Why These Students Chose UC Schools

Location is one of the most important factors students take into account when researching and applying to college. Most people already know about sunny California, but each of the UC schools offers something special. Hear what drew these students to attend the schools they are at: aliciashahz(UCSC ‘17):This school is the absolute best. The location as well as the natural beauty surrounding the campus had already made half of my decision to come here. The other half revolved around the great academics and ranking of several programs in this school. I am an economics major, and UC Santa Cruz is one of the top schools in the nation for this field of study. Companies literally recruit students right out of college because the program is so great. Along with this, the professors are the absolute best and I have never met one who was unwilling to help me to their fullest potential. The beauty of the campus, the success of its programs, as well as the wonderful academic staff makes my experience here so entirely worth it. Brittanybea: Berkeley is an incredible, bustling city with a fascinating and well-known modern history. In addition, the campus is in a very central location in the city, so it is easy to go out and have a good time just by walking (plus, the bus system/BART makes longer distance travel really easy). Being close to cities like Oakland and San Francisco is also great - the Bay Area has so many opportunities for education, employment, and entertainment. MirandaBlake2015(UC Santa Barbara ‘19): I love that my school is by the beach because the beach is one of my favorite places on the planet. I love that its in California because its close to snowcapped mountains and sun-bathing beaches. Its also not to far from home, so I can be near my little sister and other family members. The culture at my school is very laid back and outdoorsy. Everywhere you look, you see people outside, maybe playing beach volleyball or riding their bike. Its also highly academic, rating among the top marine biology schools in California, among other things.Whofan26: Animals, animals, animals! Well, agriculture anyways. Everyone in Davis has a connection to agriculture one way or another, and everything in Northern California is so much greener (literally) compared to SoCal. Davis is also extremely environmentally green, and while Downtown Davis is a literal small town, even nearby state capital Sacramento has a small town feel to italmost nothing but sm all businesses that close by 6pm and complete inactivity on Sundays. 10156039161580453FB(UC Irvine ‘16): Well I would say Irvine is pretty much in the middle of so many great places. You have LA up north, San Diego and Mexico down south. Disneyland is only 20 minutes away (yes im a disney pass holder). When you turn 21, Vegas can be a 5 hour drive weekend getaway/celebration. Newport beach is also absolutely amazing (as a current resident), a lot UCI students live there, go there (for the beach and for the bars). And Irvine itself is very well-planned organized, clean no bums, safe. Its the product of civil engineers land development planning (I took a design class for this) UCDScarlet(UC Davis ‘18): The city of Davis is a college town, and Im not going to lieif you want an exciting college experience, its not what youre going to get at Davis! There isnt a lot to dotheres a party scene (which Im not really involved with, so I cant tell you about that), and some theaters and pretty good food. However, Davis is one of those places where youd see a phenomenon and exclaim only in Davis!. As an animal science major, I am so grateful to be able to see cows and horses everyday. I also love being able to bike around the city and embrace the weirdness of everything around me. Its such a special place and you will certainly have a very different, although sometimes boring, experience here. Iron_Man: UC Berkeley is by the Bay area, overlooking the San Francisco bay. Its warm in Northern California, the fog is cool, and the rain provides a nice counter to the heat in the southwest US. Thanks to the big city just a few miles away from campus, the culture is diverse. However, you will learn to love Boba. Look it up before you blaspheme that you do not know what it is on campus. Its good though. Seriously. Whether you’re just starting your search or you’re looking for help applying, it’s never too early to make the college application process easier.Searchto find students like you orcontact a mentorfor help with the admissions process so you can narrow down your choices and get a head start.

