Friday, August 23, 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Kate's Peer Profile of John
Early
childhood and the teenage years can write out the rest of our lives. At some
point, everyone has gone through some difficult moments in their life. And it
affected them in one way or another which helped develop their
personality. John Vaneiker was born in
the U.S but at the age two he went to Dominican Republic, but came back to New
York as a fourth grader. In elementary school was much tougher on him than any
other time for various reasons. He lived most of his life in the Bronx. And
throughout the middle school and the high school he became more mature as his
grades and writing skills improved.
Entering a new school was something new to
him, and he mentioned that it wasn’t a pleasant experience because he didn’t
have many friends and addition to that he had to work harder to learn the
language and reach the level his classmates were at, which meant more studying
when he got home from school “all I did
was go home and do my home works and then play video games” he didn’t go out
much because of the lack of knowledge of many places. Because he was new to the
neighborhood and school and it took a while to adjust everything. One thing he
also mentioned was that “if I could change something back in elementary school
I would have spent more time outside and met new people.”
At first John might appear quiet and
shy, as if he doesn’t want to talk. But after a while he lets his personality
show through jokes he makes and the way he acts. His accomplishments include
making into Honors class in his middle school because he wanted to meet people
who were in the honors class, and “for that I worked hard, and got better
grades” to make it that program which wasn’t easy for him. But this also
thought him a lesson. When he was in middle school he didn’t have his plans
thought out, but now he has to think about graduating from college with good grades
and hopefully getting a job which would involve with his major.
John’s high school experience
included his Honor’s program classes and also he was part of the baseball team.
“It thought me to be responsible, time management and team work”. Which are
useful in everyday life. He took few Advanced Placement classes, and one of
them included Environmental Science. Because of the impact that class had on
him, he also joined the Green club where students and was involve with keeping
the school environment clean.
His most memorable moment was on 10th
grade, when his team lost the playoff but they still went through it as a team,
which showed the dedication on each and every one of the players to the team.
“Being involved with the team made me more social” was his response when I
asked what affect the team had on him.
As for now he’s happy with the turn out of his
life but if he didn’t get in CCNY, his plan was to get a job and work his way
toward success. But his main goals for
now include graduation from college and preferably working in his field of
study.
Personality
and character develops through a series of events that one experiences before
reaching the final version of themselves. Coming to the U.S and studying hard
led him to where he is now, even though it involved some highs and lows in his
experience. John is currently a CCNY student and has his hopes and dreams just
like everyone else. Wednesday, August 21, 2013
TaTyana's Peer Profile of Alyssa
Alyssa
Taylor: Superwoman
Alyssa Taylor is eighteen years old and
already has two jobs. She works as a lifeguard and at an non profit
organization called Publicolor. At Publicolor the workers utilize color to
advocate education in schools and community centers.After working two jobs she
attends a writing program at City College of New York. In her spare time Alyssa
is an athlete. She is a swimmer and wrestler, but her love belongs to
basketball. As I patiently wait for Alyssa I observe that she is wearing a
purple sweater and black basketball shorts. “Alright, I’m ready.” she says.
Ms.
Taylor was born in February 20, 1995 in
Methodist Hospital located in Brooklyn, NY. Her cultural background
stems from a Trinidadian mother and her father being Panamanian. As I ask her
whether she is bilingual. Her answer is immediately no and her language
preference is english. Even though she prefers to read and write in english she
still wishes that her father taught her some of his native language.
Growing
up Alyssa Taylor mainly went to schools in Brooklyn. The preschool she attended
was Helen Owen Carey. Next she attended P.S 321 The William Penn School, which
is in Park Slope. School for International Studies succeeded her previous
education at P.S 321. Alyssa Taylor’s next school that she would attend is the
Urban Assembly Institute of Math and Science for Women. As Alyssa makes her
transition from high school student to college bound scholar she will be
attending City College of New York in the fall. During her many years of
education Alyssa has always liked to learn new things and information about
topics. She states in the interview, “ I love to learn. I have a motto that’s
try everything once because you never know what you like until you experienced
it.”
