Top 10

These are my top 10 miscellaneous things of high school.

1. For My Parents...(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QhusY1zAHI)
2. The Theory of Everything
3. Saving Mr. Banks
4. Snapchat
5. Riptide
6. Corgi Puppies (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wvt_K4LW29c)
7. Rise and Swim (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzm6TEManmQ)
8. The Fosters
9. The Imitation Game
10. Dance Moms

Favorite Novel

My favorite novel that I read in my high schools years is The Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom. I read this novel during the summer between freshman and sophomore year. I acquired a copy of this book at a really neat used bookstore in Pike Place Market in Seattle on vacation. The novel is about the death of a man and how he explores his life after death. He meets five people that he has influenced in his life and sees why they died instead of him, and how he contributed to their lives. I think I enjoy this novel because I like the idea that we all influence each other's lives in some way.

Lyrics

I really liked the song "All of Me" by John Legend in 2014. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=450p7goxZqg)
The one line that I like is "My head's underwater, but I'm breathing fine". It seemed like an appropriate metaphor for my life between balancing school and swimming. This song reminds me of that time in my life and how I can overcome any challenges.

Timeline

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sfhVBx1CeOX-IxcTfQfRbJkNq1fC4gi8Lrq71Velt2Y/edit?usp=sharing

Senior Reflection 3

#7. What do you see yourself doing one year from today? Imagine what the day looks like. You schedule? Your friends? Your family? Now consider where you aim to be 5 years from now.

On year from today, May 17th 2016 I will be attending Stanford University towards the end of my Spring Quarter. Most of my other friends will have ended college already but since I started college so late, I also end late. I imagine going to practice in the morning, taking classes, doing homework, and hanging out with a group of friends that I have made my freshman year. These are the people that I will room with next year and be my core friends for the next four years. It is a typical day, maybe prepping for a midterm or finals in a couple of weeks. I might have my friends who have returned home from other colleges come visit me at Stanford since it is so close to home. It is pretty warm at this time of year so I hope I have time to relax in my day and enjoy the sunshine. My family is probably at home in San Jose. Maybe I will have gone to visit them this weekend, or they will have come up to visit me. Five years from today, I will have graduated college. I might be at graduate school continuing my education. I may have found a job already and decided not to pursue higher education. I don’t exactly have a plan for next year or the next 5 years but I know that life will take me wherever I need to be.

Senior Reflection 2

#5. If you had to narrow it down, who has been the single most influential person (dead or alive/ on or off campus) these past 4 years?

My mom has been the single most influential person for me these past 4 years of high school. From freshman year to senior year, I have grown so much due to her nurture and constant support in me. During freshman year I failed to make the National Team and wanted to give up. I wanted to move away and quit doing synchronized swimming. My mom encouraged me to keep going and that giving up is not the solution when you have failed to achieve something. I took the summer off and returned to synchro and it is a decision that I am grateful for. My mom pushes me to be the best that I can be and even when I don’t appreciate her encouragement at the time, looking back I can definitely say that I am grateful. During the beginning of senior year, I didn’t want to waste my time and apply to Stanford because I didn’t think that I would be able to get in. My mom basically forced me to apply and told me that I had to at least try. I can wholeheartedly thank her for pushing me to get into my dream school and believing in me when I could not.

Senior Reflection 1

#4. What’s your greatest fear with regard to life after high school?

My greatest fear with regard to life after high school is the uncertainty of my future. Everything seems beyond my control, but in fact everything is in my control. In high school, there is always a safety net. My parents pay for everything, I always have food and shelter, and constant support. My friends have been my friends for the majority of my life and I can always count on them to be there for me. Even the faculty at Lynbrook have an inviting, caring charisma to them. I’m afraid that after high school, that safety net will be gone. I can’t rely on my parents to take care of everything, my friends to always be there the second I need them, and teachers who truly want me to succeed. It scares me to think that I will have to face the world by myself without the support system behind me.