Сomparison and Contrasting Country Lovers and Child of the Americas

Ð ¡omparison and Contrasting Country Lovers and Child of the Americas In every literary works, the author uses his or her life experience and the immediate social, political and spiritual practices to educate or pass a specific message to the society. For instance in her intriguing epic country lovers, Nadine Gordimer focuses on the social prejudices practiced in an environment which harbors mixed races.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Ð ¡omparison and Contrasting: Country Lovers and Child of the Americas specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through discussing the adventures and social attributes of the characters, Gordimer highlights the aspect of racism. On the other hand, Aurora Morales expresses her poetic skills by enlightening the reader on the aspect of ethnicity as practiced in her contemporary society. Although both Gordimer and Morales apply different forms and style of writing literature, each of them condemns social injustices less seriously. While Gordimer highlights constrained relationship arising from aspects like racism, Morales boasts of her ethnic culture as a way to call for unity. Through focusing on the social and political relationships and elusive interaction of various characters in the articles, the next discussion elaborates the theme of racism/ethnicity while highlighting their similarities and differences. Critical analysis of Gordimer and Morales’ pieces of work highlight some differences as per literature. For instance, both authors apply different forms of writing literary works to express their artistic skills. Gordimer writes a short story in form of a narrative giving it ironical title country lovers. Gordimer has organized the story in form of well-structured paragraphs accurately punctuated. Furthermore, each paragraph highlights a different idea. For instance, the first paragraph gives the picture of the environment or the setting of the story as a farm, which harbors two races blacks and whites. Moreover, the au thor enables the readers to pick out the main theme of the story from the first paragraph. The rest of the paragraphs give emphasis on the theme by applying aspects like the direct speech, which is a common element in short stories. More over, Gordimer applies the aspect of narration and vivid description, which draws the picture of her story in the readers mind. For example, she describes Thebedi’s hut, which is made of raw bricks with a chimney thus, mimicry of the white man’s house. Inside the hut there is a bed made from iron, wooden table and boxes. At the same time, she gives a description of Paulus house as a permanent structure with thick walls to prevent penetration of heat and inside the house there is a kitchen with plenty of foodstuffs and servants, dining room and with numerous bedrooms. Therefore, Gordmer’s description of the two homesteads enables her to emphasize her theme of racism (Spain, 2012, p.770). While the blacks live in abject poverty, t he white masters live in large, well build permanent structures.Advertising Looking for research paper on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From the above analysis, Gordimer is against economic differences, which arise because of racism. Although Njabulo is a servant in a white man’s house, he is unable to build a permanent house for his family. The huts are traditional houses of the African society, which are not only unstable but also prone to distraction in strong weather conditions like storms. On the contrary, Morales express her artistic nature by writing her literary work in form of a poem. Written in four stanzas, each stanza has different number of lines highlighting a different aspect. Each stanza starts with the letter â€Å"I†, which is common in most poems. The first stanza emphasizes on the author’s title child of Americas therefore, underscoring the aspect of ethnicity in the society. There are many aspects of poetry expressed for instance repetition of the expression â€Å"I am†, which shows the author is more concerned about her ethnic identity in a foreign environment with multiple cultures (Rich, 1982, 54). The narrator has accepted her culture, race, ethnic background and identity as an American. In addition, Morales add rhythm to the poem to accentuate the element of rhyme, which is common in poetry. For example, the first two lines in stanza three produce a rhythmic fashion as shown below â€Å"I am not African.   Africa is in me, but I cannot return.† This intrigues the reader to appreciate the author’s cultural and ethnic identity. Thus, silently appreciating the social diversity found in America. The second difference evident in the two pieces of literary works is the setting of the Gordimer’s story and Morales’ poem. The short story is set in a farm, in which the owners are whites while the blacks only offer labor. The farm has many families where children play together. Unfortunately, only the white children enroll in school. The author elaborates the theme of her story by writing â€Å"the farm children only play together when they are small but once the white children go away to school, they soon dont† (Gordimer, 1988, p.3). Therefore, Gordimer underscores the racial segregation in her setting. Similarly, children know how to make toys of oxen and bracelets using beans and castor oil seeds (Gordimer, 1988, p.3). Gordimer shows that the whites are colonizers who oppress the black people and have set social rules in the environment that have culminated into injustices. There are no schools for black children, the black people are servants and neither of them freely visits each other’s house. Romantic interracial sexual relationships are illegal, an aspect, which has been socially accepted. Critical analysis of the story proves that the setting of the st ory is in Africa with the whites being immigrants who forcefully decided to rule the natives.