2 | seniors
| the roar
friday, may 18, 2018
TRACKLIST
5) all the stars - kendrick lamar senior profiles (3kids - mgmt lauren peters, teaching matics shape of you - ed sheeran parth sarin, mathe nary god's plan - drake matthew manley, missio itary crank that - soulja boy joshua prochaska, mil l jump - kriss kross mckenzie dimery, volleybal hion design vogue - madonna catya martinez-gloria, fas 7) how far i'll go - moana senior college map (6lings (8) so long, farewell - sound of music letters to sib ns (9-11) this is me - the greatest showman roar colum 7. 8. 9.
the roar | seniors | 3
friday, may 18, 2018
Lauren Peters by maya girimaji
Senior Lauren Peters has two passions: art and education. Instead of choosing just one to pursue in college she's decided to do both. In the fall, Peters will be attending Texas A&M University to major in elementary education to become an art teacher. She’ll also be taking a job at U-Paint-It to further prepare for this career.
Parth Sarin by jennifer zhan
By the time senior Parth Sarin graduates from high school, he’ll have completed almost an entire undergraduate curriculum in math. In addition to taking classes at A&M, his interest in math has also led him to work for the university and represent it at a summer research program for undergrads in the University of Chicago math department. “That sort of consistent engagement with mathematics has kept this dream alive,” Sarin said. “I want to work in a math department, be a professor, have students, teach classes, do research, and all of that. I think math is like the language of the sciences. A lot of other sciences, like chemistry, physics, even political science, speak and communicate in math. And there's a really exciting feeling associated with just developing those really core ideas.” Currently, Sarin is taking a graduate class at A&M and doing research with mathematics professor JM Landsberg. He presents his findings to Landsberg every
“I’ve always liked kids. When I heard about the [Ready Set Teach] program I decided to do it my junior year,” Peters said. “I went and interned in two different classes and I loved it. I did an art class this year and I really liked it. I’ve always loved art so I thought that this would be perfect for me.” After working with several groups of students, she’s decided what age group she’d prefer to have in the future. “[I want to teach] elementary for sure. If I do art then it will be all of the grades, kindergarten through fourth,” Peters said. “I really like second grade a lot, if I were to just teach one grade.” She recommends the Ready Set Teach program to anyone interested in pursuing education because it’s given her a lot of exposure to the field. Through the course, students intern at schools, write lesson plans and get experience teaching in front of real classes. “Last year I had two internships that were throughout one semester so they were each six to eight weeks long. The first one I was at Greens Prairie in first grade with Carrie Owen and the second one I was at Oakwood with fifth graders with Lisa Edrington,” Peters said. “And this year I got to do two internships that are a semester long each. The first one I was in a second grade class with Laura Gage at Southwood Valley. This semester I’m at an art class with Terry Havlick at Creek View.”
Ready Set Teach teacher Janet Peterson has observed Peters in four different internship settings in four different classrooms. She says that Peter has excelled at all of them. “She is amazingly organized, aware of deadlines, [can manage] multiple tasks, and she is extremely creative,” Peterson said. “She completes assignments on time, if not early. And she can write a lesson plan like the drop of a hat.” In addition, Peterson said that Peters’ artistic talents are apparent in more than just the bulletin boards and art projects she does for her internships. She said Peters always applies creativity in her lessons. “She taught a lesson to second grade science about heat transfer, and she donned safety goggles and popped Jiffy Pop popcorn on a burner in the classroom,” Peterson said. “The kids were enthralled. They were so engaged and so excited and they got the concept of heat transfer along with a treat.” And for Peters, the opportunity to help students learn is worth it, even though others might shy away from the profession due to low salaries. “It’s not about the money, it’s about the kids. I just love kids,” Peters said. “I would rather do something I love than make a million dollars and hate it.”
week, and is also expected to explain his work in front of the other grad students and postdocs in the seminar. “I have this massive whiteboard in my room, and I just spend a lot of time writing things on the board, playing with numbers and figures, gaining an intuition for this area and then just fiddling with it until it works,” Sarin said. “But these things don't leave you, they just kind of ruminate in my head. Some of the nicest ideas I've had in doing research have literally come while I'm falling asleep. And that's another reason that I really like [math research]. It’s all in my head, so I can work anywhere.” The focus of Sarin’s work right now deals with the intersection of two fields of advanced mathematics: combinatorics and algebraic geometry. Though that might sound abstract, Sarin said his studies actually have a very concrete application in the field of quantum physics. If that doesn’t sound like something a typical high school student would be doing, that’s because it’s not. “He has lectured in the seminar I run for my PhD students and given lectures better than the average graduate student,” Landsberg said. “I should also mention that he already has significant research results. Previous undergraduates who have done projects with me have written up their work for undergraduate research journals, and I am suggesting Parth send his results to a regular research journal - all the more astounding since he is just in high school.” Sarin is headed to Stanford University next year, which he chose because it seemed to most match the “flavor of math” he liked. Stanford will also accept all of Sarin’s math credits, so he’ll be able to pick up a math degree quickly and spend the rest of his time continuing math research and exploring his other interests. “All of the credit requirements at Stanford are soft requirements, which means if you personally think that you don’t have to take the prerequisite, you don’t have to
take it,” Sarin said. “ You can just register for any course you want to. I think that goes to this testament of Stanford’s willingness to let its students do whatever they want to do.” In particular, he’s excited about Stanford’s open law courses, legal clinic, and journalism classes that will allow him to continue following his passions in law and podcasting. Sarin has read through many of the books taught at Yale’s law school, is taking a legal internship this summer, and can often be found discussing the precedents and practical applications of court cases with his government teacher Bobbi Rodriguez. And after becoming interested in radio journalism, he found several friends to help him begin hosting and producing his own podcast, Life, Puberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. “If I've learned anything in doing math, in studying law, in doing my show, it’s that if you're persistent enough, somebody will listen to you,” Sarin said. “Like, it was like a pain in the butt to try to take classes at A&M, but with enough pushing and sheer will, somebody paid attention to me, and I'm really really grateful for that.” He said that he owes a lot to all the people who’ve helped him along the way, but admits that he has always had a tendency to dive headfirst into anything that remotely interested him. “The way I see it is, why hold back? If it's something that you're interested in, just go for it. What else are you going to do with your free time? Spend it on something that you are passionate about. You'll get really really good at it, you'll also get a lot of experience, and the nicest thing about it is that you're never bored, that's kind of the nicest thing about it,” Sarin said. “There's always an interesting math problem, an interesting Supreme Court case, an interesting story to be told. And that’s a wonderful way to experience life.”
