Bridging Magazine 14th edition

8GA-14

14th EDITION • 2015

Table of Contents

Edwards Page 9

McCormack Page 28

Orchard Gardens K–8 Page 47

Washington Irving Page 74

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8GA Authors Alejandra Bonilla Alene Fer nandes Alex Gomes Alexa Sanchez Alexandra Arias Alfred Rivera Alyssa Monteiro Amairis Perez Ana Cecilia Gil Her nandez Angelo Lugo Anthony Cordova Antonio Depina Ariana Mathis Ashley Pires Ashley Sanchez Axel Perez Casti llo Bill Nguyen Britney Mendez Camila Muneton Carismah Goodman Carlos Baez Cedr ick Powell Christopher Altamirano Daijun Li Damaris Nova Daniel Austin Daniel Bustamante Daniel Maravilla Daniel Var gas Daquan Fletcher Darronte Houston-Loving David Dang David Mai Dayana Ledesm a Djamari Mar moucha Edward Matos Ekran Sharif Elizabeth Medina Martinez Elsa Alvarado Nunez Elvin Medrano Ericka Brito Esteban Correa Monroy Esthela Beltre Eva Aleman Ezequiel Rivera Florkenthia Jolibois Fredricka Reid Gilso n Dosouto Gisel le Ponce Iandra Mendez Iara Pires

Izmael Genao Jacqueline Arroyave Jairo Lazo Jajuana Pearson Jalen Martinez Jamesha Polk Janine Mendes Jasmine Lopez Jasmine Per mell Jef frey Martinez Joanna Andrade Joe Joseph Page Johnangel Clemente Fuentes Jomar Rosario Joseph Bynum Juan Brea Baez Judy Nguyen Julia Chen Juliana Trejo Kaila W illiams-Pi単a Karizma Baez Karven Saint Jean Katia DosSantos Kayla Dapina Kaylee Bonilla Keavon Green Kelly Alvarado Ken Fer nandez Kenderline Mene Kendrick Echeverri Kevin Lopez Iara Silva Leah Burus Leira Ocasio Lesly Arias Gonzalez Lisbeth Diaz Lissa Frometa Paulino Lisset Turbi Lucevania Soares Luis Falcon Luis Ortez Luis Pena Luis Soto Luis Ventura Luisa Depina Maciej Sadowski Malik Abbas Marcus Rivera Maria Andrade Maria Silveira Mauro Lopes

Mayelin Valdez Mekhi Fluker Melany Miranda Melucy Correia Melvin Dee Minard Jr. Melvin Soto Michael Figueroa Mikaila W illiams Mor gan Malone Nakhia Taylor Naomi Cummings Nayely Pena Ngan Ly Nisla Antunes Nomar Cruz Olivia Deguglielmo Paola Mejia Peter Baptista Peter Nguyen Richard Maldonado Ruben Andrade Sarah Lawton Shandira Soto Sheila Ware Sher mari Peeples Sholisza Moore Sophia Thach Stanley Mejia Checo Stephen Mondesir Tamara Ahrendts Taysha Coulton Thao Trinh Thomas Anderson Tuan Nguyen T yler Errico Valeria Jaramillo Whitney Posada W ilson Liang Wydri Hasan Xingying Zeng Yafelina Ventura Yancy Lopez Yodit Tadesse Yomara Ramirez Yuan Jie Liang Ze Lopes Zhirong Zhang

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about CITIZEN SCHOOLS 20 years ago Citizen Schools was just an idea. That idea has now spread to a nationwide movement. A movement that helps all children discover and achieve their dreams. It was Citizen Schools at the forefront of today’s movement to educate children and strengthen our communities. We partner with public middle schools in eight states nationwide, expanding the learning day for approximately 5,200 middle school students, and counting. Since 1994, when our co-founder and former CEO, Eric Schwarz taught a journalism class to a group of 5th graders at the Dever Elementary School in Dorchester, Citizen Schools has helped youth develop academic and leadership skills they need to succeed in high school, college, the workplace, and civic life. We do this by mobilizing a second shift of educators, including 4,000 adult volunteers who connect with young people in hands-on educational activities. We aim for an even larger impact.

Our program demonstrates how expanded learning time can be a powerful opportunity to re-imagine learning, bring communities together, and increase access to the American Dream. Through unique volunteer engagement, staffing strategies, program models and advocacy, Citizen Schools seeks to involve everyone in the education of our children. We envision a day when work like ours takes place in all schools across the country. Our work, and this magazine, began in Boston, where students have an expanded learning day – Monday through Fridays – to get help with homework; participate in Math and English Language Arts enrichment classes; take trips to colleges and universities; and engage in apprenticeships led by volunteer Citizen Teachers. Through the program, they develop skills of leadership, public speaking, critical thinking and problem solving, responsibility, initiative, and other essential qualities.

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letter from the MASSACHUSETTS TEAM We l c o m e t o t h e 1 4 t h e d i t i o n o f t h e C i t i z e n S c h o o l s 8 G A B r i d g i n g M a g a z i n e !

The 8th Grade Academy, lovingly referred to as 8GA, was first launched in 2001 at Codman Square Health Center in Boston. Since then, we have moved and expanded to four campuses: The Edwards Middle School in Charlestown, McCormack Middle School in Dorchester, Orchard Gardens K-8 School in Roxbury, and Washington Irving Middle School in Roslindale. In 2002, came the very first issue of Bridging Magazine, which featured student essays from the Writing Coach Program. Proof of the continued strength of this program is within these pages. In this edition you will find creative and inspirational essays written by students in the 8GA writing program. Students were coached by volunteers from our partner law firms, Northeastern University, Fidelity Investments, and Citizen Schools staff members in our Boston Headquarters. These are their stories, written as memoirs, opinions, or personal essays. These dreams are much closer to realization and fulfillment because our volunteers believed in the ability of these young men and women, and gave their time to mentor and coach them through each stage of the writing process. That is the legacy Bridging Magazine promotes: creating a bridge so students will continue to achieve future success. Every essay is a testament to the amazing things students can accomplish when provided access to both caring mentors and exciting opportunities. We encourage you to take a moment to read the next few pages to learn more about our mission and how that bridge from 8th grade to a successful future is built.

Enjoy!

Christian Pagรกn, 8th Grade Academy Program Manager Angie Jaimez, Strategy and Operations Manager Carolyn Roscoe, Director of Civic Engagement Megan Bird, Regional Managing Director of Program

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about WRITING COACH The 8GA Writing Coach Program is a unique opportunity reserved specifically for members of 8th Grade Academy, the leaders of the Citizen Schools community. Every other Tuesday, students venture downtown to the sophisticated confines of a partner law firm, our company partners or to our downtown Boston headquarters.

Over the course of the year, students and coaches work 1:1 to craft high-quality essays, ranging from biographical sketches of one another to personal statements in the form of high school admission essays to some of the best schools in Boston. Come spring, students use the writing skills they have built to create “future-focused essays,� which paint a vivid picture of where they are headed in life. These are the pieces that fill the pages of this issue of Bridging Magazine.

The amount of imagination, hard work, and relationship-building that goes into each coaching session is truly impressive. The stories published in this 14th annual edition will astound you with their creativity, candidness, and variety. It is with great pleasure that we present to you the 2015 edition of Bridging Magazine!

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THANK YOU On behalf of the students, families, volunteers, and staff of the Citizen Schools 8th Grade Academy, we sincerely thank all of our writing coaches, school partners, writing coordinators, and legal partners. The coaches guide and inspire our students, and the writing coordinators and law firms make this partnership possible. We are humbled by the outpouring of advertising support for Bridging—this truly would not have been possible without the financial support of our legal partners.

Our AmeriCorps 8GA Teaching Fellows: Randall Mason, Billy Rutherford, Sam Walton, Erica Phifer, Delicia Williams, Simon Winchell-Manning, Ana Shapiro, Jessie Belfer, Kyle Morgan, Ashley Davis, Lucy Arthur Paratley, and Ben Horton for volunteering endless hours of their time to successfully plan college trips, assisting our students with high school applications, and reviewing and editing Bridging Magazine essays.

Recycled Paper Printing and our very own Edwards Teaching Fellow Carlos Gonzalez for his patience and talent in designing the magazine so that it best highlights our apprentices’ writing. Also Todd Truesdale for printing this magazine cost effectively, while maintaining tremendous quality.

To our corporate partners, for graciously hosting our Magazine Launch Parties at their space. Fidelity Investments, for its generous investment support for our 8th Grade Academy program across the Citizen Schools national network.

Hamilton College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Tufts University, UMASS Boston, Harvard University, Boston College, and Wheelock College for helping our students experience college life years ahead of schedule. Dozens of administrators, undergraduates, and graduate students sat on panels, led tours, organized logistics, and arranged for special events-- from tstep performances to basketball games to free meals.

Our partner high schools—Boston Arts Academy, Boston Community Leadership Academy, Boston Green Academy, City on a Hill, Codman Academy, Cristo Rey Boston, Fenway High School, MATCH, New Mission High School, Cathedral, Catholic Memorial and others, for their high academic standards, dedicated staff, and genuine desire to support our shared students.

Sarah Smith and Denise Snyder of Boston Public Schools for their collaboration in providing data and support for our Guide to Selecting the Right High School.

Our Deputy Team Leaders for being such strong role models and dependable leaders at program all year – Vidya Ganga, Abubakar Garba, Giang Le, Leslie Rose, Austin Wyllie, Madina Khudaynazar, Eli Martinez, Cydney Ochogwu, Richard Abelard, and Janeilah Vazquez.

Our Massachusetts Regional Team, especially Angie Jaimez, Carolyn Roscoe, Megan Bird and Pat Kirby for their uncompromising support and belief in the importance of this program.

Our Alumni who continue to show support to Citizen Schools: Leide Cabral (8GA1) Development Associate, MacCalvin Romain (8GA2), Digitas Senior Technology Analyst, Delicia Williams (8GA3) McCormack Teaching Fellow, Sabrina Saint-Louis (8GA6) Citizen Schools Regional Teaching Associate, Shalise DePina (8GA7) McCormack Teaching Associate, Sophia Pompilus, Orchard Gardens Teaching Fellow.

John Werner for being the original founder and director of 8th Grade Academy and for having the vision and faith that this program would carry on and change lives.

And the many other friends, colleagues, and supporters who have helped build the 8GA community.

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EDWARDS

TEAM BELFER Alejandra Bonilla : My CSI Future In the year two thousand and thirty I would like my life to be like CSI Miami. Fifteen years from now I will be a criminologist. Criminologists study a variety of factors to determine why criminals commit crimes.

The thrill of fighting crimes makes me excited for this career. In order to succeed in this job, I will get my criminology degree at the University of Florida. This school has one of the best criminology programs in the United States.

By studying criminology I will learn why people commit crimes. I will study autopsy reports to figure out how a person died or what killed him/her. Profiling criminals will help me know what kind of person would commit these crimes. Also, understanding social causes behind crimes will help explain how a criminal’s background contributed to a crime. I would like to make a huge difference by decreasing the crime rate in Miami. By doing so, I will become one of the best criminologists in Miami.

Later on in life, my job will give me the ability to travel. It has been a dream of mine to go around the world and see interesting things like the culture of Italy, Spain, and many more places. In my free time I will enjoy spending time with my friends while catching up on new things in our lives. Also, I would like to have a family with a husband, four children, and a dog. Accomplishing these goals will help me pursue my dream life.

Coached By: Mallory Joel, Wayfair

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Alexandra Arias : Music Revelation Music flows through this generation’s head 24/7. This generation will be remembered for music because we make memories through music. Music also helps people feel better when they are going through hard times.

Music is a big part of this generation’s life.

Music is a part of making memories in this generation. One musical memory I have is when I played “Uptown funk” by Bruno Mars, my nephew started dancing with the people in the video trying to do what they are doing. Also when I go to parties everyone is dancing, being crazy, and having fun because of the kind of music that is playing. Then in cultural occasions they play certain music that only people from that country know.

When I go to a Puerto Rican festival they have Spanish singers there and dancers doing a certain dance that goes with the music and all you see in the crowd is everyone singing and dancing along having a blast. Music helps make these moments that this generation can remember in the future.

This generations depends on music to help them get through hard times. When I’m sad, I listen to music and my whole day turns around. Also, I listen to music to learn from my mistakes.

This generation will be remembered because of our music. We make memories through music, and music helps us in the present and in the future. Music has inspired me to become a professional singer like Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj. As an aspiring musician I hope to create memories and help other people.

Coached By: Elizabeth Trainor, Wayfair Axel Perez Castillo : The Golden Ticket In 30 years I want the president to pass a law that makes it easier for immigrants to become citizens. Then, they will be able to go back and get their children from their home countries. Immigrants can work together with American people and live as one community.

Immigrants are skillful people who can help improve the American economy. They think of new strategies to improve their communities by bringing new ideas based on experience that they had in their home countries.

People bring their own experiences that help the other workers to have a better understanding of what would be helpful. For example, in Latin countries such as El Salvador, Ecuador, Colombia, and Costa Rica, there are people who have experience with different ways to plant crops.

Everyone in the United States wants to be equal, comfortable, and protected by the same constitution. In order for people to follow the rules, all laws have to apply to every race. One of the major rights that will be guaranteed to immigrants when they become citizens is the right to a passport. Passports allow immigrants to travel to their home countries and back to the USA. Since they will have a passport, Immigrants won’t have to worry about leaving their families because they will be able to travel back and forth.

In conclusion, if the president is able to pass a bill that gives immigrants documents, then they will improve the economy and everyone will be equal. Immigration reform is important because people from other countries should be able to come safely to America.

Coached By: Ashley Newsome, Wayfair Camila Muñeton : Surgeon at 29!

It’s been fifteen years since I graduated from eighth grade and I have accomplished many things. What I’m most proud of is that I have graduated from Harvard with a degree in Medicine and I’ve landed my dream job in New York as an E.R. surgeon. I am euphoric! My job makes me happy because seeing crazy things makes every day different and most importantly I get to help people.

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Just the other day, a groom came in claiming that he had tripped down the stairs carrying a bottle opener and a bottle of wine. The opener pierced his palm and when the bottle smashed the glass cut his face! I was able to stitch him up and send him on his way to a happily ever after. It is stories like this one that make me eager to go to work.

Apart from every day being exciting, I get to help people, which is what I love the most. Seeing them smile after I have told them that they will be okay is rewarding. One of the best ways I can help them is to return them safely to their loved ones.

At the end of the day it is an exhausting job but I love it. I love the excitement and risk factors of my job that make each day completely different from the rest. Knowing that I am helping people is one of the biggest perks of the job. I get to witness families love and support each other. I love what I do.

Coached By: Allie Kreider, Wayfar

Christopher Altamirano : Future of Innovation It’s 2045 and I’m working as a engineer at EPI Engineering. At the same time the science community has discovered many new things such as 4D printers. Now that we can basically print anything, why not print dinosaurs and their ecosystems? Meanwhile, astronomers are celebrating Voyager 1’s journey past Canis Major.

Now that its 2045, we’ve come so far in astronomy that we’ve even passed two solar systems and rogue planets. 30 Kelvin is how fast the craft went. We even found new elements, but we can’t put them into use because they are highly radioactive, even more than the Chernobyl blast. But if we’d use a very small fragment of the element then we can put it into a pill which can stop aging in the body.

Since the 4D printer that I created can print body parts, we can print dinosaurs and their ecosystems and put them into a study. The 4D printer only needs a blood sample or DNA sample, so the hemotologist has to take bone marrow samples of dinosaurs, but for the plants we can just print trees. The technology is so advanced that we’ve printed trees which can do photosynthesis and we can put them into our test labs.

Back in 2015, the world had many problems. We already had the technology but we didn’t know what to do with it. But now that we have the knowledge we can use it to cure diseases, viruses, and even deforestation.

Also, this information can help us discover whether or not we are alone in the universe. The world is way better than it was in 2015.

Coached By: Grace Mendel, Wayfair Daniel Maravilla : The Next Big Thingamagiger!

It’s 2045, and technology is bursting! Laser rifles, gaming consoles, and many more helpful innovations have came out this year. The new Honda Hover Ground RD47X are anti-gravity cars that have exploded in the market.

In my RD47X, I strap my seat belt and say, “Google, take me to KFC”. The car responds, “Destination, KFC”, and flies off to the closest KFC restaurant. When I arrive, the car sets its magnetic wheels down on the steel-ground parking lot. I order my meal. While I wait, I take out my holographic handheld, Xbox Portable 7200, and play Call Of Duty MW18.

Anti-gravity cars are also being used to prevent global warming, car accidents, and can self-operate. The cars stop global warming by using anti-gravitational force on the Earth’s gravitational field. They prevent car accidents by using auto-drive and using sensors to notify the driver about any objects around it.

Another technology that was released was the holographic gaming/television, which helps people lose weight, 11

projects realistic images, and introduces job opportunities. Holographs make people be in the game’s world by projecting images in the air. They are available in theaters, stadiums, restaurants and other stores. Holographs can finally give first-time employees an experience of a new job by using holographic job simulations.

Because of all of these advanced technologies, my life is easy, simple and smooth. These advanced- powered inventions have made a major difference to what we thought was impossible. They’re eco-friendly and help society in a variety of ways. However, technology keeps getting better and my car is nothing compared in a few years. What will be the next big thing!

Coached By: Madeline Roche, Wayfair

David Mai : An Endless Dream Have you ever imagined how your life would be in the year 2030? I will definitely become an author!

Becoming an author has been my dream since 7th grade. In order to become an author, I will work hard and go to school to advance my skills. Becoming an author is the best way for me to enjoy my life.

Now, I am not a famous author, however, I will do everything I can to achieve my dream. Right now, I am attending writing program because I want to learn more about writing. In the future, I will go to high school and college to learn more writing and vocabulary skills. This year, I took the ISEE again to get into Boston Latin Academy. For me, it was the biggest challenge I have ever experienced. However, I had to do it for my future, because attending BLA is the road to my dream college: Harvard University. Boston Latin Academy and Harvard University will be the best schools to prepare me for my future as an author, and I will continue to put in my best effort to turn my dream into reality.

As an author, I will write memorial books to record my life. When I get older, I can use my books to reflect on my life to prove I was once alive. As a man who experienced how much hard work it takes to succeed, I want to write about what I did to get to where I am and what it is like being a success. My name is David Mai, you’ll find my books in the future, that’s a promise!

Coached By: Ali Michael & Kristen Ankiewicz, Wayfair Ezequiel Rivera Pla : The Football Dream I’m ready to go. It’s the last game. Tom Brady has the ball and says “Hut!” I run down without stopping. I have a man on me who plays better than me. “I trick him?” I ask myself, and I run past him. I put my hand up to tell Tom that I’m open. I see linemen fighting others and some men trying to run after me. All I see for a second is the ball touch the sun and beam with its shadow. Everything goes silent and the only thing I can hear is my breath. I throw my self and I catch the ball. The crowd goes wild and I do my dance and all I see is my coach getting wet with gatorade.

The only way I got there was by working and playing hard. From high school I was working hard and having A’s. With those grades I made the football team and we won the Championship. In the summer, I was playing with a friend and I was approached by a college scout for a tryout.

The tryout came and I felt the humidity. I felt like an ice cream cone because I hadn’t been on a football field in a long time. Throughout the tryout I had to work hard to make the team. I came to my mom with this face of disappointment and I told her, “I got in!!!”

My team won the championship. At the game, the coach of the Pats told me to meet him outside and asked me, “You want to play for the Pats?” “Yes, I would love to.” I replied.

Coached By: Matthew Cameron, Wayfair 12

J a i r o L a z o : 15 Ye a r s F r o m N o w It was graduation day at EMK High School. I could see the pride on my family’s faces as I walked up the stage and reached for my diploma. It had been a valuable four years of high school. I played defense on the football team as well as the basketball team and made the winning shot in the basketball state championship. As the principal called my name, my mom started crying and recording on her phone.

For my undergraduate degree, I attended Harvard University. My minor was Biology because I liked studying wildlife and my majors are History and Political Science because I wanted to go to Law School. During College, I learned a few things about living by myself, like how to save money. I went crazy spending my money in my first year, so I got a part-time job to get some money in my wallet.

Now I’m at the end of Law School. College and Law School were good experiences for me and taught me a lot of things about life. Also, I drive a Ferrari and a Honda Odyssey for small trips and unimportant things. I have a small home in the suburbs and I’m the illest sneakerhead. I have Jordans, Nike, Reebok, New Balance, and more. I also have an XBox 3, PlayStation 6, and a 150 inch flat-screen TV. I’m very happy with my life, I have a cool car, a nice home, and a more than steady job. I work on cases that involve work related accidents, police brutality, and more, It’s for a good cause and also for the money.

Coached By: Jeff Riemann & Amy Richardson, Wayfair Jalen Martinez : Strive For Greatness In the year 2030 I will be the best point guard in the NBA, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. I got her by putting all my effort into achieving my goal and by working hard through middle school, high school, and college. I strived in High School and AAU sports but I was also at the top of my class all four years of high school. For my Freshman and Sophomore year, I attended Cathedral High School and my Junior and Senior years I attended Vermont Academy. I had 1,500 points in my High School Career and broke numerous records, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA! Because of these great achievements I got six Division I full scholarship offers from UNC, UConn, Florida State, Syracuse, Northeastern, and Duke. I chose Duke University and I was one of Coach K’s last players where I excelled academically and played four great years of Basketball.

I got drafted 15h In the first round by the New York Knicks but I got traded a few minutes later to the Los Angeles Lakers because they loved my style of play and guaranteed me a starting seat. So far in my career I have received three MVP awards, two NBA rings, and two Finals MVPs. I live in a suburb of Los Angeles right next to Kevin Hart. I have a wife and two kids. In the off season, I go to spain and play in their basketball leagues. I am very proud that everything that I have worked so hard for has paid off.

Coached By: Jason Rabayda, Wayfair J u l i a C h e n : T h e P a s t 15 Ye a r s : C l i m b i n g t o t h e To p Have you ever thought about how your life would be in 15 years? I did when I was 14 year old, and now I am watching my hard working 8th grade students graduate on stage. Over the last 15 years of my life I have accomplished my goals. One of my main goals was to graduate from Boston College, and now I am an 8th grade math teacher and have my own family.

One way I achieved this was by volunteering as a math tutor. In order to get a degree in math in college, I had to study very hard. Teaching students new things is fulfilling to me and it is what motivated me to become a teacher. Now I am teaching 8th grade math to young adults that want to learn.

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After graduating from college I became a teacher at Boston Latin school and I now have a happy family. My favorite part about teaching is knowing that my students enjoy learning and have a good time in my class. With my family, we love to do outdoor activities together and play around like kids. We go hiking as often as possible with the whole family.

I can’t believe I graduated from 8th grade 15 years ago. It is important to me to be a role model to my students and children. I feel joyful and happy because I was able to achieve my goals in life of becoming a teacher and having a family. I could never have imagined that this would happen to me in 15 years.

Coached By : Lauren Casale, Wayfair

Joanna Andrade : N o t e To Future Self Dear Future Joanna, Are you the same person I hoped you would be in the future? I hope so! Well I just wanted to remind you that you better stay on track to accomplish what you promised. Did you get your Masters degree in what we longed for? Hopefully we chose Criminal Justice. Oh and I just wanted you to know that it is important to be a leader and an independent person. Being a leader is what helped you to get into college and start a great career . Being a leader will also help you throughout your entire life .