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Ð ¡omparison and Contrasting: Country Lovers and Child of the Americas specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Contrarily, the setting of Morales story is in America. In the first stanza and from the first line, the writer confesses, â€Å"I am a child of the Americas† (Morales, n.d, stanza 1). However, although the whites dominantly inhabit America, there are other ethnic groups and races like Jews, Spanish and African among others. However, the narrator applauds other races and countries, which have contributed to the richness of the American culture. Comparison of the main themes in Gordimer and Morales literary works accentuates some differences. For example, Gordimer silently condemns racial prejudice in her contemporary society by vividly describing the social activities in th e farm and its surroundings. The first instance of racial practice Gordimer points at is the separation of the black and white children especially when the latter enrolls in boarding schools. Although in their early childhood, their parents allow them to play together; this habit dies out as the children progress into adulthood. Secondly, a romantic relationship between different racial groups is a social taboo as experienced by Thebedi and Paulus. Paulus is white while Thebedi is black; however, the two accept their childhood friendship to culminate into an illegal love affair. Gordimer condemn racism when she writes, â€Å"He told her, each time, when they would meet again† (clungston, 2010, p.11). Intuitively it was a taboo for the two lovebirds to have an open relationship. Although their relationship grew, but it seemed like a game of hide and seek. Thus, forcing them to have their sexual adventures in weird locations like the riverbank, away from the public. At this lev el, Gordimer enlightens the reader on the impact of racism on social development among children. Furthermore, after a few sexual adventures, Paulus impregnates Thebedi. Ironically, her parent marries her off to a black man to conceal any form of suspicion from the white master (Paulus father). Due to social prejudice, Paulus kills his child to escape embarrassment and further punishment from his parents. Thebedi refrains from stopping Paulus to kill her child because of her identity as a black woman. Therefore, Gordimer proves that racial segregation is a barrier to social development and can lead to social or human injustices as experienced by Thebedi. Thebedi is sure Paulus killed her child but she is unable to testify openly against him retracting her initial accusations. The author writes â€Å"Yet a year later, she retracted her testimony and in a calmer manner testified,† she had not seen what the white man did in the house† (Clugston, 2010, p. 49). Therefore, The bedi’s identity as a black woman forces her to accept oppression from the white man. Moreover, the judge not only drags the case for at least a year but he also rules in favor of the white man. According to Gordimer, racism culminates into social injustices like murder and oppression thus, social growth in a multiracial environment.Advertising Looking for research paper on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On contrary, in her epic masterpiece Morales focuses on ethnicity in the society more so, America which, harbors many immigrants. The main theme of her poem is to emphasize self-identity a problem experienced by most Americans especially due to ethnicity. Social diversity is an aspect that America currently experiences. Therefore, the first line of the first stanza confirms the author’s message to the reader â€Å"I am a child of the Americas†¦A child of many Diaspora, born into this continent at a crossroad†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Morales, n.d, stanza 4). The native people of America are the American Indians while all the other citizens like Europeans, African Americans, blacks, Spanish and Jews among others are immigrants. All these races have enriched America’s ethnic culture. However, the ethnicity has led to oppression, disunity and lack of identity amid other social problems. Therefore, Morales poem is not only appreciating her culture but also calling upon other pe ople to embrace and use their culture for the social development of America. In the last line of the last stanza, the author writes, â€Å"I was born at the crossroads and I am whole† this statement emphasizes the rich cultural heritage America boasts posses (Morales, n.d). Although these traditions culminated from a turbulent past experience, all immigrants whether slaves, tradesmen or natives proudly belong to one country, America. Therefore, the ability of the Americans to struggle, persevere and integrate into one society proves that cultural diversity is essential for the social development. Comparatively, both Gordimer and Morales, focus on social development as an important feature in the society. Gordimer highlights racial segregation as a social barrier, which eventually, leads to oppression and other forms of prejudices in society. Similarly, Morales praises ethnicity as an aspect that should promote cultural growth especial in a multiracial environment. According t o her poem, all Jews, Spanish, African American and Europeans living in America are Americans. Thus, the different ethnic groups should unite to explore and integrate into the unique culture. Both authors express the negative impact of racism and ethnicity in the society. While Gordimer presents oppression and social injustices as the outcome of racism, Morales focuses on lack of