4 | seniors
| the roar
friday, may 18, 2018
Matthew Manley by maya girimaji
Senior Matthew Manley is a man on a mission. On June 20th, Manley will be going to Provo, Utah to learn Filipino. After a few weeks, he will be leaving for a two year mission trip in Tacloban, Philippines. “About a month ago I started my papers. I filled out an application form
with all of my dental records and medical records and my education,” Manley said. “I had to put a resume on there [and I] sent it up to Salt Lake and they assigned me a place to go.” Along with having conversations with his parents and reading scriptures to prepare for the trip, Manley also has to pay $10,000 to the church to cover the
whole cost. “Since I pay for it myself, I’ve been saving since as long as I can remember. I put aside about 40% of everything I earn,” Manley said. “It’s a big commitment and it’s two years of my life so I had to be sure that this is what I want to do.” Mission trips are common for people of the Mormon faith. This year, though, Manley will be the only one from College Station going on the trip. But it varies from year to year depending on how many people are in the age group that’s eligible to go. “We’re encouraged to do it. It’s this idea that if we found joy in the gospel it becomes selfish to not share that with others--this idea that we need to share with others what we have,” Manley said. “The point is to serve others and spread joy and love.” Along with the major time commitment, Manley is also limited on his contact with people outside of this trip, especially since he will constantly be working. “I won’t be able to talk to my parents except for once a week through email and then on Mother’s Day and Christmas,”
Manley said. “I’ll be living with another boy between the ages of 18 and 26. You have to grow up very fast and you have to be very mature.” Despite these adjustments he’ll have to make, this trip is something that Manley knew he has always wanted to do. And this reflects through his personality. “Matthew is one of the best hearted people I’ve ever met. He devotes himself completely to whatever he does and it’s really impressive,” senior and close friend Clayton Stuart said. “He talks about his mission a lot and is really excited about it, which is super inspiring to me.” While this experience is a chance to serve others and help those less fortunate, Manley said that these two years are also a chance for him to grow as a person. “A lot of people when they go they grow up a lot because they have to. You grow a lot mentally, physically, and spiritually, too,” Manley said. “I want to grow closer to my Saviour and experience that growth so that when I come back I’m better prepared to function in this world.”
Prochaska said. “That’s cadet basic training for about six weeks. When school starts, I’ll also do military training and athletics.” Serving in the military is part of family tradition for Prochaska, who said he saw qualities in his grandfather, a World War II veteran, that he admired and knew he could get by following in his
footsteps. “I've wanted to go to West Point ever since I can remember, ever since I knew what it was,” Prochaska said. “The main thing that drew me to it is three words: duty, honor, and country. So many generals have gone there, and to be a part of The Long Gray Line is just something very special and important to me.” From start to finish, the application process to the military academy lasted roughly six months, including medical and physical examinations, leadership, test scores, and high school academic record. “I also met Congressman Bill Flores because every applicant has to get a nomination from either the president, vice president, congressman, or senator,” Prochaska said. “That was basically a sixweek long process, and then I went in for an interview with 10 people that were former West Point grads or people that the congressman knew.” Prochaska plans to study civil engineering at West Point and then commission as an officer in the United States Army to lead soldiers on the battlefield. His geography teacher Samantha Krinhop, who wrote his recommendation letter, said he naturally possesses the qualities that’ll help him succeed.
“If we were doing group activities, he’d be the one making sure that the group was moving along and completing the assignment with a high degree of quality,” Krinhop said. “But also, he doesn’t just impose his view. He’s open to other people’s ideas, and there’s a diplomacy in leadership in that.” In addition, she said his drive makes him stand out among students of similar qualifications. “Obviously grades are important, but it's more about how you handle difficulties,” Krinhop said. “With Josh, if he didn't like a grade on a test, he's going to come in asking, ‘What do I need to different next time? How can I do better?’, not ‘Why did you do this to me?’” And he has that same commitment to achieving his potential when it comes to the military. “After being an officer, I'd like to go to law school and be a JAG, or military lawyer, in the Army,” Prochaska said. “First and foremost, I just want to serve my country. That's always been the main thing.”