Don’t let anything get to you. Never back down from a challenge that you will have to face later on in the future or maybe the one you are facing right now. Continue to be an achiever as well as a leader and role model to others .

Follow the plan! Go to school and get your Masters and remember to network because that will help you in the future. Never forget what started this silly idea of catching bad guys and being the hero of the day now that this idea has become a real life career. Always remember that this was what all the hard work you did led you to achieving .

Just know that whatever you are working on, I hope that it is what makes you happy. I hope that all the hard work and sweat you put into this has paid off.

Sincerely, Eighth Grade Joanna Coached By: Alexandra Barrier, Wayfair Kelly Alvarado : My Biggest Inspiration My aunt Elena is my greatest role model. The three main reasons why she is my biggest inspiration are the way she finished high school, got a good job, and never gave up despite the challenges that she faced.

At the age of fourteen, my aunt Elena came to the United States from El Salvador. She didn’t know how to speak English, but she started high school anyway and graduated in four ears. She wanted to continue her education, but she didn’t have enough money to go to college, so she decided to apply to a program called Year Up, which helped her launch her career.

My aunt’s experience is an inspiration to me because after coming to the United States and not knowing how to speak English, she was still able to succeed and now she has a good job. This makes me feel like I can also achieve my goals.

In the future, my goals are graduating from High School, going to college or Year Up and graduating, and becoming a real estate agent, home insurance agent, or house inspector.

My aunt is very involved in my life and I know she will help me achieve my goals. Whether she is making 14

sure I get good grades or helping me get to school every day on time, my aunt is always supportive of me. Even though she is always hard on me, I know she wants the best for me. All her experiences and support inspire me to succeed, and with her help I know that I will.

Coached By: Ashley Rinere, Wayfair

K e n d r i c k E c h e v e r r i : 15 Ye a r s A g o Have you ever met a person who was into robotics? Have you ever wondered what their plan would be? I am one of those people. And now in 2030, I am a robotics engineer.

I am living in Boston and graduated from MIT. Before that I was a straight A student and was at the top of my class. This led to me graduating from high school with flying colors and earning a scholarship for college.

It was very hard going through college. I didn’t have many people to support me because I was so focused on work that I didn’t get much time to talk or to socialize, but it worked out in the end.

The military took notice of the blueprints of robots I was planning to build and sell, but they wanted to use them for bigger purposes. I started my own robotics company where I wanted to manufacture and produce robots for the military and public.

I am still living in boston because it’s my home. I have lived here my whole life, I also don’t see any other point in going to another country or state. In conclusion, I am happy when I’m reflecting on my life 15 years ago, I am proud knowing that I went to MIT with a scholarship, and I’m still living in boston, the place where I grew up. This is important to me because when I look back I am happy with the past goals that I set, they led me to be accepted into a really good college, get a scholarship, and start my own company.

Coached By: Samantha Chaves, Wayfair Kevin Lopez : The Sal vador ian Takeover In the aftermath of our game against Chelsea we had an interview about our major win. I started thinking about how I got where I am today. About 15 years ago I was I was going around trying to get into local clubs around boston, but they were all full with experienced players, so the closest I could get was my school’s soccer team.

Because of my determination, I got through the school year and improved so much with my skills that I got into a local club. With all my passion and determination, I skyrocketed through my career and made it to the New England Revolution in the MLS. I was so excited and thrilled because I finally made it to the “big time” in the MLS. After our game against the L.A. Galaxy, a scout from Manchester United invited me to come to England and negotiate a contract. At the moment after we exchanged info I felt so many emotions. Excitement, joy, shock, and also sadness.

I was filled with excitement and joy because I was achieving my lifelong dream, but I was sad because I had to leave all my friends and teammates on the Revolution. I was also shocked that a major club like Manchester United wanted me. After my legal transfer from Revolution to Manchester United, I started training right away to keep up with my new teammates. After we had our first game I played significantly better and I realized how far I had gone in my career. From a school team to the Barclay’s league.

Coached By: Caroline Doyle, Wayfair

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Luis Ortez : Dream Chaser “Goooaal!” I shouted as I score the winning goal. It was the championship game of La Liga BBVA of Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano. As the ninety minute mark headed towards the end I received the ball in the box and I shot the ball. I had scored the winning goal. The crowd went wild and yelled “goooaal!”

My career happened because of my dedication to become a professional soccer player for Atletico Madrid and live in Spain. I have a family of four, my wife, two boys, and myself. Spain is a beautiful and peaceful country which makes me love this country. I am excited for myself because all these years of hardwork and dedication have paid off. I worked my whole life to get to the top and be one of the best.

In order to get where I am I got recruited by my school team to others. In my middle school year I played for the Edwards middle school soccer team for two years. During my high school years at Fenway I played for the soccer team for four years. Each day of our training I put in effort to get better. At the end of the championship game, some scouts came up to me and told me I got a soccer scholarship to Harvard. I was so happy because I was just a few steps away from accomplishing my dream.

In conclusion, I have accomplished my dream that I’d tried so hard to get to. Schools recruited me because of my skills. This was important because it proved how dedicated I was to accomplish my dream.

Coached By: Jonathan Leanos, Wayfair Olivia Deguglielmo : Reflecting Back and Moving For ward Dear Future Olivia, How’s it going? I’m busy as a bee in 8th grade at the moment. I am currently at the Edwards Middle School and I’m reflecting on my middle school experiences, both emotionally and experientially. My teachers, my family, and my friends have supported, encouraged, and prepared me for life in and beyond high school.

I have many fond memories of all the support I got over the past two years. My teachers never gave up on me no matter how many times I needed help or didn’t understand something. Outside of school, my family and friends motivated me and supported my development as a student. They reminded me to keep being an excellent student and person in general. The lessons I learned and the congratulations on my performance were worth achieving.

During my process to achieve my goals, I felt a variety of emotions. Throughout middle school I learned to never stop or give up on any challenges that I’ve had to face. Learning so much throughout middle school was worth it despite the stress and hard work. I learned to never give up.

Thinking back on the lessons I have learned, I have advice for you, future Olivia. Make sure you remember to keep working hard, and you’ll always be an excellent student and employee! I think it’s extremely important to learn from your mistakes and use what you learned in the past to become a better person. In conclusion, never forget about how you got to where you are at the moment, and who and what supported you on the way.

Sincerely, 13 year old Olivia Coached By: Rebecca Weingarten, Wayfair

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Ruben Andrade : Consult ant t o Tomor row’s Invent ors When I imagine my life in 15 years, I imagine that I would be an engineering consultant. I can always think of how to improve an inventors product through comparing older products and thinking about other ideas and opinions of how the product can be improved. One way I do this is by giving the product multiple ways of being handled so the buyer can truly use it.

Most devices are very efficient but people can’t operate them at their full capacity so they devalue them. To improve a device you need to change two things: the way you see it and how you use it. One way of doing this is by changing the controls and maneuverability of the machine. Another way is to give it a new function like an energy saver, quicker reactions, smarter evaluation, and quick suggestions.

Now people hire me to improve their inventions. I start my work with my client by discussing his/her product.

Next I take their invention to my testing facility for testing, studying how it works, and researching how it can be improved.

I have a team of individuals that has a specific technique that allows them to each have a very unique way to visualize the product and have their own way of improving it. There is someone who is very proficient at art and another who is a clothing designer and another who is very proficient at making blueprints for buildings.

With this great team, I have at least one person who will know if the product has potential and I get many ideas about how to improve the inventor’s product.

Coached By: Gabrielle Helfgott, Wayfair

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Va l e r i a J a r a m i l l o : M y S u c c e s s f u l J o u r n ey In the year 2030, I am an incredibly successful surgeon. I got here by working extremely hard at Edward M. Kennedy (EMK) High School and attending Tufts University Medical School. The great thing about my job is that I can help people with their health in many different hospitals across the country.

Throughout middle school, I excelled in science and math which sparked my interest in the medical field.

In order to set myself up to become a surgeon, I attended EMK High School, an academy for health careers.

My interest in internal organs started while at EMK, I decided to attend Tufts Medical School to continue my journey to be a surgeon.

During my time at Tufts, I worked extremely hard, but it was all worth it in the end. Having a career where I could help others was really important to me because I wanted to reduce people’s pain and help their internal organs work better. After graduating Tufts, I accepted a position at a hospital in Miami. The hospital was in desperate need of a surgeon like me to help save all their patients.

I loved the hospital and the city, but I missed Boston and my family. A year and a half there I moved back home and started working at Mass General Hospital. Due to my successful career, I was able to have my own house and a great family. In conclusion, throughout all my schooling I always worked hard and it paid off in the end. With my career as a surgeon, I will have a successful future no matter where I go.

Coached By: Elisa Scudder, Wayfair Yo m a r a R a m i r e z L o p e r a : M i M a m i My mom is the biggest source of inspiration in my life. She keeps me motivated every single day and helps me pursue my goal of becoming a doctor. I am inspired by her actions and her words. She works hard and tells me to never give up.

My mom’s hard work has always inspired me. She had a difficult life and overcame many challenges. She was pregnant at fifteen and even though it was not what she wanted she always kept her head up and never thought of getting an abortion. Four years after my birth she decided to immigrate to the USA from Colombia for a better future for me and the family. It was very difficult for her to leave me and leave the country. She had to work three jobs every night for six years, but her work paid off when finally I was able to come to the USA. All of her experiences help me to take advantage of opportunities that she didn’t have.

My mom also inspires me using her words. She tells me to make a good choices so I can stay on a good path and focus on my dreams to become a doctor and have a stable life. My mom reminds me to learn from her mistakes and make responsible choices.

Overall, my mom’s experiences have made me who I am and shaped who I will be in the future. Because of her I will be an independent woman with a stable life. I will never forget what she did for me and I will pay her back with my success as a doctor.

Coached By: Jaqueline Winter, Wayfair

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TEAM MORGAN Alfred Rivera : How I Star ted Today is the day I am making a video talking about how I got to where I am today. It’s happening. I walk in my room, adjust the lighting, set up my camera, stand in front of it, and hit record. I’ve never felt this nervous to make a video. I’m scared to tell my life story to thousands of people.

You think it would be easier to make a video considering how many times I’ve made videos but I’m used to things in life being difficult. When I first started making videos for YouTube I was struggling to buy the equipment, and I barely had any support from my family. But there was a person that I looked up to. It was a Youtuber called Philip DeFranco. He was the only person that could make me happy. My parents would always tell me to get a“REAL JOB”, but people like Philip DeFranco gave me motivation and hope to keep going. In high school, I joined a filmmaking class that would teach me how to get better lighting, how to edit my videos properly, and how to make videos entertaining.

Today I’m in LA recording this video happy about how successful I’ve been. I create videos daily that inform my viewers about the current events that are going on in the community in a funny yet serious way. I’m now active with all my subscribers and I get messages every day from my viewers telling me about how I make their days. That’s how I started my career and where I am now.

Coached By: Marc Morelli, Bain & Company Daijun Li : Coffeeshop Daydreams People are drinking coffee, enjoying their time at the coffeehouse. Sitting there, I am reading a book under a big umbrella. The sunshine shines in my face; the wind blows my hair. I close my eyes and start daydreaming.

“San Francisco always has nice weather, huh?” a sweet voice said. I open my eyes, turn to the person talking.

I am surprised to see my pal, Lillian. We have been best friends since high school. She’s a pharmacist working in a hospital. She looks around the coffeehouse, and gives me a prideful look. “I know you have always been dreaming to have a shop like this, but I never thought you could decorate it so well. Look at these people, they are reading books, drinking coffee with flowers around the house. It’s so creative and beautiful!” I smile, thinking how much happier I am in this moment than what I had planned in college. I studied psychology, and started my career as a psychologist before taking a chance to follow my dream.

Lillian and I leave the coffeehouse, and I drive her to my apartment. I live with my parents, in an apartment that has three stories. On the first floor, there’s a dining room. My parents live on the second floor, and I live on the top floor. We sit at the dining room table and I tell her about the places I’ve gone, like Paris to visit Eiffel Tower.

Living my dream of owning a small business has allowed me to see friends, learn new things, be independent, and especially travel. Today, I still love to travel by myself and have freedom.

Coached By: Samara Resnick, Bain & Company

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D j a m a r i M a r m o u c h a : M y L i f e i n 15 Ye a r s In 15 years I will be the head of the the best gaming company in history, a company that will change many lives. You may ask “Why a gaming company?” This is because games like Mario and Sonic really cheered me up, and I want to do the same for kids and adults around the world! Also I really enjoy video games, and if you really enjoy something you would most likely want something to do with it for a job. The final reason why I want to own a gaming company is because, since I was in the shoes of a gamer I would know what the gaming community wants.

But getting there won’t be easy. I would have to attend at least 4 years of college and I am planning on attending University of Southern California. But when I’m there, action games can also be educational. Being a game producer puts a lot of responsibility on the plate. I will have to start travelling around the world to consult with other popular game producers to get more ideas and possibly collaborate. Once all this traveling is done I will hopefully make a lot of money to support my family. I will also be giving a percentage of the money back to the community.

I even have a start. Currently I’ve been playing a game called Minecraft. After some research, I found an application that allows you to create mods for the game which requires a lot of knowledge. It may take a long time but I am prepared for what the future holds.

Coached By: Jon Carroll, Bain & Company Esteban Correa Monroy : A New Species in 2045 Beep Beep!!!! I am honking my electric car as I drive to work.

As a marine biologist, I discovered a new intelligence back in 2026 in the Indian Ocean. I was going on a trip to recover plankton for research. I discovered a new intelligence that helped us humans create an electron shield that controls our weather, helped us discovered another intelligence called the moonian birds, plus helped us lower pollution like lower gas levels, cleaner oceans, and less oil spills.

You are probably wondering how this electron shield helps us humans control the weather. The shield basically covers us from the harmful rays of the sun. It helps prevent cancer and early aging. We also have rain and snow when we want to because we can control the weather with the shield.

As I am driving, I can see the moonian birds as they fly above my car. If you are wondering what they are, they are just a new species we found three years ago. They look a lot like an eagle. It turns out that this intelligence we found in the Indian Ocean is actually from the moon. This intelligence took us to the moon to show us their pets which are the moonian birds and brought them back to earth .

How is there less pollution? Well, we have this intelligence that eats waste away. They come around once in a while to eat the trash outside from your house and this creates less pollution on earth.

This is how my job as a marine biologist has impacted life on earth in 2045.

Coached By: Tiffany Rech, Bain & Company Jacqueline Arroyave : Accomplishments In 15 years I will have a job as a good lawyer helping people for their justice. This job is going to bring me a lot of benefits like traveling the world. Some of the places I will go include Dubai, Paris, and Thailand. I will be traveling in my own private jet. I will have money saved in case I lose my job and also for retirement.

One benefit of my job is that I will be able to afford a home and a car. My home will be in Boston where I was born. However, I will own a farm in Colombia where my mom was born. I’ve been there twice, and I love 20

it there. On my farm I will own many animals and I will grow fresh fruits.

The farm will be similar to the one my mom lived on. Sometimes my mom will come visit me, and I will support her the best I can by giving her what she wants. She will also live with me in Boston where I will have a separate house for my family. In addition to my mom, there will be five uncles, one aunt, and a few cousins who will live there. The rest of my family will live in Colombia, and I will send money to them to help them and also because they will check on the farm for me while I’m not there.

When I sit down and think about my future I am happy and proud of myself for all that I have accomplished.

I am hoping for this life in 15 years to bring smiles to my family.

Coached By: Ali Piltch, Bain & Company

Jeffrey Martinez : My Frozen Adventure Something was not right that day, I wasn’t going to classes. My destination wasn’t HR 216. It was somewhere called Wachusett Mountain. Instead of classes, we were going skiing or snowboarding. I walked to the auditorium, and before I knew it we were on the shuttle busses heading to the mountain. I was nervous because I never had been to Wachusett Mountain and was afraid of falling.

After almost two hours, we arrived to Wachusett Mountain. Students had the opportunity to either ski or snowboard; I chose to snowboard. Next, I had to rent snowboard boots and a board. Then I went to my lesson. Even though I fell a bunch of times, I liked the lesson. The instructors helped me a lot when it came to balancing on the board. After the lesson, we were free to do whatever we wanted, so I went on the carpet and it carried me toward a small hill. When I went down the hill, I went fast and fell on my back. After that, my friends and I went a few more times down the hill, and then we went to eat. After eating, we put all our equipment back and spent the rest of the day exploring the lodge. Soon it was time to leave. After another 2 hours sitting down being bored on the bus, we arrived at school, and it was time for dismissal.

It was an awesome day, and I liked every minute of it. However, the next day my whole body was hurt and ached, but it was worth it.

Coached By: Allison Granger, Bain & Company Juan Brea Baez : The Craziest Dream You want to hear the story of how I started World War 3? It all started when my dad, the general of the Navy’s largest warship, took me to his job. I was 13; I didn’t really know what I was doing. I saw a shining red button. I obviously wanted to press it.

Little did I know that button just launched a missile to Elms, the largest country on the Western Hemisphere.

At that very moment I had just started WW3. I felt guilty when I found out, but I didn’t want to confess. I knew that if I did I would be in major trouble. In less than two hours, Elms fired back with a missile heading straight to the capital. We tried to come in contact with Elms, but when they refused we had no choice but to put our defenses up.

For about 14 years Elms didn’t attack, but we just knew they were preparing. My dad was killed by a spy in the Navy. I still kept this secret to myself and went on to become a general. It was the morning of March 23, 2029 when Elms finally attacked. They came straight to Mitigates, our hometown. When two missiles completely obliterated Mitigates, we sent two going to their capital.

But as we sent the missile my mom woke me up to go to school. So listen, don’t stay up all night playing video games. It will give you some weird dreams... trust me.

Coached By: Stefan Eckhardt, Bain & Company 21

Juliana Trejo : An Unforgettable Day! Skiing. Going down the white mountain, while the wind is whipping at my face, going down quicker and quicker, practicing what I have learned. A memory that is my favorite from middle school is the 2014 ski trip. I had the chance to ski for the first time. And I had fun spending time with my friends while skiing and falling.

When I had the chance to go skiing for the first time it was exciting. I had never gone skiing in my life, and now I had the chance to, and trying it for the first time was a thrilling moment. Not knowing what was going to happen made the skiing trip more fun and memorable. I saw all the amazing things I had heard about: the snow, the tall mountains, and the ski lifts that bring you up to the mountaintops.

I also had fun spending time with my friends while skiing and falling. While skiing down the mountains, we sometimes fell, which was painful, but it was still fun. Missing school for a whole day away from all the school work was awesome, especially since our schools hours are from 7:40am-4:30pm. It was nice to have our minds off school to enjoy ourselves at Wachusett Mountain. I was having a great time while going up the ski lifts, waiting to get off, going down laughing with our friends, and falling.

This is why my favorite memory from middle school is the 2014 ski trip. I had the chance to ski for the first time. I also had fun spending time with my friends while skiing and falling.

Coached By: Emily Schultzer, Bain & Company Kaylee Bonilla : Opening Doors Life is difficult. People go away. Friends move. Loved ones die. Parents get divorced. Teachers get fired. People disappoint you. You can feel all alone.

Sometimes, when life gets hard, people take a walk. They get mean. They fight. They blame. They attack.

Which only makes life even more difficult for everyone. Sometimes, when life gets hard, people lock the world out. They put up boundaries. They become loners. They refuse to let good people in. And that makes life hard for everyone in a different way. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Instead, you can learn from those experiences. You can decide about who you get close to. You can start over again. You can leave the door to friendships halfway open.

Not many people open doors. However, one boy changed his life by opening doors. Josh was different from everybody else. People in school bullied him and pushed him around. One day, he decided to start fresh. In a positive way. He started holding doors for people in his new school. Everybody thought he was weird at first.

But they got used to it. And they started paying it forward. And they thanked him for changing the culture of the school. Everyone was happy that he would be there to help them.

Like I said, not many people open doors. But if you put yourself out there, you can change the world.

Coached By: Elaine Cummings, Bain & Company Leah Burus : Future Designed “OMG HI!!! Giuliana I’m so glad to finally be here at the Oscar’s. This is my first time here with my husband, and my little girl is sitting at home watching us. I’m excited to see my hard work appear on the carpet.

My favorite dress to design was the white, silk, mermaid for Jennifer Aniston. It’s been a long road to get here.

I spent my whole life studying to become a fashion designer. I attended the Boston Art Academy majoring in Art, but mainly I focused on design. I had a great talent for drawing, but I put it to use in designing my clothes.

I was privileged to go to Parson’s New School of Design in New York City where I began to create clothes and sell them online. After doing so well on my website, I opened a small store to sell my clothes.

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Out of the blue, after only having my store open for a month, I got an email from Vera Wang. In the email she asked me to come intern with her. After working my butt off as an intern she eventually hired me as one of her lead designers. After several years of dedication, I finally broke off to create my own company - AM Designs.

Thanks for having me! I remember sitting on the couch watching the Oscars with my mom, and hoping one day to being doing that with my little girl, Lily Ann. I never would have been able to do this without all the support I’ve gotten over the years. See you next year!”

Coached By: Holly Dellacanonica, Bain & Company

Mekhi Fluker : Inventing a Beauty My perspective of life in 2030 is that I will be the creator of a project called the X-Phone. My project of the X-Phone is supposed to revolutionize technology as we know it today. The X-Phone is more advanced than “jailbreaking” or “booting” your smartphone. Before I invent the X-Phone, I will put in hard work.

The first step to making this project successful is going to a college where technology is the key subject. A place like MIT is where I want to focus on learning about technology. I want to learn about technology so I know how to make the X-Phone. The second step to making this project successful is to graduate college. That will prove that I have whatever it takes to making this brand new phone. Once I finish college, I will know everything that I need in order to build the phone. After that, I will begin the project on the X-Phone.

What will make the X-Phone exciting is that the device will come with amazing features. The most exciting feature about the phone is that it will be cheaper than other smartphones. This will give people a greater chance of getting a smartphone. Another exciting feature about the X-Phone is that, unlike any other smartphone, the X-Phone will have the ability to produce holograms. The processor inside of the phone is going to be so fast and so advanced that it sets itself apart from other smartphones.

If I follow these steps, I can change people’s lives for the better because many people can discover the beauty of technology.

Coached By: Alex Harris, Bain & Company Shandira Soto : Please Look Up! Picture this - you are sitting in front of a computer screen when you could be outside enjoying the beautiful weather. That sounds horrible, right? Well our generation doesn’t seem to think so because that is what most of us would do! We are always thought of as the kids with their eyes glued to the screen. There is a lot more to this special generation, though. Unlike others, we are more open-minded to new ideas and styles. Overall, we are also less judgmental. Lastly, we express ourselves any chance we get, whether through music, clothing, or social media (especially social media: “lol”). For example, did those in other generations go around taking “selfies” everywhere and wondering “what the fox says”? I didn’t think so.

Our generation is uniquely charming, but we still have our flaws, like every generation does. One of these is the fact that most of us hide behind a screen. Here, people can say what they want without consequence.

They are able to use social media to discriminate against others. Also, most people have forgotten how to communicate with others without the use of a phone. They have also forgotten how to enjoy spending time outside. In the end, people sometimes forget the difference between the real world and the virtual world.

