High school will always be memorable for me. It is amazing how quickly time flew by over the past four years. I remember walking onto campus for the first time as a freshman; that was daunting. I was excited and ready to start my high school career. I was always told that high school was very important to a person’s future. One’s grades would determine what college that person could get into. SAT or ACT scores were also emphasized for college admissions. My freshman year was quite successful. I took one honors class and was able to pull off a 4.1 GPA both semesters. I took my first year of Spanish, which unbeknownst to me, would be one of my favorite subjects in high school. My career in band also commenced that year. At the time, the band was not very popular and was relatively small. The marching band didn’t do much in the way of performing, but I still had plenty of fun. Mr. Fox, our current band director, came to this school in the middle of that year. I was a bit worried about the future of the band program, but luckily Mr. Fox made a huge difference. He saved the band program and was able to make the band what it is today.

     I originally thought that I wanted to major in music. I did my job research project on being a professional musician in Career Explorations. I did not yet realize my dislike of music practice and I hadn’t discovered my affinity for language. I played clarinet at that point as I had been doing for the past three years. I was quite the clarinetist and I eventually began taking private lessons. I used to go see my private teacher every Friday. I also had clarinet recitals once every few months. I remember being very nervous when I went to my first recital. There were so many people watching, and I was worried about messing up. Despite my fears, I did quite well. 

    My grandmother died on Halloween during my freshman year. I was at a Golden State Pops Orchestra concert with dad when he got a phone call. I did not know what was going on at the time. We ended up leaving early, and that was when my dad told me what had happened. My grandmother had fallen down the stairs at her house and was now comatose. That news hit me like a blow to the stomach. We rushed to the hospital where we heard the news that she wouldn't wake up. At that point I broke down and began to cry. I remember a stranger coming to me and trying to calm me down. I did not even know that person, but I was very grateful for the kindness he or she showed me. In the end, my parents decided to take her off life support. I was able to see my grandmother one last time at the hospital. I told her that I loved her very much and I held her hand. Her funeral was on Veteran's Day.

    In my sophomore year, I took two honors courses and got a 4.3 GPA both semesters. The band began going to competition that year. I also took Spanish 2. My Spanish teacher, Mrs. Easlick, suggested that I skip Spanish 3. It was at that point that I realized that I was a very good Spanish student, but I still wanted to be a musician. Ms. Kwek, the Spanish 3 teacher, said that it would be best to not skip Spanish 3 because all of the verb tenses are learned then. Luckily though, I was able to skip Spanish 4 and go straight into AP Spanish Language as a senior. It was in my junior year that I realized that I did not want major in music. After thinking for a while, I discovered my love of language. That soon turned into wanting to major in Linguistics. I took 2 honors courses and 2 AP courses that year and got a 4.5 GPA. 

    The college search was quite interesting. I originally had wanted to go to the East coast, but thinking about the cost I decided to stay in state. I chose colleges only if they had a linguistics major. I decided to visit UC Santa Cruz last October. As soon as I got there, I fell in love with the town and the school. The area was absolutely gorgeous, and the university was perfect for me. I knew right then and there that I wanted to attend UC Santa Cruz. I applied to UCSC, UCSD, and UCLA in November just so I had some back-up schools. It was a long wait, but I got into UCSC. I will major in Linguistics, and will be staying in Merrill college.

    Senior year has been the most memorable for me. I have been at this school for such a long time, and I am blessed to have been able to attend this great school. I have made many great friends over the years, and have learned many, many things. Now I am about to graduate; it is an amazing feeling. I cannot wait to go to college and start my new life. I will miss my friends and family, but I will be embarking on a new, exciting journey. I will never forget El Segundo High School or its faculty. It is this school and those teachers that were able to get me where I am today, and for that I am forever grateful.