10th grade

Finding My Focus

About me and Biography:

Who am I today? That's a question I haven't thought about in a while. Well I'm still Valeria, the only main difference would be my age. As of today I'm sixteen, the age many dream to be, because they can finally drive and work. I still live in Corpus Christi, my parents decided to move here thirteen years ago. I live with both of my parents and my brother who's thirteen, he'll be turning fourteen in September. I'm a rising junior at Collegiate High School, and technically a sophomore to Del Mar College. I've volunteered at Gulf Coast Humane Society and Driscoll Middle School. I chose to volunteer at these places, because I enjoy helping my society out in any form I can. This year I was representative for my class, as well as leader of the decorating committee, and member of the student council. Next year I'm running for junior representative, I'm going to join DECA, and most likely UIL.

To my five year old self, where can I begin? I'd say we've changed dramatically over time. For starters, we haven’t gotten to play soccer, you decided to prioritize school instead of sports. It may be disappointing, but the future holds more for us than a sport. You still are a big fan of food, and beacause of that you love baking. Recently our favorite things to snack on have been smart-food and TruFru. Let me tell you when you first tried TruFru you were not a big fan, if we are being honest you were disappointed, however, it grew on us just like many other things. Remember Mom's car? It's demolished now, last year we got into a car crash, and it was declared a total loss, this crash made you reflect on so much, and that is why I want you to appreciate your life and not take things for granted. Something I’ve been longing to tell you is that you now want to be a travel nurse, instead of a general surgeon, you realized that after you don’t want to be in school for so long although you love to learn. I can’t believe you would ask for extra homework, now all I want to do is get rid of it. I’m so proud of how far we’ve gotten, although it may not seem like much right now. I know I didn’t get to tell you much because it’s an eleven-year difference. All I need you to remember is to be smart, and considerate about the opportunities being handed to you, chances like the ones we've had don’t come often.

Personal Mission Statement:

My mission is to live a life guided by integrity, compassion, and continuous growth. I strive to build meaningful connections, support those around me, and embrace challenges as opportunities for learning and self-improvement. Education is a core value in my life, and I believe that staying committed to my academic and personal development will help me achieve my long-term goals, like becoming a travel nurse. However, success is not just about academics, I also prioritize being present for my family, friends, and community. I want to be someone who brings positivity into the spaces I enter, creating an environment where people feel supported and encouraged to grow alongside me.

ACADEMIC GROWTH:

Current Event: Change Agent Presentation:

These pieces of work show how far I've grown academically. Sophomore year has been an entirely different experience. Now that I have adjusted to high school, I have found myself enjoying the challenge. While I often feel overwhelmed by my workload and complain about it, I also recognize that staying busy keeps me engaged and focused. This year I overcame my fear of giving presentations. However, one of my biggest areas of growth has been my writing. Over time, I have learned how to structure my essays more effectively and express my ideas more clearly.

Sophomore Representative: Being a representative this year had its ups and downs. However I made sure to enjoy every moment of it, and every lesson that came along the way.

Leadership Club: Mostly during this club we got together to work on TASC. We would also get together to come up with ideas of how can the school improve.

Culture Club: Originally I started this club because I wanted to expand peoples knowledge about different cultures, as well as creating inclusivity. However, things took a turn since the club merged with the art club.

Decorating Committee: Though my committee didn't accomplish much because it lacked members. I felt it made a difference, seeing a smile across the custodians face and Mr.Porter's is truly what matters the most.

Student Council: Being apart of student council showed me how in small schools it is important to come together and collaborate. Students have a vast impact on their schools, that is whether it is through little things like decorating the hallways, or through social media.

HIP (Mentor): Having the opportunity to help the underclassmen taught me that, they see us as role models. We have the chance to make an impact in their life, and guide them through what can seem like a demanding environment. This year I had three mentees, and we met about 3 times a month. This experience shaped who I am at this moment, for it prepared me to be more open-minded, optimistic and talkative.

Extra Curricular Involvement:

Basket we made for Mr.Anzaldua (put tg by reps)

Inquiry & Thinking Skills:

Canva to my notes

Inquiry and Thinking Skills: This school year I've used a ridiculous amount of pencils. That's because of the amounts of notes I have taken, from my Health class, to Humanities, to College Algebra, and a few more. Taking notes has shown me that if you take notes the information will be better retained. This also helped me remain more organized. Not only did it help me learn, it also made me more actively engaged with the topic by listening, and then summarizing what I heard.

