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Gabriella Ilardi, Freshman Representative 2019-2020
Gabriella Ilardi, Freshman Representative 2019-2020
INITAL LETTER
The summer before freshman year was the most stressed I had ever been in my short teenage life. It all started with the overwhelming email about the 100 tasks to do this year as a leadership class, which definitely scared me a bit. Coming in brand-new to this program as a freshman, I only knew about half of the events listed in the email, and most of the stuff we had to plan and organize was left for use to do on our own, as a team of freshman representatives. After the email, all I could think about was Core Camp. The mixed emotions I felt for the four days in Santa Cruz with my leadership class frightened me, but also made me more excited for high school. This experience turned about to be the best de-stresser for all my freshman worries. I made new friends with people in my class; talked to them about my fears and truly got to know some of them. The bond created at Core Camp with my classmates definitely helped me branch out once the year started and make more bonds, and definitely helped our class learn new team working skills for the upcoming school year. Once Core Camp was over, a mound of stress was lifted off my back, and I was ready for the madness to start. The first week of leadership was overall confusing, the returning veterans all had certain “lingo” that the had learned from being in this class for 4 years, and I just felt like I had missed a lot of information. However, as school started that seemed to be a common issue for freshmen, which makes sense considering the jump from eighth grade to high school. That issue will change over time and I know that this class will help me adjust to the goods and bads of high school. So, my expectation from this year is to obtain greater knowledge on leadership skills, like organization, time management, and public speaking. But, I also expect to make genuine connections with the people wonder me in my class as well as the nervous freshman around me. With these expectations, I go to class everyday with my mindset to find my wave, and ride it.
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FAVORITE QUOTES
“There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out.”- Russian Proverb
I like to come back to this quote/proverb a lot because I when I feel uncomfortable or
nervous, I tend to get quiet and want to hind my ideas deep inside my soul, locking them up so
no one can hear them. This quote/proverb is one of my favorites because it reminds of my bad
habits, and how I should fix and deal with them. When I get nervous and start to lose
confidence, I remind myself that if I am afraid to speak up and I don’t, then ill be in an even
worse position than I was when I started.
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.”- Bil Keane
This quote is one I try to live by, considering I look at a painting of the quote everyday in
my bathroom when I wake up. I think that it is a good reminder to start your day off with a
positive mentality that today is a blessing and a gift that you should be thankful for. It also
reminds you to forget about the past and not let your past mistakes in life hold you back. Finally,
it tells you that “tomorrow is a mystery,” meaning that you should not be so focused on planning
you tomorrow because no matter how much you plan it, you still can’t control what happens in
life, especially the next day.
“The most important shot in golf is the next one.”- Ben Hogan
I like to remember this quote when I’m struggling in golf or having a tough day, but I
also think it relates to life in general. As you are going through life you don’t think about every
past mistake you’ve made and let it define how much credit you give yourself. Just like in golf,
in order to play a good game, you can not carry all your bad shots with you or overreact when
you hit a bad shot because that will affect your future shots and score. This quote overall
reminds me to always have a positive attitude and not let you negativity get in the way of your
work, causing you to become distracted.
I like to come back to this quote/proverb a lot because I when I feel uncomfortable or
nervous, I tend to get quiet and want to hind my ideas deep inside my soul, locking them up so
no one can hear them. This quote/proverb is one of my favorites because it reminds of my bad
habits, and how I should fix and deal with them. When I get nervous and start to lose
confidence, I remind myself that if I am afraid to speak up and I don’t, then ill be in an even
worse position than I was when I started.
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.”- Bil Keane
This quote is one I try to live by, considering I look at a painting of the quote everyday in
my bathroom when I wake up. I think that it is a good reminder to start your day off with a
positive mentality that today is a blessing and a gift that you should be thankful for. It also
reminds you to forget about the past and not let your past mistakes in life hold you back. Finally,
it tells you that “tomorrow is a mystery,” meaning that you should not be so focused on planning
you tomorrow because no matter how much you plan it, you still can’t control what happens in
life, especially the next day.
“The most important shot in golf is the next one.”- Ben Hogan
I like to remember this quote when I’m struggling in golf or having a tough day, but I
also think it relates to life in general. As you are going through life you don’t think about every
past mistake you’ve made and let it define how much credit you give yourself. Just like in golf,
in order to play a good game, you can not carry all your bad shots with you or overreact when
you hit a bad shot because that will affect your future shots and score. This quote overall
reminds me to always have a positive attitude and not let you negativity get in the way of your
work, causing you to become distracted.