As
our interview transitions to writing my next inquiry is about her most
memorable writing experience and she answers, “Am I suppose to remember that?” An unknown male figure laughs at Alyssa’s
remark as he walks past. Once the joke has died out Alyssa takes a dramatic
pause. She stops moving in her chair and with excitement in her eyes replies, “
Oh my gosh, my college essay. Not even that, the speech I made for Publicolor
is my college essay.” She goes into
detail about how the people at Publicolor made her rewrite her speech
approximately fifteen times before submitting a final draft. While retelling
the story she moves her hands dramatically and frequently emphasis the number
of times she rewrites her speech- fifteen is really the exact number. At the sound of it I had to ask her if she
really counted the number of times she rewrote her speech. However my question
was ignored and she continues to talk about the events revolving around her
Publicolor presentation.
In
both writings she discusses how she was set apart from the rest of the people
in her school: “I was a lonely kid. I went to a school where you had to be a
follower to fit in. People didn’t like me because I didn’t want to be a
follower.” This excerpt came from Taylor’s speech and I was surprised at how
her life was before I met her. On the outside I saw Alyssa as a superwoman who
could anything; how could she possibly be a pariah if she was so
indestructible? After a hectic process of editing and rewriting a speech that
turned into an essay Alyssa was denied admission into many of the colleges she
applied to.
Publicolor
is Alyssa’s pride and joy. Before entering the program she was an outcast and
now she is a better person with the help of Publicolor. The organization paints
schools in every borough to promote education in communities. Additionally the
organization helped improve the relationship Alyssa had with her mother. In her
college essay she states, “ My mom and I have a difficult relationship...My
experiences with Publicolor helped me step outside of the problems with my
mother.” Not only does Publicolor help to improve the education system in New
York, it also repairs relationship for people too. If Alyssa did not join
Publicolor her relationship with her mother would’ve remained complicated, but
now it Alyssa and her mother are able to work out their own situations.
Although,
Alyssa’s favorite subjects are math and science she enjoys reading. Her
response to what she prefers to read is everything. If anybody recommends
something to her she reads it. Taylor’s all time favorite readings is the Divergent
series by Veronica Roth. In her opinion the series is better than another
popular series called the Hunger Games because it has more action.
Many
people may have different reasons as to why they want to go to college and
pursue what they want to do. Alyssa Taylor’s motivation to go to college comes
from her brother and sister who did not attend college. She says that her
sister did not graduate from high school, but eventually got her GED and her
brother struggled in high school.
“Seeing them struggle and living with my mom motivated me to go to
college so that I wouldn’t have to struggle.”
As
the interview comes to a close my last question to Alyssa is where does she see
herself in four years. Her response is very detailed and meaningful. She knows
that in four years her life is not going to be revolve around sitting behind a
desk at 9-5 job wearing “uptight suits” and “typing my life away.” Alyssa’s
perception of herself is wearing comfortable clothing and being active with her
hands. If someone told her to design a product she would want to have the
ability to create the product how she wants it to be. Hence why she wants to
pursue a career in mechanical engineer.
Alyssa
Taylor is not your ordinary girl. Her lifestyle is adventurous and her
appearance shows that she is a strong, independent woman who doesn’t give up.
Waking up at 3:00 A.M, juggling two jobs and a writing program exemplifies her
hunger for success and her desire to be opposite from her older
siblings.Rewriting a speech and turning it into and essay shows that Alyssa is
the is ambitious and gets the job done
no matter how many times she has to revise something. Although Alyssa writing
may not be her favorite thing to do, her passion is for math, Publicolor and
basketball. After conducting our interview she sends me a picture with a
caption that sums up everything that is important to her in her life:
This
right here is me. All of me. Everything here is something I had to work for
[and] it's what I believe in. My two blue shirts: My Jersey represents my
blood, sweat and tears not only on the court but in life, sometimes things get
rough but you gotta fight through it no matter what. My Publicolor shirt
represents my colorful side, it may be clean now but when you get ready and
life throws different colors at you, you must use them to create something beautiful. My
tools: the brush is a symbol of how I create. The calculator is a symbol of my
greatest passion which is math. The pouch is my storage mentally, physically
and emotionally it may be small but it holds a lot. The ball which is my heart,
soul and brain, without it I'd be nothing. Last but not least is Violet, the
pillow pet. I've only had her about a year but she is always by my side when I
need her [plus] she's purple. Some say materials define our generation, but
they don't. These guys just help me understand who I want to be.John's Peer Profile of Carmen
Learning a new language is a difficult
task for most. It takes dedication, time and practice. Often people trying to
learn a new language will find someone to help them learn the new language like
a parent or teacher or friend. Carmen was no different. Coming to the US at the
age of six knowing very little English, she found the person that would give
her a hand in accomplishing this task.
