People of Ritenour - Pepper Box Special Edition

PEOPLE of

RITENOUR

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Table of Contents

The Pepper Box People of Ritenour December 2021

ATHLETES

Bayley Perez and Talia Jones..........................................................3

SIDE HUSTLE

Danielle Swallow and Joelle McIntosh.........................................4

HOBBIES

Ashton Miller and Luke Bannor......................................................5

RESILIENCY

Madisyn Travis.....................................................................................6

GOING VIRAL

Ava Verhoff and Kimberly Irby........................................................7

EXOTIC PETS

Zack Gordon and Christyna Borders.............................................8

ANIMAL JOBS

Samantha Bueltmann and Sara Roznos......................................9

BEFORE TEACHING

Tyler Elder and Angela Peoples....................................................10

ADVOCATE

Olive Diepenbrock..............................................................................11

FAMILY

Kyle & Kyla Williams and Melissa Lopez.....................................12

GOING GLOBAL

Alexander Khalatyan and Samara Ruiz......................................13

BEATING THE ODDS

Damien Cole.......................................................................................14

RHS COMMUNITY

Janiya Scott and Skylar & Amanda Powers...............................15

ROLE MODELS

Tess Ostoff and Azariah Estes.......................................................16

LEADERS

Gabriela Rojo and Kelci Sutton......................................................17

ALTERNATE SCHOOL

Marilyn Dunker and Kyliyah Walker.............................................18

EMPOWERED

Rachel Robertson..............................................................................19

PEPPER BOX STAFF Visual EIC: Kaitlyn Hurst Content EIC: Kaylyn Riggs Production EIC: Maricela Nunez Online Editor: Chloe Sapp

Photography Editor: Michelle Everett Social Media Manager: Chanel Foster Adviser: Ron Steinschriber

Staff Members: Nichole Armstrong, Paula De Hipolito Ruiz, Layla Fouche, Caden Gaither, Kylie Griffith, Danielle Haynes, Gavin Hochman, Jennifer Huerta Lopez, Ashton Miller, Kevon Moore

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reshman Talia Jones has enjoyed sports in her first year at Ritenour, and she has been doing her best during all these seasons in sports.

This includes playing up with varsity by the end of the volleyball season.

“I am glad I worked up from C-team all the way to varsity,” Jones said .

Jones is really happy for all her work and all the effort to get what she accomplished this year, and all the things that she will continue doing.

This winter, Jones joined cheer for basketball, and she made the varsity team in that as well.

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ome Ritenour students merely danced along to the hot dog song in Mickey Mouse when they were younger, but others took that silly little dance and found a spark. Senior Bayley Perez received a dance scholarship while competing amongst highly competitive dancers from around the country.

“I was three years old when I started dancing. I watched “Grease” like it was religion. I used to steal my dad’s comb and slick my hair back like Danny and dance on the couch for hours,” Perez said. “When I officially started taking classes I began with jazz and it was ok. I did not like how bouncy it was.

It made me feel like a cheerleader, which was the opposite of what I wanted to be. One day I was on YouTube and I stumbled

upon Matt Steffanina. I watched his “Suit And Tie” choreography by Justin Timberlake and I felt so overwhelmed. He was so smooth and precise and I knew that one day I wanted to be just like him.”

As Perez progressed in her dance career, her goals and aspirations became bigger and better.

“I first wanted to become a backup dancer for Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga, or be in dance movies such as “Step Up.” My dreams began to shift when I moved to a dance studio called NiMoli. I knew that was where I needed to be and it would be my chance to get my name out into the competitive dance world.

Nikki Molina, the studio owner, is my inspiration in becoming a professional dancer, choreographer, and possibly opening up my own dance studio one day,”

“Cheer is pretty good,” Jones said. “Cheering for the basketball season this year is really different from when I used to cheer in my middle school.”

Besides joining volleyball and cheer, Jones also has made a social impression and is trying to manage extracurriculars and academics. “ I made homecoming court this year too. It is kind of overwhelming, but I worked hard and I am going to try to do the same for everything the rest of the year, including making sure my grades are pretty good,” Jones said.

In addition to all that

she has already done, Jones has entered into the Ritenour pageant, and is looking forward to the Spring sports.

“I am going to try to play baseball and run track.

My goals are to beat my time on track, basically become faster, so that I can make it to AAU again, and hopefully make it to AllAmerican,” Jones said.

While she has already accomplished a large amount in a very short time in high school, Jones feels that she can do better.

“I am proud of what I am doing and I also feel like I can do better,” Jones said.

Story by Paula De Hipolito Ruiz

Perez said.

After years of learning her style and being taught by choreographers all around the world, it was time to shine. Perez did so by winning the Eighty Eight Studios 5 Scholarship.

“When I saw dancers get scholarships to studios in Los Angeles, I knew I needed to work hard to achieve that goal. Each year I went dancing from dawn to dusk learning combos and different routines. I failed many times, but I did not give up. ” Perez said.

“I performed the audition piece in front of Brian Nicholson, Ariana Grande’s choreographer. I made it through all rounds of the audition, and when Brian announced my name it felt so nice to be one of those kids I watched win year after year.”

Story by Michelle Everett

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oelle McIntosh, a personal finance teacher, teaches her students about how to manage a business while also running one of her own outside of school.

“My business is called 4M Creative Solutions. It is a business that I have with my husband and my daughters. We are all creative people, so, when presented with a special event or occasion, we suggest products, and many times we create the products needed for our

anielle Swallow is responsible for a lot of activities around the building. She teaches her math courses, sponsors National Honors Society and used to coach the cheer team. However, what many people do not know is that she also runs her own business, Little Birdie Creations, outside of school hours.

“I manage being a teacher and running my own customization business by looking ahead at my orders I have for my business and what I have going on for school. Then, I make my schedule for the week. If I know I am going to be super busy with

school or my business, then I make sure I work ahead when I have free time,” Swallow said.

Swallow said that her business has never interfered with her teaching role because of her time management. It originally started as a labor of love and turned into a business.

“I decided to start making different things to have around my house and then people became interested in me making some for them. I decided to try it out and now I do it in my free time,” Swallow said.

Swallow has customized and personalized many items, including items for different groups

at Ritenour. She has customized backpacks, back to school boards, clothing, hats, water bottles and more. While it can get hectic at times, she loves the opportunity to show off her artistic abilities and to provide a service for those who can appreciate it.

“I started this business because I needed some extra cash and I really enjoy creating items. I do work alone, but when I get a large or several orders at a time, I will hire someone to help me out,” Swallow said.

customers. My side of it started when my daughter asked me to make her a t-shirt quilt for school.