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QUOTE II
With the leadership program being completely new to me this year, I quickly learned how things worked right off the bat and adapted to this fast paced style of work. As a freshman representative, I did not know how to fill out any of the paperwork required to plan events, and I was oblivious to how much time was needed to actually plan an event. However, after learning from my mistakes made in the beginning of the year, I now feel that the quote “Do not wait for things to happen- make them happen,” represents myself as a leader and my contribution to this program. With eight freshmen reps all doing the same position, the workload from everyone varied and one person tended to take care of everything. This issue led me to create the mindset where I can not always rely on one person to take the workload off of my shoulders, and I need to act on things first and make them happen. This quote is important because especially in the leadership world, people are constantly relying on you to set a good example and lead them so you can wait around for someone to do your work for you. Future leadership students can look at this quote and learn from it right away, instead of waiting a few months, making mistakes, and then learn from them like I did. However, now this sentence of words stays with me, and I tell myself of it everyday so I remember to make that first move, create my own path, and just overall make things happen.
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GOALS
As a freshman, I have many aspirations or goals for this year in a new environment and atmosphere. In my leadership class specifically, my main goal, which revolves much around our core principles we learned at Core Camp, is to get to know about everyone in my class rather than just knowing of them. Making genuine connections with people allows you to bond with new people as well as get your job done. Without knowing every person’s job requirements and responsibilities, you would not know who to ask for help for certain events or knowledge for assignments. Other than the job aspect of it, making genuine connections with people also can brighten their day. Asking them questions deeper than, “how was your day,” or “how are you” makes them feel better and sooner enough you are someone they can trust and come to during adversity. Another goal I have for this class, is to branch out of my comfort zone, share my ideas with my fellow freshman representatives as well as my other classmates. Being new to this class, speaking up and taking initiative makes a good first impression to my classmates and Morty, while it also gives me more confidence for the rest of the year.
My long term and short term goals have changed throughout the years, but now as I’ve grown I hope to carry the goals have created now into my future and turn them into my reality. For short term, I want to learn how to study more efficiently, organize my classwork neater, and manage my time better with my extremely busy schedule. Throughout freshman I want to gain these skills and strategies so I can carry them through highschool and then college. It is hard to juggle leadership, band, and honors and AP classes reaching these goals will help me succeed.
For my long term goals, I take one of them very seriously, and I am hoping that as I said earlier, it will be come my future reality. One long term goal that I usually forget about and seem to discount a lot, is to love myself, and when I say love myself, I truly mean it. I want to be confident in my body and not be afraid of what people think of me. The only opinion that should matter is my own positive one, not all the other judgmental peoples’ in the world. Once I step out of my comfort zone, I believe this goal is achievable. Now my all time favorite and biggest goal I have in life- to play on the LPGA Tour. On the smaller side of that, I want to play golf in college on a scholarship, hopefully full ride, at a school where I want to go or at least the environment I want to be in. I’ve gone back and forth from this goal the past two years now, but since last summer, it has been on my mind, and I really want to focus on this sport as much as I can, for as long as I can.
My long term and short term goals have changed throughout the years, but now as I’ve grown I hope to carry the goals have created now into my future and turn them into my reality. For short term, I want to learn how to study more efficiently, organize my classwork neater, and manage my time better with my extremely busy schedule. Throughout freshman I want to gain these skills and strategies so I can carry them through highschool and then college. It is hard to juggle leadership, band, and honors and AP classes reaching these goals will help me succeed.
For my long term goals, I take one of them very seriously, and I am hoping that as I said earlier, it will be come my future reality. One long term goal that I usually forget about and seem to discount a lot, is to love myself, and when I say love myself, I truly mean it. I want to be confident in my body and not be afraid of what people think of me. The only opinion that should matter is my own positive one, not all the other judgmental peoples’ in the world. Once I step out of my comfort zone, I believe this goal is achievable. Now my all time favorite and biggest goal I have in life- to play on the LPGA Tour. On the smaller side of that, I want to play golf in college on a scholarship, hopefully full ride, at a school where I want to go or at least the environment I want to be in. I’ve gone back and forth from this goal the past two years now, but since last summer, it has been on my mind, and I really want to focus on this sport as much as I can, for as long as I can.
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GOALS II
Get to know about everyone in my class rather than just knowing of them
Coming into leadership this year being a freshman representative, this class was a completely new atmosphere for me, as well as highschool itself; so I was unfamiliar with a lot of people. I made this goal since I had only known a few people in the class on a personal level, such as the freshmen reps and the seniors because of my brother. As the year went on, I started to get to know more people in the class through the activities we did, especially the ones that involved breaking into groups. While working with the new class I discovered bonds that I didn’t realize I had with people because I had never really worked with them before. Now, I have some of my closest friends in this class, from all grade levels.