Joshua Prochaska by jennifer zhan
Preparing for college will involve more than packing clothes and school supplies for senior Joshua Prochaska, who will matriculate at the United States Military Academy at West Point in the fall. “I leave in July, and before I can start the academic school year in August, I’ll be doing what’s called Beast Barracks,”
the roar | seniors | 5
friday, may 18, 2018
McKenzie Dimery by drew howerton
Senior McKenzie Dimery doesn’t consider herself very talkative. On the volleyball court, she lets her skill speak for her. “I didn’t lead the team by talking. I lead by example,” she
said. “When things needed to be said, then I would be that person to go to.” Dimery’s leadership style inspires dedication in her teammates. “She’s created a way for
Catya Martinez by maya girimaji
Senior Catya Martinez considers herself lucky. At only eight years old, she already knew what she wanted to do with her life. “When I was little and would go on shopping trips with my mom I would restyle a lot of the mannequins. By the time we left, the store would look com-
pletely different,” Martinez said. “I’m a very tactile person so I like to touch different fabrics, see all of the colors, and even see the emotions that these colors invoke. I like to see that on the mannequins.” In early September, Martinez will attend the Savannah
them to be able to lead in this program and see what it actually looks like,” head volleyball coach Jennifer Kazmierski said. “When she speaks it carries that much more weight.” Dimery has played both basketball and volleyball her whole life. However, volleyball was always her first love. “Volleyball stood out more - I love the sport,” she said. “It was like my second home and I would go there to escape from everything.” As a freshman, Dimery made varsity and traveled to the state tournament that year. Kazmierski, who was hired Dimery’s sophomore year, said that Dimery’s skill as a player was immediately clear to her. “I could tell that even as a freshman that spring, the way she carried herself and the way she trained, she was a serious
competitor,” Kazmierski said. “I knew she was going to be one of the key players in our program.” Kazmierski and Dimery initially butted heads, but eventually forged a relationship of mutual respect through Kazmierski’s experience and Dimery’s dedication. “We have kind of rough patches, but that’s with any coach,” Dimery said. “She’s always pushed me and saw the better side of me. She brought stuff out in me that I didn’t know that I had before.” In addition to being supported by her coach, Dimery said that her teammates have pushed her to success, as well as support her during her hardships. When Dimery suffered an injury that put her out for nearly half of the season, it was her team that came to her aid. “They were really upset and
tried to do everything to comfort me. I felt like I let my team down, I injured myself and I let everyone down. But they helped me,” she said. “They’re not just like a team for me, all of them are my sisters. They’ve helped me become the person I am today.” In the fall, Dimery will attend Panola College where she will play volleyball for two years. Afterwards, she hopes to transfer to a university where she can study physical therapy. Although she has decided not to play professionally, she has become an example to those she will leave behind. “She’s been a great leader for the underclassmen,” Kazmierski said. ‘She’s leaving a legacy of hard work and dedication.”
College of Art and Design to pursue a degree in fashion, marketing and management. “I would’ve never thought that going out of state was really a option because I’ve lived in Texas my whole life and never thought about actually leaving,” Martinez said. “I’m not really surrounded by the best opportunities for the industry that I’m going into but with me going out of state I know I’ll get that great exposure that I need to thrive.” During her sophomore year, Martinez started taking fashion design classes at Consol and was given the opportunity to go to the FCCLA National Convention in California. She even started Fashion Club with the hope of creating a community for students with similar interests as her. “In FCCLA I did two big projects, one of them brought me to nationals,” Martinez said. “Last year was my big project. I did a college wear game day line and I chose different universities throughout the country the U.S. I researched all of the demographics for it and the weather
that would influence the cuts [and] sewed an entire outfit.” Along with competing in FCCLA, Martinez is the coeditor-in-chief of the yearbook, which she says has increased her interest in editorial fashion. Even though yearbooks and fashion aren’t connected, she believes that dabbling in different things helped her decide what route she wanted to take. “Yearbook has really helped me have an eye for design and without even knowing it I'll just be outside of school and notice something really pleasing to the eye and think that it would just look so good on a piece of clothing wear,” Martinez said. “It's given me so many benefits and I'm just forever grateful for everything I've gained through yearbook.” Yearbook adviser Freda Carraway, who has watched Martinez grow throughout the past three years, said that Martinez has gained a lot of self confidence and has learned to trust her opinion. “She’s a quiet warrior. She is a person who does what-
ever needs to be done, when it needs to be done without being asked. She’s willing to put in extra hours and extra effort for jobs that aren’t really necessarily hers,” Carraway said. “I can see Catya one day having her own fashion empire and myself one day walking around wearing her clothes.” Even though she is confident in her decision to pursue a fashion major, Martinez knows that there is uncertainty about jobs after college. She faces the occasional questions and stereotypes about her untraditional route, but remains passionate and determined to succeed. “I feel like sometimes I have to defend what I like to do. But I get a thrill out of it.,” Martinez said. “At the end of the day the most important part is if you're actually loving it, then go for it.”
