Graduation and Grad Night Gratuity

Hey everyone! This week served as a great culmination of my high school years through many fun end-of-year events. The main event was senior graduation! However, leading up to graduation day we had a whole week of fun senior activities. We had a senior breakfast, picnic, and lots of pictures of the senior class together. Our graduation ceremony was held in our football stadium so all the family and friends of the 430 graduating seniors at Laguna Hills High School could come watch the graduation ceremony. This graduation ceremony included speeches from several students, teachers, and school board members. I wore a gold robe because I received an International Baccalaureate degree. I also had many chords to decorate my robe to show I had received many honors. The gold chord represented California Scholastic Federation, the blue represents National Honors Society, and the green represents Spanish Honors Society.

My graduation robe and chords

My friend and I graduating

The graduation ceremony with IB students (in gold) in front

Right after the ceremony we went straight into Grad Night which was an all night party held at the school. Grad night is put together so all students can spend one fun, safe, last night together before parting separate ways. The entire night is filled with great food, games, and prizes. Its like an amusement park at your own school! There was a photo booth to take fun pictures, a casino, and even a hypnotist to hypnotized our friends! The theme was Hollywood and Movies, so the entire school was decorated in this theme. It was great seeing blown up pictures of hunky Hollywood actors! It was such a fun night and a great way to wrap up my last year of high school.

Smile for the photo booth!

In front of the Hollywood sign at Grad Night

How did your school/work year end? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Grateful Graduates: Senior Awards Night

Hey everyone! Since it is the end of the school year, the seniors were invited to a special awards night honoring all their achievements over the past year. This was a great end-of-year celebration to recognize the truly exceptional graduating students. There were many different recognitions and awards given out. Many school scholarships were announced that night while all students who had already received a merit scholarship to their future university were recognized. In total, the students at my school received over 2.9 million dollars in merit based scholarships! Scholarships were not the only focus of the night as many awards for other aspects like academics and character were given out. The top 5% of graduating seniors with the highest grades were named "Medallion Scholars" and given a medal to wear during the ceremony. I worked very hard during high school so I was one of these lucky Medallion Scholars! I am so excited to wear my medal at graduation. Also, ten "Hawk Soar" (hawks are our school mascot) plaque awards were given out to ten seniors who demonstrated the best traits of a Laguna Hills student. I was fortunate to receive this award as well! I am so happy I have left my mark on the school before I graduate in a week. Senior Awards Night was a great way to honor the students who have worked extremely hard throughout high school before they end their journeys, graduate, and move onto bright futures!

Medallion Scholars

My principal who gave out the Hawk Soar awards

My friends and fellow Medallion Scholars

How does hard work get recognized at your school? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Achievement Attire: Preparing for Graduation

My school's IB cap and gowns

Hey everyone! I have only 10 days of high school left until I graduate and start summer! Since senior year is coming to a close, it is time for all seniors to receive their caps and gowns. Each American high school senior receives many things that they wear at the graduation ceremony. A cap and gown is the most important and is the hat and robe worn during graduation. At my school, if you complete the International Baccalaureate program you get to wear a gold robe instead of a brown one! The robes are gold and brown because those are our school colors. Another important part is found on the cap: the tassel! The tassel is originally hung on the right side and it is tradition to move it to the left side once you receive your diploma. It's a super exciting experience! Finally comes what is worn over the gown. Students receive different colored ropes and cords to wear around their necks based on the clubs they were involved in at school. You can get cords for being in any club from Student Government to Spanish Honors Society. This is like a final incentive for being productive in high school. In the picture below, you can see my friends from their gradation with lots of cords! Some even spice up their outfits with flower leis. I cannot wait until I get to wear all this at my graduation in two weeks!

My friends with their gowns and cords at graduation

How do you celebrate graduation? What do you wear during the ceremony? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

The Senioritis Struggle

Hey everyone! Senioritis has struck Laguna Hills High, and it's contagious! What is Senioritis? It's not an actual illness, but it can feel like one!

