Which is the truth?

1.      I have vacationed in Hawaii.

2.      I was named after my great grandmother.

3.      I have a pet hamster named Fluffy.

4.      I once attended a Maroon 5 concert.

5.      I went on a cruise for my sixteenth birthday.

6.      My birthday is on December 14^th.

My Favorite Poem

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Edgar Allan Poe

Change As a child, I spent a lot of time with my father. He was always playful, adventurous, and very funny. I remember at the end of most weekdays, after my mother left to attend school at night, my dad would create some sort of entertainment for the evening. Most days, my sister, my dad and I would watch the star wars trilogy while we ate rainbow sherbert and chocolate chip ice cream. Other times we would play board games, hide and seek, or have tickle fights in our living room. My dad always cracked jokes, and would constantly make us laugh. He had a lot of energy and was full of life when I was a kid. However, when I turned nine years old, things took a turn for the worse. My dad became very sick with a severe illness. He was always tired, and looked terribly exhausted. He was in the hospital for several days at a time, and I was unable to visit him until he eventually came home. Even then, he continued to receive treatment, and I only spoke to him a few hours out of the day, because he was so tired and would be asleep when I came home from school. I was heartbroken for most of the time just wishing my dad could get better, so things could go back to the way they used to be. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. After a couple of months of intensive treatment, my dad got better. Eventually, he became almost as good as new. He was still slightly weak from the intensive care, but none the less he was cured. But he was not the same Dad I once knew. He had less patience, and less than half the energy he used to have. He hardly spent time with my sister and I, and would often be alone in his room, or in the garage working on his computer. I did not like the person my dad had become. He was almost depressing to be around. I would often become upset with him, and wondered why he couldn’t just be happy and joyful like he used to be. I no longer looked up to my dad, and tried to avoid conversation between us. As time passed, my dad became tired again and looked unhealthy. We soon discovered that he had the same illness for a second time. I was furious and hopeless. I worried that my dad would not make it through this time with his new negative attitude. Soon I came to regret my attitude towards him. I should have tried to spend more time with him when he was healthy. Finally I came to the conclusion that I needed to apologize and communicate with my father. We had a long talk about what had happened in the past. Our conversation helped more than I could have ever hoped for. I was so incredibly happy and hopeful after that day. Now that I see my father’s point of view, I can understand more about why he is the way he is. I still respect him of course love him with all my heart. Even though he may not be the dad he used to be, I plan to get to know him again, bond with him, and help him in any way I can.

Amanda Jimenez

Crocker

10/9/12

Essay # 2

            During the fall of 2011, at Oxnard College, the student enrollment number was about 7,440. Within that number, the average age of students attending Oxnard College was 26.9. This average was concluded after the making of the student age chart. In this chart it revealed that students whom are 18 years old or younger have the lowest percentage out of all the different age groups (Fast Facts). After reading these statistics, I decided to interview Luke, Melissa, and Daniel. These three people are all 18 years old, attend Oxnard College, and are part of the low percentile age group.

            Luke Saucedo can be described in three words: explosive, thoughtful, and eccentric. He began his journey in life, in San Diego, California. There, he often spent his days at the beach. Luke was a very constructive kid, and would often dig large holes in the sand. To entertain himself, he would invite his friends to climb into his deep sand holes and bury them neck deep. As time passed, Luke began to show interest in music. This is what drove Luke to become involved in his friend’s girlfriend’s band. However, unfortunately they did not make it far in the music industry, but this did not affect Luke’s love for music. A few years later, Luke moved to Oxnard, California and attended Rio Mesa High School. At Rio Mesa High School, Luke joined a fishing club. He was very fascinated by the whole aspect of fishing, and enjoyed it very much so. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that he soon became the president of the fishing club. Luke graduated high school in June of 2012.