If we looked up from our screens and were less consumed by media, then maybe we would learn how to appreciate and talk to each other more. Maybe we would also find an interest in the outdoors. Maybe we would even learn more about ourselves. The possibilities are endless, if we just looked up.

Coached By: Megan Varanyak, Bain & Company 23

Morgan Malone : An Empathic Pediatrician Enjoying Success Dear Older Morgan, Hey there. This is a letter from little fourteen year old you. By now you should’ve finished college and Harvard Medical School and are now a pediatrician at Mass General Hospital in Boston. I believe that things have been amazing so far in your life. But I want you to always remember do not get too serious.

It all started in Edwards Middle School, in those days you over-achieved in your grades. Then, you got distracted by people… people that distracted you from school and became irrelevant to your future and that after that year meant nothing. Even with all that distraction, you always knew you wanted to be a pediatrician.

You wanted to help sick children recover. Not only that, but you remember the not so understanding doctors from when you were younger. So you became the opposite: an empathetic doctor. However, as soon as you got to EMK High School all those distractions of middle school went away. You got more involved in school.

After all, you were doing what you loved: working in the medical field. This was your first step to being a pediatrician. You strived toward success getting straight A’s in all your classes. Now look at you. You followed your dream and are now helping children.

You were never too serious in those middle and high school days. You shouldn’t become that way either.

You spent many years focused on school, missing parties, so many other things. Now, you’re done with school you have your job. Be happy; enjoy your success.

Coached By: Shannon Moore, Bain & Company Sholisza Moore : The Creation I chose to write about someone who helped me get to where I am today and explain my past and until now, present. I wanted to thank this person who helped me become who I really am and explain why I have changed.

In my life I have been hurt by people who I thought were my family, friends, outsiders, and others. I noticed that people always took advantage of me. They used me for excuses and other things. I felt stupid, dumb, and childish for falling for it like a Looney Tunes character. I felt like someone had put a curse on me and said, “You will be treated horribly wrong!”

During my middle school years (6 and 7 grade) I had seen the inside of me and a piece was missing. When I came to 8GA I made a choice to change the way I was acting, to improve my attitude and the way that I was behaving in class.

When I started this writing program I found someone who really cared about how I felt and how we can change. This person has changed the way I thought about my choices and actions. In the end I hope we both will come back and see how life is in the future. I hope that the both of us will see how this really changed us and who we turned into. This person is my writing coach and she has been a second mom to me and has pushed me to the limit in changing and being myself.

Coached By: Cindy Stavropoulos, Bain & Company Whitney Posada : What the Future Holds Sometimes I wonder how things will be in the future (2045). Will there be hovercrafts and self-driving cars?

Will there be a cure for cancer or the first man walking on Mars? I’m not sure what the future holds, but I have some guesses.

First, I think that by 2045 there will definitely be hovercrafts and self driving cars. Google is already trying to make self-driving cars now, so in 30 years it’ll probably be common to have one. Also hovercrafts might be 24

invented since they’re practically airplanes, but smaller and cooler. I think that in the future there will be less need for gasoline because cars, both regular and driverless, will run mostly on battery power.

When I think of the future I think of things that will make history. For example, in the future I believe there will be a cure for cancer and a trip to Mars. A cure for cancer would have a great impact on everyone who is affected by it. Hopefully by 2045 there will be a cure approved and available to those in need. A trip to Mars would be a great accomplishment for mankind because we would be able to learn more about other environments that are alike to Earth. Those examples would make 2045 one of the most important times in history.

This is what I think the future will be like. I think that we are going to make the environment better by using electricity instead of gas. We are going to improve the health of some people by finding a cure for cancer and make history by sending the first man to Mars.

Coached By: Emily Schultzer, Bain & Company

W i l s o n L i a n g : U s e Yo u r F i n g e r s , C h a n g e Yo u r L i f e Put your hand on the computer, control your car, control your house, control your furniture, just by your fingers. I think you guys know me! I am Weiqiang Liang, the person who discovered the software to control anything in the world by computer.

Even though I am popular now, my past was very simple. I was born in China, and my family immigrated to the U.S when I was 14 years old. Here, I discovered my favorite subject，computer science, and learned to program easy software, hack games, and create simple websites. I put a lot of hard work on my learning, and I got honor roll. When I went to high school, I searched a lot of information about IT, I read about many famous people’s ideas, like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, and I had a new idea. I did a lot of research on it. A few years later, I went to a famous college: MIT. Before I published my idea, I programed the software by using C-language. My software allows you to control everything. This was an amazing discovery to the world. When I was 23 years old, I had almost graduated from college my software was not perfect, and I had to fix the BUG and then published it.

After the newspaper, TV, radio posted my amazing discovery. Many famous people discussed my idea. I earned almost 1,000 billion USD, and about 12 million followers or fans. After a few years, I created my own company with my best friends in college, who always discussed with me. My company is my greatest achievement.

Coached By: Minsoo Chi, Bain & Company Xingying Zeng : Make a Goal My dream job is to be a nurse. In 2030, I will be a successful woman. I will live in Boston. I will pass the nurses’ test. When I become a nurse, there will be many interesting things to learn about medicine. I want to help patients and doctors. In the hospital, I want to be a top nurse.

How will I become a nurse? First, I must finish college and learn about medicine. I need to get ready for the test that I need to take to achieve my goal. I will participate in all the classes I take. I will take notes during the lessons. Every night, I will go back to study the notes that I take in the class.

I will have a happy family. We will live in a quiet, two-story house. We will have a backyard for fun and the swimming pool. In the summer, the family can meet in the yard to chat and see beautiful flowers or swim. If we don’t want to cook for that day, we can drive the car to buy some materials for BBQ with friends. Sometime, we 25

can make cake or cookies to eat. That is my dream house.

It is important because it is my dream. I want this kind of life. I think when people achieve their goals, they are very successful. The dream is hard to realize, but I believe I can realize my dream in the future. So long as I put in the effort now, I will get the results back that I want.

Coached By: Ana-Lisa Jones, Bain & Company

Ya n c y L o p e z : L i f e i s a L e s s o n I have had hard times in my life, but each new experience has been a lesson from which I have learned. I always try my best to look at the brighter side of things. I don’t know what I am going to look like or how or where I am going to live, but if I could remember to give this letter to myself I think it would be a helpful reminder me of the hard times that I’ve gone through. I think it would encourage me to do better and be a superior person in my future.

I would remind myself of the time my mom struggled to learn English. She was about to give up, but I kept on pushing and encouraging her to do better, even forcing her to study at times. In the end, she nearly aced an English test she took! That taught me to strive for progress, not perfection. It also taught me to have faith and to not lose hope every day. When I really want something, I pray to God that it will come true. Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted a brother. I never lost faith. When my brother was born, it was a struggle for him to live because he had breathing problems. I took this as inspiration to not take anything for granted and to always stay positive and hopeful. I didn’t lose faith or my hope, and he survived - he never gave up.

Coached By: Arun Gomatam, Bain & Company Yu a n J i e L i a n g : T h e S p a c e E l e v a t o r Have you ever imagined taking an elevator and go to outer space? There might be a chance for you! In 30 years, I think the world will look completely different from now. Advanced technology, a healthy environment, and more cures for diseases will all be available. One advanced technology I really want to point out is the space elevator. The space elevator will definitely change our standard of living, and will give you a chance to become an astronaut!

What’s a space elevator? You might get an idea of what it looks like just from its name. Yes, a space elevator is an elevator that connects the Earth and a space station. Once it connects to a space station, it rotates with the Earth. The main job of this elevator is to provide astronauts food and supplies quicker. Even though it’s mostly for transportation, it is also a fun place that you won’t forget for the rest of your life. The space elevator will also do field trips. That’s an unusual chance for you to experience real space walking and become an astronaut. I can guarantee this will be the most exciting field trip you ever have. You will be able to see the meteor show, experience life without gravity, and rotate with the earth. This is good news for you!

Overall these are the best guesses for the world in 30 years. I think the world will be full of advanced technology and a better environment. The space elevator is for each of us to discover and explore. The space elevator is an elevator filled with excitement.

Coached By: Minsoo Chi, Bain & Company

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Zhirong Zhang : Tec hnology Lif e I think technology is a very miraculous thing. The people that designed the iPhone have helped people solve a lot of different problems. People can now search information online from the palm of their hands to obtain knowledge. People also use technology to communicate with others easily. I live in America, and I still have a lot of friends that live in China. I was born in China, and I know that the technology in China doesn’t work as well as in America. When using Chinese phones the speed of games are too slow to play, and it is easier to break them. The only thing I can use to communicate between other countries is technology, so I want to help the people that live in other countries have access to the same technologies I have in America.

I can speak English and Chinese so it will be easier for me than most people to help sell American technologies in China. To do this, I will go to college to learn about Technology and Marketing. After college, I will go work for a leading technology company. Since I like to travel, maybe I could sell iPhones to Chinese stores and stores in other countries which don’t have the iPhone.

With this success I will earn a lot of money. I would like to buy a house that has a yard, a car, and travel for fun. I will be the best at selling technology from one country to another. This will allow me to help people while reaching my goal of a good future and a better life.

Coached By: Michael Levesque, Bain & Company

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McCormack

TEAM WILLIAMS Ariana Mathis : The letter: Ariana’s Past with Friends Dear Ariana, Hey Ariana, do you remember your middle school years? No you don’t? Then let me refresh you. Do you remember Naomi, Britney, and Sheila? They were your best friends during middle school. You have known Britney and Naomi since 6th grade. You’ve known them longer than you known your own family.

Naomi was the first person you met. In 6th grade she was mean. In 7th grade you talked more. In 8th grade you just became best friends.

Remember Britney? Although the two of you were in the same 6th homeroom you didn’t talk that much.

In 7th grade you guys have been put into different classes. In 8th grade you and Britney have been put in most classes together. You and Britney always call each other cousin: it’s because you are really close.

You also know Sheila. But it’s a little different because you met her in 7th grade, she wasn’t at the DMC during 6th grade. You and Sheila met by talking together in 6th period during 7th grade. Every time you guys were with each other or just even hanging out it’s all about laughing and jokes. You and Sheila laugh together like Spongebob Squarepants.

What I want to explain is that most adults don’t remember their middle school years. I really don’t want to be one of those adults . I wrote this because these are my favorite people in my life. These are the type of friendships I wouldn’t want to forget because when you get older and go grade to grade you might not get friends like them.

Now do you remember?

Coached By: Joel Horwich, Citizen Schools 28

Bill Nguyen : A Flashback Origin I clicked my pen and immediately waited for the person in the front of the line to approach me with my book copy. As they opened their hardcover book, I quickly added a signature to the blank page. Closing the cover, I handed the person’s copy back, and another approached me. Just to speed things up, I signed three copies at a time. So many copies were signed, but I hadn’t noticed the people around much. Rolling my head around, dispatching the sore out of my neck, I saw a familiar face. So familiar that I have a conversation with him. After catching up on some events, we set a meeting at the coffee shop down the street at dusk. By the time the library had cleared out, I packed everything and departed to the coffee shop.

As we exchanged stories, we were both surprised at each other stories. A long-term veteran, coming home to see that his old friend had become a best-selling author. It had occurred to me that how I became an author was a difficult thing to explain. I had followed my best friend’s footsteps by becoming a US Marine. Boot camp was rough, but entertaining. I’ve had training with a .45 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP) and a 9mm, but preferred a .45 ACP for its power and accuracy. After I had arrived home, I developed plenty of ideas to write apocalypse stories.

We later spent almost a whole day playing some amazing apocalypse games. It’s surprising that our gaming skills haven’t degraded. After about nine hours of the games, he just went home to get a rest. The wild streets of Manhattan roared at night, even faintly with the windows shut.

Coached By: Alex Leikin, Citizen Schools Carismah Goodman : Open Wide In 15 years I imagine I will be a dentist in the sunny state of Florida.I have passion, confidence and motivation to have a career in the health industry because of the influential people in my life. Strong women like my mother, Aunt Nadine and Cousin Alex have shown to be examples of how hard work pays off. My mother and aunt who are both health professionals, have taught me many things over the years. My cousin Alex, a college graduate, motivates me by persistently checking in and asking to see my report cards and also forcing me to read a book now and again. These women’s investments in my future have impacted my interest and provided me models to mirror.

My passion to be a dentist has been promoted by my cousin Alex who has inspired me to pursue my dreams, just as she has pursued hers. I have always wanted to be a dentist and from an early age was fascinated by teeth! Growing up small things interested me like when my little brother and sister would lose their teeth I would always be curious how new ones would grow in. I remember my brother had a loose tooth I would pull rubber gloves (like my mom would do) and take it out, then give him salty water to clean his mouth - something I learned from my aunt Nadine to do!

I am confident that I will have the support I need to succeed as a dentist because of the support I have right now. In 15 years I will be a dentist and a role model to my younger sisters and cousins, showing them that even in hard times with a goal and effort you can get anywhere!

Coached By: Jennifer Walsh, Citizen Schools

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Jajuana Pearson : Jajuana of the Future Dear Jajuana, Do you remember your first day of kindergarten? If you are reading this you probably don’t, but you might remember writing this letter. Do you remember going on those college trips to Umass and Tufts, going to Dunkin Donuts with Britney, Ariana, Naomi and Fredricka, do you watch anything similar to Empire, do you still get hungry for french fries when you have eaten something ten minutes earlier? On another note when do you wake up and where do you go to work?

Do you remember when you were fourteen years old? How you had the crazy church bus where we would yell sayings from the bible and working your absolute hardest to get into a good high school. You were one crazy kid. Do you remember anything before that? Maybe not because you’re probably 30. You were loud, calm, crazy, independent, sometimes immature, and determined. What is your personality like now? Where did you go to high school? BGA, Fenway, CoaH, or somewhere else? What was the ending of the action-packed show Empire? Are you single with 75 cats or are you happily taken? Do you still keep in contact with your friends?

How much money do you make?

I hope you were able to finish Empire. I hope that you work as a therapist or that you are a six foot one inch model. Most likely you don’t talk to your old friends. When you are reading this I hope that life turned out to be, because if it didn’t that would be a big bummer but no matter what you’re still awesome.

From, The most awesome person you could think of a.k.a you Coached By: Maren Schmidt, Citizen Schools Joe Joseph Page : Diamonds Sitting, next to the treasure full of diamonds Mr. Wick Mister whistled like a geese trying to prevent predator from taking her baby, suddenly the light went off, there was a squeal at the door and bang! Mr. Wick Mister fell to the floor, like a paper falling from the sky. Angelina, Mr. Wick Mister nice after hear the sound, pick up her gun, and begin to run upstairs. “OH NO! “She shouted in a horrifying tone “he’s dead, his diamond collection!” The neighbor noticing these sound, quickly called a police, telling them about the violence that was taking action in their environment. BAMB! The door slammed open the police ran in confronted about what exactly was going on. “Why would Angelina want or attempt to kill her only niece if they had been living together for year, she would have just kill him the first time she move in “said one of the police. There was a debate on that, some people think it’s because she didn’t see the diamond at first and some think it’s because she didn’t care at first. In no time for Angelina to give an explanation on what had happen, the police arrested her, guilty of killing her niece.

The judge asked for evidence to prove that Angelina was guilty of the crime, the police claimed that they found her standing over the body with two pistols in both hands and that of this tape in which all the action was record, they found it on the bookcase, according to the clip, after the light went off there was a sound, something like a maid slipper, making much noise “the maid “everyone shouted. The police went to the house, arrested the maid, who was just about to travel to china, with the diamonds.

Coached By: Zach Carroll, Citizen Schools

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Kenderline Mene : Fashionista Paris, Spain, New York or Malian, you name it and I’ve walked their runways. Not only have a walked their runways but I’ve designed high fashion for the largest fashion shows held in the world. It is truly a dream come true. I have a beautiful daughter and a loving husband; my family is very supportive of my career. We reside in Paris in a lovely 1 family house. Because of demanding career I am about to support a lifestyle of luxury. I have a vacation home in Miami and I own a private jet. As you can tell all of my hard work has paid off.

I am this successful because of the very best teacher in the world Ms. Riley from the Dever McCormack Middle School and my foster mother, Ms.Geraldine Walker. Ms. Riley was there for me since the 6th grade when I was this really quite girl. She taught me how to advocate for myself and others. Ms. Geraldine was the best foster mother in the world. She was very supportive and she really cared about me and my wellbeing. Ms. Geraldine made sure I had everything I needed to be successful. She pushed me to do well in school and was always there for me if I needed help. I don’t think I would be the woman I am today without them. I am very grateful to have them in my life.

Coached By: Holly Trippett, Citizen Schools Leira Ocasio : My Caring Mother “Be educated and never give up in life.” This is what my Mom always tells me. My Mom is caring by letting me have a better life and education. My Mom is always there for me when I need help. She helps me go to a better school. She cares for me so I could have a good education. My mom cares about my family and always calls them to see if they are o.k. For example, my mother helped me transfer from The Hennigan School to the McCormack School because she thought that I would get better grades and more attention. My Mom set a good example for me to follow. She graduated from middle and high school in Puerto Rico and moved in 2008 to Boston to raise her family in a safer community. She found good jobs and she is always there for my two brothers, my two sisters and me. For example, she worked in a salon and in a restaurant where I was impressed by how hard she worked and that she was not distracted by people.

In conclusion, this is important because it is better to work hard and earn money than to be poor in life where you do not have any food. For example, in Africa people are poor and do not have anything to eat and some get sick. My Mom is always there for me in good and bad times. I hope that I have the same intelligence and good career as my Mom, and that I can help others like my mother supported me.

Coached By: Priscilla Cohen, Citizen Schools Luis Soto : Game Winners Every young boys dream is to get drafted. My dream was to become a NBA player. Growing up in an urban community, a basketball is the only thing I had to play with, even if the ball was flat. I would wake up at 7:00am on the weekends and go to the court and play for hours. I wouldn’t leave until it was dark out. Practice really makes perfect. I made my high school basketball team at BCLA. Not only was the school impressed with my grades but they loved the way I played ball. My mother helped me stay focus and helped me when times got hard. I ended up going to college in Florida.

Finally, time to get drafted. I sat in the crowd, just looking at the board and I closed my eyes and opened them again and there is was. I was the third pick for the Golden State Warriors. With no hesitation I jumped up. I think I experienced every emotion; I cried, I laughed, I was filled with pure happiness. I got up and shook everyone’s hands and Waved to the crowd. That was the most exciting part of my life. I moved to Oakland 31

California. At 9:30pm it was Golden State Warriors V.S Raptors the shot clock was winding down and I had the ball. I was thinking to myself I’ve won five championships and was MVP four times and it’s time for me to tie MJ’s record of most championships won. When I looked up there was about seven seconds left on the clock and I started to dribble the ball and ran up to the free throw line, took a step back and took a jumper. Another game winner.

Coached By: Sarah Montminy & Nate Marsh, Citizen Schools

M a ye l i n Va l d e z : A L e s s o n L e a r n e d Should students make their teacher cry? No they shouldn’t, but we did. Let me tell you this story. It was at the beginning of my 6th grade year in Ms. Romero’s class. At the beginning of class we would have to do the “do now” but we didn’t. The papers she gave us to work on ended up on the classroom floor. The class was in total chaos and didn’t seem to be getting any better.

Everybody had a part in the chaos. Like some people were dancing around with no music, others ran out of the classroom, and I didn’t make it any better. We slowly noticed that she was crying. We sat down and start laughing at others people jokes. We quiet down a little bit but not completely.

At first, I felt free but then I felt guilty and awful because we didn’t learn anything. We didn’t let her teach us what she wanted to teach us. We didn’t appreciate the hard work that she was doing for us. In addition, we didn’t show her that we care, value and respect her.

I learned that you have to listen to people even if you don’t want to. I would tell students that make their teachers cry that they shouldn’t make their teachers cry because she might have something interesting for them to learn. This event happened at the beginning of the 6th grade year. We finished the year with good memories and a good lesson that help us in the future.

Coached By: Priscila Pumarada, Citizen Schools Mikaila W illiams : Right Grade, Wrong Sc hool Have you ever showed up at the wrong place at the right time? Well, I have. It was the beginning of 8th grade and I was excited to see all of my friends. Our school, the Dearborn STEM Academy was being remodeled so we were sharing facilities with the Burke School. It was the perfect day outside so I decided to wear my favorite sandals with my floral plans and braided headband – I had a feeling that this was going to be the best first day of school.

When I got to school, I instantly began looking for my best friend, Jeriya, and when I ran into her, we nearly tackled each other. We were both excited to see each other. I was looking forward to seeing many of my teachers. I didn’t even think of what class I had first period, so I went to the office to find out. In the process I saw my twin sister Kaila who was having the same problem; we both went to random class. As the day went on, it felt like any normal first day. We even had attended an assembly where we got t-shirts that said “the Burke welcomes the Dearborn” with panther paws on it.

The second day of my 8th grade year felt like déjà vu. My school still haven’t produced a schedule for me.

So I thought to myself if I’m not supposed to be in this school then what school am I supposed to be in? After sitting in the office for half of my second day of 8th grade, they called BPS and found out I was supposed to go to McCormack middle school.

Coached By: Meggie Patterson, Citizen Schools 32

Ngan Ly : 2030, Here I Come It is the year 2030. Things are new, and so am I. I just finished up my residency program and was offered a job at one of the best hospitals in the country. It’s the happiest day of my life, but this success didn’t come easy.

My parents sacrificed many things to give me opportunities they didn’t have. For instance, my mom left all of her family in Vietnam and immigrated to Boston so I could have a better future. My parents also made many financial sacrifices in order to provide me with the essentials such as food, clothes, and shelter. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today.

I too had to make many sacrifices throughout my life. I’ve always dedicated myself to my academics and try my best to study for exams, do all my homework, and stay focused in class. I’ve spent so much time focused on my academics that I’ve sacrificed spending time with my family and friends. Thinking about this makes me incredibly sad because of how much I love them. My parents have been key influences in shaping who I am and provided lots of support and encouragement during challenging times. After all of the sacrifices that my family and I have made over the years, I’m able to experience the success today in 2030. I’m excited to begin my medical career and am planning on buying a house. If I have extra time, I would like to apply to Doctors Without Borders once my life has settled down a bit. I feel like this is my biggest accomplishment and am extremely happy but very tired at the same time.

Coached By: Nancy Muñoz, Citizen Schools Peter Nguyen :Back to the Future In 15 years my life will change forever.

It’s the start of middle school and I’m so nervous, like I was in elementary school. 6th grade was a tough one because I really didn’t take school that seriously, but somehow some way I went on to 7th grade. In 7th grade the 1st semester was a breeze. I did all my work as if I was a machine. During 2nd semester, though, I really struggled with my homework. During final exams I really tried my hardest to study everything I had learned during the year, but I was so scared I wasn’t going to make it. But again I did. 8th grade was the year when I had to take things seriously and do all my work. I realized the importance of education, hard work, and dedication. I wrote my high school essay to BCLA and I got accepted! In high school I wasn’t really scared but still a little nervous, so I focused only on doing my work and finishing everything for four years. I completed high school and got my diploma. I decided to attend UMASS Boston, where I knew I could earn my bachelor’s degree and play football which was important to me. Today I am a professional football player for the Seattle Seahawks, and the lessons I learned in middle school and high school helped me get to where I am today.

