Then she eventually broke my shy act, she succeeded on her

task to make me talk. I spoke to her for the first time and she was so happy that I did, but it didn’t work entirely to her favor. I only spoke to her now, next it was time for me to speak to Mrs. Vira. When it was time for my next reading test Mrs. Eberlain came to sit beside me while I read to Mrs. Vira, she was shocked seeing me read and talk for the first time. By me reading for the first time I jumped from level A to level D, I was so proud of myself that when I went home I was excitedly waiting for my mom to get home from work so I can tell her the great news. Mrs. Eberlain completed her task to make me talk to her and Mrs. Vira, now I had to accomplish my own personal task. I wanted to make myself talk to the other students and develop friendships with them, but I didn’t know how. Since I never made any social interactions with other students I didn’t know how to make friends with them. I just joined a few people playing family in the toy kitchen area of the classroom during playtime and I automatically made five new friends. I honestly don’t know how I managed to do that. Then the years went by and I created new friendships with other students. I used to be the shy little boy in kindergarten who never talked and used hand signals to communicate, then I became the confident boy who became the student council president in fifth grade. Throughout the years in Elementary school I gained a lot of confidence thanks to my mom and Mrs. Eberlain and I were brave enough to run for student council president. Although, this confidence didn’t go with me when I went to middle school and high school. I realized that it takes me a while to adapt to a new learning environment to gain confidence and be comfortable. There are people who I notice are also afraid to talk, they shouldn’t have to be afraid, they’ll soon adapt to their new environment. I learned that I shouldn’t be afraid and let fear stop me from being social.

If you jump off a bridge…… By - Elenie Rama Ever since I can first remember my mom always said to me “ don't listen to what other people tell you to do”. I grew up with a big brother and always hung around his friends. Every time his friends did something I would try to do it too and fail. Finally one warm day in early september I was hanging out with the “big

kids”who were 2nd graders at the time were all at a fair in the local park. There were bounce houses, cotton candy, horseback rides and face paint. It was paradise for me. I was having the time of my life with cotton candy in one hand and my face painted with purple butterflies. I was hanging out with my brother and his friends. I saw all the boys head to the two person bounce house. This is the bounce house where the two kids go through obstacles and race through. I versed one of the boys and host and then another then lost. I replied that they were not sliding down the slides, they were all jumping down the huge slides. I was scared to jump because the slide was so big and I was so small. Next time I versed Jermey, we both made it to the slide and I sat down to slide down. He began to taunt me and call me a chicken. I got frustrated and stood up. I was hesitant but then he kept taunting, which was intimidating for a kindergartener. I then stuck out my tongue and jumped I jumped and hit the end of the slide. Right when I hit the ground I began to scream from pain. My ankle began to swell and turn purple. My mom rushed over and took me to the ambulance. I told her the story and she told me “ if your friend jumps off a bride would you do it. I thought to myself that I don't need to follow what everyone else is doing. To this day I keep my mom's voice in my head saying that when everyone does something I don't really want to. I noticed that they all follow each other like ducks to their mothers. I can't thank her enough for telling me that constantly because if she did not, I would be a follower just like everyone else. In life it is better to be independant and not depend on other people because you do not need to depend on others and follow them. You just need to do what you know is right and follow your own mind. You need your own strength to do things on

your own and knowledge to know to do what is best for you, not just because others are doing something. My mom always says to me till this day “ if your friend jumps off a bridge would you do it too. I never really thought about how much my friends impact my decisions.

Touch It Once by Madison Rodriguez Since I was little, I’ve grown up knowing manners, the importance of chores, and especially respect for people and their property. My mom was a single mom; working day in and day out as the new CEO of her nursing agency. Her days were 9-5, making it hard for her to be home always, and of course her commute home sometimes even took hours. My mom put me into day care at age 2, full day Pre-K at age 3-4, and got me many babysitters. I’ve had a nanny for as long as I could remember, who, in the absence of my mom, taught me how to walk, talk, eat, etc. She even moved in with us. As I got older, my mom's days started getting shorter working in Manhattan, and started working at home more; allowing her to teach me more basic lessons. Lessons as I got to first grade such as responsibility for my own things. This stayed as her constant message to me throughout my life, still until this day. At age 7, my mom taught me what doing laundry was. I learned how to do my own laundry by about 4th grade, where I would put all my own laundry in the machines, fold it, and put it away into my draws. My mom would always say, “touch it once”, so you don't have to do it a second time. Although it did take me a long time to learn that touching it once would help me save time, and have more time to do what I enjoyed; this saying has stuck with me my whole life. No matter how lazy I was feeling that day, I was always reminded to push through it, touch it once, and of course take responsibility for my own things. It's clear that many people weren’t taught these lessons; especially through not cleaning up after themselves in my school cafeteria, waiting until late to do a final

project that they may have done half of before, and simply not being able to take part in real world situations because they lack independence. Being independent and especially being able to do your own laundry plays a huge role in your future. Going away for college will test all your abilities, and the things you’ve learned throughout your life; as my mom has told me many times. Even when you start to live by yourself, no matter if you go to college or not, laundry, cleaning up after yourself, and touching things once will forever impact your life positively. I’ve lived by this, and without this guidance from my mom, I don’t know where I would be. I would love to pass on the teachings that my mother has taught me down to my kids, and even husband in the future. This structure of life will surely make sure my own kids someday, will be able to build character and independence, as well as of course then teach anyone else in their life the same lessons.

