Senior Portfolio

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

- Gandalf the Grey

Senior Portfolio

Justin Adkins

Senior Portfolio • • •

Table of Contents Prologue ...... 2 What’s in a Name? ...... 3 All-purpose excuse ...... 4 How to Write Good ...... 5 Are You Hungry? ...... 6 Memorable Event ...... 7 In Other Words ...... 8 Likes ...... 9 Dislikes ...... 11 Flashback ...... 12 Room Sweet Room ...... 13 Synectics ...... 15 Unfinished Sentences ...... 18 A Day in the Life ...... 20 One Medium Sized Suitcase ...... 22 List of Lists ...... 24 Remembrance of Things Present ...... 26 The Perfect Present ...... 27 The Door ...... 28 Valuable Lessons ...... 29 Carpe Diem ...... 31 Visually Speaking – Favorite Meme’s ...... 33 Personal Symbol ...... 34 Metaphorical Definitions ...... 35 Annual Report ...... 36 Deck of 52 – Things I want to be when I grow up ...... 37

Prologue 1 Senior Portfolio • • • Prologue My name is Justin Adkins. I’m not your typical eighteen-year-old that you would find in Perry County.

I’m not a farmer, but I do enjoy nature. I don’t like to get my hands dirty. I’d rather sit in front of a computer for eight hours a day then go outside and do yard work. I enjoy the company of my friends and enjoy making them laugh. I’m a huge Lord of the Rings fan, and an avid computer programmer.

Unlike a large partition of the people in Perry County, I am not a religious person. I do not believe that

God put us on this earth. I wouldn’t call myself atheist, but rather agnostic, which means that the existence or non-existence of any deity is unknown and possibly unknowable. However, I do believe that humans were put onto this earth for a reason. I believe that we have a purpose and that we control our own destiny. It is for that reason that Gandalf the Grey’s quote from The Lord of the Rings means so much to me: “All that we have to is decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” We (humans) were given this opportunity (life) to do something. We, and only we, choose if we are successful or not. The title on the front cover, “The Life & Lies of

Justin Adkins” is a reference to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and the that Rita Skeeter wrote a book about Albus Dumbledore after his death entitled, “The Life & Lies of Albus Dumbledore.” This shows to me that like all other humans that I am flawed.

While most students would say this project is to annoy us and to be a major pain in the butt, I, of course, disagree. After learning about Mr. Booth, and his positions on life, I can tell that there is a much bigger reason behind this project. I feel this project was designed to guide us into a greater knowledge of ourselves before we venture out into the world. With these deep topics that we have to write about, we get an inside look at our logic process and ourselves. Another reason why this project may have been assigned is so that we can have something to look back on in the future. You gather with our spouse and children, reading these entries it might help your children understand their parent more or even help you connect with your younger self. It’s often said that people change over time. By looking back on this, you would be able to tell just how much you have changed, or if you’ve really even changed at all for that matter.

All-in-all, I may hate this project at the moment, but down the road, when it is in its finished form, I’m sure I will come to appreciate it and the memories that it carries.

Prologue 2 Senior Portfolio • • • What’s in a Name?

Justin Micheal Adkins. I am named after the middle name of my father, and my middle name is that of a baby my great-grandmother had who passed away. However, my middle name is spelled differently than the traditional Michael. I’ve always thought about changing my middle name to the correct spelling because I am never able to actually remember how to spell it. In the end, I decide against it, because the miss spelling of my middle name is something that makes me unique.

According to Ancestry.com, the surname of Adkins is English and around 1920, Adkins was mostly found in Kentucky and West Virginia. My great-grandparents were from Kentucky and then moved to Canton, OH before finally moving in Columbus, OH. Justin which means “Just and fair” is also English. However, I move away from the English names with my middle name, Micheal which means “Who resembles God?”

Other possible names for me included Michael (as a first name), Tyler, Gage Alexander, Paul

Justin Jr., Tyler Michael, Donovan and Isabella and Tatiana if I was a girl. I wouldn’t have minded Paul

Justin Jr., but in the end, I’m happy with my name.

I’ve never really had any problems with my name, I’m happy with it. The only time that I get slightly annoyed is when someone is talking and they say “just.” My ears usually perk right on up because I think they are going to say Justin.

I believe that the descriptions of “Just and fair” fit my personality. I try to be fair in my actions and decisions and I try to be true to my upbringing and my sense of right and wrong.

What’s in a Name? 3 Senior Portfolio • • • All-purpose excuse Dear Mr. Booth,

I would like to once again apologize for my tardiness to your class on the eighth of this past April. While

I can honestly say that I told you the truth, I may not have told you all of it.

It was the first warm day that we have had in a very long time. The weather was a rather warm 50 degrees when I woke up around 6. The sun was just starting to come up. The chickens were roosting on the fence.

However, I was still rather tired. I judged the amount of time it would take to get to school, and concluded that it wouldn’t take more than 15 minutes. So, I got dressed and went back to sleep. I awoke just in time to grab my book bag and get into my car and drive off. However, with my lucky I should have known that my plan wouldn’t have gone without errors.

I went to start my car and low-and-behold, it wouldn’t start. I was faced with a rather large problem and not a lot of options nor time to solve it. I had two choices, skip school for the day or saddle up my horse and ride like the wind. I chose the latter option. It was already 7:20 by the time I had gotten the horse ready. I had 10 minutes. I grabbed my ridding staff and cape and with a word of command to the horse I was off.