Coached By: John Lees, Citizen Schools Richard Maldonado : It’s a Maldonado Thing My uncle introduced me to cars but, it all started when my father showed me how things work on a car. From the engine, to body; he showed me the wonders of cars and I fell in love. My favorite kind of car is a Honda Civic because it is gas efficient and it is really easy to customize the car to your liking. You can manipulate the car to increase the speed depending on the kind of motor u put in the car. The car is also easy to fix once you get the hang of it and the parts to a Civic are cheap. Overall the car is inexpensive, you can buy one for as cheap as $2,000 depended on the condition of the car. Civics’ have style, speed, and class but are affordable.

I remember the first time my dad allowed me to drive. I was nervous but excited. The car was a 2012 candy apple red Civic. The sun was shining, it was beautiful outside. I sat in the driver’s seat, put on my seatbelt, 33

adjusted my mirrors and looked around to make sure it was safe to drive. I put my foot on break, switched the gear into drive and put my foot on the gas; I felt one with the car; I will never forget that day.

Given the fact that I love cars, I will teach my children that through dedication and hard work they too can become automotive engineers as my father taught me. I think that it is very important for the family tradition to continue, after all it was my grandfather who taught my uncle and dad about cars.

Coached By: John Tamtelen, Citizen Schools

S h e i l a Wa r e : L e t t e r t o M y s e l f Dear Teddy, It’s 2013 congrats Sheila, you have succeeded! You have come a long way. Dreaming, thinking out loud, and being ambitious. You graduated high school, went to Berklee for music and dance, and moved to California to attend a University for science!

Your teaching dance to children and adults in your own dance company. Your company also travels to other countries to teach others to dance. You’ve been to China, Brazil, Australia, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. You stayed in school for training and studied at Berklee.

We have lovely house in Paris and a farm in my second house in California. In Paris we live with our family and you got married at 28. We have three little monsters in the house. We have two cars and a motorcycle. You got your motorcycle licence at 16. I bring my children to dance class with me. I go back to Massachusetts on special occasions or when I’m on a free schedule.

You were crazy about science. Science for you was like a toy that a child has had for a long time. When someone around you asks, “Why do apples turn brown after you bite it?” I say, “Oh because of the type of air that is around in any place.” Its weird because your mom never liked science but math and you like science but you don’t like math. Your moms still got it.

When you combine your music with everything people would get annoyed. LOL! We always say make a song out of anything you can think of. Remember when you made a song about jealousy.

Coached By: Meaghan Morrissey, Citizen Schools Thao Trinh : Children of Hope I was wandering around the village one night, I found myself pulled into a circle, there was a fire in the middle, and some of the villagers were playing drums. A woman gave birth inside of the house. The drums sounded like a warm welcome to the newborn, filled with everyone’s hope. I’m currently in Uganda to gain more experiences about the OB/GYN field. Delivering babies might sound unappealing, but it’s my dream job.

I had always dreamed of becoming an obstetrician. My journey started from high school, I attended Boston Latin Academy and I learned a lot about the medical field through summer jobs. After all the hard work, I was fortunate to get into Harvard University and Harvard Medical School, one of the best in America. For me, that’s my biggest accomplishment in the past 23 years. The work is tiring, but that doesn’t keep me from my dream.

Even though time changes, I still live in Boston with my parents, it has grown and attached to me. I am currently saving money to buy a house for my parents, to pay them back for what they gave me all these years.

I know it is not even a portion of what they gave me, but I will try my hardest to be a good daughter from now on. Being an obstetrician taught me a lot of things. I was always curious of why mothers treasure their kids more than anything. I finally understand why they feel that way. They are their world, their hope. During my 34

school year, I’ve studied different languages to communicate with patients in the future, I mastered in Korean, Spanish, French, Chinese, Creole, and Japanese.

Coached By: Sarah Higgins, The Markley Group

Shermari Peeples : A Future Doctor ’s Dream After 30 minutes of surgery to repair injuries from a car accident, she came back to life. Here I thought my friend, Emily, was going to die, but here she is, still with me. After 20 minutes of trying to get a bullet out of Mr. Kirby’s back, we found it and he came back to life. We had thought he was going to die, but now, here I am saving his life.

This is my recurring dream and the reason I know I want to be a doctor. I want to be a doctor because I want to save people’s lives and make the world a better place. If I am a doctor, I can take good care of my family and the people who have supported me. Also, I care about giving back to my community and if I am a doctor, I can help people who have injuries but do not have health insurance. I believe doctors can help scare away violence in the world because they the more frequently people see doctors, the happier they will be and the safer they will feel. I know that people would never be afraid to see me as their doctor because I won’t allow something like cancer take over their lives. I will always make my patients laugh and help them focus on the healing vs the pain.

I have a lot to accomplish before I can become a doctor. I need to go to four years of high school, four years of college, and then four years of medical school. WOW. But I know the effort will be worth it when my recurring dream comes to life.

Coached By: Pat Kirby & Emily McCann, Citizen Schools

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TEAM WALTON Damaris Nova : My Inspiring Mother The biggest source of inspiration in my life is my mother. My mother is independent. For example, when cleaning, cooking, and trying to figure things out, she does them herself. She doesn’t like the idea of people doing things for her when she can do them on her own. I take a lot from this trait of hers because I know that doing things for myself is better than relying on someone to do it for me. Otherwise it might not get done the way I want, or it might not get done at all.

“I can do it by myself.” I’ve heard my mother repeatedly say a million times. When I transferred to the Dever McCormack I was struggling with a strategy in math. Every time I had to practice the problems on homework and quizzes I was able to see that I needed help. I told my mom about the issue and she was very understanding and provided some options to think about. Throughout the conversation she was trying to get me to help myself. I had found and started working with a tutor who explained how to solve problems like the ones I was struggling with and on the quiz I got a B plus. After that I learned that even if I don’t understand things the first time, I just can’t give up.

My mother is a very hardworking woman but always puts family first. She had worked mornings to late evenings, which showed me that even though she has a lot on her plate that she still gets other things done. My mother showed me that hard work pays off in the end and I know that if work hard now like my mother taught me to I can become successful in life.

Coached By: Annie Tigani , State Street Corporation Daniel Austin : What is Life?

“My life is my message.” – Mahatma Ghandi. I myself have received this message. I want to go around the world and know the other messages that people have about life. My name is Daniel Austin, I am a world famous philosopher. My goal is to find out the answer to life. I will travel the world asking people “what is life?” to them.

I don’t want to talk about just one type of person because they might all see life the same way. I want to hear from all walks of life. The first person I will speak to on my journey is a rich man. I will ask him what he loves in life, and what he takes for granted. Then, I will approach a poor man and ask him what he loves in life, and what he could have changed in the past. I will talk to both of these men because they live very different lives.

One is happy, rich beyond anyone’s dreams. The other is sad and full of bitterness and despair.

I might find that the richest man is the saddest man, and the poorest man might just be the happiest. Life is just that illuminating.

I have traveled to Hawaii, Boson, the Netherlands, China, Russia, India, and Thailand. I’ll never find the answer to life by talking to just one person. I will to go everywhere to pick people’s brains because when people do not live the same life, why would they think the same way?

Now that I have been around the world and have met with people from all corners of the world, I have not concluded anything about life. This has only made me want to learn more about other people and how they see, feel, and think about life.

Coached By: Michael Wang, State Street Corporation

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Darronte Houston-Loving : New Enemies, Old Friends All I can see is the alley I’m running down, dirty, trash strewn everywhere. There are bums sitting, watching me. Cats are chasing rats; or the other way around, I can’t tell. I can’t look back even though the urge hits me like a tsunami hits a coast, because I will die, and so will Johnson. I take a sharp turn onto Main Street.

“Thank God… a subway.” I jumped down the stairs and sprinted through the turnstiles. I was almost home free but I felt a pair of big beefy hands on my shoulders. I turned to look at my attacker when I saw a collapsible baton flying towards my face. I tried to put my hands up but I wasn’t fast enough… there was black.

I woke to a blinding light, my neck hurt from looking to my right. It wasn’t normal, like I wasn’t awake. I felt like not all of me was there, only small tidbits. This was a rift, the verge of death. The guy must have beat me some more when I was down. To my right is a bright heavenly light, but to my left was darkness. It was evil, I felt it tugging at my soul like it was starving. It wanted to engulf me in the darkness if I let it pull me any closer. I sat up and saw a vision of a crowd of people standing over a man… me. Then I saw him, Bill Williamson, the man who framed me for the murder of my captain, the man who destroyed my career, the man who was going to die. I run at the vision and feel whole again. I open my eyes, jump up, and see him.

Coached By: Romir Chaudhuri and Annie Tigani, State Street Corporation Fredricka Reid : The Great Chase As I weave through traffic at 100 miles per hour, I feel hyped up. I’m chasing a big black van full of money on a highway in San Francisco. The van falls off the bridge and crashes. Boom! I’m Officer Reid, a police officer who’s used to chasing cars in San Francisco. This is how life is as a police officer.

I always wanted to be a police officer since I was young. I went to Boston Latin Academy for high school, then Princeton University for college. I studied every day and night to pass. I studied so hard that my brain felt like it grew as big as a balloon. Then I joined the marines for four years. I got out at the age of 26.

Next, I went to a police academy for 10 months. It was very hard and a lot of work. I practiced using police equipment like computers and walkie-talkies. I trained outside at night. I ran in the woods when It was dark and cold. I ran as fast as a tiger chasing its prey.

All the hard work I’ve done has been worth it because I was able to become a police officer. I enjoy being a cop because I get paid to drive cars and catch bad guys. However, if I had a chance to do it all again, I might be interested in a career in acting or business. Despite my other interests, I still love my job!

Coached By: Kyle Sullivan, State Street Corporation Jasmine Lopez : The Start of Something New This is a story of how I met the twin sister that I never knew I had. Well, she wasn’t really my sister, but it sure felt like it.

It was my first day of school. I had just moved back from Florida and we were already a week into school when I began so at first it was hard for me to know how to get around. Then, in the fourth class of the day I sat in a chair and then a girl came up to me and told me that I was sitting in her seat. It was like I was Goldilocks from the Three Bears. That’s how Dayana and I met, from one mistake I made that afternoon.

Later, we walked to our next class together and we started to talk. It was her first year in the school just like me. I also found out that she used to live in Florida too. From there we began to find out how much we had in common. Now we play sports together, I got to meet her family, and when I was there, it turns out we had the same nickname!

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Later on in life I know that we will stay close friends. We always talk about how when we get old enough, we’ll live together. But, even if we are not together, I also know that we’re going to stay close because of how close we have already become and how much we have in common Coached By: Carol Lowd, State Street Corporation

Sarah Lawton : 2045 - A Preventable Catastrophe I think the world in 2045 will change for the worst and look very different from now. Climate change will be our generation’s bubonic plague. It will deter our survival on Earth. The main problems would be the weather, which will afflict our environments and also cause pollution. The weather will be so fierce it will claim lives and harm our agriculture processes. The effect of harsh climates will be unbearable for our food and crop supply, and with extreme heat it will be more difficult to grow many of our food essentials.

In the year 2015 the pollution rate is at an all-time high across the globe. Just when we think it can’t get worse it will! In the year 2045 some countries will be covered in fog, not just any fog but toxic air. By having polluted air it would will be harder for people to breathe thus causing casualties among groups of people.

Because of all climate change issues the government would have to step up and ask for more taxes to try to prevent or try to improve these issues. But the consequences of asking too much of the people will lead to an uprising, which would overthrow the government and with no government, there could be no president, senate, and no congress. Basically no certain group that could control, enforce or rule over the people of the states. The only way to avoid this catastrophic future of ours is to band together to stop the use of non- renewable energy sources that won’t just harm us now but will negatively affect our planets future.

Coached By: Laura Bruno, State Street Corporation S o p h i a T h a c h : H e l p C h a n g e To d a y, N o t i n 3 0 Ye a r s Imagine yourself going outside and feeling as if you’d just walked into a steam room. However, you’re not in a steam room but instead it’s October in Boston. This is the beginning of an epic climate change. In 30 years I predict the world will change in many ways.

I believer that glaciers will melt and planet Earth will soon start to flood. That will lead to an increase in disease. Hospitals will get as overcrowded as a mall on Black Friday because more people will be getting sick.

Not everyone will get treated because by then our population would have decreased because of the increase in disease.

Next, sea levels will rise. I believe this will happen because of the melting of glaciers. Soon water will start to overflow and dance upon the tallest buildings. As citizens of planet Earth, there are things we can do to prevent all of these from happening: 1. Turn off the lights in your house when they’re not in use. This can help be decreasing your electricity and saving energy in your home. 2. Drive less and begin biking. This way, the chance of pollution will decrease. Also, it’s great exercise! 3. Don’t litter, and keep the environment clean.

Lastly, you can begin to eat healthy so your personal health won’t give you a chance of getting sick.

In conclusion, glaciers won’t melt, an increase in disease won’t occur, and sea level won’t rise if we all as a community can help the environment now so that Planet Earth will be a safe place in 30 years.

Coached By: Jessica Golson, State Street Corporation

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Ta m a r a A h r e n d t s : H a s A n y b o d y E v e r U n d e r e s t i m a t e d Yo u ?

I am a 28-year old pediatrician who my colleagues underestimated until the day I cured a sick patient on the edge of death.

It all started off on a sunny Tuesday morning in a New York clinic as I was typing notes on a child’s physical.

I overheard my bosses debating about a little girl named Destiny who had a mysterious illness. I realized this girl was the same Destiny that I used to babysit. She was a bright girl with a bubbly personality, but she was always sick.

I busted into the lab as quickly as a Cheetah, anxiously asking how I could help. I knew more about Destiny than anyone else; she had the same symptoms before. My boss, however, told me to stay out of this. I felt discouraged, but I remembered my parents’ advice: “Never give up” and “put others before yourself.” That’s exactly what I did.

Before I went home I stopped by Destiny’s room. Her eyes reflected fear and she was pale as a ghost.

Flashbacks hit my memory! I knew what would save her because her aunt in Canada had sent her special medicine to me the last time she was sick. When I got home, I flipped through the phone book and called her aunt to send me the exact medicine. I knew it was hard to get, but luckily her aunt had enough.

The next day the package arrived. I snuck into the girls’ room and switched it out. Destiny recovered, and that day I learned a special lesson: Sometimes not minding your own business can be a good thing.

Coached By: Sonya Hughes & Katrina Knisley, State Street Corporation Ta ysha Coult on : My Bacon and I As I walk into the building, my heart pounds after seeing many adults awaiting our arrival. After a brief introduction, I’m handed a picture of eggs and I’m asked to find my bacon. I continue walking around a room as big as China to find a picture that matches. As I look up, I see a woman with luscious long hair and brown eyes. I flip my card to show her a picture of my egg, and she shows me her bacon. It’s a match!

Someone who inspires me is my writing coach Priyasha, a volunteer from State Street Corporation who takes time to mentor me. She encourages me to do big things in life by developing my writing and motivating me. In my eyes, she is a successful woman because she has a great job, is hardworking, and is outgoing. I remember one afternoon we were talking about high schools and she suggested I take a test so I could apply to additional schools. Even though I didn’t want to take the exam, she persuaded me to change my mind by explaining what opportunities it could offer me. She worked with me to develop my essay for Fenway High School and helped me pick schools that offered what I was looking for. By inspiring me to aim high, Priyasha brought me closer to achieving my goals.

I look forward to every other Tuesday at State Street because Priyasha is sweet, kind, and nice. Having her as a mentor motivates me to work hard and stick to the right path. She helps me become successful in school, writing, and in life. Strong writing skills will help me no matter what I do, so Priyasha has positively impacted my life.

Coached By: Priyasha Chaturvedi, State Street Corporation

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Ty ler Er r ico : The Last 3 Humans on Ear t h In the year 2045 I’m one of the last three people on Earth. The zombie apocalypse started in a lab in New York City when Professor David’s experiment went horribly wrong. Instead of curing cancer, he created a deadly virus. When he touched it, he became a hungry, crazy zombie. The virus spread faster than lightning.

Back in Boston, Luis, Ted, and I were walking to a grocery store when we saw a sick person attacking a mailman. After a few seconds we realized it was a zombie! The zombie walked towards us as slow as a slug. We decided to run off to find somewhere safe. We escaped the first zombie attack with steak, potatoes, and corn.

The food was so heavy we felt like we were carrying rocks. We walked into a tall blue house and secured the doors and windows with wood so we would be hidden.

After we had eaten all of our food, we started walking in a direction that we didn’t know. It was dark out and the trees were bare. We felt terrified. All of a sudden we heard a low pitch moan. The three of us went back to back to check all of the corners. In the dark, the zombies have the advantage. A zombie attacked Luis and knocked Luis to the ground. When Ted and I pulled the zombie off Luis, Ted threw the can of corn and it knocked the zombie out. We realized this was our chance to get away!

We ran silently through the woods. The woods were terrifying, but we made it out. We saw a big, strong fence. We went in and saw a couple of clean houses and checked them out, but found no zombies. We then realized we could live there safely.

Coached By: Ted Schwartz, State Street Corporation Wydri Hasan : Pens vs. Friendships: A Letter to Myself Dear Wydri aka Ashrafi Hasan, The similarity between friendships and pens is shocking! What types of qualities do you look for in a pen when you go to the store? This selection of pens and friendships is the most important part of the process.

When selecting friends, look out for these traits: outgoing, not awkward, nice humor, trustworthy. Something to stay away from is: incompatible.

Once you have your selection of pens, it’s important that you don’t overuse them, because eventually you will run out of ink. It’s the same thing with friendship. You don’t want to rely on friends all the time because they will sometimes get tired of you because of it.

Pens are replaceable if they do not work correctly. The same goes with friendships. There are friends who evolve over time in a negative way. It is essential that you replace them! If you don’t replace something that will eventually become a burden in your life, you will suffer because of it sooner or later.

Even though we have new technologies and as far as I know you’re probably using that new available technology – you cannot forget about pens. You will need them sometime in your life. Even when you think that you don’t need friendships, you will still need someone to talk to with about the smallest thing happening in your life! You need a friend when you’re alone, or when something is going wrong. You’ll need someone to talk to!

Pens are like friendships. Be selective. Don’t expect too much from something that might be so temporary.

You will need both pens and friendship in your life. Just make sure it’s quality over quantity.

Coached By: Luis Alvarez, State Street Corporation

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TEAM PHIFER Alexa Sanchez : My Middle School Days In many ways middle school lived up to my expectations. In 6th grade, I was excited because being in middle school meant I was becoming a more responsible person as well as a leader. Now that I’m in 8th grade, it is more difficult because the work is harder, but it is preparing me well for high school which makes it exciting.

I remember the first day school when I walked to the cafeteria—it was loud and the kids were screaming and running around which was kind of terrifying. Then the bell rang and I didn’t know where to go, so I found a teacher. Since then I’ve had no trouble finding my classes and apprenticeships, such as Pizza Science, Double Dutch, Running for Office and Google sites. Another memory that I have is when I was in 6th grade and I got to work with Ms. Rivas. She was so funny and short and quickly became my favorite teacher. I also remember performing in the auditorium, depending on the topic or specialty or apprenticeship that I had at the time, I played the drums, sang in choir, and did step. It’s been fun however, 8th grade has been challenging.

This year I study the same thing I learned the past two years, but the teachers go deeper into all the concepts that we covered in order to prepare students for high school. For example, In Science class, we are learning about genotype and phenotype which is very difficult and confusing at times. Even though the work is complicated it is doing a very good job of preparing me for 9th grade.

Coached By: Josh Perry & Dan Riley, Choate Alyssa Monteiro : Scrubs, Stethoscope, and Gloves!

As I pull out my scrubs from my purse, I hug my mom and say “Oh My Gosh! Mom I got the job at Beth Israel”. I am thrilled to tell my mom that I am going to be Neonatologist, the profession that I always wanted to pursue. I am officially going to be spending my days with precious and petite newborn babies.

“I am so proud of you sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling fine Mom.” I am feeling mixed emotions. I am nervous to be a rookie at the job; happy for starting a career; honored because I am gaining trust from so many new people that I have just met; proud because I have come a long in my life; cautious because I don’t want to do anything wrong; and finally, I’m feeling confident because I believe that I have worked extremely hard to be where I am today.

In order to get where I am today, I went to Harvard University. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Biology. Then I attended Harvard Medical School. At Harvard I met a ton of people-people of all different races and cultures.

Harvard was so diverse, but boy let me tell you, it was like a can of sardines in there. Not only was the student body diverse, the curriculum was too, with a wide variety of subjects. I mean work after work; it’s like an infinite amount of never ending paperwork and books.

Being a Neonatologist is important to me because I always wanted to watch over babies and keep them in good health. For as long as I can remember, I have always succeeded at it. The practice that I have had and the studies that I have taken prove that I will be the perfect Neonatologist.

Coached By: Courtney Scott & Steve Winslow, Choate

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B r i t n e y M e n d e z : 2 015 It’s 2015, there are new technology firms and businesses advancing, potentially giving greater opportunities for the future of us all. But now let’s not forget when we were just children and the idea of being ourselves and individuals were completely encouraged until the day social media took over. Once we got sucked into social media we lost our sense of identity and tried to fit into the standards of being popular and interesting. Let us also not forget the put downs and stereotypes we suddenly tell right into. Yes, technology has advanced and communication with our communities across the world has been outstanding throughout the years, but there will always be people putting others down and an opinion could possibly turn into an attack. Although we should be about the positives and give one another support, instead people are critizing others based on beliefs, gender, nationality and so on. Personally, I’ve experienced sexist comments online. I have seen how people attack others for their own sake of laughter. Once you try or someone else tries to protect you you’re an angry feminist that tries to fight the stereotypes, you started out as the victim, then ended up as the instigator.

But in the end, over all the negativity and flaws that exist in this world, there is a lot of positivity hidden behind it all. There are ways to prevent conflict and ways to stop it. Some ways to share positivity are to focus on the positive, handle things in a calm way instead of going off and causing a bigger problem. Bring light on social issues which brings a sense of community. Sharing a sense of community is to stick together and support others, not shut them out. I believe we, together, can fix this view on our society.

Coached By: Sharona Sternberg & Amy DeCloux, Sunstein D a v i d D a n g : T h i r d Wo r l d S o l u t i o n s As a child, I saw horrible images and heard chilling stories about third world countries. These images I saw on my television hit me hard as I was growing up. Now, when I look at images of the conditions that these children live in, it makes me feel grateful for what I have. As children stand by the rubble of what used to be their homes, covered in dirt, and with no place to live. I just feel a deep sense of guilt in my heart. I want to improve the situation. I want to improve the situation by supplying fresh drinking water, building homes with a built in water system and providing food for people in third world countries.

I want to make a difference in the world and for me that means focusing on school and doing my work. I have always enjoyed science class. But one day in class, I learned about diseases that can adapt, but I did not understand what that meant until we went into depth with the material. At time goes on, diseases will grow to resist antibiotics that people are taking. This means that eventually the medications we take my not work anymore. One example is Tuberculosis, a serious disease that affects the lungs. This disease has adapted to resist antibiotics and give people really bad symptoms. People can become skinny, weak and gives them a severe cough.

I honestly don’t want to see anyone going through this, that’s why I am going to work hard in school.

By working hard, I’ll go to the best college so I can learn how to get rid if these new adapting diseases in third world countries.

Coached By: Drew Goodwin & Gary Finley, Choate Dayana Ledesma : Moving and Improving Middle School has been one of the craziest and unforgettable years of my life. When it comes to middle school, I have gone to two different schools. During those two years, I have grown and improved a lot, not only as a student, but as a human being as well.