It
all began one unforgettable day, when Carmen was six entering the second grade.
She walked into this unfamiliar building in which she had no telling of what
would happen, how she would be received, how many friends she would make or
what she would learn. It was P.S. 69 in Brooklyn. Carmen remembered that day as
a sunny day, walking through the blue and yellow hallways. Carmen felt “lost”,
she approached the room when soon she would learn her new language. Here is
where a new Hero would be born. Teaching her English was just part of the
impact that her teacher, Ms. Tidona, would have on her.
Carmen
describes Ms. Tidona as someone who wouldn’t allow her to give up and went the
extra mile to help her. Carmen remembers her paying individual attention to her
and making sure she understood the material. Ms. Tidona was unlike her previous
first grade teacher, who ignored her and didn’t spend the extra time needed for
Carmen to be able to learn the material. One time after a well done homework
assignment, Ms. Tidona put a sticker in the homework assignment saying “I did
it” and made Carmen pronounce it word by word.
Not
only would Ms. Tidona be remembered for her perseverance on Carmen but also for
sticking up for her. One day after a medical issue in which one of her eyes had
to be patched, a classmate asked, “why do you have an eye patch?” Carmen
started to cry. Ms. Tidona asked her what had happened and simply made the following
announcement. “Nobody make fun of Carmen.” It worked very well because Carmen
didn't have to answer another question about her eye. Ms. Tidona didn’t know
that she was influencing Carmen into becoming a teacher.
Wanting
to test the waters, Carmen volunteered to tutor first graders. She describes it
as a key factor in deciding what her major was going to be. Describing the
students as “hard to handle”, Carmen blamed herself for this because she was
not authoritative enough with the kids. Who most times would ignore her when
ask to do their assignments and work. It most have been difficult handling
10-15 students alone while all they wanted to do was go home and not do their
homework. At that age kids just want to play. This left an unsatisfactory taste
in Carmen`s mouth about teaching, although teaching high school students can
still be a possibility, but when asked if she ever wanted to try teaching high
school kids, she responded, “No” and she stated that she would have to deal
with bigger problems like laziness and absences. This left Carmen opened for
more career suggestions.
In
the 6th grade, Carmen was put in an ESL class and rapidly showed her abilities
by transferring out of the class within a week. In the 8th grade
Carmen was able to move into the Honors class at her School. This opened a great
deal of opportunities for Carmen because she could now set herself up for a
better high school experience. Most middle schools in New York offer the
opportunity to take regents for their 8th grade honor students. This
would allow the student to be able to take advanced classes, register for classes
they would like to take, or leave school early. Carmen took advantage of this
opportunity and took the Spanish, biology, and government regents. This allowed
her to take more challenging classes in high school.
For
Carmen middle school wasn’t just three years to prepare for high school, it was
when she was reoborn. Carmen`s original name was Jia Wen Tang, which in
pronunciation sounds like Carmen. This was when Carmen took on a new role and
became more confident. Since now her name was easier to say she was able to
make more friends and be more social.
High
school is viewed as the transition towards adulthood. In high school students
carry a greater workload because is viewed as preparation for High School.
Advanced placement classes are considered the stepping stones from high school
to college. Carmen took AP Chemistry sophomore year and AP Psychology senior
year of high school. Having difficulties
in her Chemistry prepared her for college because she could sample the
workload. Chemistry being the hardest class in all of high school, it is often
avoided by students. But Carmen not being one of these students took it upon
herself to take this difficult class. Carmen shows a great amount of confidence
and courage. which was passed on from Ms. Tidona.
It
is hard for someone to find a figure to admire at a very young age, but Carmen
did. Not only did Ms. Tidona help Carmen learn English, but she helped develop
a smart, friendly and dedicated girl who now has the confidence to smile and
participate in class. Her English has not only improved but has risen to a
college level. Carmen treats others with the same amount of respect she wants
to be given. Ms. Tidona still teaches at P.S. 69 in Brooklyn, many students
later, many heroics later she probably doesn’t remember Carmen but her
influence is all Carmen needs to know who she was and know where she began. Carmen
now attends the City College of New York on her way toward accomplishing great
things and who knows maybe teaching is still in the plans.
Jarin's Peer Profile of Kate
Kate
is from Georgia, not the state, but the
country. Georgia is a small country in between Russia and Turkey or in the
Caucasus region at the border of Europe and Asia. Kate speaks Georgian, her
first language, and a little Russian and English. She moved to the U.S. searching for better opportunities and education. When
she came, she started high school as a freshman.
The
transition from Georgia to the United States and studying here was difficult
for Kate. She had a rough time understanding English from her native tongue,
and adjusting to the social life. Back in Georgia, she was a very outgoing
person. She didn’t have trouble interacting with others, but coming to the United
States made her shy. She believed that people would judge her because of her
imperfect English so she gave up on making conversation.
Instead
of trying to communicate, she started reading more books. In Georgia she didn’t
read many books, but after coming to the U.S., she read more often. Her love
for books grew. Rather than going to the cafeteria for lunch, she went to the
school library to catch up on her reading. When she first started reading the
English language, she mentioned how confusing it was. Gradually, she started to
understand and that helped her improve her English. Her favorite genre is
fiction because it intrigues her. Kate feels comfortable reading printed books
contrary to them as an e-book. The feeling of actually turning the pages is
very soothing to her. She acknowledges her favorite book as "The
Graceling" by Kristin Cashore. Kate considers this book to be an all
time favorite. Firstly, she admires the protagonist, Lady Katsa, because of the
character’s strong personality, and determination of staying alive. Secondly,
since she can relate to the main character's struggles. She believes that both
of them have gone through obstacles and hardships. Kate’s affection towards
reading has brought her to improve her English, and provoked a desire for
writing.
Kate
wants to begin writing her own stories. Whenever a plot idea pops up in her
mind, she quickly writes it down somewhere. Kate says she started to write a
fictional story, but couldn't finish it. I asked how it was going so far and
she replied, "Not good, I gave up on it. I was like, I'm not doing this.”
Her motivation diminished due to not knowing how to put her ideas together. In
Georgia, Kate only learned a few words in English. Kate said, “When I wrote in
Georgian, I Romanized the language.” For the last four years, Kate has been
writing in English instead of Georgian. She’s trying to get used to the English
language.
By
Kate’s senior year of high school, Kate’s English had greatly improved and she
overcame her bashfulness. That year, she was assigned to do a group project
with some classmates. She noticed how they didn’t approach the project nor
speak up. Kate had to individually go to the others’ table to get them to work.
She felt that she did most of the project because the others didn’t want to
present or participate. She saw herself in her group members. She then realized
she had changed from that introvert person she was freshman year. She had now
found the “Georgian Kate” she once was.
The
normal family expectations had left Kate with the only option of going to
College. Kate is now attending City College of New York for her undergrad. She
was uncertain about what she would study in college. At first her interest was
toward Political Science but that eventually faded into skepticism. With that
being said she was undecided. She desires to learn what she is intrigued by
most. However, Kate doesn't know what that is yet. In 4 years, after completing
her BA, she envisions herself going for a graduate degree and in the meantime
having a job that associates with her
degree. Kate basically sees herself studying and working side by side. If you
look at Kate now, she does not have anything in common with the girl she was
when she first came to the United States. Today, she is like the girl she used
to be back in Georgia. She is very cheerful and friendly. You can always
witness a smile on her face. Hopefully, Kate
Tsankashvili earns what she came to achieve, the “American Dream”.
Kate (right) with her friend (left).
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