--------------Interview with Blake A.--------------

He started at a fairly young age...creative and fun...never gives up. Blake A., a 13-year-old boy familiar to many students at Keller Junior High, blazed new trails in just a short amount of time. Read on to find out who Blake is and how he was inspired by those around him at a young age!

Munya: Who is Blake A.?

Blake: Blake is a 13-year-old boy who thinks mostly about sports, but he also loves music. His two electives are band and chorus. He is also in Discovery. Blake loves to hang out with his friends and participate in physical activities. He is very active and is involved in sports.

Munya: Share four fun facts about yourself.

Blake: I have a sister named Taylor (14) and a brother named Jordan (6). I'm an owner of lots of pets. I love to bake and/or cook! I am also a shoe artist.

Munya: What kind of pets do you have?

Blake: I have a lot of fish, a bearded dragon, a rat terrier, and a Yorkie poodle.

Munya: What kind of foods do you like to bake/cook?

Blake: I like to bake cakes and sweets.

Munya: Tell me more about your shoe art.

Blake: I am painting my basketball shoes, and I sell custom shoes too.

Munya: Classic or jazz?

Blake: I don't really listen to either, but I'd say classic.

Munya: When did you discover sports?

Blake: I have been in sports since I was extremely little. During kindergarten, my older sister started soccer. I would always cry to my mom that I should be old enough to play on a team. When kindergarten came, I was so excited to play. I played soccer until about third grade, and I was very competitive compared to everyone else. I then moved to ice hockey, was inspired by my uncle who plays hockey, and of course, I was also inspired by my mother who's a big fan of hockey too. I played hockey for about two years. Then suddenly I decided to try going back to soccer again and I played with my best friend, Tyler, for about 11 months on a travel team. I then proceeded to basketball. I had played basketball outside a lot, but never thought of playing competitively. My dad is pretty tall, and he played center for his high school varsity team, and I had started to play NBA 2K way more than I used to in the past. Now basketball is my ultimate passion.

Munya: What does the word/phrase athlete mean to you?

Blake: The word athlete to me is more than someone who plays sports and just cares about that activity. It is someone who works harder than anybody else around them, puts countless hours into trying to get better, has constant anxiety that someone is working harder than them, someone who understands that the legends have failed the most and have not given up, someone who proves people wrong when they are discouraged or doubted, someone who doesn't care about others opinions about them, and someone who doesn't stop after their entire team has. And most importantly, never, at all costs, stops.

Munya: What kind of sports do you do?

Blake: I currently competitively play basketball and cross country, and I am hoping to do either track and field or volleyball for Keller this year. At home, I am always in my driveway playing basketball. From the second I finish my homework to dinner, I am out playing, trying to get better. Occasionally, I will play soccer, football, or lacrosse in my yard with my sister or a friend (or my brother if the iPad is dead).

Munya: Who is your motivation?

Blake: My dad is a huge part of my life in sports. He always encourages me to keep pushing myself and to keep going. He motivates me because he has persevered through so many hard times and it is so cool to see him keeping a positive attitude through ever single hardship life brings to him. He always goes for runs and workouts with me which I can thank him for. In many things I do, I think about my dad and how he would help me succeed, which helps me run that faster sprint at the end of a race, or make that final shot to win a game.

Munya: Have you ever given up on something? If so, what is it and explain how you challenged yourself to get through it. If not, then explain how you motivate yourself to keep going.

Blake: I have never given up on something that was important. Maybe I gave up on trying to beat a level on a video game; however, this did not impact me. If I gave up on something that would affect me though, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for awhile. I am very hard on myself when it comes to sports. I will prepare a whole day for an exhibition cross country (XC) race. If you ask any of my friends from lunch or after, they will tell you I always look too stressed out if I have a sporting event that day. I motivate myself by asking myself, "Who are you? What makes you mad?" Then using internal anger to fuel myself, so go right ahead, say what you have to say, and make me better. I also mix that feeling with encouragement from others. My expression is usually too blank to tell how I'm feeling, and I'm very introverted during a competition. As I told my good friend, Noman, in an interview earlier this year on XC, "running is about connecting with yourself through pain" which is the way I do it. I connect my thoughts into one line and I run in that line. I push through the pain by focusing.

Munya: What are you planning to be when you are older?

Blake: When I'm older, I plan to go to UF and take biology classes, then apply to medical school and become an orthopedic surgeon.

Munya: What's your message to young athletes?

Blake: Keep pushing. Don't stop believing in yourself. The harder you work, the better you will be at whatever you work towards. Don't listen to anyone when they tell you to stop following your passion or criticize you on it. Use it to get better. Prove them wrong. Work harder than everyone around you. It will make you stand out as a great, instead of an average player.