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My first year of Middle School went well because all of the 7th graders were also new, and I didn’t really have a problem when it came to socializing with friends. Although, math was not going well for me. My 7th grade teacher wasn’t good at explaining content, so I had a problems understanding. Luckily I passed, and moved on to 8th grade. I’m not proud to have “luckily” passed, but other than that, last year was a good year.

When I came to Boston for my second year of Middle School it was difficult at first. I had to find new friends, school, a house, etc. The Dever-McCormack helped me a lot, especially with my education. Math slowly became one of my favorite subjects even though last year I struggled with it. I started understanding more of the problems that I didn’t understand last year.

This year I even tried something new—I joined the Basketball team so I wouldn’t be doing the same old things again. The best part of all of this was meeting my best friend Jasmine. Jasmine and I encourage each other to do our best in everything and I’m grateful to have someone who supports me like she does.

I’ve grown and improved in so many ways, and the thought of me almost graduating and moving on to high school makes me pretty nervous. Even though I’ve been at the DMC for a year, this school has been a big part of my life.

Coach By: Denise Kettelberger, Sunstein

Elizabeth Medina Martinez : My Inspiration “When you catch your breath you look at me and say love are you real? Have you ever heard of this song?

Do you know who the artist is? We’ll I’ll tell you! My inspiration is Ariana Grande because I have watched her since Victorious and she is very talented and funny. I think Ariana is caring, hardworking and positive. These are the qualities that I admire about her.

Ariana Grande is really good at ignoring the hate from negative people because she always has a smile on her face no matter what. When she was on the show “Victorious”, the producer asked her to dye her hair red.

She agreed, but after dyeing her hair so much, her hair fell out and she had to wear extensions. A lot of people made fun of her because she did not have any hair. The comments and hate was very hurtful. Just imagine a ton of people laughing at you, calling you negative stuff and surrounded by it, for example, on Instagram, Twitter and other social media. She felt sad, hated and terrible, but she always showed that she did not care. She has supportive Arianators by her side.

She is a good role model because a lot of people would just be sad and cry, but not Ariana. She makes me think that I can do the same and ignore the hate as well. I am a very shy person and Ariana Grande inspires me to be less shy. She is confident in herself and she says you should so whatever you want because you are yourself.

She says let people judge you—you just have to ignore it and be you. These are the reasons why Ariana Grande inspires me to be a better person.

Coached By: Rebecca Wilsker, Choate Kaila Williams-Pina : My Middle Sc hool Experience Life in Middle School has its ups and downs, but if you keep your head up it will fly right by.

I have been to three different middle schools, one for each grade in Middle School. Starting school at the Dever-McCormack Middle School was pretty awkward because I only knew one person and everyone had been introduced to each other already. I was kind of nervous because I did not know anyone and people did not socialize the first week. Going from the Boston Renaissance to the Dearborn School wasn’t so bad. The students at the Dearborn are so welcoming, but are less focused that the students at the Boston Renaissance. Overtime I eventually adapted to the Dearborn School.

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Now that middle school is almost over I am somewhat happy. I am happy middle school is almost over because I did a lot of work on high school applications. I’m anxious for graduation, and I’m one step closer to my future. One reason I might be a little disappointed that the year is almost over is because I will once again be split up from my friends. I am kind of nervous to move schools for the third time. Not only am I concerned that we may not go to the same high school, but I’m nervous about being in a school with kids 16 years and older. Despite my fears about high school, I’ve had so many accomplishments and learned many lessons that can help me be a better student in high school.

Coached By: Jolie Siegel, IntraLinks / Tyler Masse & Hanna Roos, Choate

Luis Falcon : Dear (Old) Me Dear Luis, It’s been at least fifteen years since the last time we spoke, but I have no doubt that you are still as handsome and perfect as you were when you were fourteen years old. I know that my by now you are probably a famous Lawyer or Doctor winning awards all around the world, and if not then you’re almost there. So back to why I’m writing this letter. We’ve always been so hard headed and not easy to talk to. The only person that you would actually listen to is you so it’s perfect that it’s me writing this letter right now. I want to tell you that you should never forget how talented you are. Even now that I’m only fourteen, I get on myself way too often, and I’m afraid that if we continue to do so we’re going to end up just like Dad (stressed and bald). Whenever you feel like you’re working too hard, just remember: call Valeria, Tracey, or Noemi, they always know what to say.

You could even go out and have fun on your own. We have never been boring, and we are never going to be!

With a lot of love, You Coached By: David Blau & Brandon Scruggs, Sunstein L u i s Ve n t u r a : M i M e m o r i a F a vo r i t a Nunca hubiera imaginado que en mi primer viaje al zoológico, que terminaría sólo un par de metros de distancia de la boca de un león, o que sería arrojado al cielo con mis amigos. Estas son sólo algunas de las cosas divertidas que viví durante mi día favorito hasta ahora, el día que nuestra clase sexto grado visitamos el Parque Zoológico Franklin.Cuando entramos en el zoológico, mi amiga y yo abordamos un gran catapulta.

Justo después de abrochar nuestro cinturón de seguridad, fuimos lanzados al aire como un cohete, y los dos gritamos con mucha fuerza. Cuando nos oyeron gritando, nuestros amigos, quien estaban en el suelo, se rieron de nosotros, pero eso también era divertido.

A continuación, visitamos el hábitat de serpiente. Cuando llegamos, vimos una enorme anaconda enrollada como un manantial en un estanque poco profundo, con sus ojos entrecerrados. Cuando salimos del hábitat de serpiente, entramos en una jaula gigante llena de periquitos de diferentes colores como el rojo, verde, amarillo y azul. También había un loro que imitaba a todo de lo que el mundo estaba diciendo.

La última parte de nuestro viaje fue ver la jaula del león. Esta fue la mejor parte del día, porque era una jaula de cristal claro y tenía también un tipo de coche transparente, que permitía que la gente podría estar muy cerca del león. Cuando estábamos en el coche transparente, el león de repente corrió hacia donde estábamos, rugiendo en voz alta mientras se acercaba. Esto nos dio a todos un buen susto, y nos fuimos corriendo a nuestros autobuses escolares para llegar a casa. Y así es como mi día favorito llegó a su fin.

Coached By : Lisa Tittemore & Alexandra Cavazos, Sunstein 44

Malik Abbas : Magic Soles I am Malik Abbas. I’ve always wondered who I would be in fifteen years. I hope that I will be rich and famous. I plan to keep up and surpass Nike by inventing levitating awesome shoes. I will call them Magic Soles.

Of course to make it that far I would have to complete high school, go to college at M.I.T and go to graduate school at Yale University. I will study engineering. After graduation I will start to design a layout of what the shoes will look like. I will then find a way to make them levitate and not pollute the earth. I know it won’t be easy, but magic soles will be a complete success.

It’s not that easy to just make a pair of levitating shows. I would limit the height to 100 meters. There will be lights in the shoes that indicate whether you will be going left right, backwards, and forward.

Life isn’t just about designing these shoes. I will have a wife that love me not because of anything else except for me and I will have fun kids that will have a normal life. I will be living in a big house in San Francisco. I will be keeping a low profile in the city. I will have three Lamborghini sport cars. Also I will have a helicopter, personal yacht, and a private runway for my planes. I plan to donate ten percent of all the money I make to cancer charities every month. I plan to work out, play with my kids, and take my family out to dinner. This is my plan in order to make Magic Soles.

Coached By: John Stickevers & John Conway, Choate N a o m i C u m m i n g s : Ye a r s Dear Naomi, Emma Bombeck said “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, I used everything you gave me” Growing up you enjoyed the arts from creating it or even observing. Use your talents wisely to stay true to yourself and get in touch with your creative side.

Remember how you much you enjoyed music? Music was very important in your life, something that made you who you are today. Music played a big role in your life by listening as well as creating new sounds. Music was always the thing you went to whenever you were sad, happy, or even angry. Staying in touch with music is important because it’s something you are passionate about, and with that passion that you have and carry on, you will be successful.

That feeling of confidence is also something I want to remind you about. If you want to be successful you need to be confident in yourself. You may have moments where you feel where you feel weak, or you feel like giving up, but when you do just remember the tough times you overcame when you were me. For example, do you remember when you were thirteen and you had to decide whether or not to get surgery. You confidently said “yes”. Knowing you were hurting on the inside, you still stayed strong believing everything would be just fine. You overcame that problem by thinking positively and confidently through it.

If you remember nothing else, remember to stay true to yourself by staying in touch with your artistic side and remembering the times that you thought you weren’t going to make it, because you will!

Coached By: Kate Reynolds & Ellie Walker, Choate Tu a n N g u y e n : M y Wo r l d In thirty years the world would be in chaos, however I hope it will be in harmony. The way the world would be in chaos is there would be more police brutality, extinction and polluted world. At the moment police brutality is not a crime and people are getting killed by police and some of it is being done on purpose.

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Extinction is happening and most animals are going to be almost wiped from earth. If the world keeps getting polluted then death rates will increase from weather, temperature, species and food.

Though I hope the world will have no problems with bacteria. Currently antibiotics are starting to not work.

I hope in thirty years people will know why they are being resistant but also why bacteria’s are less resistant.

I believe there would be more advance technology such as better robot AI, hover boards, etc. Though I would hope that the problems that are currently arising are put to a stop.

The world would be in chaos from pollution, police brutality and extinction, however I hope the world would have advanced technology, better healthcare and antibiotics, and all other problems in the world would be fixed. The world needs to be in a better place instead of chaos.

Coached By: David Blau & Brandon Scruggs, Sunstein

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ORCHARD GARDENS K-8

TEAM RUTHERFORD Alene Fernandes : Person of Influence Influence is the power to have an important effect on someone or something. The person who inspires us and persuades us to do better is considered a positive influence. Currently the person who has been the biggest source of inspiration in my life is my mom. My mom influences my goals and aspirations in a large way.

My mom tells me to respect others and to continue to work hard. I remember when I received my report card and I had straight A’s and one B. She told me to continue to do good, but raise my B to an A because she knows I have the capacity and if I try harder I can do it. Whenever I’m at school and things get tough, I think of my mother’s wise words and strive to not give up on myself. When this happens, I continue to believe in myself so that I can preserve.

Often times my mom has influenced my goals and aspirations by telling me stories of people who were unsuccessful because of their choices. Due to these stories, I often think about why I am in school. I attend school to learn as much as I can, go to college, get a degree and be successful in life, and I am thankful to my mom for reminding me of this.

My mom is a hard worker who never gives up on her goals, and that is why I can call her my role model.

Currently she is going to school to improve her english. When I see my mom doing her best in school and working her hardest to achieve her goals, it inspires me to do my best and achieve my goals as well.

Coached By: Cassie Bent, Mintz Levin A n g e l o L u g o : W h e r e I S e e M y s e l f i n 15 Ye a r s In 15 years I’ll be a solo editor working with big teams and individuals. I will be a montage and a GFX editor who is talked about around the world. In my young days I had to acquire my equipment and train to be what I desired to be in 15 years.

In middle school I saw a Bo2 montage which really stuck out to me. The ‘tage was really unique to me with 47

its color correction and synced shots to the song. The ‘tage encouraged me to become an editor. In order to do that, I saved a lot of money to buy a powerful P.C. a capture card, and a Sony Vegas, which will allow me to make the highest quality edits.

When I was in high school, the teachers taught me which capture cards and DVR’s to use for best quality recording. At the same time, I had to learn how to edit on Sony Vegas. Both took 2 years of my high school career to perfect. I began offering free 2 clip edits and ask for feedback so my name would start getting out there. After my profile got out there I started doing full clip edits and started charging.

I started editing for huge communities, like Faze, Red, Obey, L7 and the ReQuine, and many individuals.

Since my work was very successful, I started getting shootouts and my profile got bigger than before. From all my publicity I gained lots of money and decided to go to Edmonton with my wife. After all the years of learning and editing, I slowed down on my job but I continued to live a normal life with a bunch of creativity waiting to be shown in my P.C. That’s where I see myself in 15 years.

Coached By: Conlan Orino, Mintz Levin

A n t h o n y C o r d o v a : I n 15 Ye a r s I S e e M y s e l f A s In 15 years I’ll be in my 8th season in the NBA playing with the Portland Trail Blazers, there are some good parts and some challenging parts of being a pro athlete. Before I went to the NBA I got a 4 year scholarship to Syracuse. I led Syracuse in points and assists. I was one of the best Syracuse players. In my last year at Syracuse after losing in the NCAA playoffs i decided to enter the NBA draft. I was in 7th pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft. I moved to Portland to be with my team. I led rookies in points and rebounce through the whole season. My highest point game in my rookie year was 33 points. By the end of the season I was rookies of the year. It was the best accomplishment of my life.

NBA was the hardest level, it wasn’t like college or high school basketball at all. One of the hardest part of being in the league was talking a lot of interviews. Just answering a lot of questions about the game and my personal life is too much. Another challenging part is lack of sleep. You tried and have to get use to a schedule.

The most challenging part is playing 82 games and being on the road because it takes away time to be with family. 15 years from today, I see myself as a successful professional athlete in the NBA, then after I’ll continue my future in sports but in a different way and commentary, because its another job that will keep me in the game of basketball othen than playing the game.

Coached By: Zack Mykulak, Mintz Levin Edward Matos : My Best Friend My favorite memory from middle school is meeting my new best friend Sebastian.

Looking back I see how much Sebastian helped me in my academic school work. He helped me to better understand my classes. He showed me how to introduce myself to others in the class. He also helped me learn how to not get lost in school.

Looking back I realize how much fun Sebastian and I had. He and I laughed with other Latino friends that we made. Sebastian and I spend our time getting to know each other and having fun also by using other methods. For example, in our free time we used to watch videos and search for fun stuff on YouTube. This helped me learn more.

I was reminded once of how much I struggled being introduced to other people before Sebastian helped. It was kind of hard for me in the beginning because I didn’t know that much English. I started by being shy and sitting apart from other classmates. But then everything started to be easy. Sebastian and I got to be friends 48

and because of that I got the chance for once to be successful. Without Sebastian’s help I wouldn’t have gotten this far. I was really confused of my mistakes but now that I have learned from them my English is stronger. I mean by that getting to know more by using the correct words in English.

In fact if I wouldn’t meet Sebastian when I first came to middle school, my days in class in class would have been harder and less fun. Being friends with Sebastian made my days much better at school and I am really grateful for his friendship and all of his help.

Coached By: Dana Lindberg, Mintz Levin

E r i c k a B r i t o : M y Wa y t o t h e To p “On your mark, get set” Pow! I raced down the track as my heart began beating faster. As the wind swooshed through my hair, I remembered back 15 years ago in 8th grade, when I first started running in a track team. After middle school, my determination to become a runner expanded to a new height. I started running every morning before school and joined the track team. I learned new techniques and became a faster runner overall. Even though I always future as a trackstar, I always maintained my grades at a B average because my future as a track star wasn’t a guarantee. After high school I went to the MIT college where I continued to run as well. I competed with a lot of different and schools had really fast runners. There were times where i lost a lot of hope because maybe I was pressured to much or maybe I had been ranked in running a low place and remembering how long I been running and pursuing this dream always brought my hope back. There had been many competitions but only one that was important, the one I got noticed . This man had approached me and offered me a space in his track league and it took a while before I said yes. But after I seen his team in track I had no doubt I wanted to be in the team. I wanted a team ,where I can be challenged and they offered that. To this day I’ve competed for that team. Even though there are a lot of pressure the love i had for running over powered all the downs of being a professional runner. As I passed the finish line, the crowd rose up and chanted my name “Ericka, Ericka!”

Coached By: Lindsay Leone, Mintz Levin G i s e l l e P o n c e : 15 Ye a r s A f t e r 2 015 Over the last 15 years I started a music career as a singer in a band in Los Angeles. My adventure started out a Berklee College of Music, which led me to international musical stardom. After my adventure ended I returned to where it all started, Berklee College of Music to finish my degree in songwriting.

I started my career right after high school when I got accepted into Berklee. I always knew that i wanted to be a professional singer, so Berklee was an easy choice for me. While attending school, I met a lot of talented musical friends. I became really good friends with 4 girls, Jade, Mary, Jesy, and May. Jade and Mary played the guitar, and May and I were the lead singers of the band.

Me and the girls left Berklee after 3 years of attending, With the help of the Youtube videos me and the girls made, we flew out to LA where a record deal was waiting for us. As a band we got to fly all around the world seeing new places, and meeting new people. 5 years later and we had realized 4 albums and made it through 3 world wide tours before we decided it was time for us to go our separate ways.

A year after I decided I wanted to go back to Boston to attend Berklee to finish my degree on songwriting.

While working on my degree in songwriting, I managed to make some time to learn how to play the guitar. I made many songs and got a record deal as a solo act.

Coached By: Jamie Dickerson, Mintz Levin 49

Esthela Beltre : My Best Friend, Not My Counselor Someone who Inspires me and has had a big impact on my life is my school counselor Mrs. Smith. She’s motivating, caring and loving.

Mrs. Smith has encouraged me into doing my best to have a bright future. During the beginning of 8th grade, the first few months can be a bit stressful with high school applications. She saw potential in me and introduced me to a program for SSAT prep which would prepare me for the SSAT test for high end schools.

I would learn about mathematics, reading and writing. After taking the test I knew I should focus on good schools but was afraid of not being prepared enough. She would remind me of how much of a good student I was. I felt more comfortable applying to good high schools for a better future.

Something about Mrs. Smith that also inspires me is the amount of care she has for the students here at Orchard Gardens. She’s more than a school counselor. She’s a friend, someone who understands you. It’s not her job, it’s her lifestyle. I’ve had occasions where I needed someone to talk to about personal problems. She’s always there and knows exactly what to say. I’ve overcome many challenges with the help of Mrs. Smith.

This leads to my point on how loving she is. She volunteered to be the cheerleading coach at OG. I never participated in any sports but I got intrigued by the thought of cheerleading. I’ve been on the team since 7th grade. She willingly takes her time and effort to keep a cheerleading squad to support our schools football team. I’ve learned more on teamwork, following directions and football of course. She has helped make my middle school years memorable.

Coached By: Rebecca Ocampo, MGH I a r a S i l v a : I n 15 Ye a r s As I lay down my book I sit back and a sigh escapes me. I never imaged being here. I look at my book and am reviewing something on page 8. That number reminds me of many things. My mind races back to 8th grade and all my memories seem to come to life. I remember talking to my counselor about my future and where I wanted to go in life. I remember my high school applications and I notice how much I have done from 8th grade to now. I will be finishing law school soon and taking the state bar exam in a couple months.

During middle school my dream had always been to be here. My mom had always encouraged me to try my best and achieve my goals. I went into high school with high expectations of myself and my work. I tried hard and never gave up. I attended a rigorous high school with high expectations of me. Before I attended high school, I put myself in a hard place choosing from many rigorous schools. High school wasn’t easy but I made it through. I thought it would be impossible but it wasn’t.

After attending cathedral high school I went to college at Harvard university where I majored in education and social language. I had not the easiest time but i got through it . i attended school day and night to achieve my goals. now as i sit here and reflect i realize that i am exactly where i have always wanted to be. like high school, college was hard, but not impossible. i have always imagined myself here and now it’s not a dream but reality. i have not only impressed myself but also others who might have thought i could never be here.

Coached By: Alan Hoffman, Mintz Levin & MGH affiliate Jamesha Polk : My Momma is My Hero A role model to me is a person you look up to, and someone that encourages you to try harder.

My mother is a hard worker because she provides for all four of her children. She shows qualities of being a mom and she also encourages me to do my best even though I give up on my work, especially in math, which is my worst subject in school. My mom also helps me with my work and she always tells me to keep trying.

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My mom is a strong woman who never gives gives up. Even though shes been through alot of horrible things, she does not let her struggles get in her way.She is a person who forgives people even if they have done some harmful things to her.She is not the type of person to hold grudges against others.

My mother is a very supportive person. She is always there for me when I need someone to talk to. My mom gives very helpful advice and don’t get me wrong it might not be something you want to hear, but trust me it comes in handy. She’s the type of person you can talk to about anything and make you feel comfortable. My mom is supportive because she helps me alot with my school work. She keeps me organized and always makes sure I am doing what I need to do. Even if i am absent she makes sure I get my make-up work and turn it in completed the next day and on time.

Coached By: Natalie Johnson, MGH

Jasmine Permell : WNBA In 15 years, I would be a professional basketball player about to retire looking forward to giving back to the community. Skylar Diggins set me on the path to play professional basketball. It all started when I went to my first college basketball game at FSU. I mean I wasn’t expecting any famous people to be there. But that day my life changed. As soon as I walked in I saw a crowd surrounding someone. Then I saw Skylar Diggins. I was shaking. I didn’t know what to do, then she noticed me. I wanted to say something but I couldn’t speak or look her way. Then she walked up to me and stared. She asked if I played basketball. I choked on my words.

I’m dribbling to the top of the key. There is only one minute left on the clock and we’re two points ahead.

My teammates on the Tulsa Shock are cheering me on. I’m facing tough defense from the Phoenix Mercury team. Skylar Diggins is yelling plays at me. I’ll have to shoot the ball or it will be a turnover and the other team might win. Then I pass the ball to the shooting guard and she bangs the three. There are 10 seconds left. I’m shaking. In my head, I’m thinking: They can do anything, but I can’t let them win. But I can’t foul, or they win.

Nine. Everyone is screaming. Eight. I’m getting nervous. But the ball makes its way to the court. My stomach has butterflies in it. I have to stop the ball or we are going to lose. “Three!” Everyone yelled, “Two! One!” The other team shoots, but it is too late.

Coached By: Candice Porter, Mintz Levin Luisa Depina : From the South End to South Beach: My Journey from Cat hedral High Sc hool t o Teac hing in Miami As I lay down my student’s corrected work, something catches my eye: the student’s answer. It was simply a number “8,” but it meant a lot to me. It made me think back to 8th grade and about all my activities—applying to high school, the mock trial apprenticeship, and cheerleading. Activities that led me to attending Cathedral High School.

At Cathedral, I became friends with students that were able to help me achieve my future goals, I took classes that helped me prepare for college, and I pushed myself to get good grades. I graduated from Cathedral when I was 18, a member of the Class of 2019. After graduating from Cathedral, I attended the University of Miami.

At U Miami, I played for the volleyball team. When my team won any game, you could find me taking notes about the game in my little journal. I bet you wonder why I did that. Well, I did it because I was a sports reporter for the school newspaper, The Miami Hurricane.

In 2023, I graduated from U Miami with my teaching degree. I taught 4th grade math at a local school. I had a hard choice whether I should stay in Florida or go live somewhere else. Because of the beautiful weather, I decided to stay and live permanently in Florida in a rented house with my best friends. Because my students had 51

asked me questions about how I got to where I was in my career, I eventually decided to write a book. It was a bestseller. All of a sudden, I feel somebody tapping me on my shoulder. I wake up and I realize that I am just daydreaming again and only in my eighth grade math class, staring at the number “8”…

Coached By: Ana Lopez, Mintz Levin

Melucy Correia : Changing My Country I was born and raised in Cabo Verde. My family members are all from Cabo Verde. One day, I would hope to go back to Cabo Verde and rebuild my country. Until I was seven years old, I lived in Cabo Verde. There had always been a volcano, which was part of Chan Mountain. The volcano erupted in the early 1990s. The lava from the volcano eruption destroyed buildings, crops - everything in its path. If I could go back to Cabo Verde, I imagine myself rebuilding schools to give younger generations a better education and replanting grape vines to help Cabo Verde’s economy recover.