Now, he is attending Oxnard College, and keeping his future in mind. When Luke isn’t at school, or with family, he is having a blast at his favorite theme park. Luke likes to spend his free time at six flags. He often travels to six flags using his seasonal pass, several times out of the week. Comparing six flags to Oxnard College, I asked Luke what he enjoys most about the school. His response was, “I can buy a pie here for $3.00.” His love for pie keeps him content, and is something to look forward to. Then I asked “Are there areas in the college which can be improved?” He said, “It would be nice to have some kind of recreation center, where students can hang out.” Luke feels it could be a beneficial way for students to connect with each other. Luke’s motivation to attend college comes from looking ahead, “It just seems like the next step. I am unsure about what I want to do, but I know I need a college education to provide for myself in the future.” I then asked Luke if his culture had anything to do with his decision to attend college, and his answer was, “None at all.” This was a little surprising to me, and yet also intriguing. The philosophy or “motto” Luke has for succeeding in school is “Don’t worry about it, whatever is going to happen will happen.” Luke is taking five classes, Monday through Thursday, which is a total of sixteen units. During this time, Luke has been surprised with the cost of books for all his classes. He does not have any role models, and believes to be a role model for his brother about “what not to do.” However, Luke continues to push forward, and sees himself still in school within the next five years moving closer to his goals.

            Next, Melissa is a female student at Oxnard College. Melissa spends most of her time with her family. She has a twin sister and an older sister, and lives with her mom and dad, and they are all very supportive of her education. Melissa’s motivation to further her education is the thought of, “money and my future,” she says. Melissa has a very hectic and time consuming schedule. However, Melissa finds a way to balance family and school through organization, and finishing her schoolwork as fast as possible. Melissa’s role model in her life is her cousin. Her cousin is attending CSUN with a child she is raising on her own. Melissa explains her cousin was always studious throughout her high school career. This landed her cousin a scholarship to UCLA. However, during her first year at the university she became pregnant, and was then forced to drop out of school due to the work load, and new born baby. Her cousin attended community college a year later, and eventually transferred to CSUN. This is Melissa’s inspiration to keep going. “If my cousin can attend college and raise a kid, then I can definitely continue and finish my college education.” Melissa describes herself as hard working, blunt, and focused, yet she does not consider herself a role model for anyone. Melissa’s culture influences her by, “the way I can see how education affects their lifestyle. “I either see success or struggle.” Her “motto” or philosophy for succeeding in school is “what you work for today will pay off tomorrow.” This philosophy will hopefully get her to where she sees herself in five years. She hopes to be independent and still in pursuit of her education.

            Furthermore, Daniel is the first born child within a family of five. He has two younger brothers whom are ten and thirteen years apart from his age. Daniel works as a tutor for his high school avid teacher Monday through Friday and attends classes Monday through Thursday. He spontaneously finds a way to balance school, family, and work. Daniel is very observant and determined young man. This is why Daniel’s motivation to attend college comes from observing other’s successes, or failures in life. Daniel has grown up researching colleges and preparing himself mentally and academically for his ideal job in the future. This early preparation is a result of his parents’ influence on his decision to attend college no matter what he plans to do in life. Daniel’s parents have had a large impact in his life, and even though Daniel does not have a specific role model, he says “watching other people get through their education with their own individual struggles inspires me.” Daniel is referring to his family, as he compares the people who have attended college, and the people who have not. Moreover, along with his mom and dad, he says he is a role model for his brothers. They seem to always follow what he does, and constantly look up to him. So Daniel’s goal is to set a good example and encourage them to work hard for what they want. His “motto” to succeed in school is to “picture how the person you want to become would do the job that you want to do.” In five years, Daniel hopes to have a Masters Degree in the field he eventually chooses to pursue. Daniel describes himself as witty, determined and inquisitive. These are traits that will hopefully take him to a bright future.

            Finally, Luke, Melissa, and Daniel are well on their way to an ideal job and comfortable living. It seems more and more families are realizing how important education is. They have either learned from experience, or have watched other’s struggle in life from lack of higher education. This is why they are promoting a college education to their children when they are young, up until they graduate high school. There is now more support and encouragement throughout families regardless of culture. So even though 18 year olds are part of the lowest age group on campus, as they get older, there is more hope that they will continue.

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

“Fast Facts.” Oxnard College. Ventura County Community College District, n.d. Web. 25 Sept 2012.