I endured blistering winds and scorching deserts. I battled my way through hordes of Orcs and even faced the Witch-king of Angmar atop his fell beast. I ventured to lands beyond the borders of the Shire and encountered Bilbo, Frodo and the other Hobbits before racing Gandalf the White on Shadowfax for several leagues. My journey came to an end on the slopes of Mt. Doom before I passed into the abyss. There, I fell for many days. I reached the bottom of the mountain and from the lowest dungeon to the highest peak I fought the

Balrog of Morgoth. I threw down my enemy and smote his ruins upon the mountainside. Darkness took me. I strayed out of thought and time, and everyday felt like as a life age of the earth. But it was not the end. I was sent back. Until my task was done.

I gave blow on my conn-shell and summoned my trusty Gryphon. He took me from whatever part this earth I was in into familiar territory. He left me at the end of Sheridan Road and all I had to do was walk the last one half mile until I reached my destination.

So there you have it, a full account to the reason to why I was tardy to you class. Again, I apologize, and I promise you, this will never happen again.

All-purpose excuse 4 Senior Portfolio • • • How to Write Good

1. Avoid Alliteration. Always.

2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.

3. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They’re old hat.)

4. Employ the vernacular.

5. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.

6. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.

7. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.

8. Contractions aren’t necessary.

9. One should never generalize.

10. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, I hate quotations. Tell me what you

know.

11. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.

12. Don’t be redundant; don’t use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous.

13. Profanity sucks.

14. Be more or less specific.

15. Understatement is always best.

16. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

17. One-word sentences? Eliminate.

18. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.

19. The passive voice is to be avoided.

20. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.

21. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.

22. Who needs rhetorical questions?

23. Subject and verb always has to agree.

24. Use youre spell chekker to avoid mispeling and to catch typograhpical errers.

25. Don't never use no double negatives.

26. Placing a comma between subject and predicate, is not correct.

27. And always be sure to finish what.

How to Write Good 5 Senior Portfolio • • • Are You Hungry?

The competition for my favorite meal is a three-way tie between Poppy Seed Sandwiches and

Hamburger Helper’s Cheesy Hash-browns.

Poppy Seed Sandwiches consist of small rolls, sweet honey ham, cheese, and a mustard-like paste that contains the poppy seeds. You assemble the sandwiches and wrap them in aluminum foil and then cook them in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. The first time I had poppy seed sandwiches, my great-grandmother first cooked them, when I was around the age of six or seven. I didn’t like them at first. I thought that the poppy seeds were weird and I didn’t like the cheese that was used on them. When I was younger, there wasn’t a lot that I didn’t like. So it was usual that I didn’t like them. However, as time went on and the more and more I had them, I developed a liking for them.

Which is odd, because people normally don’t like something at first, and then like it later on down the road. It was like this for me with cabbage. I hated the stuff at first, and now, I like it. However, I still refuse to eat coleslaw! Yuck!

My second favorite dish is Hamburger Helper’s Cheese Hash-browns. This simply comes in a box and all you have to do is cook the hamburger and then add the ingredients. Those ingredients consist of hash browns and liquid cheese that is poured over the dish before you serve it. Mary, who was married to grandfather, always use to make this. I’ve tried to make it since her, but it’s just never tasted the same. I remember the bowls that I would eat this in. They were blue, plastic bowls that had seen there better days.

Are You Hungry? 6 Senior Portfolio • • • Memorable Event My most memorable event from this year was when I went to see the midnight premiere of The

Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. I had been anticipating the release of this movie for more than a year.

Come hell or high water, I was going to see this movie.

In the weeks preceding the availability of pre-sale tickets, I asked my best friend Daniel Saum if he wanted to tagalong with me. He, of course, said yes. On November 7, 2013 just a month and a week before the opening, I purchased two tickets for the midnight premiere! I was so excited. I wanted to see the movie in Columbus rather than Zanesville or Heath because, for one, I wanted Daniel to experience the madhouse that is the Ohio State University campus. Plus, what teenager doesn’t want to go see a midnight premiere over forty minutes away? The week before we were set to depart for Columbus,

Tyler Birch, or “Bubby” as Daniel and I call him, said he wanted to also join us. So being the good friend that I am, I also bought Tyler’s ticket.

Daniel and I left Somerset at 8:45 and went to go pick up Tyler at his house. Unfortunately, he wasn’t allowed to go. So we begged and pleaded with his mother to let him go with us. Due to our abundant charm, Scottish accents and Daniel’s beard, she gave in. The night was coming together very nicely. Daniel, Tyler and I set out for Columbus by 9:15.

Before we went into the movies, I took Daniel and Tyler to Raising Cane’s. It’s a restaurant that only serves chicken fingers. It’s delicious. When we went into the theater, it was packed. We sat toward the top and a little to the left if you are looking at the screen. The movie was everything I had wanted it to be. Tyler almost feel asleep, and I had to nudge him a little to keep him awake.

On the way home, I took Tyler and Daniel on a tour of downtown Columbus. We tried to stop at a gas station to go to the bathroom, but they didn’t let anyone in past midnight, and you had to speak through a window for the clerk to go get your items. It was very strange.

Memorable Event 7 Senior Portfolio • • • In Other Words

“I, myself, am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.” -Augusten Burroughs

"The person who risks nothing, does nothing, had nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.” -Leo F. Buscaglia

“Love is a sweet tyranny, because the loves endureth his torments willingly.” -Proverb

“In a deep moment of love, thinking stops. The moment is so intriguing, the moment is so tremendously powerful, the moment is so intensely alive, that thinking stops. You are simply in awe, a great wonder surrounds you.” -Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

“To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.” -Bradni Snyder

“I fear one day I’ll meet God, he’ll sneeze and I won’t know what to say.” -Ronnie Shakes

“I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world.” -Richard Dawkins

“Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” -Robert Heinlein

“The world has grown suspicious of anything that looks like a happily married life.” -Oscar Wilde

“Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” -James Dean

“To love is to risk not being loves. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.” -Unknown

In Other Words 8 Senior Portfolio • • • Likes 1. Technology – Over the past several years, technology has become a very large part of not only my life,

but of our society.

2. Politics – After taking Government this year and having daily discussions about the government and

how it works, I have become more involved with politics. I think that is the right and responsibility of

every citizen of the United States to be involved in the democratic process.

3. The Lord of the Rings – The Lord of the Rings has become an everyday occurrence in my life. Whether

it’s watching the films, listening to the movie scores, reading it or quoting it. In The Fellowship of the

Ring, The Lady Galadriel said, “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” I find

hope in this quote because before I depart from this world, I want to be remembered for something. I

want to do great things, as most people wish to do.

4. Pens – I have an unnatural obsession with pens. I love the way they write, the way the ink flows onto the

paper.

5. Medieval Ages – I often feel as if I was born into the wrong century. I so desperately wish that I could

have been born into the age of King Henry VII or Queen Elizabeth. I wish I could have been a heroic

knight, riding off to war to defend my country.

6. Laughter – One of the greatest joys of my life is making people laugh. Laughter can clear up the cloudiest

days, and it truly is the best medicine.

7. Movie Scores – While most kids my age would rather listen to Lil’ Wayne or the latest hit from

Hollywood, I find a majority of my music collection filled with music from movies. Lord of the Rings,

Harry Potter, and Elizabeth the Golden Age, the Hunger Games, Star Wars, Troy, and Wrath of the

Titans. I think there is a deeper connection with classical music because the music itself influences your

mood rather than the words.

Likes 9 Senior Portfolio • • •

8. Management – Most people don’t like being in charge and being a leader. I do. I love being able to lead

people and making those decisions that could either make or break you.

9. Penmanship – I think penmanship says a lot about a person. The way you write, and the way you hold

your utensil point to what kind of person you are. Experts say that if your writing slants to the left you

generally like to work along or behind the scenes; however, if it slants to the right, you are open to the

world and the people around you.

10. Solitude – I think of myself as both an introvert and an extrovert. I love interacting with people and

having a good time; however, there are times when I would rather stay home by work and myself alone

in my room.

My Aunt Martha and I.

We’ve had our share of fights. There are times when I can’t stand her, and other times when we are more like brother and sister than aunt and nephew. I’ve lived with her for my sophomore, junior and senior year, and during that time, I’ve grown and matured so much. I couldn’t be more thankful.

Likes 10 Senior Portfolio • • • Dislikes 1. Ignorance – I don’t like when people deny the truth when it’s right in front of their face. However, I am

guilty of this myself.

2. Unaccountability - I hate people who make promises and can’t or don’t keep them.

3. Chaos – I don’t like when things aren’t organized. When they aren’t, I have to stop and try to organize

them. This applies to all aspects of my life except my room. I prefer it to be a mess.

4. Being wrong – Everyone likes to be right, and I’m no exception. I also have a hard time admitting when

I’m wrong.

5. Authority – I don’t like when I’m told to do something. I would much rather do it on my own without

being told.

6. To feel stupid - This might be a thing with all humans, but I don’t like to feel stupid. I take great offense

when someone calls me stupid in a non-joking manner.

7. People with one-sided opinions – Just like me, you are entitled to your opinion. Everyone is. However, I

don’t like when people’s opinions are completed one-sided and they are not open to the thoughts and

opinions of the other side.

8. To be criticized – I hate when someone looks at my work and points out its flaws. However, I know that

with every flaw that is pointed out, my work improves.

9. Feeling of being a failure – Perhaps my greatest fear in life is the fear of failing, of not living up to my

family’s hopes and expectations.

10. Disappointing people – I would much rather someone be mad or even furious with me than

disappointed. I think this is the same with a lot of people. It’s easy for someone to get mad at you, and

when they are mad, it doesn’t necessarily mean you fell short of their expectations for you. However,

when someone is disappointed in you that means they expected better out of you, and you didn’t meet

that expectation. I don’t like not meeting people’s expectations of me.

Dislikes 11 Senior Portfolio • • • Flashback

If I was given the power to travel back in time and relive any moment from my past, I would hands down want to go to the start of my sophomore year and relive my high school career over again.

By doing this, I would be able to focus on my grades and possibly make National Honor Society and increase my opportunities for scholarships. I’ve always regretted not taking my grades seriously my freshman and sophomore year. Freshman year, I got mostly B’s, C’s and D’s while during my sophomore year, I didn’t really focus in English, Honors Algebra I and Honors Geometry, and got D-‘s in all three of them. This brought my GPA down into the 2.xxx range and it’s been hard to get it to the

3.1 that it is today.

By going back into time, I would also be able to really buckle down, and actually take my classes seriously instead of just waiting until lunch to take interest in school. I don’t really remember anything from my math classes, and I didn’t really learn anything while there. I normally didn’t pay attention. I would often daydream about being in another class that I enjoyed, or hanging out with friends, or what I would do if I was home.

I would also take more math classes. I was required to have three credits for math, and I did my three math classes’ freshman and sophomore year, and I never took another math class again. This has really hurt me, because I didn’t get a great score on the math section of my ACT. I also have to take

Algebra again in College. Even though I took it freshman and sophomore year.

Flashback 12 Senior Portfolio • • • Room Sweet Room My room is a fairly large sized room. It sits at the corner of the house so there are two windows on two of the walls. The third wall, has the door and my closet and the forth is just a wall where my bed is against. I have a giant King sized bed with a nightstand on one side and my printer and alarm clock on the other. I sleep on the side closest to the nightstand. If I were to lie in bed, to my left you would find the door, my closet, and two Lord of the Rings Posters. Across from me and to the left, you would find my dresser with my TV and Xbox, and on the right you would find my computer desk with my computer and mountains of paper, both of these separated by a window. On the wall on the right side of my bed, you would once again find my alarm clock and printer along with a bookshelf filled with books, movies (DVD and VHS) and various board games and other less-used items towards the bottom. On the wall that my bed is against you will find a plethora of Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and Harry Potter posters. All of these items make my room me. You can instantly tell that I’m a huge

Lord of the Rings fan, and that I am unorganized.

As soon as I walk into my room, I feel right at home. It’s a sort of dark room with only four light sources. One light source beside my bed, one on the celling and the other from a light on my desk, directly across my room from the light on the bed. The windows are rarely opened, and they are usually covered in dark wooden blinds, and then black curtains over them. My room is generally colder than the other rooms in the house. At times, shirts and socks cover the blue carpet on my floor until I reach a point when I just have to clean. More clothes, books, papers and other items are always on the foot of my bed. I don’t like to sleep with nothing on the bed. I will usually lay a pillow beside me as I sleep. My sheets are alternated between a set of blue flannel and a set of blue silk sheets. I usually use the same pillow for about two weeks before switching to one of the others.

Room Sweet Room 13 Senior Portfolio • • •

My room is my home. I spend the majority of my time at home in this room and I love it that way. I love knowing that I’m safe and secure here, and knowing that I can relax. I enjoy being able to look up from whatever I’m doing and see the cinematic events of some of my favorite movies and videogames. I love how everything has its own little spot, and even though it’s unorganized, everything has a spot, and I can tell if it’s been moved. I hate knowing that people come into my room and move stuff or take things without my permission.

My Father Paul, Sister Maggie, and Step Mother Mollie and Paxil.

During my sophomore year, I was reunited with my father after almost my entire life. He went into the Marines after high school, and knew that he wasn’t going to always be there. So rather than going in and out of my life, he decided to stay out. He left the decision of making contact up to me,

and I’ve always respected his decision for doing so.

Room Sweet Room 14 Senior Portfolio • • • Synectics

1. Which is wiser? A pen or pencil? – A Pen. When you use a pen, it means you are confident in your

answers and the ink from which can never be erased. A pencil can be easily erased. An official

document is never signed in pencil, and the greatest documents such as the Constitution or

Declaration of Independence were not written in pencil.

2. Which is smarter? A clock or a calendar? – A calendar because it allows you to plan ahead. A clock

simply gives you the current time and nothing more.

3. Which is more difficult? A dream or a nightmare? – A dream. When you dream, you often dream

of what you would want your life to be like, something you are missing. When you have a

nightmare, it’s easy to shrug off as nothing.

4. Which is braver? An hour or a year? – An hour. Someone can rise to the occasion of the hour and

overcome evil. However, if you continue to remain brave people then just expect you to be brave.

That becomes you and therefore less extraordinary.

5. Which is more useful? A friend or an enemy? – An enemy, because you are constantly trying to be

better than him/her, trying to seem smarter than them or trying to prove them wrong. When you

have an enemy, you try to be on your best behavior so that they could not have any “dirt” on you.

6. Which has less charm? A signature or an autograph? – An autograph. Anyone can ask for

someone’s autograph and he/she will more than likely give it to you; on the other hand when

someone places their signature on a letter or a document, it means more to you. If you are to write a

letter to an author and he/she replies with a letter, which would mean more than a picture of them

that had been autographed. True, they took a few seconds to sign your picture, but it means more

when they take time to write you a letter and then sign it.

Synectics 15 Senior Portfolio • • •

7. Which is like a contest? A cloud or a sunset? – A cloud. At any given moment, there are usually

multiple clouds in the sky; they are constantly competing with each other. However, there is only

one sunset each day. It is true that a sunset from Monday night could compete with a sunset from

Tuesday night, but when you are in the moment, the current sunset is usually breathtaking.

8. Which is sadder? Seek or find? – Seek. When you are constantly looking for something, it’s kind of

sad because it means that you aren’t content with your life.

9. Which costs more? A Home or a house? – A Home. Anyone can buy a house. It truly becomes a

home when you put things that mean a great deal to you inside of it.

10. Which has more pride? An entrance or an exit? – An exit. Most of the time, people are remembered

for the way they left this world, rather than the way they entered it.

Synectics 16 Senior Portfolio • • •

My Brother Breandan and Sister Hayleigh.

One of my biggest regrets in life is not being able to be closer with them. I didn’t really grow up with them, and haven’t been a huge part of their lives. When I do see them, I don’t feel that sibling bond that I think I should feel. Despite that lack of a feeling, I would still do anything in this world for them.

Synectics 17 Senior Portfolio • • • Unfinished Sentences

I usually worry about… whether or not I’ll be successful in life. One of my greatest fears is failing and becoming the type of person my mother is, not really amounting to anything and just living off of other people. Even though I’m sure that I will be successful and that I will grow up to have a loving wife and kids, there is still that thought in the back of my mind that I’m not making the right decisions and that I will fail.

I feel angry when… People talk about me behind my back in a negative way. This applies to all aspects of my life, friends, family and even teachers. If you have something bad to say about me, say it to my face. I try not to talk about people behind their backs.

I’m moody when… I’m hot. When I get really hot for some weird odd reason, I just want to flip out on someone. I want to scream and shout and tell everyone to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine. So to avoid this, I have to leave the room and calm down.

I’m happiest when… I’m around my friends and making them laugh. Having Lunch C this year with

Evan Schultz, Devyn Hickman, Haley Martin, Ellie Noll, Renee Noll and Parker Millby has truly been a blast. We would talk about some of the stupidest things in the world. Also, I’m happiest when I’m around Daniel Saum and Tyler “Bubby” Birch. We go to Subway sometimes and have our “man meetings” and talk about random nonsense. Then there are the deep and intellectual conversations I have with Devyn or Daniel and Tyler. What is the meaning of life? What are we here? We discuss what our fears are and where we see ourselves in ten years. I love these people so much, and am so glad that

I met them all.

Unfinished Sentences 18 Senior Portfolio • • •

I feel confident when… I know what I’m doing or when I enjoy what I’m doing. If I know exactly what I’m doing and I know how to do it, usually I’m very confident in myself. Otherwise, I’m not.

I feel depressed when… I know that I’ve messed up or have let someone down. I try so hard to make sure that I’m meeting everyone’s expectations of myself. When I do let someone down, I feel that I’ve failed the world and that I’m a crappy person. I also become depressed when my friends are stressed and upset. I try to make it my goal to make them laugh and cheer them up any bit that I can.

I feel frustrated when… my mother attempts to talk to me. At this point in my life, I don’t want to have a relationship with her. She texts me and says that she cries and misses me, but I feel that she shouldn’t be allowed to miss me. After all of her broken promises and canceled plans, she doesn’t have the right.

I am comfortable when… I’m alone in my room listening to classical music. The window shades are down and the curtains are closed. Everything is dark expect the light from my computer screen and the lamp on my desk. I love just reclining in my office chair with music playing and just drifting to sleep.

I feel nervous when… there is a possibility that I might be in trouble. I hate getting in trouble, but I still do stupid things that get me into trouble. My heart starts to race and I try to think of the worst possible punishment so that the actual punishment isn’t as bad as I had imagined.

I feel sentimental when… I see other people cry or when one of my friends are feeling depressed. I normally don’t cry about things, but when someone on TV cries or someone in a movie that I’m watching I feel the sudden urge to cry. I’ve never understood why.

Unfinished Sentences 19 Senior Portfolio • • • A Day in the Life His alarm clock begins to go off at 5 AM. It’s a special alarm clock that has a much louder buzzer than others, but it also has a vibrator that vibrates the bed. He rolls over to the opposite side hits the snooze and falls back to sleep. This continues every ten minutes until 6:15 when his cellphone begins playing an obnoxious air-raid siren. He knows in his head that it’s time to get up, get dressed and begin his long day. He runs through his entire day in his head and attempts to remember anything important he has to accomplish and whether or not he can skip school. As usual, he thinks of something Publications related. He makes a deal with himself, in exchange for going to school, he’ll be allowed to sleep for an extra fifteen minutes. With both parties being in agreement, he slips back into slumber. Fifteen minutes pass by, and the door opens and his younger cousin Charles flicks the light on. The day has officially begun for Justin Adkins.

Justin continues to lie in bed for another five minutes. Reaching over to pick up his phone to check-up on any news that happened throughout the night. He checks his favorite tech-news sites and reads anything that catches his attention. He pauses the music that he fell asleep to and that continued to play though the night. It just so happened to be the soundtrack from Lord of the Rings the Return of the King, his favorite. Now completely awake, he quickly gets dressed. It’s already 6:37 and he plans on going to the Duke today. A half-dressed Charles barges into his room and asks if they are going to the

Duke this morning, Justin replies with a grumpy attitude. It’s warm out today, there was no need to start his car to let it warm-up, but he did so anyway. He found his keys in their usual spot at the end of the bed, and started his car with the remote start. Just finished getting ready, put on his shoes, grabbed his laptop bag and did one last mental checklist. “Phone, wallet, keys… I’m good.” He yelled to

Charles that he was leaving and headed for the door. He set the security system behind him as Charles

A Day in the Life 20 Senior Portfolio • • • and he got into the car. It was nice and toasty in the car, Justin turned off the heat for a few moments.

He put his 1999 Ford Taurus into reverse, and backed down the driveway.

He stopped at the Duke on his way to school. It was a twelve to fifteen minute drive depending on the traffic and how much of a hurry Justin was in to get to school. After sometime trying to decide on what he wanted, he settled on two Gatorades and a bag of chips. Charles got his usual 16-oz coffee for a dollar. Justin didn’t have cash on him so he decided to charge it. He checked the clock as he walked out of the gas station, it was 7:02, early for most people, but Justin liked to arrive at school around 7:15. Car rides to school are usually very quiet. As he got back into the car, Justin was surprised to find that the heat was still warm as he turned it back onto full blast. Normally it would get cold as the car idled. He put the car into drive and continued on his way to school. As he dropped Charles off at the middle school, Charles told him that he was going to ride the bus home. Justin had already figured he would. As Justin pulled into the High school parking lot, he looked around to see who had already arrived, no one that he was interested in. Justin pulled into his parking space, turned off his car, and sat in his car for a few moments. It was only 7:12. He had a few minutes to kill before heading in and seeing if Ms. Weaver needed any copies run for the morning. He was her mod 1 teacher helper, and tried to always be helpful. It was in his nature to be helpful. He had thought that his ability to take orders, be helpful and run errands would make him a great secretary one day. He decided to just go ahead and head into the school. With laptop bag over his shoulder, bag of Gatorades and chips in one hand, and cellphone in the other, he walked into the high school.

A Day in the Life 21 Senior Portfolio • • • One Medium Sized Suitcase If I had to leave home forever, I was only able to pack items that could fit into a medium-sized suitcase, the first item that I would for sure take, would have to be my cellphone. This device is my connection to the world, and I never go anywhere without it.

I would of course have to pack an extra set or two of clothes. I wouldn't need a whole lot, just two shirts, two pairs of shorts, a pair of jeans and three boxers and sets of socks. I never leave home without extra boxers and socks. I hate when I'm staying over at a friend’s house and I have to borrow their socks because I didn't pack enough.

I would pack my Lord of the Rings book along with some of my other movies and video games.

If I took my video games, I would definitely have to take my Xbox. It's not that big, so I would still have enough room for over things.

I would also take my fireproof safe. It's a little briefcase style safe that has a handle and requires a key. In it, I keep my important documents such as my birth certificate and social security card. Along with blank checks, all of my bank information and things that I hold close to my heart such as a little music box that has a picture of my blind grandfather and my mom holding me as a baby. (Surprisingly, it still works!)

I would also pack a stuffed bunny rabbit that I use to sleep when I lived with my great- grandma. It's white with blue overalls and a pink nose. I don't remember if I eve named him, but someday, I would like to pass it down to my children and them to theirs.

One Medium Sized Suitcase 22 Senior Portfolio • • •

I'd also pack a couple of pens, paper and

my Hobbit Journal. When I purchased it at the

start of the semester, I was really looking forward

to writing in it every single day, however that

didn't happen. It was hard to find time to just sit

down and write for ten to fifteen minutes every

day. However, if I were really stressed or

depressed, I would write in it before I went to bed

to try and clear my thoughts.

Me at the age of two.

I’ve grown so much since then. I’ve had my share of hardships, but I’ve also had more than my share of positive experiences. I’ve never been one to express my emotions, I prefer to keep them bottled up.

One Medium Sized Suitcase 23 Senior Portfolio • • • List of Lists People who have influenced me…

• My family • Rebekah Yzenski • Whitney Weaver • Morgan Martin • Douglas Cattran • Greg Booth • The Founding Fathers of America

Places that make me happy…

• Classical music & movie soundtracks • Lord of the Rings • Coding • My friends (Devyn, Daniel, Tyler, Evan, Haley) • Nature walks in the woods • Deep, intellectual conversations with Devyn, Daniel & Tyler • The feeling of getting something done early (accomplishment) • Making others laugh and smile

Places I would like to go…

• England • France • Seattle, WA • Washington D.C. • Great Wall of China • New Zealand • New York • Mt. Rushmore

Things that worry me…

• If I’ll be successful in life • If I’ll be a good father • If I’m making the right decision about my career • Whether or not I’m being a good friend • If I’ll ever find true love • If I’ll die one day and not be remembered for anything

Things I would like to know how to do…

• How to fix a car • How to build a house • How to file my taxes • How to fly a plane

List of Lists 24 Senior Portfolio • • •

• How to draw like Picasso • How to write like Shakespeare Things that have moved me… • When you see two old people that are in love • Friends ability to put their life on hold to help you with yours • Devoting one’s life to a single cause or issue • One’s ability to love and care for someone else more than themself • True love that lasts a lifetime

Ideas that intrigue me…

• Politics • Accounting • Calligraphy • American Revolution • Political figures • Medieval times and castles

My personal favorites…

• Quoting Lord of the Rings • Writing with ink pens in a medieval-style handwriting • My Windows Phone and technology • Taking long drives nowhere • Falling asleep while listening to classical music • Long, hot showers after a stressful day

Things in people which I like…

• Loyalty to one another • Compassion for others • Ability to forgive and give second changes • Ability to put ones needs and desires before your own • Ability to want to change the world and make a difference • Ability to stand up for what they believe in

Things in people, which I dislike…

• Dishonesty • Ability to think only of themselves • Ability to not accept people for who they are • Ability to not care when they have hurt someone else’s feelings who haven’t done anything them Ability to just not care about their actions • Ability to not take advantage of every opportunity they are given

List of Lists 25 Senior Portfolio • • • Remembrance of Things Present

In twenty years from now, I want to remember how simple my life was. I went to school, I got decent grades, and I was able to do what I want without parental permission. I was given lots of responsibility at a young age, and I was a respected person.

I loved coding. I loved making applications and I would feel so accomplished and proud of myself when

I would be stuck on a problem and would figure it out without the use of Bing. I wanted to read so badly, but was never able to find the time. Instead, I would listen to Audiobooks. When I was sad or depressed, I would take walks by myself in the woods. I’d either listen to classical music while walking or let the sounds of nature calm me down. I didn’t really get depressed often, only when thinking about the future and what it held. Thinking of all the possible outcomes of my future often kept me awake.

I never want to forget having lunch with Evan, Devyn, Haley, Ellie, Renee, Parker and Savanah and all the nicknames that we had for the people in our lunch, nor the times I would make Evan laugh uncontrollably, or the secret Santa our lunch table had and I got Haley a Subway gift card because I forgot and Haley and Evan got my a “I love Sally” t-shirt and mug and Devyn a “I love Becky” t-shirt and mug, or the times when Daniel and I would randomly decide to go to the movies and have to try and convince his mother to let him go. Or the time

Daniel and I took Tyler out to dinner for his 18th birthday and went to the Lion’s Den afterwards, or my first time drinking on New Year’s Eve, or how I spent weeks deciding how I was going to ask Devyn to Prom, or spending

Mod 2 in Mrs. Yzenski’s room. Or my cousin and I being impressed that it only took us 10 minutes to get ready in the mornings, how I would cry so easily when watching chick-flicks, or all of the stupid accents I would do throughout the day, or going to get the mail every day when I was an office helper, or when I would do my

“fanny-dance” for Emily Snider and Sara Crist.

Remembrance of Things Present 26 Senior Portfolio • • • The Perfect Present The perfect present that I could be given would have to be either greater patience or greater self-control. I think these are two important qualities to have in life, and while I have them both to a certain extent, it’s not as much as I would like.

If I had greater self-control, I would mostly exercise it when purchasing things. When I am at any store, I will find something that I like and immediately, I want it. I will immediately see if I can afford it and usually I’m able too. However, there are times when I’m not able to afford it, and I will go ahead with the purchase anyways.

If I had greater patience, I would use them every day. I think that I am already a patient person; however, I would like to be even more patient. I find myself sometimes getting annoyed with people very easily when I am interrupted. I also tend to lose my temper very easily when dealing with children who don’t do what you ask of them. I like kids. I want to have at least two of them, but I hate when little kids, between the ages of four and nine, cry and whine for no reason. For example: when a kid cries because he wants to play the game, but you tell him/her no. Then they processed to whine and cry until you give in or until they decide that it’s a hopeless effort.

The Perfect Present 27 Senior Portfolio • • • The Door

When I walk out that door, I don’t want…

To fail. I don’t want know that I’m headed down the wrong path and that I shall amount to nothing. I don’t want to hurt my relationship with those who are close to me. I don’t want to lose contact with my close high school friends. I don’t want to do something that is irreversible. I don’t want to throw away my life and spit on the numerous chances that I’ve been given to do right. I don’t want to start a family and not be able to provide for them. I don’t want to hurt anyone even though sometimes it’s inevitable. I don’t want to know that

I’ve wasted my time.

When I walk out that door, I want…

To take what I’ve learned, apply it to my life, and change the world. I want to leave a lasting impression on this world when I die. I want to change the way our government works, I want to make life better for the everyday citizen. I want every human being to love and be loved in return. I want every child to grow up in a loving household with a mother and a father, I want to restore the faith of the American people in Government. I want to end world hunger and cure cancer. I want to make sure everyone has a best friend and that they can talk to someone.

While on my death bed, I want to be able to know that I made a difference in this world, that I used my time wisely, that I made life better for someone, and to know that my memory is going to live on.

The Door 28 Senior Portfolio • • • Valuable Lessons 1 Take responsibility for your actions. – You and you alone are responsible for your actions. No

one can tell you what to do and how to do it. Others may give you advice and “tell” you

what to do, but the decision is ultimately yours. With that being said, if you make a bad

decision, you need to own up to it.

2 Actions speak louder than words. – You can preach all day that you are not a murder. But if

you turn around a shoot someone in cold blood, you’re a murder.

3 The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. – Be happy with what you have. Don’t change

your life around just because it may appear something else would make you happier.

4 The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. – Everything’s not a race.

Just because you ﬁnish something ﬁrst doesn’t mean you’re smarter than everyone else.

Don’t race to your destination, because chances are you’ll miss all the beauty along the way.

5 “Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends.” –

Gandalf the Grey – If there is one thing I’ve learned from Morgan Martin, it’s that you

should never judge people based on their appearance. You never truly know what bales

they are ﬁghting within or at home. Even though I still judge people, and sometimes

harshly, I try to keep this in mind.

6 Don’t be ashamed of your past. It’s who you are. Embrace It. – At times in my life, I’ve found

myself regreing my past. Wishing that I had had a “normal” childhood. Complete with a

loving mother and father. I didn’t. However, that didn’t make me weaker. It made me

stronger. I’ve dealt with a lot more stuﬀ emotionally than most other kids.

7 No one can make us feel inferior without our consent. – Don’t always take what people say

about you to heart. There are going to be people who like you, and those that don’t. The

ones who like you may praise your name, while others will spread your faults around like

wildﬁre.

8 There are three kinds of people. Those who can count, and those who can’t. – People are just plain

stupid. They make stupid decisions and do stupid things.

9 Don’t sweat the pey things, and don’t pet the sweaty things. – I have lots of experience with

this. Don’t freak out over the smallest details. Don’t become stressed about the small things,

Valuable Lessons 29 Senior Portfolio • • •

instead freak out about the bigger ones!

10 Don’t let your victories go to your head, or your failures go to your heart. – Don’t focus too much

on your failures. Everyone makes mistakes and fail from time-to-time. You just have to

learn how to pick yourself back up, and move on. On that same note, you can’t like your

victories make you cocky and bigheaded.

My great grandma and I.

This woman may have done more for me than any other person in my entire life. I was her first great-grandchild and, she will admit, I’m her favorite. If I ever need anything she would get it for me in a heartbeat. I’ve always felt bad about moving to Somerset because I knew her health was failing, and I was moving away from her. One of the saddest moments I’ve ever experienced was when she was in the hospital my senior year. I walked into her room and immediately started crying. She was out of it, and thought that I had come to tell her that my great- grandfather had died. Even though I don’t talk to her as much as I should or would like to, I love her with all of my heart. She is one of the strongest and most generous women I’ve ever met.

Valuable Lessons 30 Senior Portfolio • • • Carpe Diem

Before I die, I’d like to accomplish these things:

1) I want to graduate from high school. Even though I know that I’m going to graduate, I still

fear in my heart that I might fail. To me, it’s still a possibility that I’ll fail and become a

super-senior and will amount to nothing.

2) Find a loving wife and start a family. I want more than anything to have a loving family. I

want a moderately big house with a nice yard for the kids to play in.

3) Get a job at Microsoft. I’ve always wanted to get a job at Microsoft working in the

Windows Phone department. I have a very unhealthy relationship with my Windows

Phone. What better way to support my relationship, then working with the very people

who created it?

4) Travel to England. I’ve always wanted to go to England, and one day, I will. I had an

opportunity to go through the People to People Student Foundation but it was too

expensive to attend. We would have gone to England, Denmark and other surrounding

countries.

5) Either become leader of a company or own my own company. Whether it’s a professional

company that makes millions of dollars or just a company name that I use to publish small

applications, I’d love to own my own company. If I did, it would most likely be a software

company that created applications for mobile devices such as Windows Phone or iOS. If I

Carpe Diem 31 Senior Portfolio • • • wasn’t able to own my own company, I could settle for being the CEO or owner of a different company. If I was a CEO of a fortune 500 company, I wouldn’t be like most CEO’s and just sit on a big huge pile of cash, I’d donate it to those who could actually use it.

Carpe Diem 32 Senior Portfolio • • • Visually Speaking – Favorite Meme’s

Visually Speaking – Favorite Meme’s 33 Senior Portfolio • • • Personal Symbol

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love Lord of the Rings. I love the movies, books, soundtracks and anything related. One item that means a lot to me was given to me by my ex- girlfriend Sam Miller. She gave it to me for my 17th birthday, and it is perhaps one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten.

Her present for me was a copy of the Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers and Return of the

King bound into one red book hardback that comes with a hard sleeve and a map of Middle- earth. They’re gold and blue designs on the front and back. The pages are very thin with black text and red headers and page number on each page. The book totals more than 1200 pages, and weights almost five pounds.

I didn’t really need this gift when I got it, but I wanted it so badly. I had looked into buying a copy, but it was around $200. She had gotten on the internet and talked to her Father, and as luck would have it, his wife had a very copy of the book I wanted.

Personal Symbol 34 Senior Portfolio • • • Metaphorical Definitions

1. Satisfaction is being proud of something you’ve created and not being able to wait to

show off.

2. Excitement is when the thought of a person or action brings butterflies to your stomach

and causes your heart to speed up.

3. Laughter is the pain in your side and the tears running down your aching cheeks.

4. Trust is when you tell someone your deepest and darkest secrets.

5. Sadness is when you just want to be alone and away from the world.

6. Relaxation is laying in the grass and listening to the sounds of nature.

7. Dedication is putting something before yourself.

8. Love is the inability to go a single day without thinking about a specific person.

9. Friendship is when you are willing to do anything for someone without thought.

10. Motivation is the fear of your worst nightmares becoming reality.

Metaphorical Definitions 35 Senior Portfolio • • • Annual Report Compared to where I was a year ago today, I would say that I am in a much better place. Today, I have decided on what I want to do with my life, and have created goals for myself to complete for the next year. I think I’ve grown a lot these past three years, and even more in the past year. I think I’ve matured and really have gotten a sense of who I am and my outlook on life. I’ve had the ability of working with people in a business environment and even held a leadership position. I’ve dealt with both success and failures, and deadlines. I experienced not liking people and people not liking me, but still having to work together. I’ve dealt with having to say goodbyes. I’ve also a lot of stuff that will help me later in life, such as how to handle my finances and other things of that nature.

In a year from now I hope to be successful in college and working either as an intern somewhere or have a part-time job. I hope to have a girlfriend or at least a companion of sorts.

Someone who I can talk to on a daily basis. I hope to have remained in contact with my close friends from high school, and to see them regularly. I hope to have a small amount of cash saved for emergencies. I hope that I will have set aside whatever feelings I have towards my mother and forgive her. I hope that I will become closer to my family, even though we are separated my distance.

I have many hopes, dreams and goals for the next year. I hope that I when I look back on these autobiographies a year from now I’ll have completed those goals and some more.

Annual Report 36 Senior Portfolio • • • Deck of 52 – Things I want to be when I grow up 1. Computer programmer 40. News anchor 2. Network Administrator 41. Police Oﬃcer 3. History teacher 42. Librarian 4. President 43. Stand-up comedian 5. Supreme Court Justice 44. Actor 6. Senator/Congressman 45. Professional cook 7. School principal 46. Mailman 8. Surgeon 47. Astronaut 9. CEO of Microsoft 48. Web blogger 10. Doctor 49. Graphic designer 11. Pilot 50. Horse rider 12. Database Administrator 51. Volunteer 13. Secretary 52. Best friend, wonderful father and loving husband 14. Architect 15. Journalist 16. Webpage Designer 17. Windows Phone developer 18. Accountant 19. Salesman 20. Owner of my own business 21. Bank teller 22. Engineer 23. Crazy cat man 24. High school guidance councilor 25. Therapist 26. Relationship councilor 27. Psychiatrist 28. Technology teacher 29. Director 30. Writer 31. Stay at home dad 32. Owner/Manager of a restaurant 33. Judge 34. Lawyer 35. Social Worker 36. Customer Service representative 37. State law maker 38. Governor 39. Dog trainer

Deck of 52 – Things I want to be when I grow up 37