I posted it on my social media page, and then many people asked me if I could do it for them. Last year, I made 11 blankets. This year, I have made three already and I have four in the queue. My husband does graphic t-shirts, and a bunch of other stuff,” McIntosh said.

Even though it takes a lot of work to run a business outside of her

job as a teacher, McIntosh is motivated to make it happen. She uses the extra income to support her family.

“A lot of it is a balancing act. Sometimes it takes late nights and many weekends to get things done. It is also about finding opportunities to get work done. We needed the extra money.

We had a student in college and a student who was a junior and is now a senior.

They are involved in a lot of activities, and we were looking for a way

to generate extra money to meet their needs,” McIntosh said.

If any students are interested in starting their own business, McIntosh has a few tips.

“I did not plan for this to be a business, it just happened, but I definitely enjoy it. My advice is to look for things that you can do that you enjoy and that it feels like there is a demand for it and people are asking for it,” McIntosh said.

Story by Kevon Moore

Story by Ashton Miller

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enior Luke Bannor is known as a lot of things to his teachers, friends, and family.

However, to the population of Ritenour High School he is really only known by one name; Milk Man. “It was around sophomore year, it was kind of an accident when it started. I was only meant to do it one day a week and I ended up doing it two days in a row and then it became more of a habit. I felt like asking people for milk would be too annoying, however, most people do not seem to bothered,” Bannor said. “It was more of just my interest in milk.

I enjoy milk, and the idea of getting it for free, even if it is a little bit, is better than paying for it.

Bannor has spent the

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mall businesses are the way that people help get money or to show off their talents but for senior Ashton Miller it is all about fun.

“My business was not really planned at first. It started when my friend asked me to make her a stuffed animal and I told her I would do it for $10, because $10 is $10,” Miller said. “I made it for her and she really liked it, so other people started asking me for stuffed animals.”

Miller said that she had some time available after school, so she thought she could just start making a little bit of money on the side and doing something that she liked to do.

“I fell in love with

crochet because I made the rainbow rubber bands in elementary school and I thought I could move to yarn and be good at it,” Miller said. “And I was.”

Miller does not know if it is going to stay a side business in college. She said that it can get time consuming if a lot of orders come in, and that is not really her focus with this activity.

“If people are interested whenever I go off to college, I can continue,” Miller said. “I am not really suited to run my own business; I am not that type of person. However I do feel comfortable selling a stuffed animal here and there.”

Miller loves to crochet,

last three years asking for extra milk around the cafeteria and storing all contributions in his backpack. This activity earned him his nickname, although the name did not come from Bannor himself.

“It was not me,” Bannor said. “I never expected to be known as anything other than ‘annoying kid at lunch,’ but someone thought of the name Milk Man and it just stuck.”

The irony of the situation is not lost on Bannor, and he appreciates his role in the school.

“Most kids do not know my name, so people refer to me as the Milk Man. I do not mind it at all,” Bannor said. “I actually kind of find it funny and ironic since milk men are known for giving milk, yet I do the

opposite.”

Bannor says the main question he gets is what he does with all the milk.

“After I ask for their milk, this tends to be the question people ask.

Simply, I drink the milk. I enjoy milk, so I collect and drink it; every single carton I get,” Bannor said.

Bannor intends to retire when he graduates, and is not sure if anyone else will take up the mantle of Milk Man. “I have seen and heard of other people doing it as well, but they were clearly just trying to get popularity off it. They were terrible at it. If anyone is willing to learn the true ways of the Milk Man, then yeah, I would pass down the legacy.

But otherwise, the legacy leaves with me.”

Story by Kaitlyn Hurst

and she has been happy to be able to create objects for others and participate in a relaxing hobby at the same time, as long as she makes sure she is staying on top of her school work.

“Crochet is pretty low stress. It is kind of a relaxing hobby. If I have a whole bunch of other work to do, I make it through,” Miller said. “There are slow periods when I do not get a lot of orders. At that point, I just focus on schoolwork.

I have crocheted at school when the opportunity presented itself, and I can crochet after school as well, but homework will always come first.”

Story by Danielle Haynes

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enior Madisyn Travis believes in resiliency.

“I am resilient.

It came from what I went through as a kid. If you have a disease, there is nothing you can do about it except live through it.

There are some things you just cannot change. You have to learn to turn the negative situations where you feel hopeless into something positive or you will lose your peace, you will lose your mind,” Travis said.

Travis was born with Sickle Cell Hemoglobin SS disease, and it seemed to worsen to the point of no return. After believing the disorder was behind her, beaten with a bone marrow transplant in fourth grade, horror struck when doctors explained that the disease was back with a vengeance.

Travis’ physician, Dr. Shenoy informed her family that her body was rejecting the new cells and the sickle cell came back. Shenoy told Travis that she would need a stem cell transplant.

“At that moment, all I felt was tired. Tired of going through hell just to live,” Travis said. “A bone marrow transplant is not a guaranteed cure. When they told me the disease came back I just felt tired.

I was really disappointed.

It was a really long process the first time. I was out of school for an entire year; I missed out on life, being a kid, having friends, catching up on work, just missed the normal experience a kid gets. I had a lot of hope with the first transplant.

Why did things not work out for me?”

Travis was forced to embark on another journey to defeat the disease that consumed her life.

“In order to get a transplant you have to have a perfect match, which is why I believe I am so blessed. My sister and my brother were a perfect match for me,” Travis said.

“My sister was my donor.

She has been my best friend since the day she was born.

She has always been there by my side. When I was in the hospital she always knew what I needed and helped me out. I appreciate her for being a child, but still having the heart she does and helping me. I am grateful for her for the rest of my life.”

As the tiresome journey continued, the disease pushed her into isolation.

While the rest of her peers screamed “Let it Go” along with Elsa in their living rooms, Madisyn was stuck in a dull, white room, surrounded by monitors.

“I had to get

chemotherapy before each transplant I had. The chemo was used to wipe out my immune system so I had to be in an isolation room in the hospital, the same room for two months.,” Travis said. “One day my dad brought my sister and brother up to my room. I was laying in my bed and that is when I saw them approach and wave to me. I waved back and my sister started hysterically crying and hugging my dad. No words, just tears.

That is when my dad took them away and I cried in my mom’s arms. It was probably the saddest moment of my life.”

After months of fighting the disease, armed with the support from friends, family and hospital staff, the second transplant was successful.