self-identity and esteem as the eventual impact of ethnicity when traded on the wrong grounds. The second similarity evident in the two pieces of work is the application of the literary elements like metaphors and similes. Although the authors use different types of literary techniques, each of them uses these literary techniques to emphasize their themes. In her short story, Gordimer embraces similes especially when comparing the social lives of the blacks and the whites. For example, after finding out Thebedi’s baby belongs to him Paulus says, â€Å"I feel like killing myself† (clungston, 20 10, p.10). Paulus statement proves that racism is highly practiced in his society. Therefore, he relates his relationship with Thebedi to death. Analytically, Gordimer uses this element to condemn silently racism because practicing it is equally to killing a human being. Another simile, which expresses racism appears when the author says, â€Å"Already at birth there was on its head a quantity of straight, fine floss, like that which carries the seeds of certain weeds in the veld.† (Gordimer,n.d, par.6) according to this statement, Gordimer shows that Thebedi’s daughter was illegal and therefore, unwanted in her society. Thus, the author highlights inhumanity because eventually, Paulus kills the little innocent baby because of fear, racism and oppression as commonly practiced in his society. In addition, Gordimer uses metaphors to express black color as ugly thus, not beautiful to look at or admire. For instance, she describes Njabulo skin as â€Å"matt, opaque coffee -grounds† (Anderson, 1991, P.20). According to the author, although the black skin is unique, people tend to despite the victim. Therefore, she condemns segregation of the blacks especially by the white people who think their skin color is superior. Eventually, she uses the black and white skin to promote racial unity an element that constantly misses in the society. Similarly, Morales applies the art of metaphors to express her poetic skills and educate the reader on the importance of embracing ethnic unity. The first metaphors, she coins is â€Å"I am not African, Africa is in me†¦Spanish is in my flesh†¦I am not European, Europe lives in me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Morales, n.d. stanza 1-4). The aforementioned group of metaphors highlights the narrator’s identity, culture and ethnic background. However, intuitive analysis of the poem reveals that the narrator accepts herself as an African, Spanish and European. When she writes,† Europe lives in me â€Å"(Mora les, n.d, stanza 1 line 5), it means that the narrator accepts Europeans as Americans who were unable to be accommodated in their original country because of oppression, economic constraints and religious conflicts among other social, political and economic problems. While the phrase â€Å"Spanish is in my flesh† (Morales, n.d, stanza 1 line 3), highlights the integration, intermingling and eventual assimilation of the Spanish people into America thus, giving them a common identity as Americans. Additionally, the metaphor â€Å"Africa is in me† mean Africans came into America as slaves, however, with the abolishment of slavery they became Americans. Surprisingly, the African culture still lingers in African Americans because of the origin and traditions that has not changed for many ages. Therefore, acceptance of all the races in America transforms America into a peaceful country with multiple cultures, racial identities and traditions among others. The fourth metaphor Morales applies is â€Å"I was born at the crossroads and I am whole† (n.d, stanza 4 line 1), her literary expression describes American people as originating from diverse background. Besides, American Indians, there is no other American person who can claim that America is his or her native land. African, Spanish, Jewish and European cultures are all form a unique American culture while at the same time retaining the individual cultural practices. According to Morales, lack of self-identity especially in relation to ethnicity has slowed down social development culture. Essentially, the different ethnic groups in America should create a rich culture that would build self-esteem of most Americans. In conclusion, Gordimer constructs her short story to educate the society on the negative impact of racism. She uses different literary techniques like narration, similes and metaphors to put emphasis on her theme. On the other hand, Morales writes a short poem to preach against the use of ethnicity in oppressing others especially in America. She calls upon all Americans to embrace ethnic unity for the social development. She uses metaphoric expression to emphasize her theme. Finally, both authors not only use similar literary techniques like metaphors but they also focus on a common goal social development in the society. References Anderson, P. (1991). Attitudes to Race in Nadine Gordimers Country Lovers and Alice  Walkers The Welcome Table’. New York. Indie Print publishers Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into Literature. California: Bridgepoint Education publishers. Gordimer.N. (n.d). Country lovers. Retrieved from https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01001395/Centricity/Domain/22/Country%20Lovers.pdf Gordimer, N. (1988). Town and Country Lovers . New York. Reclam Philipp publishing company. Morales, L. A. (n.d). Child of the Americas. In Lauraa.diaz-authors page. Web. Rich, P. (1982). Tradition and revolt in South African Fiction: The Novels of Andre Brink, Nadine Gordimer and J.M. Coetzee. Journal of Southern African Studies, 9 (1), 54-73 Spain, A. (2012). Event, Exceptionalism, and the Imperceptible: The Politics of Nadine Gordimers the Pickup. MFS: Modern Fiction Studies, 58 (4), 747-772.

