“Hi, I’m from …” was how we were supposed to introduce ourselves on the first day of school. As each student told the rest of the class where they had lived before, I was amazed to hear that almost everyone had come from a different part of the world. And now, as we have all become great friends—as close as family—I feel that I can say that they help define my world.
Balboa Academy in Panama City, Panama, is more than just your average school: it’s a crossroad for people from many different places, and of all sorts of backgrounds. I have friends from Peru, Jamaica, Colombia, Canada, France, Chile, Spain, Ecuador, Taiwan, India, and the list goes on. Meeting these people, my friends, has opened my eyes to the rest of the world. They are the link that connects me to different cultures and languages. It is through them that my world has expanded.
Never before have I felt that I could offer more than just my own heritage. Now, I have knowledge of so many other worlds. From my friends’ stories, I have acquired a grasp of many cultures and traditions. And compared to when I was growing up in Torrance, California, I have a new perspective on life, one of open-mindedness. Because of my experiences living in Panama, my world has expanded far beyond what I thought possible.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Juggling
It’s just who I am. I’ve been called many things before: busy body, perfectionist, hardest worker, nerd, jock, and other things. What have I done to receive these names? I have an intense sense of passion for everything I do. And, trust me, I do more than your average person. I do so much I even scare myself sometimes. I tend to seize every opportunity and somehow gain control of it.
My life, in short, is like a juggling act. If each ball represents something I do, I could work in a circus as a juggling master. High school is tough as it is, but unlike actually juggling, I somehow manage to make time for every activity I’m interested in.
Keeping up my grades is also a top priority, not that I can rank which activity is the most important. In my book, everything I do is important. It just means I have to work a lot harder, but that has worked all my life so it isn’t a problem. The key to my success is determination.
I love everything I do. I also believe that life is short and that I should make wise use of every spare moment of my precious time. Thus, every action taken has to come from my heart and soul, because I invest every ounce of energy within me. No matter what I do, I give my all and never give up until the job is done.
What makes me proud, more than anything, is how I feel that this aspect of my personality is what people most like about me. But gaining their respect hasn’t been easy. Being nearly two years younger than my classmates was at first a disadvantage. Nevertheless, I now know that they support and respect everything I have achieved. My drive to excel in everything I do is what defines me today.
My life, in short, is like a juggling act. If each ball represents something I do, I could work in a circus as a juggling master. High school is tough as it is, but unlike actually juggling, I somehow manage to make time for every activity I’m interested in.
Keeping up my grades is also a top priority, not that I can rank which activity is the most important. In my book, everything I do is important. It just means I have to work a lot harder, but that has worked all my life so it isn’t a problem. The key to my success is determination.
I love everything I do. I also believe that life is short and that I should make wise use of every spare moment of my precious time. Thus, every action taken has to come from my heart and soul, because I invest every ounce of energy within me. No matter what I do, I give my all and never give up until the job is done.
What makes me proud, more than anything, is how I feel that this aspect of my personality is what people most like about me. But gaining their respect hasn’t been easy. Being nearly two years younger than my classmates was at first a disadvantage. Nevertheless, I now know that they support and respect everything I have achieved. My drive to excel in everything I do is what defines me today.
Oh, How Time Flies
As the last of the bumps smoothed out and the plane completed its descent, my stomach tingled with excitement, happy to be back in California. It had been exactly one year since I moved away to Panama and I felt good to be back.
The summer of 2007 consisted of beach outings, grunion hunting, a trip to Disneyland, and a long drive to Manzanar, a Japanese internment camp. Does that sound like fun? Perhaps not, but for me it certainly was.
Surprisingly, on this trip the history of California started to fascinate me. When I had lived there I didn’t think much of it, but visiting Manzanar really opened my eyes, especially due to my heritage. As a Japanese-American, I felt my time there was a valuable cultural and educational experience. All this I had once taken for granted. And that summer, to see my home-state in a different way, after living abroad, taught me that I should approach all places with the same open-mindedness.
This visit made me want to explore my culture further. Never before had I felt the need to learn more about myself. Who my ancestors were and what was my family history were questions that started to come, and often, to mind. So, the summer of 2007 may not have been the most productive use of my time—in terms of academics—but it was definitely worthwhile.