Conflicted Friends- By Camilo Balbin When I was starting classes in school I was very shy and didn’t really socialize with many people. So due to that, I wasn’t wise in choosing my friends at the time. In many situations during school I would be shy with starting conversations with several other classmates and even the teachers I wouldn’t really even feel comfortable in talking with. I was only looking to become comforted and talk to some people. As I grew older I saw I wasn't very wise in choosing who I hung out with and made my friend. These people who I thought were my friends just grew to be very cruel and harsh people who annoyed everyone. My good friends and I decided to not hang out with those people that made bad choices and just brought the whole group down into troubling

and unnecessary conflicts. We then noticed after abandoning these toxic people and refreshing our decisions and ideas, we enjoyed times with each other more and individually, I saw that it was less stressful and that I regretted ever becoming their friend. After this separation I have clearly noticed in the outside world in many other communities that people are going through the same problem I went through. Certain people whether being too nice and not trying to hurt someone's feelings or they have not yet to learn who is a good friend for you and who’s not are in the same exact shoes I was in. This valuable lesson of course has taught me for the future that it is better for me to have a smaller friend group that helps me rather than harm than being popular and having an enormous friend group that will cause me several amounts of problems. Right now I am in a refreshing environment with now entering a new school for high school and creating new close friends that could possibly be right for me. Then if not I will learn again other lessons from being with people who aren’t influential or going to mean something in my life. Even with bad friends hurting you emotionally and bringing you down for whatever reason, they will still represent as a lesson for you to learn in life that a mistake made in the past should never be done again for the greater good. With the knowledge of knowing that bad friends could hurt the things you do in life, or the people you love or perhaps even the actions you do. This will not only bring bad consequences to make you learn just the way I did but as well make you see good friends and be grateful for the amazing things they bring in your life.

THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE FDNY By: Alexis Wirta

In February of 2000, my father, David Wirta officially started his new career working for the Fire Department of New York. He worked in the same place for over 16 years, until he was promoted to lieutenant. He was, and still is committed to his job. He was part of the force that went to the Twin Towers on 9/11, even though he wasn’t originally working and had a wife and newborn son at home. He was associated with every summer firehouse picnic or Christmas Party (organizing, bringing food, cooking, etc). Even with all this, he was there for us. He was

definitely tired and worn out sometimes, he would work a 24-hour shift, come home, take care of my dog, come pick up his kids from school, make dinner, and clean up dinner. Then, he was an assistant coach at my brother’s baseball, basketball and my volleyball games/practices. The next morning, he may have to go to work for the day and come home the next night. Not only is he there for my family, he is there for everyone else. In the Fire Department, he created a bond with his workers that cannot be broken and cannot be matched by any other. You never leave a brother behind. He was there for their families -- when someone was sick, hurt, or even dying. He went to every funeral or wake that he was required to go to, or that he felt he needed to. He might even go to both wakes for the same person. In addition, each snow storm, he would be out with his snow blower or shovel shoveling the entire block or elderly neighbors’ driveways. Not every person has the opportunity to have such a father as I do. Some people did not have a similar childhood to what I had and could not learn the lesson. These people are the people who are flaky, fake, lazy, and more unattractive qualities. However, it cannot be entirely their fault, as they did not have a father like I did. A few weeks ago, a neighbor of mine passed away very suddenly. She was very close to my family and I, especially my mother. I went to the wake directly after school, then to practice. The next day was the funeral mass, at 10:30. This meant that I would have to miss school. But, going to the funeral was the correct thing to do. But, her family said that we’ve supported them so much, and they said we didn’t have to. My mother, my father, my two brothers and I went to the funeral. After, I went to school. I continued with my schoolwork and continued with my responsibilities.

