“My goal would be to become a better person,” senior Sunny Carreto said. “The recent years have been rough and I’m still trying to get through them. I feel like the only way to move forward is by just trying to do better. This past year I was able to make new friends by reaching out, socializing, and being honest with myself. Letting go of the past is a hard thing to do. I previously let people in my circle, people who I allowed to get close to me and led me to regretting it. They ended up making bad decisions, and it’s better to stop worrying about others. What keeps me going is my siblings and nieces. I feel like I can’t let them down, especially because family is forever and friends aren’t. I’m realizing I’m getting older so I have to prioritize certain things, especially now with work, college and overall having to be an adult. I’m mentally preparing myself for that while doing what I have to do.”
“My goal is to make sure that all my assignments are turned in and I study before tests,” junior Martin Lopez said. “I want to let go of all that procrastination and laziness that I had last year. If I could’ve done anything differently last year it would have been to be on top of all my work. Although last year was a bit of a decline, I did love the people and teachers I met. I will miss that for sure. My mom is what motivates me to keep on going. She works very hard and I want to make sure she’s proud of me. My goal for next year is to get A Honor roll for all my classes and get my GPA up, and I’m willing to sacrifice some free time just to get there. What would make my best year yet would be having more friends who have the same mindset as me to keep me going. I want to make money, and overall just improve academically.”
“Through determination and will, I want to graduate and be on top of all my classes,” junior Angelica Blake said. “I don’t let the past get a hold of me because it’s lame and the future is everything. I want to continue heading on and facing the world with optimism. I told myself to chill out and to just keep going. I really hope to graduate early. In the new year I hope to finally finish a piece of art, because I’m not always going to be one hundred percent and that’s okay. My mama keeps me going: she makes my bed, buys me food, drives me home, she does a lot for me. Last year I had a lot of problems with communication within friendships. Now, if I have a problem with friends, I just tell them about it. A goal of mine for the coming year is to read a book every 20 days.”
“My goals for this year were to show up to school, obtain better grades, and be kinder to my mom,” sophomore Emily Soto said. “I believe I was doing better at showing up at school. I’ve been able to attend school for four weeks straight with no absence. I’ve gotten better with my grades, and I also argue with my mom less frequently. This year, I want to let go of a friend group I had. I don’t regret the friendship, but it’s definitely holding me back. They’re living their life and so am I. Something I wish I had done differently was to stop missing school so much, because of that I had accumulated recoup which made my year harder. When things get difficult, I cope by taking a walk and listening to music. It’s a healthy way to get my mind off things and helps me get better. In the future, I want to make money, because I don’t want to be stuck here. My family and friends motivate me to continue to push through, especially my friends at school. Seeing their faces brings me joy and makes me want to show up. In the upcoming year I want to improve my relationship with my mom. Our relationship is like a straight line. It never seems to improve or worsen, but I want it to change for the better.”
“At the beginning of the year, I wanted to grow into a more confident, peaceful version of myself,” junior Leah Campbell said. “I set my intentions to protect my mental health, and be consistent with my goals, and surrounded myself with people who cared about me. I wanted to push myself creatively and quit shirking who I am to make people comfortable. I checked in with myself, realized what triggered me, and chose healthier ways to cope. I want to let go of the old version of myself, past mistakes, and grudges I held in. Holding on kept me stuck, instead of trusting myself and allowing myself to grow. It makes me emotional to realize how fast time moves, and that I can’t get any past version of me back. I think about the opportunities I didn’t take and moments I wish I was more present in. It hits me because I know I’m changing and even a good change can feel sad. A motto I live by is ‘I am allowed to start over as many times as I need.’ When things get difficult, I remind myself that everyday is another opportunity to get better. In the new year, I see myself taking my passions more seriously, giving them time, and energy. I see myself being more confident in what I love, even if I’m still figuring it out.”
