2002-2003
Essay 2002-2003
2002-2003 Essay Contest Winners:
My Future Flight
Bryan Gilmartin
I sat in my cockpit peering out of the canopy of my F-15 Eagle. The sun's reflection upon the ocean's surface was stunningly beautiful. The waves crashed against a giant vessel below, but all was silent at Mach 1. I was on a mission to investigate reports of activity in a restricted forest near a sensitive military base. I set my high speed cameras in motion as I cruised inches over the tree tops. I saw....
My career goal is to attend the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and become a Navy Seal. I would like to serve my country. I want to be in the Navy SEAL program because I would like to learn more than one form of combat. 'SEAL' stands for sea, land and air. If I become a Navy SEAL I would become a pilot, learn seamanship and man to man combat.
Trying to become a Navy Seal is a rigorous test that is both physical and mental in nature. Very few will ever complete the program which is structured into four phases. The difficulty increases as the candidate progresses. The initial training focuses on physical conditioning in running, swimming and obstacle courses. The program then moves into diving and increased physical conditioning. If you are able to continue, you enter technical education on land navigation, small unit tactics and underwater explosives. Finally the surviving candidate enters the practical application phase of all he has learned. This takes place on San Clemente Island. If you are still in the group when you finish the San Clemente Island drill you are officially a Navy Seal.
I felt I could become a Navy Seal after evaluating the requirements. The talents required are the ability to work on a team, good stamina, and most importantly, excellent leadership skills. I feel that I have all of these skills to some degree. I work on a team very well. I played on many team sports since I was six years old. I have good stamina. I physically train three times a week. I am also a willing leader, but realize that I must step up to the plate and out of my comfort zone in order to grow in this area. I have good role models in both my family and teachers.
I plan to reach my goal by studying hard in school and getting good grades. I know that it is important to apply myself in all subjects. I also know that I must stay on task and be organized. All my options are created from a solid education. If I continue on this path I will be able to attend the high school of my choice, St. Josephs. I feel by attending St. Joseph's High School I will increase my chances of being accepted in the Naval Academy. I realize that this goal hinges on my continued hard work in both my studies and physical conditioning.
.... my target came into focus and I snapped the pictures that needed to be sent back to headquarters. I was soaring through the vibrant sky and my future was bright and my dream realized.
Scott Neglia, May 21, 2003
ROTARY ESSAY
Close your eyes and picture yourself strolling down a muddy, dirt road in the most devastated third world country you know. Suddenly, an unmarked, jet black van pulls up along side you. A few men climb out of the rear of the filthy, dirt covered vehicle and surround you. The men are dressed in full army fatigue and are armed to the teeth. One of the men asks if you are involved in any government opposing activities in the community. Puzzled by the question, you pause and then deny the accusation. The strange man asks you again, this time the question is asked in a stronger tone of voice as he reaches for something in his pocket. Again, you deny the accusation and ask who the man is and where he is from. An associate of the man asking the questions takes out a baton and strikes your knees. The painful blow knocks you to the ground, where the men mercilessly beat you to the brink of death. Open your eyes and replay the instance in your head. Similar instances of this type brutality and severe human rights violations occur everyday in the most ravaged and even a few successful countries that occupy the world. Instances like these and constant oppression of people internationally have influenced me to become a worker for the Human Rights Watch organization. I feel if my reporting of human rights abuses and notifying officials about them can possibly make the world a better place to live in.
Human Rights Watch is an organization that reports about human rights violations and abuses throughout the world and then brings the violators to justice. This organization employs countless people worldwide. Thousands of people have been trialed because of this organization and its extensive research. The organization has also influenced many to change their views on some topics that are white washed by the media.
This program is well suited for me because I have always wanted to experience and tend to the grief of others that suffer horrendous lives. Even as fine as the world may seem today, it is not even close. Over one billion live on one United States dollar each day. Being an American, I know that my life is superior to more than one billion internationally and I feel it is my duty to help people less fortunate then me.
Lastly, the world needs help in order to turn its current policies around. "People are not just killed by death squads in El Salvador- they are decapitated and then their heads placed on pikes and used to dot the landscape," this according to a certain Reverend Santiago of El Salvador describing the vicious assaults on human rights in El Salvador today. The world is not perfect, not even close, and it requires extensive repair to its human rights, this is why I desire to join Human Rights Watch.
Spanish Class: Teacher Mrs. Yuknis
Cody Sumpter
January 8, 2003
The Perfect Career "For" Me
Ah, the smell of freshly mowed grass. Wow, the sight of lush, green nature all around. Thump! Whiz! The sound of a perfectly struck drive. Whenever I am out on the golf course, there are so many sensations to experience. For me, golfing provides wonderful feelings and many moments to remember. Even when I am not playing my best, I still love to be out on the course.
