Grade 8 Journalism Magazine 2023-24

November 2023

PROFILES

Hidden Stories

By: Grade Eight Students

An educational path to success The journey of Sandra Medina’s career By: Mia Alba

As she reminisced, she talked about what she was doing as she realized her interest in helping children. She discussed how “I became a tutor for young children in elementary schools and discovered a love of just interacting with them.”

These were some of the major reasons Medina wanted to become a teacher and just shows her passion for being around students.

“My role is to change something, change a system that maybe is inequitable or unfair.”

Continuing Medina’s story when she decided to switch back to being a teacher. Medina had been working at a CPS charter school as a principal and chose to switch because “Transitioning back to being a teacher… I believe that choosing to go back to the classroom and teaching was a really significant decision I made because it really allowed me to live my professional life with a lot more joy.”

This big decision in her life affected her in different ways, the main way being it was better for her. It let her have a little more free time, as well as less stress. Explaining how she loves the school and the children, she reveals why she made the difficult decision to return back to teaching. Despite the uncertainty, Medina chose the decision that would develop her career.

Medina later expanded on her passions for helping and making changes. She explained how she would answer the question: “What is your role or place in the world?” and answered, “If I had the opportunity to rethink ‘What is my place in the world and Chicago and different communities?’ I think…” She paused as she looked away, considering her answer carefully, then continued. “I think that one possible answer to that question would be “My role is to change something, change a system that maybe is inequitable or unfair.”

It was a chilly evening when Sandra Medina, a 49-yearold Spanish teacher, walked into the brightly lit office. As my own mother sat down, smoothing her outfit, she looked around the room, smiling at all the colorful decorations. I gathered my question notes as the smell of sweet, sugary perfume replaced the strong scent of new dry erase markers. A feeling of comfort filled the room and just then, I finally felt ready to learn about the history of Medina’s teaching career and what led her to where she is today.

The first time Medina realized that teaching was what she wanted to do was early in her life. She recalls the feeling, saying: “Early on in my life I discovered I loved being around children, especially in my high school years.”

Medina simply has an overall inspiring story, in which she perseveres and makes it clear that she always had a passion for helping children and it was her place in the world.

Medina is an excellent human who wishes that her teaching will impact her students in positive ways. Medina found her place in the world as a teacher and helper of children, and so can you. What do you think your role is? Where do you want your path to lead you to? Take advice from Medina and remember: “I want my students to always feel like their voice matters, that they are important,” and so should everyone else.

Medina reading a magazine in her previous office as assistant principle.

Two Worlds Despite being a professional in sales, Arias also has a deep love for soccer.

Torn Discover Jose Arias’s experience of tearing his Achilles tendon and the effects an injury like that have on you mentally

By J. Fernando Arias

The sun was beaming through the windows, illuminating the room.

The sky was a beautiful shade of light blue with hardly a cloud in sight, and the view of Lake Michigan from forty-two stories up was as beautiful as ever. The only sounds in the living room where I was interviewing my dad about his Achilles tendon tear were the quiet but deep purring of the living room AC and my brothers yelling at each other while playing video games down the hallway.

My dad, Jose Fernando Arias, was born August 17, 1985, and grew up in Ecuador before moving to Puerto Rico, thanks to his Job with Microsoft, with his wife Cecilia, and his two babies, 1-year-old Jose Miguel, and 2-year-old me, Jose Fernando jr. Two years later, he made it to the U.S. where he lived in Austin, Texas and had his third child, Jose Eduardo, all before moving to the “Windy City” due to his new job with Salesforce.

During his time in Texas, one of his favorite things to do was go play soccer with his friends in the evening. He would do this twice a week to escape from all the stress in the real world but one day, he was playing when he felt a hit to the back of his right leg. What felt like a kick turned out to be the death sentence to any athlete’s career, a torn Achilles tendon.

Arias has always loved soccer and played it all the time, but he faced a major challenge when he tore his Achilles tendon while playing soccer. It all started about three and a half years ago when he was playing soccer with his friends. He was playing defense, and the ball came over to him, so he stopped it and as he put his right leg back, he felt something hit him in the back of his right leg. When he tried to run, he couldn’t and fell to the ground. His first thought was that someone had kicked him but when he saw no one around him he thought it was weird, and when he realized he couldn’t walk, that’s when he suspected that he had torn his Achilles tendon.

Your Achilles tendon is the tendon in the back of your leg that controls the movement of your foot. When it tears, it is like a rubber band and hits the top of the back of your leg which has been seen happen to many athletes such as David Beckham, Kobe Bryant, and Aaron Rodgers. This makes it, according to Arias, “very hard to prevent, it’s like an elastic you’re using at all times and if in any moment you do anything too strongly, unconsciously, again it’s not like you do it on purpose, it can happen, and especially if you aren’t as flexible as before”.

Arias makes the important note that these things are accidental and are extremely hard to prevent which has the hidden meaning of telling us that sometimes, our passions contain some serious risks and if we are to pursue these passions, we have to accept these unavoidable risks.

After going to the emergency room and going through all the medical recovery steps, such as the operation and getting a specialized boot and crutches, he started to recover physically and at first believed that he would be able to play soccer again; eventually he realized the sad reality that he wouldn’t, not for physical reasons, but for psychological reasons. He told me, “Well, at first, I thought I would recover and be able to play after the operation.

Eventually, with the time you realize the experience was so bad that it makes you afraid to play again and obviously you feel bad because it’s something you love to do.”

The harsh reality is that despite recovering from the injury, you never fully recover from the trauma. According to him it makes you feel bad because it’s your passion and you feel guilty for avoiding your passion out of fear. Lots of injuries and experiences that injure us physically, also tend to mentally impact

us with traumas that cause fear, one of the most powerful things in this world, and it holds you back from ever truly recovering.

Towards the end of the interview, he talks about how overall, it was a challenging experience both when he got the injury, and throughout the recovery process, but despite how impacting these experiences may be, they shouldn’t be something that hold us back. When I asked him if there was anything else he wanted to say, he answered by saying, “I think an experience like this shouldn’t limit absolutely anyone, and that’s just my experience of an accident that happened to me, but for that reason, people shouldn’t stop doing what they are passionate about, like sports. There will always be a risk in anything, but despite there being a risk, you have to do what you’re passionate about or else, life wouldn’t be fun.”

Despite major hinderances in life, it is important to stay true to our passions and persevere because we only have one life, and we have to make the most of ours despite what life may throw at us. If we live too comfortably, we miss out on everything this life has to offer and he might have abandoned his passion out of fear, but that doesn’t mean we should let ourselves do the same. This was simply his experience, but it doesn’t have to be the same for others.

Arias’s story is just one out of many others who have torn their Achilles tendon, but it taught me about how hard an experience like that can be. It was even better hearing it from someone as wise and passionate as him because it gave me a deeper understanding of the long-term effects of these injuries.

His story is truly sad knowing that it psychologically prevents him from returning to his true passion of soccer, Tearing but his advice about how experiences like these shouldn’t be something that Achilles stop anyone else from pursuing their Tendon passions and that this is simply his unique experience, is something we should all apply throughout our lives as we gain new passions and face obstacles like these. What we should all remember is that despite any hardships we may face, it is important to continue to follow our passions while we can in order to make the most of life. Life moves pretty fast, and if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

“Eventually, with the time you realize the experience was so bad that it makes you afraid to play again and obviously you feel bad because it’s something you love to do”

It was a cold Tuesday evening. I approached Gregory Auguste who was already in a seated position. Gregory in his police uniform, as usual, sat is a sofa chair near the television. He had one leg resting on top of the other making a triangle shape.

When he sat this way, I could tell that he was calm with little worries. The room was well lit with a cooler temperature as the evening approached. Before the interview, Auguste was playing with his dog, watching television, and eating his dinner all at the same time. He had a tired expression on his face since he works late at night at the police office.

Gregory Auguste, age 52, is a detective for the Chicago police department.

He is the father of 3 children including me.

Because of his jobs and his school experience he concluded that you may be treated differently based on race.

“I still need to get to where I want to be. You are never really done.”

Once the interview started, I asked, “Did you face any challenges as a highschooler?” Auguste paused and responded, “When I went to high school, I was one of maybe three African-American students in my class.” Mr. Auguste’s school was not very diverse.

Since there were not many students of the same race as him, this could cause problems because some of the white students that went to his school may not have been around many African-American students so they wouldn’t know if they are being offensive or not. Despite my father being outnumbered significantly he still was able to find friends and have a good education even though the school was not very diverse.

I asked Auguste what is one quote or motto that stuck with him even until now.

He says, “Simply be kind.” My dad, as he says the quote, hesitates. Being kind is like showing people that you care”. This is very touching because it demonstrates the kindness and care in Mr. Augustes heart.

This could potentially give us insight into his life because this shows that he was probably a kind person in his childhood or that he was not kind and he regrets not being kind in his childhood. He is trying to say that it is always good to be kind because it can almost never be bad for you. Even if the person you are kind to takes advantage of your kindness it will still is better to be kind initially because you never know how the person will receive the kindness positively or negatively.

I started, “Can you tell me more

about your school experience?” He said, “They kind of defined what in their own head what being a black person was.” This is talking about August’s challenges when he was in high school. It was not a very diverse school, so his white friends did not know how to be around a black person, so they assumed what a black person was like based on stereotypes.

The effects of racism

Mr. Auguste faced many challenges throughout his lifetime which overall made him a better person. Learning to build off his mistakes, he learned not to make them a second time. I am thankful for him because he teaches me valuable lessons and what to do in challenging situations. He also has a different point of view than other people that I know. From this interview, I realized that even if someone is not being kind to you, it is important to always be nice. As I asked, “What mindset did you have to have to get where you want to be?” he responded, “I still need to get to where I want to be.” He added, “You are never really done.”

The story of a police officer who grew up in Chicago and faced many challenges because of his race.

By: Luc Auguste

A Doctor with Passion Jennifer Angeles shows being a doctor is not just a profession, it is a desire and a passion

By Lucas Baguisa

Jennifer Angeles Baguisa, a primary care physician, was born in the Philippines on April 9, 1973, where she also studied and was raised in a military family.

She studied in pre-med college before starting her formal training. Studying was difficult because she went to school at a time when technology wasn’t available in most places, especially where she lived.

She wouldn’t migrate to America until the early 2000s and migrating to the Americas wasn’t easy for Angeles.

But, for the past 16 years, she has been helping patients all over Chicago as well as teaching other doctors how to do the same, and that has inspired me to follow in her footsteps, to be as hardworking and determined as her. When patients visit Angeles, they have a smile on their face because she is personable, energetic, and is very committed to her patients.

Throughout this interview she was very enthusiastic, and that is one of the first things I noticed as I was interviewing her, she was also dressed in her scrub that she wears while she takes care patients. My mom is a hardworking individual with a dream of helping others and that is why because of that, her dreams became a reality. At a time, when one could only do so much with technology, there were no limits to the knowledge of Dr. Angeles.

Angeles studied pre-med from 1990-2006, including optional training, at a time when technology was not easily accessible due to how expensive it was.

Studying took more time than it does now; Google and YouTube, and many of the sources we use today, were not available for the most part. She would study for hours in the library; reading books and studying for exams until she got the information she needed, so she had to rely on textbooks and articles, and she describes the process of becoming a doctor “a different type of hard”. The process of being a doctor takes years, there were times where it would be overwhelming, due to the amount of work she would be given and she would have to rely on her own recourses because there was no google, nor were there any notes that you could go back to on your computer, so the process was harder for Angeles. With enthusiasm, she says, “In every step of the way, there will always be some type of challenge that we will have to overcome.” Although there were challenges, she faced it through her hard work and dedication, but it may not be as fast as one would expect. Challenges

are just hindrances. it did slow Angeles a bit, with the amount of studying, note taking, but it never stopped her from trying. Angeles has been in the office for 16 years now, and more and more diseases and cases are being discovered making it harder. But Angeles likes to think of challenges like a bumpy road, it was hard for her at first but now that she has gotten through it, nothing can stop her, because she already knows the basics and that is what she needs to overcome there is another challenge.

Angeles claims that genuine desire is the most important part of being a doctor, so if you do not have desire, then it will be a tremendous effort to become one. The process to becoming a doctor is not simple. Angeles had to finish four years of high school with strong academics. Then she went through four years of pre-med from 1990-1995 and earned her bachelor’s degree, then she took the MCAT; an entrance to get into med school. Then she studied four years of med school, from 1995-1999. From 20002001, she trained for her internship. Angeles migrated to the United States and passed her 3 board exams, completed internal medicine from 2003-2006. Then succeeded in passing her ABIM; The American Board of Internal Medicine. Angeles now specializes as a primary care physician in The University of Chicago Medicine, a prestigious institution where she wears a hat of a medical director, as well as training and mentoring other medical residents when she worked a Mercy Hospital.

She states, “Genuine desire to help other people, and genuine desire to continue to learn, will give the best care to your patients." Angeles did not back down during the process of becoming a doctor, even though it was a lot; it was non-stop working for her. Obviously, there were tough times, and as expected, Angeles even had to sacrifice many things, including friends and parties because now that she had became a doctor, she would never have time to hang with friends outside of work. There were good times too, she met the love of her life, Eric Baguisa, when she was 29, and she made lots of new friends in the office. But motivation is the biggest part of doing work. Her motivation, her desire, was to help others and that is why she was able to get through this long process of training and studying because that is how strong her desire was, her desire of helping others, not

just patients but other doctors too. She has been training doctors for 15 years and that is what she enjoys doing, and so she gives her best care to her patients.

Being devoted in academics can be beneficial to your future, and it is how Angeles became Dr. Angeles. She earned her bachelor’s degree and was accepted into med school because she had passed all her exams through studying and hard work, and she would later achieve her goals. When I asked her one tip she would give to the future doctors, she said, “You have to be hardworking and study, and it’s very important that you do not give up.” Angeles did not give up whenever she felt too stressed or too tired. She was always hardworking, she always strived to put in her best effort, and she would take her studying seriously. When she studied, she would study for hours looking through textbooks, and because of her hard work and dedication to her studies, she passed all her exams, and earned her bachelor’s degree.

“In every step of the way, there will always be some type of challenge that we will have to overcome.”

Angeles, an individual with a dream of helping others in need, truly believes that at times, there will be things that slow you down. However, that does not mean you should stop, even if it will take a while, longer than expected. Our goals are special, and they are achieved with time and a lot of dedication, that is what makes her special, It took Angeles 15 years to achieve her goals.

Jennifer Angeles during her Med School years 1998

Jennifer Angeles graduating from Med School 1999

explains, “we ran from academy to

lake front three times a week. The distance was 2.5 miles one way”, “we also had to learn the law, which is mandatory to remember when being and officer.” All though this process

took a while to undertake, he was able to finish this process and start a new chapter to his career.

He soon became a Chicago police officer and started his new adventure at district 7. After a few years he was working hard, working day shifts and night shifts, it was starting to be difficult for him, but he never gave up and kept working hard.

But a few years into his job, August of 2017, Bahena faced I terrible injury. Without knowing details his wife and two very young daughters were very worried. This event caused a new life experience. He states, “All I

think of is being able to make it home to my two daughters and wife, the ones I love the most”

Pave the way; a journey of a police officer Lets take a view into the journey of Miguel career Sophia Bahena

It was a cold Sunday morning My father, Miguel Bahena, settled on to the sofa, preparing to tell his story. He was born January 2, 1979, In Chicago Illinois, he grew up in West town of Chicago. He is the oldest of his two siblings 10 years ago, 2013, he started looking for jobs to help provide for his family. His two options were Chicago fire or Chicago police, after a long debate between him and his wife, Gabriela, they soon both came to the agreement with Chicago police.

When you are Training to become a part of the CPD community, it typically involves multiple steps, including background checks, physical exams, and completing the requirements of education. After signing up, he soon started his training at Chicago Police Training Division.

While discussing his experience during this process he

Imagining being the wife staying up all night waiting for you husband to make it back safe, in this case one call made her worried, this experience was life changing and taught him and his family to love one another because we never knew when will see each other again.

After being an officer for a few years, Bahena decided to pave the way for a new era. Although he enjoyed work with Chicago department, he started looking at becoming a `detective.

There are multiple types of detectives, for instance, Missing person, Homicide, private detective, criminal investigation etc. With many options chose from this was very difficult for him, he knew cases like homicide or missing person will be difficult mentally for him, due how terrible these cases are, he came to a conclusion and decided on Commercial crimes (Investigation on burglary). He took classes and test all through 2021 and graduated detective November 5 of 2021. With each passing day he worked harder and harder. But when you’re a detective

the rules are more Stricker, to delve deeper into this statement, Bahena pointed out, “With making little

mistakes in an investigation can lead to consequence or losing your job.

You want to pay close attention to close details and never miss a step in what your doing”. Bahena is stressing

the significance of being very close with a detail, even with minor mistakes can cause severe risk with your job. Bahena have won multiple awards for solving many cases in the spam of two and a half years, this indicates that his attention to details ensured his utmost precision with his cases, with leaving no space for mistakes. The level of attentiveness shows how many honors and awards he has when with just determination.

Bahena is one of the kindest people I know. I have many core memories of his hard work. When he started this job I was very young. I remember watching him run from the academy, in a park where I use to play. At such a young age, seeing the person I love most work hard was inspiring. He inspired me to be who I am now, and for sure can inspire those starting from the beginning. A quote that connects to me sincerely and can connects with others, implies

“No matter what job your doing, you keep working hard, when things get difficult, you keep working hard, when ever you feel like giving up, you continue working hard.” This quote

emphasizes the importance of perseverance that Bahena Had. Some more wise words for the ones first starting this career by Bahena describes “When you first join this

community you need to pay attention, you cannot give up or make a mistake.

Just keep working hard. Make sure you spend every moment you have with your family because you will be working for a long time.”

Detective Bahena is known all around his community. He never gave up in what he did. My dad is a hard worker, and when he has a day off, I try my best to spend time with him. I know my dad will always be loved.

Always remember to spend time with your parents, you never know when it will be the last or memory. To conclude My dad did not start his career in a speed, he illuminated a pathway of many ups and downs and pave the way for others.

“No matter what job your doing, you keep working hard, when things get difficult, you keep working hard, when ever you feel like giving up, you continue working hard.”

Kris Penn, a former college athlete describes the ups and downs of college sports.

Challenges of college sports By: Josie Borkowski

would have to make. She missed out on a lot of time with friends, time for homework, and overall free time.

Looking back, she realized: “There is no right or wrong path, but it is important to be prepared for the tradeoffs: if you choose to do a sport in college you will reach great benefits but also have to sacrifice opportunities.”

This illustrates how much of a commitment college sports are. Training for hours every day of the week, she missed out on some of the best parts of college. Many people may relate to this sentiment because they too may not always know the right choice to make or have to make tradeoffs.

Currently in 8th grade I have lots of sports that create a hard schedule.

Kris Penn at an interview with sports business journal.

As she flew through the air on her third rotation of the flip, she suddenly felt her hand hit something very hard. She did not notice the horrible pain until less than a second later: she had broken her finger. That was the turning point in Kris Penns’ diving career.

At the time she was 18 years old and a D1 college athlete at Notre Dame. She was competing at a diving competition in New York and broke her finger on her third dive of the day. This injury caused her to question if college sports were right for her or not and started to think about quitting. She was worried that if she quit, she would let her team down, but she knew it would be right for her to stop.

Penn, my mother, learned that sometimes in life you will have to make hard decisions that could turn out for the better or worse.

The one thing Penn did not realize when going into college sports, but quickly figured out was the sacrifices she

Penn talked about how important it was to be aware of your body and know when to stop when something is too much. Every day Penn would have hours of training eventually she felt very burnt out and wanted to try more things.

Despite this she pushed through and competed at their next meet. On her third dive, as she was rotating through the air, she hit the board with her hand. Penn got taken to the emergency room; she had broken her finger.

This was when Penn realized that college sports might not be for her and how important it is to listen to your body.

She said, “You have to make good choices to protect your physical and mental health. The self-care piece gets lost on some people when you're so intently focused on one thing.”

This illustrates how if you only focus on one thing you can forget to take care of yourself. This is powerful because you could end up in a very dangerous or bad situation if you do not take care of yourself physically and mentally. Penn

was lucky she did not have a worse injury.

After going through the life of being college athlete she noticed how time consuming it was. She had a special piece of advice/warning to future college athletes: “If you are going to do D1 want college athletics it is going to be your life. It will be a full-time job and you will have to focus on that sport and that one only.”

This exemplifies how college sports may be better for some people than others this is important to know before going into college sports so you are prepared for what might happen. This is very powerful because it is showing the dedication it takes to be an athlete.

Sometimes in life you will have to make hard choices that may turn out good or bad. From Penns experience, doing college sports have ups and downs. It has become evident that when doing college sports, you will make many friends but also have to sacrifice opportunities. You must put 100% toward that sport and be prepared for hard work. She has learned so much from her experience as a diver and important lessons that have helped her throughout her life.

For some people this is the perfect fit for them while for others it is not. So, would college sports be a good fit for you?

“If you are going to do D1 want college athletics it is going to be your life. It will be a full-time job and you will have to focus on that sport and that one only.”

Looking on the bright side: how one serviceman learned to look for the good in every challenge he faced By: Hannah Bowman

Bryce’s calmness made me feel comfortable and ready to dive into multiple thought-provoking questions.

His face looked ready, like he was interested to hear the questions I had to ask him. However, I was more interested in what he had to answer. Bowman does not get to talk about his military experiences often, so this is an exciting, new action. He has gotten through many tough times that have occurred during his life. These are things that when talking about, he should be proud of.

One challenging time he went through was when he went through paratrooper training. Bowman was in an airborne unit and learned how to jump out of an airplane into a hostile area. Hard and intense, his training was completed in about 20 days.

Revealing his motivations, Bowman explains, “But the respect I learned for the military and the service to the country that I saw was needed, was something that continued to drive me.” He showed that even though he knew that his training was tough, he woke up every day knowing that his respect for what he was doing was going to get him through the day.

Bryce Bowman uses his past experiences to help him with his present work It was Sunday morning, around 11:00 am. Outside it looked gloomy, but the sun was just slightly starting to peek out. We were sitting in Bryce Bowman’s office, both of us in comfortable chairs. Before sitting down, Bryce grabbed his cup of coffee off the kitchen counter. Though fall was approaching and there was a chill outside, Bowman was wearing his usual shorts and a t-shirt. He claims that he “does not get cold often,” so he usually will not be found warmly dressed while indoors. This is a tough trait, one of a veteran.

Another experience Bowman went through was fighting in active war zones. He was deployed multiple times into dangerous areas with landmines and people that wanted to hurt the American soldiers. During his first deployment, he may have been a little uneasy. However, knowing he had to complete his mission, he continued to push forward.

“It’s okay to fail and it’s okay to not know things, as long as you trust the people you’re working with and trust your training, you can kinda make it through almost anything,” he advised. He gives this advice because there are going to be times in life where you are unsure of what is ahead of you, but if you have trust, everything will be okay.

The last thing that Bowman overcame was his tough decisions and regrets that he had to face. An example of one of these times was when he had the opportunity to go on a mission to Poland. Knowing he needed a rest from

deployment, he chose not to go on the mission.

He reflects on how much he did and stated, “Someday you’re gonna look back and be incredibly proud, and it’ll be, you’ll be absolutely grateful that you spent those years serving.” Bowman, pausing and thinking deeply, continued, “And I really am.” He knew that his duty was fulfilled, and he feels accomplished because of that. This has deeper meaning, in terms of everyday life, because it shows that you do not have to do everything in order to have a complete life. As long as you try your best, you will be proud of the outcome.

Sometimes things will get hard, but with a cheerful outlook, anything is possible. Bowman is a very persevering, strong, and diligent person, which is shown in one way by the time he spent in the military. Additionally, his positive attitudes are clear when he turns even the negative experiences during his time into positive ones. So next time you are in a situation where it seems like nothing is going your way, try to look on the bright side, because in the end you will be grateful that you did.

“But the respect I learned for the military and the service to the country that I saw was needed, was something that continued to drive me.”

Jazz for generations: The stories behind Marques Carroll’s latest jazz records

Marques Carroll holds his trumpet

It is mid-October, and a particularly chilly day. Marques Carroll, my father, and I get into his silver BMW and start driving away from the airport, the windows slightly open and the car bumping along over rough spots in the road. The fresh scent of fall air fills my nose as we zoom along the freeway back into downtown Chicago. My father pauses his ongoing jazz music and turns to face me as I begin our interview. He starts to reminisce about his childhood and introduction to his lifelong career, playing the trumpet. Now an incredibly influential member of the jazz community, Carroll remembers his past experiences and people he has met, as well as how they have influenced him. He strives to bring others together and change lives with his music.

Born in Los Angeles and raised in St Louis, Carroll was exposed to music from an incredibly early age. Many of his extended family members were vocalists, one of them having gained quite a bit of fame and recognition for it. His parents were also very musical; his father played bass.

Carroll remembers listening to jazz, soul, R and B,

and funk music growing up. After being introduced to the trumpet by his grandfather, Carroll fell in love with it. He “didn’t stop after that” and “never quit.”

After beginning trumpet lessons, Carroll met Clark Terry, a famous jazz plyer and friend of his grandfather’s, at the age of nine. Carroll states that he sat in Terry’s seat many years later when touring with the Count Basie Orchestra, a remarkable full circle moment. Carroll says that playing with the Count Basie Orchestra helped him bring more tradition into his songs because “there’s people like myself that study the music and really understand the tradition of that big band sound.” Carroll also mentions that he met Wynton Marsalis, a mentor in his life who he is still in touch with today. He says Marsalis is “like a big brother,” and that whenever Wynton would visit would tell him to “keep practicing.”

Enlightened”, tells a story of “woke individuals that are enlightened that want effective change,” as Carroll puts it. Listening to each song, I really was able to get a sense of all the elements, as well as the emotion and feeling behind each piece. Carroll so beautifully puts emotion into each piece and genuinely tells a story with his music.

Marques Carroll recently released

As for Foundations, the album represents Carroll paying tribute to his roots and his family; the foundations he grew up on in St Louis, MO. Each song created by Carroll was made with him thinking about “those people. . .their character. . .what they’ve shared with me in life.” Each tune represents a person or event in Carroll’s life in some way, which is incredible; capturing people’s personalities and turning them into music seems quite challenging, but Carroll manages to do it with delightful technique, sound, and musicality every time.

two albums called The Ancestors’ Call and Foundations. Carroll mentions that T.A.C. is a response to social injustice, as well as a call from ancestors to give strength—especially to the Black community. This deeper meaning of the album sparked my interest, and I started to wonder about the meaning of each individual song.

The first track on the record, “The Ancestors Call Upon Us”, has influences of traditional African drumming, as well as call and response – which stems from the African diaspora.

Both influences symbolize our ancestors coming from Africa, as well as the culture that they have created. Carroll’s second track on the album is titled “The Generational Response”. This song has more of a hip-hop feel and symbolizes younger people coming together. One other track, “Assemble the

The first track on the record is called “The Nurturers Footsteps”. It captures the essence of Carroll’s stepmother, a quiet person who did not “make a lot of fuss” as he was growing up.

The second track, “Waltzing Out of Step”, is about Carroll’s father, who walks through life “to the beat of his own drum.” The song is written in seven time, but has a waltz in three feel, according to Carroll.

This is meant to represent his father’s “jagged groove” of a personality. The third song is about his daughter, me. The tune is titled “Olivia Dances with the Keys”. The song, very playful and lighthearted, is based on younger me playing around and attempting to create my own song on the piano. The notes I played are used in the song, which is so amazingly admirable.

As Marques Carroll continues to educate and develop newer music, I will forever be amazed as to how exactly his music writing process works. As he said in our interview, “I'm affecting people around me.” Many have felt deep connections to Carroll’s music. He says that he “watched a man shed tears” during one of his performances, proving how deep of an impact music can have on people – especially his music. Carroll will be a musical genius to remember for years to come, and I am incredibly proud to call him my dad.

“I love to use my music to bring people together to heal, and to deal with social awareness”

Marques Carroll plays his trumpet

Written by: Olivia Carroll

Navigating through high school to being an adult When Angie Carter was young, she used things to help her grow as a person and to appreciate her environment.

By: Timmy Carter

Angie Carter is the person whom I interviewed. I am her only son and am 13 years old. Angie Carter is now forty – six years old. When I did the interview with Angie Carter the house was warm and cozy, and it also smelled liked downy well illuminated too. Her jacket that she wore looked like a warm jacket and cozy it reminded me of Christmas time. Her sweater makes me feel relaxed and at ease, and it reminds me of when I gave it to her. My mom was calm and looked ready to answer my questions with deep thought. Angie Carter had no siblings and lived with her mom as a child, now she lives with her son in Chicago. When Angie was, young she lived in St. Louis Missouri.

This will be about lessons and life stories she learned and experiences she had when she was a child. When Angie Carter was young, she had access to the countryside “My dad’s parents actually owned a property about an hour and a half outside of St. Louis” Angie said. Angie Carter having access to this gave her some important background skills like fishing and being able to camp. The town was small and there were not a lot of people. The people that were in the town were nice to Angie. This is where Angie was able to find her happy place.

My thoughts on a when you go to a country town like a lake house or similar the neighbors are usually nice and friendly. When you are in a country town my experience is similar because it is where I was able to find peace and relaxation. I also found this quote interesting because I never knew that my great grandparents had that when they were younger.

This is about what does she likes about living where she is now. Angie Carter is living in Chicago “I think it is an absolutely beautiful city” Angie said.

Angie Carter enjoys the city and uses what can offer.

Angie Carter likes the river and lake front access that is given because she can use her boat and friends’ boats. When she talked about this, she looked relaxed and anticipated answering the question. I agree with Angie Carter because living in a city with Chicago gives you opportunities you would not have like sailing in most places. Chicago gives you access to a beautiful city and views from anywhere.

Angie Carter thinks that going to the right school matters and makes a difference. In the right school you can be happy and do well in class.

anything like sports or school.

When Angie Carter was young, she liked to go to the countryside with her grandparents. Living in Chicago Angie Carter likes to go to the lake and river that are close to her house and go sailing. Angie Carter values if you like the school you go to and if you enjoy it this means you will do well. You will also make good friends for the long term. In conclusion these paragraphs show what Angie Carter’s childhood and some of her values.

Navigating through high school to being an adult

“My dad’s parents actually owned a property about an hour and a half outside of St. Louis” Since Angie Carter had good friends, she was able to thrive and keep some of them to this day: “Even now some of my really good friends are from high school” Angie said. When she said this, she took a deep breath and thought about how she should answer the question, but she was happy because she still has friends from high school which are hard to keep. I agree with Angie Carter because when I was younger, I had good friends, and they are still my good friends over the years, and it takes a lot of effort to keep them over time. Even though I have not gone to high school, I do know that when you have good friends for support you can do well and thrive in

This is Angie Carter next to the door she just finished varnishing.

Young and Ready The story of a young father, providing for and caring for his family in Alaska.

By Louis Ceffalio

When I first called Paul Ceffalio, he was driving from across on an empty road, along the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. Dressed in layers of flannel, Paul had only a beard to keep his chin warm. It was early October, but it might have been freezing outside his car. You could hear Paul’s daughter, Josephine, only a year and a half old, softly whispering to herself in the background. Paul’s wife, Caroline, was driving while gangly black spruce zipped by. Paul lived most of his adolescent years in Brooklyn, New York, a complete opposite from where he is raising his family. As puzzling as that can be, Paul has wanted to live in Alaska his whole life.

Amber Ceffalio, Paul’s mom, grew up as one of seven, raised on a farm not far from where Paul decided to raise his family. Every summer since he was born, Paul, still captivated with The Last Frontier, would visit Alaska. Paul felt at home, helping on his grandparent’s farm, playing with his cousins, and wandering through the wilderness of Alaska. He not only fell in love with Alaska, but the people there. While working in Alaska, Paul met his wife, Caroline, also one of seven. Shortly after, they moved to Buffalo and had their first kid, Josephine. Paul was only when 21 when he had his first kid, but he learned to be a father very fast. “I knew there were going to be challenges” Paul said, “but I never could have imagined how many joys there would be as well.” Paul prepared for Josephine by going to child birthing classes and spending time with Caroline planning for their new baby.

Immediately after her birth, Josephine was the star of Paul and Caroline’s lives. They would read to her, take her on walks, bring her to the zoo, and go to church with her. Even though many

21-year-olds may not have the maturity to be a father, Paul certainly did. Working for an engineering company, studying at The University of Buffalo, and getting home in time to spend time with his wife and daughter could seem daunting to some, but Paul was determined to give his child the best childhood she could have.

After graduating college Paul had a lot more time to spend with his family. But he and his family were missing something.

Paul and his family finally got to move back to Alaska. The Ceffalios have deep roots in Alaska. Nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, you name it, Paul, and Caroline both have a lot of family in Alaska. “We moved for family…So Josephine could be close to her cousins and grandparents. We were friends with our friends in Buffalo because we chose to be friends. With family it’s different.” Paul values being close to family, not because he likes them, but because he loves them. You love family no matter what, and to Paul that’s what is important about Alaska. Paul had always wanted to live in Alaska for the nature or for the freedom he felt when he was younger. Now he could have that anywhere. Family is only in Alaska.

“I know I could have gone down a different path, but now it’s hard to imagine what that would even be…I couldn’t imagine a world without Josephine if I tried!”

-Paul Ceffalio

Opportunities are everywhere. When Paul graduated high school, he even contemplated going to West Point and joining the military.

Despite this, Paul wouldn’t change a thing today.

“I know I could have gone down a different path, but now it’s hard to imagine what that would even be…I couldn’t imagine a world without Josephine if I tried!” Paul chose his path early on in life. After all, having children is a pretty big commitment. But Paul is proud of his decision, proud to be a father, and would choose nothing different today. Paul has spent the last 1 ½ years with Josephine, and the last 3 with Caroline, and as far as I can tell, loved every minute of it. Paul enjoys taking care of his daughter and family, being close to the people he loves, and living in his favorite place on earth, just like he dreamed of as a kid. Paul said part of the reason he and Caroline choose to have kids so early is the opportunities they will have. Most kids don’t get to meet their great grandparents.

Josephine does. Paul has energy to give to his kids and the imagination to create a magical life for his children. Paul chose to live in Alaska, not just because he loved it, but because he thinks his kids will have more opportunities then they will have anywhere else.

Paul started a family and is raising children in his early twenties and is one of the best fathers I have met. Through all this I have seen how much of a role model Paul is. He is his daughter’s hero, he is patient, intelligent, and kind. Paul, busy or bored, always makes time for his family.

Life Through It All By: Lucas Cipi Kaman Cipi: 1994, at 22 years of age, in Tirana, Albania

Kaman Cipi seems to be completely unshakeable in his morals and work ethic. Through a dystopian childhood to a successful career in anesthesiology, he has been through it all. We sat on the livingroom couch, I could feel the cold leather on my legs slowly warm to a comfortable body-temperature. I could hear the soft whir of the AC running. He had his light hair parted to the side; he wore a kind smile with wrinkles in the corners, and he dressed in scrubs after a day at work, covered in a jacket. We were ready to start the interview about his journey through life. I set up my phone to Voice Memos and pressed “Record”. My father has greatly affected many people for the better, but especially me.

Kaman Cipi, my dad, had gone through his childhood in an extremely isolated, rough, and controlled state. He expected life to be full of obstacles and he was ready to soar above them. He was below the poverty line, living well below what people today do. He had no right to his own education, as it was strictly monitored by the government, focused only on math, science, and a propaganda filled history class based on the past of Albania and its government. The society

where he lived had a major issue, the government reigned above the people and forced them into a communistic state. Luckily, throughout his early years he had his family to support him along with his two sisters, he was fostered in a tight knit community who under tyranny grew closer together. My father does not view himself as a victim of his environment; He believes he is a person who went through challenges, which led to opportunities to get to where they are today, “Even though you it might seem like I am a victim, I don’t view it that way. The things I had experienced in my childhood have only led me to succeed later in life”. My father didn’t stop fighting though he went through the challenges of being in poverty, facing an all-powerful government, and learning in a highly monitored world.

Every day when he woke up, he was put under pressure to be a shining example of a proper Albanian. Though it seemed as if the world had thrown everything at him at once, he prevailed; My father was a high-level scholar earning awards in his time in early education and thrived socially. gathering many friends. He stayed aware as he was not manipulated to think that being under communist rule is perfectly fine. Every day he went outside he learned more and more about the world, the good and the bad. My dad stayed strong, did not complain, and always performed at 110%: this attitude led him to develop resilience and the ability to get over the challenges of life. I try to do what my father did; to use what was given to me, be it a problem or a handout, and use it to create opportunities others may not have taken advantage of.

After Albania itself it changed in 1990 after the government shifted to a capitalistic democracy, my dad’s life had changed; it was a start to an extremely large turn in Albanian’s lives and Albania’s whole society. There was now a freedom to own property, work for yourself, move to different locations, and an opening in many career paths and suitable education for them.

When he was 24 years old, in 1997 he had realized that his life has shifted for the better, for the first time in his life he was free to chase the dreams he was finally allowed to reach, specifically moving to the United States of America, and following the path of the American Dream, “When I was younger, we were completely blocked from outside information. We were controlled to the point where maybe, 20 people a year would enter and leave Albania. When in 1990, Albania changed to the same views of the Western Block, we were finally allowed to work as we please, have variety in our education, and own property. Even then the economy was destroyed after leaving communism, so I went to live in America”. Life was a constant struggle for him, learning English and even paying for food, clothing, and a place to stay was extremely difficult in the current circumstance. Throughout the entire process of moving to somewhere new he did not take breaks, nor did he hold back on any work necessary to push ahead and aim for a higher goal in life. I connect to this in my school life, always going above and beyond on work.

“Do not let your environment change you for the worse, let yourself shape your surroundings for the better.”

Though my dad is older now, he still loves Albania, the place that was his first home. His early life wasn’t easy, but he still values that time in his life greatly. My father wants to live in Albania eventually, and to continue to support it and help it grow by bringing a few ideas from the United States to Albania, which to me, is a testament to how much he cares about the land. My dad chooses to focus on the future and what he can do there now, rather than to dwell on what may have gone wrong. The quality of life in Albania has increased exponentially, and the main factor behind this is the ideological shift and advancement of its foreign policy and opening to the world; This has allowed for many people who left Albania, and others who are newcomers to come and share information and technologies.

Many of my father’s friends and family still live in Albania, and helping them, along with Albanians as a whole is important to my father. In addition, moving there is logical decision that may bring many great things ahead, personally, and at a much larger scale.

“When I retire, I want to spend a lot of my time in Albania. It is a place that I value greatly with people I love and care for in it. Though it may not have been perfect it was still my life and my childhood. It is a place I will always cherish. In addition, Albania has grown and developed greatly in my time away, and I would want to be part of it”.

My dad has developed all his adult life in the United States of America, but he wants to also have his focus on Albania, and to help propel its innovations and newfound technology even further. The United States is a land that he has taken advantage of with his provided opportunities to the fullest, and to be able to turn Albania into a place that can provide access to those same opportunities to others means a lot to my father, which inspires me to change my environments for the better. Albania has grown drastically, and has shifted the worlds perspective on it, I believe has matched my father’s journey through life. I always keep this in mind, as I know that I can always grow and develop myself, and the people around me.

My father has inspired me to match his willingness to work as hard as it takes to achieve your goals, to support my family, friends, and people, but also to have the ability to forgive. Even outside what you may see from the interview, he has always taught me how to live life to the fullest, reach my potential, and help others. My father is great, not only in my eyes, but in the eyes of the world. As a doctor, father, brother, and human, he is extremely valuable to everything and everyone in his life, as he has learnt not to let what he “should” be and what he is expected of because of his surroundings define his life, but to change it, use it, and create it for the better of not just himself, but everyone.

