Red Convertible (FW)

We are finally in our last High School semester, however, like many topics, senior graduation is one of those emotional moments I've tried long and hard to keep shoved and hidden deep in my thoughts. I don't want to think about it! It's such a bitter sweet moment because all my years prior to graduation I've gone through each dreaded class praying for school to be over and now its slowly approaching and I don't even wanna grow up anymore. I usually don't allow myself to think too deeply about life after college because I know how much of an emotional wreck I am, but writing my feelings down feel less depressing. 

These past few months have raised many questions. What college should I go to? could I afford these schools? would I like it? The decision I will be making in a month or so, is a decision that could practically rule over my future. The hardest part for me has been choosing out of the pool of schools that have accepted me. I am  afraid of choosing the wrong school and ending up miserable and homesick. However, my thirst to dive in to the unknown is stronger than my pessimistic thoughts.

Another topic that saddens me is leaving behind family, friends and the one guy I hold dear to my heart. I mean I obviously intend to visit my family and friends, but leaving behind a significant other seems pretty difficult right now although  possible. It's like you go through all your years of high school imagining some type of "teenage sweetheart" love story (like that of Faith Hill and Tim McGraw's) that would continue after high school, but then senior year comes and reality smacks you HARD in the face, or maybe that was just my mom, but whatever the case, you begin to lose faith in most of the dreams you once had because you have to think "realistic". Dreams of dying your hair red and driving a red convertible car and moving to Chicago and changing your name to Natasha, all of which were dreams of an 8 year old Jaylene unaware of the limitations life had already set out to stop her. And I know you're thinking, well you still can do all of those things like dye my hair or move to Chicago, but other dreams and ideas have taken the place of those now foolish wishes.

Timed Writing (CRR)

Today in AP Literature we did a timed writing sample from an AP Literature exam. The prompt was to read a passage from a novel and analyze the figurative language the author used. For some reason I was surprisingly energetic and actually got my ideas down for this prompt. I think it was because I got great news that Ms. Lall was going to be absent but mostly because the passage was very interesting which helped me engage with the text.

What interested me the most about the text was that the whole entire passage was so descriptive. The passage was about a guy who was in a sledding race and was trying to make the finish line. Never once did the author say those words but somehow, anyone would visualize this image. I admired how the author was able to appeal to most of my senses by using fixed details on how the character felt. All throughout the passage I was able to feel this sense of urgency once the character approached the finish line. I felt like I was watching the climax to a movie and I was preparing to jump out of my seat.
Even though this text was just a passage from a test, I chose to write about this because I admire pieces of writing that make you feel something or actually have the capability to strip you of your attention to the world for a moment and makes the reader literally apart of their text.

 In order for a person to actually be able to feel this emotion from reading a book, however, they must find a book that would compliment their interests or beliefs. The main reason why people dislike reading is because they can't quite make that connection, or that link with their own thoughts. Forget about the fact that sometimes the text may be hard because if it is discussing something in particular that you are interested in, the words would just begin to make sense.

Khan Academy's JavaScript Coding

So in Ms. Rios' class we are starting a new project in which we sign onto Khan Academy and learn how to do coding/programming. When Ms. Rios first introduced it to us, I immediately took it for granted. I imagined it being very boring and complicated. However, when i began watching the videos and started learning the basics i began to enjoy myself way more than expected.

So far I have learned how to create circles, rectangles, squares, and lines. I've also had the chance to get a bit creative by adding coloring to the images I create. Yesterday, I was challenged to make a dinner plate using coding. It was pretty difficult because I had to include three shapes onto my image. All in all, the challenge was very hands-on and interactive, which was particularly entertaining for me.

Programming lesson on making a dinner plate. 

Throughout the whole programming process, I've realized that math is a huge element involved with programming. Many people take math for granted and always say, "when will I need to know this in real life". Well truth is, we use math in our everyday lives one way or another. Learning how to program and code has given me more of an appreciation for mathematics and has shown me one of its many purposes. 

My Christmas Break

After much convincing, I began to watch the TV show called Breaking Bad on Netflix. I never would give it a chance when people would encourage me to watch it. However, once I watched the first episode, I was immediately hooked. I could not believe how addicting a TV show could be. I fell in love with the story line and the way the director revealed each character and how most episodes began with a scene that foreshadowed a future conflict or plot. Every single episode kept me on my toes with brand-new drama and strife. This is how I spent my entire Christmas Break.

My Christmas break was pretty boring. I didn't get out of my house much for many reasons, two of which: 1. I have no friends and 2. "I'm the laziest girl on earth" as my mother would say. My Christmas break gained much excitement when I finally decided to start the Breaking Bad series. Just for the record this TV show has already ended on live TV and it is 5 seasons long; 12-15 episodes each: 45-50 minutes for each episode. So if you do the math, you could only imagine how much time I had dedicated to this show. I definitely do not want to spoil it for anyone, so I deciding not to give a summary, however, I will give a small description of what I loved most.
All throughout the show, the director focused on the main characters physical and mental transformation. This technique aroused both a very sympathetic reaction and a ashamed reaction to this newly transformed main character who is a completely different person. Even though, the show ended in a more positive light in which I could once again understand and feel sympathetic towards the decisions of the main character.