I enjoy playing the game of golf so much that my dream is to share these feelings with the young and the elderly, or anyone in between by being a professional golf instructor. I would feel great satisfaction seeing someone I have taught hitting their first good golf shot, or having one of my clients say to me, "Because of what you have taught me, I played the best round of my life!" I like teaching other people and I have a lot of patience, so I think that being a golf pro would be a great career for me. Being a golf pro would give me many opportunities to work and play with people who share the same passion as me.
As a golf pro, I would also be able to help underprivileged children learn the game of golf. It is fun to be around younger children and it would be very fulfilling to work with them to help them find this same love for the game. I could be a positive role model in the lives of many children. There are many organizations that were created for this purpose, such as the Tiger Woods Foundation and First Tee, and I think I could contribute greatly to these groups. I know that most kids are not as fortunate as I am, so I would like to help provide them great golf and life experiences.
My first step to becoming a professional golf instructor is to play golf at Somerville High School, to increase my knowledge of the fundamentals of the game. Then, I want to attend Wake Forest University and major in business administration, so I can learn how to market my own teaching business. Next, I want to go to a Professional Golf Association of America Golf School. At the PGA Golf School, I will have to complete a yearlong program of classes. To become a certified PGA instructor, I will then have to pass an examination. Certified PGA instructors are normally regarded as the best teachers in the country. Every five years I will have to renew my PGA certification by passing the examination again. This is how I plan on becoming a certified PGA instructor.
For me, being a golf pro is not about working at the best country club or having the richest clients, it is about helping people. My rewards will come when I help someone who has never picked up a golf club hit a perfect shot right down the middle of the fairway.
January 2003 Student of the Month Photo
What I Want to Be and How I Intend to Get There
By Stephanie Salazar
Who will I be? I drift deep into my endless imagination as I ponder this intriguing question. I pause and peer down toward the crowd of faces, smiling, waving, and laughing. A little unclear, but happy nonetheless. With a few more scribbled pages a few begin to trot along the lines. They make good use of the legs, tentacles, or wings I have given them, and as I watch them I can't help but laugh as a few stumble. Their comical expressions give them an identity, just as it would a real person. However, they are as real to me as the person next to me. They are mine, they are my characters, and they are my creations.
It's odd in a way, that such a small thing like drawing can make a difference in someone's life. I can remember being a small child watching my predecessor's work. I remember the pure delight that was brought to me, like a dream. People could fly, or be princesses, they were stories of triumph and happiness in the end, with the enduring message of dreams coming true. I am however aware that life isn't always a happy fairy tale ending the way one planned it. Yet nevertheless I believe that one has the power to change themselves and be the person they want to be as long as they have the will to achieve it. It can be frightening sometimes, to think about having to fly solo when all your life so far you've been depending on others, but sometimes one must forget their fears, because then they would never accomplish anything. I look now at my accomplishments so far. It feels as though I've begun a race, one that I do not intend to quit. If I were to quit I feel I would be cheating myself out of the best person I could be. It's going to be hard, but I'm ready to work for the achievement of maybe bringing a little happiness to someone else's life.
I wait for the day when my cartoons will premier on television and another little child's face will light up just as mine had all those years ago. I will look at all my colleagues and we all will hold our breath as we await the reviews on our show. I wonder now as I sit here and dream, if there are others like me doing the same.
I hope though, that I will succeed. It might take a while but I know I can do it, because even the smallest person can make a big difference.
December 2002 Student of the Mont
December 2002 Student of the Month
Lesley Feldman, Social Studies, Section 5,
What I Want to Be and How I Intend to Get There
The big day is finally here. The stakes are high. The fresh scent of churned dirt blinds your senses. The bells suddenly ring and the adrenaline charges. Your eyes scan the field of horses as they thunder down the homestretch. Congratulations! Your horse won! The feeling of pride within you swells your heart with happiness. You are a racehorse trainer.
Trainers are the backbone of the Thoroughbred racing industry. My career goal is to join the ranks of the world's premier racehorse trainers. To accomplish this, I have begun to spend time with these marvelous animals, have done a lot of reading about them and their trainers, and have spent countless hours on the Internet playing simulation games while researching this fascinating occupation.
I love horses. They are beautiful animals with an ancient history. Racing your friend on a sturdy horse is thrilling. Thoroughbreds are the most fun to ride, the most high-spirited, and the most high-strung of all the horse breeds. In order to share a tighter bond with a horse, it is necessary to spend time with him and ride him often. Thoroughbreds are high on my list because of the way they carry themselves. They are very easily spooked and there's never a dull moment around a rowdy Thoroughbred who thinks he owns the world. My close contact with these horses during a summer job at a stable and a workshop I attended last spring convinced me that I could enjoy the challenging life of a trainer.
Besides loving horses, I want to be a Thoroughbred racehorse trainer because of the mystery in it. Seattle Slew didn't have a bright future according to many of the "so-called experts" that surrounded him, but he ended up winning the 1977 Triple Crown. It's impossible to say whether or not you have a winner based solely on the bloodlines. In contrast to the 'Seattle Slews' of racing, there are some horses with impeccable bloodlines that never won over $10,000. Rarely has a colt sired by Secretariat won a Grade I Stakes Race.