Paul Concepcion channel manager for ABB and Shriner striving for world peace and equality

Paul Concepcion, an engineer at ABB, is 45 and lives in Panama. ABB is an automation company that stands for Asea Brown Boveri. He is a dedicated hard-working man who is a 45-year-old man and is my uncle. He has a wife and two dogs. He lives in Panama City, Panama and is also a Shriner, he is a channel manager for ABB which is a distributer of the product he handles. He is a loving uncle who cares for his family and visits us when he can. He is very enthusiastic about seeing his family and friends and dedicating the time to them.

Concepcion is a very dedicated hardworking man working in engineering.

Concepcion was born in 1978 in Panama City, Panama. Growing up in the summer him and my dad would go to Chrique also in Panama and visit family.

Concepcion believes that there are many things that he learned while his time training to be an engineer that colleges don’t teach you. Concepcion thinks that they taught him many things like how to handle people, how to gain emotional intelligence and how to be a better person. These many things have helped Concepcion become who he is now and to become a better human being and how to be a better human in this society and how his impact can help change the world if we all follow in his footsteps. Concepcion has gone through many difficult tasks to become the person he is now.

“Engineering helps you learn how to be a better person, how to handle people and how to gain emotional intelligence that you do not learn in the universities.” He believes that they learn this so that when they meet with other companies in other countries they aren’t single sided and learn how to see peoples emotions and how to learn from them positively. I think that many of us can follow in his footsteps and become better humans in this society and learn other cultures and learn to not discriminate or racially profile people. This ca be a very good life lesson that we should never single sided look at someone.

“When you help a kid and you see them cured and going back to their mothers it makes you so happy, pure of heart, the priceless feeling makes you feel good.”

Peace A dedicated young man decides that he wants to make a difference and change the world.

By: Alberto Concepcion It was a gloomy night in Chicago as we were about to start the interview and I was scrambling to remember my questions to ask my uncle. As I was about to start, the dog interrupted asking for food and I ran down to feed him. I sprinted back up and saw Paul sitting in my desk chair wearing a new green button-up shirt.

Concepcion says he enjoys his work because he enjoys to work with others and enjoys a to on the world and thinks that people should all have an open mind. He enjoys to travel to different countries with his work so that he can learn other cultures, food and ethnic groups. He believes that with this knowledge he can help impact the world and many other people to become better and more pure of heart. You wouldn’t usually expect this from an engineer and expect them to travel a lot but they do, they travel from country to country city to city and work with other companies to try to make a business and make sales. He enjoys not only that but being able to work with people at work to. His company he works with has many facilities around the world and from that he can meet new people from different countries, he can make new friends and learn new ideas and practices he would not have learned without this job. He states “I love working with others because everyone is different and I love to learn about other people and their cultures.” I belive that we can also learn from this because if we all learn like this to learn other people and their cultures than maybe the world can become more of a peaceful place with no racism or cultural appropriation. We should all be like Concepcion and follow his footsteps. Even though we may not learn this at our training for out jobs we should still try to learn or teach ourselves this way of thinking.

Concepcion is not only an engineer, but also a Shriner. A Shriner is someone that volunteers to help and support sick children by traveling to different countries on their own expense. Being a Shriner is a huge responsibility on top of being a full time engineer thus showing his dedication to work and to helping kids. This is a time commitment because he must go to work and travel with his work but at the same time also goes with the Shriners to other countries and places for expos and to help kids from other countries.

This shows his dedication to being both a Shriner and engineer. He is a good person with a pure heart and soul and believes “When you help a kid and you see them cured and going back to their mothers it makes you so happy, pure of heart, the priceless feeling makes you feel good.” This is him responding to my question of why are you a Shriner. He just simply by this shows dedication and acts how many of us should. We can really impact the world if we all spread this same sort of action. It does not even have to be a Shriner, you can also just help someone in need because it will make you and the other person good and happy and pure and you can really save a life if we all follow Concepcion’s footsteps.

Concepcion is a dedicated hard working young man that is a loving Brother, Uncle and friend. This topic of him wanting to help impact the world in a positive light and help the world become better equal and safer is something that we should follow for the world to be utopia instead of a dystopia. We should put a effort in trying to become the best version of ourselves and the best version for the world. Concepcion has had many life experiences that have helped him become the loving dedicated uncle he is now. If we all become like him maybe we can make the world a better place filled with equality and world peace.

Generations of Discrimination.

72 year-old, Carolyn Crane shares her stories on racism in the 20th Century.

By Harmony Crane

Carolyn Crane, 72-year-old retired Tax Preparer. Who lived through Segregation. And her mother, Mary Louise.

It's 1962. You’re driving on the highway with the windows down on your Cadillac. It's evening. You glance at your fuel gauge and see it's time to pull over. You flick for your turn signal, steer towards the exit, and drive until you see a gas station. You pull into the service station and just as you are getting out of your vehicle a worker next to your car looks at you, frowns, and says “We don’t serve your kind here.” You understand he is referring to Black people. Unfortunately, this is not a shock to you. Why would it be?

Because for a moment on the highway with the windows down and the wind blowing cooly on your skin you were fine. For a moment just driving carefully in the evening, you felt normal with the thought of being pulled over in the back of your head; Just for a moment, you forgot you were Black. Forgot you’re not treated the same, and you don’t have the privilege to use the bathroom and get gas while on the highway. This is a moment my grandmother and great-grandmother had to experience continuously. Not being able to get gas or use the bathroom at certain service stations is just barely the beginning of it; Getting called names on the street, harassed at work, and being prevented from entering certain areas was what a normal black person went through back then in the 1910-1980s. I interviewed Carolyn Crane, my grandmother on the racist experiences that she went through, and the stories of my great-great grandmother and her mother passed down to her. Observe through the lives of Geneva Washington, Mary Cooper, and Carolyn Crane in the 20th Century as Black women living, working, and surviving.

Growing up in Jim Crow South, my great-great grandmother, Geneva Washington experienced constant racism. These are some moments and her reactions.

These stories were passed to my grandmother through the generations. Geneva Washington was born in 1905 in Terry, MS and was the product of a white farm owner and his Black worker. Geneva was light in complexion and worked on her family’s farm picking sugarcane after school. She was only schooled until she was eight, after that she had no further education. After working on her family’s farm for years, she was just sixteen when she birthed my great-grandmother, Mary. To support herself and her daughter, she worked as a maid for little pay and was never allowed to go through the front door because of her race. She was sometimes forced to work overtime with no additional pay and was never referred to by her name—just as “Girl.” Geneva was constantly harassed and called racist slurs in the streets.

For most of her adult life, she couldn’t even vote because the voting tax was too high for her. (She only was able to vote years later when her only daughter grew up and sent her the money.) When she eventually moved to the city of Jackson, to work, she was, again, treated with racism. She once recalled an experience when she worked at a hotel in the kitchen and was preparing a dish when she was told by the head chef said he didn’t like how the food looked. So, he knocked the plate onto her. She was humiliated and covered in food and was forced to change her apron yet finish her shift. She was not new to her job, and was by all accounts an excellent cook. Even if the episode was not motivated by race, it still was highly unprofessional to knock the food on her, and of course she was the only one that happened to. The worst part for the struggling mother was not just the embarrassment, it’s that she had to remake the food, knowing her employer was going to make good on his threat to take the cost of the wasted materials out of her paycheck. This is only one of the many experiences that she endured while working multiple different jobs to be able to afford to raise my great grandmother. She couldn’t say anything as she had no power, not then.

The world has evolved, but we can still look back to five generations ago and possibly connect their struggle to ours.

Next, for my great grandmother’s part, and her exposure to the last decades of segregation and other racially biased experiences.

Born in 1921, Mary Louise Cooper, she grew up in Utica Mississippi, nicknamed Big. Big was schooled until she was thirteen, helping with her family’s farm for only a few years.

Then at 14 she got married to Mike Cooper and moved to the city of Chicago. She worked a factory job, as the only worker who could operate a punch press, for 41 years. She was thirty-one when she had my grandmother and 2 other kids. Some of her firsthand experiences, for one when she was working the punching press. Being a machine that slams down, you must be careful. One night when working the machine came down on her fingers, cutting two off. She rushed to the hospital near where she worked, which happened to be a white neighborhood, Melrose Park IL. Her neighbors already ignored her for her race, “Black people back then just weren’t wanted around their parts.” When she got to the emergency room, they treated her last, most thought to be because of her skin color. Because she was treated last in the waiting room, it was too late to re-attach her finger, so they were permanently lost. If they had treated her earlier, there was enough time to re-attach her fingers and recover. But because they didn’t, she got a physical disability.

Another event was when Big and my grandmother went to a store to get my grandma an ensemble. They went to a white-owned boutique, located in a white neighborhood, Oak Park IL. When they walked in, a store worker immediately approached them. Carolyn quotes, “She asked us if we needed anything or any help. My momma said, “Well I’m looking for my daughter an outfit for her luncheon.” She gon tell momma, “Well I don’t think you can afford anything in here.”” Not being shocked but surprised by the blatant racism, Big responded with scornful elegance, Carolyn continued with a laugh, as if enjoying the memory. “My momma said, what do mean you don’t think I can afford anything in here. She went in her purse and pulled her money out and started counting out 100-dollar bills.” Big, staying poised, said she refused to spend her money there and walked out. This is another more obvious example of blatant racism. The woman was assuming they couldn’t afford anything in the store because of their race, at the other store they went to Big paid with a $500 bill just to show she had it when the worker asked if she wanted to put it on layaway. They were the only two Black people in the store, and she encountered them immediately.

Another experience she had was because of the laws, back then on the side of the highways there mostly were no bathrooms for blacks. So, most times when you stopped on the highway to get gas sometimes, they wouldn’t serve blacks fuel, or if they did there were either segregated bathrooms or only washrooms for whites. One incidence was when she stopped for gas, the worker said negroes weren’t allowed to use the washrooms; There was only an all-white bathroom. (So, in retaliation, she squatted on the pump and used the bathroom/ peed in front of the building.) This is just one of the many times Big rebelled and stood up to racial bias. Big constantly was a part of sit-ins and messing with and standing up to racist store workers.

For the experiences of grandmother, Carolyn Louise Cooper Crane. Born in 1951, Crane was known as strong-headed and confident. She was born in Jackson, but her family moved to Chicago when she was just 2 weeks old. She was schooled and got a college degree in Special Education. Her parents had become financially successful after migrated to Chicago and sent Carolyn to private schools where she was often the only Black student. She was constantly racially harassed just walking to school, Crane states “I was called all types of names just walking to my school, and in stores. You know you couldn’t even walk on the same side of the street as a white person, you had to cross.” One event Crane told me about was when she was in high school. It was just after the death of Martin Luther King Jr. There was a ubiquitous occurrence of protests from black high schoolers and people in general, known as the ‘King assassination riots’ occurring throughout over one hundred cities in the U.S. My grandmother reports her experience at the Wells High School student riot. Carolyn reports, “The Black people were in an uproar because they had killed MLK, the students from Wells High School were going around just knocking white people in the head.” She says one day during school the police, who were patrolling the street because of the protesters, came inside. They came up to her and asked her to talk to the students protesting to calm them down. She states, “I said 'Well why should I talk to them? You'll don’t come out to talk to the white folks when they harass me.'” She responded this way in retaliation. Crane continues to explain how at school she was cursed at and called all kinds of vile names. But she wasn’t one to keep her mouth shut and take it, she often participated in sit-ins, correcting white people if they disrespected her, and stood in multiple protests.

Carolyn and Big, were known to openly speak out against Racism. From her time growing being treated with racism, Carolyn grew a disliking, untrustful perception of white people.

Crane also told me of multiple times when she and her sisters were followed/ monitored in stores because they were suspected to be stealing. This still goes on today, having double standards of the way a black or white person acts. The last event Crane informed me of was when in the eighty’s she was working in the Chicago city hall. She was at the time filling for two positions, managing the work of two jobs. She had been working there for years, and decided she wanted a raise for the service she provided.

When she asked for an increase, she was denied, then told there was someone coming to fill in the higher position of the two she served. Meaning she not only wasn’t getting a raise, but they wanted her to train the woman who would be working higher than her.

(Surprise she’s white!) Crane absolutely refused, saying they weren’t going to cheat her and packed her stuff. She quit without hesitation, thinking it was unfair to her to have to train her replacement. Crane Finished saying that “At 72 years old, I can still be racially discriminated against in 2023, any person of color can be discriminated against because it’s almost an ingrown action for some people.”

In the denouement, we have just seen back through three generations of racial discrimination. But not in the world, nor even in just the Crane family has this been the most recent act of racism. From my great-great grandmother not being allowed in certain places and stores and getting food thrown on her at work, to my 18-year-old sister getting racist harassed at school and two girls throwing food in her afro in class; Inequity seems to have no end.

As I sit in Eric Cunningham’s office, I wait for my father to enter. I feel hot due to the sun beaming down on my clothes and my heart starts to beat fast due to nerves. I can hear Cunninghams’ dog, Rocky, barking and I hear the footsteps of them both coming my way.

As he steps in, Cunningham is wearing shorts and a t-shirt which isn’t surprising because he loves the warm temperature.

Cunningham is 50 years old, grew up in a small town in Michigan, and got a financial degree at the University of Notre Dame. Later in his career, Cunningham worked for two hedge funds and learned throughout his career to always be prepared and always keep your head up.

to be the best he could, “Never give up.”

He always pushed through the poor times

For his job, Cunningham started working for a finance company. Growing up, he was always interested in working in finance. After college he got a finance degree and he put it at the forefront of his working career: “I talk with 50 plus brokers buying and selling different bonds.” This is his career path as a trader. It also gives testament to how seriously he takes his important job.

During this interview Cunningham started to talk in a more important voice and started to take it more seriously. I want to work in finance just like him because I want to follow his path and make a difference in the finance degree.

“I didn’t know if our company was going to survive.”

For Cunningham in school, he wasn’t the smartest, so he had to work hard for his grades. He always put his best foot forward, always working his hardest to get good grades. One reason why Cunningham worked so hard for his grades is because he loved playing basketball. He loved working on himself and being the best player, he could possibly be. Cunningham always wanted

This is the mindset he had to get him where he is; this helped him with basketball and school, since he strived to always keep his head up so he could get through. During this part of the interview Cunningham started to fidget more and more and he started to go more deeper into this because like stated before he liked basketball when he would play he always had this mindset of never give up because he wanted to be the best. So as the interview went on, he started talking faster.

Cunningham has worked for many companies from big to small.

During the financial crisis a lot of companies shut down houses and went down in price. Banks went bankrupt because they would give money to people to buy houses then the people could not pay it back so that lead the banks to go bankrupt. Cunninghams company was all over the place; they went from losing a lot of money to gaining a lot of money. This taught them to be prepared for anything.

Cunningham stated that “I did not know if our company was going to survive.” This illustrates the worry he had for his company and how much he shows care for his company.

Cunningham started to talk a little louder during this I think he wanted to really emphasize that his company was really lost and almost failed. The last thing Cunningham started to do was stand instead of sitting because he started to explain in more detail. Cunningham had to work long hours to make sure the company could survive, and he realized that hard work pays off because the company is still flourishing today.

Eric Cunningham: a full time trader

Cunningham has proven to be hard-working and determined.

Cunningham clearly shows how seriously he takes his job and how much he cares for his work. Cunningham exhibited how much determination he has by working the long hours he had to and having the mindset he had.

Cunningham was trying to imply was often the hardest times are the times you improve the most. This is emphasizing that the most difficult times are times when you change and learn more. An example of this is the financial crisis: a dark and sad time, but this is where many lessons were learned, like always be prepared and never give up. I am truly grateful for this interview and the opportunity to speak with Cunningham.

The start of the financial crisis The start of what will bring the stock market crashing down By: Marco Cunningham

Julie pictured with her husband, Andrew, 2022

How Julie Kerouac finds herself in travel Julie shares her priceless stories about traveling and how she fulfills her dreams.

By: Sasha Daley

Julie Kerouac, my stepmom, stands across from me as she goes back and forth from looking at me and looking off into the distance. I hear her crisp voice echo in the room, bouncing off the non-furniture room. We are in the kitchen, and it is daytime. The sunlight pours into the room through the windows, and on to our feet. Kerouac is standing the whole time as she shifts her body weight from one foot to another, sometimes accidentally turning on the stove.

Standing there, Kerouac leans on the kitchen counter and pours her words onto my back. Kerouac talks for a while for each question and explains every detail that comes to her head.

Kerouac mostly talks about traveling: her childhood dream that never disconnected from her grip. Kerouac knows that travel contains a lot of serendipity.

Kerouac was traveling to India with some of her friends.

She met a guy from France and decided to meet the next day. But the next day, a huge snowstorm hit. There was so much snow that they could not meet up with the guy from France. So, they hiked down the mountain thinking they were never going to see that man again. Kerouac and her friends decided to go to a popular city, Deli, that was 14 hours away.

Their original plan, taking the train, did not work because their

clothes were wet and cold from the snow and were not able to change on a train. So, they switched things up and ended up paying a cab to drive them 14 hours. It was the better option because they were able to change into warm and dry clothes. 14 hours later, they arrived in the city with millions of people. In this huge town, Kerouac coincidentally saw the same man from a 14-hour drive before. It was a great coincidence that her and her friends reunited with someone from another town 14 hours away: “He just happened to walk by, and we just happened to see him in a crowd of thousands and thousands of people on the street.”

“Travel is a lot like that: serendipity.”

Travel can happen so suddenly yet be so fun. You meet new people, see new things, and love new things. Kerouac knows that traveling is so overwhelming but can change your life. It can also open your eyes to see new

possibilities.

Kerouac’s personality is demonstrated throughout her words. Kerouac is nice, kind, joyful, and honest. She loves meeting new people and always thinks positive. When traveling, you must be open about things and Kerouac is very open, not just in traveling.

Kerouac has always been inspired since she was a little kid to travel. She took family trips as a kid. As an adult, Kerouac has traveled to Paris, India, Cuba, Italy, Mexico, Chile, Columbia, England, Scotland, Ireland, Indonesia, Taiwan, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Jamaica, Morocco, Canada, and Czech Republic. Kerouac loves to go to all these places, but the places that Kerouac yearns to go to most are Paris, Vietnam, Japan; she also wants to sail round the world.

Kerouac is a very kind and understanding person, she has so many more dreams ahead of her. It is appreciated that Kerouac talked about what she really felt in this interview. I hope that she can live her dreams, specifically sailing around the world with her husband. Kerouac dreams of seeing the stars at night, the beautiful sunset, and new places.

Kerouac has already lived half of her dreams; will you live yours?

A late night in Chicago, 10 o’clock in the evening.

Sitting on the couch as the moonlight brightens the dark black sky. My mom Vanessa D’Cunha (da-coon-ha) grasps the soft fuzzy light grey pillow as she sits readily down while she is wearing her pajamas ready to sleep. She adjusts her glasses as she swiftly prepares herself mentally for.

Vanessa D'Cunha was born in 1975 around the outskirts of the great “Windy City”, while her parents were immigrants from the Philippines who tried to raise their kids more American. D'Cunha grew up in the suburbs of Chicago in a mostly white neighborhood. D’Cunha’s parents were both intelligent nurses who made enough money to have a good life for them and their kids in America. D’Cunha knew she had to make them proud so she worked the hardest she could.

D’Cunha didn’t start out with being the best at what she does now, but she found ways to become better. D’Cunha started working in the finance world when she was 18 years old; as a highschooler she was able to get internships at good places. With her internships D’Cunha was able to understand how a work environment runs and how she could contribute to it. From all her work experience she came to say, “When you work hard there is a lot of benefit from it.” A daughter of immigrants from a poor country D’Cunha did not start off with how much money she has now, so she came from little.

When Filipino families see how another Filipino family was able to move to the United States of America and be successful, they get inspired and build up confidence to move there as well.

People say that when you start somewhere new you don’t get trust you earn it, and they are right. D’Cunha was able to understand how a workplace ran from previous jobs, but when she started new jobs, she had to earn her trust. For example, when she started to work full time, she met her mentor. Her mentor would help her earn trust, be a leader, etc. At first D’Cunha says that her mentor was intimidating because he was strict, but she learned that the only reason he was strict was because he wanted everyone to get better.

D’Cunha had to get to know her mentor to understand his morals. D’Cunha stated that, “You don’t just get trust, you earn it. When you do it changes a lot of things.” when you start somewhere it's hard to fit in with other people because you don't know how they act, so from someone who has

worked multiple jobs that have different ages, gender, and race she was able to say this.

Having people who love you and cheer you on from the sidelines is crucial. According to D’Cunha her biggest influence in her life was her immigrant parents who had no clue what she was doing. Growing up with her immigrant parents D’Cunha was told to be a doctor or get a job that would pay well, so when she started to get jobs in finance and go to business school D’Cunha’s parents, Herminia and Virgillo, didn't not understand what she was doing. Even not knowing what she was doing or if she was going to make a lot of money, Herminia and Virgillo still had hope in D’Cunha and cheered her on. D’Cunha would never have made it to where she is now if she never got the love and support, she got from her parents. D’Cunha says, “My parents were always my biggest cheerleaders.” From a young age she was told to become a doctor and she didn’t, but her parents still supported the life she chose.

Today her parents are so proud of D’Cunha and would not have asked for any more than she has supplied for them.

With the right people and the right confidence anyone can be successful. D’Cunha worked arduously to make it that her parents and her kids, Karissa and Kristiano, could grow up and live in a better environment and get the help they needed. By seeing D’Cunha’s story, we can take away that the more work you do the higher up you will end up. Hard work pays off.

A Journey to Success The story of a first-generation Filipino American's journey of creating a life for herself and her family.

By Karissa D'Cunha

Vanessa D'Cunha, the CFO for Red Arts Captial

"When you work hard there is a lot of benefit" from it"

The Build Up My sister in the picture is the one on the left. It was about 10:30pm Monday, October 8. It was a partially lit room with my mom next to us. Lila was of course, in her pajamas, getting ready for bed. I called her into the room, told her what we were going to do and showed her the questions for her to prepare herself. Lila is my sister who goes to a college names “College of the Holy Cross.” This college is in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her high school was “Saint Ignatius College Preparatory School.” Her middle school was “Frances Xavier Warde School”. Lila does state throughout this interview that she feels very prepared to go to college and that these schools were exceptionally good steppingstones for her in order to get to the next level. She started to show her personality throughout the questions by trying to expand her answers to make sure the answers were clear. This shows that she works very hard to make things easy for others. She started to show some true interest which shows that she is interested in others.

Lila, my sister, started off her life, finding out what she wanted to do. She, of course, expected every road she takes, to have a challenging time for herself. She remembers, being a very young child and wanting to be like her parents, a dentist.

Another memory she recalls having is studying for all her tests with everything she has in her in order to get to where she is. She was also very interested into law and many other things that she can still decide about today. Our family always had a doctor thing about it. What I mean by this is that we also thought of things from a doctor’s perspective no matter the specific type. For example, if we saw someone eating candy, especially ourselves, from a dentist’s point of view. When we think about memories, we also think to enjoy the moment and to remember this because this caused joy in our hearts. There are many things in our life that fly by. Whether that is vacation or spending time with a friend. One thing that flew by for Lila was high school.

She says that “Highschool flew by.” This may seem amazingly simple and a very common saying. But on the other hand, once you interpret it, it can turn into something more powerful than you thought prior. One thing that I analyzed from this is to be in the moment. What being in the moment means is to enjoy what you are doing and to try to find the positive things, if you have this look on your life, you will most likely be a happier person. Another thing I analyzed is to enjoy the time you have because there will be a day that you will miss the time you are in. I connect to this quote because I currently do try to focus on the moment and to be less on my phone. I

realized that many people focus on their phones too much and focus more on social media than what they are doing now.

Usually when you are about to try something new, you tend to ask people about it. Whether what you ask is the difficulty or even just what you do. Many times, what they say may be overexaggerated beyond what that task may feel like. This really can affect your performance in said task and also the way you think of it whether it is negative or positive. Other people have a different difficulty scale compared to you.

This means that if they say that something is extremely easy, this may be really hard for you or even may be the same as you. Lila always had an independent mind. No matter what other people thought, she always thought of something the most positively she could and still does to this day. This has helped her achieve many of her goals especially anything involving a heave amount of stress. For example, tests, as long as she prepared, she believed in herself. When she was moving to college, like most people, she got incredibly nervous.

After her move in day she decided, “The transition was much easier than many people said it would be,” Lila said, shows that if you overthink something, it may be harder than it could have been. If she had ignored what these people had said, the separation would’ve been less emotional for her or any of the family members. Not only this but she looked for the positives of going to college. She did not let anyone around her make her first college experience any less than perfect for her. I really do think what she said relates to me. Something that relates to me is, for me, changing schools when I was younger. Many kids said that it would be bad and maybe is hard to start with, but I didn’t let that stop me from getting a good experience and making sure that I enjoy the school I am in to not go through it again. Another thing that people are saying right now is that going from middle school to high school. I will try to ignore this and go into high school with fresh and open eyes.

Right now, I am not hungry, thirsty, or in need of anything I have whether that is in my pantry or bathroom. Everything I need is within my reach and I am usually able to access it. For example, my mom and dad, which come from a different country, coming here it was very hard. They of course needed a job and to also attend school in order to have a stable way of life. They did this for about 5 years in order to get their college and universities done before they start a new job. They had very limited resources and really did have to work for everything they used. Now, we are able to have things we need in order not to worry about what they need for the most part. Lila feels the same way. She always had what she needed and never really needed to get a job to go along with high school. She has a love for baking. She loves to make cakes, pies, cookies, mug cakes, etc. All of these desserts require many ingredients that at times, you may have to go get more or get some in general. She also thought of these things as an always have. If she needed it, she could always get it and make something

of her choice. When she went to college, these baking ingredients were not there anymore. Everything that she previously thought of something as something she always has, was now something she either has to get or can not get it because there is nothing in the school ingredients closet.

Something that she said when she got back for fall break was, “There were a lot of things I took for granted.” She was truly surprised how little class time she had to work with once she got to college. One thought I got after hearing this was to be grateful in the present. Another thing I thought of was to enjoy the things you have.

The cup is half full instead of half empty. It all depends on how you perceive the moment. I relate to this because I always try to be grateful of what I have and even just the time I am in. The people around me, the food, the vibe, to always enjoy and be appreciative of what is around you. I always try not think of somebody maybe not as fortunate as me and to think how I would feel if I were them.

Lila, is a very hard worker, she put all her effort into the past 10 years of her life, in turn, she has been able to go to her first-choice high school and college. Imagine being around the age of 6 or 7, and thinking to yourself, “If I don’t do my best no matter what in school, for the next ten years of my life, I will not be successful nor able to achieve any of my goals.” That was what was going through Lila’s head at that age.

She knew what she wanted, how to get it, and what to do throughout the journey.

Something that I truly appreciate about Lila, is that she always taught me what I needed to know compared to all the extra things I don’t. For example when I was struggling with a math, she would show me a more simpler formula instead of a complicated one I was given prior. This shows her as a hard worker no matter the task.

Another thing that she has done that I truly appreciate her for is that she is always ready to help me with schoolwork. There was a time in 7th grade where I was not feeling very motivated. She showed me that hard work now will pay off in the end, because of her telling me this, I accomplished all A’s throughout the year and kept it that way for 8th grade.

“There were a lot of things I took for granted.”

By: Zachary Fayad

Jose Garfias urges people to learn from his own mistakes Immerse yourself in the life of Jose as it is told to his own son By: Gael Garfias

When my dad, Jose Garfias, was but a young boy in Mexico, when he was about to graduate high school, he got in trouble. He told me that he was one of the best students in that school and I, of course, believed him and did not doubt him.

However, he told me during the interview that he felt like it was not the right school for him and that he wanted to pursue a different career. So, he dropped out of high school and began working in an ice cream shop. He made some silly jokes before his voice turned to seriousness when he said, “sometimes you just got to get over it.” This told me that he eventually did get over the fact that he dropped out of high school. He thinks about this choice sometimes and tries to make light of it.

He worked at that ice cream shop for one year before he met my mother. My mother convinced him to go to California with her because she was on vacation when she met him. After a while, my mom finally convinced him to move with her to California. They only stayed in California for a few years before they had children, who were all coincidently five years apart.

Garfias was always a forgiving person, which is why he always said, “maybe life does not always go to plan.” He would always say this phrase when something did not go the way he thought it would. He told me a story that when he was little, his dad always let him pretend to drive his car and with a nostalgic tone, he said “I never liked that car but did at the same time” he told me one day that car got stolen and he never saw it again.

He never lets anyone leave the house without saying, “Be safe”, which can sometimes be counterproductive if you are in a rush, but it just shows how much he cares about people and he does not

like leaving stuff behind when we leave to go somewhere so he always checks at least twice before finally leaving someplace. This can be effective and deficient sometimes but, “it’s always better to be safe than sorry,” despite it might be an overused phrase it is useful in some context.

Garfias had a very eventful and prosperous life: he always says, “Don’t do something you’ll regret now, or ever.” This means that you should never do something you do not want to do. I am grateful that he shared these experiences with me and told me his life story.

“Don’t let one mistake turn to many, I’ve had a rough past but I'm happy now”.

When he was about to move from Mexico to the United States, he was trying to teach himself English and he once said, “you have to do what you have to do sometimes.” He would repeat this to himself until he got a job in Chicago, and he always felt that what he did, he did it for the better.

Garfias hated leaving anything that was not completed so he would always try to finish anything that he started which sometimes led to him being late to something, like his first job interview or the birth of his nephew, he tried to get himself out of this habit but in the end, he just does what he should.

Picture of Jose in his childhood home in Mexico.

A true experience of 9/11 By: Auggie Gomez It was a warm night with almost no sound coming from the outside. As I walked into Gomez’s room, I saw him neatly folding clothes and putting them by his bed. He then systematically took clothes and went from his bed to his dresser, and back to his bed to pick up clothes, then to his closet and back. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and pants, as he never seemed the type to sacrifice practicality and comfort for aesthetic. Tired from the day, Gomez’s movements seemed exhausted, and he had bags under his eyes. This made sense, considering he came back from his work only a few short hours ago, so I quietly waited for him to finish folding clothes to interview him. When he sat down, I could clearly see his face, which gave a very neutral, not happy but not sad look, like he was quietly observing and judging almost everything he saw. Michael Gomez is a man with short, spiky hair that neatly faces to the front. He has three children aged 12, 13, and 16. He is my father and works as a urologist, which is a surgeon that works on livers.

Gomez’s experience with the direct aftermath of 9/11 made him very anxious when he talked about it, especially when he was stuck in his office for the time. He could remember the terrified people around him frantically making calls to their loved ones, with some that had family in New York and in the World Trade Center. He thought about his family, even about his fellow resident, who he was afraid would face discrimination, with him being Muslim.

For example, At one time, he considered joining the military as a doctor. The experience even changed his personality, which gave him a more caring look that connects with his job, which is all about helping people. I can also physically see this in my life as he always takes chances to help others. Whether that be someone getting cut or their whole arm breaking, he is always there to help if needed.

Suddenly, he stopped moving completely, like even his breath paused for a moment. As he was looking past me, he said, “There was a lot of anxiety and fear, especially for the unknown. We didn’t know if there was gonna be another target, or another plan that was in motion.” He then further explained that the entire United States was on shutdown. No planes could fly, and the rest of the country was waiting for what would happen next. He later talked about how his friend, who was Muslim, and how he was constantly harassed and had to be defended by his co-workers, including himself.

Shortly after the original fear that came with the Twin Towers falling, Gomez witnessed friends and other fellow Americans response to the attack.

As he was explaining what he remembered, he was doing so his tone of voice shifted slightly. It took on a more serious tone, even more that previously, saying, “It changed the perception of the invincibility that Americans thought they had.” Gomez’s thought process about the topic in hindsight was one that he believed that America seemed untouchable and powerful before 9/11, but after the event it gave not only the government, but the citizens of the US in general the fact that they are not different from others, and they too need to be strong for their country.

After he was able to leave the hospital, Gomez, who was clearly shaken from the event, had many mental and physical changes in response to the attack. He explained about how his mindset changed, saying, “It’s the first time I thought of myself as someone who could respond to mass casualties.”

This change in mindset led to him doing many different things going forward and was a big part of his life that he took as he lived on.

“We didn’t know if there was gonna be another target, or another plan that was in motion.”

He could remember the president at the time, George W. Bush, leading the aftermath in comforting people who were physically and mentally affected, as well as him leading attacks on other countries that were involved in the issue. He believes that 9/11 was a massive turning point in history and although it was sad, it shaped part of America as we now know it.

For example, he remembered how before the attack, carrying liquids on planes was allowed, as well as following family members all the way to the gate and the ease of getting through screenings. But that all changed in the aftermath, as he observed those things and many other ways 9/11 changed some fundamental parts of America. Overall, something like this, which may not happen in the foreseeable future, was used for making choices about Gomez’s future. But it is something that could be taken from his experience and used for many other parts of somebody’s life.

Gomez’s life changed dramatically, for the better and for the worse, after the events of 9/11. He gained his own sense of gratefulness in his beliefs, his profession, and the country he lives in.

Even through a time of mourning and fear, he gave his thoughts about his experiences and his in depth thoughts about the time. Even in our daily lives, even when things are not as dire, we can always remember how times of crisis and fear can bring not only the best, but also the worst in others, and how fear can affect people. I am grateful for the experience and Gomez’s insight can be used for years to come.

Joanne Lee Molinaro Has developed “The Korean Vegan” and has written the cookbook the korean vegan cookbook.

It was midday, I was pacing on the third floor of my townhouse. The nerves in my system bubbling up into my face, making it red. My palms are sweating, I forcefully rub them against my pants. My breathing speeds up, nervous for the call. I walked back to my room, straightening my notes on the desk, making it perfect. Soon, Joanne Molinaro would be on the phone. I heard her voice, but I did not see her yet. She was talking to my dad about running, like how they used to. A minute went by and my mom, Keth, and my dad, Geoffrey, hand the phone over to me. The door closes and I felt stuck in a room with her, even though I was not. Her shirt was off the shoulder, her warm smile causes her eyes to wrinkle slightly, giving me a sense of welcome. The nerves projected through my voice when I talked, and the sweat coming through my palms was also prominent. But once the interview started, a wave of relief washed over me as my heart rate gradually slowed to a normal pace.

Joanne Lee Molinaro is a 44-year-old writer, content creator, lawyer, and my dad’s close friend.

Having over five million people across all her platforms, Molinaro, beginning as a lawyer from Chicago, has become a turning point for people, Korean and alike, across the world. Being featured on CNN, Food Network, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and others, Molinaro has become known by many. But there are things deeper than just someone cooking on a video.

Finding her voice Joanne Molinaro faced the struggles of balancing her mental health while creating “The Korean Vegan.”

BY ELIZA GOODMAN

Molinaro went plant-based in 2016, but she soon realized that there are not any options for Korean vegan cuisine. Although, she still wanted to eat Korean food, since that is what she grew up eating. Molinaro came across one problem, she did not have any culinary experience, “And as a result of going plant based, I discovered that I really needed to learn how to cook.” Molinaro would watch YouTube videos and Food Network to learn how to cook. She then started to share her recipes on her blog, thekoreanvegan.com and on Instagram and Facebook, also called The Korean Vegan.

Molinaro faces many struggles in her life, but one is imposter syndrome. No matter what she does or how she does it, she feels like she does not deserve it. Molinaro constantly feels the pressures of this, too. That one day, someone will realize that she is not as good as she may think she is. Imposter syndrome is a behavioral health issue that ties into feelings of self-doubt. People who have this question

their abilities, even though they are doing fine. It commonly happens with high achieving people like Molinaro.

She mentioned that her husband, Anthony, has helped her immensely. She describes him as her biggest cheerleader. Anthony is a confident person, like my father, who has the mindset that he deserves everything that is given to him, which is the opposite of Molinaro. When I asked the question: what is something someone has said that has stuck with you?

She hesitated for one moment, reflecting back on all the things people have ever said to her. Or Molinaro was just thinking upon the notes she might have written before the interview begun. But that pause, the softening of her eyes on the videocall, maybe that gesture was her reminiscing upon what her friend told her. But after that, she recalled, “The thing that I go back to a lot though recently, my friend, she told me she had the most success in her life when she had at least one person who believed in her just a little bit more than she believed in herself.” Molinaro expressed that in such a meaningful, thoughtful, and poetic way, it moved me. She thinks about what her friend has said often, proving how substantial of an impact imposter syndrome has on her life. But Molinaro has kept going for years, despite having imposter syndrome. She is strong, having thoughts of uncertainty constantly.

“And as a result of going plant-based, I discovered that I really needed to learn how to cook.”

Molinaro is a runner. She talks about running with my father all the time, at least when she lived in Chicago. She ran her first marathon in 2017. That was something Molinaro thought she would never do. She mentioned that before running her first marathon, she had marked many things as “impossible.” But once she ran the marathon, those things that Molinaro believed were hopeless, were not. That one marathon turned into many more after she ran her first. And those 26.2 miles opened so many doors for her. The things that were impossible in her head were no

longer impossible. She was no longer restricted to the things that were feasible to her. Those impossible things turned into possibles. That marathon in 2017 changed the course of her life forever, “So that when I actually did it, it proved to me that I was capable of doing things that I in my head labeled impossible.”

Molinaro created numerous limits for herself, but once she broke those restrictions, she suddenly had a whole new outlook on her life. She changed her view on the world. Just one action can have an extensive change in your life.

Molinaro started “The Korean Vegan” because there was nothing out there like it. No one was making vegan Korean food, but Molinaro did. It is hard to start something completely out of your own ideas, especially with all the pressure from her job at the time with my father at the law firm.

What is special about Molinaro’s channel, and her book is that she did not just write recipes, she shared stories. Stories of her and her dad, mom, grandma, and grandpa all while she is cooking in her videos. She is authentic and speaks from the heart, and she would also talk like that during the call as well. Molinaro feels it is important for people for learn about the individuals creating the food, “I felt like it was really important that people didn’t just develop an appreciation for Asian Cuisine, but they also started to have an appreciation for the people who would create them.” Molinaro’s plan for the story-telling part of her recipes was to also help people feel seen. Maybe someone watching has felt the same was she felt. That they can connect using experiences that others have not experienced before.

By the end of the call, I felt comfortable with her, like we were old friends catching up. Perhaps it was her stories, or the way she talks so thoughtfully, or how she explains things. This woman is truly extraordinary, she has created recipes, written a cookbook, amassed over five million people across all her platforms, and has run marathons. Molinaro has paved the way for generations to come and has created a safe space for many on her platforms.

Amanda Grasso showing good in society A path guiding young people along life By: Ava Grasso When I was interviewing Grasso, it was dark. It felt very eerie and quiet. Everyone had already gone to bed, and it smelled like burning candles.

I had a feeling that this interview could be a very important interview that may be valued throughout my personal life. Later as I started to ask her questions her tone of voice seemed to slowly be getting tired. She was wearing a grey sweatshirt and black leggings. She was very descriptive and seemed to be content in the end.

An important lesson displayed through Amanda Grasso’s experience is that you learn throughout life. This connects with a story that occurred in Grasso’s life. One time she did not realize or check social media to remind herself that she had to attend something, but later found out that she has missed it. Even though she made a mistake now she remembers to check her calendar every day to see what upcoming events she has to be at.

Over time, she has grown and learned how to balance many important aspects of her life. In a meaningful and sincere tone, she said, “I think that people learn from their mistakes, and you live, and you learn, and you adapt, and you grow, and I think that is really important.” Her words are powerful because no matter how many mistakes you or someone else makes, you or they will always be forgiven by someone who means a lot in your or their life. I learned that forgiveness is always going to be incorporated in your life, so whatever happens you should always want to find a way to forgive and make things right.