6 | seniors | the roar
friday, may
how
far we’ll
go
where the class of 2018 is headed arkansas ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Clayton Stuart
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS Graham Peterson
HARDING UNIVERSITY
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
north carolina
SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
DUKE UNIVERSITY
Jennifer Zhan
Rita Santoso
kansas
Todd Gray
california ACADEMY OF ART IN SAN FRANCISCO Keona McKee
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Emily Li
LAGUNA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN Jamie Sybico
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO Josh Weimer
STANFORD UNIVERSITY Parth Sarin
florida
STERLING COLLEGE Daylan Faltysek
louisiana NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY De Varion Guyton
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY Jozlyn Polk
Delphine Leoue Ngoko Djomo
FLORIDA COLLEGE
new york Amado Alaniz
georgia SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN Jeri Sheil
Anna Miller Grace Wu
LANGSTON UNIVERSITY Arionia Toney
OKLAHOMA STATE Kolby Peel
pennsylvania CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Omar Al Shaqsi
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ANN ARBOR
Joshua Bierman
UNIVERISTY OF FLORIDA
oklahoma
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
COLGATE UNIVERSITY
Nathan Goble
Joy Fu
michigan Thomas Bonasera
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
Catya Martinez-Gloria
illinois
UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY Joshua Prochaska
Cassie He Hannah Chang
Jackson Lacey
tennesse KING UNIVERSITY
Benjamin Lightfoot
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY Elizabeth Palazzolo
BLINN COLLEGE
Alexa Sweet Alexis Lindemulder Andrew Stagg Ariana Sterling Arwa Lakhani Asalaan Maknojia Ashley Barnes Ashley Churchwell Bailey Kirkpatrick Brandon Hazlett Brandon Hernandez Cantero Braylon Johnson Breanna Baca Brendan Ward Caleb Thomas Cameron Grant Cameron Skains Carlos Guadarrama-Trejo Cassandra Ortiz Christopher Martinez Courtney Gerland
Courtney Wood Daniel Prida Darius Terrell Dawn Arnold-Garcia Derrick Silas Jr. Destiny Cobb Devan Medina Drew Pearson Elizabeth Choi Emanuel Field McCoy Emily McCleary Enrique Lopez Esau Perez Gonzalez Felicia Mack Garrett George Garrett Jones Giselle Dimas Hailey Norris Hunter McAvoy Jacob Kazen Jasmine Johnson Jasmin Roueche Jateria Taylor
Jessie Serna John House John Ramirez Jonathan Hutchinson Jordan Carter Jordan Woodard Jose Avellaneda Jose Rico Joshua Reynolds Josue Cuero Julisa Ocampo Luna Kaylee Mayfield Kendra Gray Kendyl Herring Kevin Brinston Jackson Ke’Ariah Miller Kristin Kaiser Lauren Zavala Laurin Soares Leonard White Luis Otarola Rodriguez
Magd Mallo Marc Marie roe Mark Maur Graje Mich Migu tinez Miran Munt Mya Nata Natily Olivia Paola Porsh Prasi Rach Riley Rubi
texas
KILGORE COLLEGE
LONE STAR COLLEGE
AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
HARVARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN UNIVE
Kaiden Williams
Caitlin Corkran
Noah Alford
Shar’donae West Luke Henderson
y 18, 2018
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k Jones ricio Navarro eda hael Parulian uel Duran Marz anda Stringer nter McGary Jackson alie Barnes ly Mayberry ia Rosario a Diaz ha Lopez iddhi Neupane hael Hampton y McDaniel i Lopez-Diaz
ERSITY
PANOLA COMMUNITY COLLEGE McKenzie Dimery
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
Victoria Hanna Wyatt Pahl
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, CORPUS CHRISTI
Ulises Sixtos-Lomeli Monserrath Almaraz
Aurora Kolar Marshall Greene Zac Frank
RICE UNIVERSITY Michael Sprintson
SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY Daniela Gonzalez Hernandez Gerardo Ovalle Jacob Parks Moriah Crager Taylor Colemon Trevor Williams
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, GALVESTON Nicole Patterson
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, SAN ANTONIO TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY Preston Davis Tatum Johnston
Benjamin Morris-Woods
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY Eric Leland
TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY Mohannad Khattab
Kathryn Barrington Ariel O’Neil Chase Gibson Morgan Kehrber Jarod Williams William Mather
Wesley Overby Rebecca Almand Avery Wright Harrison Winn Kelsey Gibbs
TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY Destinee Jones
Aarzoo Maknojia Abbye Vessell Abigail Medina Ahad Ali Alexandra Alaniz Alexis Miller Allison Vollentine Andrew Hanna Anica Winn Bethany Jones Brittan Rhome Brooke Reid Caleb Kitchen Calvin Williams Charles Ola Christopher Pierson Claire Hennings Colter Vick Cosmas Kravaris Daniel Hampton Daniel Mwarabu Darragh Farrell Devin Graham Drew Howerton Elena Chavez Elvia Zapata Hernandez Emory Cook Eric Allen Grace Corrier Grant Laymon Hailey Bishop Hannah Brewer Hannah Tindall Hannah Turner Jack Ren Jackson Derbes Jacqueline Vigil Jake Harris Jessica Martinez-Vasquez Ji Woo Lee Johnny Avilez Jonathan Alvarez Jonathan Hamilton
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY Taylor Creagor Reid Ragusa Makenna Greenwalt
TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY Spencer Williamson
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON Elijah Durand-Ganz
UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR Joshua Roselius Aaron Campbell-Love Madely House Jordan Smith Chase Martinez
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS Kathryn Gray Tatum Love
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN Adrian Flores Charlotte Brumbelow Dung Pham Hope Lascurain Julian Wang Max Carrino
INTERNATIONAL AIR & HOSPITALITY ACADEMY
washington d.c GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY Caroline Coopersmith
wisconsin Tobias Doerr-Garcia
TEXAS STATE
Jacob Rees Tierra Body
washington