“I had a huge support system. My grandmother was my ride or die. She was always by my side.

She took me to all of my appointments, she always came to the hospital and stayed with me, she always brought me pajamas so I did not have to wear the hospital gown. I thank my mom because although she could not always be with me she was working her butt off to make sure we could have insurance to get me the help I needed,”

Travis said. “Honestly, growing up, nurses were my best friends. They were really good at their jobs. I still remember their names.

They are people I will never forget.”

Travis sees herself becoming an advocate and ambassador for sickle cell. She has already tried spreading awareness on social media and when she turns 18 she wants to speak with children with sickle cell to let them know that they are not alone, that the disease does not define them and let people know that it is okay if people do not understand.

“I want people to know that we should be expanding our empathy and trying to understand people more. We want to feel understood, but to be understood we also have to make other people feel understood as well. Be nice to everyone,” Travis said. “The biggest thing I have learned from this experience is to never judge people. You never know what people are going through at home, how their health is, what their grades are, why they are like that.

None of us have any room to judge each other because we are all going through something,” Travis said.

Story by Kaylyn Riggs

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ll it took was a random encounter in elementary school and sophomore Ava Verhoff found her lifelong passion.

“It started with a comic book, called “Roller Girl,” and I read it in fifth grade.

It was about roller derby. I was watching videos about roller derby on YouTube and I found this video of the Moxie Girls skating ramps,” Verhoff said.

Verhoff started committing herself to roller skating after reading the book. She has been encouraged by her parents, one of whom had a similar interest.

“My dad was a skateboarder and I was like ‘This is perfect!’ He

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ik Tok has become a popular way for teenagers to connect, and its use has grown during the pandemic. Senior Kimberly Irby has taken advantage of the platform to show off her cosplaying skills.

“I have been doing Tik Tok for about a year. I usually post videos of me showing off my makeup and expressions with music that I think fits the character that I am portraying at the time,” Irby said. “I really have only gotten positive feedback; lots of compliments on my makeup which makes me feel good because I spend a lot of time on it.”

Irby’s style has changed a lot over time, and she has gotten more confident in herself as she has

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actually started skating when he was eight, and he has pretty much been skating ever since. He told me that when he was younger, he got pretty good. There were options for him to get sponsored, but his parents never let him because they did not like the skating. But mine completely encouraged me to do it. I mean, I thought (roller skating) was different and I liked it more, but I also do not understand skateboarding at all,” Verhoff said.

Verhoff has started to gain a big following on social media due to her roller skating with over 6,000 followers on Instagram. She has even started to get recognized

by major corporations for her work. She is currently sponsored by Chaya Skates, Mountainside Skateshop, Wildbones Sliders, TSG pads, and Anabolix Wheels.

She has also gotten merchandise from Pit Vipers.

“Posting videos on Instagram is just kind of like a thing that you do. It is basically just skateboarding and that is what skateboarders do. They post their clips and it basically just puts them out there in the world,” Verhoff said. “I think I gained the following because I am sponsored and the companies that sponsor me post me in videos.

Others see me and they are like ‘oh, who is this?’ and then they follow me.”

Story by Layla Fouche

continued to use the app.

“I think my makeup and wigs changed a lot, but I think the biggest thing that changed was my confidence.

In the beginning, I was so scared of being made fun of that I was not fully into it yet. Now, I know I slay and I do not really care about other people,” Irby said.

Irby was concerned about some of the negativity on Tik Tok, but enjoys meeting people with similar interests.

She does have a hard time completely ignoring some of the comments on cosplay videos.

“My favorite thing is probably meeting new people (other cosplayers) and making new friends with similar interests as me. I also meet really cool

people who inspire me,” Irby said. “My least favorite thing about cosplaying are people that are openly racist, ableist, homophobic, and body shamers who will only purposely give attention to the “it cosplayers’” The process takes Irby a lot of time, but she is always happy with the result.

“Besides the actual getting ready part, which usually takes about two hours, I film a lot. I can refilm the same video about 20 times before I like it, so the filming process can also take up to two hours depending on my creativity and how many ideas I have in my head that I want to express,” Irby said.

Story by Maricela Nunez

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ith a newly adopted bearded dragon and experience taking care of a wide array of animals, Senior Christyna Borders has a newfound love of medicine, both for animals and humans.

“My bearded dragon’s name is Carlos and he came with that name. I was able to adopt him because I have reptile experience and he needed a home ASAP. My reptile experience started with just watching different shows on tv then an old friend of mine had a couple of snakes, lizards, and birds and she noticed one of her snakes not shedding his skin correctly. She did not know what to do, so I helped her and she tried to make sure it would not

any people have cats, dogs or even a hamster; the average family pet. But to some people, that is just a little too boring. Senior Zack Gordon, did not want an average pet, and they fell in love with a ball python.

“When people first find out I have a snake there are three common responses, the first being ‘Eww! How could you do that? That is so gross!’ Secondly, ‘Oh my god, that is the coolest thing’ And thirdly, the worst type of reaction is when some people think it is fun or even amusing to say they would skin her and make her into a new pair of boots. I absolutely hate it when people do this and unfortunately, it is a

common thing with exotic animals, especially ones people are typically scared of,” Gordon said.

People commonly think caring for a snake requires all of the owner’s time and energy, watching them eat mice, and helping them shed their skin, but Gordon says for them, it is a different experience.

“Sally is lazy! Owning anything that lives in a tank usually means they do not do much, which is indeed the case for Sally. All she really does is sleep curled up in a ball and look cute.

We have tried taking her outside, but she just sat there, not excited in the slightest bit,” Gordon said.

Having an exotic animal can be really interesting

happen again,” Borders said.

Borders expresses her admiration for the animals that she has helped. Her curriculum at North Tech allowed her to adopt her bearded dragon.

“A lot of people are not really reptile people but they are pretty cool and they can come in all different colors and patterns and can do things that are eye-catching.

Me adopting Carlos has nothing to do with my career path, I adopted him from North Tech instead of a pet store because pet stores do not always take care of their animals and the animals at North Tech get taken to the vet and we take care of them every day in class,” Borders said.

While she primarily works in animal medicine at North Tech, Borders would like to explore wider ranges of medicine in college, including working with people.

“I am studying to become a vet assistant but am going to college to become a respiratory therapist. The vet path is helping me achieve my desired career by getting me prepared for situations in a clinical setting and/or hospital. It can be chaotic, but being able to help in any way with animals can just makes someone’s day,” Borders said.

Story by Layla Fouche

and fun to own, but Gordon and other exotic pet owners recommend doing proper research.