Growing up in Cabo Verde, I did not receive as much education as I needed. In the first grade, I was not taught the things you are supposed to learn as a first grader, like counting to 50 or the alphabet. I want to go back to Cabo Verde and build a new school. Before I go, I would get donations from companies like Target, CVS, and Staples. I feel that in order to get the right education, you need the right supplies.

Every day I walked out of my house, I saw Chan Mountain. It was beautiful. Grapes grew on the side of Chan. The grapes were used to make wine and were also sold to make money. When the volcano erupted in the early 1990s, the lava burned and destroyed all of the grapes. Later, the vineyards were replanted but they were destroyed again when the volcano erupted in 2014. I would help rebuild the vineyards by gathering volunteers in Fogo, traveling to a part of Cabo Verde where grapes are still growing and replanting those vines in a place near Chan that is protected from future eruptions.

Coached By: Calvin Richardson, Mintz Levin & MGH affiliate Mic hael F igueroa : My Jour ney To The NBA It has taken me many years to get to where I am now. After I graduated from Orchard Gardens, I went to a high school called Catholic Memorial. After college I went to the NBA. I am in my seventh season now.

My dream started in high school. I played on my high school team, Catholic Memorial, all four years. But it wasn’t that easy. I had to average B grades all four years, which was hard for me. I also had to get to know college coaches and practice in the summer time.

A scout from Duke started watching me during my second year of high school. He asked me to play for Duke and I accepted the offer. But I couldn’t focus only on basketball. Even though I could have entered the draft after two years at Duke, I decided to stay in college to get my degree.

Soon after I graduated from Duke I was selected in the first round of the NBA draft by the Washington Wizards. This was really exciting for me, but I was a little bit disappointed because I wanted to be on the Hornets. believe it or not, a week after the draft I was traded to the Hornets. We have gone to the playoffs all six years. My first two years we won two championships.

I am very grateful for the chances I have had to get to where I am now. But sooner or later I will have to retire. When I do retire my business education will help me manage the money I have earned and move on to whatever I decide to do. Maybe I will start a shoe company or become a coach. But none of this could have been possible without a lot of hard work.

Coached By: Stanley Twarog, Mintz Levin 52

Nisla Antunes : My Role Model A role model to most people is a person whose behavior and success is or can be emulated by others. To me a role model is a person who is not afraid to be themselves no matter what others say, stands up for others, and has a good idea of where they’re going for the future.

Right now a role model for me is Jennifer Lawrence. After the Hunger Games saga Jennifer Lawrence has been called “fat” by several members of the paparazzi. She doesn’t buckle to the pressure to lose weight and loves herself exactly the way she is.

When I became 12-years old kids at school would have made fun of me because they didn’t like my size or the way I appeared to them. It came to me after a while that I had to change who I am to make friends. When Jennifer Lawrence made a speech about how it doesn’t matter what you look like its what you have inside you that matters, it made me feel like there are other people going through the same thing. Going to the gym was not my main goal after Jennifer thought young females that were facing similar problems as me that you don’t have to change because others tell you to change.

Don’t change because they tell you to, change because you want to is the words that has kept me from getting hurt. i have always listened to what other people has to say about my personality or weight but thanks to Jennifer i know to be confident of myself even if i’m not what is seen as “sexy” or “beautiful”. Jennifer Lawrence is a successful,beautiful, and confident women which is why she is one of my greatest role model.

Coached By: Lindsay Leone, Mintz Levin Peter Baptista : Joao Lopes My biggest source of inspiration is my father, Joao Lopes. The three most important reasons why my dad is my biggest inspiration are that he is hardworking, cares for his family, and has humor.

My dad inspires me through his hard work. He has to wake up at three o’clock in the morning, before the sun comes out, and comes back at six o’clock in the evening when the sun goes back down. Even though he is still tired from work, he takes time to go to our games. When he notices that there was nothing fun to do at home, he takes us out.

My father also cares for his family. If my mom needs help with something, he will leave what he is doing and help her. If my sister or I needed help with our homework, he takes time with each one of us to finish it If he doesn’t know how to do something, he would still try his best to answer his question.

The final reason my father is my inspiration is that he has humor. Often, when we are in our living room, my dad will get up and leave the room. We don’t know what he is doing, but after we all go back to watching TV, he will pop out of nowhere and hit us with a pillow. Another funny thing he does is that whenever he puts his favorite song on, he will grab Toby, our dog, and dance around with him.

These reasons are the biggest ones that makes my dad an inspiration for me. As I grow up I would want to be just like my dad. I want to be a person who is hardworking, takes good care of my family and have fun with my family.

Coached By: Ben Hincks & Rob Sheridan, Mintz Levin

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TEAM MASON Cedric k Powell : A Per fect Picture To imagine my life in 15 years, in my perfect picture, I would to be dating someone, have a nice job, and living normally.

I want to be with someone that is lovable, hardworking and caring. In my ideal relationship, I don’t want the person I have loved for a long time to be separated from me. It would be like having a broken relationship because my lover has gotten pulled away from me because of his harmful, painful, ignorant actions that I’ve told him of numerously but he still was being defiant and resists changing for the better. With the right kind of person you can be in a somewhat perfect relationship which can last for a long time.

In 15 years from now, being successful would be having good job and doing work that I care about. I would have a lot of responsibilities, earn a good salary, and make a good living for myself and my family. I want to be a prosecution lawyer- since I am dramatic and persuasive. I also have the ability confront people with difficult questions. I want to work hard and earn enough to afford to be giving and generous. I feel sympathetic for the homeless because they have so many more difficulties than we people with homes are fortunate enough to have.

They have to live without things like privacy, safety and are exposed to really harsh weather. When I think about homeless people and the struggles they face, it makes me think… if I don’t complete school, graduate with a high school diploma, bachelors or master’s degree.

Lastly in 15 years I will live a normal life without all the problems, such as gang wars, family drama or other conflicts.

Coached By: Heather Keegan, Fidelity Investments Alex Gomes : Biggest Inspiration It was a bright and sunny day with the sky a clear as crystal glass. “Norwood tower Cessna 172AC, holding short runway 24, ready to take off.” I said. “Cessna 172AC clear to take off, Runway 24,” the tower responded. The instructor told me to slowly push the throttle. As I reached 55 knots, I slowly pulled back on the yoke and I was in the air, looking to the land below. My brother Edilson is my biggest inspiration in life because he made this day happen.

Edilson is a bright, enterprising high school senior. Originally from Fogo Cape Verde, Edilson came to Boston with his family in 2011. Since childhood, becoming a pilot has been his goal, and he has already completed multiple solos in a single engine Cessna.

My interest in flying exists because of my brother. By getting me an introductory flight, he made me sure that I wanted to become a pilot. Ever since my first flight, I have developed a deep interest in flying. At first I was uneasy, but after a few lessons, I began to understand the process of flying. During the first flight, I took control of the plane and my fears all turned to fascination.

At age 14 I am already involved with an aviation program, all because of my brother. He is a role model by showing me how to achieve a goal through hard work and perseverance. Edilson believes that I can certainly achieve this goal or any other.

Coached By: Adam Gray, Fidelity Investments

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Amairis Perez : My Quotes of Inspiration My biggest inspiration is Justin Bieber. Even though people may think he is a bad influence, I admire him because of his inspiring quotes.

Justin has gone very far in life because of three words he constantly repeats to himself, never say never. Never say never, for me, means that everything is possible in life and that you should never give up on something because it’s hard. As I see how Justin continues to succeed throughout his life and career, I have always wanted to be as successful as him in whatever I do in the future. Every time I am faced with a task I don’t think I can accomplish I always repeat to myself Justin’s inspiring words, never say never, to allow myself to believe I can accomplish the task and not give up.

Another one of Justin’s inspirational quotes that inspires me is as simple as one word, believe. Believe is a word that inspires me very much. Believe, for me, can fit in any situation because if you believe you can accomplish the impossible in life. This simple word has been why I continue to succeed through life. If you believe you can accomplish amazing things in life. If I believe in myself I can be the first in my family to finish college and give my future family a better life than parts of my childhood.

Finally, Justin inspires me because he never said never in life and has always believed in himself to be where he is today.

Coached By: Katherine Parker, Fidelity Investments D a q u a n F l e t c h e r : M y I i f e i n 15 y e a r s Where I picture myself in 15 years is in the NBA just like my favorite player Derrick Rose.

Just like Derrick Rose, I went to the same high school my father figure went to. I worked as hard in basketball as I did in my classes so that I could go to college and play basketball at Kentucky, but it wasn’t all that easy.

When I got to college, the coach pulled me out of class and asked if I’d like to be point guard for Kentucky and handed me a bright blue and white jersey with the word Wildcats on it. I put in a lot of hard work and effort for my team, but while we didn’t make it to the playoffs, NBA scouts were still talking to me. And in a couple weeks, I was sitting at the NBA draft.

The Chicago Bulls had the fifth pick in the draft and they picked me. And as soon as I went into my first NBA game I dropped 16 points, 9 assists, and 2 rebounds. After my first game, I kept moving up minutes, and after my 10-day contract was up, the GM brought me to his office and said “You’re the new point guard on the Bulls.”

I finished the season strong by winning a championship, but as I look at my highlights and compare it to my favorite player’s highlights, it’s like I’m taking over his legacy.

Coached By: Kristin Niemi, Fidelity investments Gilson Dosouto : Flashbac k to The Past I’ve always loved to dance because it makes me feel free! I had dreamed of becoming a professional ballet dancer. It took hard work and overcoming challenges to become a dancer. At the end of my senior year of high school, I was accepted into the Jose Mateo Ballet Company, for extra ballet help in the summer. While there, I tried my best to stay in the program. I then got accepted into to a good college on a dance scholarship. That was the best thing to ever happen to me.

Dancing in college was fun. I was able to travel all around the world. My favorite part was meeting new people who know so much about ballet and share so much in common with me. During college, I performed in 55

many different ballets and the crowd cheered and screamed.

Dancing can be a tough job because I’m always busy. Dancing took away most of my free time with my friends and especially family. After I mastered dancing, I started owning my own dance company because I want to give other kids a chance to dance who might not have one. This dance company was free for kids who needed help with ballet if they were willing to practice hard. With my success, I donated money to Boston Arts Academy to help kids purchase clothing for ballet classes. I’m glad my dancing career has allowed me to help others.

Coached By: Stacey Bialkin, Fidelity Investments

K a r i z m a B a e z : 15 Ye a r s I n T i m e As I sit in the middle of the court room staring at the empty judge seat in front of me. I look to my right to my anxious client fidgeting with the handcuffs on his wrist. A drip of sweat streams down his temple. The 12 jurors and judge walk back into the silent court room. The judge sits comfortably into her seat, “May the foreperson read the verdict.” Her voice projected through the room. “We the jury find Julius Rosenburg…”

In 15 years I see myself as a college graduate and a criminal defense lawyer. My dream is to go to Oxford College of Emory and study law. I first saw Oxford College of Emory on TV and its campus was beautiful. It made me want to discover more about the campus and see what kind of majors they had. I also aspire to study abroad in France and study the history and culture of Paris.

I strive to be a criminal defense lawyer. I would need to take the BAR exam to become one so getting there I would need to study and take notes. I desire to become one of the top lawyers in The United States. Although the task is hard I need to preserver to succeed. “We the jury find Julius Rosenburg not guilty of larceny.” I smiled sweetly at my client as he smiled widely at the judge. My client looked over to me and gave me a hug of relief. I always knew that being a lawyer was the right profession for me.

Coached By: Caitlin Swift, Fidelity Investments Jomar Rosario : From Hoodrat to Royalty How often do you think little children find out by watching the news on television that they’re not going to see one of their parents for a long time? Well, that’s exactly what happened to me! When I was four years old watching the news with my mother, I found out that my father was going to be in jail for the next 10 years. I grew up not having my father next to me because, by making bad decisions, he chose a bad future for himself even knowing that he had a son to take care of. It was a great thing that I had a mother who was there for me.

She was a mom and a dad to me, and she made me who I am right now—a young adult who worries about his future and wants to be “a somebody” in life.

One of my goals in life is to take my mom out of the projects. I believe I can make that happen by going to school and choosing a good future for me. I had lots of struggles in schools growing up, but once I got to the 8th grade I changed my whole life around by putting all of my effort into succeeding in my classes because I want to go to a good high school.

I applied to lots of different schools that I thought would help me choose a good future. I applied to Cathedral and got accepted. I am very excited about this. I really think that Cathedral is going to help me out because it is not a public school and I think students there will be more focused.

To be continued . . .

Coached By: Michael Ronzoni, Fidelity Investments 56

Keavon Green : What Will Our Generation be Remembered for?

Each generation has its own unique qualities. Our grandparent’s generation was remembered for segregation, war and courage, while our parents’ generation was remembered for the civil rights movement and equality.

What will our generation be remembered for? The youth of 2015 will be remembered for technological innovation, style and environmentalism. In just a short period of time we have made a vast number of technological breakthroughs, for example we’ve developed the smart phone, Bluetooth technology, mobile applications, the search engine, social networks, wireless charging and electric vehicles.

Today’s generation will be remembered for style in a sense of originality, individualism, dress and language.

The youth of today is more accepting of our peers individuality and self-expression not just in appearance, but in the languages we speak and our sense of pride in our heritage and beliefs.

In contrast with the two generations before us, the generation today places great importance on environmentalism and protecting the world in which we live. Today we recycle and conserve more energy through advances in technology and conscious efforts to do so. Thinking to the future, our generation is looking to alternative energy sources including solar power, wind power, biomass, geothermal energy and hydroelectric power to support our energy dependent lifestyles.

Coached By: Timothy Cobb, Fidelity Investments Iara Pires : The Reason Behind My Success My mom is the reason that I am here. I was born in Cape Verde. My mom sent me to America to get a better education. I didn’t want to come, but she inspired me. One day in life I dream of bringing her here.

I want to take her words and make it happen. Like when I was little and something would go wrong, she would tell me, “Look at the bright side—you took a stab at it and did your best!” For my audition for the Boston Arts Academy, I played two Russian songs on the flute and I think I did well. I’m waiting to see if I got in. My mom’s words make me think that I could do anything if I just try my best.

I want to make my family happy, but mostly my mom. I want her to be proud of me. My mom influences my goals. She calls me from Cape Verde almost every day to tell me how much she cares for me and misses me. My mom is like my life. Without her, I don’t know what I would be. She’s the only person that’s got my back and is willing to put pressure on me to accomplish something. My dad and other family members don’t do the same.

They only pay attention to me when I accomplish something.

My mom is the reason I am writing this paragraph about how she inspires and influences me. I love her no matter what. Without her I wouldn’t be here today.

Coached By: Leslie Bennett, Fidelity Investments Lucevania Soares : Moving On I thought he was better than the other boys, but I was wrong. He was worse. I let his actions and words control my feelings. I got distracted and lost focus. I fell in love with the idea of him and that love blinded me to my suffering. At the time I thought there was no way that I could get over him, but I was wrong. I finally did it.

I realized that fighting to make him mine was not worth it. Why would it be worth it when he was treating me like I didn’t even exist? I am a strong, confident woman and I deserve to be treated that way and it’s not worth it because he wasn’t giving me the attention I deserve. There is no one at fault, it was never meant to be.

I’m proud to tell the world that I clicked the delete button on my negative feelings and the file is erased. Now there are no hard feelings. The pain is gone and I’m more relaxed than I have ever been. I’m finally free.

Coached by: Maddie Mitchell, Fidelity Investments 57

Marcus Rivera : What Will My Age Group be Remembered by?

I think in ten years my age group will be remembered for how and why they used technology. I think that presently, technology is used excessively and it has become a main part of people’s daily lives. The three things I think that stand out for my age group is their instant answers with technology, their lack of physical communication, and the lack of privacy people now have with the social media.

Most students are not familiar with using books for knowledge. Students will go right to Google as opposed to a library and use an encyclopedia or a dictionary. Since they have this instant knowledge they have little patience, as they expect everything to come to them right away.

My age group has become attached to the use of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Instagram, Snapchat and Vine. People use them to communicate about everything they are doing at all times with others. Since they can reach their followers without trouble this has become the preferred method of communication. Therefore people in my age group do not physically communicate in person or on the phone as well as people in previous age groups, because they don’t have to.

Social media has also sparked a danger of private information. My age group has little to no privacy on the internet, because they think it is normal to post everything we’re doing at all times. Since people are so open about what they put on the internet it has the ability to be accessed by stalkers. Therefore in ten years I think my age group will be remembered for what technology has done to their lives, and how it affects their future.

Coached By: Erica Distefano, Fidelity Investments M a r i a A n d r a d e : 1 M i n u t e t o 15 Ye a r s We stood there, the three of us, deep in the silence. We were all still, like statues, around the body. Sweat slid down my forehead. I could hear every second of the clock and every heartbeat in the room. Except ONE. But then suddenly the straight line on the heart monitor broke. There was a heartbeat. I have saved another patient’s life.

I knew I wanted to be a surgeon, since the day I stepped into the waiting room at my community hospital in Cape Verde. I saw people coughing, and others crying, which really touched my heart. I wanted to help them.

Being a surgeon would allow me to help people, but also I would be able to support my mom, my role model.

She taught me everything she knew, how to be independent, strong and hard working. As a young woman, I had more opportunities than she did and I dedicated everything to her.

The process of becoming a surgeon was unbelievably challenging. I graduated high school at the top of my class, but at Harvard, everything changed. Reality had hit me; I was not going to be a surgeon at the snap of my finger. I focused on all the health related classes, but they were crushing me. It was the first time I doubted myself. Then one day I visited the local hospital, where my confidence was restored.

Becoming a surgeon seemed impossible, difficult, and bleak but I was always optimistic. Now I am sitting at my desk at Boston Medical Center. “I am Dr. Andrade and I am a heart surgeon.” I don’t regret any decisions I made. I have not only saved other peoples’ lives, I have saved my own.

Coached By: Joanne Cormack, Fidelity Investments

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M e l v i n D e e M i n a r d J r. : O n M y Wa y t o A c h i e v i n g M y D r e a m My dream was to make it to the NBA and be a NBA super star and hall of famer. I can’t believe where the years have gone. It seems like yesterday I just started playing basketball.

I started training with my father when he was the coach of my first basketball team. I started playing when I was 7. We didn’t win that many games. At that time I was playing point guard. I didn’t have a growth spurt till the beginning of 6th grade. At the beginning of 6th grade I had 8th graders come up to me asking me if I am going to try out for the school’s basketball team. I kept on replying yes to all of them.

I didn’t have the best start to 6th grade, but then came the day of the basketball tryouts. At Art, my Citizen’s School teacher asked if I was ready. I replied “of course I am this is the biggest day of my life.” After that the rest of the day flew by. When it came time for tryouts, I had butterflies in my stomach. I felt like I played well.

After a week the list was out. My friend told me at lunch that he did not see my name on the list. I burst out into tears. Later in the day my teacher told me that I was the only 6th grader on the team. I was excited. I was on my way to achieving my dream.

Coached By: Rick Quirk, Fidelity Investments Nayely Pena : Untitled “MAMI!!” I yell out as loud as I can as I enter the house that I have promised my Mom since I was thirteen.

“DIME NAYELY QUE FUE?” I hear her yell as she walks down the stairs. “Sion Mami.”

“Que dios te bendiga.” she replies. “You’ve come so far, and I don’t tell you enough. I tried my best to make you your best. Not everything was handed to you as a child but hey thanks.” Such few words mean a lot.

Growing up I’ve just wanted to make my family proud and help sustain them. My family and my community are a huge part of my life. My dream to become an interior designer is going to lead me to become a successful young woman.

“You have a trip tomorrow to California to meet with your company.” Morgan says. “Your company” races through my head. Today, as a 13 year old, I have always wanted something to call my own. I want to travel the world for work and experience different cultures and life lasting events with the people I love.

Fifteen years from now I see myself as a bright, successful, young woman who gives back to my community and helps sustain my family as an interior designer. Right now, as a 13 year old, I understand there are many steps I have to take to reach that point in my life. I am being given the tools to become who I want fifteen years from now.

Coached By: Caitlin Swift, Fidelity Investments Nomar Cruz : Astro-Physicist This is the story of my baseball career and how it will change my future. My plan to stay in shape and develop my baseball skills are: train excessively, practice often and go to college. To pursue my dreams and have a career and have a career in the MLB, I have to accomplish those goals.

I practice three times a week with my team, the Astros. To show my commitment to my coach and teammates, I’m always on time and willing to do work. I have to exercise and go to the gym to stay in shape.

During my free time, I enjoy practicing with my brother; to keep my mind focus. I also pitch as much as I can to better myself. This is my training process to be a great player.

I enjoy traveling with my team to play with my competitors. Once, we played against Newton and it was one of my best game but also challenging. We came out victorious and won the championship. I faced the best pitcher in league and because of my determination; we won the game seven to two.

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I want to go to college to continue my education and have the career that I always wanted, have a back-up plan and be successful. Playing in a college team will prepare me for the life in the MLB and strengthen my skills.

This is my journey of becoming a baseball player. I know it will take commitment, determination and focus to get there.

Coached By: Frederica Azor, Fidelity Investments

Yo d i t T a d e s s e : M y L i f e I n 2 0 3 0 : 15 Ye a r s F r o m N o w , R a c i n g t o 2 0 3 0 I am 29 years old and I live in Las Vegas, Nevada, and I am the top female NASCAR Driver in the country.

Laying down to rest after winning a race earlier in the day, I grabbed the photobook I created when as 14 and started to look back at the images from the most important parts of my life. Looking back through the photos I began to doze off, remembering life as a teenager with a passion in my heart to race NASCAR. I knew my dream would be difficult, so I pushed myself in everything I did. I remember in senior year scanning through all the colleges and becoming discouraged about not finding a college that really interested me. When I started lose hope I came across Skip Barber Racing School in California. I felt like I was on cloud nine because I had found a college for racing.

My father sparked my interest in racing and cars, when I was younger I would watch him work with cars and got the chance to share in all he knew, such as engine work and suspensions. This left a lasting impression on me. Moving on to California and going to Skip Barber Racing School. I began learning all about the cars, things like how to drive them, safety checks, and maneuvers on the track. It was an amazing time and I knew deep down in my heart this is what I was meant to do. I woke up from my daze with a smile on my face, realizing that I was right where I belonged.

I guess even if your dream sounds crazy to other people go for it! – and follow your passion – you will find you can achieve anything!

Coached By: Heather Keegan, Fidelity Investments Ze Lopes : Criminal Minds,A Soccer Story My name is Ze Lopes, and in fifteen years, I will be the first Spanish League soccer player to retire and join the FBI! Here is my plan for how I will accomplish my exciting goal!

I am an 8th grader at the Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot School in Roxbury, Massachusetts. I’ve played soccer since I was four years old and it has brought joy to my life. In 2015, I’m going to graduate from Orchard Gardens and will play soccer for Cathedral High School. I will graduate in 2019 and will get a soccer scholarship to Boston College.

Because of how well I will play soccer at BC, I will leave school and will get drafted by Real Madrid to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. I will work hard, train every day, stay in shape, and live a healthy life to help my team win.