The summer of 2008: another fun vacation? Not really. Senior year was right around the corner and college wouldn’t be much further behind. High school sure had gone by fast, and I had no time to waste. There were many things to do over the summer. No time to relax, everything was serious business.
I visited several colleges, met with college counselors, took SAT and U.S. History classes. Of course, this was all very interesting, but in terms of fun, it was the exact opposite of how I spent my vacation the year before.
I woke up every morning at 6, went to history class until 12:45pm, and then rushed over to my SAT classes until 6 in the evening. Everyday was jam-packed with studying, except the weekends and the Fourth of July, when I was fortunate enough to attend a delicious barbeque dinner. At least I had one holiday during my “vacation.”
Over the last two summers I learned that time is precious, and that regardless of how I spend my time, it’s important always to be trying to grow as a person.
The summer of 2007 consisted of beach outings, grunion hunting, a trip to Disneyland, and a long drive to Manzanar, a Japanese internment camp. Does that sound like fun? Perhaps not, but for me it certainly was.
Surprisingly, on this trip the history of California started to fascinate me. When I had lived there I didn’t think much of it, but visiting Manzanar really opened my eyes, especially due to my heritage. As a Japanese-American, I felt my time there was a valuable cultural and educational experience. All this I had once taken for granted. And that summer, to see my home-state in a different way, after living abroad, taught me that I should approach all places with the same open-mindedness.
This visit made me want to explore my culture further. Never before had I felt the need to learn more about myself. Who my ancestors were and what was my family history were questions that started to come, and often, to mind. So, the summer of 2007 may not have been the most productive use of my time—in terms of academics—but it was definitely worthwhile.
The summer of 2008: another fun vacation? Not really. Senior year was right around the corner and college wouldn’t be much further behind. High school sure had gone by fast, and I had no time to waste. There were many things to do over the summer. No time to relax, everything was serious business.
I visited several colleges, met with college counselors, took SAT and U.S. History classes. Of course, this was all very interesting, but in terms of fun, it was the exact opposite of how I spent my vacation the year before.
I woke up every morning at 6, went to history class until 12:45pm, and then rushed over to my SAT classes until 6 in the evening. Everyday was jam-packed with studying, except the weekends and the Fourth of July, when I was fortunate enough to attend a delicious barbeque dinner. At least I had one holiday during my “vacation.”
Over the last two summers I learned that time is precious, and that regardless of how I spend my time, it’s important always to be trying to grow as a person.
Friday, June 19, 2009
The View at the Top of the Stairs
This was the speech I gave at Balboa Academy's 2009 Graduation.
I would like to thank Juliet for her strength and support to get this speech done. Without her confidence in me I doubt I would have had anything more than a piece of paper filled with angry scribbles and funny drawings.
I would also like to thank Dr. Sirias, who, for one more time at Balboa Academy (I plan on asking for his help in the future as well -- just because I graduate doesn't means he's off the hook), went over this speech for me. When I asked Dr. Sirias for ideas for this speech, he said I should go up in front of the crowd and talk for an hour about how amazing he is. Obviously, I didn't. Instead, this became the final product. Thank you for all your help Dr. Sirias.
The View at the Top of the Stairs
Everyday students at Balboa Academy have to climb at least three flights of stairs to get to their classes. Along the way, the walls are decorated posters that have corny sayings on them. On days when we are full of energy, excited about our classes and ready to learn, we don’t notice these posters. Nevertheless, I know that everyone of us has read at least one each day because every time we climb those stairs we need to rest to catch our breath. And all of us at Balboa Academy know and respect those stairs: they are probably the hardest workout most of us get.
Anyway, back to the clichéd posters: one in particular always catches my eye. It says, “Teachers can only show you the door, but you must enter by yourself.” When I see this one it usually just means there are only about ten seconds left to get to class before the bell rings. But when I stop to think about it, the lessons we have learned from our teachers go far beyond the boundaries of the classroom.
What’s more, when I say teachers, I don’t just mean those at Balboa Academy who have dealt patiently with us these past three years, five days a week—and for this we are grateful; but I mean our parents, our siblings, and our friends—they have all taught us something throughout the years.
Our parents have stuck by us and cared for us unconditionally, even when we did something wrong. But think about this: Did they really have a choice? Regardless, they have been our teachers since we were born, helping us differentiate between right and wrong, nurturing our development for the day—which has arrived today—when we will have reached the top of these stairs and stand before that door into adulthood, poised to make our own decisions. For this, parents, we are also eternally grateful.