“They are just like any other pet-they are not a decoration on display; you have to actually take care of them. Do your research, keep learning, and do your best to keep them healthy and happy because to these animals, you are their entire world,” Gordon said. “So the next time you are out and about, getting your dog’s food at your local PetSmart and pass those displays, remember how cute and full of personality they can be! Maybe owning one is for you.”

Story by Michelle Everett

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amantha Bueltmann had some different jobs before becoming a science teacher, many in the food service industry, like working inside and delivery for pizza places.

After that she worked in a vet office for a long time.as In her vet work, she enjoyed working with animals. She was a receptionist and mentioned she did not want to hurt the animals with blood tests.

She was annoyed by crazy pet owners, and people who

were angry and yelling.

That was when she found work at a tiger sanctuary and gained first hand experience with the large cats. .

“The tiger sanctuary was amazing in many ways, it was awesome being that close to the tigers everyday, I loved it. I really liked working with animals, but realized that I did not want to just live in the middle of nowhere working with big cats. I enjoyed educating people about why it was

important to protect them, and that is why I started teaching.”

Bueltmann likes being a teacher, but says it is a lot of work to do outside the work hours, and that is her least favorite part. She likes working with the students and building relationships with them.

“That is what was missing at the tiger sanctuary. I wanted to work with the same groups all year instead of having a whole new group each hour.

hen you think of a farm your mind probably wanders to a bright cherry red barn and a great big silo. Images surround your mind of cows, chickens and pigs. But some Ritenour students do not picture those things; they picture Sara Roznos; one of Ritenour High’s freshman physics teachers.

“I want to own a farm at some point in my life. If I had big enough land and a big enough coop I would definitely invest in a good 10 to 15 chickens.”

Roznos’ face blooms when she is asked about her pet chickens, Pizza, Mabel and Mushroom. She invests a lot of her time to maintain their cushy lives in her backyard.

“Every day I make sure they have fresh water, make sure their food is available, clean the coop and make sure they are protected from predators. The hardest part about owning chickens is making sure they do not get eaten. I cannot tell you how many times I have walked to my coop and there has been a hawk trying to get my chicken!”

She claims it is all worth it, however, because of their benefits.

“Eggs are a really nice bonus, but I own them because of their personalities. Pizza, one of my chickens, would come up to you and peck at you.

She would bully my dog!

The others will let me hold and cuddle them, but she was always all over you.”

Roznos spends much of

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I enjoy seeing how all these topics help people during the year, to make decisions for what they have to study in the future, or where they want to spend the money on vacation.”

At home, Bueltmann has a beta fish named Bruce and she is taking really good care of him. She wants to have turtles, and she has some students who want to help her with this new project.

Story by Paula De Hipolito Ruiz

her time daydreaming about what the future may hold for her; especially when it comes to that farm.

“A lot of people do not appreciate where their food comes from, when they eat meat they do not appreciate that it is coming from a life.

It is a really hard concept to teach someone. I am not a vegetarian; I just want people to get their food from a reliable source. I want them to understand that they should get their meat from a farm where you know how they treat their animals. At some point I want to kill my own chickens, kill my own cows, and kill my own pigs.

I want to know where my food is coming from. My goal eventually is to be selfsustainable.”

Story by Kaylyn Riggs

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fter her senior year of high school, financial secretary Angela Peoples hit a crossroads.

“There was this unspoken rule in my parents’ household that when you graduate you either go to college or the military. I was tired of school so I took the ASVAB as a senior and did pretty well on it. They had a lot of good options for me, so I tried it,” Peoples said.

Peoples came from a military family, with many of her relatives already in the army before she joined.

“I was nervous about going to the army. My brother at the time was in when I went in, and I had four uncles and three cousins in the army at the

hildren are often impacted by the interests of their parents, and Electronic Guitar teacher Tyler Elder has taken the lead from his father and moved into a career that is focused on music.

“Growing up, music was always a big part of my life. My dad was a singer and so I grew up with him singing in bars. He and his singing partner wrote music together and they would often travel to Nashville and sing,” Elder said. “My dad actually won a singing competition called the Mountain Man competition, so he began going by the stage name of Mountain Man Dave Elder.”

Elder and his sister

started performing together and started singing together at church, at school and different competitions. When he was 16, the two started gigging and performing at live music venues professionally.

“We have a lot of concerts. In Tulsa we played the Hard Rock Casino. We have played fairs and festivals in South Dakota and Tanaka’s Mississippi casino. We play a lot of different fairs and festivals from Indiana to basically anywhere in the Midwest,” Elder said.

Elder has been able to maintain his musical career and teaching career at the same time, working at different gigs outside of school hours.

“The good thing about

time I signed up,” Peoples said. “I was the first female in my family to go, and since then there has only been one other. All of my uncles are lifetime military retired and my brother did nine years. The only other female military member in my family did four years in the air force, so this runs big in my family.”

While many members of People’s family were active or retired military, she saw other benefits of moving towards that path.

“It affected me in a good way by paying for school and it allowed me to travel places I probably would have not traveled to,” Peoples said. “I do not really have any bad experiences. I did not get deployed during Desert

Storm, which was the only thing taking place the time I was in so I was always I guess in a safe place.”

Peoples believes that graduates should consider the military option, as it provides many opportunities.

“The skills I learned in the army I still use to this day. I definitely would recommend anyone to go to the army especially if you are not sure what you want to do,” Peoples said. “If you cannot afford college it will pay for it for you and it gives you many opportunities afterwards.

There are many veterans benefits and opportunities for advancements in government jobs.”

Story by Kevon Moore

the gigging world is most of the time entertainment and live shows happen on the weekend and also at night. During the day I can come here to teach music and then whenever I leave I can go and start focusing on my music in the studio, I can set up band practice, I can set up photo shoots, I can set up gigs and work on my music,” Elder said. “It can be complicated when it comes to out of town gigs because that kind of stuff comes up, but ultimately I just try to keep things on the weekend to where after work on Friday I can go and do whatever gigs and be back by Monday morning.”

Story by Kevon Moore

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t a very young age, junior Olive Diepenbrock was given a diagnosis that would change their world view and push them towards becoming an advocate.

Diepenbrock was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and has learned to use their diagnosis to inform people who may have false views on the disorder.

ASD is a developmental disorder that is characterized by difficulty in social interaction, and communication and by repetitive patterns of thought and behavior.

“Autism is a form of neurodivergent thinking, meaning that we think differently from people who are neurotypical. It has affected me throughout life in a few ways, but the most dramatic is my social life.