Another meaningful lesson Grasso shared from her life is that you need to stand up for yourself. Through Grasso’s life, she has learned many lessons, and each story tells a little bit about her personality. Grasso is not only confident, but she also is not scared to speak her mind. Proudly, she states, “One of the lessons I have learned is that you need to stand up for yourself and no one is going to do it for you.” A powerful concept about is that no matter how many people try to get to you or take you down in any way, do not take it: say what your mind tells you to and stick up for yourself.

Another special component is that everyone can abide by this message and use it throughout their life, and it might make a huge impact.

Grasso also shows that you cannot expect people to always do everything for you. If you would like something to go your way, you are going to have to assert your voice and speak up. One day Grasso was working and was on a call. Later in this call, someone said something that did not really stick with her ideas. But Grasso did not just stay back and be quiet – she talked it out and created and solution on how they could both get what they wanted and still l make it successful.

Not only did she say something to get what she thought was best, but she created a solution that made it easier and more efficient. Grasso confidently related, “If you want something a certain way you have to voice your opinion.” This demonstrates Grasso’s leadership personality. When showing leadership, you address your ideas and work towards making a well-organized solution or plan. This should give you more of an understanding of how you can demonstrate leadership and be an outspoken person. I see ways that I have applied this to my everyday life. During an important volleyball game, I was not playing my best, so my coach decided to take me out. While I felt upset, I still felt confusion about who was going to play in the next game. Later, I approached my coach, to convince him to let me play in the next game. In this instance advocating for myself worked and it made me feel that it was best for me to speak up.

“The desire to figure things out led me to where I am today.”

Grasso excels at perseverance by learning through her mistakes.

She shared her worldly experiences, is a great listener, and a very easy person to talk to. Today Grasso has been chosen to be the head of the data for cook county hospital and has made an impact on what she does. She has also taught me many new skills that I can use in my everyday life. The impact that she has made in this world will continue to grow and positively improve our society.

Amanda Grasso displaying her hard work and appreciation through her job.

The Marathons Eileen O’Connor is persevering through challenges to cross the finish line of a marathon.

By Tyler Hard

Eileen O’Connor completes her 4th marathon in Chicago with her husband.

I first talked to Eileen O’Connor, my mom, and a Northern Trust Bank worker, in early October. We were in Chicago at home in the dining room sitting on chairs as our dog, Taco, was staring up at us. On the air vent, Taco was barking. Ms. O’Connor was wearing a purple sweater with a cheerful smile. She seemed calm, relaxed, and excited as we began the interview.

She was born in Chicago in 1966 and has lived in Chicago all her life. She works in the compliance department at Northern Trust and before that she worked for the securities and commission out of college for ten years. She has four siblings and is married and has had two kids including me and my brother Trent. One of her favorite hobbies is running and once she was introduced by her brother-in-law to a race, which was when she wanted to run more races which eventually led to the journey of her preparing to run in a marathon, a 26.2-mile race.

Ms. O’Connor has had many challenges when it came to training for a marathon. She has done many things including running for 16 weeks straight and run in training groups on the lake path. She even ran a total of 20 miles a couple of times during the

process. Every day she would have to push herself to run the distance recommended for training and she never gave up. She kept persevering even when things got challenging. To help her complete the marathon the very next day, she ate many carbs to keep her energy up.

At the start, Ms. O’Connor was training for a ½ marathon but was convinced that with all the training that she was doing, she could complete a full marathon. Trying to get her time up was one main reason for all the running, but it was mostly all the training and time put into trying to be ready for the marathon. She says confidently, “So much goes into it and so you just feel very invested in the process.” When you put a lot more time in it, it just feels like more of an accomplishment.” Ms. O’Connor never backed down from the challenge of all the training. Instead, she worked at it every day because of how good it feels to be invested in it and then accomplish what you were working for, for a very long time.

Since the very first day, she has pushed herself to become better each day and she saw the challenges she faced as opportunities.

This led to her being able to complete her very first marathon and each of the other four marathons she competed in, and it led to a memorable moment of the feeling of her finishing after all the running. It also led to her improving her time by 14 minutes from her first to her last marathon.

A challenge that Ms. O’Connor has faced was the injuries when it came to training to try to run in another marathon. Ever since her last marathon, she has always wanted to do more, but the problem was that when she tried to up the mileage for training, she would get hurt or get strains. To keep in shape, she has collaborated with a masseuse to help her with the strain muscles she had. To not put additional strain on her muscles, she ran in a pool and did yoga. Something that has been the hardest to deal with was when she once got ill from running on a hot day for 15 miles because the training groups’ pace was going faster than she was accustomed to which led to her questioning if training was the right path for her to take. “I have to find a balance where I really am verse where I in my head I’d like to be.” Ms. O’Connor has not given up on trying to run another marathon. Almost every day she runs whether it is on the treadmill or outside trying to pursue her goal of running in another marathon. Even though it is challenging to up the miles to train because of injuries, she has still been running trying to become faster and be ready for another marathon.

There were so many things that pushed my mom to do her

best, but the main thing was all the fans and her family cheering her on. She has run in the Boston marathon and the Chicago marathon, and all the energy of people creates a unique experience for running and gives you the motivation that helps you strive to do your best. She thinks that all the fans cheering her on causes your mind to be distracted from running. Especially when her mom was at the finish line waiting for her was when she felt the most need to finish because of how at the start she was uncertain whether she wanted her daughter to do it, but she was supported so much after it was all done. The crowd was amazing and encouraged her because of all the signs and music. The thing that she liked the most on her run was listening to one of her favorite songs called “Come on Eileen.” She states happily, “Both Boston and Chicago had amazing crowd supports.” The crowd has always been the number one thing about the environment of the race. Just having people, you do not even know and especially your family rooting for you was a wonderful feeling for her. This led to her never backing down from the challenge of completing the marathon and pushing herself to run her hardest.

I have learned so much from my mom’s experience in running marathons. She has helped me to realize that I should never give up on a goal. I appreciate the fact that she pushed herself even when things became difficult. This has offered me insight that working hard will lead to success after she improved her time by 14 minutes throughout her marathons because her goal and main reason for running was because of the feeling of finishing and improving her time. From her experience, I have learned that persevering, especially through challenging times and obstacles and working hard can lead to success and completed goals.

“A marathon is similar to life. It teaches you to tackle smaller pieces so that you can reach a greater goal.”

- Eileen O’Connor

Leo Harmon, featured in a PR Newswire article in which he is recognized as one of Crain’s Notable Leaders in DEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) in 2023.

At dusk, Leo Harmon sat down in a dimly lit room on a sage green ottoman, and with composed mannerisms he greeted me, and maintained his decorum throughout. Leo Harmon was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Currently, he holds the position of Chief Investment Officer at a private company called Mesirow Financial. He attended high school in Chicago at Saint Rita and graduated in 1988. He attended undergraduate school at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, and attended Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Leo Harmon, the interviewee, is also my father. Harmon has jumped many hurdles over the course of his early life, yet without overcoming so many challenges I doubt the success he has achieved would have occurred.

Sacrifice and perseverance always lead to avenues for potential success; Harmon has done both.

During his school days, he often felt isolated, ashamed, and lacking in support due to microaggressions and ridicule from peers.

However, he mentions no one ever insulted his intellect. In the 1980s, he skipped the 5th grade by taking the wrong exam, as he passed the 6th grade exam and progressed into that grade instead. Often, bullying made him feel negatively about himself, and in middle school, he especially felt left out due to being emotionally and physically behind his peers.

He mentions that some even targeted those insecurities. While we were discussing his school life and the impact microaggressions and insults had on him, he slouched over in the ottoman, and in a thorough and insightful tone Harmon stated, “I was always able to prove myself in the classroom, even though no one should ever have to prove themselves.”

Outlier The serendipitous and compelling journey of Leo Harmon’s road to success

By: Sammy Harmon Photograph by PR Newswire

Even though he was seen as inferior to his peers and ridiculed for it, he could prove his worth in the classroom, so he was able to persevere past the events and not let their words affect him, so his success would not be hindered. Speaking with great conviction, he mentions others should not have to prove themselves either. This further exemplifies his idea that it should not be and necessity to go out of your way to prove your worth. He believes that your capabilities should not need to be used as a defense against animosity. He felt he had to prove himself anyway, regardless of this belief, for at this point he

needed to survive. I can personally relate because I too feel a bit insecure around my peers every so often, but I am aware that I can prove myself academically, which aids in validation. Similar to how he functioned in school.

He was motivated primarily by his mother, Linda Price, and his uncle, Leon, to keep aiming for his goals, for they worked hard to make sacrifices for him and for themselves to succeed. He explains that for the majority of his childhood, his mother was a single parent who sacrificed many things in their life due to their social class. She did this to provide him with a sliver of the opportunities granted to others of higher socioeconomic classes. His mother’s sacrifices subsequently led to him being able to be a part of many private institutions and have a good education. This motivated him to not let these privileges go to waste and to use his opportunities wisely.

He was also motivated to grow up and be more like his Uncle Leon who lived in Naperville and owned a home. He stated Uncle Leon was one of the first people he knew who resided in the suburbs and that gave him a goal to be successful enough to live that way as well. As we continued to converse about inspirational people in his life, with a conversational tone and using many hand gestures Harmon exclaims, “Through a lot of hard work you can create avenues for success.” Because the people in his life around him worked so hard for him to be where he is today, he sequentially did the same and was able to achieve many things because of them and their inspiration. I know hard work always pays off because I work very hard and put effort into everything I do, and I usually benefit from the outcome.

He said that his biggest challenge was not succumbing to the statistics of being a black man in America. His tone was grave and somber as he spoke. He says the reason he is where he is currently is because of his domestic support system. He implies in his next words that due to the tremendous number of black men in America who are lower class economically and less successful due to the opportunities they could not have because of systemic racism. He cleared his throat. “And

so, in that sense I don't consider myself to be unique. I consider myself to be lucky,” stated Harmon, after adjusting his posture. This was a very emotionally impactful statement that illustrated how even though he is a statistical outlier, he sees his life as more of luck of the draw, rather than being in a rare situation. His circumstances are relatable for me, for I am lucky to attend private institutions and to live in a home I own. Moreover, we both have to overcome the common stereotypes that are present in society for black Americans, especially black men.

Leo Harmon overcame many challenges in his life, and he and the people around him made many sacrifices, so he could pave the way to his success. I appreciate how honest and detailed his stories were. His words were very insightful, and his backstory helped me see a glimpse of him that was relatively more humane than I previously perceived. I undoubtedly agree with his philosophy that proving yourself is not something you should never have to do, and rather you should only have to do your best, and that should be enough. No one deserves to be ridiculed unless they can demonstrate their worth. He has shown me how someone with caring people in their life, no matter where they start off, can achieve great things if they hone their calling and pursue any opportunities offered to them.

My advice to anyone viewing this is that you should never take your life for granted, and you should always work hard, for there will always be a benefit in doing that.

One final statement from Harmon was when he stated this powerful account, “There is a school of thought that assumes that someone like me who was raised by a single parent from a lower social economic class, who grew up under more difficult circumstances, and more difficult neighborhoods, had lower chances for success,” he used hand gestures to convey his thoughts, “in hindsight that may be true, but it's because my chance is to have access to opportunities are lower.” No matter who you are or where you live, sacrifice and perseverance always lead to avenues for potential success.

“Through a lot of hard work you can create avenues for success.”

An eventful trip to Honduras By: Layla Hartley

Michele Amatangelo is a hardworking mom who has been through many different experiences throughout her life.

It was a cold Sunday night, 15 minutes until 9:00. Michele Amatangelo and I had just gotten back from a family dinner at Etta. As we sat down on our newly made white couch, the smell of fresh baked cookies filled the room. Amatangelo had a look of pleasure on her face because she was doing an interview about her memorable experience in Honduras. She then got up and got a glass of chilled water. She made me feel calm and a slight bit of delight as we were cozy and wrapped in warm blankets.

While Amatangelo currently lives in Chicago, she has not lived here all her life. She works for Heartland Alliance to help refugees find a home. She is currently 49 years old and has a son and a daughter.

Amatangelo was accepted into the Peace Corps, which led her to work in Honduras.

When Amatangelo first entered the Peace Corps, she went to Honduras to teach the economic ideas of the United States. At first, she was given a lot of responsibilities and tried her best to get into a routine, while also learning Spanish. This led her to learn how to adjust to the culture of Honduras; she had to eat foods she was not comfortable with, such as beans. This transition was difficult, and, over time, she realized that they had a separate way of life.

Michele Amatangelo in Honduras, standing outside the village, in 1998.

As Amatangelo reflected on her experience, she stated, “Coming from the Untied Staes that there is a value to my time not everyone appreciated that, to think what does it cost me to produce an item and sell it.” She came to the realization that the effect of the conditions in Honduras lead her to open her eyes to see the values of other countries, not just the United States. When Amatangelo opened her eyes, she took the value of someone’s time and learned how it affects everyone, not just herself. This surprises me because it shows that before the

Peace Corps, she had a closed mind. Upon moving to Honduras, her mindset switched and became more open. This gives me the idea that there is so much more going on in the world than we see.

During Amatangelo’s journey in the Peace Corps, a major hurricane, Mitch, happened. She knew the hurricane was coming, so she went to a friend’s house to be with someone. When she witnessed the devastation of the hurricane’s impact on civilians, she thought about how she was lucky because she had shelter, a person to stay with, and the opportunity to leave. As she thought about these opportunities, she realized the deeper meaning of her mission.

Amatangelo concluded that, “My job is to represent my country well. To represent the value of the States through a personal experience makes it deeper.” The devastation of the hurricane pushed her to teach economic growth to the people still struggling from the hurricane. This tells me that Amatangelo was focused, because she took the experience to her advantage to make a bigger impact on the people. This is an example of her resilience to continue challenging work despite obstacles.

When Amatangelo’s time in the Peace Corps came to an end, she reflected on how her lifetime experience affected her current job: finding a safe place to live for refugees. One reason the Peace Corps has affected her abilities to fulfill her job is that working with other people in Honduras shaped the way she works with refugees now. Even though her time in the Peace Corps has ended, she still reflects, “Can’t go in thinking I know better, and I know best.

You really need to value the input of everyone involved especially those who are going to be impacted by those programs.”

Amatangelo learned many things at the Peace Corps. Her experience changed her point of view of the world. She then shared ideas and at first, she thought she was not going to learn anything, but then she took many lessons away with her.

Amatangelo learned to embrace others' ideas while being a good listener, which has taught me that I should do the same thing.

Amatangelo had a challenging experience throughout the Peace Corps and learned many things from her experience.

One thing I appreciate about her is that she is always there for me during tough times, she values her time, and she appreciates me.

This has led me to want to become more aware of how much time I am taking up and appreciate other people. One significant quote that she left me with is, “ You have to have a desire to want to be there and you have to show that.”

“You have to have a desire to want to be there and you have to show that.”

I

Heidkamp is in her professional attire with a messy room in the background to highlight what college life is truly about.

A Challenge Accepted A story of how a 19-year-old adapted to college life at the University of Illinois and created a plan for a bright future By: Genevieve Heidkamp

talked for thirty minutes

straight to Eileen at our home in Chicago in October. She felt at home, wearing leggings and a hoodie, carrying a bright, jovial smile. Her blonde hair shined, reflecting off the light beaming through the window. With a TV show blasting in the background and my brother screaming while playing video games, our house was noisy per usual. “I love being back at home and to have the chance to be interviewed by my little sister,” she said. I began to get goosebumps, filling my whole body from head to toe. Eileen Heidkamp is a college student at the University of Illinois and attends business school there.

My sister, Eileen Heidkamp, was heavily influenced by my father, Dan Heidkamp, to attend business school in college.

Eileen gets a significant amount of her knowledge of business school from my father. Growing up, my father would tell many stories about lessons that he learned while in business school. My dad grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois and went on to attend business school at Marquette University. At Marquette, my father worked in venture capital and private equity. I asked Eileen what persuaded her to choose her focus, and she responded hesitantly. As my sister reflected on deciding what she wanted to focus on at the University of Illinois she stated: “He suggested commercial real estate for a while for me, but I wasn’t super interested. Till one day, he suggested I focus on venture capital or private equity, and I looked into it and it seemed like a way better fit for me.”

While this decision seemed like an easy one, I found something more significant in my sister’s decision making of her focus. I thought about my own sister’s decision to sacrifice what could have been many successful years in commercial real estate in order to follow in my father’s footsteps with private equity. By choosing to be in private equity, my father continues to teach her crucial lessons about being in business school and private equity---one’s that she will remember for the rest of her business future and teach by example to me and my brother years down the road.

There are many ways college can be more comfortable and enjoyable. When I asked my sister what some things are that can make the college experience more enjoyable, she was able to list many factors. She went on to explain how beneficial sororities are to women who

suffer from homesickness, rather than living in a dorm full of different kinds of people and the other gender. Eileen is in the Tri Delta Sorority at the University of Illinois. She echoed what I have heard many of my mom’s friends say about how they loved living in a sorority. With excitement, she described what it is like to be in the fun and loving sorority environment.

“It’s 50 girls living together. I have a single room, but I am really never in it since we are always in the living room or kitchen just hanging out, watching tv, talking, and laughing.

It’s a really good environment to be around and I surely hope that all women going to college should strongly consider being a sister of a sorority, especially Tri Delta at the University of Illinois.”

While I strongly thought life in a sorority would be quite similar to life in a dorm, I realized the many differences between them.

Because Eileen spent no time going to camps or going to sleepovers before college, adapting to living far away from her family was a struggle for her, but being in a sorority has made it much easier to adapt to her Sophomore year whereas Freshman year she had a very hard time living in a dorm. Since Eileen spends a lot of time with her friends, living in a sorority has been so fun for her, since she is always around her friends when she is not at class or doing her independent activities on her schedule.

Eileen has changed a lot since attending the University of Illinois, especially her academic drive. Throughout Freshman year, Eileen went through a lot of difficulties and challenges that hindered having a college experience like no other. However, unlike others, Eileen chose to channel her negative thoughts and feelings and turn them into positive uses. Eileen goes on to talk about how she used these challenges to increase her academic drive: “Freshman year, I was very homesick…but then, luckily, I was really able to channel that homesickness into my studies and doing all of my homework…It really just shows the growth that I have gone through in the last year being at the University of Illinois.”

Eileen did not back down from the challenges of being away from home. Every day when she went to class, she had a lot of thoughts and feelings rushing through her mind, especially on her first day of Freshman year. Obviously, this was hard given the circumstance that she was always around her family up until last year. Every day she worked harder and harder, channeling her inner worries to dive deeper into her studies: this

attitude made her resilient and able to overcome those challenges over-time. Eileen never complained for she saw this challenge to open-up new opportunities—I often reflect on this in my life when facing many long-term challenges: to be patient for growth takes much time and energy.

“I was very homesick…but then, luckily, I was really able to channel that homesickness into my studies and doing all of my homework…”

Eileen’s dream of a future in business came true.

She was distracted several times and doubted herself to have a different major than business.

She kept her dream of attending business school at the University of Illinois, finding life-long friends, at the forefront of her mind keeping her concentrated on why she persevered from many challenges. Now, in 2023 as a 19-year-old, sister, friend, and a student majoring in business she can finally live out the satisfaction and happiness of achieving her dream. After the last two years of blood, sweat, and tears, she is “the happiest she’s ever been.” Because of all the work she put into overcoming homesickness and transitioning to college life, she was able to make new friends and enjoy the social life at the University of Illinois.

Eileen never let setbacks distract her from her dreams, letting her dreams grow into a reality, and inspiring others to never let go to what they truly want simply because of fear. “I envy your success,” I close to Eileen.

Richard Hirschl: the journey to a professional career Richard Hirschl is a professor at Roosevelt University

As young Richard Hirschl walks onto the stage of Orchestra Hall, his number is called. With sweat dripping down his back, he continues to slowly walk along the carpet-lined floor.

Hirschl finally reaches a single chair that has been centered on the stage. He sits down and faces a screen. Behind the screen, Hirschl knows that there are judges, waiting to decide his future. He takes a deep breath and breaks the stark and cold silence with a single, warming note – the first of many to come.

Richard Hirschl is a 58-year-old professional musician.

Specifically, he is a professional cellist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Hirschl has been in the orchestra for over thirty years. “I have been a musician since I was six years old,” Hirschl proudly stated, smiling. “I had piano lessons when I was six, and I started cello lessons when I was ten.” Hirschl has been a musician for almost all his life because he started when he was extremely young.

Even though he started piano lessons before he started cello lessons, he is still extremely experienced in playing cello. In

addition, this shows how much experience Hirschl must have as a musician, in his professional career and in his years before.

Because of his basic knowledge in playing piano, Hirschl was able to learn how to read cello music faster, which helped him to learn new pieces, too.

After graduating from The Juilliard School, Hirschl started to audition for professional orchestras. His first-choice orchestra was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Hirschl had to audition twice for the orchestra position. Thankfully, he got the job the second time around. There were two rounds to the audition: a screened preliminary round and an unscreened final round. A screened audition is when the judges cannot see the person performing. This ensures that the first round is completely unbiased. The auditions were held on the stage of Orchestra Hall.

Carefully, Hirschl added that “they had a carpet on the stage, so you couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman walking on the wooden floor.”

Hirschl stated that for the preliminary round of the audition, he played about ten orchestral excerpts, the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto, and the Prelude of the Bach C Major Suite. In the final round of the audition, he played the same orchestral excerpts, but the Dvorak Cello Concerto, instead of the Saint-Saens Concerto, and the Sarabande and Prelude of the Bach C Major Suite.

Reflecting, Hirschl stated that the atmosphere of the audition was very professional, but also cold and detached. For the most part, though, he thought that starting his professional career was “very exciting and a little intimidating.”

After earning the position, Hirschl still had to get tenure: when an orchestra member is permanently given their job. Prior to this, they are called probationary members. After becoming a probationary member of the orchestra, Hirschl gained his tenure after about six months. When asked about gaining his tenure, Hirschl said that it came as a complete surprise. He never had a moment where he was sure that he would permanently have his job.

“I had never played that many concerts.

Ever.”

In a regular week, the Chicago Symphony has four rehearsals and plays four concerts. Hirschl said that it took about a year to adjust to playing four concerts a week. “I had never played that many concerts. Ever,” remarked Hirschl, shifting in his chair.

After thinking about the subject for a minute, Hirschl thoughtfully stated, “The main adjustment was learning so much music. And that took five years.” It is much harder to play in a professional orchestra, compared to an amateur orchestra. Even though the new orchestra members are the best that the orchestra’s committee could find, it is still hard for them to adjust to playing four concerts worth of music every week.

Richard Hirschl is a professional cellist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He persevered to get into the orchestra, even after being denied once. He worked hard to win the position in the orchestra and even after getting the job, he continued to work hard.

Towards the end of the interview, Hirschl was asked what advice he would give to a new orchestra member. After taking a moment to consider the question, he responded, “Always prepare the music to the best of your ability. Be relaxed and respectful of you colleagues.” Being prepared and confident is often a leading factor of success.

Written By: Vivian Hirschl A Goffriller cello

M

cDonald’s Coca-Cola in my hand, I and my mom drove around passing time.

She turned the dial on the radio to volume seven and “Fast Car” came on. She smiled reflectively as she gently hummed the words to the song. She says, “Lauren and I used to drive around and listen to this song and sing it together.” I smiled from seeing my mom so happy. She and Lauren Bean-Buitta are best friends and any time she talks about her feels like a movie about the summer, when nothing can go wrong.

The lyric “I got a feeling I could be someone” from the song “Fast Car” reminds me of Buitta. Post-college dreams and thoughts brought her to the idea for the company over fifteen years later. Demanding work, careful and calculated planning, and confidence brought Buitta’s company, Girl Security, to fruition.

Lauren Bean Buitta is a forty-three-year-old founder and CEO of the non-profit organization Girl Security. She is a mother of two from Norwell, Massachusetts. After the days when the sunroof was down, the radio blasted music that was louder than responsibilities, and hair was pinned back by the wind, Buitta is working to teach young girls that they do not need to hold themselves to someone else’s standards or ideals.

Buitta had the idea for Girl Security in the back of her mind for fifteen years before it came to fruition. She emailed her brother to tell him about her idea. At the time of the email, her brother was deployed to Iraq, but that did not stop their constant communication.

With a chuckle, she retells the email: “I have an idea. I wanna start an organization to educate girls about national security and he wrote back and said something along the lines of, ‘That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure anyone will support an organization that’s just for girls’” Had Buitta listened to her brother and all the other people that said her company would not be supported, she may have put a halt on her company and threw out the idea. And yet, despite warnings from her own family, she persevered and fought to make her dreams come true.

Buitta did not hold herself to the standards of companies that have a goal to get more young girls interested in national security and technology, but do not actually act on it.

She rebuilt the narrative for what it means to represent young women in national security by providing them with a place at the table. Her bravery and confidence inspire to believe that I do not always have to listen to the opinions of others, even those I care about. If I have an idea that I passionately believe will work and be successful, then I should continue regardless of people’s opinions.

After asking many questions on how Buitta found a home in national security and the start of her company, I found out that she resides with her husband, son, and daughter in Massachusetts. When asked about her children, a smile so big it outshined the sun appeared on her face. Love for her family is a core value of hers, so naturally when questioned about what motivates her, she would respond, “What probably continues to inspire me or motivate me is especially looking at my own daughter and son and seeing the ways in which while we’ve made progress, we’ve actually not made enough progress so that young girls can come into spaces like national security and really feel, um, equal and valued.” As a society, we have just begun the work necessary to make young girls feel like they are welcome in the conversation. By remaining motivated, Buitta is working to tear down the patriarchal standards of what success has been for so long.

As a girl interested in national security, the path has only begun to be paved for me to sit at the table and join in the conversation. I know that I and all the other girls my age must continue to work to pave the path towards more representation. In order to reach that, we need to just try. If not for us, then we must do it for the rest of the young girls who want to work in national security so they can be welcomed into the conversation and have their rightful place at the table.

The standards or the rules set by men force working parents to choose which they care about more: their family or their career. But Buitta made it incredibly clear from the tone when she talked about striking the perfect home-life balance that she had made her choice: family. However, she did not give up her career for it. Her company as a whole works tirelessly to make sure that they allow family time for each individual employee.

Making sure that her children feel loved and supported is a primary concern of Buitta’s. In order to make sure that this is a core value across her company, she has had to push back against the patriarchal standards that have plagued working families for quite a long time. Her voice reflective, she says that the main thing she learned from her career is, “To not hold yourself to someone else’s standards or ideals.” These norms were created by men whose ideals contrast those of a twenty first century working mother. If equity had been prioritized, then these standards would not exist for an industry as a whole, but for each

individual person.

It takes time to recognize that I am not the mold. I do not fit the patriarchal standards, and I break them by simply existing. Had this lesson been taught to me at an early age, I would have been able to create my own individual standards. Young girls have these “rules” engraved in their mind at such an early age. But learning that I am not the mold, but do not have to be, is the biggest lesson of them all.

Buitta and my mother both lived in Chicago at one point. That was the time when “Fast Car” played frequently on the radio and they sang, free as a bird. During this time when Buitta lived in Chicago, she had a job where she worked tirelessly to develop analytical skills. But, in the preliminary stages of her career, Buitta noticed many things about the rooms she was in, pertaining specifically to national security: “If I just listened to, um, people’s opinions or, um, reacted to the rooms I was in where I was the only woman, I probably wouldn’t have persevered. So just do it.” The patriarchal standards set in place by men are that created the rooms with no women in them and formed the negative experiences Buitta has had in these rooms.

In order to rebuild the patriarchy driven industries, working women must persevere through the rooms with no representation and through the opinions. Because if we do not, then we leave it to the next generation of women in national security to fix the mess left by the harmful standards that we were unable to solve. When the standards are driven so deeply into society, they are hard to remove. However, we must do the work, fighting the patriarchal standards, that organizations such as Girl Security are doing. In other words, we must “Just do it.”

These rules were plastered in my mind subconsciously when I called Buitta. I was nervous that I was talking too much, talking too little, that I was not dressed in the necessary attire, and more. I was self-conscious, one of the “rules” about being a woman in any industry. But, as I questioned Buitta on her life and career, I felt the rules melt away, I felt like I could assume space in the conversation, and I felt like I belonged.

Buitta’s body language was very relaxed and safe. She answered the phone with confidence emitting from her every word. I carry the feeling I had during the interview with me in the forefront of my mind each and every day. I feel empowered by Buitta’s perseverance, bravery, and confidence to know that she belongs and that I and everyone should not hold themselves to someone else’s standards and ideals.

“To not hold yourself to someone else’s standards or ideals.”

By Vivian Hong

“I got a feeling I could be someone” CEO of national security company Girl Security works to tear down barriers for women.

Rise To The Bar and Beyond How Elizabeth “Beth” Ryan rose from being a college student studying political science to being Judge Ryan in the Cook County Circuit Court.

By: Ryan Horne

Elizabeth “Beth” Ryan, my aunt, sat tall and crossed legged in her living room that was dimly lit by a few lamps.

As I asked about her family, her 6-yearold daughter ran into the living-room with a Dr. Seuss book tucked under her arm. A jovial smile instantly appeared on my Aunt’s face. From there I knew that her daughters mean the world to her and are a huge part of her life. Also important to Aunt Beth is her husband. She shared the fact that he was always able to help when she was busy with events and campaigning, leading us to the conversation of college and law school.

My Aunt is now a judge for the Cook County Judiciary for domestic violence.

Aunt Beth attended the University of Illinois for four years and studied political science. In the beginning of college, she wanted to become a social worker and enjoyed helping people. My Aunt and one of her best friends, Hope, whom she met while in college, decided to go to Washington, DC for a week and do Model UN. Hope presented on the environment and my Aunt presented on domestic violence. Little did she realize this experience was another look into her near future.

During her junior and senior year of college, she decided she wanted to take after her father and two brothers and become a lawyer. She knew she, “Wanted to do something in the area of law where you help people.” My Aunt wanted to continue helping people considering her past desire to become a social worker. This is a reason for why she works for the domestic violence court now as a judge. Our country has onethird of women who report being physically abused by their partner and its warming to know that my Aunt helps many women who suffer.

From there, Aunt Beth took the LSAT; Law School Admission Test which tests you on reading

comprehension, analytics, and logical reasoning. Later, she attended DePaul University for law school. While attending DePaul, she worked during the days and went to classes at night, as it was best fitting for herself and her schedule. When presented opportunities for internships with other judges she participated in multiple. One example is an internship which Justice Bower taught her about writing and evaluating cases.

This specific internship made her interested in the Judiciary. In one of her clerk shifts during law school, she worked with a case that involved immigration issues. While working on the case and looking at the law she thought, “That would be something that I would want to do, be a judge.” My Aunt was inspired by other justices and cases to become a judge. My Aunt’s career inspires me and her four daughters, to be better people and help each other no matter what. Just like her, my cousins and I help people in tough times and help the situation rather than add on to the problem.

My Aunt was set on being a judge and wanted to reach her goal. She says that running for judge “takes a lot of time and resources.” This was critical to her as she has four daughters and during this process, she was not able to spend a lot of time with them. While running, she had to start to promote herself. Her name was seen on billboards around Chicago, nail files, lawn signs, and cards she and others helping her campaign would hand out.

This helped spread her name around.

During this time, she had to start to get to know other committee people and unions that would help support her through campaign season. Aunt Beth had to attend and talk at many events to get people’s attention and eventually, their votes. She shared “My overall goal was to get as many palm cards as possible and a win!”

Unfortunately, she lost. She says, “I just had to sit with it,” At that time, Covid was still a pandemic and was at its all time high. She took this time to be with her family and make up for the lost time she had with her girls. This time was also used to look back and reflect. Not wanting to give up, my Aunt knew what she had to work harder to come back, run again and win.

And so, she did. On June 28th, my Aunt found out she won her election. As I asked her how she felt when she won, she started to tear up saying, “I was so happy.

It was the best feeling. All the hard work was worth it.” My Aunt never gave up.

Knowing what she wanted, she turned her loss into a learning opportunity and came back stronger than ever.

“All the hard work was worth it!”

During the interview, the common message that came across was that my Aunt was diligent and steadfast. She shows this in the many accomplishments: being a student at University of Illinois and DePaul Law School, her 19 years of being a lawyer, and her journey of becoming a judge for the domestic violence court. My Aunt went through many ups and downs during her experience. However, no problem was too big for her to navigate. Discovering a goal and working hard for it, pays off!

Working in one of the tallest buildings in the world, Kirsten Hull is embracing her past and learning from it.

9/11: A Day to Remember My mom, Kirsten Hull, provides insight on her experience during the catastrophic event of 9/11 and reflects on how we can use past events in history to make mindful choices today.

By: Annika Hull September 10th, 2001, was Labor Day weekend, the one day dedicated to workers. New Yorkers soaked up the last hours of summer before the work and school years resumed - again. The weather was perfect; it was mostly sunny and 75 degrees with not a percent of precipitation in the forecast. Many New Yorkers, including Kirsten and her friends, spent the weekend sailing, watching the US Open tennis tournament, and enjoying time outside with friends. Little did anyone know the plan that was years in the making and already in motion that was going to take place within the next 24 hours.

My mom, Kirsten Hull, is the Senior Vice President for EQ Office. In her role, she currently works to redevelop the Willis Tower in Chicago.

At the time, Hull was living with two roommates on the Upper East side of Manhattan and worked at a consulting firm in Midtown. After attending college at Princeton, Hull worked for two months in New York City.

Hull lived 15 minutes from her workplace in Midtown and her office building

was another 15 minutes away, so Hull was fairly adjacent to the Twin Towers site.

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, when Hull went to take her usual route to work, the 6 train down to 5th Avenue and then the crosstown train to Midtown, she realized the 6 train was not running. Alternatively, she had to take a bus. Since Hull took the bus to work instead of the train, she was able to receive a phone call from her roommate, Kristine, who worked a few blocks away from the Twin Towers. Kristine explained to Hull that she and her co-workers heard a loud crash nearby and there were rumors that a small commuter plane crashed into the side of one of the Twin Towers. Kristine did not have a radio or television at work to see the news, so she was not informed of the details. She asked Hull to find out if this was true and to find more information when she got to her office. On the way to her office, Hull encountered a distraught woman in the elevator. Hull described, “Once I got to Midtown, I walked into my building, Carnegie Hall, one of the tallest towers in Midtown, there was a woman in the elevator who was devastated. I did not know her, but I asked, ‘are you okay,’ she said, ‘I’m worried because my husband is traveling for work at a meeting in the Sears Tower and since he is in one of the tallest buildings in America, he is at risk of getting attacked.’”

Hull was confused by the woman’s worry so she asked why the Sears Tower would be attacked if the plane accidentally crashed into the Twin Towers. The woman quickly realized that Hull did not know the plane crash was a planned attack. Hull then recognized how significant the event truly was. It is outright shocking and terrifying to think about why a group of people would purposefully plan to murder hundreds of innocent people. It is significant for us as a country to reflect on 9/11 and relate our experiences to what many others around the world face daily.

“When I got up to my office, the radio was turned on and by the time I got up there, the second plane had hit. It was at that moment we all knew this was not an accident.”

Many people were uninformed about the event because the only way of communicating was through landline phones, radios, and televisions, but most people were at work, so they did not have access to televisions or radios to know what was happening outside. Because many were at work and did not have a reliable way of communication, 9/11 impacted numerous people and caused stress and confusion all around the country as many were very confused and uninformed.

On the days after the tragedy of 9/11, many people rushed in to help.

People flooded hospitals all over New York City looking for ways to donate blood. There were so many people wanting to donate that hospitals had to refuse donors unless they had a specific universal blood type. Hull and her coworkers looked for ways to help while they were awaiting updates from family and friends regarding their safety. While waiting, they walked around Central Park and Times Square looking at various missing signs posted to see if they recognized any of the missing people or if they could help look for them. Hull explained, “People didn’t know for certain if the people they knew were alive or not. Everywhere all around the main gathering spots in New York City,

people were putting up missing signs with people's faces and contact information because you couldn’t get a hold of anyone since the cell service was jammed up." Many civilians were working hard to find different ways of reconnecting to friends and family after separation during 9/11.

As people look back at the event of 9/11, many recognize how important it was that everyone banded together to help others in need. It was most likely very distressing for those who were missing friends and loved ones for multiple days without knowing where they were or if they were even alive.

During the days after 9/11, citizens of New York City banded together to aid those in need of physical and mental support. When as a country we face disagreements or tough circumstances, it is important that we recall how no matter our differences, throughout the period of time after 9/11, everyone assembled to help each other.

After the first tower fell, everyone evacuated all buildings near the Twin Towers. No trains or buses were running at the time, so people ran to escape from the cloud of ash and debris that shot into the air once the first tower fell. Hull and her co-workers evacuated their building and walked to whomever had the closest apartment of the co-workers. Once they arrived, each of them took turns using the landline to call friends and family to check if they were safe and to inform them that they were alive and safe. Hull and her co-workers sat glued to the television for 6-8 hours after the evacuation watching news updates and looking to learn more about what truly happened.

Hull was worried about her roommate, who was working nearby right as the planes hit, but she was relieved when she received an email saying her roommate, Kristine, was safe on Staten Island. Hull did not see her roommate for several days until the public transportation and boats started running again.

When Kristine finally returned home, Hull heard about all she had to endure to get to safety. Hull stated, “She ran from her building to the Staten Island ferry.

She ended up walking through her shoes, so she walked barefoot with glass in her feet. By the time she came back, I helped her take the glass out of her feet.” Anyone who was near the Twin Towers at the time was desperately trying to escape from the buildings for fear of getting injured, or worse, killed.

Kristine was probably very confused and terrified of the entire situation because she did not know anything at the time other than that she needed to run away as far as possible. At the time, people were very perplexed and frightened of what had just happened. Many people endured a lot of pain and suffering trying to escape from the cloud of ash and the fear of the unknown of 9/11. There was a large number of civilians who did not have any idea what happened, but they were told to run, so they did. There were people who jumped into nearby bodies of water and hopped on boats while others swam, others ran and walked for extensive distances until they could reach a safe resting place, and others fled to different boroughs of New York City seeking shelter.

Throughout the interview, Hull provided insightful comments as she described her experience during 9/11. Hull emphasized that major events and disruptions like 9/11 negatively impact many people throughout the country, and even around the world. Specifically, as described earlier in the interview, after the first tower fell, buildings all over the United States were evacuated to prevent attack which caused millions of civilians to be displaced as they were uncertain of the status of their safety. By looking back at the negative repercussions of 9/11, people can learn to think about their actions and the effects that will come of them.

It

Talking it Out Nadia Jelinek uses her voice to help the children at Maria Saucedo Scholastic academy

By Nathan Jelinek Photographed by Nathan Jelinek

was a Sunday night in Chicago, a typically and cold city during this season.

The rain outside knocked on the window in my parents’ room. Drained from all her work my mom talked slowly. “How long does this interview have to be?” She asked concerned for how long it may be. “Around 30 minutes.” I replied. determined by this remark her and I sat on the bed preparing our questions and answers for their interview. The room was quiet, but we could hear the tv faintly playing from downstairs, we took a deep breath and started recording. I lay down on the bed with one blanket by my foot while she sat on her cushioned blue chair as we continuously asked questions while she came up with answers for their interview. Back and forth we talked making up ideas as we went along. As the conversation progressed, we started to run out of ideas, and it took longer for us to talk. We kept adjusting to where we felt most comfortable, as we looked at the timer for how much more we needed to say and we finally wrapped it up.