Branch out of my comfort zone
From the beginning of the year to now, I have tried my best to do things that I wouldn’t have typically been comfortable with, however I still think I have a lot more branching out to do. I have tried my best to go all out for spirit weeks and speak in classrooms by asking questions or giving speeches, but I find myself still tending to care about what other people think. When in reality, the only opinion that matters is my own.
Learn how to study more efficiently, organize my classwork neater, and manage my time better with my extremely busy schedule
The jump from middle school to high school felt like a huge culture shock, when travelling to a different country. With the seven period schedule and extra curriculars, I found myself extremely busy and stressed. I now have two binders, one for leadership and one for my other classes so I can separate my leadership events from my school work. I have also gone into lunch study sessions for APHG to get some study tips and extra help with this class since I was struggling at first.
To love myself
I came into highschool so worried about other people’s opinions and approval, while I also struggled with trying my best to fit in with the “cool” kids. I quickly learned that I had my own friends, true friends, and did not need to fit into this crowd to just seem “cool” to my peers. This realization led to less drama which allowed for me to focus more on myself and confidence levels. I now feel very confidence in myself both physically and mentally, but I still have my setbacks sometimes.
Play on the LPGA Tour
This goal is still multiple years away, but from golf season to now I have continued to work on my golf game. I have practiced after school and played on weekends, working as much as I can to get ready for my upcoming tournaments. During the summer, I plan to play in multiple tournaments which will prepare me for highschool season next year. This will help me reach my goal of playing on the LPGA Tour, by giving myself opportunities for colleges to look at me.
Coming into leadership this year being a freshman representative, this class was a completely new atmosphere for me, as well as highschool itself; so I was unfamiliar with a lot of people. I made this goal since I had only known a few people in the class on a personal level, such as the freshmen reps and the seniors because of my brother. As the year went on, I started to get to know more people in the class through the activities we did, especially the ones that involved breaking into groups. While working with the new class I discovered bonds that I didn’t realize I had with people because I had never really worked with them before. Now, I have some of my closest friends in this class, from all grade levels.
Branch out of my comfort zone
From the beginning of the year to now, I have tried my best to do things that I wouldn’t have typically been comfortable with, however I still think I have a lot more branching out to do. I have tried my best to go all out for spirit weeks and speak in classrooms by asking questions or giving speeches, but I find myself still tending to care about what other people think. When in reality, the only opinion that matters is my own.
Learn how to study more efficiently, organize my classwork neater, and manage my time better with my extremely busy schedule
The jump from middle school to high school felt like a huge culture shock, when travelling to a different country. With the seven period schedule and extra curriculars, I found myself extremely busy and stressed. I now have two binders, one for leadership and one for my other classes so I can separate my leadership events from my school work. I have also gone into lunch study sessions for APHG to get some study tips and extra help with this class since I was struggling at first.
To love myself
I came into highschool so worried about other people’s opinions and approval, while I also struggled with trying my best to fit in with the “cool” kids. I quickly learned that I had my own friends, true friends, and did not need to fit into this crowd to just seem “cool” to my peers. This realization led to less drama which allowed for me to focus more on myself and confidence levels. I now feel very confidence in myself both physically and mentally, but I still have my setbacks sometimes.
Play on the LPGA Tour
This goal is still multiple years away, but from golf season to now I have continued to work on my golf game. I have practiced after school and played on weekends, working as much as I can to get ready for my upcoming tournaments. During the summer, I plan to play in multiple tournaments which will prepare me for highschool season next year. This will help me reach my goal of playing on the LPGA Tour, by giving myself opportunities for colleges to look at me.
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PEOPLE MAGAZINE COVER
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PEOPLE MAGAZINE ARTICLE
Gabriella Ilardi, was a two sport student athlete who kept herself busy throughout her highschool years at Ripon High in Ripon, California. From leadership to band, along with her sports golf and soccer, she built up her skills in these four areas to carry on with her as she attended the University of California, Los Angeles, on a full-ride scholarship for women’s golf. At UCLA she focused on her golf game, while keeping up with she studies in microbiology. She always had an interest to preserve a career as a microbiologist, helping find superbugs and studying new bacterias, but that was a back up plan in her eyes. As much as she wanted to help make the world a cleaner and safer place, she couldn’t give up her day-one dream for a new interest she had just recently discovered a few years ago. The true future that she had pictured since the beginning of junior high was to play on the LPGA tour for most of her lifetime, and ladies and gentlemen, that is what she did.