Here is the definition of Senioritis from the Urban Dictionary:

Now that we have been accepted to college, completed all our AP and IB exams, and already had our Senior Prom, it is so hard for my friends and I to focus on our classes for the last few weeks of school. Our school is in session until June 19th, so we have 20 more days to keep working.

Senioritis has hit me hard! I would rather text and not work

When Seniors' minds start to wander, they often start to think of Senior Pranks that they can play on the rest of the school. Senior Pranks are a tradition at American high schools and are a fun way for graduating students to leave their mark on campus. Some of my friends from other schools have done fun pranks like decorating the hallways and classrooms at their school with crazy streamers! These Pranks are always harmless but are a fun way for the seniors to leave the school with a bang.

Do you slack off in school before summer? How would you "prank" your school? Let me know in the comments! xoxo

Midnight in Madrid: Senior Prom

Hey everyone! High school Prom is one of the biggest events of senior year and mine was held last weekend! Prom is an opportunity to get dressed up in long dresses and tuxedos and have a great time dancing and celebrating our last few weeks of high school.

My friends and I met first to take pictures close to the beach and then boarded a “Party Bus” to take us all together to the Prom. Prom was held in a venue right outside of Disneyland which made it even more special. During the night one Prince and Princess from the Prom Court were selected as the King and Queen of Prom. It was a really fun night and one of the highlights of senior year! 

What do you do at the end of your school year? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

A Confident Commitment

Hey everyone! Today is May 1st, National College Decision Day. This means that all high schoolers in the United States who are planning on going to college must commit by today. I am happy to report that I have made the decision to attend Stanford University! I am so excited to stay in California and attend this amazing college. Recently, I went to Admit Weekend on campus to learn more about the school! I stayed in a freshman dorm, went to activities, and even sat in on a couple of classes. There was even a gong you could hit if you were going to commit! Attending this Admit Weekend was a great way to ensure my love for the school and help me in my commitment decision. Check out some pictures from my weekend at Stanford below!

"Just Say Yes" Admit Weekend Posters

Admit Weekend at Stanford

My friend and I at a pep rally 

Commitment Gong!

Stanford University: My Future School

Although I am already committed to a university, I still have two more months of high school left! Are you still in school? What do you like to do during the end of the school year? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Events and Education

Hey everyone! Although AP tests are just around the corner, the seniors of Laguna Hills High School can still have fun and stay involved on campus. Three big events have happened on my campus recently that all the students are loving taking part in!

The first event was International Week. Students from all four grades represented different countries from around the world. At lunch, there were dances and music from countries along with a booth set up to display food from that country that students could eat! It was a great way for students to learn more about foreign nations while staying at school and eating yummy food! Check out the pictures below of some of the booths. There was even a Norway one!

The Peru booth that I worked

The Mexico booth

The Norway Booth

Next was the Powderpuff football game. This is where the girls of the oldest grade (the seniors) play the 2nd oldest grade (the juniors) in a flag football game. It is a great way for all the girls in one class to bond, increase school spirit, and learn good leadership and sportsmanship. Plus, it is so fun to run around the field with girls from your school. Of course, the seniors always want to beat the juniors and there is a big rivalry the entire week of school leading up to the game. This year, my grade the seniors won! It was great to win because it is the last Powderpuff game I will ever play in! Check out some pictures below!

Official Jersey Shirts

Finally is the API dance. When our school does really well on state testing at the end of each school year, our school rewards us with a free casual dance! Casual dances are always fun because everyone dresses up according to a theme and dances the night away in the school gym. This year the theme was Tropic Like It's Hot (drop it like it's hot pun, clever I know) so all the students dressed in rainforest attire! My friends and I dressed as rainforest animals. Check out the pictures below!

The Theme Poster

As you can tell, school has been keeping me busy, both socially and academically. I can't wait to move onto the next academic aspect of my life, college!

How do you socialize during a busy week? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Donating and Delegating

Hey everyone!

This past Saturday was really busy, as I was part of the Secretariat board that planned and put on the 21^st annual Model UN conference for Laguna Hills High school.  The conference went very smoothly, even the weather cooperated by being sunny and 20 degrees Celsius!  600 student delegates came from all over Orange County and represented various countries in organized committees that discussed how to solve various global issues.   At the end of the conference we gave out awards for the outstanding delegates and the best research.  In two weeks I will be going up to University of California at Berkeley to attend another conference—as a delegate this time.  Hope I win an award!

