Hello, my name is Clarissa and I come from Oakland in a school called Urban Promise Academy. My school, Urban Promise Academy, is a place I go to where I learn and have opportunities to experience different things. It is a small school, where I feel safe and feel like a family here. This school has shaped my dreams and aspirations by letting me show off my skills and talents, which has made me more confident. Here at the school they encourage me to do my best and get on Honor Roll. The teachers are very supportive and help me in my time of need. My parents have been very supportive in my life by pushing me to persevere when things get hard. They tell me to put all my time and effort into everything I set my mind to do. My parents have made me into a responsible and mature daughter and student that takes pride in her work. Since I’m from Oakland, I have heard about gang violence that occurs often in the streets of Oakland. It has made me more aware of my surroundings and a bit frightened of walking alone at night. Although Oakland maybe dangerous it has made me the person I am today. All the opportunities I have had here in Oakland wouldn’t be the same in another community. I am proud of who I am and where I come from.
One word that best describes my family, community, and school is united. My family is united because we come together in the time of need and joy. We are supportive of each other when the going gets tough or when it is all right. We are a very religious and believe in God. The way my community is united is by coming together to protest something important in life. We are persistent when we set our mind to make a change we want to see. My school, Urban Promise Academy is united because we are like a family. Everyone knows each other and somewhat get along. When there are conflicts the counselor helps them resolve it in a positive way to keep everyone safe. Teachers are supportive when we need help They are glad to help and would take their personal time to help you.
Opportunities that have been available to me in my school is being able to experience a few days of being away from home and not using materials that I usually use. I have also been available to colleges like UC Berkeley. I have seen the classes, dorms, and libraries. An opportunity I have had in my community is going to Disneyland. If my moms boss never gave us free tickets to Disneyland I would have never been able to experience that much fun. It was an opportunity of a lifetime. Another opportunity that I have had at school is being able to teach sixth graders about different things in life. I got the opportunity to teach which has boost my confidence. Teaching has turned me into a more confident and courageous person because it helps me understand students from a different perspective. I have had the opportunity to compete at a math competition at school and have won a trophy. I also had the opportunity to compete in a spelling bee. I was one of two people chosen to represent my school, Urban Promise Academy, at the spelling bee. All of these experiences have made me who I am today.
A major issue confronting my community and school is violence. Gang violence has been a big issue in Oakland. There have been many deaths due to gang violence and many people who are not in a gang can end up dead when hanging with the wrong crowd. Weapons that are available to minors have been a major issue. More deaths have been by weapons like guns or knives because of the availability. Deaths are more common when a person is carrying a weapon. It is more likely for someone to die of a shot than just fist fighting. My role in addressing this issue is teaching it to younger kids. I am a peer educator and I teach minors about the dangers of gang violence. As a result of addressing this major issue I have changed by becoming more confident and more aware of my surroundings. It has created me into a leader because I am not afraid to step up and say what I believe in. The impact that this change has had on my dreams and aspirations is that it made reach for challenging things in life because I now know that I can persevere to overcome or succeed that challenge. It has transformed me into a courageous, confident, and outgoing person that will be able to socialize with other people. I will no longer be shy in my time of need and my time to shine. I chose to teach younger kids about this issue because it is something children need to learn in order to survive outside the doors of school. I feel like it helps them think about their decisions and I want them to have a part of me in their decisions.
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