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.

Amanda Jimenez

Crocker

English 101

9/11/12

The Journey of Wrestling

               The beginning of my junior year was difficult to adjust to. I now had to focus my attention on school and wrestling. This was my first year joining the team, which meant I would finally get to compete in a wrestling match for the first time. My goal was to win at least one match against a boy, and to receive at least some respect from my coaches and teammates.

               Over the summer, I had attended every wrestling practice held. However, the boys didn’t like the idea of another girl joining the team. They thought, eventually I would quit or slowly stop showing up to practices, and would never take the sport seriously. The coaches and the team felt that girls could never succeed in this sport because you almost have to make wrestling your life, and have it in mind 24/7. Since all the girls who have joined the team in the past demonstrated only lack of commitment, they assumed all girls were like this. Therefore, the boys developed a habit of ignoring any female on the team. Also, most of the coaches tried to avoid teaching or paying attention to female wrestlers as well.

In my opinion, there was only one coach that had compassion and treated the girls as an equal. We all call him Coach Ray. Coach Ray is a very tall man, over six feet, with a bald head and had the friendliest welcoming smile you could have ever seen. He is what I like to call “a gentle giant.” The other three were tough, difficult, and sometimes mean or harsh. There was Coach Buck; he was a tall muscular man whom could pass for a football player. He had a deep voice and occasionally wore glasses, but he still had the most intimidating appearance. Coach Shrope was the smallest, yet toughest and strongest for his size. He was about five feet and eight inches tall, made of pure muscle. Coach Ray, Coach Buck, and Coach Shrope were all in their late twenties, and knew each other from high school. So naturally, they all got along better than they did with Coach V. Coach V was the oldest of them all, and had taught wrestling the longest.  He was in his late fifties, and was still as energetic, tough, and competitive as the rest of them. However, Coach V had a mean streak, which made him the cruelest coach I’ve ever had.

That year, only I and another girl were on the boy’s team. The reason there wasn’t a girls team, was because there were never enough girls trying out for wrestling. Being one of two girls on the team made it really difficult. Crystal was unkind, and hardly ever spoke a word to me. This made me feel like an outcast, but I tried to just focus my attention on improving my wrestling skills. It was difficult getting used to the team. The workouts seemed tougher, and the coaches were very hard on all of us. Coach Buck would say, “We are only preparing you mentally, if you can push yourself beyond your breaking point now, then you can do so in a match.” I would try to keep this in mind whenever I felt insanely tired, or when my muscles felt so burnt out I almost wanted to cry. The only other saying that helped me stay strong, was when Coach Ray would repeat, “Don’t cheat the workout, because you’re only hurting yourself. You need to push yourself in order to improve. Make yourself better.” I kept these words and other positive thoughts in my head, the whole year. The team would tease me about being the worst person on the team. I was constantly insulted by Coach V about how terrible I am, and how it must be that all girls are terrible. He would tell my wrestling partners not to go easy on me, and kick the crap out of me if they could. Finally, he would yell at me from across the room that I didn’t belong, and hadn’t made any progress. After all this, I just continued to push myself even harder.

               Unfortunately, toward the end of my junior year not much had changed. Every match I wrestled against a boy, I had lost. The only matches I had won were against girls, and it was only because they were more terrible then I. This did not satisfy me at all. On top of being discriminated against, I began to lose faith in myself. My positive thinking began to dim, and I started to think wrestling wasn’t for me. I was disappointed in myself, and wanted to give up.

 The last match I had during my junior year was against a girl. She was a very good wrestler, and was known for being a tough competitor, which was why she had won many matches against boy and girl wrestlers. So obviously, I was incredibly nervous for my match. However, I just kept telling myself that it was only one match, and to just get it over with. As I stepped onto the mat, I was prepared to listen out for Coach Ray’s commands. In my head, I was prepared to lose. I knew she was better than me, and almost didn’t care to try. After the referee blew the whistle, I circled the mat with my opponent unenthusiastically. That year, I had not taken one shot in a match. A shot is an attempt to score a takedown, which is worth two points. I was afraid to shoot, because every time I did so at practice, it never paid off. Therefore, I did not plan to shoot during this match. Suddenly, I heard new voices on the sidelines shouting things like “set up your shot.” And, “C’mon Amanda look alive out there, make her move how you want.” I was surprised to realize these comments came from my teammates. For the first time, they were paying attention to my match. Confidence shot through me, and I began to move with the idea of taking a shot. In the third and final round, I jolted forward attempting to score a double, which is a two leg takedown, but she saw it coming. She sprawled on me, with her hip down on my shoulder blade. Then while I was buried deep into the mat, she shifted her body over mine to score those final two points. I was devastated to hear the whistle blow signaling the end of the match. I was filled with shame and frustration, but not for the reasons I would have thought. I wasn’t ashamed and angry because I had lost my final match of the year. It was because, for the first time ever, my teammates had supported me during a match; and I felt I had let them down and would never earn their respect.

That summer after junior year, I worked harder than ever before. I was lifting only ten pounds less than all the other boys in my weight class. I was drinking protein shakes, and running everyday to keep my weight down. At practice, I was asking for help on my technique, which helped me learn certain moves faster. I was preparing myself physically and mentally for the long and final wrestling season of my career. This time, I was determined to win most of my matches, and improve on my wrestling skills.

               Finally, most of the wrestlers who knew me last year, befriended me in an instant. They were often conversing with me in the weight room and in the mat room. The varsity wrestlers in my weight class didn’t mind going over technique with me, and seemed willing to help. The new members of the team automatically treated me with respect, after seeing how friendly the boys and Coach Ray acted towards me. We would make jokes, and have fun listening to music while working out. I started to look forward to practice, and for the first time, I felt like part of the team.

Unfortunately, I was the only girl on the wrestling team my senior year. However, because I was now accepted by the guys, it didn’t make much difference to me. Making friends wasn’t the only positive change for the season. I was still on the junior varsity team, but had improved exceptionally. Now, I was winning most of my matches, even against boys. It was getting to the point where I had an overall record of 11 wins and only 3 losses, during the first month of the season. This made me feel like a significant contribution to the team. The boys took notice to my transition and so did Coach V. Unintentionally, I caught Coach V’s eye, which would change the rest of my season.

Coach V had a goal for me. He told me there was a State Championship Tournament for girls wrestling. He said “by the way you’re wrestling, you can go far this year.” I nodded my head, but didn’t listen completely. Still, I had trouble letting go of the hate I felt towards him from last year. Eventually, I learned to somewhat forgive him, and focused my attention on the State Championships he spoke of. In order to receive that information, I simply asked Coach Ray. “The top eight girls that place at State, receive a medal and can qualify for Nationals,” he said. This meant that I could compete with female wrestlers all over the world. However, my main focus was only to place in the top eight. “Okay” I said, “What do I have to do to go?” “You have to place in the top twelve, at the girls CIF Tournament, in order to qualify for State,” he replied. That sounded easy enough to me. I had wrestled in a few girls tournaments, and it was a whole lot easier than wrestling boys. Since any female wrestler was allowed to compete in the CIF Tournament, placing in the top twelve should be no problem, I thought to myself.

The remaining month of January and beginning of February was brutal. Coach V ran private practices with me, when wrestling season ended for the junior varsity team. Also, I would sometimes have to practice with varsity wrestlers at different schools, whom were competing in the boy’s CIF Tournament. This made me start to detest wrestling practice. Either I had to spend the evening practicing with extremely talented and strong wrestlers, who threw me around the mat like a rag doll. Or I had to stay at Oxnard High School’s gym, and practice with only one other wrestler, with Coach V breathing down my neck. Also, he would correct any slight imperfection of my technique, and order me to lift weights during my partner’s breaks; and have me sprint until I haven’t a breath left in my body. That man pushed me to my absolute limit, and the only reason I put up with it was because I wanted it to pay off.

The CIF Girls Wrestling Tournament was held in Beaumont, California. To my surprise, there were about thirty girls in my weight class. However, I only felt a slight amount of pressure in placing in the top twelve. My goal was to place as high as I could at the CIF Tournament, so I could have a better chance at placing in the California State Tournament for girls wrestling. The tournament separated over a period of two days. On the first day, I won all my matches and left fairly early that evening to rest at the hotel. Unfortunately, I struggled the second day. I had won my first match but lost my second one. The girl who beat me, placed second at the Mexican Nationals, which I discovered after my match. So the highest I could place, was third.

