September 8th, 2021
Deciding on a final idea for my senior capstone project hasn't been the easiest task. There are many factors to take into consideration when picking a project, of course I want to get a good grade on the assignment but I also want to do something meaningful that will inspire me to do more service learning activities in the future. Something I do know about my capstone is that I know I want to do something with middle school students. I remember sitting in my middle school classes and having these seniors present their capstones. Those projects have stayed with me because the seniors knew how to talk to the students and made the information easily attainable. Middle school students are impressionable and having conversations face to face with them can make a big difference. Now I just have to figure out what conversations I want to have with the students.
September 10th, 2021
I've taken time to research ideas for my capstone project and I still haven't thought of an idea and it's making me feel like I'm falling behind. I've spoken to teachers and they've assured me that I still have time. My peers have already started working with teachers for their projects and meanwhile I still haven't thought about what my project will be centered around. I'm a student who loves to be ahead and seeing that people are ahead of me is discouraging. These journal entries seem pointless when you don't have a clue what you're doing.
September 16th, 2021
It's currently 9:23pm at night and I think I've figured out what I'm doing for my project. As a kid who grew up in Hartford and went to public school I learned very quickly that other kids were not as privileged as I was. A core memory I have from my childhood is going school supply shopping with my mom for other kids in my class who had ripped backpacks or not enough school supplies. We've also done this with my younger brother for his school peers. For my capstone project I want to donate a box of supplies to my old elementary school. I was thinking of starting a donation fund for the school if anyone else wants to pitch in to help these kids. I could also even post the donations on my social media so even more people can see it.
End of September, 2021
College application deadlines are coming up in a couple of months and that is something that is worrying me. Picking a topic to write your college essay was something that I thought would come easy to me, but I'm struggling with trying to find a topic that encapsulates that growth I've made over the years. Having this be one of the requirements for deciding factors for a college to accept me is also adding to the pressure of it. Though I struggled, I overcame it and picked my college essay topic. Now I'm onto writing my essay which is a completely different story. I've written over 4 pages in my essay and I'm now choosing the pieces I want to be in the final product of it. Fitting a story of growth is difficult to put into a page and a half.
Choosing the schools I want to apply to is also something that's been a big focus of mine. My dream school is the University of Connecticut. Ever since I went on a trip there in elementary school I knew it would be a dream of mine to attend. They have their school of business on the Hartford campus which means I get to stay close to home. I've also been thinking about applying to Eastern Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, and Manchester Community college. These are still question marks but I know I want to stay in state so I think these might be my top choices if I don't get accepted into UCONN. Fingers crossed!
Capstone has been something I've always looked forward to during my past years in highschool. I couldn't wait to see what I could do to help service my community. While those things are still true I find myself putting it off. With the stress of completing college applications, I've let it fall into the back of my mind. I'm trying to stay up with it by completing my journals.
October, 2021
This month has been eventful! I started volunteering at my mosque to be an assistant teacher to first grade students. I will be going every Saturday from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. I'm working with one of my old teachers and she let me take the lead of the class to practice my public speaking skills. At first I was nervous about this but now that I've attended three classes I think I'm making an improvement. I've been attending this mosque since I was 6 years old and now I'm a teacher! It definitely made me feel old. Watching my students sit in the seats I sat over ten years ago is a full circle moment. I remember every teacher I had and all their lessons they taught me so I hope I get to be the same role model to these kids.
The senior class council was announced and I decided to run for class historian. I wrote a speech and recorded it for tiger time which was definitely out of my comfort zone but I'm glad I did it. The historian makes the senior video for the year so doing it allows you to hold a place at SMSA forever (sappy I know). On the fifteenth I found out I won which coincidentally was my 17th birthday. A pretty good birthday present, even though no one was running against me. Being a part of the student council wasn't something I ever saw myself doing due to me being so shy but I challenged myself to take a risk and it paid off.
I applied to Manchester community college this month. I'm still working on my college essay which is coming together nicely. I've trimmed it down to two pages now which is progress. My application questions are done. All I have to do is complete my essay and I'll be sending out my applications! I think I'm stalling on submitting my essay because I'm scared of rejection. Once I submit my application I can't do anything else, which is nerve wracking. Even though I'm confident in my abilities as a student, going to the University of Connecticut is a dream I've had for years and I want to make sure it's perfect before I send it in.
November, 2021
Senior year feels like it's flying by. The end of the semester is in a month and it feels like it was the first day just a couple of weeks ago! I'm going to miss high school. One of the new things that happened this month is in my health and education in urban communities class we started to visit a school in Hartford called Betances STEM to help out 6th graders. When Mr. Mckay told us about this portion of the class, I was immediately scared and hesitant. He can attest to this. Meeting and working with new kids in a completely different school was like getting thrown into the deep end. Even though I work with kids every Saturday I psyched myself out and made myself nervous for no apparent reason. This will be a recurring theme in my future journals. So far we've been three times and I feel way more comfortable and find myself excited for the days we go there. I do this alot in life. Before I try something new I convince myself the worst outcome will happen so I never get disappointed. I don't know if it has done me more good than harm but i'm going to push myself into believing in myself more. Having more faith in myself is something I've always struggled with but I'm learning to trust myself and trust my abilities.
My idea for capstone has been standing still, I'm scared of reaching out to the schools and getting rejected so I procrastinate on it. I love the idea I chose to do for my capstone. I think once I get started I will feel more confident. I just need to take that first step. Knowing that Dwight Bellizzi is a school that is in need is a big motivator for me to get started on this project. I hope by the end of this school year I will make memories with this project to last a lifetime. I also have my younger brother and cousin who go to that school so it will also be rewarding when I get to help them.
December, 2021
I have finished my essay and submitted my application to UCONN! The stress of applying to college is something I'm glad I don't have to worry about anymore. The little confetti that pops up on the common app website when you submit an application makes the entire process worth it. Now it's waiting until February for the acceptance or rejection letters. Fingers are as crossed as they've ever been. I can feel myself losing sleep over it already.
The end of the semester is approaching and I'm excited for the new semester. Getting used to a new daily routine is going to take some time but I'm ready for the new year. I never really made new year's resolutions but I'm setting one for this year. In the year 2022 I hope to take more risks. Being a young adult I need to learn it's okay to take risks, to know it's okay to fail, to get back up again. I'm committed to this. I'm excited for my new classes and my new teachers. I always like being liked by my teachers so that's always something I make a goal of doing.
Winter break consisted of me making my FAFSA account and trying for days to figure it out myself. Since I decided to do it during winter break I had to wait to speak with my counselors which isn't something I recommend doing. When I finally got back to school I asked my counselor about it and it seemed to go nowhere sadly so I decided to call Selvira, my cousin who also happened to be an accountant to help me. After hours of confusing questions and trying to understand tax returns, I finally turned my FAFSA in.
January, 2022
The transition to the second semester went smoother than expected. Mrs. Bout gave me advice to seek school supply donations from another school in a more affluent area. Hamner elementary is a school in Wethersfield, Connecticut and the principal, Mr. Cone is a former teacher at SMSA so he knows about what the capstone experience is like. I got the green light from Dwight Bellizzi to donate the supplies there. Since I'm working with an elementary school I decided to set up a pizza party as an incentive. I called Village Pizza which is a pizza place in Wethersfield and they agreed to meet with me for a meeting to discuss a possible donation.
Uconn's decisions come out next month and I'm eager to see my status. I've spent the last couple of weeks eagerly waiting for an email from the admissions office. I applied to the school of business on the Hartford campus and after college my hopes are to go to law school to become an assistant district attorney. I hope to go into family law so I can help young kids and families. I know even if i don't get into Uconn the world won't end but it doesn't make me want it any less.
School and capstone have done a good job of keeping me distracted until February. I've settled into all my new classes and gotten used to my new schedule since I have early dismissal this semester. Emailing with Mr. Cone and setting up future dates for the upcoming drive have been taking up all of my time but I'm not complaining. Their school day ends at 3:30pm so after school I could drive down there and start meeting the students and teachers. It feels really good to have this project on a roll and I'm excited to see the end result. I'm also excited for the moment I get to give the supplies to Dwight Bellizzi. The feeling of helping the school that helped shape me into the person I am today is something I can't wait to experience.
February, 2022
This month has been the busiest of my senior year. Ive had alot of ups and downs. Unfortunately I wasn't able to work with Hamner elementary school but Mr. Cone put me into contact with Mrs. Mori. She is the principal of Highcrest elementary school. We had a google meeting and set up dates for the drive, a day for me to come in and meet the kids, and a day to virtually meet with a teacher. I've been emailing with Mr. Davila. Ive started the process of making a flyer to print and put on the bins. The last step is waiting for Mr. Davila to get back to me with any specific needs that they might have at Dwight Bellizzi.
Dealing with the rejection from Hamner was my biggest fear and when it came true I was devastated but I got back up again. I was lucky enough to have Mr. Cone put me in contact with Mrs. Mori so I picked myself up and worked harder to ensure that this drive would happen. I never would've thought I'd be glad to be rejected from something but I'm glad I've had this experience early on in life. I now know how I respond to rejection, which is a tool I get to take with me for the rest of my life.
One of the ups of this month and my life so far has been getting accepted to the University of Connecticut. Since Uconn was my dream school I committed the very next day. #UconnBound. I got a $20,000 scholarship from Hartfords Promise and Uconn matches that so it totals up to a $40,000 scholarship. I ended up finding out at 10 pm on Saturday the 26th, so I had to wake up my parents to tell them the good news. My mom spent the last month reassuring me so when I told her she wasn't surprised. My dad's nickname for me for the last couple of years has been “Uconn girl” so he was so ecstatic that I was actually going to become a Uconn girl. Making my parents proud has been something I've always strived to do so now I feel like I've finally achieved that.
March, 2022
This month has been filled with capstone. I successfully held my school supply drive! The students at highcrest elementary ended up raising over 400 school supplies for the students at Dwight Bellizzi! This entire process has been so amazing but it didn't come easily. I had to call the family resource specialist at Dwight Bellizzi to see what they needed in terms of school supplies. After I got that information I was able to update my flier and start the printing process which took several hours since I needed one for every student and teacher. I also had to finish wrapping seven bins for the classroom to put their school supplies. Wrapping paper boxes is no joke. It was a struggle trying to fully cover them without wrinkling the paper but after many hours of trial and error I finished them.
In the beginning of this project a fear of mine was public speaking and choosing this capstone meant I had to go to Highcrest and present my project to 7 different classes. I was more nervous presenting in front of second and fourth graders than presenting in front of my senior class. Kids have no filter and that scared me but thankfully they were all so welcoming. My younger cousins Elisa and Liana attend highcrest so they have spent the last week telling their classmates and teachers about my project. I was really thankful I had their faces in the crowd so I wasn't completely by myself. One kid even asked me for a handshake. After I finished presenting the idea of the school supplies I got into my car and started crying. I was so relieved my idea was actually going somewhere. I didn't want to disappoint Mrs. Bout or the students at Bellizzi but most importantly I didn't want to disappoint myself. I wanted to prove to myself that I could make this drive happen.
In other news I've been applying for scholarships. I've applied to two so far. My tuition at uconn is covered by my hartford promise scholarship and financial aid. The main reason I work so hard is for my family. My parents have lived difficult lives and taking a burden like college tuition off their shoulders is the least I could do. Applying for other scholarships will allow me to cover indirect costs like textbooks so my parents can focus on my younger brother.
Deciding on a final idea for my senior capstone project hasn't been the easiest task. There are many factors to take into consideration when picking a project, of course I want to get a good grade on the assignment but I also want to do something meaningful that will inspire me to do more service learning activities in the future. Something I do know about my capstone is that I know I want to do something with middle school students. I remember sitting in my middle school classes and having these seniors present their capstones. Those projects have stayed with me because the seniors knew how to talk to the students and made the information easily attainable. Middle school students are impressionable and having conversations face to face with them can make a big difference. Now I just have to figure out what conversations I want to have with the students.
September 10th, 2021
I've taken time to research ideas for my capstone project and I still haven't thought of an idea and it's making me feel like I'm falling behind. I've spoken to teachers and they've assured me that I still have time. My peers have already started working with teachers for their projects and meanwhile I still haven't thought about what my project will be centered around. I'm a student who loves to be ahead and seeing that people are ahead of me is discouraging. These journal entries seem pointless when you don't have a clue what you're doing.
September 16th, 2021
It's currently 9:23pm at night and I think I've figured out what I'm doing for my project. As a kid who grew up in Hartford and went to public school I learned very quickly that other kids were not as privileged as I was. A core memory I have from my childhood is going school supply shopping with my mom for other kids in my class who had ripped backpacks or not enough school supplies. We've also done this with my younger brother for his school peers. For my capstone project I want to donate a box of supplies to my old elementary school. I was thinking of starting a donation fund for the school if anyone else wants to pitch in to help these kids. I could also even post the donations on my social media so even more people can see it.
End of September, 2021
College application deadlines are coming up in a couple of months and that is something that is worrying me. Picking a topic to write your college essay was something that I thought would come easy to me, but I'm struggling with trying to find a topic that encapsulates that growth I've made over the years. Having this be one of the requirements for deciding factors for a college to accept me is also adding to the pressure of it. Though I struggled, I overcame it and picked my college essay topic. Now I'm onto writing my essay which is a completely different story. I've written over 4 pages in my essay and I'm now choosing the pieces I want to be in the final product of it. Fitting a story of growth is difficult to put into a page and a half.
Choosing the schools I want to apply to is also something that's been a big focus of mine. My dream school is the University of Connecticut. Ever since I went on a trip there in elementary school I knew it would be a dream of mine to attend. They have their school of business on the Hartford campus which means I get to stay close to home. I've also been thinking about applying to Eastern Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, and Manchester Community college. These are still question marks but I know I want to stay in state so I think these might be my top choices if I don't get accepted into UCONN. Fingers crossed!
Capstone has been something I've always looked forward to during my past years in highschool. I couldn't wait to see what I could do to help service my community. While those things are still true I find myself putting it off. With the stress of completing college applications, I've let it fall into the back of my mind. I'm trying to stay up with it by completing my journals.
October, 2021
This month has been eventful! I started volunteering at my mosque to be an assistant teacher to first grade students. I will be going every Saturday from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. I'm working with one of my old teachers and she let me take the lead of the class to practice my public speaking skills. At first I was nervous about this but now that I've attended three classes I think I'm making an improvement. I've been attending this mosque since I was 6 years old and now I'm a teacher! It definitely made me feel old. Watching my students sit in the seats I sat over ten years ago is a full circle moment. I remember every teacher I had and all their lessons they taught me so I hope I get to be the same role model to these kids.
The senior class council was announced and I decided to run for class historian. I wrote a speech and recorded it for tiger time which was definitely out of my comfort zone but I'm glad I did it. The historian makes the senior video for the year so doing it allows you to hold a place at SMSA forever (sappy I know). On the fifteenth I found out I won which coincidentally was my 17th birthday. A pretty good birthday present, even though no one was running against me. Being a part of the student council wasn't something I ever saw myself doing due to me being so shy but I challenged myself to take a risk and it paid off.
I applied to Manchester community college this month. I'm still working on my college essay which is coming together nicely. I've trimmed it down to two pages now which is progress. My application questions are done. All I have to do is complete my essay and I'll be sending out my applications! I think I'm stalling on submitting my essay because I'm scared of rejection. Once I submit my application I can't do anything else, which is nerve wracking. Even though I'm confident in my abilities as a student, going to the University of Connecticut is a dream I've had for years and I want to make sure it's perfect before I send it in.
November, 2021
Senior year feels like it's flying by. The end of the semester is in a month and it feels like it was the first day just a couple of weeks ago! I'm going to miss high school. One of the new things that happened this month is in my health and education in urban communities class we started to visit a school in Hartford called Betances STEM to help out 6th graders. When Mr. Mckay told us about this portion of the class, I was immediately scared and hesitant. He can attest to this. Meeting and working with new kids in a completely different school was like getting thrown into the deep end. Even though I work with kids every Saturday I psyched myself out and made myself nervous for no apparent reason. This will be a recurring theme in my future journals. So far we've been three times and I feel way more comfortable and find myself excited for the days we go there. I do this alot in life. Before I try something new I convince myself the worst outcome will happen so I never get disappointed. I don't know if it has done me more good than harm but i'm going to push myself into believing in myself more. Having more faith in myself is something I've always struggled with but I'm learning to trust myself and trust my abilities.
My idea for capstone has been standing still, I'm scared of reaching out to the schools and getting rejected so I procrastinate on it. I love the idea I chose to do for my capstone. I think once I get started I will feel more confident. I just need to take that first step. Knowing that Dwight Bellizzi is a school that is in need is a big motivator for me to get started on this project. I hope by the end of this school year I will make memories with this project to last a lifetime. I also have my younger brother and cousin who go to that school so it will also be rewarding when I get to help them.
December, 2021
I have finished my essay and submitted my application to UCONN! The stress of applying to college is something I'm glad I don't have to worry about anymore. The little confetti that pops up on the common app website when you submit an application makes the entire process worth it. Now it's waiting until February for the acceptance or rejection letters. Fingers are as crossed as they've ever been. I can feel myself losing sleep over it already.
The end of the semester is approaching and I'm excited for the new semester. Getting used to a new daily routine is going to take some time but I'm ready for the new year. I never really made new year's resolutions but I'm setting one for this year. In the year 2022 I hope to take more risks. Being a young adult I need to learn it's okay to take risks, to know it's okay to fail, to get back up again. I'm committed to this. I'm excited for my new classes and my new teachers. I always like being liked by my teachers so that's always something I make a goal of doing.
Winter break consisted of me making my FAFSA account and trying for days to figure it out myself. Since I decided to do it during winter break I had to wait to speak with my counselors which isn't something I recommend doing. When I finally got back to school I asked my counselor about it and it seemed to go nowhere sadly so I decided to call Selvira, my cousin who also happened to be an accountant to help me. After hours of confusing questions and trying to understand tax returns, I finally turned my FAFSA in.
January, 2022
The transition to the second semester went smoother than expected. Mrs. Bout gave me advice to seek school supply donations from another school in a more affluent area. Hamner elementary is a school in Wethersfield, Connecticut and the principal, Mr. Cone is a former teacher at SMSA so he knows about what the capstone experience is like. I got the green light from Dwight Bellizzi to donate the supplies there. Since I'm working with an elementary school I decided to set up a pizza party as an incentive. I called Village Pizza which is a pizza place in Wethersfield and they agreed to meet with me for a meeting to discuss a possible donation.
Uconn's decisions come out next month and I'm eager to see my status. I've spent the last couple of weeks eagerly waiting for an email from the admissions office. I applied to the school of business on the Hartford campus and after college my hopes are to go to law school to become an assistant district attorney. I hope to go into family law so I can help young kids and families. I know even if i don't get into Uconn the world won't end but it doesn't make me want it any less.
School and capstone have done a good job of keeping me distracted until February. I've settled into all my new classes and gotten used to my new schedule since I have early dismissal this semester. Emailing with Mr. Cone and setting up future dates for the upcoming drive have been taking up all of my time but I'm not complaining. Their school day ends at 3:30pm so after school I could drive down there and start meeting the students and teachers. It feels really good to have this project on a roll and I'm excited to see the end result. I'm also excited for the moment I get to give the supplies to Dwight Bellizzi. The feeling of helping the school that helped shape me into the person I am today is something I can't wait to experience.
February, 2022
This month has been the busiest of my senior year. Ive had alot of ups and downs. Unfortunately I wasn't able to work with Hamner elementary school but Mr. Cone put me into contact with Mrs. Mori. She is the principal of Highcrest elementary school. We had a google meeting and set up dates for the drive, a day for me to come in and meet the kids, and a day to virtually meet with a teacher. I've been emailing with Mr. Davila. Ive started the process of making a flyer to print and put on the bins. The last step is waiting for Mr. Davila to get back to me with any specific needs that they might have at Dwight Bellizzi.
Dealing with the rejection from Hamner was my biggest fear and when it came true I was devastated but I got back up again. I was lucky enough to have Mr. Cone put me in contact with Mrs. Mori so I picked myself up and worked harder to ensure that this drive would happen. I never would've thought I'd be glad to be rejected from something but I'm glad I've had this experience early on in life. I now know how I respond to rejection, which is a tool I get to take with me for the rest of my life.
One of the ups of this month and my life so far has been getting accepted to the University of Connecticut. Since Uconn was my dream school I committed the very next day. #UconnBound. I got a $20,000 scholarship from Hartfords Promise and Uconn matches that so it totals up to a $40,000 scholarship. I ended up finding out at 10 pm on Saturday the 26th, so I had to wake up my parents to tell them the good news. My mom spent the last month reassuring me so when I told her she wasn't surprised. My dad's nickname for me for the last couple of years has been “Uconn girl” so he was so ecstatic that I was actually going to become a Uconn girl. Making my parents proud has been something I've always strived to do so now I feel like I've finally achieved that.
March, 2022
This month has been filled with capstone. I successfully held my school supply drive! The students at highcrest elementary ended up raising over 400 school supplies for the students at Dwight Bellizzi! This entire process has been so amazing but it didn't come easily. I had to call the family resource specialist at Dwight Bellizzi to see what they needed in terms of school supplies. After I got that information I was able to update my flier and start the printing process which took several hours since I needed one for every student and teacher. I also had to finish wrapping seven bins for the classroom to put their school supplies. Wrapping paper boxes is no joke. It was a struggle trying to fully cover them without wrinkling the paper but after many hours of trial and error I finished them.
In the beginning of this project a fear of mine was public speaking and choosing this capstone meant I had to go to Highcrest and present my project to 7 different classes. I was more nervous presenting in front of second and fourth graders than presenting in front of my senior class. Kids have no filter and that scared me but thankfully they were all so welcoming. My younger cousins Elisa and Liana attend highcrest so they have spent the last week telling their classmates and teachers about my project. I was really thankful I had their faces in the crowd so I wasn't completely by myself. One kid even asked me for a handshake. After I finished presenting the idea of the school supplies I got into my car and started crying. I was so relieved my idea was actually going somewhere. I didn't want to disappoint Mrs. Bout or the students at Bellizzi but most importantly I didn't want to disappoint myself. I wanted to prove to myself that I could make this drive happen.
In other news I've been applying for scholarships. I've applied to two so far. My tuition at uconn is covered by my hartford promise scholarship and financial aid. The main reason I work so hard is for my family. My parents have lived difficult lives and taking a burden like college tuition off their shoulders is the least I could do. Applying for other scholarships will allow me to cover indirect costs like textbooks so my parents can focus on my younger brother.