The young girl with a small aspiration growing inside her worked almost everyday towards her goal until finally she improved; so much that all the hard work she put in paid her off with a full-ride scholarship to one of the top D1 women’s golf programs in the state of California. In this program, Gabriella helped her team take home the NCAA championship title back to back years, juniors and seniors, in addition to her winning the individual title senior year of college. After playing in a series of pro amateur events, she was ranked number 1 on the list of World Amateur Golf Rankings for women about three years after she graduated college. During her process of becoming pro, Gabriella didn’t have that much down time to use for herself and think about one of the other highly valued parts of her future, starting a family. It wasn’t until multiple years after playing on the tour that she had time for children. Gabriella got married after winning the Women’s US Open at Pebble Beach in 2027 and has been with her husband since then. After a few more years on the tour, she took a break for herself and her family. She later had 2 beautiful children, one daughter and one son, who she cherished with all her love and affection. Gabriella’s husband also enjoyed golf which is what they passed down and taught their children from the beginning of time. Her kids grew up in the atmosphere of golf 24/7, but she also exposed them to other hobbies as well. Allowing children to discover which hobbies that they enjoyed the most was important to her because as much as she wanted her little daughter to follow in her mom’s footsteps, Gabriella want to force anything that was not enjoyable. Taking a break from the tour made her realize how much stress she took in everytime she played in a big event like the Open, because now that she wasn’t playing in these big tournament regularly, she felt more relaxed.
Gabriella grew up in very interconnected community, and now after living in the big city of LA for half of her life, she missed her hometown roots and decided to retire in Ripon, California. She raised her kids in this town, and now plays golf at her country club, Spring Creek, that she grew up playing at. Gabriella helps teach juniors with her coach that spent endless hours with her teaching the juniors at their club. Gabriella believes education of the minors, because the best age to start anything you want to be really good at is by starting young, like her. She wants to thank everyone that supported her along the way throughout her journey, especially her coach. Through thick and thin, Shelly O'keeffe was there for her, and she still is. Now Gabriella is helping Shelley teach her classes as a thank you for all of the work and time Shelley put towards her.
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ROLE MODEL
Someone that I admire and has had a major impact on my life is my golf coach, Shelley O’Keefe. She has been coaching me for the past 5 years now, and I am so grateful to have her. I know that I can always count on her for advice whether its about golf or not, she is always there for me. The lessons she has taught me during Sunday classes, will stay with me forever as I strive to reach my goal of playing golf at a D1 college. With this goal in mind, I count on her for help daily, and I know that she genuinely wants to help me. She wishes to best for her players and wants to help them reach their goals. Since I started playing in tournaments, she has not only hoped for my best every round, but that my understanding of them game has improved. Shelley is all about with mental part of them game of golf, and thinking ahead before taking action, for lack of better words- playing smart. This style of teaching has helped me succeed so much in this game, and my best rounds would not be the same without my strong mental game. Once again, I am thankful for the knowledge and compassion she has shown towards me over the past 5 years.
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INNER ANIMAL
The animal that describes my personality best is an owl. Owls are known to be wise, and I feel like I have a strong sense of morals, which I think is important regarding wisdom, or knowing what to do with information in situations. I also am a very independent person like owls are in the wild. I tend to do things on my own and only rely on myself. This trait is also one of my weaknesses because with me being so independent, I also tend to not know how to act in social situations and get uncomfortable. This is hard because I want to make new friends, but I am not comfortable with giving them my time and trust because I don’t know if they will be reliable enough to appreciate it. Despite my wise, independent side, I am still very enthusiastically curious. I like to learn about new things, and I am interested in new things when I see them in action. Without this curiosity my life would be boring, and less interesting. I believe that these characteristics relate to the ones of an owl, which is why I describe my inner animal as an owl.
