December, 2022
By Dayana Quezada and Josselin Trejo, Staff Reporters
Junior Giselle Vazquez-Herrera will never forget the day she learned she has the top-ranked GPA in the class of 2024. It felt like any other normal day in junior seminar, when she was checking her GPA and class rank. Giselle did not expect much. When she opened the spreadsheet, she immediately scrolled down and was so confused when she could not find her ID number. As she slowly scrolled up, she almost shut her computer when seeing her rank. It was unexpected to her since she mostly only focused on keeping her grades up and not on “being on top.” She was confident her rank would be high, but she had no idea should be on track to be the class Valedictorian. Of course, she knows this rank is not guaranteed so it was not as impactful as it would have been in senior year. She will provide her best effort to maintain it, or at least stay up there this year.
We each individually have a support system, and Giselle’s are her parents. Her parents are very supportive of the decisions she makes and trusts that she will make smart choices for her future. They create a healthy environment for her to expand her aptitudes and express any concerns which she is truly grateful for. When in doubt, she is comfortable seeking out their advice. They have consistently proved themselves to be her #1 supporters and always look out for her well-being. Her parents do not view her as a simple percentage on a report card, a trait of theirs that she greatly appreciates.
Looking past this, Giselle claims she has her days just like the rest of us. Throughout her academic trajectory, there have been plenty of times when she would have rather ignored her responsibilities and focused on the present, however, her parents’ sacrifices have kept her motivated during those times. Giselle has struggled with procrastination for years and has been actively attempting to improve in that area, especially this year with the overwhelming amount of assignments. She likes to remind herself that procrastination is a common struggle and should not control her work ethic. Keeping up with her agenda and planning out her future step by step has helped her procrastinate less.
Along with procrastination comes managing your time. Giselle Vazquez as well has to manage time. She gives us an insight into how she manages time. Throughout these past two years, her studying sessions were reserved for late hours of the night. Her schedule always has to line up with her mother’s since she lacks transportation, thus restricting the flexibility of her hours. This year, she found herself with significantly less time for herself. Despite this, every day she makes sure to include time spent with family. Knowing that she is approaching college soon, she wishes to spend as much time as possible with her parents and younger siblings. To manage this turmoil of tasks, she attempts to create a realistic schedule that she can commit to. By doing this, she keeps herself in check while prioritizing what is important.
We all need someone who inspires us and helps us grow into better people, Giselle has her father as a role model. Her father’s guidance made her who she is today. As cliche as it sounds, his constant sacrifices provide her with more than sufficient motivation for any activity she puts her mind to. The person he is has strongly influenced the values she upholds and the person she wants to become. From him, she has learned to not let her emotions control the outcome of her efforts and to sacrifice comfort for success. All of her achievements are the results of the rigorous labor her father does daily.
After high school. There are so many paths one can take, programs, college, etc. Giselle says, following high school, she would like to go into an out-of-state university to major in political science or urban planning. During those years, she hopes to obtain opportunities such as studying abroad or paid internships. After graduating, her goal is to make it into law school to become an immigration lawyer. She will work hard to become the lawyer she envisions herself being and travel to places her parents dreamed of.
As a valedictorian hopeful Giselle is grateful for what she has achieved and plans to soar after high school. The advice she would like to share with those who are reading this is to always prioritize your mental health and give your best efforts no matter the results.
The Cardinal Post 