Life Is What You Make Of It. (WIP)By - David Tran As I grew up from a child to an adolescent, I started to overthink more and reflect upon my past days and how my future could look like. When I was a child, in elementary school, I had a small group of close friends that I don’t talk to today, probably around 4-5, and I hung out with them often as they were the only people I would talk to in school besides teachers. They were people I genuinely enjoyed being

with and talking to. This eventually faded away as I moved to middle school and stopped talking to them. The thing is I never really hung out with them after school, stayed over at their houses, visited their houses to get to know them better, or called them even, which makes me wonder if I was even close friends with them. I grew up with the mindset that people change and that you will lose your friends as you grow up and still have that mindset in some sort today. As I started middle school, I still had close friends, but the number of them started to diminish. The people I was friends with in elementary school went to different schools and only 1 of them came to my middle school. The people I met in middle school, in 7th to 8th grade,were extroverts and I only became close friends with some of them, 2-3. I still keep in contact with them, but that contact is slowly diminishing, I haven’t talked to them in around a month. I realized the only reason I honestly made friends in middle school was because I was more comfortable with myself back then and that most of the people in my classes were extroverts, the latter had more importance in making friends. This experience helps me realize who takes life seriously. The people who don’t just work but actually take pride in their work and are genuinely happy doing it, the people who are actually happy in their lives, the people who are comfortable in their own skin, etc. I could tell who takes it seriously by looking at the way they act and their everyday activities. I notice that people really don’t take life seriously because they don’t understand the concept of life yet, neither have I. We don’t know if we will be reborn after this life and maybe this is the only life we have, so we have to make it meaningful to ourselves. A good mindset to go on that I have not used yet is that everything is meaningless. Compared to the universe, we are on this little dot in the Milky Way Galaxy which is just one of many more galaxies, so nothing matters. Nothing will be permanent and everything will eventually die out, so just take a risk and do what you want that makes you happy. I’m not saying that you need friends to be happy but this experience just shows me that people should take life seriously. The thoughts I have also have shown how I should take life seriously. When I was in 8th Grade, I had paranoid thoughts, overthinking, and fears of

failure and still do today in some way. It affected my everyday life in some way even if it was it had the smallest effect. For example, when someone is pointing a phone at me, I think they’re taking a picture which is ridiculous because it’s obvious they’re on their phone, but my overthinking gets the best of me and it just leads to more thoughts and that leads to internal panic which is just unneeded from a situation that seems very normal. When I walk home also, I would be overly aware of my surroundings and start running home rather than walking just because of paranoia, but it usually lasts for only 10 seconds. These experiences help me tell who experiences overthinking and have thoughts that could restrict them in life. It's good to go back on the mindset that everything is meaningless and nothing is permanent, so there’s no point in overthinking. Getting one bad grade out of many good grades shouldn’t get to you and overthinking events that had no consequence shouldn’t get to you either. It's good to be cautious, but not too cautious that it's severely restricting your life. Things won’t last forever, so try to make your life as happy as you want to be.

with each other more and individually, I saw that it was less stressful and that I regretted ever becoming their friend. After this separation I have clearly noticed in the outside world in many other communities that people are going through the same problem I went through. Certain people whether being too nice and not trying to hurt someone's feelings or they have not yet to learn who is a good friend for you and who’s not are in the same exact shoes I was in. This valuable lesson of course has taught me for the future that it is better for me to have a smaller friend group that helps me rather than harm than being popular and having an enormous friend group that will cause me several amounts of problems. Right now I am in a refreshing environment with now entering a new school for high school and creating new close friends that could possibly be right for me. Then if not I will learn again other lessons from being with people who aren’t influential or going to mean something in my life. Even with bad friends hurting you emotionally and bringing you down for whatever reason, they will still represent as a lesson for you to learn in life that a mistake made in the past should never be done again for the greater good. With the knowledge of knowing that bad friends could hurt the things you do in life, or the people you love or perhaps even the actions you do. This will not only bring bad consequences to make you learn just the way I did but as well make you see good friends and be grateful for the amazing things they bring in your life.

Hard Work Pays Off by Andrei Loser When I was a younger and immature middle school student, I constantly got in trouble for fooling around. I always thought it was all a joke until I realized these actions construct my future. In the seventh grade I made jokes, I was distracted easily and was often seen as one of the “bad kids” in school. I was a bright student but my behavior held me back from excelling

academically. The teachers knew I had potential and wanted to help me change for the better. My teachers recognized this and after several meetings with parents, teachers and principles I decided that working hard in school now will benefit me in the future. When I see people doing what I have done when I was younger, I realize that they haven’t matured enough yet, have not realized the consequences of their actions, responsibilities and haven’t realized that their actions now build their future. Sometimes it takes a “spark” in someone or a little bit of confidence. For me, this was gained from my middle school social studies teacher. People not excelling in life because of their foolish actions from when they were young are thickheaded. People like this are like people who don’t put down answers on a multiple choice test just because they don’t know the answers. They are going to wish they followed their teachers and parents advice and focused on what would set them up for life. In the future when it is too late to make a change, people are going to realize that it was not worth the one joke that got them suspended or the countless missing homeworks or failed tests they have had. If you have potential you should embrace it and not take your life for granted. Things aren’t given to you as you age and it truly proves that hard work pays off.