Amanda Jimenez

Family

               In many cultures, including mine, family is very important. Family includes people you count on in your time of need and are always around when needed. However, this is only possible if you continue to keep in touch with your relatives, are able to communicate with them, and are able to forgive. This is a lesson I have learned from my own family the hard way. This is why I feel it is important for other’s to realize what they are losing when they do not see the importance of relatives.

               For instance, I have a large family with many cousins, aunts, and uncles. When I was younger I would see all of them every other weekend. We would get together for someone’s birthday, a barbeque during football or basketball season, or for any holiday or special occasion. Basically, there was always an excuse for the family to come together, and I was very happy and fond of it. At these meetings, I would often socialize with all my family members, and we would share secrets or personal information with one another. My cousins and several aunts and uncles were then not only family, but my best friends. However, as time passed grudges and disrespect grew within my family. Arguments about the past were held more often than not, and less and less people began to show up for our regular family meetings. Overtime, a couple of my uncles moved far away, and my cousins and our close relationship taken with them. Even though they will not admit it, I know they chose to move away to avoid the terrible history they had now created with their own brothers and sisters. It was very disappointing and sad to have to let go of my best friends.

               This experience has taught me many things about family. I realize family is important and should be valued due to the positivity it brings. With family, you are able to open up to them, and have someone you can count on. This way if anything ever goes wrong in your life, there are people willing to lend you a helping hand, or a shoulder to cry on. The time I spent without my close relationship with family was very difficult. I had many hardships I had to often face alone. I had several friends, but they could not seem to understand, because they were not raised similar to how I was. Also, they just had a difficult time understanding my personality, where as my family members sometimes knew more about me than I did. I regret the fact that our relationship was pulled apart, and mostly that neither of us tried to fix it. However, a family relationship is delicate, and it needs love, communication and forgiveness. I appreciate the family I keep in touch with now, and therefore hope to reunite with my other relatives in the future.

Amanda Jimenez

Interview with a Classmate

               Luke Saucedo can be described in three words: explosive, thoughtful, and eccentric. He began his journey in life, in San Diego, California. There, he often spent his days at the beach. Luke was a very constructive kid, and would often dig large holes in the sand. To entertain himself, he would invite his friends to climb into his deep sand holes and bury them neck deep. As time passed, Luke began to show interest in music. This is what drove Luke to become involved in his friend’s girlfriend’s band. However, unfortunately they did not make it far in the music industry, but this did not affect Luke’s love for music. A few years later, Luke moved to Oxnard, California and attended Rio Mesa High School. At Rio Mesa High School, Luke joined a fishing club. He was very fascinated by the whole aspect of fishing, and enjoyed it very much so. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that he soon became the president of the fishing club.

               Luke graduated high school in June of 2012. Now, he is attending Oxnard College, and keeping his future in mind. When Luke isn’t at school, or with family, he is having a blast at his favorite theme park. Luke likes to spend his free time at six flags. He often travels to six flags using his seasonal pass, several times out of the week. Comparing six flags to Oxnard College, I asked Luke what he enjoys most about the school. His response was, “I can buy a pie here for $3.00.” His love for pie keeps him content, and is something to look forward to. Then I asked “Are there areas in the college which can be improved?” He said, “It would be nice to have some kind of recreation center, where students can hang out.” Luke feels it could be a beneficial way for students to connect with each other. “What motivates you about college?” I asked. He responded “It just seems like the next step. I am unsure about what I want to do, but I know I need a college education to provide for myself in the future.” I then asked Luke if his culture had anything to do with his decision to attend college, and his answer was, “None at all.” This was a little surprising to me, and made me want to continue to ask more questions.

               The philosophy or “motto” Luke has for succeeding in school is “Don’t worry about it, whatever is going to happen will happen.” Luke is taking five classes, Monday through Thursday, which is a total of sixteen units. During this time, Luke has been surprised with the cost of books for all his classes. He does not have any role models, and believes to be a role model for his brother about “what not to do.” However, Luke continues to push forward, and sees himself still in school within the next five years moving closer to his goals.