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY Kacey Corbett Kaley Montelongo Katherine Wall Kathleen Bradford Kaylee Kipp Keith Adams Kendall Hopcus Kevin Leonard Kirsten Bynum Kylee Markowsky Lacey Hawthorne Lauren Peters Levi Alexander Lillian Cantrell Macie Cannon Madeleine Phillips Madeo Suarsana Madison Huff Matthew Sims Matt Holtzapplle Michael Caballero Michael Fink Michael Townsend Michelle Pappoe Minh Luu Nadia Vejar Sandowal Nathan Michalk Nicholas Smotherman Nicole Vaughn Payton Ugner Peter Liu Peter Simmons Phuc Ha Prashansa Gautam Rachel Fitzgerald Riley Morgan Romina Lasagna-Coloma Sarah Marek Sueji Han Sydney Fox Sydney Green Taylor Coleman
the roar | seniors | 7
Tai-tyana Baker
Jennifer Palafox Gomez
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Ruhee Charolia Ryan Lovingshimer Sierra Carney Simran Patel Taylor Saputra Ta’Nea Gomez Tiarra Taylor Triston Clark T’ajia Foster Uyen Nguyen William Guilfoil Yesenia Koite Zachary Hedge Zachary Ruiz
Taylor Strong Timothy Davis Trinity Templin
Maya Girimaji Melissa Yang Riva Salzman Robert Foster Youbin Lee
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, ARLINGTON Maya Rasheed
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, PERMIAN BASEN Tessa Matthews
utah UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Melissa Rasmusen
vermont NORWICH UNIVERSITY Jordi Bulux-Sotelo
england UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA Dorian Kalafatis
netherlands UNIVERSITY COLLEGE MAASTRICHT Michele Gherardi
pakistan NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCES AND TECHONOLOGY Mehr Khan
military ARMY
Raymond Coones Noah Macik
MARINES
Christian Jenkins
NAVY
Edgar Arroyo
mission Matthew Manley
workforce Gary Hanners Oscar Casares Brandon Hardin Carla Garcia Rendon Neil Feagan Oliver Ramirez Velasquez Jenifer Jimenez Myriah Hays
other/undecided Charles Connell JInxiao Wang Martin Arellano Tyler Howell
8 | seniors
| the roar
friday, may 18, 2018
Dear David, What an adventurous, crazy year it has been. I am so proud of not only your incredible talent and dedication to everything you do, but also your goofy, quick-witted humor and sincere kindness. You’ve made senior year so much more fun through all times you asked me to help you practice soccer and essentially forced me to go outdoors, went on boba runs with me, and texted me the funniest memes at random times during the day. You bring out the light-hearted side of me, and I know you’ll spread your light and humor to many others as well. Keep shining bright! If I could give you one piece of advice, especially for the rest of your high school years, it’d be to have a great time. It sounds so basic, but it’s easy to get all caught up in high school stress and suffer from sleep deprivation. Instead of staying up till 1am finishing homework, just let it go and pursue your passions instead. I’m so proud of you for joining the soccer team, and if you love the sport, keep at it all four years! High school is the time for you to explore your interests while having as much fun as possible. I’m sad I won’t be able to see you in college, but just know that if you ever need advice or help (as long as it’s not physics-related), I’m only a call away! Love, Hannah
HANNAH & DAVID CHANG
LETTERS
to FRESHMEN
Dear Kallie, I am here to write this letter to you to best help you with your future here at A&M Consolidated. The best advice I can give you is to chill out. There will be times in the year that you will be stressed out and nervous and understandably pissed but just know that everything will be okay as long as you chill out. I don’t remember when I was your age but that’s mainly because of football, the sport I wanted to dedicate my life to until I realized i was awful at it. I mean bad. I was lucky to have found that thing that i want to spend the rest of my life doing and began to make preparations for it. Brodie, our oldest brother, didn’t find his thing in highschool and we see the hardship he had to go through because of it. Luckily you have already had some good plans for the future so you’ve already found your thing. Since you’ve found your thing you no longer need to worry about it all you have to do is run around and have fun and understand that things may change. You as a person could change as high school progresses. I legitimately don’t recognize myself from the beginning of the year to now and drastically less so from freshman year. Lastly always remember one thing. You’re a kid. You are young and learning and growing. Three years from now you could look back on yourself and completely hate everything you were. Just remember that you are still a child and to have fun. Don’t take yourself seriously and have as much fun as possible. Only do what you love to do and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise what to do. Sincerely, Your brother Jarod
JAROD & KALLIE WILLIAMS
JONATHAN & JACK HAMILTON
Dear Jack, How did we make it this far bud? It makes me feel old seeing how much you have aged but it makes me feel young when I recognize that you are taller than me, bigger than me, and can grow more facial hair than I ever have. I still remember the days when we shared a bunk bed in our cowboy themed bedroom and I know we will still look after each other like we did then, even after I move out. It is surreal to see the wild, annoying, and sometimes bratty brother I used to often despise become this mature, focused, and extremely talented teenager. You continuously amaze me everyday with your skills and your humble heart. I hope that you remember me when you are super famous and successful doing big things. I also hope you remember to be true to yourself and love everybody. You still have three more years of high school so enjoy yourself and your time and do not try to grow up too fast. Also I hope you were able to learn from some of my mistakes and make these upcoming years prosperous and fruitful. Love ya brother, Jonathan
the roar | seniors | 9
friday, may 18, 2018
drew howerton | senior executive editor