Loving horses and the mystery in racing draws me to the sport. However, I also recognize that it takes a lot of hard work to train a young weanling into a sturdy two-year old. Most horses begin their racing careers when they are two and the horses need to be in top condition to lessen the chance of painful bone problems later in life. The training process starts with the foal's handler. To understand the process, let's talk about a typical colt, "Star". Star is weaned from his mother around seven months. Halter and lead training begin. After Star becomes a yearling, he is introduced to a saddle and a bridle. Trainers are very careful not to rush this stage, because this is where they can make or break a horse. At this stage some of the colts and fillies are sometimes sent to Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky to be auctioned off in the largest Thoroughbred auctions in the United States. Some of the fillies become broodmares and some of the colts are sold to foreign countries. The remaining colts and fillies are almost ready to go to the track.
By the time Star is about a year and a half old, he begins to learn the commands for racing. To accomplish this some trainers prefer a "Monty Roberts" training style by bonding with the horse through instilling trust prior to any actual training beginning. While other trainers prefer the more traditional way of handling which involves "breaking" the horse. Breaking the horse amounts to the trainer forcing a horse to understand that the trainer is to be feared and obeyed. This is not the method that I would want to use. I would follow the teachings of Monty Roberts, one of this country's most successful trainers. At one and a half years old, Star is ready for the professional racehorse trainer, but he doesn't know "woah" and "go" yet. The best way to train Star is to take the crop a jockey will use and tickle his sensitive spots, like the flank. This will create a more positive feeling about the crop and the jockey won't actually have to use it. He'll just have to show it to the horse.
For Star, the big day is finally here. This is his first race, his maiden race, and no other will be as exciting for him as this one is. As Star's trainers taught him, he shoots out of the gate and thunders down the track. Star wins his maiden race and goes on to bigger and better things. The lessons he learned as a foal and a yearling will go on with him through life and he will never forget the gentle hands that guided him along the way.
To become a successful Thoroughbred trainer, I will need to take biology and chemistry in high school to obtain the foundation in the sciences that will help me to better understand the physical characteristics of the horse; what makes it thrive and win. I'll need to get a solid background in math, so that I can calculate the many statistics associated with breeding and racing. Meanwhile, I'll be attending riding lessons at Lord Sterling Stables in Basking Ridge. There, I will learn how to become a better rider and an all-around better horsewoman. Back at school, I will apply to colleges my junior year. I have already identified a small college in northern New Jersey named Centenary College that has a nationally recognized equine program that includes: equine business classes, training, therapeutic riding instructor training, and communication in the equine industry. I will need to make a video of myself riding if I wish to get into the equine studies portion of Centenary. Upon graduation with my degree still hot in my hand, I will race to the tracks. From what I have read, it is best to hang around the stables and the tracks to watch the professionals train, then practice what you see works. Of course, I definitely predict a move to Kentucky - the heart of the Thoroughbred Racing Industry. From there, who knows? Maybe, I'll find a colt and name him "Star".
Language Arts P.6 - Mrs. Fisher's class
Christie Denizio
October 21, 2002
Sketching the Future
Sitting in class, the minutes crawl by and my mind wanders from the day's lesson. I am absorbed in my miniature masterpiece. Doodles litter and crowd the page around my messy notes. A small world within itself has been formed on my page and I alone am the creator. My teacher begins to explain how today's lesson will help us in our future careers. Upon hearing that statement, I begin to draw a portrait of myself, older and taller. I wonder where I will be in ten years. The thought is stifling. Ten years seems so far away, but still I wonder.
My mind races and my hand begins zooming around my page. My pencil outlines, shades, and highlights my thoughts. My pencil hesitates for a second as I try to decide how to draw my next doodle. In a way the future is like a sketch, a plan and certain preparations are needed, just as you need a plan for your future. I begin to form the face, nose, and eyes, and in the middle of my picture I realize what it is that I love most; visual arts. In ten years, I hope that in my career I will be able to utilize my artistic talents. There are so many possibilities for my pencil and me to explore.
My attention turns away from my current artwork and the teacher's words prick my attention. The class discussion is now focused on the ways in which one can achieve their goals. I look down at my drawing. To create my sketch it took work and concentration, and that is exactly what I need to follow my plan and achieve my goal of someday becoming an artist.
As I finish my picture; adding the hair, shading the cheekbones and the insides of the ears, I think about what it will take to achieve my dream of becoming an artist: Hard work, practice, years of schooling, knowledge of anatomy, knowledge of math calculations, and of course my imagination. The most important asset to my plan however, is the will to never give up.
My sketch is complete. It is just a mere doodle on my page, one more sketch among hundreds of sketches in my notebook. Then, my attention turns away, from my doodles, from my teacher, to the sound of the bell. I am on to the rest of the school day and on to my future.
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