Online Health Midterm Project

MidTerm Portfolio Project:

MidTerm Portfolio Project Maria Jose Corella Coach Henry Online Health Weeks 7 & 8 *In case my audio doesn’t play like I planned it to, you can listen to “my song” while looking at my project by clicking on the following link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdIw6tEjyEg

Personal Health History:

Personal Health History

Date and Place of Birth:

Date and Place of Birth I was born in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico (photo to the right) on August 24, 1993. Hermosillo is a relatively small city but it is also a the capital city of the state so it’s really not that small and I would say it’s a pretty decent cultural center. Before moving to San Diego the summer of 2009, I had lived all my life in Hermosillo.

How I Got My Name:

How I Got My Name Like I’ve mentioned before, my whole name is Maria Jose. I don’t have a middle name, both of them are my first name. I have to say, though, that I still don’t understand the difference between having two names as your first name as opposed to having both a first and a middle name. Initially, my mom wanted her first daughter to be named Fatima Maria. However, my mom was pregnant once before me but my sister died on the day she was supposed to be born before the doctor started surgery. When my dad had to register her body, he named her Fatima Maria. My mom was angry because she said she wanted to save the name for a future daughter, but they didn’t change anything. When I was born a year later, my mom decided to name me Maria Jose and the reason was purely religious.

What’s the meaning behind my name?:

What’s the meaning behind my name? We’re all Catholics in my family. My mom has always been very religious so when I was born she wanted to name me after the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. There’s really no deep meaning behind my name other than my mom thinks it’s beautiful and it represents the Virgin and Christ’s terrestrial father, St. Joseph. Other than that, it symbolizes the purity of the Virgin and St. Joseph’s kindness and respect. Some people like to translate my name so they call me Mary Joseph or Mary Jo. I actually really like it.

Family Health History:

Family Health History

The Corella Family Tree:

The Corella Family Tree Guadalupe Corella Manuela Corella Antonia Amaya Evaristo Amaya Manuel Corella Eva Amaya Hector Corella Francisco Javier Corella Victor Corella Adela Corella Ildelfonso Corella Marisela Corella Roberto Corella Aida Davila Concepcion Carranza Aleida Alvarez Jesus Amarillas Rosa Muñoz Anastacio Favela Ana Mendez Hector Corella Davila Carolina Corella Davila Alejandra Corella Davila Maria Jose Corella Carranza (ME!) Francisco Javier Corella Carranza Jose Eduardo Corella Carranza Jose Manuel Corella Carranza Jose Santiago Corella Carranza Victor Corella Alvarez Oscar Corella Alvarez Maria Fernanda Corella Alvarez Jesus Amarillas Corella Belen Maria Amarillas Corella Dulce Maria Corella Muñoz Alejandro Corella Muñoz Edson Corella Muñoz Ronaldo Corella Muñoz Valeria Maria Favela Corella David Favela Corella Miguel Favela Corella Jesus Roberto Corella Mendez Rene Corella Mendez Ramses Corella Mendez

The Carranza Family Tree:

The Carranza Family Tree Santiago Carranza Mercedes Peralta Carmen Tapia Jose Eduardo Solorzano Oscar Gaspar Carranza Elvira Solorzano Martin Carranza Luz Mercedes Carranza Santiago Carranza Jesus E. Carranza Oscar G. Carranza Alma Alegria Edel Castellanos Marta Fucuy (divorced) Rosario Hernadez Lourdes N. Martin Carranza Alegria Siria Carranza Alegria Gaspar Carranza Alegria Ventura Castellanos Carranza Jesus Edel Castellanos Carranza Katarina Castellanos Carranza Stephanie Carranza Fucuy Melissa Carranza Fucuy Elvira Carranza Jesus Carranza Hernandez Santiago Carranza Hernandez Angel Carranza Hernandez Paloma Carranza Hernandez Oscar Carranza N. Martin Carranza N. Jose Carranza N. Teresita Carranza Alegria Concepcion Carranza Francisco Javier Corella Maria Jose Corella Carranza (ME!) Francisco Javier Corella Carranza Jose Eduardo Corella Carranza Jose Manuel Corella Carranza Jose Santiago Corella Carranza Adrian Carranza Hernandez Miguel Carranza N.

Interviewing my Nana (My Dad’s Mom):

Interviewing my Nana (My Dad’s Mom) Hi, Nana! I’m just going to ask you a couple of questions for one of my classes. First, how old are you for real? I’m 70 Have you lived in many places throughout your life? Too many. I wish I could remember them all but since your Tata (grandpa) worked at the railroad, then we moved many times. That’s ok. But what kept you sane all those years while you moved from city to city? I’ve never thought about that maybe because I never thought of myself going crazy *hahaha*. I usually had many things to do at home so that kept me occupied. Like what? What things I did? Well, I used to make lots of things for the house, like sewing or cooking for many people. Why did you have to cook for many people? I’ve told you that many times we didn’t leave close to a town so your Tata would kill something and bring it home and then I had to cook it to feed not only my family but other workers, too. What kinds of animals did Tata kill? Many animals! I remember sometimes we had rabbit or anything that looked edible. Were you ever concerned about those animals not being healthy for you? Not at all! When you live like that, you don’t really think about those things because it’s food after all. And I remember you said that you lived with my Tata’s family at one point. How was that? At first, it wasn’t that bad but then I wanted to be able to have my own kitchen and take care of my own house so I couldn’t handle living like that for so long. Did you ever have any problems with any illnesses? Well, you know I have asthma and I’ve had it since I can remember. I don’t remember much about dealing with asthma during my childhood but I do remember that I had to take care of myself more when I got married and lived far away from hospitals and in very dusty places. How old were you when you had my first uncle? I was between 19 and 20 years old. When you look at society right now, don’t you think you were a little too young to have children? Not really. I mean, you can’t compare my generation with yours and standards change with time. Back then, it was the right thing to do. *I tried to write down everything that was recorded during the call.