I have always liked very specific things. Sometimes my interests may be younger or older than my age, such as Strawberry Shortcake or The Beatles,” Diepenbrock said.

Many misconceptions surround the disorder and make it hard for neurotypical people to understand the everyday struggles ASD people have.

“I wish I could tell

people who may not have experience with the subject that we are not always a genius, nor are we always completely mentally incapable. We can speak for ourselves, but it would be more efficient if neurotypical people listened better and lifted our voices,” Diepenbrock said.

Part of that better listening and understanding comes in the form of knowing which groups are actively trying to support people in the ASD community. Diepenbrock says that while there are many groups dedicated to raising awareness, some groups do more with their resources than others.

“Something I wish I could change is how many of us still support Autism Speaks. According to ASAN (Autism Self Advocacy Network), Autism Speaks spends about 20 times as much money on fundraising as they do supporting autistic people and their families. Meanwhile, they turn around and act like we need to be “cured.” Instead, I recommend donating to ASAN as they represent us better,” Diepenbrock said.

Diepenbrock mentions that organizations like Autism Speaks promote the concept of a linear spectrum.

“I feel like I fall everywhere on the spectrum. The autism spectrum is more like figurative levers; each lever is a different aspect or symptom of autism. I only have some flipped, such as avoiding eye contact or sensitivity to stimulation like noise. Meanwhile, other people with ASD may have others, like echolalia, (verbally repeating sounds or words over and over) or being nonverbal. People like to think it is linear; it is not,” Diepenbrock said.

Since they were diagnosed at a young age, Olive was given the opportunity to more understand them self and the disorder.

“I did not really understand my own diagnosis or what it meant at the time; until middle school. I really started researching and found out that (ASD) is one of the factors causing my ‘nervous breakdowns for no reason,’” Diepenbrock said. “I would say that my day differs from a neurotypical person in the way that I have to do things daily in a strict schedule or ritual or else the whole day is ruined. I will also hyper focus on whatever I am doing and become unaware of my surroundings sometimes to the point of

being late.”

While Diepenbrock has managed to create a routine, they said that there are still struggles that they must deal with during the course of their day.

“The biggest struggle I encounter at school that can be fixed is inconsistencies.

One of them is that when our teacher is absent we usually have to go to the auditorium and do work, which can cause sensory overload and quite frankly does not have anywhere for me to work. Not to mention, it is too different from the classroom. A way to possibly fix that is to let autistic students go to the counselors or a different class for that hour instead,” Diepenbrock said.

Another misconception regarding ASD is the negative connotations surrounding the disorder.

People believe that having it means you can not be happy or content. But this is extremely untrue.

Diepenbrock says that a lot of people with ASD even relish in their identity, “My favorite thing about having ASD is the few things that I am extremely good at, because I can appear smarter than lots of people even though they are smarter than me in other areas,” Diepenbrock said.

Story by Michelle Everett

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hen junior Melissa Lopez first entered school, she had to worry about more than just making friends and learning what school would be like; she had to learn an entirely new language.

“My first language is Spanish, and I learned how to speak English when I entered school,” Lopez said.

“For many people learning a second language can be sort of difficult with all of the memorization. That is why many students that

hen people normally think about twins, they assume that they will be exactly the same; same interests, same hobbies, same personality. However, for juniors Kyle and Kyla Williams, most of the similarities end with the fact that they are related.

“A lot of people do not even know we are twins unless you tell them. Even teachers who have us both,” Kyle Williams said. “Being a twin feels like a regular relationship. I hardly see my sister at school, so it is just when I do see her, it is like “Hey…” There is nothing extravagant about being a twin.”

Kyla agrees with her brother, and listed many ways in which the siblings are different.

“Kyle is the youngest, the businessman, the workaholic, the musician, the CEO of formal attire, the goofy one, the church boy, and our future president. I am the oldest, the boss, the athlete, the overachiever, the popular loner, the accidental comedian, the geek, and everyone’s ‘favorite’ twin,” Kyla Williams said.

Although they are so different, many people in the school still refer to them as “the twins.”

“It is a good thing because we are both good people and we both do good things. It is good to know we are twins,” Kyle Williams said.

“Being a twin in school feels like having an annoying best friend that never leaves your side,

and having double the trouble.” At this point in life I have gotten used to being called “the twins” when we are both together so it does not really faze me because we can still go our separate ways and have our own personalities,” Kyla Williams said.

The two get along at school, but revel in playful sibling rivalry.

“I like to bother Kyla a lot and she gets sick of me, but it is okay. We like to eat, we dance, and Kyla also does not like to do a lot with me,” Kyle Williams said. “A lot of times, we are not doing a lot together.

Kyla and I are totally different people. I am more social and involved. She is more quiet and chill.”

come from other countries where English is not spoken, they can have a difficult time pronouncing certain words in English.”

Lopez got help from family members as she became fluent in multiple languages.

“English was taught to me in preschool, but I also learned more from my older sister because she spoke a lot of English at home. I learned more from hearing her speak because the words would get stuck in my head,” Lopez said.

Lopez says that often times things can get lost in translation while switching between English and Spanish, and that bilingual students often have difficulty even though they speak both languages.

“Many times when you want to translate words either from Spanish to English or vice versa, your brain gets confused and mixes words or forgets some words. There can also be times when you are speaking in either language, but you end up mixing

words from both languages into one sentence.

While the process may have been difficult, Lopez has made it through and she believes that these skills help her on a daily basis.

“Once I began learning I was able to understand and it gave me a great advantage because I was able to talk to both students who only spoke English and students who only spoke Spanish,” Lopez said.

Story by Layla Fouche

Story by Jennifer Huerta Lopez

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amara Ruiz decided to get a head start on her future and enrolled as a part-time student at North Tech for her junior year.

“I am in the construction innovations field. I entered this field because I have always had a special interest in math and physics.

At Tech, we do a lot of hands-on learning, such as framing, studs, and drywall.

I have a few friends that are also at Tech, and they go for fire fighting and health and sciences and I know that they also do a lot of hands-on learning which is really useful because, in school, it is mostly writing, reading, etc,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz was born in Germany, and her father

The Pepper Box l People of Ritenour l 13

eople may not take a second glance at junior Alexander Khalatyan as he walks down the hallway, but at the beginning of the year the foreign exchange student from Armenia felt like he was out of place.

“It was very hard in the beginning to adapt here, because first when I came here I felt very (excited), like I made it. Then I was feeling the cultural shocks; how things are different here. Then I started to get homesick, but at some point I realized that I had adapted to life here, to the culture, to all the things here, and then I started feeling comfortable,” Khalatyan said.