Our siblings, even if they are very annoying—like my brother Aaron—love us dearly. We need to remember the good times, as we’ve helped each other grow and mature. At the end of this summer, our paths will begin to diverge.
And now, Class of 2009, I want you to look at your classmates. At Balboa Academy we have become a family of our own. One of my favorite moments was during Field Day this year, when we made a giant huddle, jumped around and chanted, “Seniors! Seniors!” The ringing roar of our voices and the terrified look on the faces of the freshmen will be etched in my memory forever. We are, I believe, the most united class Balboa Academy has ever seen.
So here we are today, at the top of the stairs at this crucial stage of our lives, standing in front of that door that leads into the future. All we have left to do is open that door, enter on our own, and become adults others can rely on. But for now, let’s just say goodbye and, more importantly, let’s always remember the lessons we’ve learned from all our teachers—at Balboa Academy, at home, and among friends.
Friday, April 3, 2009
In the Spotlight
“Your personal experience essay is due on Monday. Don’t forget,” my teacher, Mrs. Wieser, told me on a Friday afternoon.
“Okay, thank you. Bye, have a great weekend.” I said this as if I remembered. But what was really going through my head was, “Nooooo, I completely forgot. Oops, oh well.” Back when I was in fifth grade, I wasn’t such a great student. I always did my work, but I didn’t really like it. I figured it just wasn’t the thing for me. But this time it was a little different.
I had never really written an essay before. Sure, I did my occasional book reports, but nothing on the personal level. Since I had just gone to Australia the year before, I decided to write about the Great Barrier Reef. The hardest part of it all was to start it; after that, it all just flowed out of my fingertips. There were times when I had to dig deep inside myself to really tell everyone how much fun I had. I mean, when would I get the chance to tell people the cool stuff I do? Something like that doesn’t easily come up in conversations between fifth graders.
These are reasons why I would rather write. With this assignment, I realized that when I write, I have complete control. No one can tell me what to say or do. I get to tell my story how I want to and the person reading would have no choice but to follow along. I liked that power.
It turned out that I received the highest grade in the class and Mrs. Wieser wanted to read it to the class. I was so happy; but at the same time I became very nervous because everyone was going to hear what I wrote. My heart started to beat louder than my teacher’s voice, but not enough to block it out. When she finished, I looked around to see my classmates’ reactions, and what I saw was good. I heard, “Wow, that was awesome,” or, “I liked it” throughout the classroom.
This experience changed me completely as a student and person. Those who know me today would probably have a hard time imagining me as someone who didn’t really work hard, or was quiet in school. But this is what writing did for me. It made me fall in love with being noticed and respected. The sudden burst of self-confidence drove me to excel far beyond everyone else, in everything I did. Today, I write and enjoy it for two reasons: I like the power of control, and I can’t help but enjoy the spotlight.
“Okay, thank you. Bye, have a great weekend.” I said this as if I remembered. But what was really going through my head was, “Nooooo, I completely forgot. Oops, oh well.” Back when I was in fifth grade, I wasn’t such a great student. I always did my work, but I didn’t really like it. I figured it just wasn’t the thing for me. But this time it was a little different.
I had never really written an essay before. Sure, I did my occasional book reports, but nothing on the personal level. Since I had just gone to Australia the year before, I decided to write about the Great Barrier Reef. The hardest part of it all was to start it; after that, it all just flowed out of my fingertips. There were times when I had to dig deep inside myself to really tell everyone how much fun I had. I mean, when would I get the chance to tell people the cool stuff I do? Something like that doesn’t easily come up in conversations between fifth graders.
These are reasons why I would rather write. With this assignment, I realized that when I write, I have complete control. No one can tell me what to say or do. I get to tell my story how I want to and the person reading would have no choice but to follow along. I liked that power.
It turned out that I received the highest grade in the class and Mrs. Wieser wanted to read it to the class. I was so happy; but at the same time I became very nervous because everyone was going to hear what I wrote. My heart started to beat louder than my teacher’s voice, but not enough to block it out. When she finished, I looked around to see my classmates’ reactions, and what I saw was good. I heard, “Wow, that was awesome,” or, “I liked it” throughout the classroom.
