Si Se Puede?

I went to the hispanic heritage youth awards, where I recieved a 2000 dollar grant for academic excellence. It was a pretty fun ceremony, and exceded expectations. Fez from That 70's show and Carla from Scrubs gave me my award. It was pretty cool, pictures to follow.

http://hispanicheritage.org/youth_det.php?aw=1&id=1810
The bio they read.

Sitting there, I realized I'm totally disconnected from hispanic culture, or any culture at all really, and I don't care. I think "culture" is highly overrated. What does it even mean exactly? Every person wil give you a different answer. I love and respect my family, and I'm proud of how they raised me and their sacrifices, but that isn't "culture." I'm grateful for the money the organization gave me, but I'm really just playing the game set before me, I'm using all the advantages set before me, one of which is the fact that I'm 50% Venezuelan. Culture isn't food or language or movies or music, I think that it is just a method of reverse stereotyping. Yelling into a microphone about how Ceasar Chavez inspired you, or crying because of what your parents gave up to get you here is a good thing, but it isn't culture, and I don't think it reflects someone's "latinoness." Why can't we be just people? With our own families and tastes. Why does everything have to be culture, why do we have to unite as latinos? I for one do not embrace my latinoness, I embrace the accomplishments of my family and as a people, not as a certain race. We are all God's people anyways, its not like there is a latino heaven.

Letter to my past self

Dear Freshman Trent,

First off, be impressed that I took time from my extensive senioritis to write this letter to you. No matter how many times you tell yourself that you like school too much, and that this will never happen to you, it will. Its glorious. And don't listen to all those Juniors and Sophomores who say they have senioritis now, they don't know what they are talking about.

Push yourself. Do more than you think you can. I know it'll be tempting to just skate along, but don't. Don't let a few adversarial teachers bring you down. You'll encounter more than your fair share of them over your four years, espcially your senior year. There is just a bigger microscope on you because of our Dad working there. You're good enough to prove them all wrong.

I know AP classes seem scary, and Honors English isn't your thing, but really you are meant for them. You tell youreself that you will never be one of those crazy seniors who is taking all AP classes, but spoiler alert, you will be, and you'll love it. School is what you are made to do, embrace it.

Do what you want to do, and don't do what you don't. Don't let anyone else dictate what activities you want to do. At the same time, explore, try new things. I discovered someting I really enjoyed far too late in my high school career. Get really involved with church, you'll have some incredible adventures all over the world that you can't even imagine now. Its one of the best things I've ever done.

Be careful of who you trust. Some people are out to get you, and you are a very trusting person. I still think its better to trust and get burned than to never trust at all, but just be more careful. Stop seeking people's approval. You'll have lots of different friends over your four years; practically a new set every year, but it wasn't until this year that I discovered my true friends, the ones that stuck with me no matter what; they are the ones that really count. And don't let any adults get to you, you'll find that some are as immature as your peers.

Live a little; go wild. God is your only justifier, and there are so many more places in the world that you can serve him than in your little bubble. Go out into the world, enjoy yourself, but don't lose who you are. You can have a huge influence on people if you just stop caring about what other people think. Its a valuable lesson I learned too late.

And live your own life, don't even take this letter to seriously. You have an incredible four years ahead of you. Don't waste them, make them your own.

Sincerely,
Senior Trent

Best. Survivor. Ever

This is both best season of Survivor ever, and the best episode.

Wow.

I'm done with the majority of AP's. I only have one more next week, and then I'm DONE forever.

Nice.