Enough with my constant bragging about this award winning show, go try it out for yourself !

MEDICINE

Today I want to describe what profession I aspire to pursue in college and what began this passion for science. I am most interested in Forensic Science. The career I plan on pursuing when I am older is Forensic Pathology. 

Ever since I can remember, the human body has fascinated me. Our bodies are way more complex than meets the eye. What astounds me the most is the fact that our bodies are constantly fighting off a wide range of intruders in order to keep us alive. The mere fact that we have the ability to breathe, walk, talk and think all because of the different sections and organs in our bodies. My striving fascination of the human body has influenced me to choose a career that discovers what disrupts our bodies daily function. In Forensic Pathology I would be able to work in a legal-medical field that uses science to identify how a person died or how the person was killed.

It all started when I entered the Mentoring in Medicine program in TMA that I was finally exposed to possible health careers. In that class we would dissect baby pigs, learn how to suture on a pigs foot, and explore ligaments and tendons on a chicken leg. It was exactly what science classes look like on TV. One of the events that affected me the most was when we went on a trip to an anatomy lab at Touro Medical College. It put all the systems I had studied into perspective. At first it was pretty nerve-racking, however, my nervousness quickly went away once I put on those gloves and began to explore the organs of a deceased person.

Ultimately Mentoring in Medicine has served a great impact on my choice of major. I am almost 100% sure I would want to pursue a medical career.

Feminism

As we were handed our syllabus during the first week of school, I could not help but flip through the pages to see exactly what topics we would be covering this year in English. As I skimmed through it, the word Feminism immediately caught my attention. The word was one that had been jumping around in my head for the past few months and I was extremely eager to find out how the unit would turn out to be. To be honest, It was nothing I expected. Maybe it was because I couldn't make the connection or probably I did not put much effort into reading the books thoroughly. Whichever one it was, I did not receive what I really wanted from these texts; a definition. I wanted clarity or better understanding of what feminism really is and what is so important about it.It was only until the mere end of the unit that my expectations were met. a couple of days before Christmas break, Cheyenne suggested we watch a Ted Talks video on feminism which was of a speech done by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian novelist and short-story writer. In her speech, she eloquently described how she had first became a feminist. What I love the most about her speech is that she clarifies what her definition of feminist is. "My own definition of feminist is: a feminist is a man or woman who says: 'Yes, these's a problem with gender as it is today and we must fix it. We must do better' " She turns the dictionary's' definition into her own and points out that a feminist doesn't necessarily have to only be a woman, but a man as well.

Ultimately, what I got out of this video is that it is very important to be aware; Alert and aware about issues that we all believe have been corrected, because in actuality these issues are reoccurring and still exist today. Whether the issue is sexism, racism, or discrimination of any sort, we must all be aware of their existence. It's better to know than to ignore. 

Outside TMA

Human Biology classroom at City College.

As many may know, I work immediately after school at the TMA lower school. I also take college classes on Saturday mornings from 9:00am - 1:20pm at City College through a program called College Now. When I began both the job and the college courses, I never thought much of it besides getting paid and having a good looking college application. However, both my job and college class have offered me a whole new realm compared to the one I live in TMA. They both require a great amount of responsibility and self teaching. These opportunities have ultimately given me the upper hand when it comes to tackling rigorous classes such as AP Biology. As a result,  I've become more independent in my studies, and enhanced my leadership skills.

I started taking college courses at city college about 2 years ago. The first course I took was Criminal Justice. My experience there gave me a taste of how college classes would be like. The teachers were less lenient and straightforward. They would hand you a syllabus the first day of class, which would display all the dates and topics to be covered every week. The syllabus basically outlined the entire class and all the required assignments which were pretty much three test or quizzes (depending on the type of class) I found it very difficult to juggle college classes and regular school work, but I still tried my best. (by 'trying my best' I mean procrastinating all week up until Friday night where I would try to cram a weeks worth of studying for Saturday morning.)
The commute from school to work is such a hassle; the bus never arrives on time. Therefore every single day I have to speed walk a distance of about 20 blocks. Many times I have contemplated quitting my job. I never get enough to for homework or even spare time to finish up college applications. Then one day as I entered my job tirelessly, I was greeted by 10 swarming bodies that were happy to see me. I was surprised (well I wasn't that suprised because I knew what an awesome after school counselor I was). But seeing how much my kids appreciated me, warmed my heart up so much. Now despite the struggle to get to work on time, it has become the best part of my day.


All in all, I am glad and blessed to have experienced these moments. They have only helped me with my transition to adulthood. Unknowingly, they have made me a a very independent student who has learned how to self teach herself. I have learned to appreciate these extracurriculars for more than just pretty words on my college applications