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BEST THING ABOUT ME (pt 1)
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BEST THING ABOUT ME (pt 2)
Brave by Sara Bareilles
You can be amazing You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug You can be the outcast Or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love Or you can start speaking up Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do And they settle 'neath your skin Kept on the inside and no sunlight Sometimes a shadow wins But I wonder what would happen if you Say what you want to say And let the words fall out Honestly I wanna see you be brave With what you want to say And let the words fall out Honestly I wanna see you be brave I just wanna see you I just wanna see you I just wanna see you I wanna see you be brave I just wanna see you I just wanna see you I just wanna see you I wanna see you be brave Everybody's been there, everybody's been stared down By the enemy Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing Bow down to the mighty Don't run, stop holding your tongue |
Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in Show me how big your brave is Say what you want to say And let the words fall out Honestly I wanna see you be brave With what you want to say And let the words fall out Honestly I wanna see you be brave Innocence, your history of silence Won't do you any good Did you think it would? Let your words be anything but empty Why don't you tell them the truth? Say what you want to say And let the words fall out Honestly I wanna see you be brave With what you want to say And let the words fall out Honestly I wanna see you be brave I just wanna see you I just wanna see you I just wanna see you I wanna see you be brave I just wanna see you I just wanna see you I just wanna see you See you be brave I just wanna see you I just wanna see you I just wanna see you I just wanna see you I just wanna see you I just wanna see you |
My mom showed me this song around 2015, and it has been one of our favorite songs since then. Whenever something is going downhill for me or I’m not having the best day, I think of this song and its message. The idea of being brave and standing up for yourself is one of the key messages I try to live by. Sometimes I feel like my opinion gets shut out by other people, but in these moments I just think of this song and have confidence in myself. I strongly believe that everyone needs to be a little brave every once in awhile because without taking that stand, you’re letting yourself be overpowered by other people when you matter too. I struggled with the idea of being brave for a little while, and I think this song helped me get past this. It is all about confidence in yourself, and now that I have confidence that I am brave enough to be brave and not worry about what other people think.
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HOMECOMING PICTURES (pt 1)
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HOMECOMING PICTURES (pt 2)
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FAVORITE MEMORIES
Over the course of the year so far, I have made so many memories with my leadership family, and I look forward to making more everyday. When I think of some of the fondest memories I have made with this class, I think of some of the first ones. The journey started during the summer at Core Camp, where I was lucky met all of these wonderful human beings. My favorite memory from Core Camp was probably the last night spent with my class and our advisor, where we all shared our experience at Core Camp and what we were going to allow ourselves to do this upcoming school year. Bonding with all of these people and having giant heart to heart really helped me reach out for the last time before school started, and since then I have felt generally comfortable.
My second fondest memory I have with this leadership class was during homecoming week at the lip sync battle. This memory is mainly with the freshmen representatives. Even though the freshmen came into this with only a few days of preparation, I still think we pulled it off and had a really good performance. I had so much fun choreographing this dance with my fellow representatives, and then teaching it to the other freshmen in our class. Performing with my class made me realize all of the other moments I am going to be able to share with my class in the next four years of high school, and I can not wait to cherish all of these memories.
Finally, the last memory I have with this class that is one of my favorites was when we were all working together at the Tri-Tip fundraiser. With the whole leadership class crammed in the staff lounge working on assembling these dinner, I got to get to know a lot of the people in leadership I wasn’t close with. During the 4 hours of working, my class and I shared many conversations about our future and laugh at silly dad jokes, while putting together over 300 meals. Spending this time together as a family was fun and efficient.
My second fondest memory I have with this leadership class was during homecoming week at the lip sync battle. This memory is mainly with the freshmen representatives. Even though the freshmen came into this with only a few days of preparation, I still think we pulled it off and had a really good performance. I had so much fun choreographing this dance with my fellow representatives, and then teaching it to the other freshmen in our class. Performing with my class made me realize all of the other moments I am going to be able to share with my class in the next four years of high school, and I can not wait to cherish all of these memories.
Finally, the last memory I have with this class that is one of my favorites was when we were all working together at the Tri-Tip fundraiser. With the whole leadership class crammed in the staff lounge working on assembling these dinner, I got to get to know a lot of the people in leadership I wasn’t close with. During the 4 hours of working, my class and I shared many conversations about our future and laugh at silly dad jokes, while putting together over 300 meals. Spending this time together as a family was fun and efficient.
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PEER REFLECTION
One of the kindest, most warm-hearted people I know happens to be in my leadership class, and her name is Jaydin Kroutil. She is a freshman in highschool and is one of my best friends. She never goes unnoticed for her bubbly bright personality, and she is always striving to do her best, while helping people achieve the best possible version of themselves. There is never a moment where Jaydin is so sad that she lets it affect other people’s mood. She is so selfless that sometimes I forget to check up on her because she puts on a positive image no matter what. One specific time I remember when Jaydin was giving and loving was when she helped put together the dude be nice ceremony for her uncle, one of our school’s janitors, LJ. She worked extremely hard to help put this event together and make sure it was memorable for LJ. All of the little details she came up with definitely made the event more special for LJ, and on top of just the school recognizing him she got his son and other distant family to come support him. Seeing the smile on her face during this event made me realize not only how happy she was that his event came together, but that her uncle was genuinely happy too. Once again, Jaydin Kroutil is one of the most selfless people I know and in this moment, she was helping her uncle and overall making sure he felt as loved as he deserved. If you are reading this, I look up to your positive attitude and kind soul, and I strive to be like you everyday… I love you Jay!
