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Meet the Urban Promise Academy students who have been selected to go to Washington DC in 2015!
Naji
Melissa Hello my name is Melissa, I am a 7th grader at Urban Promise Academy, and I am one out of the ten lucky students who has been selected to go to Washington D.C. What makes me unique is that I am a very outgoing and positive person. One thing I think people should know about me, is that I am a very eager to take new challenges in life and learn new things.
The trip to Washington DC is important to me because I hope to gain information on immigration and bring back and share the information gathered on this trip with my family. I think this trip is connected to my future goals because this would be my first time traveling out of California and one of my goals is to become a traveler. A specific place I would like to go visit is the Supreme Court because it will influence my future lawyer career in a positive way.
I would like to thank my Mom and and dad for supporting and encouraging me every step of the way. I would also want to thank Mr. Guikema for motivating me and making this trip possible.
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Hello, my name is Naji. I am a 7th grader currently attending Urban Promise Academy for middle school. Things that are unique about me are I join lots of programs and clubs. I am a hard worker and I have a “Hawks eye” which means if there is something that I see and I want, like getting a 4.0, I will not rest until I reach my goal. People should know that I am claustrophobic and I am pretty competitive.
The trip to Washington DC is important to me because this is my chance to get out of California, also I want to be able to observe how the Oakland community is different than DC’s community. Things that I want to see are the museums, like the Newseum and the Holocaust Museum. This will have an influence on me because if my experience in DC is great, than I might consider going to college there.
I want to thank everyone who donated so we can be part of this program. I also want to thank my parents and my school counselor, Ms. Bayardo, for believing in me and telling me that nothing is impossible. I also want to thank and appreciate everyone who applied to Close Up, even if you got chosen or not.
XimenaHi my name is Ximena. I love that I get the opportunity to go to Washington. I am unique because because I have an ability to become friends with anybody. I love to meet new people and learn new things. I’m very enthusiastic and I love to be active.I get along with everyone and I'm so excited to be going on this trip to make new friends.
There's a lot of importance to this trip, especially how it helps you in the future. This trip will influence me in to be more comfortable in different environments and learn to interact with different people. I would love to visit the Space and Air Museum that will also influence me because I want to become an engineer. I feel like Close Up is an amazing program and it also pushes people to learn about democracy. I'm also looking forward to that.
I would like to thank Mr. Guikema because he makes this trip possible and he takes time out of his day to share this experience with students. Close Up is an amazing program and I would like to appreciate them as well. My parents are always so supportive towards me and I love them I would thank them a lot . Also everyone who believed in me like my teachers, I appreciate them a lot!
OdalizHello! My name is Odaliz Carmona and I am an 8th grader at Urban Promise Academy. Something that me unique is that I always like to take on challenges. To me this means trying new things you haven't done before. An example of this was 7th grade there was a new STEM class and I was invited to be in it. I learned a lot about engineering in this class. We had to make a prosthetic arm and my team struggled with our first model but we learned from each model we made until we got the perfect one we were comfortable with. It took a lot of thinking and planning but most importantly being able to work together. I like how whenever i have a struggle I find a way to solve it and move on. If I ever look back in life, it is to look back at my mistakes and learn from them to make better decisions. Something else you should know about me is that I love adventures! That I can learn from and going to Close Up is a huge privilege and I know I will learn a lot from this wonderful adventure.
This trip to Washington Dc is important to me because I look forward to talking to a politician about a political issue. One main political issues that is important to me is immigration. Immigration is important because I hear so much on the news about families getting separated from their kids because ICE Police deport them. Hearing this breaks my heart knowing they can do something so cruel to someone who was just looking for a better future . People could say this doesn't affect me personally but it actually does because it affects my family, and I fear of coming home one day and my parents being gone because they were deported, I hope this never happens. Both my parents are immigrants and a lot of my family are, but they came here to Oakland California to pursue a better future for themselves and us, their kids. Sometimes immigrants don’t get the chance to chase their dreams because they don't have equal rights as a citizen would have and the government isn't taking steps to legalize them.I hope what Barack Obama is doing will help immigrants and encourage others to want to do something. This trip is connected to my future because Close Up will give us more information about government and I am interested in a future career that involves this. On this trip I look forward to visiting a lot of memorials because they all have a history from the past that I am interested in learning more about.
I would like to give a huge appreciation to my mom and dad. I want to thank my dad for always pushing me to do my best. My mom believed in me from the start and said she knew I was going because she saw I was determined to go, so I would like to thank her for believing in me. I want to thank them for wanting the best for me. Another person I would like to thank is my friends, especially Juana because she has been here for me through a lot and she encouraged me by saying, "You're going for sure: I already know." Most importantly I would like to thank all the people who contributed to make this trip possible by donating money along with Mr. Guikema because he wants the best for all of UPA students and has put so much time and effort to make “DC10” happen.Thank You!
MariaHello,my name is Maria. I am an Urban Promise Academy student. I'm from Mexico. My parents came from a little ranch called Ibarra. I came to the United States when I was two. My sister and I didn't speak English, only Spanish, when we arrived. It was hard for me growing up, because I didn't understand what people were telling me I also couldn't communicate with my teachers and my classmates.By the age six I finally knew how to speak English. Now I am twelve years old, and I am now a fluent English speaker.
