ANIYAH PLEASANT, MIDDLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL School Board District 1
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ANIYAH PLEASANT, MIDDLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL School Board District 1 Good afternoon everyone, my name is Aniyah Pleasant, and I am a graduating junior at Middle College High School. It is an honor to be here today to represent Local District West and all of LAUSD’s brilliant graduates in the Class of 2017. We all worked hard to get to this point, but we did not accomplish this on our own. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who’ve paved the way for us to succeed. For that reason, I am so grateful and humbled to have the opportunity to share my story with you all. With that being said, I would like to thank my wonderful principal, Betty Washington, and LAUSD’s superintendent, Michelle King. I’d also like to acknowledge and give thanks to our Board Members: Dr. McKenna, from my district, Ms. García, Mr. Schmerelson, Dr. Rodriguez, Ms. Ratliff, Dr. Vladovic, and board President Steve Zimmer. You all may be thinking: She’s graduating as a junior? How did she do it? Well, from 8 in the morning to 9:30 at night, I criss-crossed between classes at Middle College High School and Los Angeles Southwest College, and I took advantage of all educational opportunities possible. I had seven high school classes and nine college units on my plate and I was ready to devour them all and ask for seconds the following semester. This was my freshman year in high school. No one told me I had to pile my plate that high, but I did because I was – and still am – hungry for knowledge. Along with my required high school classes, I took Psychology 1, History 11, and Economics 1 and passed every single class with flying colors. I repeated this same routine during my sophomore year and this school year. I even took college courses during summer sessions because I knew that with the completion of each course, I would be thrust closer to my goals and my graduation. Throughout high school, I have been able to successfully juggle volleyball, working at Baskin Robbins, taking AP classes, serving on Senior Council, volunteering in my community, and running my own non-profit organization, Pleasant Proffers. In addition, I've been exceptionally active in attending leadership conferences alongside my principal, Ms. Washington, and even had the opportunity to meet Ms. García at the Young Women’s Political and Civic Leadership Conference and Dr. McKenna at LAUSD’s Fourth-Quarter Collaborative meeting in 2016. All of these things may seem very intimidating for a high school student, but the busy schedule and the late nights were never obstacles for me – they were motivation. The school activities, volunteer jobs, and extracurriculars shaped me to be the well-rounded young woman that I am today. The hard work, dedication, and persistence I showed at Middle College High School were proof that we are capable of achieving any and all things we put our minds to. In addition to graduating as a high school junior, I will be graduating with my Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum, better known as the IGET-C. This means that not only will I be entering college at 17, I will have the units of a sophomore in college at the age of 17. This fall, I will be taking my high school diploma and my IGET-C certification to the University of California, San Diego, to study Human Biology. The next time I’ll be giving a graduation speech, I’ll be earning my Bachelor of Science degree and beginning Medical School shortly after. You know? I decided at a very young age that I was going to be someone -- someone who would be able to make a difference in others’ lives. I’ve had the pleasure of cultivating change in my community with love and tackling the issues of homelessness and hunger with my non-profit. However, my true passion is the power of women and the fact that women create life. Each and every one of us came from strong mothers. For this very reason, my ultimate career goal is to become an obstetrician and assist these women in that final stage of creating life – birth! With my college education and a career as an OB/GYN, I will be able to aid and educate women in my neighborhood. Thus, college is essential in my journey of becoming the catalyst in transforming and enhancing the city where I was raised. The importance of my college education is not limited to the infinite amount of knowledge that I will gain but is significant because of the infinite amount of love and knowledge that I will give back to my community. Graduation marks the beginning of a new chapter. After high school, each student embarks on their different journeys in life with the common goal of success in mind. These journeys will not be easy, as they will pose many obstacles. However, we will not let these obstacles intimidate us; we will use them as motivation and persevere. There are a myriad of choices available to us upon graduating, but we will find our own paths in life. One big lesson I learned throughout high school is that life is so much better when I do all the things that I love and follow my passions no matter how hard they may be. Having said that, I would like to share with you my “senior quote: “You can do anything you put your mind to … I did this in three years.” Thank you. ERIKA ODETTE MILLANES, ABRAHAM LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL School Board District 2 Hello, my name is Erika Odette Millanes, I would like to wish you all a warm welcome today and thank you for the honor of speaking before you. I would like to acknowledge the superintendent, Michelle King, Our board members: Dr. George McKenna, Mónica García, Scott Schmerelson, Steve Zimmer, Dr. Ref Rodriguez, Mónica Ratliff, Dr. Richard Vladovic, and last but not least Jefferson Crain. I would also like to recognize my principal at Abraham Lincoln Senior High School, Mr. Jose Torres. I am absolutely honored to be representing Abraham Lincoln Senior High School. For those who do not know where Lincoln is, it is located in northeast Los Angeles in a small community of Lincoln Heights where people dream big. Lincoln Heights is a predominantly Latino community located near Chinatown, adding to the diversity, rich cultural history and delicious food. This community may not always be highlighted in the news for its achievements, safety or wealth, but Lincoln Heights has provided me with love, nourishment and tools to succeed. Lincoln Heights is more than a community to me, it is home, and it is what I represent in my words and actions, now and forever in my life’s journey. When I first transferred to Lincoln my junior year, the change was unwelcomed due to all the turbulence in my life. As a Mexican-American student and the daughter of immigrant parents, the road to graduation has not been easy. My parents migrated from Mexico 31 years ago, leaving their friends, family and everything they knew. I cannot thank them enough for the sacrifice that ripped them apart from their loved ones, in order to provide opportunities for their children. My parents have always been the face of selflessness and bravery. One of the many lessons my parents have taught me is that sacrifice is imperative while attempting to positively transform people's lives. The road that my parents and I have walked has been rocky. In the summer of 2013, I was 10 years old when my mother was diagnosed with a tumor in her stomach which needed to be surgically removed as soon as possible. As a result, my father and siblings were busy working. This emotional hardship was augmented by the financial strain of having one less paycheck each month. I felt like my whole world was collapsing with just the thought that I might lose my mom. Thankfully, my mother overcame another obstacle in the face of unfavorable odds that has shaped our family into the people we are today. Nothing is easy in life, at least not for me, but that has not been an excuse to slack off or give up. I understand that everything I do will determine my impact on this world and serve as an example to my family and community of the importance of sacrifice and hard work. Not only do I wish to be a role model to students with similar struggles as me, but I want my parents to see that their sacrifice was not in vain. My journey to graduation began with the selflessness of my parents and will continue to gain momentum as they inspire me every day to be better, work harder and to fight for what I believe I deserve. Every road for each person is different and mine happened to lead me to right here, right now but all of this was no accident. Despite enduring similar challenges, many students have accomplished goals just like me! I will be accomplishing one of the major milestones of my life: high school graduation. This has been an act not only of personal commitment, but also one of pride. A high school diploma is a wonderful tool in this world, one that opens many doors of opportunities for anyone who has worked hard enough for one. But graduation is not an end goal in itself; it is instead a part of the larger journey of life.