My 3 Pd Skill Areas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

My 3 Pd Skill Areas - Essay Example In order to improve my skills in giving and receiving feedback, I intend to employ a number of tactics. First, I will ensure that I am always clear about what I say, as Banhegyi (2007) posts. I will also strive to always emphasize on the positive whenever I am communicating. Moreover, I will always strive to be specific in my communication to avoid any ambiguities. Additionally, I will try my level best to focus on the person's behavior and not the person himself. I will also strive not to keep referring to behavior that cannot be changed. In my communication, I will try to be descriptive as opposed to being evaluative. When giving feedback, I will always ensure that I own this feedback through the use of "I" statements. I will also avoid generalizations and instead ask for specifics. Finally, I will be very careful with any advice I receive to avoid making wrong decisions about issues. To improve my networking skills, I will first find out more about myself and my personality as sug gested by Catt and Scudamore (2000). I must make sure that the networking group I join matches my attitude and style. I will also strive to have an agenda and well-set objectives whenever I attend networking events.I must also endeavor to know my audience well so as to establish who needs to know about me to enable an easier achievement of my goals. I also realize that in improving my networking skills, I must always keep the welfare of others in my mind as opposed to always thinking about myself.

The Vietnam War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Vietnam War - Essay Example The public became more and more concerned about their future and started questioning about the merits and demerits of prolonging the war. More importantly, the American government instituted a draft to send the young men and women to war, the very same war that was being questioned for American involvement. Statistics of 1960s and 1970s indicate that around 0.125 million young American migrated to Canada and 55000 service men went off the radar. There were exemptions for the students in college and therefore, everyone of the age tried to put themselves to college in an attempt to avoid the draft (Klimke, 2010). However, they knew that as soon as their education ends, they would be standing in the same line in which the 38000 civilians and soldiers were standing and had lost their lives (the total deaths caused by the conflict were over 58000 but by the time, the draft was signed, the death toll stood somewhere near 38000). Furthermore, the rising inflation, unemployment, mounting fis cal deficits and other economic problems also forced the youth so register their protests. On top of it, with the ongoing events in the political arena, Johnson’s policies, Nixon’s Watergate scandal, appointment of President Ford, complete pardon to Nixon by Ford and others created an environment of complete distrust of politicians by the public. The result of all these appeared in the form of mass protests by students and nationwide student unrest (Gilbert, 2001). Historians agree to the fact that it was the student protests, which ignited the mass protests of Americans throughout the United States. Activists, celebrities and musicians like â€Å"Abbie Hoffmann, Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg, Jane Fonda, Jefferson Airplane and other soon joined the cause and the students protesting on the streets of New York, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles and others† (Klimke, 2010). Without any doubts, the United States paid a huge price for engaging itself into the Vi etnam War for over two decades. Despite his domestic policies of Great Society and other plans, President Johnson had to leave his post due to the immense pressure of the general public (Kissinger, 2003). President Nixon’s promise to the nation was the systematic withdrawal of troops from Vietnam; however, the same did not happen. In fact, during the Nixon era, both death and influx of soldiers and civilians remained high (Lawrence, 2010). The country lost more than 120 billion US dollars on the war during 1965-1973. This increased the fiscal deficit and diverted the attention of the federal government from many domestic plans and policies. Furthermore, the economic strains caused by the war played an important role in limiting the US government’s ability to cope up the economic recession of early 1970 caused by the oil crisis (Kissinger, 2003). The country also learned important lesson about the future military conflicts. They learned a lesson that they could not beat any enemy on their own land without any enough information about those enemies. Furthermore, Americans also learned the lesson that despite of them being a superpower, they cannot