I plan on retiring from professional soccer after seven years and will return to study criminal justice to prepare to be an FBI agent. I wanted to become an FBI agent after learning that a friend’s father had joined the FBI after being in the Navy and then going to college. After graduating, I will join the FBI. I will work hard, stay in shape and catch criminals to make sure that my neighborhood is safe.

In order to achieve all of those goals, I need to be a good student that works hard and studies every day, does my homework, and gets good grades.

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Joseph Bynum : Destined for the NFL Being a professional football player is the dream of a lot of people, but it’s my destiny. No matter how many obstacles will come my way, I will not be denied. I WILL PLAY IN THE NFL! There will be a lot of struggles and challenges in becoming and remaining an NFL player. By the time I am 29, I most likely will have a family, and there will be the challenge of balancing family life with my football life. In my family life, I want to be involved in my children’s activities, for example, being a coach on my son’s Pee-Wee football team! I also want to be an active participant in my town, as civic responsibility is important to me.

As an athlete, to play at the NFL level requires a great amount of practice time, study time to learn the playbook, and conditioning (not to mention travel time!) Not only this, but I see myself as a leader on the team, which means I’ll have a responsibility to my teammates to create a great team environment.

Playing football, or any major sport, can expose you to prejudice and stereotypes, based on your background or your beliefs. I have been able to overcome these obstacles in my life so far by perseverance and confidence in myself. Because I am so dedicated and motivated to be successful as an NFL player, I am sure that I will not these things get in the way of my desire to be a star player.

It will certainly be a challenge to balance my family and football life, but I will work hard at this, and with my dedication to both, and the help of family and friends, I guarantee that I will be a great husband, dad, citizen, and football player.

Coached By: Walter Dolan, Fidelity Investments

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TEA M A-P Antonio Depina : S t ar ting a Team Back in 8th grade, I learned a lot about myself and about responsibility in a team .When I was in 8th grade I started to play soccer with a boy named Jose Firmino. He was also in 8th grade but I didn’t know him. Me and Jose started to practice every Friday. One day we were playing and I asked Jose if he wanted to start a team.

We wanted to make a team because we wanted other people to have as much fun as we did playing soccer.

I decided to make Jose the captain and I was the co-captain. The name of the team was the OG Lions because it was named after our school and our mascot. We played multiple games, some we would win and some we would lose. If we lost a game, we learned from our mistakes and practiced to be better for the next game.

After I would play I would go home with pain everywhere and stress. I had to help the team get better and improve, and practice for myself. We wanted to represent our school by showing good sportsmanship, and I wanted to be a good leader and to show the team that the best way to fix any problem is by talking, not fighting. I never imagined I would grow up to be a soccer star with my own team. I thought my future would be like everyone else’s, but God thinks I can do better. He guided me to start a team, to be a leader, to push through pain, and to be a good sport.

Coached By: Kat Preister, Northeastern University Ashley Pires : Cledy My role model is my brother Cledy because he makes me who I am now. Cledy doesn’t care what other people say, he stands by his own thoughts. Cledy is older than me and does anything to support me. My brother is the only amazing, smart thinker, and supportive person in my family that is be there for me and supports me.

Cledy gives me advice for lots and lots of personal stuff. He might ask what happens in five seconds, but can cheer you up for ten hours straight. He wants you to understand him, so you can always remember that you’re not alone and that he would do anything to make you happy. Whenever you have problems Cledy would tell you the pros and cons and then is friendly and does anything you want to do.

Cledy keeps me on this path which he calls “the Pires Walk” and it sounds crazy, but it’s not. This path was created by my mom who made it since they came to Boston 19 years ago. Cledy helps me focus on the important stuff first, then the bad things. What Cledy says is like a 2-page essay of the right things you should do. For my family Cledy was the baby, but I took his spot. Cledy is not my only older brother. I have two more but I am only talking about my weird, funny brother who helps me be more of a kid. He tells me to do his homework whenever I’m distracted with technology. He also tells me to go to school and be good and work hard and never fail or give up. These are things that are really outstanding to me because these words motivate me to be a great student and kid.

Coached By: Julia Bugeau-Heartt, Northeastern University

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J a n i n e M e n d e s : 15 Ye a r s Have you ever wondered what you want to be when you grow up? I would love to become a nurse because I have always wanted to help people. I want to be a role model for the community to be a desirable place for the next generation. To accomplish this, I have to go through college, overcome obstacles, and then I will make my community more successful.

The first step to become a nurse is going to college. First, I have to work hard in high school. I’ll need to be prepared and stay focused to be an honor roll student. I need to be willing to take on challenges and persevere in high school and college.

One obstacle is to take full responsibility. I will have to be on time and do everything. The second obstacle I will take on is overcoming my fear of needles. Third is to manage stress when things get rough. I will have no problem overcoming these obstacles because I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help others.

After overcoming these obstacles I will help society. I would help others that can’t afford health care by coming to their house and treating them with an aid kit. I would set a good example by explaining the steps to being a nurse. By showing the community how hard I work on my goals, people will be able to apply it to themselves and put their lives on a good path.

In conclusion, in 15 years I see myself as a nurse because I am very interested in becoming one and showing others that I will not give up until I have accomplished my dreams. My advice to teenagers would be run after your dreams and do whatever it takes to overcome anything that crosses you.

Coached By: Kelsey Duff, Northeastern University Katia DosSantos : Kode My role model is Kode, my best friend. Kode is my cousin and she is sixteen years old. We are from Cape Verde. She has my back when I’m in trouble and we have the same goals and plans. She teaches me how to respect others and stand up for myself.

She teaches me about respect when she stands up for me and shows me how to play nice. She tells me to respect other people, like adults and kids my age. For example, one day she told me never to give other people attitude and to respect others. She teaches me to stand up for myself and tells me not to let other people trick me. She also tells me not to be shy, to talk to other people and be strong.

She has my back when I’m in trouble, like when we are walking home from church and a girl is being rude she takes my side and defends me. When I’m in trouble she tries to help me. She talks to me and makes me feel okay, and I feel like I don’t have any problems.

We share similar goals and ideas about the future. She will always be with me, because when we were in Cape Verde we were always together. I have known her since I was one year old. We came to America together and she is like a sister to me. We were born together we will die together. Our goals are to live together, to go to the same school when I go to high school, and to end our school together and college together.

Kode is a good friend and she is my role model because we support each other and she is important to me.

Kode is a real friend.

Coached By: Kathryn Priester, Northeastern University

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Kayla Dapina : My Future In 15 years I see myself being a model because I like to travel, go on runways, and participate in photo shoots.

When I was young, I watched America’s Next Top Model which led me to pick my career. When I watched the TV show the models were different and they had fun doing what they love. All the models came from various backgrounds, and the models jumped around smiling, got excited, and had fun as the cameraman was taking their photos. Watching this show got me to choose my career.

To accomplish my goal, I will work hard, eat healthy, and talk to my cousin. I can accomplish my goal by working hard because I will look for agencies. Contacting agencies will help me because I’ll get jobs/gigs.

Eating healthy is also important because I don’t want to get fat. There are less percentage of models that are overweight. I know that people are looking for models that are in shape. I will talk to my cousin because she’s in the modeling business. This will help me because I will meet different agencies that she works with.

In 15 years I see myself in France getting off of a private jet and going on my way to a fashion show. All of my success will be accomplished because family will have my side the whole way. The support of my family and friends will get me to the big show.

To get to my goal I will work hard, talk to my cousin, and have people by my side. When I’m a model, I will get to travel, get attention, and go on runways. Over the course of 15 years, I will to work hard every step of the way because my hard work will pay off.

Coached By: Kyrstin Kempf, Northeastern University Ken Fernandez : The Future The world in thirty years will be an extraordinary place to live in and explore.

In thirty years there will be new exciting technology to use. One exciting technology is teleporting devices. With teleporting devices, people can instantly go from one place to another. Distance would not matter.

Another fascinating technology is holographic phones and watches. These will come in handy when you want to talk face to face but you’re not in front of them. Then, you can hug someone from very far away. Another technology that people can create is flying cars. It is better than having regular cars on the street because people complain about potholes so if they have flying cars they don’t have to worry about it.

In thirty years you can explore another planet. To explore another planet you can use the teleporting device.

It will allow you to go to any planet, to explore it to find new creatures and plants. Then you can also see if the planet is even safe enough so that people can live on that planet. So, then people can live on that planet and there can be a larger population all together.

In thirty years my life will change dramatically. Once there is new technology coming out, I will test everything. Once those inventions come out I can buy the holographic phones and use it with family and friends. I will have the freedom to take vacations to new places. I can use the teleporting devices so that I can go to another planet.

So in thirty years there will be lots of new things in the world, and I will have explored them. The world has become a new experience and time period that will be very memorable.

Coached By: Max Read, Northeastern University

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Luis Peña : I Made It There was a lot on my mind. Each second asking the basketball coach what I had to work on to make the team. Every day I went to the YMCA and work on all of my skills. I also played pickup games with people older than me so I could get better. I was working on all of these things before tryouts because I wanted to look as good as possible in front of the coach. I was one of the youngest kids trying out for the team so I knew I had to give it all I got to be able to impress the coach.

The day I was going to try out for the basketball team I walked nervously down the hallway towards the gym. I walked into the gym and saw people that were two feet taller than me; I started to get butterflies in my stomach since looked like they could dunk on me from the free throw line. The coach blew his whistle and said “give me two lines.” We got into the two lines and started the lay ups. The rest was a blur.

The next day as soon as I woke up at 5:00 I was already wondering if I made the team. I got on the bus at 6:00 anxious to know if I made it. I got off the bus and started walking to the school; as I walked up the stairs my coach pulled me aside. He said, “congratulations, I’m proud to tell you that you have made the varsity boys basketball team.” I was proud because I was the only person in my family to ever be part of a basketball team.

Coached By: Gabriel Ribero , Northeastern University Lisbeth Diaz : Dream I remember by a very young age I wanted to be a famous actress and a famous dancer because acting and dancing are my passions. I was inspired by Jennifer Lopez. Jennifer Lopez inspired me because she is a person who has accomplished many different goals. Two of these goals, acting and dancing, we have in common, which is another reason why I admire her.

I went to college in Boston to makes my dream come true and I got a college degree in acting. I took dance classes in college too. I was on my college’s dance team, which competed against many other universities in Boston. My favorite types of dance to do in college were hip-hop and step dance. After I graduated from college, I moved to Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles, I started doing casting for movies. I got a call from the director saying that I got a big role in a new movie. Also, I did casting in Mexico for a novela. In one of the novelas I acted in was a dance scene that allowed me to showcase what I had learned in my college dance classes.

I was acting a lot. I was nominated for an Oscar and won best actress at TV y novelas because I was acting very well and I was doing my job excellently, so people voted for me and I won the awards. When I heard my name called as the winner, I felt very excited and it was one of the best days of my entire career.

I always wanted people to know me, and now that many people do, I hope to keep acting, dancing, and making even more people smile and have a good time while they watch me continue to do what I love.

Coached By: Whitney Wallace, Northeastern University Maria Silveira : Who is the Best Person in my Life?

When I was in 5th grade I met Ms. White, and it was fun talking to her and getting to meet her. Thats when I knew that OGPS was the right school for me. When I got to the 7th grade that’s where I started liking Ms. White more than my other teachers, because when I was having a hard time in a class she always there to help me get through it.

One day when I was in math class with my friend Katia we had a problem. Someone told me she was saying bad things about me, and she went to my other friend Selena and told her to not talk to me. I was alone all day but I realized I should go to Ms. White and talk to her. I got to her office and she grab me and hug me so hard 65

that I couldn’t breathe and she asked me why I was crying, and I told her everything that happened and she went to go get Katia. She told her that she need to stop what she is doing, and finally me and Katia became best friends again. I was so happy that I wanted to hug Ms. White.

The best person in my life is Ms. White. She is like a mom to me because when I can’t get help from my mom I go to Ms. White for help. This is why I love her so much. She is there for me, she helps me, she loves me. Ms. White is the person that I need in my life beside me everyday. I hope all this fun that I am having with Ms. White will keep on going. I love Ms. White so much that I don’t want to leave her side.

Coached By: Kathryn Priester, Northeastern University

M a c i e j S a d o w s k i : O u r Wo r l d i n T h i r t y Ye a r s In thirty years the world will be a different but extraordinary place. There will be new technologies, life will be made easier, and governments will be better but also more dangerous.

Three decades from now there will be new technologies. There will be flying cars which will be able to detect another car coming to prevent a crash. There will be holograms so you won’t have to go to school, which would be just awesome. Students will send their hologram to the teacher and get taught without having to leave the house. Plus, they will be able to replay lessons that they skipped. But with new technologies comes danger.

There will be bombs far more powerful than the nuclear bomb.

In the future life will be easier, but some technologies will make it more dangerous. There will be less traffic because of flying cars. There will be robots that will clean houses. People won’t have to work in factories because the robots will do the work for them. Robots may be used as weapons, so they can become very dangerous. In thirty years the government will be different. There will be better communication resulting in problems being solved faster and petitions being answered quicker. There will be space colonies and spaceships to take us from earth to space, so there will be new government departments to keep the colonies safe. There will no longer be drunk driving court cases because robots will be able to drive. Younger people will be able to drive because robots will be able to take over when danger is imminent.

The world in thirty years will be better in many ways but in some ways it will also be more dangerous.

Coached By: Max Read, Northeastern University Stanley Mejia Checo : I Wish I Had A Chance to Better My Community Ever since I was small and growing up I have seen my community become worse. Right now, it feels like I can’t do anything about it. If I had the opportunity to change it, I would make it safer, build more schools, libraries and shelter for people in need.

I would improve my community by making it safer. I would make it safer by adding more police to stop the violence. I believe that the more I help people, I will inspire others to serve their communities as well. I can also plan activities in the community so that less people will spend time committing crimes.

Another way I would improve my community is by making more schools and libraries. This would help my community because more people will have the opportunity to be educated. Having more education is important because people will get jobs and have a career. It will also allow more people in my community to fulfill their dreams and reach their goals. Short term results of adding libraries would be that students can be more prepared for class and have more access to study resources. Overall, adding more schools and libraries would better my community in a variety of ways.

The final way I would improve my community is by building shelter for the people in need. Building shelter would be beneficial to improving my community because it would help people in the streets restart their lives.

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Also now in the winter they have somewhere warm to go and food to eat. I can also make more affordable houses because then more people can have a house without a problem. In conclusion, I would change my neighborhood by building shelters, schools and libraries. These would all help to make the community safer.

Coached By: Carly Joos, Northeastern University

M a u r o L o p e s : I ’ m G o i n g To B e a n A r c h i t e c t i n Te n Ye a r s In ten years I see myself becoming an architect. I will be a good architect because I grew up with people who are carpenters, artists, and are creative. I want to become an architect because it will give me the opportunity to help my community and combine my interest in math and art. It’s hard to become an architect, but I know that it will be worth it.

I see myself becoming an architect because I’m a good artist, which will be an important skill when I need to design buildings. The school that I currently go to is very artistic, which gives me a good advantage. I am currently in a set design class, take extended math classes and an art class. I enjoy all of these classes, which is why architecture would be a good career for me. I plan to continue studying math and art, which are both big parts of architecture.

To become an architect, I will need to go to college for a long time in order to receive my license. In addition to a license, you need to have connections. You need to show that you’re willing to do anything so people can trust you with their work. You have to know how to expand on your imagination so that you won’t give up.

I will use my skills to help my community. More kids will have more opportunities to succeed because I can build more schools. I can also inspire kids to pursue their dreams like I pursued mine. To give people a better life, I can create more jobs.

I look forward to being an architect. I will work hard to achieve my goal. Being an architect will be very rewarding because I’ll help my community while doing something that I love.

Coached By: Carly Joos, Northeastern University N akhia Ta y lor : My Future Idea As a teen growing up in Roxbury I notice a lot of things and when I grow up I want to make a big change by giving back to the community. I will make it a better place by building safe places for kids and programs that keep teens off the streets because everybody deserves the best out of life.

Giving back is something I always thought about because I know that I’m not the only person dealing with having to see your people on the street, teens my age getting locked up or even shot because they have no place to go or a great moment in their life or role model to show them right from wrong.

For those ideas to come to life, I want to create the Teach Back Program. This program allows teens and kids to have a place to go to where they’re not on the streets. Not only is it a good place to go, it’s a good place to do homework, play sports and games, and will have people that actually care about you and your goals, and along the way you learn a lot of skills that most people will need to know to do anything in life. No matter who you want to be the Teach Back Program will benefit teens and kids in the long run. This program is made for teens like me who don’t want to see their city struggle and their people getting killed and their futures failing.

Even though I’m young, only in the 8th grade, I see these things being a part of my future life. Everything I have in mind for the people in my city and most of all the community, I’ll never stop reaching for this goal until I get it.

Coached By: Julia Bugeau-Heartt, Northeastern University 67

Carlos Baez : It’s Life In 15 years I hope to be playing baseball for the Miami Marlins and have a beautiful wife and a son who love supporting me whenever I need it. I would be playing 3rd base for the Miami Marlins and first batter. In my career as a Marlin I would work towards getting 160 homeruns. I also wish to attend All Star games and to win a Home Run Derby.

Every day in the summer my grandfather tells me to practice my baseball skills. I try my best by working hard. Iwork on my speed by running on the beach a lot. My grandfather helps me by picking me up everyday so I can start my baseball drills. My grandfather and I both work on our baseball skills because he plays baseball with older people. My grandfather joined a league where he plays baseball where I can watch and learn from them. After all the practice to make my skills better, my grandfather could help get me a tryout and there might be a chance of getting signed to an MLB team.

In 15 years I hope to live with my beautiful wife and we would hope to have a boy who loves playing sports and would be hilarious, just like his father. I hope to have one boy named Miguel and he would be a good kid who would finish his education. My wife would have a passion for our son, Miguel, and we would support him with anything he needs. My wife would also love going on family walks along the beach and attend sport activities. My son would be exactly like me, really funny, kind and smart. I hope my son is a natural athlete because then we could practice just like my grandfather and me.

Coached By: Megan Shanahan, Northeastern University D a n i e l Va r g a s : M y V i s i o n o f t h e F u t u r e Do you imagine the world in thirty years? I do. The world, as I see it in the future is going to have better technology, more effective medicine to cure sickness, and an increase in climate change.

Thirty years from now the technology is going to be innovative. We are going to have robots. These robots are like humans; they even talk like us. Their responses are highly intelligent, and they treat you very politely.

Having a robot makes your life easier by decreasing the amount of busy work. We won’t have to do any more chores. Another innovative piece of technology is flying cars. No more traffic and being late for work. The sky is the new road. These are some of the ways life will be better in thirty years.

I see a future where people who are sick can get better. These days we don’t have the ability to cure all people who are sick. However, in thirty years we are going to have medicine to cure people with all types of sickness.

For example, people with cancer usually die because there is no cure, only treatment. In thirty years there will be a cure. Having a cure for every sickness is going to decrease the amount of people that die before their time.

Finally, I imagine that the world will suffer from an increase in climate change, because the amount of things humans burn for fuel will increase and further change the environment. As the amount of people in the world increases, the amount of fossil fuels we burn for energy will also increase. This will cause more climate change and a different environment.

That’s how I see the world in thirty years – cutting-edge technology, a healthier population, and a changing environment.

Coached By: June Rowe, Northeastern University

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E k r a n S h a r i f : F i f t e e n Ye a r s f r o m N o w The glamour of the fashion industry has always enticed me. That passion combined with my dreams of travelling the world have led me to imagine myself in fifteen years as an international model. This job will allow me to work for different companies around the globe and inspire many people.

My earliest memory of being exposed to the world of fashion and modeling was New York Fashion Week. It caught my attention, because all the models walking down the runway seemed proud of what they were doing.

Through perseverance, hard work, and dedication, I too will be walking down those runways that I always dreamed about. I will start at modeling school, where I will learn the ins and outs of the fashion world. Because it’s not an easy field to break into, I have to keep trying until I get my opportunity. Every opportunity I get, I will use as a way to learn and grow. That would lead me to become a successful model that is known world wide.

As my career ends I would want the impact I have made to inspire other people with the same dream. I want to build my own legacy of being hardworking and talented and send out a positive message to all of my fans across the world. I want my fans to be able to see that anything is possible. If you have a big dream, you can achieve it through hard work and perseverance, regardless of what struggles you have had. Everyone is beautiful, no matter what clothes you wear, as long as you believe in yourself and your abilities, which is why I aspire to be an international model fifteen years from now.

Coached By: Renee Mulcahy, Northeastern University Ashley Sanchez : My Memories There are things that you can’t ever forget, and middle school is one of them, especially when I went on a trip with my friends to Thompson Island. I love Thomson Island because it is a wonderful place and it has good food. Thompson Island was my favorite place and my favorite moment from middle school.

Thompson Island was my favorite place I ever visited besides the Dominican Republic. The food from Thomson Island was 100% better than school. We ate cake that was so good it tasted like it could have been from the show Cake Boss. I had a great time with my friends, especially when we got in the boat to get the Thompson Island. I spent most of the time exploring and learning new things, like science information about fossils and owls.

Thompson Island is a wonderful place. It is so beautiful that it is hard to describe. The ocean is one of the things I do not want to forget about that island. The ocean’s waters were so clear that you could see the rocks.

The aquatic animals, like the fish and jellyfish, were swimming so calmly. The birds were singing around the sun in harmony. It was a wonderful place, and I liked being in nature where there were lakes and woods, but not a lot of buildings like in the city. Thompson Island is quiet and a perfect place to go.

I hope that I can go back to Thompson Island in the near future. I want to experience the beautiful atmosphere again and have more fun with my friends. Even if I return to Thompson Island, I don’t want to forget the memories from my special middle school trip there.

Coached By: Whitney Wallace, Northeastern University

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TEAM CARMONA & A-P Ana Cecilia Gil Hernandez : Quien me Inspira En mi vida me inspira mi prima. Ella me inspira en mis estudios y para ser una profesional. Ella me Inspira hacer una persona de bien para que en el futuro sea una buena persona y una profesional.

Mi prima me inspira para ser una buena profesional. Yo quiero ser un buen ejemplo para ella. Tengo que ser una persona de bien y tener un buen futuro para poderla apoyar en todo lo que ella necesite cuando esté grande y para que ella sea una persona de bien.

Quiero ser una profesional en enfermería, para lograr esto necesito estudiar mucho, ponerle atención a mis clases, y entregar todas mis actividades que me pidan. Tambien necesito ser educada con mis maestros. Yo quiero que ella sea una persona profesional y que siga mis pasos.

Yo quiero que mi prima sea una persona de bien; educada y respetuosa con las demás personas. Yo quiero que ella tenga una vida mejor en el futuro para que pueda ayudar a sus padres.

Iandra Mendez : !Como Me Imagino En El Futuro!

En 15 anos quiero ser doctora, para poder ser doctora en 15 anos me tienen que aceptar en la universidad, voy a tener que vivir mi vida con mi familia y entender las clases en la universidad.

Para poder llegar a ser doctora voy a llegar estudiando portandome bien terminar mi escuela hacerme profesional terminar bachillerato estar bien en mi grado y empezar la universidad.

Para ser doctora voy a vivir mi vida con mi familia y para con ellos voy a trabajar para mantenerme viajare a muchos lugares a los que deseo ir tendre mi familia y me voy a preocupar por mi mama y a los que amo.