Nadia Jelinek, a 36-year-old mother of two boys Nathan and Jacob Jelinek, works at a school named Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy. She faces many challenges during her job like what the kids tell her and the amount of work she does. She has lived at home with her two boys all her life, but eventoully they grew old enough to stay at home by themselves. This meant that there was no point for her to stay and help them there. Instead, she looked around for a job, and found the job she has now. Jelinek has been working as a school counselor for 5 years, meaning she has a great deal of knowledge when it comes to this career. She has lived in Chicago all her life and has enjoyed the past years of her job. Jelinek has heard many things from students, some good and some bad.

I asked her what she might feel as the hardest part of her job. She thinks quietly about what she might say as she sits on the bed and answers, “I think the hardest thing is hearing kids with problems or hearing kids tell you that they saw their dad hitting their mom or hearing a kid tell you they want to kill themselves.” Her and the students both face stress during this time. Having this stress can affect how she works, acts, and feels. Hearing horrible things like this can make a person feel very sad. This can make it harder for the teacher to help kids in need if they too are fighting stress. Jelinek constantly hears situations like these, causing the stress to have a profuse amount of damage towards her. Although this may take a toll on Jelinek, she is still strong enough to keep helping and supporting these kids.

Jelinek has seen many excellent things while she works at her school, but one of the greatest things is seeing students come back and help around the school. I asked her about the brighter side of her job, like helping the kids in need, donating things, or just making them better people. We talked about how her team works and what she thinks about the school, and what it has achieved. She said that her team is great and that they work very well together, but she thinks she needs a little help in her area of work. Even though there are some challenges between the workers they are still able to get the job done and help the kids at Maria Saucedo.

I asked her about what makes her feel great there. She talked about the kids feeling better and enjoying life more. Then I asked her about what she thinks are the best thing that happen there. She smiles thinking about the good memories she has had at this school and says, “It’s great to see the kids that graduate to come back and say hi and seem very happy.” Although her job may be stressful and hard, it also comes with rewards for the work their team puts in. The kids come back after graduating all excited because of the impact the school has on them. When these kids come back, they thank the teachers for all they have done, and offer to help around the place. For these kids the school was not only a place for them to learn, but also a place for them to grow as a person and fix their life. The school was there for them during their roughest times and helped them to overcome challenges going on at home or internally. Moments like these keep Jelinek and her team striving and working on further helping these kids have brighter future.

Jelinek’s job focuses more on the students feeling instead of teaching subjects like history, English, or math. Before her job she would spend time at home helping her kids and working around the house. Jelinek felt that she enjoyed helping children, and

that she was good at making them feel comfortable. When looking for jobs she really liked the idea of being a School Counselor. One of her friends was the principal of a school called Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy, and they had a spot open for School Counselor. She wanted to pursue this role and the school and decided to apply.

During my interview I asked her what her job is and where does she work, Jelinek took no time to waste and replied, “I am a School Counselor at Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy, it’s in Little Village and it is a Chicago Public School” I can infer that this position is typically difficult not just because of the amount of work you have, but also what goes on when you’re helping kids out. Like what she talked about earlier, School Counselor is hard because of what the students have to say. When students talk about wanting to kill themselves, or scary moments at home it is hard for her to think about.

This is not the only reason why Student Counselor is a difficult position. Typically, there are around one to two School Counselors at a school, with one being the most difficult, that is the role Jelinek has. She is in a school that has lots of problems related to students and their background, and she is the one that must deal with this all by herself.

She talked about wanting to get more staff members to help her out in this role because of the difficulty and stress that comes with it.

Jelinek feels that she can really be an advocate for the students. After all, she is Hispanic and can speak Spanish fluently, so she is well fit for this job. She can connect with them by speaking Spanish and really help the kids, by understanding them emotionally or physically. Some kids there may not be very great at English so her Spanish speaking ability can really help during these difficult situations to get the children’s full perspective. Near the end of our interview, I asked her some impacts she has made while at the school. She sat on the bed drawn out from our conversation and she replied with, “Being an advocate for students and for their families and being able to use my Spanish with all the families there.” Jelinek has really helped the community as a School Counselor because it is easier for her to communicate with the children that really need to be understood. After that she went on to talk about how some team members can also speak Spanish. This can further help the process because earlier she said that she needed more help while working, so she has finally taken a step-in aim for this need. While there are some advantages during her time at work, there are also new challenges to come every day, but Jelinek still stays consistent and keeps helping the people that need it the most.

In Conclusion, Jelinek helps the kids in the community near her school every day. Her job is very difficult, but she still does it every day to not only help her family but also those kids that need it the most. She has gone through many challenges throughout her life not only at work but also at home. Even if the journey is rough, it’s about the reward or impact that you make towards others that matter. You should always want to do the thing that is right even though most of the time it will be the most difficult action.

Keep in mind that pursuing in a successful career may not always be easy and can come with sets of challenges along the way that you will have to face either alone or with your coworkers and friends.

The kids come back after graduating all excited because of the impact the school has on them.

A Start of a New Life

Written By: Coco Ines Kenar

Dorota Kenar changes the way people view immigrants She sat in front of me, holding her glowing face in her dainty left hand, with chestnut brown hair cascading down her shoulders. She let out a sigh, as she slowly closed her eyes and said, “This was so long ago, my love, and yet it feels just like yesterday.”

Dorota Kenar was simply a young teenager when she immigrated (not willingly) to the United States of America with her younger brother, Maciek, and her parents, Grazyna and Tomek, from Warsaw, Poland during the post-Soviet times. Poland is a small country in the heart of Europe with many distinct features including traditions, the environment, beautiful and diverse geography and lifestyle.

My mom never wanted to immigrate from Poland to the U.S. She didn’t want to leave her only home with her friends and her culture. As soon as she left, she immediately wanted to go back to Warszawa.

With a tear in her eye, she says, “My mind was set that as soon as I would get independent from my parents, I would be back. But of course, it didn’t happen because then you learn the language, you embrace the culture, you find your way, and I went to university and got my masters, and you suddenly have a family of your own and you make it your country.”

Dorota was just a child who feared leaving the only place she called home; which was a cozy house filled with joy, guests and partying. She never imagined leaving everything she cared for behind including her clothes, toys and piano. Furthermore, she had to come to a whole new place barely knowing anyone or anything about it. My mom was classified as an immigrant by the United States government system; she was a part of a vast majority of the population of the U.S.A. It was an unknown place to her, but she had to get used to it. Painstakingly, she shares her opinion through her experiences on the word ‘immigrant’.

“The word immigrant to me means an opportunity for new beginnings, facing hardships, a change in culture, and a future that lies ahead.”

There are countless people even to this day, that go through all these difficulties; many coming to Chicago weekly. My mom is just one example of a resilient immigrant, who used her opportunity for new beginnings to become successful later in life.

Personally, I can’t even imagine having to go through all those challenges, and so many of us are extremely lucky to be where we are today, partly because of the hard work and accomplishments of immigrants and the tough effects that they were put through, unwillingly.

Dorota speaks about her accomplishments and how they have impacted me as her child, “This is a country of opportunities and now we have you and look at all the opportunities you have in front of and ahead of you.”

When she first arrived, everything was brand new and strange to her, including the customs and ways of living. Coming from the capital city of Warszawa in Poland, a small country around the size of New Mexico, it was a new and tough experience in the colossal, unfamiliar country for my mom. As I spoke with my mom about the differences and similarities between America and Poland, she answered with a smile, proud of her home country.

I believe that we should honor the fact that we are able to have these benefits, such as having a great education and being able to live in a stable society.

These building blocks help us with our growth and basic aspects of life, which we wouldn’t usually recognize. As citizens of the U.S.A and secondgeneration Americans and greater, we should be thankful because our ancestors faced hardships to get themselves, and us here today with a foundation. The truth is, everyone here is an immigrant or is related to one. Nodding, my mom adds, “We are all immigrants; we are what America is.” Personally, for me I am very grateful to be here today, and to be born during this time and place in the world and you should be too.

“The language, the culture, the food, the customs. Everything is very different and it’s not that it’s better or worse, just different.”

As I grow older and travel with my family, it is interesting to see how Poland has changed since my mom left and how it is different from the U.S. When my mom left, the whole region was just recovering from the harsh, post-Soviet Union times. It was a shock to my mom when she first encountered America, because the Polish culture was extremely different and unique. It was a challenge trying to fit into a new and foreign society and unknown norms. My mom only spoke one language back then, Polish, as they weren’t taught English in Poland. She has come so far and speaks almost four languages fluently now.

As the country of America evolved, and as new generations of children have been born here, they have many more opportunities to pursue their dreams, as they have resources that were not available to my mom and countless other immigrants like her and her family. Gladly, she reflects upon the current situation for people like me and how it has changed since she immigrated.

“We are all immigrants; we are what America is.”

In conclusion, my mom, Dorota Kenar, has come extremely far allowing me to have a worry-free life, and be able to live in a stable and free country with my family. Immigrants are often unfairly ridiculed and thought of poorly, but they are truly put through so many hardships during their journeys to other countries and should be honored for their achievements. Similar to my mama, they are resilient, brave, and hard-working people who dedicate their lives to becoming a better version of themselves for their family’s lives and their own. People should be grateful and honoring of immigrants because they are what build up America and the world.

I used to not think much of these stories, but now I do constantly.

My mom inspires me every day.

Dorota Kenar

Painting a Future

Emmett Kerrigan smiling at his art opening

Emmett Tomas Kerrigan is creating art to

went to his friend’s house who lived near him they were super close, but little did young Kerrigan know is that this kid was affiliated with a gang on the west side. They where at the bus stop when a group of twenty kids jumped his friend and almost killed his friend so he learned quickly to stay out of trouble till you can deal with it. So, Emmett Kerrigan stayed a good kid ever since that is this why he is where he is.

I interviewed Mr. Kerrigan, a key role model for me in many ways, about his career in art. I interviewed Mr. Kerrigan in my home on a cold Saturday evening, and the first thing he said, thoughtfully, was, “I’m going to work by a** off.” It is true: you need the mindset of I am going to work my butt off to be as successful as he is.

My own lifestyle and work ethic is never stopping no matter what challenges you are going through. Something else Kerrigan said is, “all you need is a ball and a rim, and if you do not have that, chop some wood and make a basket and make a ball out of anything – or even imagine a ball— because where I grew up that’s all you got.” He worked through the ranks for me just to be able to have my brand-new shoes, basketball, and a hoop.

Kerrigan has worked hard since he was 13, when his mother got sick, and he had work hard to make money and put food on the table for his siblings. His mother was an artist and his father worked at the board of trade.

Kerrigan grew up to be both of those things.

The next thing he said is from a story he told me when his friend, an old teacher, told him, “Those are not your type of landscapes,” Kerrigan continued, laughing as he retold the quote, “what are you? You are from Chicago. Do not forget that.” His voiced sounded happy as he vividly remembered the moment. The man who said this to Kerrigan changed his work; he used to do landscapes, and he was good at them, but then he changed to woodwork and murals. We should be who we truly are and it will help us eventually, because usually who you are is what you are talented at.

In this situation, Kerrigan was talented at this type of art. On the court, my true self is who dominates the competition and is a leader to my teammates.

This is what my coaches want, so I be myself and do well in games.

support his family By: Oliver Kerrigan

In small-town Michigan City, Indiana, Emmett Kerrigan, a CroatianIrish American, was born into a family of eight. He had people try to hold him back, but he knew what he wanted, not even what he wanted but what he needed to keep his family healthy and feed the thing he wanted to be was an artist. When Emmett Kerrigan was moved to Chicago at the age of ten, he had to learn to be safe and pick the right people to be around. But this was not easy he was just a kid. When Emmett Kerrigan was in eighth grade, he

“I’m going to work my a** off.”

Next, he told me a story about a different teacher from art school. He told me one of the biggest roadblocks he faced: “I had this one teacher one day and he said you won’t be good enough. Five years from now you won’t be doing art.” He said this in a serious voice. He overcame someone that did

not believe in him, and it shows how he persevered and that when people hate on you, it should only give you motivation to prove them wrong. He did not listen to them and worked hard and never gave up.

A lot of people say to me that I am not good enough at basketball and that I am just tall, but Kerrigan gives me hope because if he can prove them wrong, I can too. People see me on my FXW team and travel team as a leader and the most skilled.

He told me that one quotation he lives by is that “obstacles do not have to step to get a round you,” then he added, thoughtfully and in a curious manner, “well, figure out a way to get around them or get through them.

You’ll overcome, then you will get stronger. Do not let anything stop you, it’s all in your head.” This is very helpful because life is basically a big obstacle, but you have fun and experience new things along the way. When you see an obstacle, do not look at it with fear, look at it as a thing you are going to accomplish. Do not give up no matter the obstacle or challenge; it will only make you stronger. For a kid my age, there are a lot of obstacles that kids like me do not know what to do when they are up against a challenge, but this helps me know that whatever I am up against, I can conquer it and get stronger at the same time.

Emmet Kerrigan is a hardworking, kind, thoughtful, and creative artist. After speaking with Emmett Kerrigan, I realized that I should be more thoughtful for my actions before doing them. When interviewing Mr. Kerrigan, I saw a trend: dream big first, then work hard to get where you want to be.

“My Neighborhood” 2018

What Makes a Rebel Rebel Theatrics founder Kellie Carroll is inspiring young artist around the world to realize their own potential and prioritize the focus on mental health.

By Alexa Kiesewetter

Rebel Theatrics provides a space for artistic minds to flourish, Carroll breaks down barriers and brings dance training into the 21 st Century.

It was 8:00pm and I was setting up to interview my Ninang about her company.

I knew I had picked the perfect person to interview for this occasion, Kellie Carroll.

Carroll, the founder of Rebel Theatrics, I knew always had the power to display a smiling face and sunny attitude. My phone rang for about 30 seconds until her cheery, joyful voice came on the phone, “Hello Alexa! Ready to get this started?” she said. Her voice was always bubbly and laced with excitement that I never understood, considering how late it seemed. I had always appreciated her for supporting me and giving me the best advice. At this moment I was sure I had picked the perfect story for my journalism project.

Born in Indiana on July 25th, 1988, and raised by Doug and Julie Carroll. Now, she currently lives in Texas with her dog and best friend, Charlie, all while running her own business. Rebel Theatrics is a dance, musical theater, and arts training center prioritizing their focus on mental health. From the very beginning everyone knew she was a rebel; she was always dancing. During the interview, she described to me that her mom even said she was dancing in her belly. Growing up she knew she would teach. My Ninang, or godmother, and cousin, Kellie Carrol, is one of my biggest role models. I’m honored to take a deeper dive into her story and where it all began. From the beginning I

understood the basics of her company: she had a dream and began a business. As the interview carried on, I learned it was much more than that.

For most people, the question still runs their head of, “what will I be?”, or “what will I do in the future?”, but for Carroll that was never an issue. It always seemed like dance was her calling and that is what she needed to do. Her drive and passion was for the stage. Even at a young age she enjoyed directing the other children in need of help. Growing up throws you on a bunch of different paths such as maturing and developing as a person academically, socially, and emotionally. Dancing felt like a safety. She never felt like questioning herself when on the stage, it was always what the next move was. As she went on talking about dance as a child, she pauses and describes, “Growing up having the ability to be creative and always have something that challenged my mind and body, and artistic pursuit and artistic brain was something very fulfilling.”

This is truly inspiring and paints a perfect picture of her motivation. I can relate to her as an athlete. I find my sport so fulfilling it drives me to work hard. Kellie Carroll has loved the challenge of discovering new ways to teach and enhance the learning of children and young adults. Her teaching can give children the same feeling. This gives them the opportunity to have an open lens on the dance world and provide their brain with the fulfilling and challenge of the arts. Carroll never strayed from her love for dance and took it to new levels and eventually started her own company. The importance of keeping the child’s dream alive just as she did is important. She is a role model to artists to go off as she did and start something never done before and brilliant. As a teenager with big dreams, I admire her initiative and drive to start her own dance company. I don’t know what I want to be yet but seeing her take her dance dream and turn it into something great gives me hope that if she can do it, I certainly can.

Imagine how many artist the world has lost because they felt trapped in a box.

The world could have so much more individuality and uniqueness, but we would never know. Miss Carroll speaks with passion and pride. She is unique and develops her own styles of teaching to fit each student. With past employers she couldn’t fulfill that, for she was challenged to fit in and teach how she was told to. She states, “I was being challenged to try to fit in the box that they wanted me to be in and now the challenge is how creative can I continue myself to be.”

While complying to her employers the teaching wasn’t hers. Finally, being her own boss became liberating for her. She describes to me that she believes her teaching became authentic and 100% herself. No other company teaches like she does, so she is making a change. She has always taught with the health of her children in mind, but now she has the opportunity to incorporate it into lessons. Now she can develop the skills of young adults within her company and help them create coping skills while battling the mental struggles of dance. Every challenge she encounters she takes with positivity, pride, and confidence in herself. When challenges seem too difficult you must remember how fulfilling the result will be. The reminder that the dream is possible if you put in the work.

Mental health is important for everyone. You never know who is battling internally with themselves. Children in the dance field might not always have the opportunity to develop their coping skills. Carroll strives to teach her students the best form of dance and give them the mental health skills they will need for the rest of their life and dance career. Rejection is such a big part of the arts and not everyone is prepared for it. Carroll has lots of plans for her future. While she is confident she will

get there, she also has goals along the way to reach it. When asked about the future of her company she responds, “If I help one kid. Every kid that I help make feel like they matter means that my company will be a success.”

Her missions, goals, and hopes for her company only hold the best intentions.

There are mental battles everywhere and within every person. In the dance world no one talks about how you feel after the show. You’re supposed to leave your emotions at the door, but what happens when you get back to the door? From personal experience, I understand the frustrating and disheartening feeling of believing no one is there to help you. No one is there to guide you through it, it especially feels even harder as a young adult. Rebel focuses on shedding light to this. They have conventions to bring in mental health professionals and counselors that will provide coping, selfcare skills, and tools to use daily. For every 40 no’s there is 1 yes. Rebel focuses on finding ways to cope with rejection, for it is common, in life and dance. No other company teaches dance and mental health like she does. Her company is the first big step towards something greater.

Without Rebel Theatrics mental health might still be in the dark for young artists and dancers. It is extremely important to recognize that every mind and body has a breaking point. While developing your artistic skills you also need to train your mind to fight the mental struggles.

Throughout the interview, I began to understand her passionate and humble mind. Kellie Carroll is a rebel. She is bold as well as she is graceful. She was challenged by building her own company, the challenge she enjoyed and took with pride. At a young age she was inspired by the stage and even from the beginning she understood she would teach. She described to me that there have been moments where she is underestimated, under respected, and unappreciated, instead of doubting herself she takes on challenges with curiosity, delight, and enjoyment. A strong sense of self. She walks into every studio believing, “I am actually one of the smartest people in the room.

I am one of the most talented in the room.” She is modest and confident while staying true to herself.

As the interview continued, I began to fully respect her for her drive despite the internal and external battles of building her own business. The journey she undergoes to find everyone’s “rebel”, including her own, is inspiring. I truly appreciate her work and I constantly remind myself to be grateful there are people like her in the world. Fighting for a change in the most elegant yet fierce way possible. Her accomplishments remind me to live life never doubting my own potential, that there is a rebel within everyone. At the end of the interview she states, “I am Rebel and Rebel is me.”

“If I help one kid. Every kid that I help make feel like they matter means that my company will be a success.” –Kellie Carroll

Linda Ling stands in the dimly lit hallway of her home, contemplating her adolescence.

One Chinese woman’s childhood experience Because she had a rough early life, Linda Ling wants young people to live better lives than she did.

By: Ethan Kim

Linda Ling, my mother, is a 47year-old Chinese American woman who is a real estate agent, and she was born in the small town of Canton, Michigan. Ling and I sat on a bed in my brother’s dimly lit room. She wore a t-shirt and jeans as she normally wears. I was afraid that my brother would barge into the room at any moment without notice since he stays there for much of the time in which he in our house. Ling was the only person of Asian descent she knew about in her town of Canton, and for that reason she constantly felt excluded, and she felt that she did not belong in that town because she received many comments on things like her looks and language.

It was rough not having anyone to relate to her since she was the only one of Asian descent in her town, but she tried to ignore that.

While she did not pay attention to the differences between her and the people around her, she still experienced a large amount of racism since she was the only Asian and she was very different from everyone else. Looking down at the floor, Ling says in a grave tone, “Everyone knew me as the Chinese kid, but I also encountered a lot of racism. People made fun of me for my looks, they would ask me if I was Bruce Lee’s sister, or just, you know, make faces at me and go ‘eradicated.’

It was really hurtful at that age, so that was something I struggled with.” This clearly shows that being the only person of your culture in the entirety of your town is hard as no one can relate to you, and when she was a child, people still had a racial superiority view which played a part in it too.

have to say, was myself. I was so extremely shy and insecure that I never raised my hand, I was too scared to speak out, and I learned over the years that, you know, I should have spoken out more, asked for what I wanted, and that I have lost out on many opportunities because I was too afraid to speak out.” The reason that students should not be shy is because being shy can lead to losing a lot of opportunities throughout your childhood, whether they are important or not. I personally was a very shy person growing up, but I constantly challenged myself to just ask questions because I was aware that I could miss out on many opportunities to receive help and I might not understand something but be too afraid to ask.

Overtime I learned to think of asking for help as a concept that I can only benefit from, not be harmed by. When you do not have the courage to ask, you might be left confused, and you will also lose out on the opportunity to increase your confidence. Imagine you are stumped on a topic in a class. You get up to ask for help, but you cannot think of what to say and you are scared to ask, and then you sit down. That will leave you confused, and you will feel frustrated. That is when you can really lose out on the opportunity to have a further understanding of a certain topic.

If anyone was not the same or did not have the same traditions, people might say that it is weird just because it is not the same to their traditions. Personally, I have gone through many instances of racism, and at this age it was very hard because I have never really had any experiences with it before and I did not know how to deal with the issue, so I just sat through I and let them make fun of me which was not the correct choice.

Now that she is grown up, she reflects on her childhood and thinks of it as a learning experience. She now realizes that with her being different, it could have allowed her and everyone around her to learn about one another, but they only decided to pay attention to the differences between them. She then switches to a positive tone and says, “Now that I am grown up, I realize that being different is a good thing, that that is what makes me special, and actually, a lot of people are interested in my culture, and a lot of people do not make fun of me. They are all positive, and we all learn from each other, and that is a great thing, and now I would never wish to be like anyone else, and I am so grateful for who I am. I wish I saw that as a child.”

While Ling loved learning in middle school, she still dealt with many selfrelated issues. She was so shy to the point where she was unable to even ask for help from anybody. Looking at me with a serious look on her face, Ling says with a reflective tone, “Well, the person who held me back the most, I would

As a child, it is likely that she was not able to comprehend the fact that differences are what make up most of our personalities, as well as those around her, but now people are able to reflect on those moments where they should have been appreciative of their differences, and like Ling, they are able to see this as an

opportunity to change how they think in the future. If I or anyone was the only one of a culture in an entire town, I imagine it would be very hard, but you can teach them about your culture, and then they will start to respect your differences, and it can turn into a positive thing.

Ling is always thinking about how she could have had a better childhood, but she knows that she is only able to change her performance in the future, so she tries to be how she should have been while she was in her youth.

Though she would like to change her past, Ling is still a very kind, compassionate person who is constantly taking time out of her day to help others. After speaking with Ling, I realized that I need to be confident so that I do not lose any chances to receive help, and I should be proud for who I am currently and going into the future, in which all people should because it will help everyone change their mentality to something more confident, and in general everyone can have a better mentality. People should be confident when completing a task in order to gain new knowledge.

“The person who held me back the most, I would have to say, was myself.”

interview. Knoeck is my father and the best father you can ever ask for, quite frankly. This man is talented in many skills but he works through every stressful time. He is dedicated to his family and he never will stop helping others in need.

James Knoeck is a man full of curiosity and a man of strength. Born in Wausau, Wisconsin and now lives in modern-day Chicago. Upon arriving in Chicago, he had his first job in the downtown area. He had loved the bigger upgrade from his hometown. He said he loved how everyone went along with each other. He said it was a beautiful upon from the weather outside he said he loved it. His hometown was a smaller place, but it was still full of fun. He said there was a big water park in the middle of the town. He even remembers riding his pick down by his house. But that did not challenge him when coming to Chicago. He overcame the big city and is now successful in learning about the streets of the city. He even said “I rather live in Chicago than Wausau” Knoeck didn’t struggle with this transition from a smaller town in Wisconsin to the third biggest city in the United States. He got more opportunities while in Chicago. He even had switched places to where the company wanted him. All it took was time to adjust to the environment and he became the successful man he is today. That’s also how he met my mom when they were working. Then they met after work at a bar and got to know each other better. As time went on they moved into an apartment together. Then in 2006, my brother was born and still lives in the same apartment. Then in 2009, they bought a lake house in Burlington Wisconsin. Then in 2010, they bought a house in the West Loop area. So that’s how Knoeck came to Chicago and how he lives there today.

The Life of A Legend

James Thomas Knoeck a man of who is hardworking and determined. By Benjamin Knoeck It was October, the air was cool, the leaves were falling, and the spooky season was starting up. Were in a room with a big chandelier. Knoeck, a hard-working man, was waiting for the interview to start. He was wearing his work and his smooth button-down shirt with black jeans on. He looks tired from a long day’s work. But he was still joyful during the

“I don’t live to work; I work to live.”

Mr. Knoeck was also a very hard worker, and he never gave up even though the time was rough. He has 30 years of overwork environments. He has gone to Switzerland, Germany, and even the Bahamas. But still, he is dedicated to working his hardest. Knoeck job is hard but when you have someone who has the experience, he can get the job done. He is an auditor in the town of Chicago and he has been in his field since he was in college. He's learned many life skills and has mastered time management which is a huge struggle for young adults and even adults. He was also committed to working his hardest at this job. He was an auditor for about 20 years. He also has done a lot of other work like working at a diner and he was only 16. Or his most physical job where he had a pack the trucks when it was cold and rigid outside. He had to wake up at the crack of dawn if not earlier to pack

these trucks. But it still taught him dedication in hard work. He has many years of work experience but he also says “Work is not a four-letter word for fun by any means.” Knoeck, a soldier or a person of great experience, people had called him. This also teachers’ young adults and adults starting new jobs or just getting a job. As kids, we would think jobs were fun because we got to pick what would do for a living. But as they start to get older they learn more about jobs and how hard it is to have one. But Knoeck had no problem with that.

He started working at the age of 16! Some people don’t start working till they're 21! So, he had a first-hand experiment of what the real world tasted like. Also had manual labor jobs which could be harder to do than most jobs nowadays. He tells us that we should take work seriously because if you fool around, you could be stuck in a job you hate for the rest of your life. So, he teaches in talks and how true dedication works. He is a man full of passion for others of a younger age and a great mentor if he needs assistance.

Mr. Knoeck is not just hardworking he is hardworking for his family. He provides and cares for his family. He stays up late at night working hard for his work. He occasionally stays up till three in the morning working hard for us. he works seven days a week for about ten hours a day nonstop. Some days he skips lunch because has such a tense job. He has to wake up early in the morning to get his kids to school on time. Also, he is a junior in high school and an eighth grader, so that means he has to do double the amount of work to get his kids to school. He must aid his family constantly while maintaining a highly stressful job. He even says this in his own words “I don’t live to work, I work to live.” this is such a strong quote that you can even build off of what you can say. This quote teaches so much and just a short amount of words. It also shows maybe what your future can look like and how much struggle there is. Also, this can teach you if you want a family in the future and what you need to prepare for. Also shows how the motto of life connects to how much time you have in the world. And it shows how much effort you need to put into life because if you don't put any at all you could end up at rock bottom.

James Knoeck, had a dream to start a family, and he has provided all the needs for them to have a great start to their life in the future. He wanted to grow happy and provide help for things like homework or getting into high school and even college. But he still has to attack two stressful jobs while still helping his kids.

Mentor: A mother’s identity in the present

“Trust yourself and never stop until you achieve your goal.”

The second lesson learned was in college surprisingly, during a class presentation. You see, Lee

By Brandon Lee

was very fond of things, and one thing was presenting in from of the class. The feelings, as described, were

wish it would happen, others make it happen”. This is the mindset everyone should have, and this can create a lasting effect on your lifelong journey as a person.

sweating and uncomfortable stares. She hates this feeling. After the presentation people were called, she refused and was held back from class that day. Her teacher already knew how she felt and instead of yelling

W

hat strikes you to do well in life? What makes you strive to work around an obstacle?

What pushes you to try your hardest? Well, ask the person whom I interviewed: Jenna Lee. Lee is a hardworking mother of two children and a woman with many feats in her life so far, including earning a masters degree in art. Living in Seoul, South Korea in a family of four is not easy, but she was wealthy and living at an apartment most of her life. As a passion, Lee loves to cook and color. As moving up more years and decades of her life, she began to learn more lessons along with it. Now, in the present tense as a diligent

at her, he gave her advice. “It is easier as it seems. Always try something before judging it.” She reluctantly nods and walks out the door. The next week, she has another project, and she gives it a shot- she goes first to present. After the presentation, she felt like it went by so quickly. She was so overjoyed that she hugged her teacher, and explained, “I was proud that I presented, after all it taught me a lot.” She did not regret that moment she needed to learn a lesson like that so she can conquer anything in life. Just by starting new.

The last lesson, and probably the most crucial out of the 3 is here . My grandpa, but to

mom of two children, she strives and pushes them to do good in life. During her time as a good daughter, to

Jenna(dad) says that hard work pays off. When Jenna was in college, she procrastinated a lot and rushed at

making her two kiddos happy, this is the story she wants to tell, and answer those questions you had.

the last hour. After one assignment, they went out to a fine dining restaurant and felt bad that she didn’t

Jenna’s first lesson learned was that pushing through hardships and pain is what makes you succeed and ultimately conquer any obstacle. During this one time, Lee’s family was going through a tough time. Their business was not doing well as planned, and money was not coming in that much. She chokes as she says that because of the lack of money, she was split from her family and had to live at her aunt’s house. Since there was no “facetime” or snapchat, it was a difficult one month without being able to see her

parents and siblings. Although it was hard, she still pushed through the conflicts. Before leaving, her dad said to push through the hardships, and if you can do that you can do anything. This was a lesson she still

“earn” that meal. She just didn’t work hard enough. Her dad knew something was wrong, and asked what was wrong. After hearing what happened, he told her to know that hard work pays off, and next time you will see how you feel. Next assignment- boom she did it without any procrastination. She really did feel better. She says, “without that lesson, I probably still would have been procrastinating. I am thankful for such a great lesson.” This really meant a lot to her. She needed to really learn this, and it was crucial to her.

She is a preserver, and she has the motivation.

The three lessons all center around one idea: that trusting yourself and following your truth

took with her for the rest of her life. Lee always loved seeing her mom, and obviously her dad. She

north can always lead to positivity. Jenna Lee has taught me a lot about life, and I really appreciate the

explains, “I thought I wasn’t going to see them again, but a rush of strength came from the words my dad

challenging work she puts forth. She stimulates my thought of thinking to help me guide myself in life.

said, and soon enough I saw them again. This is the mindset you want to push through challenging times,

Having a mom or dad that really helps you in life or showing love can be valuable, and you must savor the

and the biggest lesson out of here was to push hinderances, ultimately leading to success.

moment. As Michael Jordan, a famous basketball player once said, “some people want it to happen, some

This is a Cosmos flower. Jenna was born in the fall, so as if she were the flower only born in October.

Gratitude for the little things A closer look into McCann’s big story about being a pediatric physical therapist.

By: Caroline McCann

The room was dimly lit as my mom and I were sitting on my bed late at night. She was talking to me while I was getting ready for bed. I asked her how her day at the hospital was. I always love hearing stories about the children my mom treats. My mom, Eileen McCann, works as a pediatric physical therapist at Advocate Children’s Hospital. She has worked there for the last 21 years. McCann always knew she wanted to work in the medical field since she was in high school. She has worked with children from birth to 18 years old. Currently, she works in the NICU, also known as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. There, she helps premature babies regain their strength and mobility. McCann will explain her career and what it means to be a pediatric physical therapist. Not only that, but she will also teach us a life lesson she learned while being a physical therapist.

Being physically or emotionally unhealthy is challenging, which is why health plays such an important role in people’s lives. Since McCann works with sick children, her biggest takeaway from being a physical therapist is that "If you have your health, you have everything." McCann elaborates on this when she states, "Because I work with sick children and people who have disabilities who are unable to move the way they want to, my biggest takeaway is that health is the biggest gift of all." McCann believes health is so valuable because many people do not realize how hard it is to be born with a disability, battle cancer, or have a brain injury. When you have a disease or disability, it is very stressful and difficult to endure the challenges that come with being ill.

Compassionate – feeling or showing sympathy for others – is how McCann describes what being a physical therapist is like in one word.

She encounters many ill patients who need a significant amount of help to get better. McCann

states, "Compassionate. These children endure such difficult days, whether it's surgery, being hooked up to breathing tubes, broken bones, undergoing chemotherapy if they have cancer, or having a heart condition. So, you must be a very compassionate person to take the time to connect with these families and children and help them the best way you know how."

Later, McCann also states, "It's emotional to work with children with disabilities, whether that's babies, infants, toddlers, or teenagers.

Children that can never talk, never walk, or may never sit up." To be a physical therapist, you must be patient and supportive, because these children are going through such hard times; they need all the support they can get. Patience can be a very hard trait to have, but it is very critical. The process of healing takes time and effort, and physical therapists need to make sure they are maintaining these traits.

McCann ends her time with me by retelling me a special memory she had with a patient when working. "I remember working with a girl who had a brain injury. I brought her to the gym one day and she was learning to walk again. I believe she was about 10 years old, and the mom was there for the therapy session." She proceeds by talking about how there was another occupational therapist there as well because the patient needed a lot of help and assistance. "I brought her to the gym and put her in the wheelchair between two parallel bars, and I remember standing her up. For the first time, she took a few steps."

Helping someone is a powerful feeling.

McCann felt rewarded as she watched the patient take a few steps after being injured. McCann says, "I remember how excited her mom was and how excited she was and how she had a big smile on her face and her mom started tearing up. And just to be

a part of someone able to take steps for the first time after being injured was so powerful and rewarding." As she says this, she says it in a meaningful manner. Being a part of something like that is very special because these children are able to regain the mobility they lost from their injury.

Helping someone in need is a very fulfilling feeling; without doctors, nurses, or physical therapists to help, I cannot imagine what life would be like.

McCann puts others first and puts in her all to make her patients better. I encourage you to always be appreciative of the little things because McCann realized that when working with her patients. "When I go into work and I see children who can't breathe on their own, can't move their bodies, can't even hold their head up, sit up, or walk, it is very humbling to know that I am able to do the things I want to do." Many people are not able to do these everyday things, which explains why showing gratitude is one of the most important things in life.

"If you have your health, you have everything."

Eileen McCann has been a pediatric physical therapist for over 20 years at Advocate Children’s Hospital, improving the lives of sick children.

Sean standing in front of his new home

The Adventure of a lifetime Sean's immigration to persuade his dream at the American life.

By: Cian McGuire

Imagine Immigrating to the United States at the age of 19! Well, that was the case for a young kid named Sean McGuire.

He was born and raised in a small town on the coast of Ireland, When he was growing up he had to work everyday with also an amazing meal that was made for him every day. But after all of that and getting taken care of he decided he wanted to go and start a life somewhere else. This decision ended up being one of the best things he has ever done in his life. Today we interviewed him, and he is going to tell us how his life went when he immigrated to the United States.

Sean, my father, was ambushes and immigrated to American from Ireland at the early age of 19. He was a young kid who wanted more opportunities in football and life. My father had a good education so he could handle whatever was thrown at him or any challenges that he faced in America. He adapted to it very well by getting a job as a construction worker in the Chicago land area where he built houses. He had family here and stayed with his 2 aunts for one night before getting his own apartment with 5 of his buddies in a 2-bedroom apartment. After Sean had settled in with his apartment, he decided to take the driver’s test to get his driver’s license so that he can get from work and back. I asked him how the test was, and his reply was ‘’It was the easiest test I have ever taken in my life.’’ Sean said he has been driving since the age of 10 in Ireland. Based on his test experience this shows that Sean was a very intelligent, smart, and outgoing person and it really taught me to trust the process and let it settle in because he had to do this when he first immigrated here.

Sean was a very hungry and energetic person to be around. He would always want to get food, always moving around and again eating, a lot of eating. He was a very fit kid who played a very physical sprot and loved to go to the gym. When he first immigrated here, he wanted food and when the first thing he saw when he came to America was

a Chicago hot dog Sean loved the food here, he says ‘’ I was amazed with the food here the first thing I had when I came here was a hot dog.’’ He said most of the time since he had that one hot dog was literally a hot dog.

He told me that the man that ran the stand that he always went too he was loyal to him for 8 years by getting a hot dog from there because he loved it so much. This quote I very strong and powerful because it shows that he is very into the food in America because he only used to eat farm food that was fresh and now that he is in America, he can eat other stuff. Even though the first thing that he ate in America was a hot dog he sadly doesn’t eat it anymore but also doesn’t like any fast food or processed food.

Sean now that he is older, he loves his fresh food and loves going back home where he can find that food.

“They embraced me”

Sean was loved in Ireland. He was a very talkative person but also very kind. He loved to go to a lot of places and loved to hang out with his friends. When he immigrated to America, he didn’t think that he was going to be the cool guy anymore because he was the cool guy in Ireland. But America is on the other side of the world, he went to America with his thick Irish accent and thought it was normal because he is o used to other people talking the same. But when he first started working, he sounded different than everybody else and he realized

it. But when the America people thought that it as so cool and they loved his Irish accent. “They embraced me” says Sean saying that everybody loved him and wanted to be around him all the time because they loved his accent so much. This shows that even though Sean was not in his hometown talking to every single person in his town people In America also loved him because of his accent and this proves that Sean can get along with everybody and to this day.

Sean is a very brave and intelligent person who sacrificed a lot when immigrating to the United States. He had to leave his whole family back at home so that he could find a good job and life in the states. Leaving his whole family behind and not knowing anybody in the place you are going to must have been challenging. After all of that he sacrificed and the hard work he endured, he finally was able to get on his feet he never looked back. Sean currently lives a great life now with 3 kids and a wife.

This shows that if you work hard and don’t stop good things will always come with it.

Suffering and Sacrificing Suzane Orlich tells the story about the hardship she has experienced.

By Joshi McHugh

“Oh, I love dogs. I’m not a big cat person but I only had one dog, but she has been my partner for eleven years. I can’t imagine living without her,” says Suzanne Olrich in a cheerful voice. While appears Orlich is all cheerful, the truth is that she has gone through many years of stress, sacrifice, and brutal work to get to the point she is today. On the first floor of Orlich’s daughter’s house, we sat on a couch while Orlich talked about the things in her life.

Orlich wore jogging cloths. The kids in the house, Orlich’s granddaughters, were sleeping on the floor above. Outside, their neighbors were setting up a Halloween party for younger people. Next to us, Orlich’s dog moved around in her blankets to get comfortable while I asked her another question.

While Suzanne Orlich is sixty-five years old and is retired, she is currently working as a substitute teacher for three days a week, and she cares for her granddaughter when she has free time. When she was younger, she had to take care of her family, which consisted of two parents and other siblings. At an older age, Orlich had to make money for her two children by caring for other children in her neighborhood. As she grew up, she had to learn that sometimes people have to sacrifice their lives so they can get a better future for themselves and their families.

Suzane Orlich teaching her granddaughter how to draw.

“We had to sacrifice a lot because I had to work when the kids were little. We had to have several kids in the stroller, push them eight blocks, in the baby buggy with kids in the buggy, in the rain, in the snow. It seemed like there was a lot more suffering in our day.”