Differences Between Colonies Essay Example for Free

Differences Between Colonies Essay Differences between colonies: Religious: The Pilgrims who settled at Plymouth were Puritans vs. Anglicans at Jamestown. Plus, Plymouth was founded for religious reasons while Jamestown was founded for economic reasons. Dont get me wrongreligion was critical for both groups but the Puritans left England because they were religious outcasts while the settlers at Jamestown were there for economic benefit and had investors. Labor: Jamestown was initially settled under martial law and the military played a significant role (especially in terms of governance) within the colony while the military presence for Plymouth was more of militia and didnt grow until the colony spread beyond Plymouth. Social: More swamps, longer warm-weather seasons meant more mosquitoes in Virginia. The English settlers there came primarily from swampy areas of the UK and had been exposed to malaria previously. New research on the settlement suggests that one reason the settlers werent attacked and anhiliated by Indians (and why their numbers retreated back into the forests) was the sudden onset of malaria (a disease that did not exist in this part of the New World prior to the appearance of the English). But the settlers in Plymouth came to an area that had been devastated by disease earlier (thus wiping out most of the indigenous peoples). Life was hard for both colonies. But the puritans in Plymouth were more of a culture of cooperation and sharing which helped ease relations with the Indians and allowed them to weather the longer winters in NE better than the more mercenary nature of the Jamestown settlers. French Indian War: The conflict was first a world war. England did not focus all it;s might on the war and left much of the fighting to the colonists. This taught the Americans that the mother country wasnt always going to be there to save them. Communication between America and England was at the pace of a sailing ship. One could send a message but months could pass before an answer was received. It was very clear that the Americans were fighting the war pretty much on their own. Directions and help were a long time coming. Once the wars was over, the Colonists saw lands to the West to be open for settlement. Most of the colonies had charters granting them land all the way to the Pacific. The new lands were also seen as a reward for winning the war. The Proclamation of 1763 closed the new lands to  settlement. The Americans saw this as a absent ruler that didnt have a grasp on the needs of the Americans and the proclamation as a hardship. The English saw it as a way to keep peace with the Native Americans and not have to continue to fight a war in America. Finally the British government was deeply in debt. They saw the colonies as a revenue source. After all England had just fought a world war and saved the colonies from the French and Indians. They that were protected during the war should help pay for it. Long unused laws were enforced and new taxes added. The Americans saw this as more British heavy handedness. The Colonists had founght the war, mostly on their own, They had suffered loses, and now were both being blocked from westward expansion but were being taxed without having any say in the matter. TeaParty: Political That was the year the British enacted the Proclamation of 1763, which made it illegal for colonists to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains. Economic The British also enacted the Currency Act in 1763, that law made it illegal for the colonists to make their own money. Both of these were done as a means for the British to gain more control of the colonists and this greatly upset the colonists. 1763 was the year the colonists started to realize they would be better off being independent of Britain and it sowed the seeds of revolution. The British responded to the Boston Tea Party by making th Intolerable Acts which closed the Boston Ports and destroyed the Massachusetts government. Articles: There was no foreign policy, and states printed their own currency. The federal government could not tax; there was no Federal Army, no judicial system, and a lack of national compulsive power over states. It was a weak alliance, it needed approval from 9 of all 13 states to be amended, no executive or judicial branch, only a one house congress where every state had 1 vote. It couldnt regulate interstate trade, impose taxes, or coin money. They also had no leader to run the country.