Para poder ser todo eso que deseo ser, hacer y cumplir necesito poder pasar la universidad para poder hacer todos mis sueños. Para poder ser una doctora profesional yo necesito trabajar muy fuerte, esforzarme lo más que pueda, seguir mis sueños ir a la universidad todos los días y tomar clases de medicina para después poder ser toda una doctora profesional.

Eva Aleman : Who Inspires My Life There are many important people in my life but the one who inspires my life the most is my little brother. He inspires my life to be successful in school, to be a good person and also to have a good career.

I want to be successful in my school and have a good career to be a good person because I want my little brother to follow my example and I want him to be successful in his life. I want to go to college and be a professional so when my brother goes to school I can help him with the homework and to understand something that he do not understand or if he need something he can ask me to help him.

To be successful in school I have to be respectful, responsible, and get A’s in all classes. If I am confused in something about the class or something that teacher is saying I have to raise my hand to ask questions so I can understand what the teacher is trying to teach to the class.

If I am success in my life then my little brother will be successful too, because he will follow my example, that is why I want me to be a good person and a successful person. I want the best for my little brother but if I want that to happen then I have to do my best.

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Elsa Alvarado Nunez : How I Am Going to be in the Future In 15 years I would be a designer,wrestler and a singer there are many things that I need to do to be a designer,wrestler and a singer. I need to work hard and believe my self and follow my dream.

In 15 years I’m going to be a designer and for to be that I need to finish high school and middle school and college. I also need to get a fashion designer degree and I need to socialize with other fashion designer. Then I would make my own wedding dresses and clothes. Something else that I want to be in 15 years is a wrestler for to be that I need to finish college and get good grades. and I need to get a agent to represent me and I need to get a personal trainer and them I need to go to the gym for to be more strong and to have muscles. Another thing I want to be in 15 years is a singer I need to finish college and get good grade and I need to take classes of singer to learn more and I need to be more confident and I need a agent to represent me.

In conclusion, I am going to be a designer, wrestler and a singer in 15 years but to be that I need to work hard and finish high school, middle school and college.

J o h n a n g e l C l e m e n t e F u e n t e s : C o m o L o a s J ove n e s Va n a S e r Re c o r d a d o Como los jovenes seran recordados por la música y la ropa.

Los jovenes seran recordados por la música por sus acciones los jueves también será recordado por su inteligencia por como trabajan también será recordado como estudian estudian my duro para complir sus sueños por la forma que utilizan la tecnología como juegan los deporte la forme de los recortes de pelo.

Los jovenes seran recordados por la ropa porque la moda que ellos usan es andar con los pantalones abajo, tenis de marca,y bien limpias. Andar con estos tipos de pantalone y t-shirts que pegan con el pantalón y que se vean bien por su pelo y que si es un desconocido que no le toquen la ropa. Los jovenes seran recordados por como estudian por que algunas personas no le importa tener novias por que eso las atrasa en lo que quieren hacer no quieren saber de tecnologia nada mas que los estudios. Los jóvenes será recordado por la música sus vestimenta y peliculas y por la tecnología como bailan como estudian su lenguaje.Como quieren aprender otros lenguajes y prestar atención practicar tu mejor ayudar a los demás e a los adultos.

Lesly Arias Gonzalez : Doctora Gonzalez En 15 años quiero ser doctora. Para ser doctora tengo que terminar la escuela, ser aceptada en la Universidad y seguir en la Universidad para saber bien. Para ser doctora tengo que terminar la escuela, tengo que saberme comportar bien, sacar buenas calificacion en la escuela y ser me profesional. Para ser doctora tengo que ser aceptada en la Universidad, trabajar en todas las tareas, llevarme de todo lo que me digan, sacar buenas calificacion en la universidad y terminar la universidad. Para ser doctora tengo que seguir otra Universidad para saber bien, coger práctica de doctora, saber cada medicamento, saber bien las cosas de doctora y de hay ir a mi destino de doctora.

Seguir estudiando, lograr mi sueño de ser doctora, trabajar aquí en los estados unidos tratar bien a los niños y adultos que yo valla atender el trato al paciente es lo principal y super importante para ser un buen médico, no tener asco a nada ya que en el estudio y la carrera propiamente se ven, y se experimenta muchísimas cosas que para personas que no estén debidamente mentalizada les puede prevenir trastorno mental y psicológico, ser por encima de toda las cosas una persona muy humilde, nunca olvidarse del juramento hipocrático, que hacen al graduarse, que el dinero no sea impedimento para salvar a quien lo necesite, y mi motivo para ser doctora; son mas para saber medicina, es un compromiso para la salud de la comunidad, las personas y las familia y con los valores humanos y profesionales de la medicina.

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L i s s e t T u r b i : I m a g i n e Yo u r l i f e i n 15 y e a r s In 15 years I’m going to be a doctor. In order to be a doctor I need to go to High School and College, and I also need to remember that this is my dream in my whole life and no matter what people said to me I need to follow my dreams.

To be a doctor I have to finish High School and College most of all I need to remember that be a doctor is my dream my whole life I’m never going to give up because I have study this my whole life and I’m dreaming that someday I could be a doctor. Also my family give me strength to follow my dreams specially my grandfather and my parents they always tell me that I need to graduate so I could be someone in life. Also I want to study because I don’t want to be like the people in my family. I want to work because I don’t want to be like them, I want to be an example for the rest of the people in my family that are children and they need to grow and be professional like me.I am working hard to be a professional person. My goals are to study, finish College and be an example for others. I will be happy for me, and also my family will be proud of me. I also want to work because when I grow up I want to be independent, buy my own house, and work for my own money.

Melany Miranda : Follow My Dream In fifteen years I’ll be an FBI agent. In order to be an FBI agent I need to finish high school and college. I will need to learn more languages. Right now, I know English, Cape Verdean Creole, Portuguese and a little bit of Spanish. I will need to learn French, Chinese, and Japanese. I’ll start learning these languages in high school and college. After college I’ll be a soldier for one year first. This will help me become an FBI agent because I’ll learn how to protect myself and fight other people. I need to be strong and to learn how to protect myself. I need to learn martial arts like Karate or Kung Fu. I need to get good grades from high school and college. I need to protect people that are in danger. To stop people who are bad, I’ll shoot their feet so they can’t run away but they also don’t die. In the FBI I’ll work with psychic people to solve crime just like in the movie called Psych.

This will help solve crime because they can help you figure out who the people are who killed the innocent people because they can see who is the criminal. It will be hard and fun to work with psychics. We can work as partners! I want to be an FBI agent because I can learn a lot. When I was younger I wanted to be a police officer. But that was because when I lived in Cape Verde I didn’t know the FBI existed. When I came to America, they told me about it and it stuck in my mind. I thought about doing CIA but I decided it was too dangerous so I decided FBI was better for me.

Lissa Arielys Frometa Paulino : I want be an Arc hitect!

I want to graduate and go to university, to do that I want to get a scholarship, study more in school and in my house and apply for more schools. I will focus in my classes and go to the school every day and help in school activities. I want to graduate the university and take a profession of architect, for that I will focus in the class and go to the university every day. I will help in every activity of the school. I will study a lot in the school and in my house too. I will graduate with honors in the university for architect. I will have a job to be an architect that I like. I will network and ask people who are architects how to get a job. When I wait for a job I will start to make designs and ideas for buildings. I will learn other languages like Italian, German and French to have jobs in other countries. I want to have a perfect record. In conclusion I want to be an architect. To do this I need to be a good student and get a scholarship. I will graduate with honors and learn other languages to work in other countries.

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Melvin Soto : Mi Vida de Mecanico En 15 anos yo voy hacer mecánico. Para ser mecánico yo necesito terminar la escuela. Voy a ser mecánico porque me gusta.

Para ser mecánico yo necesito estudiar más y terminar todos mis estudios y ser bueno en la escuela como hacer todas mis tareas todos mis trabajos venir todos los dias prestar atención a la maestra ir a bachiller con buenas notas y tan bien a la universidad.Para ser mecánico yo puedo entrar a un instituto en el instituto yo puedo aprender más y conocer profesores y estudiantes y aprender más con ellos.

Me gusta la mecanica porque me gustan los autos ganan buen dinero me gusta saber mas de ellos practicar mucho para ser bueno en la mecánica.Me gusta la mecanica porque me gustan los carros para ser mecanico necesito ir a la universidad esfolsalme y entral a un instituto.

Paola Mejia : My Plan for the Future My name is Paola Mejia and I am from Dominican Republic. I would change my country by helping the poor people because I like to help the poor people.

I will go to the university. To be a doctor I need to go to a high school and a university, but first I need to work very hard, study for all the exams. Also I need to go to school every day, be respectful and do all my homework. I never will give up because no matter what people tell me I want to be a doctor and because I want to help the poor people in my country.

I will work very hard in my job to make a clinic and a lot of apartments in my country. I want to make a clinic and a lot of apartments and I will rent the apartments for make more money to give clothes, toys and food to the poor people. And I want to make a modeling school, for the poor people because some poor people don’t have too much money to pay a modeling school.

I will give to the poor people food, clothes, a job, toys and a house to the poor people. I will give food, toys, education, clouth, a job, medical help. I like to help the poor people, sometimes when I see the poor people sleeping in the floor, eating in the trash I cry. I want the poor people fulfill their dreams and be a model, go to school and even college, and if I do good at work and my plans I would like to help other countries that are in crisis due to poverty. And so is that I will help my country and God willing other countries.

Ya f e l i n a Ve n t u r a : I m a g i n e y o u r l i f e i n 15 y e a r s In 15 years, I will be an actress and a model. To get there I need to work hard to follow my dreams and I will never give up. To be an actress and a model I need to work hard to follow my dreams and I will take classes to be a model. I will work hard to be an actress. I will give all my best to be a good model, and I will take classes to be an actress.

To be an actress and a model I have to be more confident. To be more confident, I have to lose my shyness and I can go to a therapist to help me lose my shyness. I could join a theater club. To be a model and an actress, I need to get an agent. An agent that will help me find a job. An agent will help me be more popular and famous.

The agent will help me to communicate with famous people.

To be a model and an actress, I need to work really hard, and I have to follow my dreams because following your dreams is part of your life and what you are going to work on when you grow up. My dreams is to be a good model and a good actress. Following my dreams I will get me to a higher level.

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IRVING

TEAM HORTON

D a n i e l B u s t a m a n t e : 3 0 Ye a r s O u t Hi, my name is Daniel Bustamante and I’m 30 years old. I’m a happily married man living in Boston, Massachusetts. I’m just here sitting in my backyard, smelling the coals on the barbeque, enjoying a backyard cookout on a beautiful summer day with friends and family. But let me take this time and tell you about how I got here. I had to earn it by working hard.

After graduating Fenway High School, I decided to go to UMASS Boston. During college, I majored in math and biology because I enjoyed those subjects in middle school. My love of animals and my background in science led me to become a vet. During vet school I was nervous at first because of the surgeries I was learning were challenging and could be harmful if done wrong. But after a few time trying and trying I gained confidence in taking care of animals, and ended up doing well in vet school. My grades allowed me to get a great job at an animal hospital, I felt great because I was able to do something that I love to do and have money to support my family.

What I learned over the past few years if you love something stay with it. In my case I find that it will determine your future and will pay off in the end.

Coached By: Aaron Fine, Ropes & Gray E l v i n M e d r a n o : 3 0 Ye a r A d v a n c e m e n t Advancement over the years! I think home-life will change is by that every household there will own a Robotic servant, this robot will staff the household day and night, even when the house owners aren’t at the household. Home-life will change in conditions of protection I think that there will be a technology that will keep a household highly protected from thieves. This is an essential change because in this current time period there is household protection available, but it can be bypassed and fail to serve its protection to the household.

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30 years from now, I predict that transportation will be change in multiple ways, the types of vehicles people drive and the train/subway transportation might change. 30 years from now there will hopefully be auto-pilot vehicles; vehicles that can drive/park themselves. Subways will be able to take you to farther places and in an even quicker time, the capacity of people the train can hold will be larger The way people communicate with each other will change because a new type of technology might be created which will be able to contact/dial people just by thinking about their name, which will terminate the use of typing to other people. I think this will be very useful to people who are blind or have trouble with their eyesight. This is how I think life will work 30 years from now, making life advanced and efficient.

Coached By: Parker Stoner, Ropes & Gray

F l o r k e n t h i a J o l i b o i s : I n s p i r i n g Wo m e n Marilyn Monroe is an inspiration to many women because of the way she felt comfortable with herself, one of her famous quotes had to do with self-beauty: “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” Who is your biggest inspiration? My two biggest inspirations are my mother and Ms. Smith. Both Ms. Smith and my mother push me in life to do my best. They make anything sound possible and make me work hard.

My mother is my biggest inspiration because she pushes me to do my best, makes anything sound possible, and helps me to reach my goals. My mother thinks education is very important. When I was little she would always help me with reading books, doing homework, and writing stories. Her support makes me value education and makes me keep on going when times gets hard. She works really hard at her job and home, which makes me want to work harder at school to make her proud. Ms. Smith is like my mother because she also pushes me, makes me work hard, and makes things possible. She is caring because she helps students when they don’t understand a subject, which makes me want to help others around me. Ms. Smith is very truthful and honest. She speaks her mind, which makes me want to share my thoughts and opinions.

Both Ms. Smith and my mother have things in common, but have a different way of showing it, because of this I love them both. Also they are strong women that many little girls can look up to.

Coached By: Kate Radtke, Ropes and Gray

Stephen Mondesir : Music Life Fifteen years from now, I see myself having a beautiful life. I will be achieving my dream of being a successful musician with golden platinum records and inspiring future generations. Also I will have a family of my own that I can cherish.

I see myself in fifteen years in the music industry. In college, I will study music and history to get a better understanding and background for it. In the music industry, I mainly see myself performing rap and hip hop.

Also in music, I hope to get awards to inspire a new generation of kids. I see my golden records hanging on the walls, staring at me. In fifteen years, I see myself having a family. I see my family as my balance and my reward in life. Their support system makes me who I am in life and keeps me grounded. By having a family, I pass on my beliefs and my love for the world.

In conclusion, I see music and having a family as a completion of my life’s work and everything I work for a piece of art.

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Kar ven Saint Jean : The Canobie Lake Trip My favorite memory from middle school is going to a field Canobie Lake Park. I felt appreciated and I worked really hard all year. I finally earned a reward. My hard work paid off.At Canobie Lake I had a great time hanging out with my friends and going on rides. One ride that stood out to me was the starfish. That ride was awesome. I got so dizzy, it was spinning out round and around and around. Another thing is my awesome friends. Going on rides and playing games together making every moment count.

I did things to reach that goal. I came to school every day, followed all rules and came prepared and on time ready to learn. I also don’t disrupt other students from receiving their education. I made sure I was doing what was told and respecting all my academic teachers. By getting this reward I know in life I can continue doing good things and receive an award for it, or I can just be very generous and help other people out just to be nice.

Another thing is I had inspiration for doing what I’ve done. My mother inspired me to believe that nothing is impossible and to just put my mind into it. I keep pushing and pushing forward to get that award. I want to say that if I can do it anyone can. Overall this memory stands out among all the rest in middle school because it was it was so exciting and fun to spend a last time with my best friends, before the summer begins and I want be able to see them again.

Coached By: Mike Doore, Ropes & Gray Judy Nguyen : Judy’s Bucket List Dear future Judy Nguyen, I’m writing this to you because you shouldn’t forget this ever! Today this is the present bucket list, but to you it’ll be the past bucket list. In this list are the things that are very important to you that you want to accomplish no matter what it takes. Your number one stop is Korea, of course! In Korea you’ve always wanted to film a drama because you would love it so much to be in a drama and dramas are so creative. You also want to meet all of your favorite k-pop stars. You have also thought of going to see schools of Korea like a million times!

Your next stop would be Vietnam, your home country. You really need to drop off money for your family to pay for their medication! Also, you wanted to visit your lovely grandparents. Your next stop would be Japan.

You’ve always wanted to visit those cute sanrio shops and buy hello kitty stuff you can’t get in America. Next is Los Angeles. You’ve always wanted to express yourself by directing a movie. Last stop would be Paris, France.

Since you’re going to be a doctor or you are a doctor, you’ve always wanted to do a fellowship at the main hospital in Paris. You’ve wanted to take selfies at the Eiffel tower. You’ve also wanted to meet a mime, taste their food, and visit their bakeries to taste their most delicious pastries. You also wanted to go on a shopping spree. Finally, you wanted to paint a picture of the Eiffel tower. Even though I have many things on my bucket list, these are the places that I want to go to because each place holds a special meaning.

Coached By: Julie Polovina, Ropes & Gray Izmael Genao : To My Future Self Dear Izmael, I’m writing to you because I wanted to provide you some advice from your younger self. Teenagers tend to look at the world with an open mind, while adults often forget. With that in mind, I wanted to remind you of the following things: keep trying no matter the circumstances. If you get frustrated by failure you’ll never accomplish your goals.Secondly, don’t do it for the money, do it because you love it: The best way to be successful in life is to do something in life that you will love and not get bored. Do something that will matter 76

like your older brother who is serving in the military right now. Remember how he always encouraged you to do something that will matter in life and how to always stay strong even when you are facing your worst fears.

Finally, always take care of your mother, and be in contact with your family, because they are the most important people in your life. And to tell her how your life is going and if she has passed to the next life at least pray so that she can hear you talk to her and tell her how you are and how life is going. If you follow this advice you’ll become the man your mother always wanted you to be. Even though you may grow old, don’t forget to sometimes think like a kid.

Sincerely, Izmael Genao Coached By: Joseph Povec, Ropes & Gray

Thomas Anderson : The Field Trip I know school may not be everyone’s favorite thing, but there are some perks. But if you do work hard, you will have some privileges that you will enjoy. One of my favorite memories from school is when we had a field trip to Canobie Lake Park. One part of the trip that sticks out to me is when we took our first steps into the park. You just get that feeling of relief. You now had the feeling of freedom. Me and two of my friends went into the park and saw a sea of people. We went to a ride that didn’t have as many people in line. It was the giant spinning starfish. We waited for a while then got on the ride. We got on, it starts spinning, and we think it’s nothing, but out of nowhere it starts spinning super fast. The seat belts start digging into our ribs, and sadly I started crushing my friend who was on the left of me due to how fast it was spinning.

After we get off, the energy was drained out of us trying not to crush each other. Then the race to find the bathroom started. This may not seem like a whole lot of fun, but believe me, you wouldn’t want to miss this opportunity when it comes. This is why doing well in school can benefit you in many ways, this being one of them. It’s all about having fun and enjoying yourself.

Coached By: Mike Doore, Ropes & Gray

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COLLEGE TRIPS As members of the 8th Grade Academy (8GA), the Citizen Schools capstone program, our students traveled to over 8 colleges around New England representing a diverse array of school factors, such as size, selectivity and cost. In the fall we visited UMass Boston, Tufts University, and Harvard University. In April a select group of 43 8GA students from four Boston Campuses attended our annual Hamilton College overnight trip! While visiting Hamilton students participated in different activities such as attending classes, understanding and participating in social identity conversations, mingling with current Hamilton students in their cafeterias, and exploring cultural competency. This spring 8GA students toured Northeastern, MIT and Wheelock College.

Each visit has offered a different perspective on the many college pathways available to students, and helped students set concrete goals for themselves for their path towards higher education.

“My favorite part [of visiting Hamilton] was participating/attending the college class because it showed me that no matter what age or grade level, it’s your voice and knowledge that really counts.” Nayely Peña “My favorite part [of visiting Hamilton] was to roam around and get to know the history and educational values each building has on campus.” Britney Mendez “At the dining hall I experienced the opportunity to sit with other people. I learned about myself that I need to take risks and sit with other students.” Luis Depina “Success comes from a lot of effort. If you’re not willing to put in the time or effort than there is no way to succeed in life.” Melvin Minard

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C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S

TO THE 2015 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS IN HONOR OF ANDREW BALSON AND SHERIF NADA F O R M E R N AT I O N A L B O A R D C H A I R S O F C I T I Z E N S C H O O L S Andrew Balson Leadership Award Citizen Schools established the Andrew Balson Leadership Award in 2014 to honor Andrew Balson’s role as Chair of the organization’s National Board of Directors from 2006 to 2014. Two eighth graders in Massachusetts who have excelled in Citizen Schools’ 8th Grade Academy program were recognized.

Gilson Dosouto and Yodit Tadesse will receive a $250 gift card and will have their names on a plaque at Citizen Schools’ National Headquarters.

Sherif Nada Legacy Award The Sherif Nada Legacy Award was established by Citizen Schools in 2008 to honor Sherif Nada’s leadership role as chair of Citizen Schools’ National Board from 2001 – 2006. Two Citizen Schools alumni in Massachusetts who are seniors in high school were selected: Vidya Ganga and Giang Le. Academic success, leadership skills and commitment to community service – which are traits exemplified by Sherif Nada – are among the criteria used in the selection of the winners. The recipients receive a $1,000 scholarship to use towards covering first-year college expenses and will have their names on a plaque at Citizen Schools’ National Headquarters.

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ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT 8!

For most people you know (your classmates, parents, neighbors, and siblings) the number “eight” has little significance or relevance to everyday life. It is the number that follows 7 and precedes 9, the number of tentacles on an octopus, the number of legs on a spider, the number on that magic black ball you shake when you’re desperately seeking advice. But for all of us, we know that this number has a much larger meaning. At Citizen Schools, eight signifies a community and a culture. “8” not only represents Eighth Grade Academy, it represents all who graduated the program.

Alumni Services connects 8GA graduates to a variety of opportunities during high school and beyond: Deputy Team Leader Program: Starting Freshman year of high school, 8GA alumni can apply to be part of our Deputy Team Leader (DTL) program. In this role, Deputies attend meetings and apply professionalism, relationship building, and leadership skills while supporting our eighth grade students during Saturday college trips. In short, being a Deputy means being a mentor and model of excellence to all eighth grade students; DTLs participate in activities enthusiastically and are always there to listen and engage apprentices during every college visit. In return, they develop strong relationships with 8GA staff and participate in special events and college trips with their fellow Deputy Team Leaders.

8GA and Alumni Events: The key to creating an active group of alumni is to keep that 8GA spirit alive.

Therefore, next year we hope to hold events such as Next Steps Planning, and the 8GA Talent Show to reunite larger groups.

With all these alumni opportunities, it might seem tough to decide where to begin. The best place to start is visiting our Facebook page “8GA Alumni Services-Massachusetts”, as well as our Instagram handle @csmaalumni. Here you can apply to job opportunities, learn what other 8GA alumni are up to, and mark your calendar for all the upcoming Citizen Schools events.

So 8GA Alumni- when you find yourself saying “I have 8(GA) homework assignments due tomorrow… 8(GA) colleges I plan to apply to; 8(GA) hours until vacation starts,” be sure to smile and realize that 8GA cannot be forgotten. It all comes back to that even single digit number. There are eight sides to a cube, eight candles in a menorah, eight planets in the solar system. Throughout history, eight has signified the number of perfection and continuity, closely related to infinity symbol we recognize in modern mathematics: Never ending and forever remaining: 8GA-Alumni for Life Christian Pagàn Program Manager, MA

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8GA-14 Connects

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Do you deserve the best?

Ye s .

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