Collaboration and Leadership:

Current Event, Emotional Intelligence , Eating Healthy On a Budget, Culture Fest

This year I had few presentations in which I had to collaborate with peers. Majority of them being from my AVID class, then my final for my college class, and a brochure I created for culture fest. These experiences have taught me to value time. When collaborating with other people planning becomes critical. Without planning you wouldn't know when something will get done on their behalf, neither what should be done on your part.

Organization

Time Management

This year I mainly relied on my planner. That is becuase I didn't really time to organize a binder. However, I did have multiple of my assignments organized in my folders. I also had many events marked down on my cellular device since it goes with me everywhere. By staying organized, I accomplished many things, such as not forgetting about important events and staying on task. Although procrastination was an issue, my organization skills weren't.

If Only I Had Told Her

This book is the reason why now I know the importance of communication and expressing feelings, especially before it's too late.

VOCAB List

Being in Zamoras AVID class was definitely a new experience. We had weekly SAT vocab lists that we had to fill out by writing the definition, and using it in a sentence. I found this useful because it helped me learn about words I was curious about or hadn't heard before.

Driscoll Middle School

I volunteered at DMS as an AVID Mentor. I've been an AVID Mentor since 7th grade. I truly enjoy being a menor, so much that I have considered being a teacher. My mentees, also like having me as a mentor, they have told me that I make AVID fun while actually learning. If it weren't for my AVID teacher Zain & Aguilar, I wouldn't be were I am at today. They have guided me through some rough times. If only they could see what I have done they'd be shocked. The girl who couldn't stand in front of a crowd has now spoken at Elementary Schools, and Middle Schools, to persuade kids to think about college readiness. She has also now signed up for DECA, UIL, and the most shocking of all Mock Trial. Driscoll will always remain my favorite place to spend my time at volunteering, even with their craziness involved.

Student Agency

Student Agency to me means taking control of your learning. It means having the opportunity of your voice being heard, meaning that you have a choice. A time I advocated for not only myself was actually this year. Although my peers may not know this I convinced my chemistry teacher into elongating the lesson for the week. I felt like the pacing was rushed, and we were expected to take in this new information without previous knowledge. When the best way of learning is through active engagement, which couldn't be done in a short time frame. This experience taught me that I'm not afraid to speak up when something isn't working for me or my classmates. I realized that I value a deeper understanding over just rushing to get things done. It also showed me that I'm capable of influencing change in my learning environment, which has made me more confident in suggesting new ideas in other classes too. Now, I'm more likely to ask for extra help or alternative resources if I'm struggling with a topic,because I know that taking initiative can make a real difference in my understanding.

Overcoming Challenges

Now that my sophomore year is coming to an end I'm realizing how much complaining I did. My year did in fact have many challenges, but looking back at them they weren't a big deal. What I found hardest to accomplish was my small business and entrepreneurship certification exam. Since I failed the first time I was worried about failing my second attempt, however by studying I managed to pass my second attempt. Something I also I didn't expect because I got a "B" in my college class was, making it into the deans list! Till today I have no clue what that is, but it definetly is an achievement, that I accomplished through sleepless nights.

Future Goals

Short Term: In the short term, my goals are to graduate from high school with a strong GPA and get accepted into IVY League schools, or Baylor University, where I plan to major in (BSN). I also plan to take more college classes to prepare myself academically. To support my education, I will apply for scholarships and complete the FAFSA. I'm also looking for internships or volunteer opportunities in hospitals ( next year I'll apply at the Driscoll Hospital) to gain real world experience.

Long Term: Long term, I want to build a career as a registered nurse, travel the world, and eventually own a large home, a pick-up truck, and a business. My plan includes staying focused in school, using available resources like mentors and counselors, and prioritizing personal growth through time management and self care. My future may not be set, but I’m motivated to build it one step at a time.

Final Reflections

Even though Collegiate was/is my worst nightmare, I have grown to now call it a home. I don't regret my decision coming here. By attending this school I have made connections with people I wouldn't have expected, especially my teachers, and to Zamora I special shoutout because if it weren't for him I would have transferred ot Miller (even though he was the reason I wanted to leave). I have learned that procrastination will be your biggest enemy. I'm most proud about my achievements so far, I may not think third rank is the best to be at, but at least it's within the top ten. So as long as there is an obstacle I'll find my way around it. I know that the future holds great plans for me.

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