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RHS PRIDE (pt 1)
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RHS PRIDE (pt 2)
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WHAT I LOVE TO DO (pt 1)
From sunrise to sunset, I wish to spend every hour of my day at the golf course. I am very passionate about this sport, and I do not know what I’d do without it in my life. The golf course is like my second home, and the people there are like my family. From the staff, to the members, to the other junior golfers at course, these people have had a major impact on my life, especially my coach, Shelley O’Keffe. She has taught me everything I know about this game, both physical and mental, and I would not be where I am today without her. This game has also brought me some of the greatest friendships in my life that I cherish with all my heart. I know that whenever I go down to the course one of my friends is going to be there, which makes me so happy that I get to enjoy the thing I love the most with the people I love the most. However, the main reason why I love this sport is because it pushes me to my limits. Whether I’m working on drills, fixing my swing, or playing out on the course I am constantly trying new things and testing my knowledge of the game. Golf is a individual sport so I can only relay on myself when I make a mistake, making me more aware of my own mistakes. I value this game because of all of these things, and it is a huge part of my life.
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LETTER TO MY PARENTS
Dear mom and dad,
You two are the most important people in my life. You have been there for me through thick and thin, and I know that may be considered your job as parents but you guys have done more than what is required. You have pushed me to be the best version of myself, raised me with strong morals (ones that I will hold myself accountable for the rest of my life), and supported me through it all. No matter what event it was, I knew I could count on you guys to be there because even if it meant you had to rearrange your busy schedules and sacrifice the time out of your day you would do that for me. The amount of love you guys have given me is unmeasurable, and I want to thank you for that. Not the kind of thank you I tell mom after she’s made dinner, but the kind of thank you, you say to some for making you into the person you are today. For sacrificing their time, money, and everything in between to be there for you whenever you needed them and even when you didn’t. I am extremely grateful to have you guys as my parents, and underneath the teenagers grudge against their parents, I truly love you guys. I know that sometimes it is hard for me to show it, and I apologize for that considering all you have done for me, you do not deserve my annoying attitude. I hope this letter explained how much love I feel for you guys, and I want you to know that I look up to you guys and hope to be half of the parents you are one day.
You two are the most important people in my life. You have been there for me through thick and thin, and I know that may be considered your job as parents but you guys have done more than what is required. You have pushed me to be the best version of myself, raised me with strong morals (ones that I will hold myself accountable for the rest of my life), and supported me through it all. No matter what event it was, I knew I could count on you guys to be there because even if it meant you had to rearrange your busy schedules and sacrifice the time out of your day you would do that for me. The amount of love you guys have given me is unmeasurable, and I want to thank you for that. Not the kind of thank you I tell mom after she’s made dinner, but the kind of thank you, you say to some for making you into the person you are today. For sacrificing their time, money, and everything in between to be there for you whenever you needed them and even when you didn’t. I am extremely grateful to have you guys as my parents, and underneath the teenagers grudge against their parents, I truly love you guys. I know that sometimes it is hard for me to show it, and I apologize for that considering all you have done for me, you do not deserve my annoying attitude. I hope this letter explained how much love I feel for you guys, and I want you to know that I look up to you guys and hope to be half of the parents you are one day.