I am eight years old, crying my eyes out to Bob Crosby & The Bob Cats on cassette. The song is called ‘Way Back Home’ and for whatever reason it was an absolute tear jerker. Many of my friends had various music players, whether they were late nineties mp3 players, hand-medown iPods, or for the most fortunate of my peers, the newly invented iPhone. I was a bit old school, and all of my music was on tapes and mixes that my dad made for me. Most of those CDs were filled with my dad’s favorite artists: The Beatles, Alan Parsons, Billy Joel, and his beloved Weird Al. Anyway, one of those tapes had the song ‘Way Back Home’ by Bob Crosby & The Bob Cats on it. The lesser known of all of the Crosbys (you’ve probably heard of his brother Bing), Bob was a jazz singer in the thirties. ‘Way Back Home’ is his most popular song, and it tells the cheesy story of a guy who leaves his life, his home, for a job in the city and then finds out that life outside is lonely and different. The guy wishes he could go back home where “The food is the spreadiest /The wine is the headiest /The pals are the readiest The gals are the steadiest/ The love the liveliest/ The life the loveliest”. Like I said, really ham and cheese. Still, whenever I popped in that tape I started crying. I’m eighteen now, not eight, and I’ll be going off to college in the fall. Whenever I was younger, college was such a weird and far off thing. I imagined packing up all of my stuff and driving somewhere far away to another state. As I began my college applications though, I realized that going off to that far away place would be hard for
During last semester I got my first job bagging groceries and pushing carts at Kroger. The job is pretty okay but can be a downer at times. One nice day I was outside very frustrated because I was picking up the slack of my co-workers. I had pushed a row of carts through the narrow doorway. I had crouched to pass through and when I stood up, I stood up too soon. I hit my head on the metal frame of the door.The pain that was radiating from my head was excruciating. Then I started getting light headed, the room started spinning, a wave of nausea flooded over me, and everything started growing bright. I stumbled a little bit and leaned against the wall. All I could think was “Dear God please don’t let me pass out or throw up at work. Even worse, please don’t let both happen.” When the nausea passed and the room wasn’t spinning so fast, I went inside to finish my shift. I thought there was no need to tell anybody about me clumsily hitting my head. I only had 30 more minutes before my shift ended. When I got home I told my mom about my incident at work. She told me not to worry and that she would keep a close eye on me just in case the worst case scenario happens. The next morning I woke up and my splitting headache had not gone away even after taking over the counter medicine. So my mom decided to take me to the clinic and to say the least I was treated with very unprofessional care, but trusting the doctor, I stayed home from school. I decided to take a nap and when I woke up I felt like something was wrong. It felt like there was a part of me that was missing. I could not think or speak straight and I had horrible anxiety. It got to the point where I could not stand being in my own skin. I started sobbing, holding
myself to try and comfort myself. I felt so stupid for crying and I tried to stop myself. I did not want my mom to see me the way I was. Luckily I had stopped a few minutes before she walked through the door. I tried to act okay but she asked me,” What is wrong darling?” I completely broke down. I tried telling her how I felt but my words came out in stammers and mumbles. All I could do was stand there, hold my head and stare at my mom through sobbing eyes. I had never felt so helpless in my entire life. After this episode my mom took me to the ER. The doctor there treated me with excellent care. He took the time to explain everything that was going on and prescribed me pain killers. I was instructed to stay home,”with as little stimulation as possible” as he said. These two weeks were mostly filled with lying in my parent’s dark room all day worrying about school since finals were gonna be two weeks away when I went back. As these two weeks drug on my mind slowly healed and I started to feel more like myself. I was not really worried about catching up with my friends as I was my schoolwork when I returned. I had so much to do but most of my teachers were very accommodating and understanding with my situation. Two of my teachers even let me take my final at the beginning of the second semester. Going through this concussion changed so many aspects of my life thankfully without any long term effects. I believe that everything happens for a reason but I have yet to figure out why this had to happen. I will keep my hopes up that one day the reason will be revealed to me. Tessa will be attending Blinn College and majoring in psychology.
my family. I decided to stay in state instead, and ended up going to Texas A&M University, a school that’s about twenty minutes away from my house. It honestly felt like I was settling, even though A&M is an awesome school and I should be honored to get into the engineering program. I saw my peers excited to graduate and move to a different city or state, while I was excited to move my bed from one side of my room to the other. I always thought that my life would be like the Bob Crosby song;I’d go off into the world and reminisce about my home. Worst of all, I thought that I was doing the wrong thing by living at home for a little bit and going to college in the town I grew up in. Ever since I started high school, I’ve compared myself to others. I’m worried that I didn’t take more AP classes, or that I wasn’t going to parties, or wasn’t living my teenage years the way that my peers were based off of their social media pages. Eventually I realized that I was hurting myself by worrying about the lives of others and basing my decisions that way. The absolute truth is that everyone has a different path in life. My friends in tech class, who have become some of the closest people in my life, are made for lives that I’m not, and that’s okay. Growing up is realizing that your favorite song is actually really sad, and in the case of ‘Way Back Home’, it isn’t necessarily about a guy moving on to greener pastures. It’s about getting so caught up in your future, that sometimes you forget to live in the present. Drew will be attending Texas A&M University and majoring in computer science.