My Grandmother: A Powerful Woman Essay -- Personal Narrative

My Grandmother: A Powerful Woman Stella Stefanides was born fifty-four years ago in a small village by the Greek-Bulgarian border. Her life reads like a fictional story about deprivation, loss, love and hardships. This woman, whom I am referring to happens to be my grandmother. Her life is truly inspiring because she has overcome many difficulties and continues to be the glue that holds my family together. Stella was born in the time of the civil war in Greece. Her parents had many babies but they would all die after being removed from their mothers’ womb, which was very common at the time due to the lack of medical assistance. After dealing with the death of five babies, Theano, Stella's mom, was convinced that her dreams of having children were never to be realized. Even as a baby, Stella was a fighter. She fought for her little life and won. That's where she got her name "Stiliani," which means strong in Greek. That name truly captures the essence of her. Growing up was hard. Dealing with the war, the conflicts, the poverty, Stella, just like any other child, had to work. Because she is a female, school was not a priority. Although she wanted to help her family, she insisted on going to school. Craving to learn something new, to explore the world beyond her village borders; she told her parents that she would never leave school. She was willing and able to do both. They agree d, as long as it wouldn't interfere with her work. Deep down inside, her parents were happy that they had a headstrong, smart daughter. School and work weren't easy for Stella. Adding to the picture was a new brother, Savva. Taking care of him while her parents were at the fields became her responsibility. The responsibilities of school, work, takin... ...oss and makes all the decisions. Every customer and community member knows and loves "Mamma Stella." She listens, smiles and is always ready with a kind word and a hug. She yells when you don't finish your food and is generous with goods she bakes in her kitchen. Stella is an individual who fully embodies the "American Dream." She has had to fight to get where she is and she is passionate about staying there. Her family always comes first and their problems are hers. Stella is admired by many for her love, strength and fierce determination. These qualities were given to her so that she would make a difference in people's lives. She has taken those tools in hand and successfully crafted an amazing life for herself and her family. I am honored and lucky that Grandma Stella is a part of my life. She inspires me to achieve great things. I am who I am because of her.

High School Reflective Essay

First Time Stepping out under the bright lights, Crowd roaring with cheer and shouting our names. The feel of adrenaline going through my body is almost ecstasy like. Knowing that this doesn’t represent you, it’s for your school and even more your community. This is the kind of things that were going through my mind when I first stepped out onto the field as a Varsity Football Player. All the years of playing the game since I was a little kid had paid off, and now it would be time for the big show and the highlights of my career.All the hills and the Two-Twenty’s we put in day in and day out, end up being worth it. The summer days spent in the blazing sun and not at the beach take a lot out of me but the cravings for big games drive you through it. Even though we condition for almost five months in the end the two month season is all we live for. Football begins to be all you can think about, whether it is training hard at the gym or just eating better at home it drives you to be a better person.It pushes you to do things that will improve your skills and talent, usually things you wouldn’t normally do. This is why I love the game; it’s become a part of me. The lessons of hard-work, dedication and brotherhood have been drilled into me for years already. These things are going to forever be with me, as well as the people that I got to play alongside with. Our coaches sometimes sit us down and talk to us about life and how football will teach us things, we might sit there and just nod our heads. But we all do know that it really does.They tell us that when we walk around we don’t represent just us, not just our households anymore. But that we are our school, our community and that we have to be exemplary people and lead in a positive way. These are things that I’ll never forget due to the vast amount of times I’ve heard these speeches before, but also because I believe them. The rush that I feel when I get o nto that field is like nothing else; when you hear the crowd go wild after you make a big play is just a feeling that you can ever get enough of.It’s like an addiction to be the best and do great. Football has become more than just a sport to me but somewhat of a lifestyle. On and off the field everybody knows who you are because you play. But it affects me outside of school too, I’ve meet some of my best friends through football. When you hear people asking â€Å"Is that so and so from the Mililani Football team? † You get a feeling like no other. These are just some of the things football has taught me, done for me and gotten for me.