I Was Wondering...

Toward or during the end of something --anything, what goes through a person's mind? The only answer I could come up with is the thoughts I think. After a school year, I always tend to reflect, but I always tend to give feedback to myself. This school year ended better than some I have experienced. The 28th of June 2010 was the ending of my junior year, and yes, it is as hard as it is mentioned to be. The things I think about specifically are already found on an evaluation sheet.

-->Are you happy with yourself or your accomplishments?
-->What is the one thing that you remember? Why is it significant?
-->What do you want to do now?

What do you want to do now, Ashley? I think that question is the one that asks for a change for the next time around. For me, it means a lot for me to ask that from myself. They say that you are your own worst critic. Well, why not ask yourself a question like that? This past year, I saw myself be on the honor roll for the first semester, and then having it dropped ten percentage points for the second. I seen myself do my work when I needed, and I saw myself get lazy during a big project that require time and effort. I saw how I became more laid back, more organized, more social. Best of all, I was able to pick out what I would likely want to do in the future, and in the present -- somewhat. I find a love for debating and establishing an argument for defending my side of things. I made new friends while secretly losing my others. I took a six weeks long SAT Prep class that I gave half the effort to attend and focus on, leading to my not-so-satisfying SAT score of 1470. I noticed my potential at times, and the way I can be so inferior to certain people. With all this, I made plans to fix the flaws of myself, yet keep what I admire the most of me.

So, my plan is .. (and I have started already)

--> I want to take classes that set a challenge for me because I am very competitive, so I will always put all my effort to it. So, I have applied and have been accepted to two AP Classes. I will be taking AP Environmental Science and AP Composition next year.
--> I want to stay involved in school, and do something for everybody including myself. I want to be a leader, so I can feel like I make a difference. Also, I want my school to be different, and be more spirited. Therefore, I ran and been given the role as Prefect of my house. THOMAS HOUSE :] (named after Piri Thomas).
--> I do not like my SAT score -- not one bit. So, I downloaded SAT prep Apps on my iPod Touch. I have one that helps me remember 250 words that are used commonly by the SAT. I mastered about 50 words so far, and this is my second week with it.
--> I am going to get ahead of everything, so I plan to keep a state of mind in which I will be able to start my assignments when it is assigned. I will be starting my summer assignments really soon, and I plan to do what I need plus more. Also, I want to fix my college essay, and just be more organized overall.
--> This is probably the last one that comes to my mind. I will be attending JSA Summer School in Georgetown University. I mentioned how I found a love for debate, and Junior Statesman of America (JSA) helped me with finding it. I want to stay busy and active, so I applied. I am going to Georgetown from July 18 until August 8.

I think I have taken the right steps that would lead me to improve myself and my future. So, I was wondering.. What steps are you going to take, if any at all?

3 Years of Mistakes & Love

There has been 14 people in my life that stood constant for three years. We, together, formed an assigned advisory in 2007, and we were filled with insecurities, curiosities, and blank faces. Three years later, we came together for the last time, and we were no longer those people who we feared were going to be eaten alive. We were no longer the people who we still see that are lost and immature. We threw a minor party, and made a toast to our family. Yes, a family -- for the most part. For some of us, we were people who lost family members, friends, our valuable possessions, and even a bit of our own self. We learned to grow, and ended up finding who we were and who we want to be in the midst of it all. From it all, I learned that different people are able to come together and make an impact. Truth is, I didn't really noticed it before, but those same 14 people, who I saw everyday in a classroom called advisory, were the people who changed me. Sometimes, you can't stop change from happening, because change isn't all about words and actions, it can be so very silent.

Desirae, Juan, Jorge, Natasha, Lucely, Tachrina, Brittany, Monee, Marlon, Joshua, Ricardo, Michelle, Vianca, Bianca ..

And the man who strapped the "S" on his chest, Mr. Jumelle. It has to be hard to hear stories of 14 students for three years. The stories that made you want to pull out the imaginary hairs on your head, stories that made you want to change the world just to make it just a little better, all the stories you heard--never just listen but heard--must have been hard. You weren't holding our hand, but you was just the hand on our backs that was sure to pat us or push us when needed. Thank you.

Today, we celebrated ourselves as an advisory. Today, I explained how much I love these 14 people. Today was an emotional day, but it was a celebration of three years. Three Years of Mistakes and Love.