tessa matthews | staff reporter
10 | seniors
| the roar
sueji han | section editor
I sit there, biting my nails, as I tell my friends the problem I’m facing. “Everything will be okay; you’ll be fine,” I keep thinking to reassure myself that everything would work out-even the bad things. “Don’t worry. Just do the best you can.” That’s when I question myself whether my decision is the right one. When I first moved here in 2008, I was shy and didn’t want to hang out with many people, but as the years passed, I made more and more friends. In hindsight, the peak of social life was 8th grade. Back then, I was so ready for high school. But as the years progressed I have grown to dislike it. High school was like a roller coaster with many ups and and downs, but had more downs than ups. Despite that, I found some amazing people that make me laugh, and also helped me to understand the person that I have become. To my dear friends: You have changed me. I’m definitely not an interesting, talkative, social person but that you were able to hang in there and accept me as a friend makes me so grateful to each one of you. You noticed me in the halls, created our own squad, shared snacks with me during class, watched dramas through rabbit, and exchanged notebooks filled with writing. I love the small moments that I shared from these friendships. Through the years, I have had many academic and relationship issues which brought me down, and I never wanted to mention the dark and troubled side of myself to others. I thought people would judge, view me differently,
“I was uptight/wanna let loose/I was dreaming of bigger things and/wanna leave my old life behind” Most of you recognize these trendy lyrics, either from the countless reruns that the radio plays or at some hip restaurant while you’re bonding with friends. However, for me, it was only senior year where I registered how much Thunder and Imagine Dragons would impact me. Whether I battled with acceptance, anxiety, fear, doubt, this song reminds me to push forward. Back in June though, if I could magically turn back in time to my junior year I would have strongly disagreed with the consideration of listening to Imagine Dragons. At first when I listened to Imagine Dragons, I felt reluctant to enjoy their music. It was as if my mind rejected the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone to digest and appreciate new music. It was my ego holding tight to the likelihood of discernment. Since freshman year, I manifested a fixed mentality to be viewed as a “hipster” by only listening to underground bands like The Cure or Tigers Jaw. However my best friend, kept on trying regardless of the numerous attempts that I rejected his offer. Finally with weeks of uninterrupted persistence I caved in to the music recommendation. This time, I decided to spice things up and listen to their new album Evolve with him. We sat in the car with our hands intertwined while listening to Dancing In The Dark. What ultimately drove me to give them another chance was Juan and his deep admiration for Imagine Dragons. He helped me open my mind. The main song that I rely the most is Believer. Regardless of any struggle that I encounter whether it be with myself, family, friends, or life, this song serves as a sole purpose of righteous hope, reminding me to remain grounded
friday, may 18, 2018
but more importantly I was afraid to show myself to others. I never liked creating issues from the problems that I had but also had a difficult time making friends over the years. You guys made me think differently. The problem was that I was worried that the people that I wanted to be friends with would not accept me for the person that I am, but on the contrary you helped me realize that not showing myself sometimes creates a bigger problem in relationships than not asking for any help. I have also learned the meaning of what it is to be a true friend, someone who accepts and understands others--whether it’s their bad or good side. I’m not afraid anymore to show who I am to others. Because of this, I am able to move forward but also become a more understanding, confident, and strong person. You are all amazing people. I have learned and cherished so much from you. That’s what makes you an important person to me. I will certainly miss being able to see all of you. Through the 4 years of high school, the fact that I have people by my side makes me relieved and inspired me to become a better person. I’m sad that everyone is going separate ways. I have just started to understand what friends are for, but starting a new journey and making new friends will be a difficult task for me. This is my form of saying thank you for all you guys have done for me. I wish you could fully understand how important you are and how even the small actions in a relationship can help someone change. You are all very intelligent people who deserve the best and are capable of achieving anything. I love you all. I’m forever grateful for every single one of you. Sueji will be attending Texas A&M University and majoring in nutrition.
and strong. I never envisioned moving to Texas or gaining a newfound respect for a band like Imagine Dragons. But, through all the pain I learned how to embrace change and accept who I am. I’m proud to admit that Texas holds a soft spot in my heart and to say that Imagine Dragons is recognized as my all time favorite band. I hold music pretty close to my heart so I’d also like to show some thanks to those who helped me throughout my “high school career” in California and Texas. I’d like to deeply thank my mother, step-father, dad and family that support and love me wholeheartedly.. To thank my big twin sister, Natalie Barnes, who is always willing to give me our daily awkward sibling hug. I love you. This part is dedicated to my friends that are back in California: Gabby and Diana Lua, and colorguard. I miss y’all tremendously and will cherish our memories infinitely. To my new buddies in Texas that welcomed me with open arms: Faith Paull, Sueji Han, Corinne Cowart, my church home Christland and many others. Not to mention the teachers who have influenced me the most throughout high school: Ms. McIntosh who taught me how to love English and grow intellectually as much as possible. Mr. Cote who taught me that physics is found everywhere. Ms. Zachery who taught me to embrace myself despite how rough life can be. I want to thank y’all and Consol for the challenges and memories for you have build me to become a much tenacious person. Ashley will be attending Blinn College and majoring in English.