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YOUR TRUE LEGACY
Dear freshman representative,
Congratulations on making it into the program! I hope you are excited as your first year in this program is all about discovery. Your main responsibilities as a freshman representative include being a role model for your freshmen class and organizing class fundraisers such as T-shirt sales, the Halloween Dance, Match-o-Matics, and the Student-Staff Basketball Game. On top of these fundraisers, you and your fellow reps are in charge of your class decorations for Homecoming and Winterfest. To start off the year you will jump right into T-shirt sales so make sure you are prepared. The paperwork that comes along with fundraisers and events will probably overwhelm you at first but, just take it one step at a time and don’t forget to ask questions. Every event you do will most likely require a Procedure Form, Cashbox Request Form, and Purchase Order (PO). Procedure Forms will be filled out through the process and planning of the event. Cashbox forms will be filled out when in need of a cash box for fundraisers and then sent to the schools bookkeeper Mrs. Green. And finally, Purchase Orders will be filled out for events that need decorations or any other supplies to be “purchased”, these will also be turned in to Mrs. Green. When selling T-shirts at Pow Wow make sure to keep a master list, a paper one tends to be more effective, as last year we used google forms and it lost some of our sales. Moving onto the biggest fundraiser you plan all year, the Halloween Dance. This one is extremely important so do not discount the time it takes to plan this event. You will need to purchase decorations, book a DJ, get teacher/staff chaperones. Make sure that you meet with your class advisor at least 3-4 weeks prior to this event so you can figure out your gym decorations and book a DJ in time because they tend to fill up very quickly (we go through the company Sounds in Motion). We sold tickets at $5 with asb, $7 without asb, and $10 at the door. For Match-O-Matics, make sure you sell the surveys for at least $2 or you will NOT make a profit!! This year we did not get to have our Student Staff Basketball game because of Corona, but for what we already learned in the time we did work on it is to plan this one 1 or 2 months ahead of time because after Match-o-Matics your workload is very minimal and this is your last big event. As far as Homecoming and Winterfest go, try to get your class involved as much as you can because that is another part of your job. Most freshmen are too scared to have fun and participate at rallies or dress-up days so show them that it is okay to be SPIRITED! Don’t discount gym decorations at rallies because those can really boost your points since freshmen tend to finish last in everything ;((. To conclude, remember to be a good role model to your class, have spirit, manage your time when planning events, advertise your events (key thing), and most importantly have fun. Leadership is a great way to meet new people and get involved in the school, so enjoy your time in the program and don’t stress too much.
Congratulations on making it into the program! I hope you are excited as your first year in this program is all about discovery. Your main responsibilities as a freshman representative include being a role model for your freshmen class and organizing class fundraisers such as T-shirt sales, the Halloween Dance, Match-o-Matics, and the Student-Staff Basketball Game. On top of these fundraisers, you and your fellow reps are in charge of your class decorations for Homecoming and Winterfest. To start off the year you will jump right into T-shirt sales so make sure you are prepared. The paperwork that comes along with fundraisers and events will probably overwhelm you at first but, just take it one step at a time and don’t forget to ask questions. Every event you do will most likely require a Procedure Form, Cashbox Request Form, and Purchase Order (PO). Procedure Forms will be filled out through the process and planning of the event. Cashbox forms will be filled out when in need of a cash box for fundraisers and then sent to the schools bookkeeper Mrs. Green. And finally, Purchase Orders will be filled out for events that need decorations or any other supplies to be “purchased”, these will also be turned in to Mrs. Green. When selling T-shirts at Pow Wow make sure to keep a master list, a paper one tends to be more effective, as last year we used google forms and it lost some of our sales. Moving onto the biggest fundraiser you plan all year, the Halloween Dance. This one is extremely important so do not discount the time it takes to plan this event. You will need to purchase decorations, book a DJ, get teacher/staff chaperones. Make sure that you meet with your class advisor at least 3-4 weeks prior to this event so you can figure out your gym decorations and book a DJ in time because they tend to fill up very quickly (we go through the company Sounds in Motion). We sold tickets at $5 with asb, $7 without asb, and $10 at the door. For Match-O-Matics, make sure you sell the surveys for at least $2 or you will NOT make a profit!! This year we did not get to have our Student Staff Basketball game because of Corona, but for what we already learned in the time we did work on it is to plan this one 1 or 2 months ahead of time because after Match-o-Matics your workload is very minimal and this is your last big event. As far as Homecoming and Winterfest go, try to get your class involved as much as you can because that is another part of your job. Most freshmen are too scared to have fun and participate at rallies or dress-up days so show them that it is okay to be SPIRITED! Don’t discount gym decorations at rallies because those can really boost your points since freshmen tend to finish last in everything ;((. To conclude, remember to be a good role model to your class, have spirit, manage your time when planning events, advertise your events (key thing), and most importantly have fun. Leadership is a great way to meet new people and get involved in the school, so enjoy your time in the program and don’t stress too much.
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DO'S AND DONT'S LIST
DO: Communicate effectively with all representatives- make sure everyone is on the same page regarding the events.
DO: Dress professionally for required events- ASB meetings, speeches, and Mock interviews. DO: Meet with your class advisor at least 3 weeks prior to the actual date of the event itself- MANAGE YOUR TIME WELL! DO: Complete Procedure Forms before/during the event instead of after and make sure they are neat and full of information. DO: Make sure to take into account the time an order takes to deliver when turning in Purchase Orders for an event. DO: Delegate jobs to every representative and make sure work is being done by everyone. DO: Ask for help from your fellow classmates- you are freshmen so it is ok to not know how to do something (paperwork, event planning, etc.) |
DON’T: Waste your class period time spent on electronic devices or other class’s homework, especially on Work days.