It was hard for Khalatyan to adapt because he had noticed some changes from what he was

used to in Armenia, but he knew how to handle it.

“The school systems are completely different from what I am used to.

In Armenia you spend 12 years with the same class with the same people.

It was very stressful to me to arrive on time and travel at Ritenour. I got lost in school twice when I came here. And I like the opportunity to choose your class and curriculum because I was not able to do that in Armenia. Schools in America require you to be more responsible, I develop my own skills of responsibility,” Khalatyan said.

Khalatyan has joined the Art Club and International Language Club in his free time, and is feeling more confident in the building.

However, there are some

still lives there, so she is hoping to move back with this career training.

“I can get a degree and get straight into construction school right after high school. The job I want to go into is architecture engineering, which means I will be building houses and I would like to go back to Germany to do this. One day, I want to run my own company that will be called Ruiz Industries where I will be building houses that are affordable,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz is learning firsthand how gender plays a role in engineering and construction, as she is the only girl in her class.

“I feel like I represent a lot of girls that are

struggling in a mostly male-dominated field. Tech is very welcoming, I do not feel like I am being discriminated against. I hope the field will not always be a male-dominated field. I think in the future there are going to be a lot more women,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz is excited about all the opportunities that Tech affords her.

“Tech has six rotations of construction and then my senior year I am going to pick carpentry and I get to go deeper into that field.

With picking carpentry, I get access to more programs and chances to get scholarships,” Ruiz said.

Story by Chloe Sapp

things about the United States that he still has not gotten used to.

“I miss the food because we have all these different types of food in this country that I cannot find here; especially the bread,” Khalatyan.

Khalatyan is feeling more confident and feels like he has adapted to the new school system. He is trying his best to get better with English, which is his third language, but he still has some goals for the rest of the year.

“My first personal goal is to develop my language skills, I want to continue doing volunteer work and I found some opportunities from the school, and I want to develop more personal skills, like knowledge,” Khalatyan said.

Story by Paula De Hipolito Ruiz

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enior Damien Cole entered Ritenour High School in the fall of 2018. He lived a life just like all the other freshmen until April of 2019 when he got some upsetting news.

“I found out because of a tumor that had grown on my leg towards the inner thigh part. We went to the hospital and got a diagnosis. The cancer was called Ewing sarcoma,” Cole said. “I am not an expert on it, but my basic knowledge of it is that it is an extremely fast spreading cancer.”

This news hit Cole hard, and like many others who have been in his situation, he began to go through a list of questions about why this happened. His family absorbed the information with stunned silence.

“When I learned of this I was very scared and confused. I thought things like “why me” cause I never would have imagined that it would happen to me,” Cole said. “When my family found out there was not a huge reaction. We are not the kind of people who really cry about anything.

We just kind of sat there thinking about it.”

As most of his peers

were preparing for sophomore year, unaware of a global pandemic that was about to drastically alter the next three school years, Cole had come to grips with the new information about his health and begin the process of beating his diagnosis. This had to happen outside of the hallways of Ritenour High School, and that presented an alternative school environment.

“I do not know how other people reacted at school because after I got diagnosed I did not go to school that year,” Cole said.

“When I missed sophomore year the school got me a tutor that helped me with all the school work.

Basically my teachers gave her work for me to do and we met up and did it. It was not very difficult because the school let me do only my core classes that year.”

While the academic portion of sophomore year was manageable for Cole, his treatment kept him isolated. He was not able to spend the amount of time with friends as he was used to, but still found ways to keep in touch.

“During my treatment

my social life was nonexistent. I have my group of friends that I talked to and played video games with, but I rarely saw them and I also never felt healthy enough to,” Cole said.

Aside from the isolation, the physical effects of chemotherapy took a toll on Cole as well.

“I was always feeling sick from something.

The side effects from chemo are the worst things. Sometimes they cause mouth sores which actually left my mouth with scars. Other times I would be plagued by migraines because I did not have enough blood in my body,” Cole said. “Chemo attacks blood cells which caused me to literally hear my heartbeat in my head nonstop.”

Cole went through a regimen of five days in the hospital, and then he would get a week break. Then he went in for two days and got a week break after that as well. He ended up going through treatment for eight and a half months.

All of this treatment has led to a much more positive prognosis for Cole. After going through almost nine months of chemotherapy,

he has been in remission.

“My current status is that I am about to be two years into remission. After five years, I think, they consider you cancer free at that point,” Cole said.

Now that he has been in remission for such a long time, Cole has come back to the building for his senior year. While many students had been gone since March 2020, Cole had not been in the building since May of 2019.

“Being back in school felt weird at first but now it feels really normal like it is for others,” Cole said.

After going through this series of events, Cole says that his entire outlook on life has not completely changed, but that there are some elements of his daily life that he looks at through a different lens.

“I do not think my outlook on life has changed but I do some things differently now. I try to treat people better and be an all around better person because I kind of know what it is like to be treated differently now,” Cole said.

Story by Maricela Nunez

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hether it is a high school student with an eye on fashion and an ear for music, or a parent walking the sidelines of games taking photos, many people in the Ritenour community know the Powers; sophomore Skylar and RHS alumni Amanda.

“Well known. That is funny to me. When I tell my daughter about kids messaging me on Instagram or coming up to talk to me we found it kind of funny,” Amanda Powers said.

Skylar is glad to have a special relationship with her mom and enjoys having her around.

“It is sometimes kind of weird because she is always with me, but it is nice to know that I always

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enior Janiya Scott holds a special position as only the second student representative for the Ritenour Board of Education in the history of the district. Her job is to be the voice of students at the high school.

“When I first joined, I just wanted to give students a better voice.

Many students feel like they are not being heard by the Board in a way that makes them want to be in the school environment. I want to find the problems and see how we can make them better,” Scott said.

Right now, Scott is working on getting more students on the Board of Education.

“A specific change I am

trying to make right now is putting more student voices on the Board of Education; not just my voice, but many different students of all grades and all diversity getting a chance to have their voice represented. All student voices matter in what is happening with the school,” Scott said Being on the Board has helped Scott feel more connected to her school.

“I learned that Ritenour does care about their students. Most of the members on the Board have had students in Ritenour and they genuinely care about what is going on. However, they just sometimes do not take into consideration how we, as students, would feel about certain situations.

have her with me if I need anything. No one’s mom is as involved as mine in my life, so it is just a little strange and different for everyone else, but that is okay,” Skylar Powers said.