 At the LHHS conference we were even able to collect over $300 for our conference philanthropy--Futbol  4 Dreams.

Futbol 4 Dreams is a non-profit organization at LHHS that began in 2006 and sends soccer balls and sports material to children worldwide.  The delegates at our conference decorated over 20 soccer balls with inspirational messages and positive images. These soccer balls will be sent to developing countries around the world.  Futbol 4 Dreams has already sent decorated soccer balls and equipment to more than twenty-five nations across the globe.   

What charities do you support? Does your school work with any charities? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Super Signers

Way to go hawk athletes!

Hey everyone! At high schools all across the United States, top sports athletes were committing to their colleges through National Signing Day. This happens on the first Wednesday of February each year and it is the first day a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for their college. In other words, this is the day where all athletes who have been recruited by a college to play a sport there commit to the college.
At my school, we had 7 athletes sign with colleges. They are going to be attending colleges all over the country ranging from Dartmouth and Boston University in the East Coast to Cal Baptist and UC Santa Barbara in California. It is exciting for me to see my fellow classmates committing to the colleges they will be at next year. Since I am not playing a sport for a college team, I will not hear back from my colleges until the end of March or the beginning of April. So while I am waiting, these athletes can relax because, as of today, they are officially accepted to their amazing colleges.

How do you feel about a signing day for American sports teams? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

School's Out Summer's In

Hey everyone! Now that Graduation is over and schools around the country are done, it is time for summer vacation! In the United States, summer break is a two to three month long break from school during, you guessed it, the summer time! Once all the hard AP tests are over (check out my AP test blog if you don't know what those are!) it is much needed to have a long break from school.
People use this time off to do different things. Some travel, near or far. Some go to fun locations around us like Disneyland or Palm Springs. Others spend the time to travel to further locations, like Las Vegas or even Europe. My friend and I spent the weekend in Las Vegas with her parents, seeing all the sights and shows. My other friend spent the week in Germany, taking tours and eating culinary masterpieces.
However, this vacation from school is not entirely a break. Almost everyone in high school has summer work to complete before the returning school year. This includes reading books, writing essays, and reviewing for new material. I have lots of summer work, especially with International Baccalaureate work as well. Wish me luck! Luckily the weather is great and I have all the time in the world. Summer will truly be a fun time! I cannot wait to share all my summer adventures with you!

What do you like do to when you are on a break from school? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Party Prom!

Hey everyone! This weekend my school celebrated a highly anticipated high school event, prom! Prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance that occurs at the end of the school year. At some schools, only seniors are allowed to go but at most schools juniors and seniors can attend. Girls wear long formal dresses and receive flower corsages from their dates. Each year, a prom court of 5 princesses and 5 princes is selected by the school faculty and a queen and king is voted on by the students at prom! It is always fun to see which seniors win.
People go all out for the event, before and after, by taking pictures at fancy locations like the beach, riding in a limo or party bus, and going to an after party! Everything before and after adds to the event as a whole. Prom is always a night to remember!






Do you have prom at your school? Would you go to prom? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Springtime Sports: Swimming

Hey everyone! Another spring sport that is big in the United States, especially California, is swimming! The swim team is another large sport at the high school, so everyone can have a chance to be a part of the team. In the fall, water polo is the main water sport. Water polo is a team sport with six players and one goalkeeper for each side. Players must swim and tread water and try to score the most goals possible. Since it is a swimming sport, many players move to the swim team in the spring.
The swim team is less of a team game and more individual. Swimmers compete in different length races with different stokes like breaststroke or backstroke, even relays with different teammates. The swimmer who completes the race fastest wins. This is a good sport for people of any level because it is mainly individual. This gives every person a chance to get comfortable in an event and practice without the pressure from the rest of the team. If your looking for a fun active sport for people of all ages, swimming is the sport for you!

What sports do you like? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo