Alana. Marlene. O'con.
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Reflection #1 I've had to overcome many challenges in my life. One challenge in particular was trying to overcome a stunt in cheer. I've been cheering my whole life and I was always a flyer. I've been on one cheer team for a little over 3 years now and one day during my freshmen year I had to try to fly on one leg, a move called a lib. It was very difficult for me because I would always just fall right when I got up into that lib and that would always be the case. During my sophomore year it was the same way. I didn't have any confidence in myself. I was always scared to hold myself up and would do the exact opposite of what I should be trying to do. During my junior year I made it a goal to do a lib. I practiced with my teammates over and over again during summer practices. I started to tell myself i can do it and to be confident. The more I did it the more progress I saw.I worked out more outside of cheer with getting stronger legs and arms at the gym. One day i finally got it where i could hold myself up without falling in a lib. I was proud of myself for this accomplishment because not only could I finally do that with no problem i was able to become a better flyer in general because I kept the same mindset by telling myself I can do it. I was able to do anything my coach asked for and although it would take practice, that only made me better because of the mindset I had. I realize that if i had a positive mindset and didn't second guess myself, I can overcome anything I set my mind to.
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Reflection #2One barrier that I've faced was Math for a long time. I've always struggled in this subject particularly because I realized when I was younger I never got to really focus on it and learn the material as well. I remember practicing multiplication, adding and subtracting but not enough. I didn't learn my multiplication that well and as years passed on I drifted away from math more and more by giving up completely. I felt that it didn't matter because no one was really helping me or having me practice and learn the math material. This year was different for me; I actually learned the math material. It was all because of a certain teacher I had. I realize I just need to be taught visually and to be explained in a different way. This teacher helped me tremendously to realize that I'm not bad at math. I just need to work harder at it then other students. I would go in at lunch to learn the material and after school. I would raise my hand every time I needed help or didn't understand a problem. This teacher would take her time to really sit down and explain it to me to the point it's easy for me to see it and solve the problem the best way possible. Yes, I do still struggle at times and I'm not amazing at multiplication but everyday I see myself improve.I've taken this educational opportunity by getting help from my teacher, practicing the material and finding a way to learn it visually. I am thankful to overcome this barrier by my teacher and my confidence.
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Reflection #3 One talent that is very important to me is cheerleading. I started when I was in 5th grade not knowing what I was getting myself into. My whole life I've performed and I hula danced for 15 years. I realize after my time of being a hula dancer I fell in love with cheerleading. Ive developed as a cheerleader for 7 years now and I have to say it's been a challenge in some areas. I was always good at being peppy, pumping up the crowd and even performing. There was always room to improve on my talent and I started by working out 5 days a week. I noticed myself getting stronger and more confident in what I have to do when I perform or even cheer on the side lines. I also fly and that is very big to me because i do a lot by trusting the girls who are throwing me up and staying tight to do the technique i'm asked to perform. I feel that cheerleading is my talent and my passion. It's helped me grow as a leader and a strong athlete who is determined to do anything I set my mind to. I feel that most of the skills in cheer came naturally to me especially with performing , flying and just bringing in a crowd to make them feel pumped up. I just always had room to improve on something that was natural for me and I liked that.
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I feel that my creativity has to do with understanding other people's perspectives. For example, any time i've sat down and have had a conversation with a friend, family or even someone I have barely talked to,they will tell me their perspective. They will tell me a problem they're in or a different point of view on a certain topic and i always understand them no matter what. I feel that I connect with a lot of people even if they're in the wrong, I can always see why they did it or why they think of something in another way. I don't always agree because I have my own point of view and I am also dealing with situations but that doesn't stop me from understanding them. I feel that im very unique in this way compared to others because most people are closed minded and only think about what they think. In cheer I was a captain my sophomore year and instead of doing everything my way I wanted to hear the others’ points of views. I always wanted to meet in the middle because I want the girls on the team to feel that they are included in how everything works or what we do. I feel that when someone doesn't see another's point of view it's isolating them . I feel that understanding another’s perspective is very powerful and keeps an open mind to see so much more then just set on one thing only.
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My identity represents me so well. I come from a white family, but I'm also Nicaraguan and spanish. The mix of these things are amazing to me because it's not everyday I meet someone that has the same ethnicity. As I've grown up I feel that I step closer and closer to my roots and religion. I've grown up in a Christian home, similar to my mom and dad. I feel that my mom created most of my identity: making me strong, independent, loving and respectful. When I was little I never really thought about who I am or how others perceive me, but as I got older I’ve learned how to carry myself in a way that brings out the best in me. I’ve struggled in the past and I'm happy I did because it taught me a lot about myself and how to handle situations. I’ve had my heart broken many times and I feel that in my life there has been a lack of love and help from my loved ones. Through Christ I learned that you wanted to always treat others the way you wanted to be treated. This really made me realize that I don't ever want to treat someone the way that I was treated. My place on this earth is to care, love, and support anyone and everyone I can. I feel that the greatest gift to give someone is your time and comfort. I never want anyone to feel the way I did and that's what makes my identity unique. Another situation that I've gone through was having people jump to the wrong conclusions about how I am as a person. I've gone through multiple situations where I meet someone and they tell me they didn't think I was nice, smart, or even caring. Hearing this constantly just made me stronger and not care what others think because I know who I am and at the end of the day that’s all that matters. My goal in life is to live to the fullest, help someone in need, and make someone’s day. When I go into work I put on my best attitude because I know it's contagious and when I have that attitude, it makes a difference in the work environment and in the lives of the customers. I've had one customer tell me about how her brother died that day, and I just remember feeling her pain and the stress she was under. I took out my own experience that I had with my grandma and told the lady the words that would help her get through this situation and she thanked me, that was the best feeling ever. This made me realize I am the way I am because of the way I grew up and all the tragic situations that have happened to me. Now I want to use that to touch others and make living that much easier for them. I’m thankful for my mom and dad and everything they did to make me who I am because they made me realize what’s really right and what’s really wrong. My identity is unique and I wouldn't have wanted to be raised in any other way or have another religion in my life. I'm happy with where I am and where I come from.
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