When she was younger, Orlich had to make money for her household while she had almost no help from family or friends. Orlich cared for children from her neighborhood to make enough money for her family. Taking a deep breath, and while in her seat, she looked down at her dog to give her confidence. She then told me about one of he most stressfult time in her life: “My husband didn’t make a lot of money, and I was home taking care of the kids, and we really had to make do with very money and so it was very hard to take care of my daughter and then my son came along and then I had to take in a lot of daycare like extra children from the neighborhood that I would watch. So that was very stressful, to have a lot of kids around me and not any help and being broke.” she had to persevere through these challenges to help her family. An important takeaway is to work hard and persevere through every obstacle so people can learn from these challenges and feel proud of themselves when

they can endure them. After Orlich said this, I felt surprised by what I heard because she never told me about them, and I was surprised that she did not give up on her dreams even though she did not get any support from her friends and family. The reason that I was surprised about her challenges is that she never hinted that she had to persevere through one of the most grueling times in her life with little to no help from money.

In the past, Orlich did not have that many luxuries like an easier way to get a job or having the internet. Consequently, she sacrificed things to help her family through these challenging times. Orlich paused to think about this, and after a while, she replied in a sad and remorseful way,” We had to sacrifice a lot because I had to work when the kids were little, we had to like, we had to have several kids in the stroller, push them eight blocks, in the baby buggy with kids in the buggy, in the rain, in the snow, you know. It seemed like there was a lot more suffering in our day,” This illustrates the average day for her and how much she had to sacrifice just to be able to make enough money for her family. It also shows how stressful the average day is and how much work she has to do in a daily routine.

After she said this, I felt surprised that she had to do this daily without help from her family or friends. I also felt very grateful and lucky that I did not have to go through suffering while having to sacrifice my life to help other people.

Orlich speaks about how facing challenging obstacles, a lesson she has learned, shows character development that can positively improve people. She talks about this specific lesson because it has affected her the most, and she has had the most experience with this aiding message. Orlich had to confront the challenges of taking care of people around her every day just to be able to get herself and her family to the point they are today. Orlich shared a valuable lesson she would teach other people.

Orlich looks around and pauses to think about the question. After a while, she sophisticatedly replied with, “They say it builds character, whatever, whatever obstacles you have to overcome, but I also think that it causes a lot of trama that when you look back, you think oh my gosh, how did I ever get through that” Orlich believes that people grow from their problems and that it is beneficial for

people to face challenging obstacles. On the other hand, Orlich realizes that there are consequences to facing difficult obstacles.

People should face challenges to improve themselves, but they should also watch out for the result because it could cause them to lose more than what they gained. Orlich's response is profitable because it teaches a good life lesson that can help improve the world if people follow these lessons. When I thought more about her response, I realized that it showed how much she has learned and grown from her challenges and how she uses those lessons to teach people.

I also feel grateful that she has taught me this lesson because I now feel encouraged to work harder and to face the vigorous challenges that I can work on.

In her childhood, Orlich was vital in making food for her family of two parents and seven siblings because she was one of the oldest siblings. After her childhood, Orlich helped make money for her husband and two children because her husband had a low-paying job.

After a while, Orlich selected to become a teacher because she genuinely wanted to continue working with children since that was what she was used to working with.

At sixty-five, Orlich retired and now lives with her daughter’s family. Orlich chooses to live with her daughter because she enjoys taking care of her granddaughters and likes to help around the house. Orlich is appreciated because she is exceptional at problem-solving and making fun and enjoyable games for children. Orlich is also good at caring for children of all ages since she has experience with children.

After the interview, I had some insight that it was a hard time for Orlich in her childhood, which is why it made me realize that I should feel fortunate that I am living in a much easier and less stressful time. Something to consider is how much people have suffered in their childhood and that it may be hard to move on from the traumatic challenges that are required to face all by themselves. While it may be challenging for people to realize the obstacles that people like Orlich face, they should at least try to help out people with similar backgrounds to Orlich.

Taking chances in uncertainty A non-profit businessman is faced with unfamiliar opportunities and learns to accept those chances.

By Evelyn Mooney Wrapping up in a blanket, I sat down on the couch in the basement of Greg Mooney’s house. Mooney carefully laid down on a yoga mat and started breathing heavily as he began his back exercises. In sweatpants and an athletic shirt, Mooney’s eyes darted up to me, signaling that he was ready to begin. I took a deep breath of cold air and began asking him questions.

Throughout the interview, Mooney displayed humility, which caused me to feel at ease. His scratchy voice never prevented him from giving thorough, thoughtful answers.

Greg Mooney, a 52-year-old man, was born fourth out of five children in the suburbs of Chicago. He graduated from Villanova University in 1993 and is now the President of the Comer Science and Education Foundation. With a wife, three kids, and a dog, Mooney remains very busy at all times. His little free time is spent taking care of his kids and watching Villanova basketball. Mooney is a dedicated, hard-working individual who applies his knowledge and talents whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Throughout Mooney’s professional career, he has learned to take risks in unknown circumstances.

During Mooney’s first job after graduating from college, he was faced with an intimidating decision, but he accepted the opportunity.

Mooney had been working in a full-time teaching volunteer program when the program began to look for a new director. After searching at length for someone to fill this position, they were not able to find anyone. Mooney was asked to fill this position temporarily until they had a permanent replacement.

Stretching his back on a roller, he remembered, “I was a little nervous about that. I was very young and had very little experience in leading a non-profit organization.” He paused to think before continuing, “But I thought to myself, what else are they going to do? If they are asking me, someone must think I can do it.” Although Mooney was uncertain about taking this unfamiliar position, he decided to go for it. He realized that he needed to have confidence in himself and took the opportunity to try and make change. Despite his nerves, he made the brave decision to accept the job offer. Mooney’s actions inspire me to have confidence in myself and to

take a chance on an unfamiliar opportunity even in uncomfortable situations. It is easy to lose self-confidence, but the story of Mooney’s first job displays that confidence and risk-taking pays off. Mooney was later asked to become the permanent director.

Another life changing risk that Mooney took was accepting a job offer from Gary Comer that was not clear-cut. After being invited to multiple community meetings over several months, Gary Comer offered Mooney a job. This offer was not specific and had left Mooney in an uncertain situation.

Curious, I asked him what Gary Comer told him about the job.

Mooney chuckled as he explained, “There was no job description. He told me that he had big ideas.” Due to the uncertainty of the situation, many people would not have accepted this offer. It is difficult to be in a role where someone does not know the specifics of their job or their source of income.

However, Mooney had faith in Gary Comer and his ideas, so he jumped at a risky chance. As time went on, the Gary Comer Youth Center, a center to help the youth in Grand Crossing, improved thousands of young people’s lives. In fact, Mooney reflected, “I didn’t realize it at the time, but meeting him certainly changed my life.” This demonstrates a positive aspect of taking an opportunity that is risky; someone may meet another person that has a large impact on their life. From Mooney, I learned that despite uncertainty, it is important to take a chance and good things may come out of it.

experience with operating a high school because he believed that it would be a great addition to the neighborhood and Gary Comer Youth Center.

Despite the concerns about not having a finalized plan, Mooney and his team continued to work on opening the high school. Hearing about the difference that they were able to make makes me want to take a chance and see what happens.

There have been many times in Mooney’s career that he has taken a risky chance regardless of the unknown factors. Hearing his experiences gives me the courage to take a risk and try something new. Even though I might be nervous, and it may be very difficult at the beginning, I will take a chance. Learning how to take a chance is a key component to success; without Mooney’s ability to do so, he would not be in the position that he is today. Following Mooney’s example, I will try to jump at the next uncertain opportunity that I am given. Even if it does not turn out the way that I would like it to, it will be a successful attempt of embracing the unknown and moving forward. When things do not end in the ideal way, especially when trying something new and risky, it is important to move on, just like Mooney: “I don’t carry regrets. I don’t believe in living like that.”

The next time an opportunity presents itself, take a chance and see what happens. It may be successful, or it may be unsuccessful, but regardless, it will be a learning experience.

“There was no job description. He told me that he had big ideas.”

In 2006, a new, uncertain opportunity presented itself when Mooney and his coworkers decided to open a high school across the street from the Gary Comer Youth Center. Gary Comer passed away shortly after the opening of the youth center, but he gave Mooney his blessing to start the high school and to create a strong connection between the high school and the youth center. When asked about the process of opening this high school, Mooney sat up from his exercises and replied, “We didn’t have a building for it, nor did we have experience operating a high school,” his excitement about this project was actively shown as he continued, not even ending his sentence, “but we decided to take a leap and figure out a way to create, fund, and develop the space and a way to set up the operations for a high school. Fast forward more than a decade later and it has been terrific and serves thousands of students.”

Mooney went forward with this project despite not having the

Mooney in 2023 posing for a photo outside of his house.

Look ahead As head of Human Resources at GoHealth, Moriarty is shaping the company’s culture.

Loving your job: Alison Moriarty’s career The head of HR at GoHealth, Alison Moriarty, is proving stigmas around dreading your job wrong.

By Tadhg Moriarty

I was sitting in the living room of my house, waiting. Then behind me I heard Alison Moriarty swing the door open, I swung my head around and saw her walk through the doorway, most likely coming from work, based on her outfit which made her look serious. Setting her purse on a chair and sitting down elegantly across from me, she fiercely and demandingly said, “Let’s get started, I’m ready.” Her clothes still made her look serious, but her expression made her look kind. Alison Moriarty, my mother, is a 57-year-old woman with 2 children and a husband. She is the head of human resources or HR at the company GoHealth. She has and always will love her job, even during challenging times.

Moriarty loves her job as the head of human resources. When talking about her job she touched her heart. One of her biggest mentors is Elizabeth Resnick, who she said was an expert at organizational change. She trusts her and calls her when she is having trouble. By Elizabeth, Moriarty was taught to learn from the people she teaches.

Moriarty would recommend her career for problem solvers, emotion understanders, and organization understanders. She said you should realize that you might get rejected when applying for a job.

When giving advice for her position Moriarty proudly declares: “When you become a manager the biggest thing you have to learn to do is give up doing the work and learn how to be a coach to help other people do the work.” This is significant because it shows how much thought she has put into her position. It also demonstrates a part of how she got to the position she is in today because it is what she used to ease in and become a good manager. This is special because it took her a lot of time and dedication to practice this so she could be a manager. I learned from this that you do not always have to do everything, you just have to do your job. Finally, I relate to this because I am used to getting everything right on every assignment, greatly affecting my sleep. But this says I do not have to be perfect and spend countless hours, I just have to do what is expected.

In Moriarty’s job it is not all sunshine and rainbows, she has had some bumps along the road, but to become successful she has had to overcome them. She has questioned her career many times before, especially when she started her newest

position as the head of HR. She questioned if she was a great problem solver, emotion understander, or organization understander. She says the smartest people in the room are the people who know things about a lot of different topics, not the people who know a lot of things about one topic.

In the past Moriarty has had a struggle with her mindset, when talking about this she bravely states: “The struggle I had to overcome was actually believing in myself.” This is important to her career because it demonstrates that she was able to overcome struggles she needed to overcome to get to where she is today. This is also powerful and special because without this struggle and experience with her mindset, she would not have gone as far, she needed to see she could get through a challenging time. One slight change in her mindset paved the way for the rest of her career. I can relate to this because in my everyday life when I believe in myself, I always do great, but when I do not, I always do horrible. Moriarty strived to be the smartest person in almost every room and when she believed in herself, she became just that. I learned from this that mindset is one of, if not the most important, things on the path to success: if you do not have a good mindset, you will get nowhere in life.

“In every transition, even when it is hard in the middle of it, there is always an upside around the corner.”

Moriarty has gone through many changes and transitions in her career, and she has been able to adapt to all of them. Moriarty has worked for a bank, a pharmaceutical development company, a market research company (for retail), an advertising research company, a gaming company, an agency, and a Medical Advantage company, over the course of her career. Her job as head of HR is used in almost every company. Because of this, she has been able to transition many times through many different companies.

With a light-hearted look on her face, Moriarty proudly announced, “In every transition, even when it is hard in the middle of it, there is always an upside around the corner.” This is important and meaningful because it demonstrates a positive mindset which has helped her throughout her career. This is also important because she applies it to all aspects of her life. This shows how even in the hardest times she can see the good and will continue fighting for it. This is one of the hardest things to learn and do. This is also meaningful to her career because it is how she managed getting fired and hired; this is how she adjusts. I learned from this that doing a little thing and staying positive, and hopeful goes a long way. I also relate to this because even when something does not go my way, I realize there are better results ahead.

Moriarty loves her career. I appreciate that she was willing to take time out of her remarkably busy day for an interview and that she gave very indepth answers to all of my questions. I also appreciate that she had great posture and was extremely focused on this interview; sitting in my living room, she was amazingly comfortable during this interview. From this interview, I learned that you should always have a good mindset and love what you do. I also learned that just like Moriarty you can love your job. Something we can apply to our lives is to always strive to know more about more topics. Talking about managing her life at home and at work, she thoughtfully mentioned while being very still, “I realize that I may not do everything perfectly but I’m gonna give it my best.”

One theme in this article is that sometimes to do well you have to love what you are doing.

Learning and growing through facing the challenges of the working world Natalie Lambert’s experience in the working world both helped her grow and shaped her worldview.

By: Lucy Moster

Natalie Lambert’s dream as a middle schooler was to go to the Catholic high school with all her friends. Her sister went to the public school because it was a better fit for her. She would come home every night from cheer, waving goodbye to her friend’s mom that drove her home.

Walking in the door seeing her parents sitting and talking at the table. She already knew what was coming if she brought up high school again. After all the fighting, arguing, convincing reasons, and long nights talking with parents, she walked back to her room sadly accepting the fact that she was going to follow in her sister’s footsteps.

On Christmas morning, walking down the stairs in her Christmas pajamas, her smile dropped as she saw a Roncalli sweatshirt folded neatly under the Christmas tree. She puts her face in her hands wondering why her parents would tease her like that. Her parents are smiling and she’s even more mad seeing their faces. They then explain that she is going to go to the catholic high school. She runs over, nearly knocking her parents over and hugs them tightly, realizing her patience, convincing, and waiting paid off.

Natalie Lambert, a 43-year-old woman, is a Chief Revenue Officer at Apploi. Lambert is the mom of three kids. She grew up in Greenwood, Indiana and went to the Indiana University and currently lives in Chicago, Illinois. She enjoys spending time with her family and playing golf when time permits.

Things may take time and patience, but Lambert realizes it is all worth it in the end.

Lambert graduated the semester after 9/11 and most companies were not hiring. Lambert worked hard for so long and it felt like no one “wanted her” and that was a big challenge for her. She was very proud when she was hired even though it was a very small workplace.

Another challenge, moving from one industry to another, was hard for Lambert. She was in staffing for 15 years and moving to soft ware was a big deal: “Trying to explain to an employer that I have a really robust skill set that speaks to one industry and these skills also translate to another industry and I think that sometimes a hard thing for employers and industries to understand.” This is an effective way to describe thoughts about switching workplaces. Lambert explains how sometimes employers do not see you as a whole. Do not let someone tell you what your skills are and always put your best foot forward. This makes me proud of my mom and it shows her determination.

Natalie Lambert persevering through her challenges and pursuing her dreams, 2021.

Lambert, working hard and excelling, “grew out” of her smaller workplace. Lambert became more confident in her skill set. She became the leader of her department, and her job was to fight for the most beneficial aspect/impact for her team. While smiling, she explained that you always have control: “I think as I become more confident in my career, and profession, I think the biggest lesson anyone can have is to choose your own battles.” This is very good advice and helps to guide you through your work challenges and blocks

I think of “choosing your own battles” as similar to choosing how hard you want to work for something and develop your work ethic, and this makes me feel empowered. Lambert is very inspiring and encouraging and makes people feel less overwhelmed because they can choose their own paths and challenges.

Through all Lambert’s experiences, she learned from all the teams she led. She explained how each team has their own personalities, dynamics, needs, and wants. She has learned to adapt to situations from this. Lambert feels that her teams teach her just as much as she teaches them; they learn together.

Whether you are at your current workplace or new one, you will always learn. Lambert learned more in the working world than she ever has in school. While maintaining eye contact, she states, “What I believe to be true is you can never rest on the fact that you’ve learned it all.” This is good advice to keep working and to excel when you can. You can always put in more work. This made me feel proud of my mom because it shows how hard she works, and it makes me want to work harder. This is inspiring to me because it makes me want to try for exceeding more often in school and try to put in extra work to learn more.

Lambert’s confidence grew throughout her work career, and she grew as a person. I appreciate how hard she works and always puts her best foot forward. She is always open to learning and growing. Lambert is a big inspiration to make us work harder and to pick our paths and how hard we want to work. She tells us that, “You never stop learning, you never stop growing, you never stop developing.” You should always have an open mind and always continue to grow.

“I think as I become more confident in my career, and profession, I think the biggest lesson anyone can have is to choose your own battles.”

Gina Blanche, a hardworking woman that pursued her dream.

She has had many years of education including a Masters, Bachelors, and PhD from University of Illinois Chicago. It was about 8:00 pm on a Sunday, I entered my mother’s room she was laying down on the bed with the hallway light on. That was where we started. I sat down in her tan, brown chair in the corner of the room. My mother has worked for multiple years. She has worked at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County for a long time. She has had the ability to adjust to different settings from work to a school setting and a hospital setting and the most recent is her private practice setting.

Dr. Gaston clearly appreciates her dedication to her college career. She bet on herself and never lost she would learn from those mistakes; she would take that info and apply it to her next assignment. This means that even when you lose you can still benefit from it. When you really apply yourself, you can do anything you really want to do. “You never lose when you bet on yourself,” When she bet on herself and went to get her PhD she didn’t lose.

She went for her PhD and didn’t lose. I can agree and connect to this because I had a choice between two tournaments that would happen in the same weekend of July.

One of the tournaments I knew that I wouldn’t get a chance to play because the coach didn’t like me. That tourney was a televised Missouri tournament. The other tournament was a 3-day tournament in Ypsilanti, Michigan if you do well you can receive an invite to a national tournament in November that would give you the chance to compete in the Texas National 13u All-state tournament. This was a tourney that can put you in front of scouts and can give you the opportunity to compete with multiple ranked players while representing your region. The 3-day Ypsilanti, Michigan tourney was what I went for because I wanted that opportunity to stand out in Texas. At the end I did well batting .775 going 3-4 was ranked 11 out of 58 in my region. Turns out when I bet on myself, I had the ability to shine and now I’m getting the opportunity that I dreamed of and can go to the Texas tournament. So, when you bet on yourself like Dr. Gaston said you will never lose.

The photo shown above is a picture of my mother battling for equal HIV health care.

Why Choose?

By: Matthew Nabieu

Gina Gaston’s story on her choosing her career based on her needs, her hardships, and her impact on the community of social work in Chicago, IL.

Dr. Gaston claimed that throughout all the hardships, becoming a professor, and being one for 10 years was very challenging. For example, she said that throughout the job she found it hard to teach other social worker how to do the job. She said it has helped many of her students because when they graduated from her class then she would often see them, and they would say she was the best teacher and she helped them prosper as a social worker. Deep down Dr. Gaston thought the job was tuff but, it was all worth it because of her interactions with her student after they graduated from her class. Dr. Gaston state “I was a professor for ten years as well, that was a hard job in the sense that I was teaching other social workers how to do this job,” I believe like Dr. Gaston said it was all worth it because from my standpoint in school if I help someone do something as little as help someone with a math problem then I feel like it was a very challenging process but, it was worth it because that will help them in the class. Also, from a baseball standpoint when I’m at practice and I see one of the 12u kids struggling I would help them and teach

them how to follow through with your throw, hit the ball on the line, and stay up the middle and away. That was challenging teaching those skills but, I can’t imagine teaching a whole class of adults at UIC on how to improve with their social work skills. Although that was a very hard job for Dr. Gaston there is more to come.

Dr. Gaston and I were talking about how hard it was to work at a hospital with very messed up domestic violence cases. For example, one of her most heartbreaking cases was a case of a young girls being 10 years old brought in by her mother for a cold. The doctor was concerned about the child’s weight because the 10-year-old was only weighing in at 50 lbs. Dr. Gaston was then brought in to check for any signs of abuse and Dr. Gaston agreed it was alarming to see that a 10-year-old girl was only 50lbs. So, the doctors ran tests and figured out that she was being abused by her own mother. This wasn’t the only thing that was hard about her job at that time. Another part was her having to be on suicide cases,

“I’ve worked with patients that have thought about suicide, and some people who have personality disorders,” I have no connection to this at all because I already know that I could never deal with something like this because I wasn’t chosen for that. While Dr. Gaston said God chose her for the job and that she was ready. You must have a certain type of mindset to be able to understand suicide cases and we can learn from people like Dr. Gaston and be able to understand hardships in other people’s lives.

Throughout this interview I have learned a lot from my mother, Dr. Gaston. She is a very nurturing person and puts people’s needs before hers. I have also learned that getting your doctorate isn’t easy and it takes years of patience and work to be able to do different aspects needed for example her dictation was one of the longest writing assignments ever, but she got it done and got a good grade. My mother is a prime example of with time, dedication, and focus one can achieve greatness in life.

As one of the head teachers at Merit School of Music, Lugo is dedicated to helping low-income families across Chicago.

A Fight for an Education Merit Instructor, Monica Lugo, speaks out about her story, and her dedication to helping low-income children get the education they deserve.

By Claire Noventa

I never knew how hard my mom worked to get where she is today. I sat down with my mom in my own room, with bright sunlight filling the area. She sat on my red couch after eating her lunch as fast as possible, as she insisted, she wanted to be focused for my interview with her. She sat down eager and with a warm smile to tell me about her past. She wore her purple jazz sweatshirt that her mother gave her 30 years ago from New Orleans, and the same black and grey leggings she has worn every single day, which she refuses to give up. Her hair, long and overgrown with a few white hairs showing, came off to me as wise and warm. She welcomed me, eager to tell me her immigration story, something that I never knew of.

My mom was born in 1977, in Bayamon Puerto Rico to two loving parents, Maria Milagros Velazquez Quirindongo, and Noel Lugo Torres. She always experienced a loving family with no limits on care and love, the same could not be said for money. Being born into the lower class, she never grew up around money. Puerto Rico was all she knew. Her mother worked with people struggling with drugs and addiction for most of her life. Her father was an artist, a teacher, and even served in the army, building computers for some time. Even with all these sources of income they wouldn’t be considered as free of financial worry. This was common, Puerto Rico is a place where money isnt necessary to be happy, so this never disturbed my mother’s early years. Growing up with a twin sister, Deborah, and an older sister, Maria Vanessa, she knew what she would study from an early age.

Although she always loved school, she knew she needed to go down a different path for an education. With her long-standing love for music, her goal was to play the piano professionally, this was quickly changed when her school gave her the violin. She accepted the violin and after years of sleepless nights and nonstop playing she made it to the best art university in Puerto Rico. She never knew her journey would take her to Miami, then

Baltimore, and finally Chicago.

My mom, Monica Lugo, reflected on her journey and decision to travel to the U.S from Puerto Rico, at a time in which she knew no English and was naive about the world outside her only home. Growing up in an underprivileged location, her twin sister, whom she was extremely close to, moved to America in the late 90s to pursue music, as it was what she, my mom, and her older sister decided to pursue for the sake of their education.

Years later, my mom decided to leave Puerto Rico and try to make a life for herself in America, as trying to become a musician in Puerto Rico unfortunately proved to be going nowhere.

Once arriving in America, specifically Miami, in the early 2000’s, she felt at home, despite leaving her home to pursue education in another country. In Miami, many spoke Spanish, she didn’t feel lonely or out of place, unlike her arrival to Baltimore a few years later, which was conducted to further her musical journey, specifically to join an orchestra in a bigger or more recognizable city. She recalls her first observations of Baltimore in an uncomfortable manner, as she remembers her experience she replies, “Everything was so different because Miami was so much like Puerto Rico, the people speak Spanish, but when I moved to Baltimore to get a master’s at Johns Hopkins Peabody Conservatory, I lived with a friend from Taiwan, but apart from her I didn’t know anybody, people spoke English, it was cold, I didn’t have a car”.

My mother details her experience in Baltimore with many shocks and differences that she experienced once moving there. She conveys that in her circumstance, making connections and friends had been difficult. Since she knew no English and was new to the city, she couldn’t affiliate herself with the culture there, especially while dealing with an extreme period of loneliness and homesickness along the way. Even with this challenge she persevered and not only learned English, excelled at her school and instrument, but she also managed to work through differences in an entirely new place than where she grew up in. In my life, I often reflect on the privilege I’ve had to grow up in a place and already know the language and even have things like a car and friends. I have never thought about how difficult it must have been to have to move to an entirely new country you didn’t even want to in the first place, in order to have a good education and the same chance in life as anyone else. Because of this, I can look back on my mother’s experience and especially her period in which she was alone and in a completely new world but still persevered and apply this to my life whenever I feel as if I don’t belong.

“There is no one straight path in life.”

As my mom moved through the harsh music industry, she was eventually brought to Chicago, a place were looking for your big break will be exceptionally harder than any other place. When my mom met my father in Baltimore, she decided to move with him to Chicago to have a life together after my father was told by his company to move to Chicago. When leaving Baltimore, my mom didn’t know what to expect, she put a pause on her musical journey to focus on having a family. Once she gave birth to my older brother, she started to remember her passion, and why she came to America in the first place. As my mom looked back at her experience, she felt a mixture of emotions by eventually saying, “I regret not trying to play more in Chicago, but I couldn’t do it because there is a lot of competition in Chicago and it’s not very easy trying to get into an orchestra in the city area.”

Looking at how the music industry is today; her feelings are more than truthful.

Chicago, although being a big city with many opportunities and excitement, has very high competition especially if youre trying to make it in a kind of industry. Even though she regrets not trying harder to achieve her dreams, I wouldn’t call it a failure. My mom was able to raise two children mostly on her own after having herself be completley shut down by the raging music industry. She was able to look past her discouragement and build a life for herself that didn’t end up going the way she wanted but still was rewarding and fulfilling. She never backed down from her dreams because even though it might sound like she gave up, she decided to focus more on her life outside of becoming a musician.

Rather than losing hope she pursued music in a different way and set in on the life she believed was meant for her. I admire this on many levels. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have had anyone with me in my most crucial developing years. She never rejected what came to her in life, she is someone who enjoys all aspects of life, even the most painful. I am so thankful that she was there for me even when she was lost and alone.

After my mom took a different path for her music career and for her life in general, she was brought to teaching, in which she says, “I never thought about teaching.”

The effect of raising children and moving to a completely new environment forced her outside her comfort zone and brought her things she never knew she loved, for example, teaching her own students and advocating for teachers later in life. Not long after she moved away from joining an orchestra, she decided to teach at a music school in the west loop area of Chicago in September of 2003.

The music school she would later love dearly and call a second home, was not very big. It was small and didn’t have much money or many students. The teachers were few and the pay grade was less than it should be. She even mentions that while teaching her students, the ceilings of the classrooms were so low that they their violin bows kept hitting the ceiling, but she recalls this with laughter. Most of the students attending were from poor and low-income families, specifically Latinos, from all around Chicago. Although small, the school served them in more ways than one, they helped them find a way to express themselves and it was a place where they felt cared for and loved. My mom soon realized how much she loved teaching students who she describes as “positive and joyful”, that she saw herself as a young aspiring musician in. Over the years she helped her students get into amazing colleges like Stanford, and Harvard with their instruments. She has stuck with her students through thick and thin which has caused the music school to grow and develop a great reputation for loving teachers like herself.

After teaching at the music school for 20 years she looks back on it with extream fondness and newfound opinions, when asked about the overall appreciation of teachers she says, “Well the pay of a music teacher is low and the salary of an orchestra isnt enough to get by and they have to teach as well, we work very very hard and get paid a normal amount. If you have children, it’s harder, you have a limited schedule to teach”.

Music teachers and teachers overall are known to have a lower pay grade then they should, and my mom thinks that they deserve more. Her feelings are justified because teachers are the ones who drive the world. They develop the young minds that will have to run the world in the future. They have a huge impact on students and can make them feel safe and loved. The pay of a music teacher is even lower, as she also expresses that music, especially classical, is fading way because it’s just not relevant anymore. Schools no longer feel the need to teach music because it’s not viewed as important anymore. This causes music teachers’ pay to be low. My mom shows great loyalty to her fellow coworkers because she advocates for them regularly, and this is something to admire. She has never left anyone alone and is always there for anyone, even if they don’t always return a favor.

My mom was a noble person with an incredible work ethic and very big dreams.

She fought for her education and went to a completely new country because she knew her life was worth so much more than what she had. I personally admire how hard she works even when knocked down. She is a person who has never lost hope, even when she is able to hang on by only a thread. Not only was she strong for herself but she was strong for her family. She let her discouragement fuel her work and that is a quality I dream of having.

Starting in Puerto Rico, where she never had a thought about the U.S. and then immigrating there was a decision that took away her family, her friends, her home, but ultimately left her with something she never dreamed she would have. From teaching for 20 years, she has gained incredible fulfillment and loves her students like her very own, she protected them when no one could protect her. Through of all the times of hopelessness in her life it’s incredible to hear her say “I don’t regret anything though.”

Not many people could be able to think back on their hardships and say they don’t regret anything and in other words, would do it again. She resembles all qualities of a hardworking person and demonstrates and an extream care for children as well as responsibility. She is a kind and loving teacher that could have never seen her life go down the path it did but is ultimately happy with what she has helped others achieve. She is selfless and forever caring, which is something I strive to be like. I always wonder what her life and my life would have been like if she gave up and didn’t accept the path, she believed was meant for her.

Ted Tanner’s Time in the Military: how taking calculated risks can pay off.

By: Jude O’Connor

My Grandpa, Ted Tanner, was alive during the Vietnam War; he knew that he was going to be drafted, so he enlisted in the Army. In the Army, he decided to go to school for computer science. That would allow him to get into a safer area of the military and give him training for when he got out. It was still very difficult, but he persevered through it and entered a division where he worked on computers and electronics. Sometimes he had to go on covert operations. There were many missions in Laos where he had to go in unarmed and dressed like a civilian to retrieve spy equipment. If they would have caught him, they would have killed him.

Within two days of knowing he was going to be drafted, Tanner went to talk with Army, Navy, and Air Force recruiters. By enlisting before he was officially drafted, he would have a little bit more control over where he was placed. When he went to the recruiters, he took a couple tests to see if he had any special aptitudes for any specific areas. He qualified for a specialized school for computer science, which was in high demand in the military at the time. A problem that occurred because of this is

that if Tanner went to this school, he would have to serve four years instead of two, regardless of whether he dropped out. That probably does not sound so bad but according to him, by the time you graduate only about 20% of students are left.

“You can go to school for ever and ever but when you get out and you finally start practicing, it’s a whole different thing than going to school for it.”

When Tanner joined the Army, he was married with one daughter. Because he joined the military with a family, the family got stationed in Bangkok, Thailand with him. After a while of living in Bangkok my grandpa and grandma had a second child, my mother, Kelsey Tanner-O’Connor. Because of that, my mother grew up in Bangkok for a while, but it was alright because there were no military bases in Bangkok, so they got to live in a normal house.

When he was done with school and had to serve the rest of his time, it was difficult for

Tanner. He stated, “you can go to school for ever and ever but when you get out and you finally start practicing, it’s a whole different thing than going to school for it.” He also said that the world opened to him because he was able to work on things a lot less dangerous than what the front-line soldiers had to do. Going to school, and not dropping out, probably saved his life.

All the Jewels Helping others find connections to jewelry.

By Demi Oyeniyi Leader and role model at Deinte Fine Jewelry

During our conversation, Erogbogbo emphasized the importance of creativity in her work. She believed that using resources was the only way to be successful in the jewelry business. Italy was her favorite place to sell jewelry, as she believed that it was the center of fashion. Tina had attended jewelry shows there, where she showcased her best pieces of fine jewelry. She explained that fine jewelry involved taking gold and editing it by adding different pieces to create unique pieces.

“Creative jewelry is jewelry you feel a connection to..”In Erogbogbo's view, jewelry was not just a fashion statement, but a reflection of someone's personality. She believed that creative jewelry was jewelry to which one could connect. Her mother wanted her to remember that,

“When you take that essence and turn it into creativity, it could make beautiful things."

Erogbogbo's experience had taught her that there was no hierarchy in the jewelry business, and she treated everyone with respect. She believed that everyone played a vital role in the business, and they switched to different roles at some point. As we talked, I realized that this philosophy of equality could be applied to any business. Treating employees with respect creates a positive effect on the work environment and helps with their success. Erogbogbo had been working at the same company for 16 years, which is also the reason for her dedication and hard work.

I walked up the stairs and opened the door to Erogbogbo's room. The door creaked softly as it opened, and a faint "skeee" sound filled the air. Beams of light flew through the window and temporarily blinded me as I looked around the room.

Erogbogbo was lying on a queen-sized bed, scrolling through her phone. She had dark hair and brown eyes, which were painted white. As I walked closer to the wall, I felt the rough texture, and I noticed a brown table with various items scattered all over it. A jar filled with coins from different countries caught my eye, indicating that Erogbogbo had traveled a lot.

Ola Erogbogbo was a jeweler who inherited her family business and was determined to become known to the world. She had learned a lot from her mother, who was a significant figure in her life, inspiring her to become a great business jeweler in 2007.

One of the things that struck me about Erogbogbo was her philosophy of equality in the workplace. As she told me, “I believe in no hierarchy in business, everyone plays an important part.”She believed that everyone, regardless of their position, played a vital role in the business. She treated everyone with respect and made sure that everyone felt valued and appreciated. As a result, her employees were loyal and hardworking, and the business was thriving. Adapting to change was another important lesson that Erogbogbo emphasized.

She explained that the jewelry business was changing rapidly, with the rise of online jewelry sellers disrupting traditional methods of selling jewelry. To stay relevant, she adapted her business by making her jewelry more accessible online.

She had also started using social media to promote her business and connect with customers. Erogbogbo's passion for her work was infectious, and I found myself getting caught up in her enthusiasm. She spoke about her jewelry with such love

and dedication that I couldn't help but be impressed. Her designs were unique and beautiful, and I could see why she was so successful.

She explained that she had traveled to many countries, including Italy, to source rare gemstones and materials for her jewelry As our conversation came to an end, I felt inspired by Erogbogbo's story. Her dedication, hard work, and passion for her work were truly inspiring. Her teaching of equality and respect in the workplace was something that I would take with me and apply to any business I was involved in. Her ability to adapt to changing times was another valuable lesson that I would remember.

My conversation with Erogbogbo was an eye-opening experience. She was a talented jeweler who had built a successful business through hard work, dedication, and creativity. Her understanding of equality and respect in the workplace, as well as her ability to change with the changing times, were valuable lessons for anyone in business. Her story was truly inspiring, and I felt grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with her.

My conversation with Erogbogbo taught me that using resources and treating others with respect were valuable life skills. Her story shows the importance of creativity and hard work in the jewelry business. Her experience also showed the importance of adapting to changing times and evolving to stay relevant in business.

Erogbogbo's philosophy of equality and treating everyone with respect is a valuable lesson for any business owner or employee. As Erogbogbo spoke, I admired her passion for her work. She believed in using resources to create something unique and beautiful.

She was always on the lookout for something new and exciting.

Growing up in a big family Martin Pankau is a six-foot-tall man with black hair with little strands of gray. Born on March 14th, 1972, in Park Ridge Illinois where he would spend most of his childhood. He sat in the dimly lit living room. The sky outside was pitch black. The only thing that illuminated the sky was the streetlamps that glowed through the windows.

The room had a fall scent from a pumpkin spice candle that was burning on the coffee table. When he finished attending his work call, he walked through the room and sat down in a white lounge chair. He is wearing a collared shirt, khaki pants, and his sailboat socks – one of his favorite Christmas gifts.

Martin Pankau grew up in a big family consisting of eight boys, two girls, his mother, and his father. He experienced the ups and downs of being a child in a big family. One of the many things he enjoyed was traveling with his siblings.

He developed skills from traveling with a big group.

His parents were big fans of traveling and would try to make a family trip once or twice a year.

When traveling with a big group, options are limited to how much money can be spent. So, it is not reasonable to go to a five-star hotel in New York when you are paying for ten people. This is why the Pankau family preferred camping in tents instead of grand hotels. When camping outdoors it may be clearer to see the natural beauty of the place that is not possible in a hotel room.

Pankau on vacation with his brothers, 1982.

His family grew up driving all around the country in their van. He has been to all the U.S. states and many of the national parks. He still has a great connection to being outside and being adventurous. Those events as a child shaped who he is now: adventurous with a strong connection to the outdoors. Pankau is one of those people to try new things and take chances.

When growing up in a big family hand me downs were a common way of getting clothes. That is one thing he said that he got a lot of. He got the majority of clothes from his seven older brothers.

So, by the time they got to him, they had seen better days. As a result of getting many hand-me-downs,

Marty Pankau shares his relationships with his ten siblings.

By: Misha Pankau

Pankau is not a materialistic person.

When Pankau was sixteen his family moved up to what was their cottage in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin from Park Ridge, Illinois. There he finished his last years of high school where he met some of his best friends, whom he is still close with to this day. Some of his favorite memories are in Lake Geneva.

Pankau recalls that there was a lot of waterskiing and tubing. With so many siblings he had many friends to play with during the summer.

Pankau had no shortage of fun summer ideas. One of the ideas was making a ramp off the pier and strapping life jackets to your bikes and riding them off the ramp. Yes, this was not a very safe idea, and it probably had a lot of flaws in the making.

However, this was one of the ways Pankau spent his time.

Many would say he has a special bond with his siblings that not many people do. Pankau overall thinks that being the eighth of ten children was a gift. Pankau says, “Growing up in a big family was a lot of fun. Very chaotic um but I developed lifelong best friends with my siblings.”

He specifies the ups and downs of his childhood growing up around a lot of people. Pankau, despite the chaos, created a strong bond with his siblings.

When growing up it is easy just to think of your sibling(s) as an annoying person to deal with.

Remember that later in your life your siblings might be all you have.

We all can say that Pankau had a big list of people who could be his mentor as a child. Pankau held a spot in his heart for all his siblings. However, he had an especially close bond with his oldest brother Ron even though they were not the closest in age.

Pankau mentions, “Having so many brothers and sisters always looked up to my brothers and sisters they were always a big part of my life… my older brother Ron was a very very close mentor of mine.” Pankau realizes how lucky he is to have had Ron as a mentor in life. He wishes he could have spent more time with him before he passed

away. Pankau showed that he has learned a lot from his brother because he is always one to give encouraging words of kindness.

As a child, we all have motivations that help us get through our childhood with a positive attitude. Like everyone, Pankau had to have things that motivated him.

Every child must deal with disagreements it is part of being a kid: “Sometimes you fight with your sibling sometimes you don’t always get along, but I was really fortunate and consider myself lucky to have so many siblings that I consider my best friends.” Everyone argues with their siblings and that is okay.

Family is forever. It sometimes may feel that family time is taking away social time but soon family time will hold a special place in your heart.

Pankau is the kind of person who is reliable in getting jobs done and is always wanting to try new things. Time flies, spend time with your family while possible. Sports and friends may not always be there to motivate and inspire you, but family will.

Pankau sends the message that it is important to cherish the time spent with your brothers, your sisters, and your parents. This may be applicable in the future. Always remember family comes first – not sports, not friends, your family.

“Growing up in a big

family was a lot of fun.

Very chaotic um but I developed lifelong best friends with my siblings.”

dream of, it’s unreal” He’s been playing football since he was a little boy, playing with his friends in a park in Hammond Indiana dreaming of being a football player. Now, Wayne is surrounded by his friends, and one hundred thousand fans, at one of the largest sporting events in the nation, the Rose Bowl.

Wayne Paulson, a halfback from Hammond Indiana, was an all-state quarterback in high school and led his team to the state championship. Wayne then attended Prat Junior College. His likely path was on the way to Colorado. He practiced and trained, but his mother had a sudden death to cancer, and he decided it was time to come home. Still wanting to play football, Paulson called the coach at the university of Illinois, Pete Eliot, and acknowledging the limited options to become a quarterback. He made the decision that he just wanted to play on the team. He told his coach, “All I want to be is on the team, I want to be an asset on the team, I don’t need to play Quarterback, I just want to help the team.”

Even though Wayne had many opportunities to play elsewhere and play his position, he chose to sacrifice that for the sake of his team and his family. And Wayne will always strive to help others, even if that’s sacrificing his role to ensure the success of his team. Wayne never talked down to people, he was always optimistic and was always a great teammate. I often think about this because he always tells me “Just being on the field and learning and having fun is what it’s all about” Paulson packed his bags and drove down to the University of Illinois in champaign.

He arrived and he made the decision to change to halfback so with a team formed, they went on to play, where their team won all their games but one against Michigan University. This allowed his team to play in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California.

Paulson and his team flew out to California, embarking on a trip of their lifetimes.

The time there was filled with dinners, banquets, and fun with him and his team. “but then.” he tells me, “it was game time.” He described the game to me as “Once in a lifetime”. One moment he told me was his proudest moment “After Washington scored the first touchdown, I was in the endzone to return the football. They kicked and I caught it in the endzone. Most people would let the ball down and get the free 20 Yards, but I wouldn’t. so, I ran it and got tackled at the 22-yard line, and Dick Butkus told me “Why didn’t you let it down? If you did, we would’ve been at the same spot. And I told him “Maybe if you blocked better, we would have been at the 50-yard line”

(a picture of Paulson (#21) making a tackle Infront of Dave Mueller (#86), Greg Schumacher (#84))

Football: Changing Lives Wayne's time playing college football, and where it has got him.

By Davis Paulson On a Sunday afternoon I called Wayne Paulson, my grandfather, and asked him to do an interview. I was sitting on my sofa in my living room, with a glass of tea in a quiet house. Little did I know it, would teach me more than I could ever imagine. “The feeling of winning,” he describes to me,” that feeling of winning, it’s something you could only

“All I want is to be a part of the team, I just want to help the team.”

Even though most people wouldn’t take the chance and go for the easier way, Wayne wouldn’t. Wayne will never take the easier choice if that means he will give up an opportunity for success. He will always strive for success even if others disagree with him.

From all the hard work from him, his team, the fans, and the coaches, it resulted in a win for Illinois, 17-7. They celebrated, ran around the field, and got their rings, but what I’ve learned from him, is that’s not all it’s about. He tells me, “Just being out there, with my team, and my family, it was an amazing time. We went to Disney World, went to this steak house where we all got massive ribeye’s, as a publicity stunt because you know, we were the big guys, in the big 10. I had a great time and that’s what it’s all about.”

Flying out to Pasadena California, Paulson and his team had one goal; get a ring and become the Rose Bowl champions. That’s not all Wayne did; he made sure to enjoy the moment, have fun, and take advantage of every second. Wayne always enjoys life and makes the most of what he does. Paulson always loves his coaches. He always credits his coaches and those who helped him reach his success. If you were to ask him every coach he had, he would tell you. And not just his coaches.

Wayne has made some fantastic friends over the years. He never cares if you are rich or poor, big, or tall, he will always help others. His son, my father, Nick Paulson told

me about some of times that Wayne helped others. He told me, “One time, there was a kid named Miguel DeOliver. He was a football player at the university of Illinois and his family lived in California so he couldn’t afford to fly there for both Christmas and thanksgiving, so Wayne invited him to stay with us for thanksgiving. So, this kid was laying on the floor, beside my bed, and something about this kid was he never lost a game of Tic Tak Toe, so he was just lying on the floor, and I told him ‘I can’t have you sleeping on the floor, I’ll sleep on the floor.’ So, I gave up my bed because that’s what [Paulson] would have done, and that’s what he taught me.”

(Paulson shortly after arriving at the university of Illinois.)

Wayne taught his son, as well as many others, to be a good person and make sacrifices. He is a major influence in others’ lives, including mine. He always wants to help others. He makes sure that others can be the best he can be, which is why he founded the Smith Center at the University of Illinois.

Paulson has worked very hard on his dream and has achieved it. He put in the work and achieved his goal. But what I’ve learned is that that’s only half of what he’s accomplished. He met so many people, made so many new friends, and was able to help others. In life, there are many different perspectives of success, money, and power, but in Wayne's instance, his way of success comes from all the lifelong friendships he’s made along the way. He has taught those around him, including myself, to be the best person you can be and always make the best decisions you can make.

Recognizing the importance of memories: Andrea Rene Pierce’s teenage years

It was early fall in Chicago Illinois, a few minutes to 10pm, and Andrea Pierce, my mother, was sitting next to me at the dining table. Andrea shifted to have a glance over at the questions that I prepared before the interview and soon relaxed back in her seat. Andrea looked lost in thought as she looked out into the kitchen, zoning out, and reflected on my questions. As I was about to ask if she was almost ready to begin, I felt the temperature drop as the AC turned on and soon after noticed the warmth that surrounded her and immediately created a calm and relaxed atmosphere. As we talked over the 20-minute conference, Andrea talks about some significant moments in her life.

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By: Alexis Pierce

ierce had loved cheerleading as a teenager and wanted to make the varsity team at her school. During tryouts she performed perfectly and possibly even exceeded the expectations, but when she got the news that she didn’t make the team, she was shocked and confused.

But as she looked back on this experience, she realized the impact it had on her and her life. Pierce had been lost in thought as she said, “At the time, I didn’t appreciate it as a learning experience, but the perseverance that I learned to develop, taught me to just continue and push forward.” No matter how hard something is in the moment you will always gain something from it in the end. I believe that anyone could learn from this mindset and apply it in day-to-day life to look towards the bigger picture in the face of an obstacle.

W

hen Pierce was in college, at the University of Texas, she had joined a sorority. This has been a big part of her life as she has made a family through the people that she has met, and even still has connections with most of them. She slightly smiled when she thought back to the years spent in her sorority with her friends said, “When I pledged my sorority, it was the first time I had formed some long-lasting relationships.” Even though this moment occurred in college it still influences her today and will continue to have one for the rest of her life.

A

Andrea Pierce in recent times.

s Pierce dove deeper into how the members of her sorority still make an impact on her life, she explains what her relationship with her friends has turned into.

Pierce smiled and said, “We do all the things that you expect a family to do, and, in some ways, they are my family.” Pierce’s experiences when she was younger still show significance in her life through the newfound family that she obtained and created as she was able to gain a sense of familiarity with them. The people she created a special bond with have given her a special part of her life, she is able to connect with them beyond their college days and still have maintained that special bond. Since they met, they have travelled together, laughed together, helped each other together and had so many memorable moments that have provided such an endearing part in her heart.

“At the time, I didn’t appreciate it as a learning experience, but the perseverance that I learned to develop, taught me to just continue and push forward.”

Pierce has always enjoyed and loved the idea of becoming a mother, and once that dream came true, it was an amazing moment for her. Pierce beamed as she thought back to all her memories longing for her dream to come true while she said, “I always dreamed I would become a mom, so to have that become real is amazing.” This moment has had a special part in her life and has really been a lifelong dream for her, so this one specific dream being fulfilled has been transforming for her.

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ierce continued to elaborate on how she could still recall all the amazing moments of experiencing motherhood for the first time, and while reflecting on all the memories Pierce said, “I still remember all the moments, like being in the hospital, holding her for the first time, watching her sleep, introducing her to her grandmother, her nana. All those things were just great moments.” The key thing to remember is that this

moment was one of the most important of her memories and past experiences that have helped her with growth and learning throughout all her lifetime.

These are just a few of the many significant moments in Pierce’s life and are continuing to this day.

Something that we can all learn from Pierce is that if you are in a difficult or challenging situation that you shouldn’t get caught up in the moment and that you may be able to find an important lesson that could have a positive effect on you later in your life. By experiencing significant moments, you may be able to shift your perspective to see how that moment had affected you and what you can learn from it.

The Chief of the Civil Rights Movement, Emily Maw, is a savior to many innocent people throughout Louisiana.

discovery.

Throughout the interview, she repeats how hard each case is and how they are all unique. Maw Maw and I had a scheduled phone call in the evening to discuss her life. When she answered, I could

immediately tell how excited she was for this interview. However, when she explained to me what her greatest take away or observation that she made from this job, her voice became very serious as she slowly shares this memorable realization that I will never forget, “The human spirit is incredible and we can try, but we cannot squash people’s souls.” Clearly, this statement is the result of hard work and experience. Maw’s time in her

explains to me that the feeling she has in court, no matter how many times she has been there, never changes. In fact, when the judge decides to free the innocent person, she describes the feeling as overwhelming and full of gratitude, but not exactly joy, because they should not have been in jail in the first place. It is important to remember how corrupt the system is so that even if you are successful with one person, you have to remember that there are still others who are not as lucky.

Emily Maw has recently transitioned from being the director of the innocence project in New

work environment has revealed itself to have a pattern of realization for her that is significant to why she still does what she does. She unpacks what she has gone through, and she must have had many eye-opening

Orleans and working for the Chief of the Louisiana Supreme Court, to her current job, the Chief of the Civil

experiences to come to this conclusion. This gives me a reminder that humans are humans no matter what, and

Rights Division in the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office. She describes her view as such, “Once you are

when worst comes to worst, we always have hope. It inspires me to look on the brighter side and make the most

working as part of the government, trying to change things radically but nevertheless you are still at stake, you

out of my life even if I am having a bad day, and it is clear she makes others feel this way as well.

have far more responsibility to far more people than you ever have when you are on the other side just saying:

During this interview, Maw and I went through many different main events and milestones she’s gone through in her life. One moment that has happened to her countless times has never changed the way she feels about it. Recalling the moment in court when the judge makes the final decision, Maw’s voice cracks as

‘Do Better.’” You can tell that Maw’s work environment is hard, but now she has a perspective on multiple point of views, which makes her a pro at her job. She is experienced and hardworking and that will leave many in good hands.

Maw’s hard work and independence comes mostly from childhood experiences in Britain. She

she tells me with preciseness, “There is a moment when the judge says something to someone in court that

By Sadie Polk Photograph by Tulane Law School In a small town in Britain, Emily Maw was just a curious teenager when the IRA, a terrorist group in Ireland, began to attack citizens in Britain. These attacks happened numerous times and they often occurred when Maw was at school. Most of the time, the IRA bombed villages, and in 1974, when two pubs were

makes it clear that everything that the usually decades and decades and decades of the nightmare, they’ve been

explains, “I think I had a little bit of chaos growing up, so things weren’t always predictable.” The reason

going through is done, it’s over. When the judge says those words Sadie, ‘I’m vacating the conviction to a

behind this is the frequent absence of her mother. She had many siblings as well, so she was forced to be

different amount of time,’” she pauses, “I have never not cried.” This is obviously very important because that

independent. However, she quickly adds, “I just want to say, my childhood was really cool. We had chickens

moment is the moment when she has reassurance that all her hard work and time that she spent on those cases

and a big orchard, played in the village, and did all that, you know, it was lovely as well, it was just challenging

has been successful. It is also mainly a relief for her to know that her client will be released from an unjust,

sometimes.” Just like everyone, she encountered many obstacles but that wasn’t her entire life and certainly not

ongoing nightmare. It really demonstrates the determination one needs in this field.

the norm.

bombed, six Irish men were wrongfully convicted, and became known to the public as the Birmingham Six. As

Maw’s hardworking, selfless, determined attitude, and her experiences is what crafted her into a

the chaos continued, there was one lawyer, Gareth Peirce, who fought to release the Birmingham Six. One day,

wonderful Chief of the Civil Rights Division and many people’s savior. Listening to her talk about all of her

Maw heard the news that they were released from jail. Her face lit up, and she did not realize that the spark that

accomplishments made me appreciate her even more than I had before. She has saved countless lives and is a

she felt in that moment would revisit her soon. This is the story that inspired Maw to fight to free people who

reminder to always help those who need it even if there are people who disagree, and to be grateful because

were wrongfully convicted and put into jail.

there are others who are less fortunate. Now, I have more of an understanding of how the justice system works and Maw’s life. I am forever grateful for this learning experience I got to be a part of.

Emily Maw, my family’s extremely close friend, moved to the United States from Britain. She is like family to me. Maw’s childhood was full of change but was nevertheless an amazing time that was full of

“I love it, I love seeing people get out of prison!”

memories. She grew up with many siblings, so she had to take care of them when times became hard, and she lived with many different family members. Every moment of her childhood is what made her such a formidable woman.

Maw, the Chief of the Civil Rights Division in the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office, has had many experiences in her field that many humans will most likely never get to experience, which is what makes her so wise. She has worked with many different people throughout her career and has made an amazing

Emily Maw and Kia Stewart celebrating the dismissal of all charges

Determination By: Johnny Rose

Ellen Rose: hard work pays off!

This is a photo of Ellen currently for context. She states “if my body wasn’t sore all the time. I thin I would be able to play pro.”

Little Ellen Rose had two parents growing up in Hinsdale. Jim and Jane. When it came to their children, they were very overprotective. Ellen is a 4’10” athletic girl that just looking for other things to do than doing homework or sitting in her room doing nothing.

“Ugh I can’t with this stupid homework. I need to find something else to do to entertain myself,” Ellen thought dramatically. “Hey honey! Dad and I are going to watch your sister’s soccer game.

Want to go?” expecting the same answer she gets every time Ellen Rose, Debatably the best player at her high school. Grew up in a small town in Hinsdale and still found a way to make her self-known. Her skills, leadership, and sportsmanship and lead her ultimately to success. She picked up soccer, she stated “around mid to early august of her 6th grade year” this shows the importance soccer is to her.

Remembering what day an time she started soccer. In he 7th grade year, she started to get noticed more and started really loving the game. She stated this in a jovial but almost sad way, remembering her time playing soccer.

“Ugh I can’t with this stupid homework. I need to find something else to do to entertain myself,”

During her freshman year, she started as a freshman at one of the biggest high schools in the state. She stated, “it was a fun time looking back on It. I wish I could relive the experience again” Ellen stated sadly. Starting her sophomore year, Ellen suffered an achilleas injury that put her on the IL for the rest of the season.

She was devastated. She thought to herself, “will I ever play again?” When she came back on her junior year, she wasn’t the same. She basically halved her stats she did in her freshman season. She knew it was almost over for her, but then, her senior year, she had a breakout season. Doubling her stats from her freshman year. With a large smile on her face, she said “guess all I needed was practice overall!” she said while chuckling.

When Ellen graduated, she went to play for a small D3 down near Maine. After that, she never picked up a soccer ball again. She went on to be a teacher in New York City for a couple years. Then moved back to Illinois again to start a family.

A family legacy How immigration affected the whole family By: Juliana Salgado I begin to sit opposite Silvia Carrillo - Salgado, my mother, at the dining room table. Our dog whines and cries for food, specifically to my mom since she had just warmed up leftovers from a dinner she made when her parents, immigrants, came to visit. My dad had put an older vinyl he had playing, soft jazz warming my ears. She picks the pup up gently and has him on her lap, pushing away the food so he does not get to it.

My mother is wearing a simple t-shirt from a concert we went to together with my sister, a Mexican rock band, one of my mom’s favorites. I ask her if she is ready to begin and she gives me a steady nod.

Mrs. Carrillo did not grow up like most kids. Her parents immigrated from Mexico just before she was born. My grandpa coming first in 1973, then sending for my grandmother in 1974. Both coming from Colotl𝑎́ n, Jalisco M𝑒́ xico. and being aware of that all her life changed how she lived it.

She worked from the early age of fourteen, and her education wasn’t the most luxurious, but it made her the hard worker and compassionate person I’ve been lucky to know my whole life.

She grew up always being aware that her parents were immigrants,

but there are some moments that stand out to her. Like when deportation was following families, and her parents were transparent about why they had to relocate entire neighborhoods and schools. They moved to an apartment they rented out to other tenants. This event clicked something in her brain, and it was a turning point in her consciousness.

I then begin to wonder if she ever felt ashamed of her parents, of them not being like the parents of the other kids at her school, not American.

As we are sitting at the kitchen table, dim lighting and our dog playing by her feet she says to me, “To this day I’m proud of them. I am very proud that they risked their lives coming to this country. To come here with nothing and to make a beautiful life… I was able to go to school and give my children more than they gave me.”

She explains how she has never questioned her parents, and she acknowledges what her parents did and how she will build from it. She has always talked about building a family legacy. My mother has always said to my siblings and I to always strive to do better than her and my dad. She wants us to do better so our children will go even higher, thanks to our family slowly building up opportunities for one another.

My mother seemed to always know her parents were immigrants.

Therefore, her perspective on even the word “immigrant” is different for her than it might be from people who will never be familiar with the idea of having a family who isn’t from this country.

She understood the struggle that parents went through when they were trying to supply a better life for their children. She understood how unfair this country could and still can be sometimes to immigrants.

Because of the language barrier, it limited the job opportunities to her parents. This led to my mom and her sibling working full jobs since 14, while attending school.

This is why I have now adopted her definition of the word.

She goes from an easygoing tone to a certain, solid one, saying

“Immigrant to me is a person that came from another country to this one in hopes of a better life.

To build a better life”.

My mom’s definition, which I have now adapted, helps me reflect on our real-world events. For example, the migrants/ refugees from Venezuela. I see the families seeking homes and resources and how some people react so negatively to them. People hate how these families are coming asking for resources, but because of how my mom has raised me on the realities of their situation, I can only feel their struggle. Coming to a country in hopes of receiving comfort after escaping a life they are trying to get themselves or their families away from but receiving only negativity and discrimination shatters my heart.

My mom then expanded more on learning the reality of her family situation. She talks about her vivid memory of the day that she learned her parents had immigrated into this country.

To that point, I thought my mom just always knew that about her parents, that it was a fact. However, the story I got in return was much more interesting.

She begins with a flash of determination in her voice, her fingers fidgeting in her lap, “I remember it very well to this day, I was in second grade, and they pulled out my older brother, my older sister, and me from our class at the time. We moved that day, and my mother told us that immigration had sent a notice of deportation. And that’s when it hit me, that my parents were immigrants.”

It still inspires me to this day how a second grader can be aware of a family situation like that. My brother is currently in second grade, and he most certainly would not react in the same way my mom did decades ago.

My mother, as a daughter and older sister, knew her job.

These chapters of my mom’s life still appear in her today.

I observe it when she has tasks to complete for her career, but still raises three children. I can see it when she guides me on how to manage my schoolwork when I get overwhelmed.

She has always known her goals and has had the ethic to complete them. Not only has it surrounded her, but she has succeeded in implementing it in her own life.

We can be raised in an atmosphere of a certain way, but it is only up to us if we can implement these traits into our own natures.

The journey through high school

By: Dare Sarumi The skills my mother developed to get through high school.

I interviewed my mother, Valerie Sarumi, in my warm living room on an amazing Monday afternoon off school. Sarumi was dressed casually wearing a black dress shirt and gray shorts. She paused her cooking of sweet potatoes and lentil and took a sit at our dinner table.

When she took a seat, she was ready to share. Her mere presence helped me feel excited to converse with her.

She had a jovial look on her face, that brightened the mood in the room. The fact that Sarumi even took time to get interviewed is evident of the caring and thoughtful personality she has.

Valerie Sarumi, a 40-year-old tax lawyer, lives in Chicago, Illinois.

She grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and went to a boarding high school, Model College. She attended college at the University of Kentucky for her undergraduate degree, and she went to the University of Texas at Austin for her law degree. She then got a master’s degree in tax law at Northwestern University. Sarumi enjoys travelling and spending time with her family. In the earlier years of her life, she developed important skills that have helped her in tough situations and shape the person she is today.

Over the past few generations, high school has been a staple in American culture. Some have great memories from high school, and some have terrible memories from high school. Valerie Sarumi went to high school in Nigeria and described her overall high school experience as positive. She then moved on to discussing vital qualities she was taught. Something that sounded intriguing was when she emphasized the key qualities she absorbed: “The first things I learned were structure, routine, and independence. Those were key things I learned very quickly at a very young age.” Sarumi’s words show the major qualities she developed early.

Her tone of voice and the emphasis she displayed when she said this suggests that these skills had an immense amount of importance during her earlier education. She also had an intense look in her eyes as she

said this. Her statement was so powerful because the qualities she described are necessary and relevant to all our lives. Personally, I can use these skills in my academic career, and in activities outside of school. To add, what Sarumi stated is a good representation of her personality currently; she is incredibly independent and organized.

The skills Sarumi learned helped her successfully adapt to high school socially and academically.

Socially it was harder because she had to make new friends and meet new people. Academically, it was not as difficult because of how the ethic of hard work was held up with high significance in her primary years.

When she was still discussing her academic adaptation, a critical thing she emphasized was, "Hard work was drilled into us [she and other students] at a young age.”

This is another specific and vital skill she learned that helped her adapt to high school. Based on her strong tone of voice, she suggests that work ethic was prioritized during her primary education, and that it was essential in one’s advancement academically. In addition, the force that she put into her point helped make it clear that it was important.

The message of this is that hard work is crucial, and without it, it will be hard for one to be successful in life.

Later, Sarumi began describing the biggest challenge she faced in high school, and how the skills she learned earlier helped her overcome it. When talking about her school system she said something that was attention-grabbing: “I really

felt like they [her school] narrowed down our choices early.”

She said this at a normal volume, but the slight amount of emotion she said this with increased her statement’s significance. She also added that, “I felt that I was too young an age to pick a path.”

She is referring to her lack of course variety in her school system, and how she felt that her school reduced her options far too early.

Sarumi had to decide the main core

class subject she would take for the rest of high school at the young age of thirteen. Her message clearly shows that she faced a tough challenge early. However, skills like independence that she had learned earlier helped her overcome this challenge. Sarumi’s independence allowed her to express to her principal what class she liked most out of the limited variety. Her experience is an example that when a challenge is presented, do not give in to it and let it determine your future, find a way to overcome it.

“Hard work was drilled into us [she and other students] at a young age.”

The skills Sarumi developed early have helped her in many ways throughout her life and have helped shape the person she is today. These important lessons and ideas Sarumi shared have given me an interesting new perspective on different situations, and how to face them. The overarching message that presents itself from her statements is that there are important qualities that should be developed early, so that one is prepared to face difficult situations in the future.

Photograph of Malmanger in his fighter jet doing so: “I like to have the ability to use technology to do something that I think benefits others, so travel is something people do; they need to get from one place to another safely and efficiently, and I make that happen.”

In depth, Malmanger states what he truly accomplishes while working as a Delta Airlines pilot captain. Even if you think your job or hobby is not necessarily what you like to do, you might be helping others in so many ways. Being helpful towards others, Malmanger’s career not only accomplishes his goals, but most likely thousands a year.

Lastly, I remember when I asked Malmanger this question, he felt very proud and confident towards his answer, fully showing his love for his plane, his passengers, and his fellow pilots. I also felt a bit curious and excited to begin talking with Malmanger as he sounded like he had a pretty unique job and lifestyle.

The journey and risks of piloting an aircraft By: Lucas Sawyer

Ben Malmanger is an influential and inspiring person who has shown this various times throughout his career.

We were on a Zoom call in the mid-afternoon, exchanging friendly questions with one another. My dad’s office is a bit cold and uncomfortable, so I begin to move in my chair periodically. The distorted volume on the other end of the call sounded unhinged at first, but seemingly quieted down the more I felt annoyed.

Ben Malmanger, 55 years old, sat in his car at night, fixing his Zoom volume continuously. He made me a bit nervous from all the darkness that surrounded him. Settling back in my chair, a scar begins to reveal itself on Ben’s lower chin. Then we began to talk.

Malmanger, as of right now, is a captain at Delta Airlines and travels to different places while also bringing his family along the way. He then talks about what it means to be a pilot and what you accomplish while

In his past, Malmanger reminiscences about his old fighter pilot days and explains how most pilots feel about the responsibilities they might have to fulfill to complete the mission. “As a fighter pilot, you do things that you may not want to for example, none of us want to go into that line of work wanting to destroy things or kill people.”

Furthermore, for Malmanger and other peers, the things they do are a serious matter and should be taken cautiously and carefully as these are the people defending our country. Sometimes you cannot control what happens in life and that it can be something you know is right or wrong.

This is a good example of how we should look at life whether it’s good or bad, it should be taken seriously as you mostly do not control what happens in the future.

Overall, being a pilot or any line of warfront defense is a serious job, and you must take risks to fulfil your duty and protect your country. This strengthens my understanding of the world and the types of decisions I might have to take might be significant for myself or others. I was also really impacted by this and began to ponder and think about how Ben managed to accept this.

Malmanger explains the academic sacrifice and what he had to leave behind in order to become a fighter pilot. “Really focusing on my academics instead of my social life, instead of sports, and instead of all the things that a young man or woman can focus on when they’re18,19 and 20.

“I really had to buckle down quite a bit. I was really focused on my objectives of becoming a fighter pilot.”

Realistically, this promotes that you need to work hard, idealize your goals over others, and really put in the effort to prove your best. This shows how important education is and even if it seems boring, it will support you throughout your life. Malmanger, sounding a bit sad about the question, remembers the things he had to leave behind him like sports, loved ones, and important factors of his life that could have advanced further. This can also infer that trying to apply and join that line of work was a difficult task for many and is probably why many people want to go or not. This truly encourages me to do well in school and in life to map out my life’s path undoubtedly.

Overall, Ben Malmanger is a hardworking person dedicated to taking risks, sacrificing things to accomplish others, and using his resources to help and protect others in various ways. Malmanger is a great example of how a person should conceive of life and the way they think of doing it.

He tells us that you should wonder what you want to do and how you will accomplish that goal through your own ways of determination and excellence. Through my personal talk with Malmanger, and just by being a family friend, I have taken away lots of key details, thoughts, emotions, and motivations, from his quite uplifting life.

Challenges and diversity in the construction + real-estate industries

The challenges that Molly McShane faces at work and what she has to say about diversity in her industry I walked up the stairs with Molly McShane, my mom, to the top floor of our house and into the small and sunny office. We sat down in comfortable leather chairs and had a friendly conversation about what the interview will look like. When I looked over at McShane, I could see how she is a very professional person, but also very friendly just by looking at her. She wore jeans and a comfortable sweater and sat in a way that showed that she knew what she was doing.

Molly McShane is a 46year-old business leader living in Chicago, Illinois with her husband, George Schaefer, and her two kids, Megan Schaefer and myself. She is the CEO of the McShane Companies, a group of three construction and real estate companies (McShane construction, Cadence McShane construction, and Conor Commercial Real Estate), started by her father, Jim McShane. McShane has many challenges at work and uses perseverance to overcome them.

Molly McShane at a construction site, 2021.

It is a very sunny afternoon, and the office I am interviewing McShane in has a lot of windows, illuminating the room and matching our shared excitement for the interview. One of my biggest questions going into the interview was what some of McShane’s most unexpected challenges were.

McShane is eager to honestly expand on this and states, “I did not expect a global pandemic.” Laughing, she continues, “Luckly our business of building buildings was deemed necessary by the federal

government.” She then explains how, even though she was still able to continue her work, the world was shutting down, and nobody was quite on the same page about what to do or what was happening.

McShane later comments on how the lasting effects of Covid19 have also caused some difficulties.

These include things like increased prices on the cost of building buildings and how remote working has crippled the sociality of the inperson workplace, which have become some of the largest challenges for her today.

During the interview, I learned that McShane is commonly asked what it is like to be a woman leader in the real-estate and construction businesses, so I asked her what her response usually was.

McShane says, “In construction and also in real-estate development, being a women leader is exceedingly rare.”

McShane goes on to say that because she does not know what it is like to be a male leader in the construction/real-estate business, she cannot exactly say what its like to be a female leader in her career vs a male, but she knows that it is definitely more challenging being a female leader.: “There is a list of the top one hundred construction companies in the United States…out of the top one hundred, do you know how many have female CEO’s?

Two.” McShane next explains that, not including her, that is only one other female CEO in the top one

By: Caitlin Schaefer

hundred construction companies.

This new information shocked me: I could not believe that only two people on that list were females, compared to the ninety-eight males.

This made me wonder what was being done to create more diversity in the construction/realestate industry and asked how she was helping to create more diversity in her workplace. McShane shared, her voice a serious tone, “There’s a lot of people that are underrepresented in our industry, and we are working really hard to change that, but it doesn’t change overnight.” McShane tells me that she is trying to create a more diverse workplace at the McShane companies by hiring lots of different people and participating in groups that educate minorities about the construction/real-estate industry, but, as she mentioned, it will take a lot of time and effort before the construction/real-estate industry can be considered ‘diverse.’

During the interview I learned that McShane is a very kind person, and someone who works very hard on everything she does. I also learned how much Covid affected even the companies that were still open, and how un-diverse the construction and real-estate industries are. When I asked McShane for any advice she might have, she told me you should persist and work hard in school and otherwise; sometimes working hard pays off

“There is a list of the top one hundred construction companies in the United States…Out of the top one hundred, do you know how many have female CEO’s? Two.”

Working Hard as a new Entrepreunre Katrina worked hard to Build her business

Katrina Markoff has experienced a lot of tricky situations. She recalled that every challenging situation that she faced, she always tried to stay focused and work harder. In these situations, she would use different strategies to persevere and move through them. She tried to work extremely hard during these times in order to spend time with her kids and get a lot of work done. When she was having trouble with life or just not getting focused, she would use a quote that has stuck with her, “Never give up.” Markoff connects with this quote not just in work but also in her family life. It also means a lot to her because she has been in far more than one situation where she has needed it. Now you might wonder why you need to know about this. Well, when you think about it, you have likely heard it many times before, and possibly had many moments where it came in handy. When I think about how hard Katrina has worked and how many situations that she has been in I can really relate and understand this quote. Not just from her perspective, but others as well.

“Comfort is a killer.”

The Road to Perseverance Katrina Markoff entrepunre is making new chocolate that is trying to break food industry barriers

By Rohan Scher Photograph by CNN

We were in the living room and my mother, Katrina Markoff, was sitting in a big round chair; she had hot chocolate in one hand and a pencil in the other. She was wearing a very nice Vanderbilt sweatshirt.

Markoff just got out of the shower, her hair was still a little wet and glistening under the sun. My mother loved to cook from a young age.

When she was 15, she started her own business baking cakes. She helped brighten up cancer patients’ days by bringing them cakes and spending time with them. The state of Indiana gave Markoff an award for her dedicated service. During the initial phase of her business, it was hard work, but she learned to persevere.

There are a lot of unbelievably valuable things we can learn from people like Katrina that have been in such challenging situations.

When Katrina was starting her business, she had a time in her life that was the biggest struggle. When she was in this tricky time, she had to step out of her comfort zone a lot, and used a quote that goes, “Comfort is a killer.” It helped her a lot at the time, but it also stuck with her through other hard times. Most importantly it is a great life lesson that can be learned to achieve success. This quote really intertwines with Katrina because it is telling her to step outside of her comfort zone and step outside of the box. “Why?” You might think. “What does that even mean?” It means to not just do things that you are comfortable with, but to reach past your limitations, and do something that you might not feel comfortable with. Because if you always do what you are comfortable with, then you will never grow and will never get better at your sport, business, or studies.

Working hard and being stressed about your work, school, or even sports can be hard, and sometimes you might need a break.

Katrina has a lot of responsibilities such as running a business, helping with her children, and many other things. However, when someone does all these activities and tasks it can get very stressful. When you get stressed, you cannot focus right, maintain a good mood, or progress in your business, school, or sport. In times like these you need to relax, focus, and just take a day to do something. This is something that Katrina does when she is stressed. A quote that really helped her find this strategy for relaxing and not being stressed was, “Sometimes you need to focus on yourself.” She experiences a lot of

stress in her life with all the work that she does to help her business and help her kids. With such a life, it’s no wonder how much this quote has helped her. Focusing on herself has helped her through those experiences. With a lifestyle like hers, it is not such a mind-blowing idea that this quote has helped her.

Katrina is very hardworking and has persevered to get things done with work and with her children. She has gone through a lot, and this has changed her and made her a stronger person. The effect of her having a very bad year for her business and losing a lot during Covid set her back, but she has transformed those hardships into strength and a better lifestyle. Today, she works to get her business where she wants it to be and continues to work hard.

A

Taken after brunch that was celebrating my birthday

The Hurdles To Success An insight into Saahil Shafi’s educational life and how far it has gotten him.

By Shaan Shafi Photographed by Shaan Shafi

"Let’s finish this off," Saahil Shafi exclaimed when I asked to interview him about the high school process, reflecting his unwavering determination. I was sitting at my desk in my room while on call with him through my phone. It was 20 minutes past noon and lunch time was imminent. Shafi was in his dorm up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and had just arrived from a college lecture. The interview was so sudden in the since that we did not schedule it and was unplanned. So, I was quick to prepare my notes. Born in Mangalore, India in 2004, Shafi is my older brother in our family of four, and his resolute nature has been a constant source of inspiration. Over his 14-year academic journey, he has never once contemplated giving up. Now at 19 years old, he serves as a shining example of resilience. His initial years were spent in Bangalore, India,

until in 2010 he lived in Saudi Arabia. In 2014 when he made a life-altering transition from Saudi Arabia to the United States.

Transitioning from Saudi Arabia with its vastly different environment, he embarked on the challenging path of navigating the Chicago high school process and the American college application process. Saahil's quick thinking and unwavering determination has paved the way for his success and served as a powerful example for anyone facing life obstacles.

Shafi made it through the high school process even after some setbacks. Shafi made multiple remarks about the high school process and presented advice to future high school students. He entered the United States of America in 2014 from Saudi Arabia. He enrolled at FXW in 6th grade and was thrown into the high school process in Chicago, Illinois with no knowledge on how to prepare for the HSPT test. But he managed to persevere, endure, and problem-solve. Shafi went through many hardships but overcame them all eventually. With his only knowledge coming from American TV shows, he barely knew how American society worked. For an example, how Americans interact with each other, what they eat, and how they dress. He adapted quickly enough and managed to make friends and socialize. He prepared for the High school process just in time and took the HSPT test (High School Placement Test). However, he did feel stressed and worried during the process. He picked De La Salle Institute as his secondary target for high school and was accepted.

Looking back at it for him now, He remarks, “Just don’t stress. I’m sure you will all get into a good high school. You are where you are for a reason.”

This relates to me on the level that I am undergoing the High School process right now and I feel stressed and anxious about the whole process itself.

I believe he assisted me with putting in faith on the process which helped a lot because I am an immense overthinker. I witnessed and took mental notes on how everything was done and felt like. I appeared at high school open houses with him when he was undergoing the process. If he had not existed, I would’ve been lost in my high school process. I would’ve had no idea how the high school process would be like and what an ideal high school for me would be.

He paved the way and shaped me into what I am now.

Shafi felt that he was an outcast at times and did not feel like he was fitting in, but he felt pressured to fit in without knowing how to do so. He also felt uncultured by the fact that he had just moved from a completely different country that is across the world, relying on the knowledge he retained from American TV shows like "Austin & Ally" and "Jesse." Shafi used a typical American show and applied the social skills from the show to real life. He later mentioned, “My struggle initially was fitting with people around me; I felt like I was a bit uncultured.” Shafi had to go through a lot of hardships and persevere through harsh times. I, however, had the same problem with Shafi. When I first had my taste of American Schools, it felt completely different compared to Schools in Saudi Arabia. Shafi, however, had been thrown right into the academics and had no idea of what he was doing. While I on the other hand, spent my first year in kindergarten, which was more laid back and deployed no academic skills.

Shafi’s culture is much more diverse compared to American culture; India has much higher formal standards than the United States. However, society in India assumes that you already know what you are doing and pushes you into the open world for you to survive on your own, so there may be no consideration or empathy for anyone in India. In the United States, on the other hand, it's much more relaxed and cognizant. Shafi remarks, “Where we came from, it is more cutthroat, in the fact that people liked demand something with no consideration to those people.”

I come from the same household and background as Shafi. I know that

Indian culture has its ups and downs, as Indians have built themselves upon hard work, believing that hard work and quality are key to success. However, they misinterpret mental health and how it is almost equal to physical health.

They believe if someone else can do it, then they can do it, which is right but can't be applied to all situations.

Transitioning from one society to another society is inconvenient. How do you socialize with people? How does life work in this new environment? All these concerns usually surface when someone changes their environment. Shafi, however, got past his problems even when it seemed impossible for him.

“Everything is impossible until you achieve it.”

Shafi managed to get past all the hardships and struggles and is in the best state for himself right now. In present day 2023, he is attending college at Marquette University, a highly decorated University in the state of Wisconsin.

He truly shows that after hard work, blood, sweat, and tears, it all pays off.

Cancer From A Cancer Survivor By: Jess Smutniak

An inspiring story about a cancer survivor, and how cancer has affected Lou Sacher

When my grandpa had cancer, we sent him a hotdog plush. He loved it and he used it to prop up his arm with all his IVs in it

When we first found out we were all anxious. I remember, freezing in horror. I didn’t want him to die. Not yet. Not ever. My Grandpa, Lou Sacher, had stage 4 lymphoma cancer, a rare cancer with a high death rate. My whole was anxious.. My grandpa started chemotherapy; it was his only option. 6 months of worry, 6 months in the hospital, and six months till he beat it.

We were so happy, but of course, it came back. But this time they were offered a

procedure of 1.2 million dollars. They took some of my grandpa’s cells and shipped them out to California, where they cleaned and trained the cells, before sending them back. His cells were put back into his body.

They didn’t pay a penny, their insurance did that.

But surviving cancer still came at a cost.

His chemo had killed his nerve endings, and he didn’t have feelings in his legs. He was still able to use them, but it was hard for him to learn to walk again. He has a cane now, and it’s like a third leg.

Cancer has been a struggle he has faced for a while now and has recently overcome it his second time.

When he had cancer, instead of thinking all negative he tried to see the positive aspect of life and succeeded in doing so. My grandpa did his best to find things to pass the time, mainly crossword puzzles, exercise, and reading. He had said, with a heavy sigh, “I try to enjoy life. Take things slow.” And he has done so. This is significant because all of us could learn to be less worried, and less of a perfectionist. Enjoying simple things is always going to keep you happy.

In his fight against cancer, he stayed in Ohio at a hospital that specializes in cancer treatment. He grew up in Ohio and lived there most of his life. He was told that he could go to another state to get the best treatment, but he stayed in Ohio. “It might have been the best place for me to go. Plus, I wanted to stay near the family.” He ended up making the right decision for him, because he had beat cancer 2 times now.

My aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives could always come to see him. It made

him a lot happier. The hospital he stayed at was very good at what they did. My family visited him and made sure he was taken care of and happy He had learned to believe in himself and go with the flow. When asked about having cancer a second time he responded, “Going into it a second time I was fine. I knew I could survive it because I did that already” We could all learn how to believe in yourself and go with the flow at the same time. Its not hard to do both.

There is a good balance between believing in yourself any going with the flow learning to enjoy little things, and being thankful, while fighting for what you need, and what you believe is right. My grandfather learned how to do this, and he is living out the rest of his life this way. He made sure that he had fun with what he could do. He is a great guy, nice to everyone, he can always see the silver linings

.

“I try to enjoy life, take things slow”

Hard Work and Dedication

By William Smutniak

This is James Smutniak, co owner of Midwest Telecom of America, he believes in hard work and dedication.