This experience changed me completely as a student and person. Those who know me today would probably have a hard time imagining me as someone who didn’t really work hard, or was quiet in school. But this is what writing did for me. It made me fall in love with being noticed and respected. The sudden burst of self-confidence drove me to excel far beyond everyone else, in everything I did. Today, I write and enjoy it for two reasons: I like the power of control, and I can’t help but enjoy the spotlight.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Where Will We Be?
Earth is a natural beauty that contains wonders that may never be fully understood by people, but nevertheless, should be respected. I have come to feel this way after my first trip to the beach. I was having a great time. As I was swimming, I saw something floating by and I thought, “Eww, what is that? Maybe a jellyfish?” It was a plastic bag. What a disappointment for the young me.
This memory has led me to question humankind. Why do people litter and pollute the world’s beauties? That one plastic bag had not harmed any living creature yet, but it had done its damage, to me. I was truly upset. I loved the ocean and everything in it. I was so hurt that other people did not respect it like I did. Even if they didn’t like it as much as I did, they didn’t have to hurt it.
What kind of situation will the world be in if we continue to act this way? Pollution is one part of the main problem affecting Earth. But what about a major one? The effects of global warming need to be addressed. People need to realize that this is a big problem that is quickly catching up to our actions; the effects of global warming are now part of our everyday lives.
Global warming is the result of the greenhouse effect caused by the emission of excess greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, that trap heat in our atmosphere. This excess, caused by humans, traps heat in our atmosphere, warming up the planet. This rise in temperature causes many problems for every living thing. The melting of the glaciers is one obvious effect of global warming but what about the coral bleaching and tropical diseases such as Dengue and Yellow Fever that are spreading throughout Central America?
After living in Panama for three years, I began to notice the effects of global warming. The climate is unstable, species are disappearing, and mangroves are dying.
Several things can be done. On the large scale, instead of using fossil fuels, nations should use renewable energy sources. Deforestation should be stopped and reforestation should take place. This helps to stabilize the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. On a more practical scale, everything starts at home, and here many things can be done. One can recycle, drive a fuel-efficient car, and not waste electricity. These actions all help reduce the air pollution that’s affecting our atmosphere.
What will happen if the people of the world do not get together to solve this problem? This isn’t something that can be solved easily. Everyone has to help each other to save the planet. I believe that this concern is one that can be dealt with. People need to look past themselves and see the big picture, the world holds the lives of many, and how one decides to act affects others around them. This mindset to save the environment and to spread the idea that every life is important can and will open the hearts and minds of others.
This memory has led me to question humankind. Why do people litter and pollute the world’s beauties? That one plastic bag had not harmed any living creature yet, but it had done its damage, to me. I was truly upset. I loved the ocean and everything in it. I was so hurt that other people did not respect it like I did. Even if they didn’t like it as much as I did, they didn’t have to hurt it.
What kind of situation will the world be in if we continue to act this way? Pollution is one part of the main problem affecting Earth. But what about a major one? The effects of global warming need to be addressed. People need to realize that this is a big problem that is quickly catching up to our actions; the effects of global warming are now part of our everyday lives.
Global warming is the result of the greenhouse effect caused by the emission of excess greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, that trap heat in our atmosphere. This excess, caused by humans, traps heat in our atmosphere, warming up the planet. This rise in temperature causes many problems for every living thing. The melting of the glaciers is one obvious effect of global warming but what about the coral bleaching and tropical diseases such as Dengue and Yellow Fever that are spreading throughout Central America?
After living in Panama for three years, I began to notice the effects of global warming. The climate is unstable, species are disappearing, and mangroves are dying.
Several things can be done. On the large scale, instead of using fossil fuels, nations should use renewable energy sources. Deforestation should be stopped and reforestation should take place. This helps to stabilize the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. On a more practical scale, everything starts at home, and here many things can be done. One can recycle, drive a fuel-efficient car, and not waste electricity. These actions all help reduce the air pollution that’s affecting our atmosphere.
What will happen if the people of the world do not get together to solve this problem? This isn’t something that can be solved easily. Everyone has to help each other to save the planet. I believe that this concern is one that can be dealt with. People need to look past themselves and see the big picture, the world holds the lives of many, and how one decides to act affects others around them. This mindset to save the environment and to spread the idea that every life is important can and will open the hearts and minds of others.
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