Amanda is happy to be so involved, and to have a muse for her photography business, which she started during the lock down in 2020.

“She has been a great cheerleader for me. She is also a great model for me.

When we get to spend time together when we have our own sessions is always something that is special to me,” Amanda Powers said.

The pair’s relationship has evolved since Skylar came to the high school.

“Yeah, it has definitely changed, and me growing up has definitely impacted

it. It is easier now for me to be open with her because I know she went through a lot of the same things that I have, so it makes me feel like more able to express myself with her,” Skylar Powers said.

The Powers are a third generation Ritenour family and Amanda still beams with pride about her district, which is why she is so happy to stay involved through photography.

“This is a community that I grew up in and that my kids are in. I am still growing as a photographer, but if I can use my skills to show how amazing these students are I am honored and blessed to do so,” Amanda Powers said.

Story by Danielle Haynes

They think about all the problems in the district and they really care about our opinions,” Scott said.

Scott has some advice for the next representatives who will take her place.

“Be patient. Sometimes people need someone to blame, and that may be the student and the board members at times, but they can handle that. Also, have fun. Being on the board is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and students will learn so much. Being the rep is a serious job, and they have to care about it and want everyone’s voice to be heard by the school.

They must let their voice and all others’ voices be heard,” Scott said.

Story by Ashton Miller

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oing above and beyond for her community, senior Azariah Estes motivates herself and others to be a positive influence on those around them.

“I do not really put my faith in motivation because motivation comes and goes, but I trust in being disciplined which combats procrastination.

I am passionate about my relationship with God and helping my community, nation, and the world in a positive way,” Estes said.

Community service has always been important to Estes. By starting in the Ritenour Community, she has worked her way up to participating in national events to raise awareness about social justice.

“I would say serving

here are many aspects of a leader; inspiring, confident, bold, wise. For some it is a lifelong passion, but for others, like senior Tess Ostoff it seems to be something that is thrust upon her, often by surprise. ¨Being a school leader was never something I thought I would do honestly. In fifth grade I was the president of the student council, I was in NJHS in eighth grade, and I always knew that I liked being part of these things, but I honestly just fell into leading,” Ostoff said. “For example, I am in Game Changer because a friend of mine forced me to go, and I forced another friend to go, and so now me and my

other friend are the Game Changers leaders. Honestly in this school sometimes you join things and you realize ‘wow, I am involved here,’ and suddenly you are saying yes to everything.”

Through her leadership, Ostoff has been able to have an effect on others, but she has also gained a lot of experience through these positions.

“From Game Changers, specifically, I got a lot of opportunities like being in focus groups on things like school safety, and being a part of planning the curriculum that is launching in the spring,” Ostoff said. “In Leadership we have done things like a canned food drive, You Don´t Know My Story, and

others was something that was always in me, but I can say that being a part of Game Changers helped me to know how to use my voice and educate the community. That small beginning led to me being a part of national public speaking opportunities to educate the U.S. about social justice issues that pertain to students, youth, and PoC,” Estes said.

One of the national events Estes participated in was the America’s Promise Alliance Youth Perspectives webinar.

“The webinar provided goals like addressing mental health, teaching the history of race and racism in the U.S., saturating the environment with caring adult relationships and prioritizing postsecondary

success to help young people who are in high school. This webinar and many other events that I have been a part of with APA have helped me become published in USA Today,” Estes said.

Participating in as many activities as Azariah requires dedication and time management skills, and she has some advice for students on how they can manage their time inside and outside of school.

“When things get stressful and overwhelming, I make sure I spend time with God by praying and studying, so I can regain my strength and patience.

My advice to others is to be as organized as they can and utilize the resources I mentioned in order to help with that,” Estes said.

Story by Ashton Miller

awareness week. I kind of went for the HOSA officer position specifically because I want to go into the health professions field.”

While Ostoff is involved in many different areas, she did mention that there have to be limits in order to maintain sanity.

“You need to learn how to say no to some opportunities because there is not enough time in the day to do your homework, and get everything done, and then be a part of 8,000 different clubs; it is just that there is not enough time,” Ostoff said. “Also relying on my teachers and being open with our conversations.”

Story by Jennifer Huerta Lopez

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eing involved in high school was never a question for senior Gabriela Rojo, the question was how much she would be able to help others, and also to step out of the shadow of her siblings. ¨I participated in a lot because I get a lot of joy from helping other people. And I know that it is important for college,” Rojo said. “Also, whatever my siblings did, I kind of wanted to do, but better than them, so that was kind of my motivation.”

Rojo started with clubs in which she was already

interested, but says being a productive member and leader has allowed her entrance into some other clubs that she would not have necessarily considered.

“I am involved a lot in band because I like the people and it is like a family.

Doing one leadership position kind of leads teachers to trust you, so it puts you in a good position for them to recommend you. I guess just doing one thing made me love everything else, and teachers wanted me to do other things too,” Rojo said.

One thing Rojo said she

needs to keep up with to do all these activities is time management.

“Google Calendar is my best friend, and Siri reminds me that I have to wake up at a certain time.

I also have to do a lot of planning like two or three weeks ahead before I can agree to anything. I have to do this because I have three clubs that meet in the mornings, and three other clubs that meet in the afternoon. I also work which makes it a thousand times more difficult, but I always put my school work as a priority,” Rojo said.

enior Kelci Sutton is not an average student, as she balances her time between being a student, class officer, and even a model.

“I saw that there was not really much change being created. I figured that if I wanted to have the best for my class I would have to step up and do the role.”

Sutton said Being a busy teen in the 21st century, Sutton has had to figure out how to maintain a schedule where she gets everything done.

“Juggling everything really took some time getting used to. I guess the more that I got with it the easier it got because I actually had the stuff to do,” Sutton said.

While Sutton holds leadership positions in the school, she does not really like to focus on herself, more so on others.

“People come to me when they have questions or need help with stuff so I guess I can consider myself a leader,” Sutton said. “A leader is somebody that basically is just here for other people that step up to the plate and do the best for other people.”

In her time outside of school, Sutton is also a model “I guess I could consider that I have always been a people person, but modeling made me become more of a people person and more like a conversation starter. Modeling did help

me gain more confidence,” Sutton said. “I had these insecurities that I had judged myself about concerning my weight and so I tried to turn it into something more positive.”

Turning negatives into positives seems to be a mantra for Sutton, and she believes the lessons she has learned from modeling have also made her a better leader.