James Smutniak is my dad, and he works for his company Midwest Telecom of America (MTA). Smutniak started his company with his friend in 1992 because they wanted independence when they worked, so they did many marketing things for their company until it became successful and provided them with what they had.

James and his friend made sure that MTA became successful and a company that could stay in business, help people, and provide for themselves with their hard work.

Smutniak started his internet and phone company, Midwest Telecom of America (MTA), in 1992 with his work partner. He wanted a job that would help many people and provide him with a good life. Smutniak also liked the idea of working for his own company instead of for somebody else. Smutniak

has experience in working for somebody else because he’d worked for other companies in his past. Because of Smutniak’ belief about working for his own company, when his friend wanted to start MTA with him, he did it. Smutniak was able to tell that that was the job he wanted, so he made a good decision to start MTA. Smutniak was always a very independent person. He wanted to be the boss of himself and have more responsibility since responsibility was one thing that Smutniak liked to have lots of. Smutniak has worked hard at his job until today, and his job has paid off because having your own company can be a particularly excellent job if you are good at it and know what you are doing, Smutniak was particularly good at his job because he was dedicated and hard working.

Smutniak really thinks that his job is the perfect job for him, especially because he gets to be the boss of himself. He states, “I think working for somebody else, it is particularly good for some people. I had a job working for somebody else for a number of years before I started the company, there’s nothing wrong with working for somebody else, people can be very successful working for a company, or for somebody else, my opinion is what was right for me was to strike out on my own, that might not be right for everybody.”

Smutniak is very good at acknowledging what’s good for him and knows that it may not be right for others, but he’s willing to face the challenge of doing what he identifies as a good job for himself even if what he wants is a hard job to get and to have. He knows that for long term, risks are worth it because it will be worth the work when it is done, proving how many good qualities Smutniak has and how dedicated he is.

Smutniak got a lot of experience from working for his company for 31 years and gained a lot of good life qualities, mainly for work. He especially got really good when improvising.

Working for your own company is hard and nothing will go the exact way it was thought to go so Smutniak really learned how to improvise. His job was really challenging but he was able to get used to it well.

Even though MTA was his own, it still had another owner, his friend and also had its employees so Smutniak didn’t do everything for the company and needed to know how to improvise, which wasn’t a problem for him since he was very good at it. When asked about his improvising skills, he states, “One of the things about running your own business, there’s always a curveball, there’s always the unexpected development and so to be adaptable in business is a very valuable skill so I would say the experiences help you to improvise in situations where you don’t expect a certain outcome and you’ve got to react and respond quickly.”

The work experience makes Smutniak very experienced in improvising and he’s already ready to do. He’s always ready for the unexpected, and he has been making sure to always be ready since he started working because he knows how important that skill is.

This all means that in general, Smutniak is particularly good at acknowledging the skills he needs to get better at and getting better at those skills, especially for improvising.

Smutniak is incredibly supportive of people, including random people and his family. One of the main reasons that he works is to help others and make sure they can get what they need. He is extremely supportive and helpful to his family, he is always there emotionally, helping family with emotional things, physically, helping family physically achieve something, and financially, bringing his family the bills to continue paying mortgage, tuition, food, other bills, and more.

When asked about how he can support others, Smutniak said, “Moral support can always be provided, financial support to family members can be provided, to a strange person who needed help like if they had a medical emergency and I happened to find someone that did, I would definitely do my part, try to help that person. I just think it depends on who the person is and what sort of help they need.”

Smutniak is empathetic because he's willing to help many people and does his best to provide them with what they need, depending on the person, and the situation.

This makes Smutniak great at his work because he has great intentions and has goals other than money, helping the people who need help from him.

He is very motivated to do his job so he can bring money in for his family.

Smutniak also stated in the interview that he wants to help nature and make the world a better place, so he has many great intentions and positive traits.

Working hard for what you want, will lead to success, and good intentions make you a good person. Smutniak proved that with all of his hard work because now he is successful with a job he likes and is particularly good at his job. Smutniak also tries his best to have good intentions, such as helping others, and caring for the planet, which is very respectable and makes a great person.

Smutniak is an extremely hard working and dedicated person who cares about many important things. Being like Smutniak, a successful person with the life you want, is challenging, but with dedication and care it’s very doable. You should work hard because it will always be worth it and make long term impacts.

◄ Joon Woo Song was in my

Blood, sweat, and tears By: Taylim Song Joon Woo Song, now an American citizen, reflects on his military experience in South Korea.

EY Parthenon Photo, 2021

room next to my desk, ready to answer countless questions. He is my dad, so it was easy interviewing him. Joon Woo song, a 43-year-old consultant, immigrated from South Korea to the US in 2005.

Song does not usually talk about his military experience, yet his face is normal: Song appears not to be bothered in the slightest. He is at ease, because well, he is at home. His shirt was very neat and straight as he stood in front of my desk. Although Song is a successful man now, he faced hardships and major challenges in his past. The military gave Joon Woo Song discipline and helped him grow into an adult.

Song started the mandatory South Korean military service with boot camp. He was to serve a total of two years and two months. Joon experienced labor, marches, and heavy duty. He was part of the infantry and learned norms of the military.

For instance, shooting a rifle and using grenades were just a glimpse of Joon’s journey throughout training.

During the interview, he states: “When you’re in the middle of a large training, we often had joint military training with the Korean Military and the US Military.

Those trainings would last about two weeks.” Joon looked profoundly serious when he stated these words. His words demonstrate how serious and significant his training was to him.

The Korean Military was isolated from society. The technology at military training facilities was very outdated and old. Since facilities were cut off from the rest of the world, Song specifically mentioned that serving in the military was boring.

Song states, “What you were able to do is play soccer, play sports. No video games. There was a payphone where you could call your friends and family.” Joon mentions that playing

sports outside was the only entertainment for them. A payphone was one of the only ways to communicate to the outside world. It seems like the Korean Military back then was isolated from world events at that time.

Song had lots of memories from his service. In those memories, there were some good and some bad.

Throughout the army, the lower ranks are excessively burdened. Higher ranks would humiliate, haze, or even bully the lower ranks.

Song reports, “There were some hazing from more of the upper ranks to the lower ranks. It’s kind of a vicious cycle. As you move up the lower ranks accept the more kind of burden of labor.” Joon’s facial expressions were solemn. The military ranks seem like a pyramid of lower ranks getting oppressed by the higher ranks.

Song finalizes, “Overall training was physically demanding, but also required a lot of patience, and gave me an opportunity to experience some hardship and grow up as a person.” Song experienced the hardship that he needed to continue his path of constant struggles and success. Everyone will experience hardship, but it can help people grow and learn. Even though I am not considering dual citizenship, I know that I will face times of hardship and times of success, and they will help me grow up.

The military may have been very demanding and challenging for Joon Woo Song, but he had persevered through tough times. He reflects that the army taught him how to grow up as a person and prepare for life in the outside world. It prepared him to become the adult he is today. That did not only affect him but everyone in the military: they learned discipline and dedication.

“It’s kind of a vicious cycle. As you move up, the lower ranks accept the more kind of burden of labor.”

When the lower ranks eventually advance into the high ranks, they also oppress the new low ranks.

Song describes ranks as a cycle. He looks at me gravely, as if his past memories really hurt him in the present.

Song would eventually reach the higher ranks with his comrades; he observed them hazing the lower ranks.

ROK Army Photo, 2002

Immigrating to America Roberto Sorrondeguy was an immigrant from Uruguay who faced many challenges coming to America.

By: Matias Sorrondeguy Ring… Ring… Ring… There he was.

Roberto Sorrondeguy appeared on my screen, sitting comfortably on the sofa; he seemed relaxed as usual. The sun was beaming down on Sorrondeguy’s face, looking much younger than his actual age, with a fit body and with black hair with streaks of gray. We were excited to see each other exchanging smiles. This was the first time seeing and talking to my grandpa in a month.

Sorrondeguy is a jovial man; he loves to open up and share his stories with his family about his experiences. Sorrondeguy was born into Uruguayan culture, and he worked hard to achieve his goals. Sorrondeguy loved his family and would do anything to help them.

The photo of Roberto Sorrondeguy was taken at his carpentry shop, during quarantine, because Sorrondeguy is carrying a mask around with him. You can see there is a lot of dust on the machine, this is because Sorrondeguy and other people were hit hard when the pandemic started, and Sorrondeguy and along with many others stopped working for a long period.

Sorrondeguy came to America by himself leaving behind his wife and his children in Uruguay. He sought new opportunities in America and quickly realized how different life was here.

There were a lot of challenges coming to Chicago; the language barrier being one of the hardest challenges. He did not speak English much and it was hard for an immigrant like Sorrondeguy to find a job: “Life as an immigrant in America was difficult,” Sorrondeguy said thinking back to those days.

Even though life was difficult he persevered through the tough times and continued to support his family. He was very lonely at the time and worked two jobs to help his family. He cleaned offices in downtown Chicago and worked in carpentry. He took any available job. Though his profession was a carpenter, not many employers gave him a chance to succeed, because he was an immigrant. Those who gave

Sorrondeguy a chance quickly found out he was talented at his job. One German shop owner by the name of Wolfgang saw that he knew what he was doing and gave him opportunities to grow and even encouraged him to go on his own and start his own business. Sorrondeguy later went on to open his own carpentry shop and hired his own employes. I cannot image how difficult it was to immigrate to a new country, with a completely different life and starting from scratch.

Sorrondeguy missed the family asados, barbecues, very much. He missed all the foods from Uruguay and missed his favorite sport soccer, where back in Uruguay everyone played, while in America, soccer was not as popular as it is today. “I missed my country,” Sorrondeguy said reminiscing.

He was missing his loving family whom he had not seen in many months and was lonely.

Sorrondeguy eventually made friends through playing soccer at the park and found they had some things in common. The friends he had created were from Spanish-speaking countries and this did not make him feel as lonesome as before.

He met one person named Alejandro who was commonly known as the Soviet, who was a professional soccer player and traveled to Russia for a soccer tournament, where he got his nickname. More importantly, the Soviet was also from Uruguay and he and Sorrondeguy could share stories together from back home.

Sorrondeguy’s new friends helped him overcome roadblocks that hit him. Also, his friends made him feel welcomed into this new country.

Like my grandpa, Sorrondeguy, I too love Uruguayan culture and love to play soccer in my free time. Whether it is with my family, friends or even by myself, I always feel connected to soccer.

Soccer was a way for me and my dad to connect.

If I was not playing soccer, I would be talking about it, and if I was not doing any of those things, then I would be thinking about “the beautiful game.” As the German shop owner once encouraged him to become the owner of his own

carpentry shop, he was able to bring his family to America. He bought a house for them to live in and his five children all attended private schools.

He became financially successful. “I reached my American dream through hard work and determination,” Sorrondeguy said smiling proudly.

Sorrondeguy worked tirelessly and he said, “I achieved the ‘American Dream’ that everyone had wanted.” Without my grandpa working hard or making decisions like coming to this country for new opportunities I would not know where my dad or I would be today. This new country gave my family new hope, full of opportunities to be better people.

“I achieved the ‘American Dream’ that everyone had wanted.”

Sorrondeguy had a challenging experience immigrating to America like many others before him and after. People are unable to make enough money to provide for their families. Sorrondeguy had less than others, though he persevered with determination; I believe these are attributes that fit a person who wants to exceed in life and be the best they can be, who always tries their best and grows from their mistakes. Often in tough times, you must work hard to achieve your goals and pass the obstacles that face you.

This Relu Stan before going out to one of his business meetings with his business clients.

It was a school afternoon around 9:00 PM and my dad came home from work, and he sat on the couch with a collared shirt and jeans on. The room was lit up lightly I was a little nervous when I started the interview it was a chilly night, and we were sitting right next to the piano with all the family photos and paintings arounds us.

Relu Stan was born in 1966, in Romania. He is 57 years old and currently lives in Chicago, IL. He grew up in a lower-class family with his dad being a construction worker and his mom working in the medical field. School in Romania was difficult for Stan he says school was more difficult in Romania then in the United States of America, but fortunately enough my dad was very good with numbers which lead him to succeeding in math class. When my dad came to Chicago, he went to Taft high school and for college he went to UIC right in Chicago, but unluckily for him his dad suffered from a disease which took his dad out of work and my dad had to step up.

When Stan first immigrated to the U.S and his struggles when he came to the U.S first. It was during this time Stan in 1984 immigrated to the U.S at the age of sixteen. It was difficult for Stan at this time because Stan struggled when he immigrated from Romania to Chicago. Stan stated “When I came to Chicago it was horrible, I did not speak English and it was difficult for me to communicate with others. I had a very heavy accent and kids were not nice because of my accent and my lack of understanding English.” This is significant because Stan really struggled when coming to America because he was so different than others and this shows Stans struggles when he came to America. Stan had a challenging time and if I were in his position, I do not know how I would get through that and fit in with these kids not understanding the language.

Stan’s journey from an immigrant to really making it as a college drop out in America. Stan had to drop out of UIC college due to his dad suffering from a disease, so Stan had to be the head of the household and start making money. Stan states “My first real job was I was fortunate enough to start as a stockbroker at some small investment banking firm” “but I started making a lot of money right away.” This is significant because it shows how Stan went from being an immigrant to making it in America and helping his family to not worry about money. This is cool of Stan because he started the role of being the man in his house and once, he finally found success to raise his family.

From Small Beginnings to Great Endings Relu Stan goes through immigration to America and then becoming who he is as a person today.

BY: LUCA STAN

When Stan really made it in his industry, and this is when he moved to working at a more prestigious company. Stan did not like his job, he felt like it was more of a “boiler room operation” and he wanted to find something better and more prestigious. Stan states “I moved on to a more prestigious company doing the same thing and I think that was my first biggest accomplishment just being able to have this job and I was 27 28 years old, and I was making 20,000 – 30,000$ a month.” This is significant because this shows Stan really making it in America as an immigrant from a communist country and how he came from nothing, and he made something of himself. As Stan’s son I am happy to hear these stories and it really motivates me to do well in every field.

In conclusion Stan is a great person and he came from a communist country and with many mistakes made a significant impact for his family. From dropping out of college to making 20,000$ - 30,000$ a month he really helped and impacted his family. I really appreciate my father for working to his best ability and for being the first one in his office and the last out every day 7 days a week. One good piece of advice I would give is that hard work is everything and you must put in the work to get what you want out of it. Even if you start from the bottom with hard work, you will make it. One quote I was to end off with is “ Money equals freedom” – Relu Stan(Chicago Tribune).

“MONEY EQUALS FREEDOM” – RELU STAN

Elena Stan: caring, selfless, resilient Despite challenges, with time and effort, one woman learned to move on and heal.

By: Sebastian Stan

It was a cool October evening; my mother was preparing for bed.

As I entered a dimly lit master bedroom, the scent of lotion and fresh linen wafted into my nose.

When I reached the end of the hallway, I made a left turn and sat down on the king-sized bed displayed in-front of me, patiently awaiting my mother, Elena Stan’s, arrival. She exited the bathroom in a white satin pajama set, a grey bathrobe wrapped around that, and her hair in a neat bun. Her stylish nightwear however was not the first thing that I noticed, that was the disappointed and slightly aggravated expression on her face.

What induced this irritated look? Probably the fact that I asked to interview her last minute for Ms. Agbontaen’s ELA class.

Begrudgingly, she took a seat next to me, one leg folded over the other, using her pointer finger, she

pushed up her reading glasses, which were perched at the tip of her nose. She sighed, slightly tilted her head, and gave me a blank stare, implying she wanted me to start asking questions.

Born February 10th, 1973, Stan is a Moldavian woman who immigrated to the United States at merely 20 years old, after the dissolvement. After arriving in Chicago, Illinois she pursued an education in fashion marketing at Columbia College.

After graduation, she was employed as a saleswoman at the fashion retail store, Neiman Marcus. Eventually she decided to settle down, and married businessman Relu Stan, becoming the mother of two twin boys, Luca and Sebastian Stan in the process. Stan has faced many hardships throughout her life.

“That’s why growing up, I always wanted to start a family, so that my kids could have what I was missing in my childhood.”

Mr. Stark had a grim time at law school. He had a tough time in the first month of school because of all the stress he had. This stress was caused by all the assignments he had and all the added information that he needed to understand. It was hard to get to school on time, to get his assignments turned in, and tough time making new friends.

These four years would determine if he would be a successful lawyer, or jobless, which made him anxious. In the cozy living room with a water bottle in his hand, he then states sleepily, “Undergrad and college were much easier than lay school.”

He had a demanding time the first couple of months but persevered through it. He was able to finish law school and now is remarkably successful, but was this just? Should law school be easier than college and undergrad? I believe it should be because it puts a lot of stress that many people are not used to. I believe nobody should go through this level of stress. This shows how hard law school is and how unjust it is because of all the stress and demands of time you must give to these schools to be successful.

Setting the Bar Kris Stark’s struggle in becoming a lawyer and his experience in law school.

Written by Charlie Stark

Kris Stark, my dad, was wearing his pajamas and sitting on the couch with a blanket and a water bottle in his hand. It was a late night in early October, the moon was out, the leaves were falling, and there was a light breeze in the air to give you a spooky vibe. He looks at me sleepily, “When am I getting interviewed?”

I replied, “Right now.”

Mr. Stark was born on October 31, 1978, and lived in Denver, Colorado. Trish and John, Mr. Stark’s parents, were loving towards my dad. Stark’s dad was a lawyer and had to move a lot because of his job.

This made it hard for him to make a lot of friends because he was always moving, but he had lots of opportunities to play soccer. This caused Mr. Stark to be an exceptionally good soccer player and thought that he would play it for the rest of his life. One day while in class he was doing a work sheet for the beginning of the year, “The question asked, ‘where do you see yourself in 10 years.’ I thought about it for a while. I was gonna put a professional soccer player but then I was like, I want to be like my dad, I am going to be a lawyer.”

“Being a lawyer means to be an advocate.”

Mr. Stark has tried to help people throughout his life. When my dad was little, he always knew he would become a lawyer. His dad was a lawyer and his uncle. He learned that being a lawyer means you can help people, so he decided to become one. He enjoys being a lawyer but has learned a lot along the way. “It has shown me that lots of people need help in this world.”

I always want to help people whenever I can, but this also shows what a lawyer is. A lawyer obviously means to be an advocate, but it tells lawyers what they should strive to be. Not work with half effort on some random man’s case, but to help him out. To put all your effort into helping this man’s life because it could determine his next steps in life. This clearly illustrates my dad’s love for helping people in need.

Mr. Stark was not all ways the shy kid. When he was in undergrad, he was shy, and he did not have many friends. In high school he started to be more open, he even started to speak up more. In college he learned that speaking up for yourself and others was an extremely important skill in the real world. Once he was in law school, he realized that being a lawyer meant that you spoke up for others. “A lawyer is an advocate.”

Mr. Stark has progressed so much throughout his years in learning what it means to be an advocate. He did not realize until law

school that you had to be an advocate to be lawyer. My dad wants me to be an advocate because being an advocate is important to him. Being an advocate is an essential thing you need to be in life, especially if you want to be a lawyer.

Stark had an extremely challenging experience in law school. He had to overcome and preserver through the challenges that came with being a student in law school, but in the end, he became a successful lawyer and a loving father despite the conflicts that came with being a lawyer. Mr. Stark, the successful lawyer, has made me begun to realize how being a lawyer really opens your eyes and makes you see how many people struggle in this world, whether that is in money, disease, or even school, but people need to understand that persevering through challenging times is key to being successful in life.

The Day of Change Chicagoan, Paul Stewart, shares and describes with us, his story on 9/11 and the effect the tragedy had.

By: Chase Stewart

Stewart (middle of picture) is working with the secret service, making sure the Prime Minister of The Bahamas has a safe visit in Chicago to encourage foreign relations.

It was a late, cool, fall, school night. I came downstairs tired, hungry, and just wanting to relax for the rest of the night. Paul Stewart, my dad who I went downstairs to talk to in the first place, was watching TV while getting ready to cook dinner. He was making me fish fillets with broccoli and tater tots as I stood across from him leaning on the kitchen counter. Working hard in the steaming kitchen with beads of sweat running across his forehead; he looked exhausted as well after a long day at work, with a relaxed face, and tired eyes. I was coming down to interview him which he knew about, but he did not know exactly what I was going to be interviewing him about. Nevertheless, he seemed very interested in the idea of me interviewing him.

He is a calm person with not much anger inside of him, growing up on the South side of Chicago, going to Lindblom Academy, and then graduating from Morehouse College in Atlanta. He was not very athletic, but he did participate in lots of extracurricular activities having to do with politics. We caught up on each other’s days before I decided to start interviewing him by saying, “Today I am going to be interviewing you about 9/11.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

It was a normal day, and Stewart was on his way to work when he heard the news about the attack. Since it was the early 2000’s, there was not a lot of technology to instantly hear about information, so he was oblivious to the fact that 9/11 was taking place. As he was driving to work, my mom, his then girlfriend, had called him and let

him know what was happening. When she first told him he was in shock because at the time nothing like that had happened before besides Pearl Harbor, which he obviously was not alive for. Once he heard about it, he turned the radio on to try and gain more information about the attack. However, since it was still in the midst of happening there was not much information about what was going on. Only one plane had hit the tower when my mom had called him, but as they were on the phone the second plane hit as he mentions, “The second plane hit the second tower and your mom just started screaming.”

They were in complete and total shock, for as he had mentioned before nothing like this had happened before. The moment he heard her scream he understood the seriousness of the situation to an even greater extent than he had before. Nobody knew exactly what to do, where to go, who to call, or what was going on. Different thoughts were racing throughout their minds as the scream of terror his girlfriend let out echoed throughout his car. They both wanted to know what was happening and how they could help, but they were obviously not able to do anything. Most, if not everyone, in the country probably felt this way; defenseless, disoriented, perplexed, and questioning what had just happened to them and the country. People did not know how to express themselves and felt frightened and alarmed just as his girlfriend had felt, letting out her scream of terror.

The effects of 9/11 completely changed the people and country as a whole, but it also changed the government and security of the country. He says the day was still tremendously fresh in people’s minds even 5-6 years after it had taken place. No one had ever seen anything like this before in recent history which is why everyone was still so stuck on it, even half a decade later. Lots of changes came after 9/11 occurred. TSA was made, which I had no idea was not a thing before, and the Department of Homeland Security was made as a result of the September 11th attacks.

The reason people did not know what exactly happened on 9/11 sooner was because different US agencies such as the FBI, CIA, etc. all had different information about 9/11, but they would not share it with each other because they were all competing to be the best agency. Since this occurred the Department of Homeland Security was established shortly after 9/11. This combined all of the smaller agencies together, that way they were not competing with each other anymore. None of these were a thing before because as Stewart mentions, “We’re Americans so we don’t think that anybody is gonna be bold enough to attack us like that.”

Americans are known for being cocky and of course thinking they are the best country in the world. This could be the reason it was so easy for this attack to happen, for the terrorists knew that America would never suspect something like this to occur.

This mindset can cause lots of terrible things to happen, not just in this instance, but in life in general and overall. America learned from their mistakes and stopped being so cocky as seen when they started to make more safety measures for the country.

However, America still believes that they are the best country in the world and that nothing such as 9/11 will ever happen again. This is the same thinking that was going around when 9/11 occurred, and with so much inner conflict going on in the country we are not very focuses on what is happening outside of the country as much as maybe we should be. Did America really learn from their mistakes? Maybe, maybe not.

After September 11th, Stewart recalls, you could feel the change in the atmosphere over the entire country. Since nothing like this had happened in modern history the grieving throughout the entire nation was tremendous. However, everyone knew that at some point they would have to rise above it, come together, and show their and the country’s strength. People were there for each other, helped each other build back up, and stood together through the rough times. After the attacks President George W. Bush invaded Afghanistan to try and take out the terrorist organization AlQaeda. This goes back to what he was saying before about not being weak and

showing strength. He believes that if the U.S. did not go to war in response that it would be showing weakness and that we had to respond in some sort of way. He also thinks that if it were a different President in office that the U.S. might not have responded the way they did, and that they would have tried to be more diplomatic.

Some people think that is what America should have done, but Stewart says, “I was glad we had a cowboy in office.”

This is introducing the idea that if things were different, we may not have gone to war. If we didn’t go to war, we would have shown weakness in the eyes of many. Our allies would see that we did not respond and think that we cannot defend ourselves, and our enemies would have seen that and start thinking they can disrespect us and commit atrocious behaviors upon our country. The entire world would second guess our dominance and think that we were delicate, milquetoast, and debilitated.

Bush was a republican from Texas, so when he says “cowboy” he means someone that is very pro America and does not back down. This suggests that a democrat from the north may not have retaliated in the same way Bush did because they would not have been a “cowboy”.

We can relate this way of thinking to our present day lives right now with the war in Ukraine and the war in Israel. If Trump was in office instead of Biden, then America might not have intervened in the Russia and Ukraine war or the Israel and Palestine war. Why is this? They are two completely different people, with different opinions, and different goals. This suggests that lots of other things are different in the U.S. depending on who is in office and who is not. This also leads to the thinking that there will never be a president that can represent all the different types of people in America. This can drastically change and alter the country completely and it starts to make you wonder about all the times war might have been different if there was a different President.

9/11 was a tragic day which forever affected and shifted the people and country of the United States. My father is a very poised and calm person that normally always has everything under control and is not necessarily worried about things. He has the ability to calm me down by being calm himself, which is very helpful for me.

However, when interviewing him his tone changed and was not as calm as usual.

When he was describing the day and the effects, he seemed to have been very worried as it was happening in real time. Knowing him and his attitude helped me to gain a better understanding of the seriousness of the day because not a lot of things shake him up but when interviewing him l could tell this was one of the rare times something shook him up and for a long time. 9/11 was a very hard time for everyone in the country. However, remember that hard times don’t last; hard times bring people together, learn from them, embrace them, never forget them.

“We’re Americans so we don’t think that anybody is gonna be bold enough to attack us like that”

Blowout Junkie: How it got started By: Elia Stojka Dora Stojka made her dream come true of opening a blow out bar, Blowout Junkie with her two sisters.

Photo of Sojka's professional headshot from One Equity Partners

The air was cold. It was 6:30 am on a Monday. Dora Stojka had a big sweater over her as she was sitting at the large kitchen counter by herself eating a bowl of cereal.

The sun was starting to peek through the thin curtains. Dora always woke up earlier than her sisters. She had perfect hair everyday and woke up extra early to try new hair styles.

“Can you do my hair now?” screamed Nicole, her little sister, from upstairs. “Hurry up. The bus is going to be here in 10 minutes!” screamed Stojka. Nicole came running down the stairs, passing through the kitchen to the living room with a brush and many rubber bands in her hand. Stojka sat on the couch as Nicole sat on the floor in front of her. “What do you want?” asked Dora in an annoyed voice. That was Stojka’ s job, every morning, to do her sisters’ hair, even though her other sister barely woke up in time to make the bus. Stojka acted like she hated it, but she secretly loved doing their hair. Both of Stojka’s sisters had long, thick, black hair that was perfect for any hairstyle.

The mornings were one of Stojka’s favorite times.

Stojka always had a dream of starting a business with family. So, when her sister brought up this business idea that they should open a blow-dry bar, she instantly fell in love with it. When starting her own business, she always worked hard and never gave up.

When she and her sisters first opened their salon, they didn’t have a swarm of customers.

“Not a lot, just a few, but it was all we needed to get started”. As Stojka sat with a proud look on her face she shared more about herself. Stojka always looked at the bright side of things and even though they didn’t have a lot of customers on opening day they never gave up.

Stojka worked long hours after her corporate job building her business. It was not easy at first, she and her sisters would often have to visit the salon late and stay long hours. She was tired, but she loved it so much, so she never got tired of it. Then she would have to wake up early to get her kids to school and go to her corporate job. They decided to name the blow-dry bar Blow out Junkie.

They started their business with no experience in cosmetology or entrepreneurship. But they had always loved the fashion and beauty industry. “And because we love it so much, I think we will be very good at it”. They did not have a lot of prior experience in entrepreneurship or cosmetology, but they started their business from love and passion. It doesn’t take much to get started with something if you really love it.

They broke the steps down and took them one by one to open their salon. Not everything was perfect at first, but they made it work. “There were bumps in the road, but we learned and grew together”. She sees

challenges as a learning opportunity to grow.

Bumps in the road are opportunities to learn.

Even successful businesses have to go through struggles but that is what made them successful.

Everyone goes through struggles, but only successful people learn from them.

People often are quick to give up on their dreams when one thing goes wrong but everyone experiences some bumps in the road, even the most successful people.

Starting a business with her siblings was a lifelong dream so they got to experience everything together.

When Stojka started her business, she had to go through many struggles, but she learned and grew from the situation. She was not scared to try something new and that is how she created a successful business. Never be scared to try something new.

“ I was, but I never got tired of it.”

Throughout life, he struggled with the thought of not having his best friend.

In response to my inquiry, Swanborn responded with his head down, and

holding his hands together “The lowest part of my life is when my brother passed away from an aneurysm.” An aneurysm is when an abnormal bulge forms in the wall of a blood vessel. This was a big moment in his life. It took a lot for him to get through it

because his brother played such a key role in his life. So, when Swanborn's only brother, Kenneth, passed away, it was a sorrowful time for him.

After talking about how it was like losing a sibling, Swanborn talked about how he bounced back from it. He talks about the positives of it. He says “I had not seen his friends in a while. I saw them all at his funeral. It is like a reunion but a sad reunion. But it makes you realize how much he meant to people. It makes you think about yourself a little bit and reminds you to be grateful for all your friends and family and everything they do for you.” Even though he was going through an extremely challenging time he saw the positive in the moment.

Swanborn saw that the process of losing a loved one is an incredibly

“The lowest part of my life is when

challenging time, while it is a sad moment, its is also a loving moment. It is a reminder to be grateful for the people who are there for you and support you. To be grateful for what

my brother passed away from an aneurysm.”

those people do for you.

Swanborn went through a very tragic time losing his brother. As an eighth grader with two siblings, I understand how that moment in his life impacted him so much. But he realized that it is those tricky things we must do or go through that make us

Tom Swanborn enjoying a night on the beach.

see the positive in life. When you go through something hard you just want life to go The passing of Swanborn’s brother was such an important moment in his life

Every moment counts Tom Swanborn was faced with a challenge but grew to over come it

back to how it was before. Swanborn is a positive person and most of the time looks for because it took a lot to get through it. He said “I never had to deal with anything like that

.

the positive in life. More people should have a positive mindset because it helped Tom

in my life. I have seen friends go through it and saw how much of a struggle it was for Swanborn get extremely far in life. Tom Swanborn has taught me a lot about life,

By: Claire Swanborn

them. You would think if it happened to you, you would not be able to manage it, but you

As I walked into the living room, I saw my dad, Tom Swanborn, sitting there.

will. Luckily, I got through it well.” Talking about the loss of a loved one, Swanborn’s

especially to be grateful for what I have.

He was wearing the same white pullover he always wore. The living room was dead

voice started to become quiet. But Swanborn remained calm while talking about his

silent, even though the window was open. Which made me a little nervous. But I could

brother. When he says, “he never had to deal with anything like it”, it shows how

tell that was he was not nervous. Tom Swanborn is a salesperson. He has four siblings.

impactful this time was. Swanborn has lost a family member before, but it did not affect

One brother and three sisters. He was born and raised in Illinois. Throughout his life, he

him as much as losing a brother did.

learned to be grateful for everything in life.

Swanborn looked up to his brother a lot, mainly because he was older than him.

Swanborn discusses a lot about the death of his brother, Kenneth Swanborn. His

He mentions later how his brother, Kenneth, was one of his mentors. So, when his

brother died when he was just forty years old. When his brother died it was a challenging

brother passed away, not only was he sad about losing a family member who meant a lot

time for him and his family.

to him, but also his only brother.

Is Growing up Really That Easy?

Sanborn's life of growing up

By KJ Swanborn

to do. But knowing this information from Swanborn, the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Swanborn took a risk by moving to Vermont, she had to move far away from home, and she had never done that before. She went on to say, you must take a risk because you don’t know what will happen if you didn’t take that risk. Life comes with risks and sometimes you are going to have to take them. She says “If I lived in a place like the University of Illinois, I would have the opportunity to be home every weekend, I would be missing the opportunity to create a social life and re brand myself as a student and a person. I would also miss the experience of what moving far from home is like, miss the experience of a college student.” What is powerful about this is, she took a risk to move far away from her family, and not a lot of people can say that they have that type of confidence to move that far away from home. This can also suggest that, to live life, you must take some risks along the way. You are going to have to make some decisions that you don’t want to make but sometimes you are going to have to.

She goes on to say while there is a good thing about taking risks there is always a negative or positive outcome.

“ I could be a big fish in a small pond or be a big fish in a big pond”

Swanborn going out to enjoy a drink

Is growing up really that hard? Swanborn sat almost 1,000 miles away from me at the University of Vermont and over the phone she answered this burning question for me. Swanborn was sitting at a desk, with a dark blue shirt and gray jeans with ripped holes at her knees. Drinking coffee and feeling a warm coat of heat go down her. Swanborn is a 21-year-old junior at the University of Vermont. She is 7 years older than me; I look up to her, and she is a role model to me and my family.

On her free time, she likes to hang out with her roommates, lives in a house with other roommates. Unfortunately, does not have a lot of free time because being a junior in college can be stressful. In her opinion the reality of growing up is that it can be stressful, and you can be put in a lot of awkward situations. Her perception of growing up is that it will be all fun and games but it’s not, there is a lot of responsibility that comes with it. I also learned how to manage my time well with classes and how to manage my homework and my free time to make them equally balanced. She describes growing up as, “Being a junior in college is kind of crazy and stressful, and there are lots of up and downs.” This suggest that a lot of people around our age right now have a fantasy of what it is like growing up. Knowing what we want to be when we are older, thinking that growing up is always fun, and thinking you have no one telling you what

Swanborn started to talk about, when it was my family’s time to leave, I remember being like, “oh shoot I’m on my own now”. That was when reality finally hit me. She goes on to say, “don’t take your time for granted, I learned that really quickly”.

This suggests that you should not take your time for granted and that you should spend time together with your family as much as possible. You won’t always have time to be with them, but the moments where you do have time to hang out with them you should cherish the memories you have. She says, “I wish I had more time with you guys, I know I’m coming back to Chicago, and I know you’ll be visiting but that’s not util a long time.” She learned to be more independent by relying on her roommates for mental support and help in general.

Swanborn talks about how to choose what high school you want to go to or what high school is the best fit for you. “You ask yourself; do I want to be with my friends for four years again or do I want to start over and make a new social life. For some people it is a hard decision but when it came to me choosing what high school I want to go to.” A special teacher told me a very important thing, “A teacher told me I could either be a big fish in a small pond or a big fish in a big pond.” This suggests that Swanborn could either be the smartest kid in her grade level or be one of the smartest kids in her grade level but there will still be students who are smarter than her. She decided she wanted a more supportive environment and wanted to stand out.

Swanborn shares, she went to a high school where only three students came with her. She states, “I’m still super, super close with my friends from high school, and honestly, I think sense we went to different high schools that’s why we are still good friends. Three of my friends went to the same high school and there not as close as the rest of us are because they had their issues. As all of us were able to come together and get away from the middle school drama. Honestly, I think that not going to the

same high school as your friends is a big plus.” In the moment when you get into high school it stinks because you are going to have to meet new people, but it gets better, and you learn to expand your social life.” This quote is significant because, at our age right now we are deciding what high school we want to go to, and if we want to be with our friends or not or if we want to meet new people.

Throughout Swanborn' s life of growing up, she had to make many sacrifices to be successful in her life. there were many successful moments, “Being a junior in college can be stressful sometimes.” Swanborn looks back on her life and does not regret a single decision she made. “Things always happen for a reason” looking back on her life moments, Swanborn does not like to look at the negative, instead she looks at the positives. Like she said before “ in life there is always a risk that you're going to have to take.” Therefore, that’s something I will keep close to me as I grow up.

The Move Chicagoan, Devon White, breaks the barriers against wanting what her heart desired.

By: Siera Swift

The topic of moving can be difficult for others, except for Devon White. I sat at my desk in my dimmed bedroom, with the curtain raised halfway to make way for the color changing leaves that displayed themselves on the trees. I began to log myself onto FaceTime and held the notebook steadily in my hands waiting for the questions to reveal themselves. After each question asked, in as much detail, she responded with a smile on her face.

Devon White was born on November 22, 1988, in her childhood home in Hinsdale, Illinois. White, known as a granddaughter, daughter, niece, and to me she is known as a cousin and second sister. She grew up with one other sibling and later attended Michigan State University in her college years. However, White attended the University of Colorado Boulder. It took White multiple years of convincing her entire family as to why her heart desired to be somewhere else other than Chicago. This stirred up some tension in the family but nothing that she could not resolve.

White has lived in Chicago for an exceptionally prolonged period from when she was born. However, she realized that it can be too chaotic, and she needed to hunker down somewhere less busy. After much back and forth, she decided to move last year. She quit her job and moved out of her rental home that she shared with her friends. The first time she fell in love with Denver was when she graduated from the University of Colorado Denver, a public research university, and once she moved to Chicago, she longed for the connection she had with Colorado. She has lived in Chicago since she was born but once she graduated high school, her idea was to move out of the city and pursue her life career somewhere else. She found a connection to Colorado and found that it brought her peace outside her everyday life, since she believed that her life outside of Colorado was compressed.

Later she realized that Chicago was too upbeat and fast for her when she wanted to have a quiet, relaxing, and peaceful young adult life. White paced back and forth through the quiet space of her cluttered living room as she explained how, “Chicago is an extremely fast-paced environment with not many moments to yourself.”

Although, Chicago did not stop her from doing what she thought was good for her; so, she decided to move to Denver for her to be able to live her life freely and passionately without having to recollect herself in the crowd that Chicago has.

She also touched upon the topic, "depending on your personality, if you are a fast person who loves a quick eventful life or if you want to live a slow life and enjoy the little moments that you can have. Each life is interesting in its own way, it just depends on which way you choose to live it.”

Whites’ family has been based in Chicago for multiple years. Ever since her grandmother’s family immigrated from Poland. My cousin grew up in the suburbs of Chicago in a town called Hinsdale, then when she came back from Chicago, she moved downtown into the Lincoln Park neighborhood. She felt the pull to move somewhere else and branch out to various places and make more memories. Once White felt her connection with Colorado, she had no sense of wanting to move back to Chicago.

She had made multiple friends in Colorado, which caused her to not want to leave once she graduated. As a loving person, she loved her family more than anything, so she decided to show them that it was okay to be different. She explained softly, with as much detail as possible, “I showed my family there is more to life than just being in one place,” White is a very expressive person and loves showing others new perspectives on topics, so when she was given the opportunity to show her family her ideas, they were not accepted at first, but she found a way to persevere through the negativity.

She did this by showing her family where her head was and her major dreams and goals for her future to help support her decision. Including convincing, White mentioned how difficult it was to get her family to see the same way as her on different topics. She then decided to continue to expand her “home base” outside of Chicago by moving to Colorado instead of conforming to family tradition.

Every positive can come with a negative, and for White her negative was struggle while moving. She explained that she had negativity in multiple forms and that you must always stay positive in times where there may not be as much positivity. White wanted to branch out, but others did not like the idea of having her move away.

She explained that there can be multiple factors that can go into why moving is difficult, like how to move from one state to another, selling your part of the apartment, dropping out, or quitting your job.