The trip to Washington DC is important to me because I think you can learn so much from it such as laws and how people live. You also get a $500 scholarship.This experience that I am going to have in Washington DC is important to me because I want to become a lawyer, which helps undocumented people. Some places I want to see in DC are The Portrait Gallery. I love seeing art work because it describes people's lives, and it can connect to your life.
I wanted to thank the amazing people who donated money to the 10 DC students.I also want to thank Mr. Guikema and my family for supporting me and being so proud of me thank you so much.
DonnaHello, my name is Donna, and I am in the seventh grade at Urban Promise Academy. What makes me unique is that I like to try new things that I’ve never tried before. I like to spend my time outdoors, travel to new places, and spend time learning new things each day. So, you could tell that I am very adventurous!
The trip to Washington DC is important to me because it is a chance for me to learn more about the government of the United States. The US government helps people living in America by providing programs that people can apply to help them live a better life. For example, the Obama Care (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) focuses on providing people with affordable health insurance. It is also important to me to learn more about the government because I want to know how the politicians make sure our country is a safe place for the citizens to live. One important place that I want to visit in Washington DC is the White House because it is the symbol of leadership. It is the home and office of our president and the president works hard to protect our country.
I would like to appreciate Mr. Guikema for accepting me to go the Washington DC trip because this is a chance for me to visit the capital of the United States. I also would like to thank my parents for always supporting me whenever I get opportunities like this and for always telling me to do my best. I would also like to thank my teachers for always supporting me with the choices I make. Lastly, I would like to appreciate all the donors that donated to our trip to Washington DC.
NasserHello my name is Nasser Elbgal. I’m an 8th grade student at Urban Promise Academy. What makes me unique is that even though sometimes I will make mistakes,I always overcome these mistakes and make sure they never get in the way of my success. I always understand that if I have done anything wrong, then I should take full responsibility for my mistakes. An example of this is when I received bad grades in English in 7th grade. But I acknowledged my mistakes and received a great score on the next grading period. I want people to know that I am very very social, and since I was a small child fantasized about traveling to many of our world’s greatest sites, and meeting tons of people along the way from different cultures.
This trip to Washington DC is important to me because I am very interested in being a political leader in my future. I hope this trip will give a detailed and in person look at my future workplace. I would really be interested in seeing Capitol Hill, and the Lincoln Memorial. These two places have immensely shaped our great nation. The influence of seeing these two sites would give me a close up view of history.
I would like to thank Mr.Guikema for all the support he has given me and for staying by my side always. Also I would like to thank my Mom for helping with everything to do with this trip. Also my Father for supporting me in realizing my potential, without him I wouldn't have been writing this or my essay. Also huge thanks to all of those who have donated. Also thanks to all my teachers for keeping me in check even when sometimes I can get hard to cope with.
AmyHi, my name is Amy Hu. I am a 7th grader who attends Urban Promise Academy. One thing that makes me unique is that I accomplish the goals that my parents set for me (grades/GPA), and most importantly, I accomplish the goals that I set my mind to do. Some times there are huge obstacles that are hard to accomplish, but I've learned that I just have to keep on trying and never give up. Then there are other times where I have not met my goals, failed my parents and failed myself, but I just have to stand back up and continue my road to success.
This trip to Washington D.C is really important to me because I can show my parents that they have raised a strong girl. On the other hand, I can show them that I can take care of myself when I'm not around them. I want them to know that when I head to college I can graduate and have a really successful life.
I have many people I want to appreciate, but I have three supportive friends that have helped me through the whole essay; Jenie Rose Galicia, Maria Padilla Estrada and Janet Lopez. During the Thanksgiving break, Jenie and Maria helped me proofread and supported me when I was nervous. Then there is Janet, my best friend, although she didn't make it to Washington D.C, I know she has tried her hardest and went to reach the stars... she had supported me, been next to my side and told me that I can make it, just never give up. I really hope that Janet will make it next year and that her essay and interview will be the best that Mr. Guikema has ever heard of. Lastly I want to thank all the teachers and staffs who recommended me: Mr.Ramirez, Ms.Eisenberg, Ms.Gamble, Ms. Sheree and Ms. Liz.
IsabelHello. My name is Isabel. I am a seventh grade student at Urban Promise Academy. I am unique because I keep persevering and never give up no matter how difficult the situation is. I will only learn from the mistakes and how to handle the situation next time. I also listen to many types of music that really inspire me to do new things that will help me at school. I am in the STEM program which helps me keep my grades up so other great opportunities open up for me.
This trip to Washington DC is important to me because it will show the kids that look up to me how keeping your grades up will have positive outcomes. It also shows my brothers and parents that persevering through tough situations and hard work at school helped me be a good student. This will also give me a chance to get into a high school that allows high quality students with a good record. Going to DC may influence the type of the work I will do and will influence me to work harder and keep persevering, setting a good example for my younger sister, cousins and niece that look up to me.
I appreciate my parents for supporting me to keep on going. I also want to appreciate my brothers for telling me how to be a good student with high quality grades. I also want to thank my best friends that were there for me all the way and that are still supporting me. I \want to appreciate Mr. Guikema for letting me have this opportunity and encouraging students to take this trip because many other schools don’t get chances of going to Washington DC like my school does. I want to thank the teachers that have recommended me to go on this trip because I wouldn't have this opportunity if they didn't recommended me. I especially want to thank and appreciate my mom for pushing me to take this opportunity which will affect me positively at school and at my house.
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