DON’T: Take apart your homecoming float after the parade- it is displayed later that night at the football game! DON’T: Stress over little details, especially decorations- there are bigger events to focus on then how colorful a poster is. DON’T: Sit by your freshmen reps everyday in class, branch out and sit by other people in the class- they dont bite! DON’T: Forgot to connect with your class freshmen advisor during events- they will help you plan and give advice. DON’T: Disregard due dates or forget to advertise your events- class participation and involvement is key. |
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THE CONTACT LIST
- Fortress Software Inc (matchomatics survey)
- 1-800-665-0396
- [email protected]
- https://matchomatics.com/index.php
- Chis Cavazos (DJ)
- (209) 480-2726
- Mrs. Mortensen (advisor)
- (209) 541-6907
- [email protected]
- Loren Johson (custodian)
- (209)996-6780
- [email protected]
- 301 N Acacia Ave, Ripon, CA 95366
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THE PROFESSIONAL
Being a professional is defined by being related to or connected with a profession, in other words having a job. However, being a professional in leadership is a completely different definition. Time management, good communication, dependability, a strong work ethic, and finally a positive attitude, are all things a professional leader has. Throughout the year, we have worked on our skills regarding each of these topics. Out of these topics, I personally think that time management and communication are very important. The leadership world is fast paced and hardcore. There are no late assignments or redo’s, there is only now. The events we organize in this program include huge spirit weeks, such as homecoming and winterfest, where we have multiple smaller events going on as well, such as rallies and parades. Time-management is key in these situations considering you are organizing multiple events at the same time. You have to set check dates to make sure everything is under control before your due date comes, because it will come before you know it. When you are organizing multiple events like this, it is easy to get side tracked which is why you have to manage your time to focus on things that need to get done. In the leadership world, you are also constantly working with other people. Whether you are working one on one or in a big group, there needs to be effective communication between everyone. When everyone is not on the same page people, plans get ruined and people get angry. It is also important to have good communication because when an event that requires a DJ or any outside company, you must be in contact with them at all times. They need to not only know what time the event starts but when they are allowed to come set up. You can not have your DJ show up to a dance 30 minutes late. Without either of these topics your process in becoming a professional leader will fail, considering both of these are strongly required. It would be extremely hard to plan events and complete projects, good communication and time management.
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CHANGE
This year has been quite a roller coaster ride for me. As a freshman transitioning from junior high to highschool, I experienced many new things in all of my classes and during events. In leadership class specifically, I gained new leadership skills as I learned what it truly meant to be a leader. I think that I have grown some much from the beginning of the year, however I know there's still a lot of room for growth. At the beginning of the year, us freshmen representatives struggled with planning events and were completely lost. There was so much paperwork required to plan events that we were unfamiliar with such as facility forms, PO’s, procedure forms, and cashbox forms. At this time in leadership, I felt very frustrated as we came into this new program and no one really reached out right away to help us. It wasn’t until our first two events, t-shirt sales and homecoming, that we got the true help and information needed, which was partly our fault because of poor time-management and lack of event preparation. This problem was specifically within the freshmen representatives, however we were experiencing a completely new environment and we felt lost and alone. So for next year's class, a change would be to help the freshmen representatives adapt to this new environment by checking up on them instead of waiting for them to ask you questions because from experience they do not know what questions to ask. It would also be helpful to introduce them to their class advisor right away so they know who they can ask questions to specifically. This also gives these newbies another friendly face in the class considering their will most likely not know that many people. With clearer communication, everything runs smoother, and all these reps need is a little nude to get into the swing of things.
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IDEAL LEADER
Integrity, empathy, compassion, decisiveness, courage, and vulnerability- These are all characteristics that come to my mind when I think of an Ideal Leader; someone who is strong, not physically but mentaly and has a purpose, a source for their determination. An Ideal Leader lives by their own rules and sets a good example for their peers and colleagues. They demonstrate good character by using all of these characteristics on a day to day basis, including many more, such as creativity, confidence, and honesty. In our leadership class specially there are expectations set for us during the daily class periods, planning events, and completing homework. Students are expected to be professional, get their work done on time, put effort into everything they do, be spirited, and always have a positive attitude. Being lazy and rude to your fellow classmates is highly looked down upon when it comes to being an Ideal Leader. Once again, with these characteristics Ideal Leaders can collaborate with their peers and administrators, keep their work organized at all times, and make tough decisions in times of distress. What is looked down upon for being an Ideal Leader is also in this class at RHS.
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WORD TO DESCRIBE MYSELF
Forgiving