Most importantly, she had to move from family and friends based in Chicago. This can be hard and take a huge toll on your stress levels, but looking at where she ended up, she was extraordinarily strong through her process. For White, “it was very challenging to navigate logistics and with family and everyone rooted in Chicago it caused everyone to have their own opinions to why they think I shouldn’t have gone,” White continued to talk about how her struggles in her family that it was difficult to change their minds because everyone wanted “to stay together, and stay in the same place,” she claimed. She voiced her opinions and how she felt about all her years in Chicago, and how she enjoyed every moment but was ready for something new. When she

moved, she believed that she had solved the problem and felt confident in where she stood in her decision with everyone accepting.

White has now become a higher position since her move at work and has created a stronger bond and friendship with others around her. She is open-minded and determined to her ideas about moving. As a cousin, I admire how she went through her plan to make a desired dream a reality.

To realize it's okay to want to experience different things and it is okay to want to create your own path and chose the life you're living rather than just continuing to follow the life you’ve already been given.

An insight that I learned was that you can choose to go your own path and be more diverse than others and follow what your heart genuinely wants. She has also proved to others that they need, “To realize it's okay to want to experience different things and it is okay to want to create your own path and choose the life you're living rather than just continuing to follow the life you’ve already been given.” As a cousin, to an incredible and brave human being, I am proud to be her cousin and follow her to make the best decisions that can help me become a better version of myself. Must you ever feel the need or want to explore and do what you think is good for you? It is more than okay to embrace a difference that may not be acknowledged by others.

Serving Our Country in Silence The struggles of the Vietnam War from a front-line solder.

By Kelton Szerlong

It was a cold fall night, and I was about to eat dinner when I called my grandpa to talk about his experience in Vietnam. The phone rang for about 30 seconds, ring, ring, then I heard a voice say “Hey Kelton,” with his old raspy northern Wisconsin accent. I heard loud machinery noises, which made me wonder what he was doing? I asked, “What are you doing right now?”

He responded with, “Potato whacking.”

My grandpa lives in northern Wisconsin, he lives in rural community with lots of agriculture and farming. He’s a very funny, hardworking person, he is 73 and still enjoy working on a large commercial potato farm. My grandpa was born and raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin.

My grandpa has gone through many experiences, but the one that was the most challenging was going to war at young age of 19 years old. With all of that came multiple challenges that he had to preserve through, day and night, not knowing what will happen next.

James Leroy Frolik, born in 1950 is my grandfather, whom voluntary offered to be in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War began in 1954, after the country of Vietnam was split into two parts, North Vietnam, and South Vietnam. The northern side of Vietnam wanted to return to communism, on the other hand, southern Vietnam wanted to reframe from this happening. The United States joined the ongoing war to stop the spread of communism.

The United States ended up pulling out of the war in 1973 because of the unsteady jungle conditions and the unknown territory to the soldiers on the front lines. My grandfather being on the front lines went through a lot of difficult experiences, especially through the night. “In the nights, we would try to dry our clothes on the days it was not raining.” He said, “Also in the night, one of us would be on guard duty, this consisted of one person out for one hour at a time protecting us while the rest of us slept.” He said with a low tone of voice. The dark rainy nights must have been so hard for him not knowing what will happen next especially when you must protect your fellow soldiers all by yourself in the middle of the night watching for the enemy. This gave me a better understanding of how the nights went for him

and his group. I could never really comprehend how hard doing that would be. By my grandpa saying this, made me realize how brave my grandpa is.

He went through other difficulties while being in the Vietnam War. Such as being in the Vietnam War alongside his older brother. They were in different camps and had no sign of each other, or where they both located in Vietnam. This was very hard on my grandfather because he didn’t know if his brother was dead or alive.

My family has a rich history of serving in wars.

My great grandfather was in a war as well, he served in World War 2 fighting against the Nazis. One thing they all had in common is they were all classified veterans. After asking my grandfather the question “What does the word veteran mean to you?” He responded with “My brother was in the war as well, he unfortunately passed away.” He said with a sad tone of voice.

“Same as my dad, he was in World War 2, so being a veteran means more than words can describe. It’s like an accomplishment that not many people have the capability of completing.”

Being a veteran means a lot to my grandfather and how much he had to endure. My grandfather is an active veteran through clubs such as VFW(Veterans of Foreign Wars). He also volunteers his time for local parades service funerals performing the 21-gun salute. He would like to be remembered in his family as veteran and somebody that helps others and his country. I am proud of how brave is for being in this war. All the struggles he had to face being at war such as staying dry from monsoon rains, ensuring he had clean water and enough food.

This story of my grandfather showed me how brave he is and all the struggles he has gone through in his lifetime that I haven't known about. I have a lot of respect him and I hope to be as brave as him one day.

Many accomplishing moments with one of these being, how he was glad he went at 19 and how many life lessons he has learned from being at war. Including never taking things for granted because you never know what day will be your last and always enjoying friendships and family.

All the hard physical challenges that he had to go through leading up to this moment shaped him as a person to this day. “I did things I am not proud of, and I did things that I am grateful

for, for example, I am glad I went at 19 years old but, it also really affected me as a 19-year-old mentally and physically.” its incredibly important to me because how young he was when he went to Vietnam, also how incredibly courageous he was volunteering to go into the war at 19 years old. All the mental and physical challenges he faced shape him as a person to this day. How hard it must have been on a 19year-old going to war not knowing what would happen next. Especially with a brother at war as well.

Although my grandpa's experiences in the Vietnam War symbolized the hard challenges faced by those who serve their countries. His perseverance and determination in the face of adversity serve as an inspiration to many people in my family and his friends including me. Illuminating on untold stories and bringing important issues forward in his perspective. By diving into the struggles, he endured, we can honor his legacy and continue the pursuit forth just like him, uncovering the touchy subjects about what people go through in war.

being a veteran means more than words can describe. It’s like an accomplishment that not many people have the capability of completing

Overcoming Racism Dr. Baye overcomes racism as an African American in the ‘50s.

By: Ivan Tatum

Dr. Baye is working on chemistry project in University.

It is the summer of 1954 in Austin Texas. Lawrence Baye is a chemistry major who attends to the University of Texas. It was a beautiful summer day in the Drag, the strip for shopping and entertainment at UT. Baye wanted to go to the cinema to watch a movie. Baye, an African American was barred from going into the cinema and watching movies. He really wanted to see the movie even though he was not allowed to. Knowing this, he came up with a plan to get in. He knew that the movie only barred blacks and not other minorities such as Asian or Indian, so he dressed up as a Native American. Since Baye had a lighter skin tone, they would not tell the difference between him being black while dressing up as a Native American. Baye, proudly walking towards the theater, goes to ask for a ticket. The cashier allows it and Baye walks into the movie freely as a black man.

Lawrence Baye was a chemist and chemistry teacher for 40 years. Baye was an influential person towards everyone he worked with. Baye just turned 90 on October 10, 2023. He has two children, Ursula Tatum and Beth Montanari. He also has one grandchild, me.

Dr. Lawrence J. Baye was a scientist born to a family in Houston, TX. Baye was born October 10, 1933, currently at 90 years of age. Baye grew up as an African American during the civil rights movement. Many blacks were discriminated against during this time and were never treated right. Especially in the south, the racial discrimination between whites and blacks were evident. Through this time though, Dr. Baye said that his childhood was tense but also fun and exciting. Baye grew up in a time where white and black people had separate schools, homes, and even water fountains. There were certain stores that would only sell to whites and blacks.

Baye, pausing, reminiscing about his early years says, “It was a time where you had to watch for what you did or said,

you never knew who was out to get you.”

He then explains that many white people were always watching him has a little kid growing up. This taught him to be more careful with what he did and who he was around. I often watch out for what I do or who I am around for the safety of myself and others.

After Baye finished his teenage years, he taught chemistry at HoustonTillotson University. During this time, Baye had little to no black co-workers, so he had to adapt to an all white workforce. Dr. Baye says his time in the workforce was harsh and competitive. He had to work much harder compared to his white counterparts to please his boss. Baye said he was not bothered that his co workers got more attention and praise than him and kept working hard.

He says, “It was a time where you had to compete”. This is still true within our world due to society picturing minorities as less equal, making them work harder.

Furthermore, being a person of color in the work force meant you had to work two times harder.

“Stay Woke.”

Lastly, Baye in the current day has

a message to pass on to younger people of color or any minority. There are many challenges with the civil unrest in the United States with young black boys and girls. Famous stories of black teens and young adults being murdered by police such as Ahmad Arbury, Breana Taylor, and George Floyd, are prevalent in our lives as black people. This has not just started but it has been going on for years since Baye was a kid. Dr Baye says, “Stay woke”. Woke is a modern term used to tell and inform people to be alert of racial prejudice and discrimination. This makes sure that they will not be of any harm and will have less of a disadvantage. This is significant because many kids could not be aware and be in harmful situations that they may not be able to control.

Discrimination, overcoming, teaching. All three of these characteristics outline how Dr. Baye has lived his life. After interviewing Baye, I have concluded that growing up as a person of color can be challenging, though there are ways to overcome these problems. In our daily lives Baye reminds us we can overcome our challenges by persevering and not trying to focus so much on the moment. I am truly grateful for this experience to interview Dr. Baye because took the time out of his day to answer questions. From this, I now know more about how he overcame obstacles and how we can to.

Dr. Torchen’s work picture

Doctor and Mother Dr. Laura Torchen, a pediatric endocrinologist who is always helping people, whether its at the hospital or in her own home.

By: Grace Torchen

I walked into my bedroom, ready with the questions on my mind. I took a seat on my bed, my mom sitting across from me. We were sitting in my little room in our apartment, where we were living while our house was being built. I sat with my legs crossed on my queen bed, with its grey covers covered in pink and purple unicorn blankets my little sister had brought in there. Dr. Laura Torchen, my mom, sat across from me, petting our little dog, Jack. I was already in my pjs, but my mom was in her work clothes. She had just just gotten home from a dinner with her colleagues. She was wearing black, wide – legged pants with a white and pink sweater. Setting up my phone to record our interview, I watched as my mom waited patiently for the first question. When I asked the first question, she listened attentively, ready to answer.

Dr. Torchen is the mom of me and my two siblings, Ryan and Claire. My dad, Stephen Torchen, is her husband. Born in Illinois, but also having lived in Toledo, Ohio and Memphis, Nashville, she has experienced living in various states across the U.S. My mom has 3 siblings, 2 sisters and one brother. She works at Lurie Children’s hospital in downtown Chicago and is a pediatric endocrinologist. Dr. Torchen is a doctor who cares and always wants to help others.

Dr. Torchen is a pediatric endocrinologist at Lurie Childrens Hospital, meaning she specializes in the endocrine system and hormones in kids. Dr. Torchen has had an interest in science pretty much her whole life. She wanted to go into various scientific departments, including marine biology and astronomy but has had an interest in medicine ever since high school. Growing up, my mom lived across the street from a pediatrician, and one summer in high school she worked at her office.

Paperwork or working at the front desk were the things that often took up her time while working there. Although Dr. Torchen didn’t perform medicine at the time, she got an insight into what it’s like to be a doctor and got to meet different patients and talk with them. Sitting on my bed in my small room, I asked my mom what she was most proud of, to which she responded with, “I’m most proud of the way I take care of patients, that’s what is always going to be my primary interest in medicine.”

Dr. Torchen is a very caring person and became a doctor so she can help others. Her values aren’t money or fame, unlike some others, but being able to make a positive impact on those around you. This also makes her a great mom, always being there to help me and my siblings when we need it. She has helped me get through so much, and has also helped countless others, both medically and in other ways to.

Growing up, Dr. Torchen always expected she would have a family. Now, she has a husband and three

kids: me (14), my brother, Ryan (12), and my sister, Claire (6). Many doctors struggle to balance their home and work life. While the difficulty of doing this can depend on your specialty, it is possible to do so, and Dr. Torchen has proved that. Each day she must go into work, whether she is seeing patients, doing research, recording data, or working on her study. But she still manages to be there for us and be involved in our lives. My mom still drives us around to all our activities, makes us dinner, and watches shows with us at night.

Dr. Torchen was pregnant with me when she was chief resident and was pregnant with my brother less than two years later. My sister was not born until 2017, when she was much further into her job. My mom has learned how to balance her home and work life well but was not always sure she would be able to do so . “I was worried about whether it would be feasible to have a family and be a doctor at the same time.”

Many people feel this way when they start thinking about their futures, whether they want a family, their job, and many other factors. While many people may believe that doctors do not make good parents because they are not around, they are very wrong because it is possible to create a good balance and be a great doctor while still being there for your family. Many factors do go into this though. First of all, different specialties require different amounts of time and commitment. Other factors such as where you work, and what position you are within your specialty affect how much time you have to spend at work.

“I’m most proud of the way I take care of patients, that’s what is always going to be my primary interest in medicine.”

Dr. Torchen has been working as a doctor for many years. So, she has gotten to know a lot about the industry. She has learned about many things she loves about the job, but also a few things that she doesn’t. A total of $4.3 trillion was spent on healthcare in the US in 2021, which is over $12,900 per person. “Medicine is a business like any other career, so it feels like there’s always a push to see more patients, bring in more money, which

means you have less time to spend with your patients.”

A prominent issue in the U.S. is that it can be very difficult for some people to afford healthcare. Because it is a business that requires fancy equipment and so many doctors and nurses, which need to be paid, running a hospital costs a lot. To be able to have all this, these hospitals must charge a lot too, which makes it unfair for those who can’t meet those high prices. This makes us think, is there a way to solve this issue?

My mom is someone who cares very deeply for others and is always looking for ways to help the community. She isn’t a doctor for the pride, or for the money, but simply because she cares and wants to help others in any way she can. Even though she has had to deal with difficulties such as issues with the U.S. healthcare system and going through the steps to become a doctor in the first place, she has found a way to overcome and what she wants to do. There are so many people in the world who need help, and it is so important to help as many people as you can and always be there for the people around you.

Tammy Vance has become a successful adult through her experiences.

Hard, Harder, Hardest…Success Tammy Vance faced the struggles of living with an immigrant-run job.

BY EVA VANCE

Have you heard the saying, “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle”? These words of Napoleon Hill are very true-my mother’s life shows that.

I talked to my mother, Tammy Vance, about interviewing her. She accepted quickly, and plans were made to conduct the interview on a hill surrounded by trees in the nearby college campus. About a quarter way through, a strong gust of wind blew my notes away. Soon after, my little brother an up, yelling that he found a cool pinecone. Vance laughed and she suggested we continue the interview later in a quieter, less windy place. When we picked up the interview in Vance’s bedroom a few days later, she told me she was excited for the interview. Her cheerful tone that matched her bright blue shirt became more like her dark black leggings as she went into more detail about her life.

Vance’s family had moved from Los Angeles to Silver Spring, Maryland, where she was born in 1975. They moved to Florida when she was about one and a half years old. Her parents, who were Taiwanese immigrants, had seen an ad in a Taiwanese newspaper for a motel. Soon, they moved 862 miles to Orlando, Florida. As she got older, she did various jobs around the motel. It is hard being an immigrant business owner.

Around sixty percent of people today had been subjected to what they consider a challenging childhood, but challenging is relative. Vance had many challenges growing up due to the motel, like having more work put on her with motel upkeep, but a significant one was social status. Vance’s childhood was different from her friends’ life. While it earned the family money, her parents’ motel was not as glamourous as her friends’ parents’ jobs were.

After school, Vance would go to the motel to work. This part of her life, at the time, was a part of her she did not completely like. She explains, “I was a little embarrassed about my parents’ job. I didn’t really talk about it.” Being different from others is always a challenge, but Vance had a lot of differences. She already looked different from her peers, being Taiwanese American and

non - white, her parents having a different job would be another layer of challenge. Now, Vance reflects that her friends would not care or even be interested in the motel. People often think that being different will make others dislike them, but find that the others do not, in fact, pay much attention to the differences.

Though it is hard of having parents who own a motel is social life, another challenge is learning from experiences. This is applicable to anyone, no matter who you are. Learning valuable skills is a part of life, and everyone’s skills are different depending on their experiences. Vance learned many valuable skills, like finding out how important family is. She also learned numerous motel care skills like making beds, laundry, and cleaning, but Vance believes the most important skill is a soft skill.

This is a skill she especially cares about and thinks everyone should know. The most important skill according to her is, “Just knowing how to prioritize when things are difficult for your family.” Family was very important to Vance, and juggling normal activities like school and extracurriculars, as well as unique activities like working in the motel could not have been easy. Putting her family ahead of everyone and anything else made her a successful adult today. Everyone learning what to put first would, in Vance’s opinion, change the world for the better.

Thinking about this has motivated me to make sure to put important values, such as family, first.

Immigrants are more likely to start a business than people born in the U.S. Being an immigrant is a hard, full - time job. However, it is a job that very few people understand. Around twenty - five percent of Americans are immigrants or children of immigrants, but not experiencing something makes it very hard to know how it feels. There are many things that people do not understand about immigrants. For example, not knowing the language everyone speaks will hinder someone immensely. The expectations put on them do not make life easier.

They also have to start a life for themselves and their families; they need work to do that -

and they need jobs for this. Immigrants are more likely to start their own business than local people. Immigrant - run businesses are misunderstood in many ways. Vance illustrates her opinion: “I think nobody understands the amount of work that goes into it and how much it consumes your thoughts, and you never know where the next dollar will come from.” Being an immigrant with a business is hard, demanding work. Because all the money comes from customers, if they go away, there is little hope left. This helps me think that if I do not understand something big, I should not think that I do, because I really don’t and that downgrades the struggles of those who truly went through them.

Vance’s childhood was not the easiest.

However, it has made her into who she is today: a successful adult. John Vance, her husband, says about her success: “One of the keys [to her success] is growing up in an immigrant family… [she] saw the sacrifices that [her parents] made for [her]…[she is] a model of hard work and an expectation to try hard, try try your best.”

Vance’s strength is inspiring, as well as a reminder that her family is not the only ones who went through this struggle: there are about 45 million immigrants in the United States currently. I learned through this interview more about my mother and I can be grateful for my hard - working Taiwanese heritage. I now know that success comes through hard work and challenges.

“I was a little embarrassed about my parents’ job. I didn’t really talk about it.”

Hard work pays off: the importance of discipline By: Mayra Vazquez As a coach, Diego Vazquez is proud to be working at St. Ignatius College Prep.

“What time do you have to leave again?” I asked, sitting with my legs crossed along my chair.

Diego Vazquez sat back, a relaxed look on his face. “In about half an hour.”

“For what?” I asked.

“Coaching and playing soccer with my team!” I look at him, confused. It was late in the evening; the sunset danced along the table as it slowly started to fade. The aroma of sweet banana bread wafted through the oven, warming up the room.

“I’m a busy guy!” he says, laughing.

“Plus, I’m excited to play soccer with my team again - I don’t get to very often.” Vazquez has always loved soccer. It is his passion. He has been playing it since he was 6 years old, and even if he did not want to go sometimes, he never wanted to leave. “Being around sports since I was little inspired me to do what I do today,” he said, explaining why he is a coach and not something else.

As a small child, I always went to his games, reading or running around in my pink tutu and long-sleeved shirts I loved to wear. When I was not reading or playing, I watched him play. I would see the look of determination on his face as he ran, pumping his arms as the sun made his face glisten from the sweat. He looked happiest while playing and always thanked our mom for bringing him when growing up. He loved it, even if he struggled with not wanting to come to practice since it was so cold or did not see a reason in going when he was young.

Diego Vazquez is a tall man with a stocky build and short, slicked back-to-the-side hair. He is 25 with two younger siblings, Oscar and I. He has kind eyes and was dressed in all black, with a jacket that had his team’s logo on it and black athletic pants. I noticed he was relaxed as he looked down at his clean, white shoes—he tends to always clean them—and funny green socks protruding them.

Vazquez has coached many kids. He has learned a lot of lessons from them, as well. With the 8-year-olds, he learns that they are especially hyper. However, he talks about his younger team fondly, tending to cross his arms, lean back, and smile softly. They have a hard time listening to him and following instructions, which can be frustrating for anyone. He has learned to take a step back and rethink the motivations he has as a coach and why he is there to coach them in the first place, which is to teach them important lessons like discipline, even at a growing age. With the older kids, Vazquez finds them procrastinating practicing or not getting to practice on time, a main problem he is normally faced with.

Vazquez is a competitive person who really enjoys and tends to prioritize winning. Coaching children taught him that winning is not everything: learning lessons and having fun in the sport is. Upon understanding this, you set up important building blocks for yourself to become a better athlete, coach, or person overall. As we began to speak, the sunset filtered through the window, having shined a warm glow around our kitchen table. Vazquez leaned back in his chair, stretching his feet out as if to get himself in a more comfortable position. He pondered what he was going to say next, his face remaining his neutral, confident self. He looked off into the distance as he thought about what he was going to say next.

Diego Vazquez, a soccer coach at St. Ignatius, proves the importance of discipline and hard work throughout your life.

There was a gleam in his eyes as he smiled, saying, “It’s not all about winning, even if I want it to be." Vazquez has a competitive spark in himself and even if he does not want to, he prioritizes what is important, which is not winning. When he was growing up, he cared very deeply about winning, so the lessons he was taught as he grew up really helped him not to prioritize winning and instead prioritize disciplining himself through hard work and having fun in the sport he loves.

His words impacted me as well, because it teaches me to

learn how to take a step back and focus on learning and growing as a person or even as a student, rather than rushing everything so it can feel like a “win”. Doing better than everyone else or exceeding is not the most important thing, and learning to be disciplined and learning to take a step back is key to not becoming engrossed in doing better than others. I smile. One of the main words in his life that stuck with him is about discipline, specifically self-discipline.

Self-discipline is when you teach yourself to follow a code of behavior, and it can be used in everything. It is an important skill to have, especially when you are trying to teach yourself positive things like not using your phone while doing homework. Sometimes you do not have the motivation to try to stop, but that is where selfdiscipline comes in .However, is also a hard thing to be able to do, especially in your teenage years. He faced having to learn to discipline himself in waking himself up and finishing his homework on time during high school and college, so he could have a bright future. Waking up- the problem he struggled with most- was something that he always hated. He tends to sleep in late if no one tells him anything and he had to teach himself to wake up early even when it is cold or it is a rainy morning when he struggles the most since he is not motivated.

Vazquez looked back on his memories and had a pained expression on his face, since he is reminded of a hard lesson he has learned before. The rustles of paper of Oscar, Vazquez’s brother, grew louder. I sat up in my chair, my legs dangling. It was late at night, and Vazquez, with a piece of banana bread in his hands, swung his legs back and forth in his chair. He took a bite and chewed thoughtfully, having enjoyed it. He shrugged and sheepishly smiled as he said, “You have to be disciplined, because you are not always going to have motivation," He took a pause and continued.

“Sometimes you don’t want to go to practice because it is too early in the morning, or it is cold or sometimes you would rather stay home … but it is discipline that makes you do it even though you don’t want to.”

Motivation and self-discipline go hand in hand. If you are not motivated, it makes it more difficult to have self-discipline compared to if you are motivated. You discipline yourself in everything to have healthy habits, but to do that, you must put in the effort to get what you are working for in the end. For example, you may not want to study for an upcoming test, but you know it is important and by doing it anyways and resulting in a good grade since you studied, you start to gain healthy habits and you will later do well and study on all of your exams (even if you have no motivation to do it). I try my best to not procrastinate on something important I need to do, like homework or extracurricular activities, because of this. This is so I can work on healthy habits like putting my phone in another area while doing homework so when I am older, I do them with ease.

Vazquez, as a high schooler and even now, needed to teach himself to do hard work or things he did not want to do at the time, so he can do the things he wants later. He enjoys his career and must work for it. Hard work and overcoming hard things is not something that is just learned in your teenage years, instead it is learned throughout your entire life. A good quality in a coach is also to be patient with their team, especially younger kids, who have a lot more energy and may not want to practice or do a certain drill.

The coaches must be patient with the younger kids or any team, and to be patient, you must be disciplined.

Time and patience are key factors in getting what you are aiming for. Vazquez had to have time and patience in finding the career he wanted and decided to work hard so that with time, he could become a coach and see where life takes him from there. He has always loved soccer as a kid and grew up always playing and going to games. Me, being 3 or 4, was there as well. He would always look happiest playing soccer. His face lit up and scrunched slightly in concentration as he would play his best. He would get

frustrated when he could not get a specific way to pass the ball or a specific move he had to do, but with a lot of practice and patience, he would eventually get it and perfect it.

Vazquez ran a hand through his black, gelled hair and laughed softly upon thinking back at the memory, remembering how our mom would always drive him to his games. He also remembered his look of determination as he practiced. I smile, remembering eating in the car on our way, practically bursting out of my seat to go to the library and read while he played. We smiled at each other and laughed. He played with the drawstring on his black hoodie, his body in a relaxed position. He took a large bite of the banana bread, closing his eyes, fully enjoying the bite. Vazquez helps me realize if you do not practice, you will not achieve the things you want in life. He smiled and looked at me confidently, his eyes lighting up as he said, “Everything takes time, and uh, more time equals more experience and if you are willing to listen and learn, you will be successful." He is a very patient person, and he shows it with the kids he coaches. He always treats them kindly and gives them wise advice no matter if he is teaching the 14–18year-olds or the 8-year-olds. You can also implement these words in your day-to-day life, especially when faced with tough times or struggles in the short term. It is important to also think about what habits you are setting for yourself in the future.

Vazquez is a very hardworking, straightforward, and wise person. When he does what he does, he does it with effort to perfect it. This is a positive aspect to have in a person, because if you do not work hard, it will not pay off, since hard work pays off. Sometimes people do not see things in the long run, and only see the short-term aspects of everything they do. Those people do not think about habits they have, like doing everything quick and without effort, and how it can affect their personality in the long run. Also thinking too much about the future can be damaging, as well, so you must have a mixture of the two to be successful as possible.

As Vazquez would say, “You got to be disciplined in everything you do." The key thing to grow as a person is to be disciplined, slow down, and focus and work hard on what you do. He teaches us that winning or being better than others is not always the most important thing, and it is important to take a step back and evaluate the lessons you have learned and things you can grow on, at your own pace. The positive things you do are important, but you may not always have the motivation to do them. Even if you do not, it is important to have discipline in the things you do so you can look back on your accomplishments; So you can be proud of the fact you put in the effort to do what you would have liked to achieve. Feeling accomplished and proud of yourself for doing your best is a rewarding feeling, compared to feeling bad because you are not doing what you should, or doing it halfheartedly. Often, hard work does in fact pay off, even if it may not feel like it in the moment.

“It's not all about winningeven if I want it to be."

This photo shows the general manger of the Chicago bulls

Hard working By Maria Ventura

idea that JJ is very important, and he is scouting very important players on the team which are currently very good and start on games this is significant because it shows that JJ and important man to the team.

JJ mentioned that team bonding is something that you don't want to take for granted because when the team is getting along, that means they will have good communication on the court, and they will play well together. “Something you don't take for granted” JJ values team bonding in that It's something that he really enjoys about having on the team. Team bonding is important because that means they'll have good communication and games and they'll be able to pass better, and they'll be able to shoot better which leads to winning games.

JJ is very hard working and dedicated to his job. He is willing to miss important family events and family activities for his job. Being a part of the Bulls is very important to JJ and he really loves what he's doing. JJ mentioned that the end of art discussion that he loves what he's doing, and he wouldn't want to do anything else.

I am getting organized at my desk when my phone starts, I see the contact name “JJ Polk” I quickly accept the call. For my interview project I decided to interview one of my best friend's dad, JJ Polk. Polk is the Assistant general manager for the Chicago Bulls. ringing When I got on call Polk, he almost immediately said hello and asked how I was doing, I greeted him back.

Polk has to make a lot of challenges for his job, but one of the hardest is having to be away from family. Luckily, he gets to spend most of his time at home with his kids and wife but on workdays he usually spending all day at work. Polk mentioned that last season he traveled to many places with the team including Paris. It may seem fun to go to pairs, but it is difficult to be away from family and friends especially during the summer. No matter how far Polk is from his family he will always find a way to communicate with them. “there’s a lot of personal sacrifice being made that most people don’t realize” family is very important to Polk and it’s one of his top priorities.

When Polk had to travel with the team, he explained to me that its very hard to be away from the kids for such a long time.

This gives me the idea JJ is very important when it comes to scouting. This is significant because it shows what JJ does for the team is scouting players which is important to know because it gives a better understanding of this job “IO scouted him.

He's currently on the team. DeMar DeRozan from professional level.” This gives me the

“Something you don't take for granted”

A picture of Matt Davis in uniform for the State Police

One Mans Force for Safety By: Claire Walsh

Illinois’s First deputy director’s daily job and his motive for work

I interviewed my uncle in early October from my Dining Room. As I sat in the fancy red chair, I Facetimed him, I had technology trouble originally, but my friend helped me with my phone. I was originally not able to record when on Facetime, but I was able to trouble shoot my problems and use my phone to record on my computer. When the phone buzzed, I instantaneously saw his jovial face, and scruffy beard.

Matt Davis is my uncle; he grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and is now living in Springfield, Illinois. During the call I noticed in the background the many different government paintings on the wall. I spoke with him about his job as a public worker, The First Deputy Director. He has been working for the State Police for over 25 years.

Davis has learned many different skills that have helped him in the preparation for the State Police. One aspect of his preparation is his attendance to a Catholic high school. In catholic school, he was taught that social justice and public service were both very important aspects in life. This prepared him because working in the State Police is a job that requires working with the public and requires looking at everyone as equal and the crimes that they may have committed, despite how bad the crime was. When reflecting on his childhood, he said

“Coming up in a Catholic grade school and high school enviornment, social justice, and public service were always kind of things that were important and emphasized.”

Many kids grow up in a Catholic grade school and high school. I currently go to a Catholic school and most of my friends do. This shows me how my schools charism, values, are able to help me in my future. This has special meaning for my uncle because when he was growing up, he never realized that this would set him up for his future job, but the whole time he was growing up he was preparing. This could mean that many children that are at schools with charisms or they put service as a priority could be raising children for their future job, not just in an academic way, and without the children knowing.

One thing that has really made him want to continue to work in the State Police is how you can truly affect people’s lives in a good way. You can truly help the public (citizens) with finding out reasons for losing a loved one, or just solving crimes in the world. This can help them with families finding closure with relatives that have passed, and friends. When you get higher in the State Police you start to work with less family members and individuals, so he must rely on the people working below him for that. When you eventually start to work with bills and try to make them laws your reward is when the bill becomes a law. Another reward could be when the rate of shootings etc. goes down .

“The real measure, is when you can see the real feedback coming back from the people.”

This quote shows me that the public workers do help and change our society in a way that is shown in our government. This is shown when he implies that the most rewarding part is when you can see the feedback from normal citizens. The rewarding part about his job is mostly from a change in percentages, laws, and or from information being critically looked at and finding a correct reason.

We think that the article we read or the news we watch are 100% true, but Davis has observed many people talking about subjects that he is aware of in ways that are not correct or true. Many people read articles and think that the information they have learned about is correct, but sometimes people don’t fully grasp a subject and they are debating the subject in a daily conversation, but they might be totally wrong and not know it. When what they are saying is not accurate it is problematic. Incidents have occurred when people have committed crimes just because they don’t believe what someone is saying is true or correct for them or just fake news. It is especially bad when governments around the world are at war and the world is tense. This is because many people have their own opinions and religions, and

when people are at war the world is disagreeing and in a state of shock. “Prioritize and value the way we are doing work, the way we are documenting our work, the way we are reporting our work to the public. That we are transparent, that we are thorough and unbiased.”

“Keeping people safe is important and rewarding work.”

This quote suggests that some people might not fully grasp the whole idea of the matter. That is a way fake news can be spread. I selected this quote because it is very important in current events. This is because of the two wars that are going on right now.

This has a meaning because fake news be the reason people get hurt. Some people have committed terrible crimes against someone who has been a victim to fake news, or even just because a war is going on in a country with a main religion someone does not believe in.

His life with public service was able to impact many people, but also many people impacted him. To work in this industry, you need to have ambition and be able to push for your ideas. When you grow up you are secretly preparing for your future life. When discussing his job, he said “Keeping people safe is important and rewarding work.” I think this relates to my idea that the people that work behind the scenes of society do so much work for us that some people may not ever see.

Following dreams: nursing in Africa Esther Weiss is a dream follower who followed her dreams as a nurse, even at 11 years old in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

By: Sara Weiss A little girl in Africa, Esther Weiss, is working in a clinic with one other person as the sun is beating down on her. People and babies are coming in and out of the small clinic for things like cuts and parasites. A mother brings in her baby and Weiss sticks a thermometer into its bottom as he starts to move uncomfortably. Suddenly, a tape worm starts to come out and she pulls and pulls at it, but it keeps coming. Suddenly, the worm comes to a stop, and she lays it out beside the baby. Everyone in the clinic looks over as their jaws drop at the size. The worm looks to be multiple yards long, even coming out of the small baby. My grandma, Esther Weiss, was born in the United States and moved to what is currently the Democratic Republic of The Congo at three years old. She is currently a clinical nurse and is in her 80s. She started nursing in DRC at the age of 11 and still does work in that field. After this experience, Weiss would continue to pursue her dream of nursing her whole life.

Weiss is working in a hospital holding tools called “paddles.”

Weiss followed her dreams because she loved what she was doing. She lived in DRC as a child, and as a kid she helped another American family set up and run a nursing clinic. She would help the mom from the family, Peggy Penny, do things like label, organize, write, etc. Weiss watched Peggy Penny as she treated people at the clinic and then eventually started treating people herself. While she was recalling her time in DRC she passionately explained, “By the time I was 11, I was madly in love with nursing.” Because she still does work in nursing, she shows us to follow our dreams.

Weiss grew up loving nursing and followed that path her whole life to become the nurse that she is today. Nursing is not an easy job so she could have given up, especially as a kid. Even when it was hard, she stuck with it and worked hard to pursue what she loves.

When I heard she was only 11 years old when she realized what she wanted to do as a career, I was surprised that she pursued it so

early. This inspired me because I want to own my own business when I grow up. I learned that following my dream and not giving up will let me do what I love. This can inspire everyone to follow their own dreams and pursue them.

Weiss followed her dreams because she was passionate about them. I asked her about her life when she was 11 years old living in DRC providing care such as sewing people back together, treating parasites, and even delivering babies. As soon as I asked, she started to giggle and responded, “Oh I was thrilled to death to be able to do all of that!” Weiss shows us to do what we are passionate about. Nursing is a hard job, especially as an 11-year-old girl in DRC working in a clinic with only one other person. Even though it was a lot of work, she loved it so much and followed it for the rest of her life. Nursing excited her, so she didn’t give up on it, and went after what she was passionate about. Most kids today would think that doing something like delivering a baby would be crazy and too much work, but Weiss felt she was lucky to be able to do the things that she did. When I heard this, I was surprised that she was so excited about nursing at such a young age. This shows us to follow our dreams because she followed what excited her, and now she can do what she loves every day.

Weiss was able to follow her dreams because she took an opportunity. She was nursing in DRC at only 11, which might seem like a crazy young age, but she loved it.

Today, in most countries, 11/12-year-olds would not be allowed to do anything that involves working a job like nursing. Where she lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the time, she was able to nurse, and I heard a laugh over the phone: “There was definitely no regulations about who could do what.” The reason she was able to nurse was because DRC’s citizens were not healthy

enough to go to school for careers like nursing, so her family went to DRC to help.

However, she still was incredibly happy that she could nurse. Because there was nothing stopping her from doing what she loved, she followed it. This made me realize that if I have the opportunity to do something that excites me, I should do it. If there is a way to follow a dream, without getting stopped, following it can bring you closer to meeting your goal. This opportunity shaped her nursing life, and helped bring her to where she is today which can inspire us to take opportunities, even if they are scary. She nursed as an 11-year-old girl in DRC which, to me, is scary but she took the opportunity, and built a career of it. The way she took this opportunity inspires me to do whatever I can to follow my dreams.

Weiss followed her dreams her whole life. She worked hard to meet her dream as a nurse, and never gave up. She was supposed to have retired in 2019, and financially was able to, but she still works in nursing, because she loves it. I appreciate this because she is helping people because she wants to, not needs to. She has taught me to never give up on something that I care about, and to work hard towards it. Also, getting opportunities can be difficult, but when I am given one, I now know that I should take it.

Dreams can be hard to follow, but by working hard and following them, they can be achieved.

“By the time I was 11, I was madly in love with nursing.”

Escaping Communism Growing up in Communist Poland

By Olivia Wykretowicz

Andrew Wykretowicz (why-kre-toe-witch), my dad, was born in Wroclaw, PL 1965. Poland at this time was known as post war communist Poland. Poland was in a state of communism because Stalin died in 1953, which allowed for communist leaders rise to power in Poland. Additionally, 1965 was right when Poland began experiencing increasing economic as well as political difficulties. Necessities like food were hard to get. I wondered, how this shaped him as a person?

Adding even more to an already rough childhood,

Wykretowicz’s dad died only when he was 13 or 14.

Communism was very easily seen in Poland, some examples being censorship on books and what they learned in school, even faith was censored. The biggest moral that was instilled by people around Wykretowicz was working hard, no matter how dumb or easy the task given might seem. He always had some kind of work to do, whether it was an actual job, simply collecting neighbors’ plastic bottles to give back to the store and get a few cents or helping his grandma and mom with groceries and household work. This allowed him to have amazing grades growing up, and to easily rise in job positions. As bad as Wykretowicz’s childhood was, it caused his family to be very close and have a very good moral and ethical structure. In his own words, “Moral Standards and ethics were instilled by our strong familly bond, and in our education system by teachers.”

Wykretowicz made sure to bring these strong hard work morals with him no matter where he went to work or learn. His hard work is probably one of the biggest factors that allowed him to have the position of executive vice president and chief operating office at Monere Investments. Although he sometimes complained about how much he must do, Wykretowicz remembered that his hard work would allow him to be successful in life, and that it would lead to so much more. I often find myself forgetting to do my homework or just unmotivated to, but then I remember this part of his life that allowed him to get so far which motivates me to not just do my homework, but to do it to the best of my ability. Even in skating he motivates me to work hard so I can be successful in my sports career with these morals and work ethics he’s instilled in me as my father.

Censorships in Poland when Wykretowicz was growing us were very noticeable. Being a little boy, his dad listened to the European radio stations, but the Polish government would do their best to intercept it and keep outside information very limited. Even bibles were prohibited, which is shocking as Poland is such a strict conservative Christian country. “Certain books were banned, even bibles, and there was obvious censorship in the press,” Wykretowicz explains.He was even apart of smuggling bibles into Poland. They would hide bibles under shipments of medicine and other things. I often

realize how lucky we are to have access to such a big internet, even though there is bias and misinformation.

We all should make sure to fact check anything we see on the internet before spreading it around, and make sure anything you read is from a neutral perspective.

Wykretowicz remembered that his hard work would allow him to be successful in life, and that it would lead to much more.

Through all Wykretowicz has been through, religion has been a major aspect that kept him going through life.

When his dad died it was a major set back mentally, but his belief and praying in God helped him deal with his grief and accept his dad being gone. Ever sense he was a kid he’s made sure to pray every morning and afternoon and attend mass regularly. He’s a very devoted Christian and the impact of having something to believe in and help guide him has kept him truly happy even through his bumpy difficult life. When asked about the impact of religion on his life, Wykretowicz says, “God was the strong thing that got me going growing up, and even now.

Religion was probably the only thing that got me through my dad’s death. The impact of God in his life has motivated me to have someone or something to believe in and guide my life. You truly can’t get through life alone.

Now that he is 58, Wykretowicz often reflects on his past life and values, and allows his difficult journey to act as a motivator when he doesn’t want to go to work.

He remembers how hard he worked to get to where he is, and that he should appreciate and continue to work hard at his job he is so lucky to have.

Andrew Wykretowicz’s School ID picture when he went to University of Toronto