“My insecurities have humbled me in a (good) way that adds more realism to my character. They have enabled more empathy from me to others,” Sutton said.

“Not aligning with what is ‘traditional’ is not bad.

Have a plan, then fight for what you want.”

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Story by Danielle Haynes

Though her schedule is crazy, Rojo says that it will all be worth it looking back and knowing she made a difference.

“I would love to be graduating high school and knowing that there are people who I trained or helped to get there and cover different positions.

Cords are really cool to have and be decorated as a senior, but more importantly just knowing I made a difference, and knowing that I am leaving something behind bigger than me,” Rojo said.

Story by Jennifer Huerta Lopez

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enior Marilyn Dunker has had three school years interrupted

by COVID, and after being virtual last year, she decided to finish her career in the same way.

“I chose to go virtual for my safety during COVID along with other things.

I knew if I went back to school it would not be the same as it was before and I would just be with a bunch of underclassmen who have never been in the big school before. I did not want to waste my time and

just wanted to get my work done on my time. I get to work at my pace and I have a lot more time in the mornings,” Dunker said.

Dunker thinks being a virtual student takes a certain set of skills. She believes that it does take a lot more effort and drive.

However, she believes that being virtual has kept her out of the social circle.

“Honestly, sometimes, I feel left out by the school and admins being a virtual student. I really enjoy being a virtual student,

but the school is not treating virtual and in person students equally.

For example, they did invite virtual seniors to the Jostens meeting, but they did not give us any information on how we could get the order forms and packets. Even after I asked in the Google Meet chat several times, I got no answer,” Dunker said.

“Then all the in person seniors were able to order their senior swag and they got their tassels last Friday.

This made me really sad

because I have not gotten any information on how to get the order information in the first place. I feel like virtual students are simply being left out and not really remembered or considered.”

While it has been tough to feel like an outsider at times, Dunker is still happy about the decision she made to remain virtual.

“I really like my classes.

My teachers have done a good job at interacting with students virtually,” Dunker said.

way from the home of the Huskies, there are students across the building who travel to North Technical High School every day.

Senior Kyliyah Walker, who is studying in the Vet Assistant program, is one of those students.

“I have always had a strong love for animals ever since I was a kid. My dream was to become the next Doctor Dolittle. I have played around with other careers, but none of them bring the happiness or satisfaction I got when I was working with animals.

It truly is my passion,” Walker said. “Our class is taught by an experienced licensed veterinary technician who is basing

her lessons on what she has learned in the field. This is great for us students as we get a real insight on the daily tasks and duties that are required of the veterinary field.”

While Walker is enjoying the program, she says that it may not be what everyone imagines a vet program is like.

“I would advise anyone thinking about signing up for the program that it is not just playing with the animals. In reality if you are not comfortable learning how to handle all types of animals, such as rodents and reptiles, it may not be for you. We are in this class to learn about the profession, not to play around.”

North Tech is a great option for students as it provides them with the tools and early experience to succeed and overachieve in their careers. Most students extended their education in the vet program, Walker being one of them.

“As of now I am a little unsure on what route I want to take. I plan to go to school, but I do know that whatever I do beyond that will be animal based, and for certain working with wildlife animals. I have always been intrigued by the animals we really only see on TV and in zoos, and it is my dream to get up close and personal with them,” Walker said.

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Story by Chloe Sapp

Story by Michelle Everett

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urrently in her senior year Rachel Robertson, was born in Russia and adopted and raised in St. Louis. Ever since she could remember Rachel has been deaf.

“My deafness has definitely developed as I got older, and I may have been born deaf. We are not sure the cause of it, but we know it is not genetic.

I think I started showing signs of deafness at around 18 months old, and then I started wearing hearing aids at 22 months old,” Robertson said. “I was 5 years old when I got my cochlear implant and had to get surgery for it. I currently wear a cochlear implant on my left ear and a hearing aid on my right ear. And yes I could progressively lose more hearing in the future.”

Robertson has learned how to advocate for herself and tries to educate others whenever they have questions.

“Personally I would say that I am pretty comfortable talking about my hearing disability to people. And of course I have to talk to teachers about my hearing disability to have accommodation in class. And even sometimes students would ask

questions and I am ok with that. I have always been open about my experiences,” Robertson said.

Being able to educate people on her hearing disability is one thing, but finding ignorance is something that Robertson faces occasionally.

“For most of my life, I have never had anyone treat me differently or prohibit me from doing things. For the most part, I have people ask questions about my hearing disability, which I do not mind at all. I like being able to enlighten people about my disability, and overall just normalizing it,” Robertson said. “It was not until recently that I had someone say something to me and it kind of rubbed me the wrong way. It was something about how being deaf made me look ‘cute’ or ‘adorable.’ I was confused by what they meant, and their overall tone just did not sit right with me.”

Being a part of a community there are some things that people tend to learn to accommodate others, for deaf and hard-of-hearing people it would be sign language.

According to William Woods University,

worldwide, there are about 70 million deaf people who use sign language as their first language.

“I have a decent amount of experience with sign language, but I am not completely fluent in it. Also, it has been a while since I actually used sign language, so I am probably not the best at it. Since I have had my hearing aid and now cochlear implant I have never really needed to use it as much. But, I am still able to have a conversation sometimes I just need to freshen up my skills, ” Robertson said.

Robertson has found a sense of self growth as she has gone through high school, especially once she joined Leadership.

“I have grown and learned a lot throughout high school (thanks to Leadership), and because of that I am able to become the person that I was meant to be and am now ready for the world. Leadership has welcomed me warmly, and I have learned many valuable skills, from leadership skills like communication, responsibility, perseverance, and critical thinking. The main thing they taught me was the ability to lead and take charge, of not only something like a group

for a project, but to be able to lead a quality life,” Robertson said.

Part of the way that Robertson helps with time management is to look for self-care opportunities and ways to manage her stress.

“I pretty much watch TV shows or I might take a nap since I get so tired and busy from school.

Sometimes I try to read a book for good self-care practice. I have been trying to work on my mental and physical health, I have had an interest in reading and I find it stress relieving to be able to open a book and wind down from all my daily stresses,” Robertson said.

Robertson has already started to look towards the next phase of her life after high school and has a lot of goals set out for herself.

“I plan on going to college and majoring in the mechanical engineering field. I hope for one day that I will be able to make a big difference in the world.

I do not have the specifics set in stone. I have already applied for colleges and I am in the decision phase of where I am going but I know I have to take it slow cause I am prone to get stressed easily,” Robertson said.

Story by Maricela Nunez