ashley barnes | staff reporter
friday, may 18, 2018
jennifer zhan | editor-in-chief
I crumpled up my sixth GoGo Squeez applesauce and tossed it onto the growing pile of empty pouches on my desk. It was 2 a.m., and thanks to another week of late night homework, I was once again relying on snacks as dinner. Suddenly inspired by that random burst of humor that always accompanies sleep deprivation, I grabbed my phone and took a picture of my small applesauce mountain. Like many of my peers, I, too, have a drinking problem, I captioned it, chuckling and sending it to my Snapchat story. There had been a bunch of parties recently- obviously, I didn’t know much about it, but all week I’d been hearing people swap stories about who’d been doing drugs or drinking until they passed out. I knew I was a mess, but at least I wasn’t harming myself every night and broadcasting it as something to be proud of. I was feeling quite validated in my social commentary as people swiped up and sent me rows of skull and cry-laughing emojis, at least until I tried to get up to throw away my trash and felt my knees buckle. Laying there, crumpled on my bedroom floor, I realized how hypocritical I had been. I was still harming my body, just in a different way, by skipping lunch to study, by forgetting to stay hydrated, by forcing myself to stay awake and burn through homework that was never meant to be done in such a short amount of time. Somehow, me and my friends had started to romanticize the idea of pushing ourselves to our physical and mental limits for school. Who stayed up the latest for that essay? Who else has a constant headache, or has random muscles start to twitch, or blacks out a little bit when they study for too long? It’s almost like we feel somehow stronger because we get things done by sheer will. We did it even though we
My parents always told me I was their chosen child. It’s a story I love hearing- my soon to be older sister only 3 years old and running to a crib in the orphanage, saying “Sister sister”, the parents looking down at 3 month old me and immediately deciding that I was the one to complete the family. My whole world changed with that one decision. It was a day of great celebration. My entire family was present when I was brought to my aunt’s two bedroom house in India. My parents had come from the US to adopt me and everybody was excited to have this new baby. Their lives changed overnight: frequent feeding, changing of diapers, staying up late because of my crying. After months of constant attention by a horde of family and friends we eventually had to leave and go back to the US, amidst teary goodbyes and blessings. My life in the US was much quieter with only my parents and my older sister. We grew to be a close knit family, my sister and I developed a strong bond and became inseparable. As we got older, important traditions were integrated into our daily lives. My parents made it a point to have family dinners without any electronic distractions. My sister and I had to help set up the table and clean up after dinner. Often our table talks consisted of my mom starting off with some anecdote while subtly giving us a lecture about manners. This quickly ended with my dad cracking silly jokes and laughter filling the kitchen. Dinner was a time that we talked about our day. We continue this tradition to this day and is something I will do with my own family as some
of my favorite memories came from that one hour around the table. I firmly believe I am the woman I am today because of my family. Often I imagine what my life might have been if I had not been adopted. And I am grateful for all my parents have done for me. To my father: thank you for the constant jokes, laughter, and adventures, for staying up late reading my essays that were due the next day, for showing me that hard work pays off, not through your words but through your accomplishments, for always forgiving me during my worst moments, for driving out to Indian Lakes at three in the morning after I hit a deer. To my mother: thank you for being my best friend, for celebrating my greatest moments and helping me get through my worst, for teaching me selflessness, for taking me to concerts, for making my favorite foods when I’m sick, for answering my many questions about the future, for helping me see my worth, for your endless love and care. Both of you have instilled in me many morals by being great role models. Whether it was serving Thanksgiving dinners to the homeless or bringing my grandmothers into our home, you’ve showed me the importance of respecting and caring for others. Most importantly, you’ve taught me to be kind, self-confident, and follow my dreams. Thank you. Maya will be attending the University of Texas at Austin and majoring in biomedical engineering.
the roar | seniors | 11 waited until the night before to do the whole project, or even though we had a fever, or were so tired that we fell asleep while standing during the moment of silence. Of course we don’t like being like this- really, we don’t. It’s just that we won’t stop talking about it. Although we can’t admit it, we want other people to see how much we’re willing to sacrifice for our education. But it doesn’t matter whether you’re blacking out because you did homework for too long or because you drank too much. There’s no sense in trying to say one is more justifiable or acceptable because neither is anything to be proud of. This year, I completely destroyed my sleeping schedule. I pulled my first all-nighter ever, and then my second one on the very next day. I never drove drunk, but I drove on an hour of sleep, with the radio turned up all the way because I was afraid I might doze off at a red light. I used to be so secretly proud of how much I could push myself to my physical and mental limits. But all I was doing was announcing to the world that I couldn’t handle my responsibilites in a healthy way. But it turns out, always pushing through didn’t mean I was more dedicated to my work. It just meant that I was tired, and stressed, and slept for 19 and a half hours on the first day of spring break. Recently, I made the radical decision to start taking care of myself, and saw just how much I’d internalized this unhealthy attitude because I felt selfish for doing simple things like going to sleep when I was tired. There’s no glory in not taking care of yourself, and we shouldn’t have to sacrifice our health to find happiness. Jennifer will be attending Northwestern University and majoring in journalism.
maya girimaji | managing editor