Meet young bibliophile and Oroville Rotary Student of the Year, Max Duran

COOL KID MAX Duran

Max Duran is, by all measures, the kid every parent wishes to have. Thoughtful, driven, caring, and bright, he checks all the boxes, and he’s been recognized for it time and again. At just 9 years old, Max is making a name for himself at Ophir Elementary as someone other students can not only look up to, but trust as well.

“He’s just such a good kid all around.” Max’s mom, Betty Pendergraft, raved, “I really don’t even know where to begin. In second grade, he wanted to be the first and only second grader to read one million words and join the school’s “millionaire club." He just stuck with it and accomplished his goal long before the end of the year. Now finishing third grade, he set the goal again to repeat last year’s success, and he blew it away. At this point, he’s read over 2.5 million words in two years. He just has so much drive, and it’s one of the many things we love about him!”

Sure, most parents beam when it comes to talking about their children, and few parents are short of the gift of gab when it comes to comparing notes, but Betty isn’t alone in her feelings—they’ve been confirmed by plenty of others too. natured as well and always willing to offer a helping hand or assistance in defusing a negative situation. His teachers recognized this over the years and separately nominated him for the Student of the Month Award. The wealth of nominations was certainly noticed as his school’s principal then nominated him for an even greater accolade—Butte County Rotary Club’s Student of the Year Award. Unsurprisingly for a boy of his character, he was selected and recognized for his kindness, friendship, and academic assessment well above the elementary school level.

Max wants to be a lawyer when he grows up, and Betty is the first to admit he’s very persuasive with his words. Alongside his love for reading, it sounds like the career would be a perfect fit.

When Max isn’t reading, he’s competing at soccer, basketball, and on Oroville’s Orcas swim team. He says, “You only have one life to live, so you gotta live the way you want to live it.” Clearly, he’s also wise beyond his years. We wish Max the best in his future endeavors and cheer him on in continuing to be, without any shadow of a doubt, a very cool kid indeed.

with Amir Olympia

If I wasn’t a front line worker, I would be an electrician. I took some vocational electrical classes, and they intrigued me.

Three critical qualities that got me where I am today are selflessness, hard work, and motivation.

Explaining my schedule to folks that don't have any idea is not easy. Overtime aside, my normal schedule is 48 hours on and 96 hours off, making it a 56 hour work week. We also live at the station for 48 hours, at least, always available for the next call.

A book or movie that left a lasting impression on me is Nurse by Lee Gutkind. She really was able to reflect on the dynamism and diversity that our occupation faces everyday.

Something I want to learn would be to speak a second language—learning sign language too.

My “go to” Northern California spot is my yard with my girlfriend and the dogs. It's a spot that relaxes me and brings me peace. The Commons is also a great spot.

My personal billboard would read, “WHAT???” (with a confused face).

My inspiration behind where I am today stemmed from taking care of my autistic friend Dave. He has really inspired me to go out and help those who can’t help themselves.

My single biggest indulgence is pizza— preferably from Woodstocks.

When I see signs, messages, or voices referring to me as a ‘hero’, my reaction and feeling is to be humbled and honored to be able to help people. I also consider it my job to help those who need it.

What I want people to know is I was first interested in becoming a firefighter 7 years ago, and I have been proudly working and serving the citizens of Oroville as a firefighter ever since.

Amir Olympia Engineer and Lieutenant in Training Oroville Fire Department

Growing Pains and the Magic Juice

BY RENEE MICHEL, MBA, AND JOE SWEENEY, CFP® , FINANCIAL ADVISORS AT SWEENEY & MICHEL, LLC

The economic reopening has rightfully crushed stay-at-home stocks recently, and that is getting a lot of media attention. After a phenomenal run in 2020, Zoom, Peloton, Teledoc, DocuSign, Doordash, etc are all 30-50% off of their highs; it certainly looks like proof the pandemic is winding down as fast as their stock prices. Long-term growth investors have had an incredible run in recent years, but many have forgotten what it’s like to lose.

My oldest daughter is 9 years old, so we’re well into the years of growing pains. She hates the taste of medicine (so much so, that she used to writhe and spit it out), so I decided to get creative. A cup of apple juice, mixed with the cherry Tylenol is now called “magic juice”. Three years later, she will still ask for a cup of magic juice when those pains come back. It’s a good reminder that growing pains, although uncomfortable, are a necessary part of getting bigger and stronger.

Historically, the stock market makes new highs roughly 5% of the time, which is pretty extraordinary in its own right. But that also means the other 95% you are looking at your portfolio’s previous high point and wondering if/when you’ll ever get back there. Humans tend to be risk-averse, meaning we’re always going to be somewhat worried that something could happen and we lose our savings.

Even the greatest investments can feel like rollercoasters: A $1,000 investment in Apple’s IPO in 1980 would be worth over 1.2 Million today. However, that growth never came in a straight line. You had to endure breathtaking losses along the way if you wanted to enjoy the long-term gains.

What we’re all learning is that being a good long-term investor is probably more about pain tolerance than intelligence.

Renée Michel, MBA and Joe Sweeney, CFP® | 196 Cohasset Road, Suite 100, Chico CA 95926 (530) 487-1777 | renee@sweeneymichel.com | joe@sweeneymichel.com | www.sweeneymichel.com

Sources: www.irs.gov; www.ssa.gov; www.medicare.gov | Sweeney & Michel, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser. This brochure is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Sweeney & Michel, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Sweeney & Michel, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.