The day was almost at its end, and I was determined to take third place. The girl I was going to face looked like a typical female wrestler. She was taller than most girls in my weight class, but did not have any knee pads on, which told me she did not like to shoot. Most of the girls, I noticed preferred to throw head locks and throw, rather than perform a single or double leg takedown. It wasn’t long before I was on my color at the edge of the circle, waiting for the whistle to be blown. Once again I began to circle the mat with my opponent, trying not to stay too close, or it would surely result in a head lock attack. I took a shot, but it did no good. As I began to stand back up, it was too late. She had snuck in an under hook, and threw me to my back. I fought to my stomach, but the damage was done. The score was five to zero, with only two minutes left in the match. In order to win, I would have to pin my opponent, which is an automatic win. Or I would have to score a takedown, and some back points. I quickly took a shot, and nailed her to the mat. She quickly turned onto her stomach, and I tried to turn her to her back frantically. I tried every move I knew to get her to her back, but she fought back intensively.  I was running out of ideas, until Coach V told me to let her up to score another takedown. Following his direction, I stood away and right when she stood up, I hurled my body at her for another double leg takedown. The girl sprawled hard on me, but I was determined to finish my shot. We were at a stalemate for the remaining thirty seconds on the clock, and I had failed to take third place. Even after that close match, Coach Ray and Coach V still congratulated me for taking forth place and qualifying for the State Tournament. This is when the most shocking words floated out of Coach V’s mouth, “I’m proud of you.”

A week later, I entered Lemoore High School for the California State Tournament for girls wrestling. At this point, I was extremely nervous feeling only knots in my stomach. The school seemed to be located in the middle of nowhere, but had a large campus. As I entered the gym, I was astonished to find six purple wrestling mats, with yellow trim. This was definitely a girls’ only competition, I thought to myself. As, I waited for my first match, Coach V had me warm up with him on the sidelines. The warm up quickly turned into a workout for me when he had me take practice shots on his solid immovable legs. Then he had me sprawl on him, while trying to move him away from me but it was no use. Coach V had the grip of a grizzly bear, and trying to push him away was like trying to move a wall.

               At last, I was minutes away from my first match, and extremely tired, but warmed up. However, my luck had seemed to run out. It turned out they had mistakenly kept a disqualified wrestler in the competition. The wrestler pointed out their mistake right away, and I won by a “forfeit.” Therefore, I had the misfortune of continuing to “warm up” with Coach V. By my second and last match of the day, I was more tired than ready, but winning would guarantee me a spot into the top four so I had to try.

               The match was very close, but in the end I lost by two points. After my match, Coach V seemed to be more discouraged than me. “There’s still a chance I can place tomorrow Coach,” I said sounding hopeful.  Coach V just sighed and we both walked back to the gym and went our separate ways back to the hotel. I was very surprised at how Coach V reacted. It seemed he was taking this tournament very close to heart. Then I realized I was too; mainly because it was my last year to wrestle and I wanted to finish as a State placer.

               Before I knew it, it was morning, and it was time to get ready for my final matches of my wrestling career. Once again, I warmed up with Coach V, in hopes I would be ready and win. It all came down to my first match; if I won I would be eligible to place in the top eight. If I lost, I would be sent home with only memories. Finally, I was called up ready to fight for a chance to receive a medal. The referee had us shake hands, and then blew the whistle. I dove into the bottom half of her body; making it look more like a tackle instead of a takedown. We scrambled out of bounds, and quickly returned to the middle. I was up by two points; so when the referee asked me if I wanted to stay neutral, I said yes. This meant we both would restart in the positions we were in at the beginning of the match. Since my shot paid off the first time, I took another. Only this time she anticipated my takedown, and swiftly reversed it, and wound up on top. She then hurled my body over with a chicken wing and a wrist and received three more points. The score was now five to four, with only a minute left on the clock. Out of desperation, I attempted a risky move to score back points, but failed. I managed to score one point, but injured my shoulder in doing so and had eliminated my chances of winning. She reversed me and was now scoring three more points against me. The referee blew his whistle, and the match was over. I had lost my chance of ever making history; by a score of ten to five. Emotions of devastation filled me with sadness and despair. As soon as I walked off the mat, tears ran down my face. “It’s all over,” I thought to myself. A little while after, Coach V walked over to me. “Amanda” he said, “you have nothing to be ashamed of. What you did out there was honorable, and you should be proud.” Coach Ray gave me a pat on the back and one of his famous wide grins of reassurance.

               Looking back on this journey, I learned a lot about myself. Wrestling, for me was never about trying to be the best. It was more about me accomplishing my dreams, and pushing myself to my fullest potential. In the end, I did not place at the California State Tournament for girls wrestling. However, I won the respect of my coaches and teammates. I have proven with the right motivation, anything is possible. This is what I feel was worth more than a medal.