There is so much to know about Blake. He's funny, nice, and helpful. I would say this, Blake is the best friend I'll ever have to run against. He has inspired others and he is still working on building that power inside of him. A big takeaway is to always keep Abraham Lincoln's words in mind; "And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

Unbroken

By: Ashley M.

Helen Keller Junior High was named after Helen Keller, a blind, deaf, and strong woman. Born June 27, 1880, neither resident nor scientist, Helen Keller, nonetheless, did what most couldn't; she fought adversity and survived. Keller did not let her weak senses prevent her from living above the line. Keller was optimistic and set on overcoming obstacles, as she accomplished various achievements, deaf and blind, strong and determined. Keller excelled in her goals. This determined woman started college in 1900, when many people did not pick college as a path, whether they chose not to, due to lack of money or college was not for them along with many other reasons. However, Keller, a girl with severe impairments, went for a higher education to Radcliffe College, a university specifically for women, but was heavily criticized. Her devotion to school impacted people with disabilities.

“The Story of My Life”, an autobiography written by Helen Keller while in college, is a book full of memories describing how her illness resulted in her deaf and blindness. Keller did not magically learn how to speak; she learned, with much help from her speech teacher, Sarah Fuller, at the age of nine. Sarah Fuller taught Helen Keller how to speak by feeling the shape of Fuller’s lips as she mouthed words.

Helen Keller’s childhood was a horror show. At 19-months-old, she was the victim of an illness, possibly scarlet fever, that caused what we all now know as her impairments of being blind and deaf. She did not take the news at first positively; it would be a surprise if she did. Instead, she became uncontrollable, experienced a hard childhood, but that's not all. Helen Keller’s father, Arthur H. Keller, served as an officer in the Confederate Civil War.

Helen Keller was a determined, inspiring, and positive person.

This role model was not only inspiring to the world, but more specifically to our school. If you pay attention to the beautifully painted walls, not only will you find images, but quotes from Helen Keller herself. An individual can achieve the first step, but only together can we all accomplish the challenge. As we continue to persevere in this school year, remember this motto:

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller

No Esta Quebrado

By: Ashley M.

Helen Keller Junior High lleva el nombre de Helen Keller, una mujer ciega, sorda y fuerte. Nacido el 27 de junio de 1880, ni el presidente ni el científico, Helen Keller, hicieron lo que la mayoría no pudo, lucharon contra la adversidad y sobrevivieron. Helen Keller no dejó que sus sentidos débiles le impidieron vivir por encima de la línea. Keller era optimista y estaba dispuesta a superar los obstáculos, ya que tenía varios logros, sorda y ciega, fuerte y decidida. Helen Keller se destacó en sus objetivos. Esta mujer decidida comenzó la universidad en 1900. Muchas personas no eligieron la universidad como un camino, ya sea que eligieron no hacerlo, debido a la falta de dinero o la universidad no era para ellos junto con muchas otras razones. Sin embargo, Helen Keller, una niña con discapacidades graves, era Radcliffe College, una universidad específica para mujeres, pero recibió muchas críticas de una escuela secundaria en Helen Keller llamada así por Helen Keller, una mujer ciega, sorda y fuerte. Nacido el 27 de junio de 1880, ni el presidente ni el científico, Helen Keller, hicieron lo que la mayoría no pudo, lucharon contra la adversidad y sobrevivieron. Helen Keller no dejó que sus sentidos débiles le impidieron vivir por encima de la línea. Keller era optimista y estaba dispuesto a superar obstáculos, desafía varios logros, sordos y ciegos, fuertes y decididos. Helen Keller se destacó en sus objetivos. Esta mujer decidida comenzó la universidad en 1900. Muchas personas no eligieron la universidad como un camino, ya sea que eligieron no hacerlo, debido a la falta de dinero o la universidad no era para ellos junto con muchas otras razones. Sin embargo, Helen Keller, una niña con discapacidades graves, asistió a Radcliffe College, una universidad específica para mujeres, pero a menudo recibió muchas críticas positivas.

Este modelo a seguir no solo fue inspirador para el mundo, sino más específicamente para nuestra escuela. Si prestas atención a las paredes bellamente pintadas, no solo encontrarás imágenes, sino también citas de la propia Helen Keller. Un individuo puede lograr el primer paso, juntos podemos lograrlo. Todos podemos enfrentar el desafío. Mientras continuamos perseverando en este año escolar, recuerden este lema:

"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. " - Helen Keller