Interviewing my Nana (My Dad’s Mom)II:

Interviewing my Nana (My Dad’s Mom)II ... But you weren’t even finished with college! I know but you have to remember that finishing college back then and where I lived wasn’t a priority. I needed to help your Tata and best way was to stay at home and help with whatever he needed. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to work hard and go to college, honey! *hahaha* So you didn’t think that was necessary to feel complete as a person? No. I knew that where I needed to be was with my husband and I liked that back then. What do you mean back then? Well, now that your Tata passed away and I started to attend all those groups I realized that having more friends is a lot of fun, too, but I still don’t think I could’ve left the house to go play a sport even if I had had the chance. The sports groups! I almost forgot about those. What do you usually do? It’s a group of old people like myself but who don’t want to feel old *hahaha* and we meet every week and play different sports like volleyball or we just make up games. But you said that you’ve competed at a national level in Mexico so it has to be somewhat formal, right? It’s not really formal but we do have tournaments and we travel to other cities to play. We’ve won various times! That’s great, Nana! So you have found that you like sports now? I always knew I liked sports since I watched your Tata compete and sometimes I’d play some sport with all your uncles and aunts. What did my Tata play? He liked doing box. He was never a professional boxer or anything like that but he had a big passion for box. Weren’t you worried about him? About getting injured? Always. But I also accepted that it was what he wanted to do so I let him be. True. Back to your sport clubs, don’t you find it difficult to play since you have asthma. Sometimes, I do, but I actually think that playing helps me. How come? I don’t know. It keeps my energies up and I feel younger *hahaha* so I’ve had to go to the doctor less and less times, it seems. But you’ve had some injuries, right? But only minor ones. It’s a price that I’m willing to pay if I can continue playing. Oh Nana! *hahaha* Have you changed any eating habits since you started playing? Yes! I try to eat healthier now. How do you do that? I’ve been reading and look for articles in newspapers that recommend healthy diets for people my age. Do you take any supplements to help you? I take various vitamin capsules. Your dad even sends me some from the US that I’m supposed to take. Well, Nana, I think I have enough info from you. Before I go, what do you like the most about making those sacrifices to stay healthy? That I’m still able to see all of my grandchildren together when we have special holidays. *Awww* Ok, Nana, I’ll get my dad on the phone now. Take care and love you. Love you, too, a big hug and kiss to you. *I tried to write down everything that was recorded during the call.

How we got to the United States:

How we got to the United States I actually think the picture to the right is very fitting to this section since I took it on my first trip back to Hermosillo. I’ve talked about this a couple of times but I guess this will help explain the reason why I live in the United States. My dad had been already been working for almost 3 years in San Diego when we moved. He’s the President of a shrimp company and the company’s corporate offices are here in San Diego. He had been spending half the week here and half the week in Mexico until he and my mom got tired of that and decided it would be a good idea to move. We applied for L-2 visas since my dad already had his L-1 visa. He decided that we were actually moving one afternoon and asked me and my brother to pack our stuff because we would be flying with him the next day. It was very unexpected that we were moving for real but then again, I should’ve expected it from my dad since he never makes plans with us and thinks we are ready for anything he throws at us. I guess we ended up being ready somehow.

My family’s health history:

My family’s health history When I think about my family’s health history and all the diseases that have affected greatly my grandparents, I do get a little bit more than worried. First of all, from my mom’s side there’s a big history of diseases associated with obesity. Both my grandpa and my grandma weren’t exactly on the “fit” side and they both developed health problems as a consequence. My grandma became a diabetic and my grandpa suffered with various health problems that developed from an unhealthy lifestyle and obesity. More than 7 years ago, my grandma suffered from a stroke that only complicated due to her diabetes. She made it through but has not regained all her full capacities and the chances that she will ever do are extremely slim. She doesn’t even recognize me sometimes. My grandpa died almost 2 years ago from several heart complications. He never watched his eating habits very closely and it was extremely sad to see him lose his fight with his heart little by little. He was a very loving grandpa and his death made me open my eyes and realize that my mom and all my family need to take better care of ourselves. My mom inherited my grandma’s condition and she’s a diabetic now but she has been able to control it much better and doesn’t suffer greatly from it. She leads a pretty normal lifestyle and if she continues to take care of herself and a bit more, I know she’ll have a very long life if God so wants to. On my dad’s side, my Grandma is very healthy except for her asthma but she controls that. My dad’s father died when I was only 10, though, and the cause was his diabetes. Seeing how there’s a big risk I can develop diabetes since it comes from both sides of my family, I know that I have to take care of myself even more and try to live a very healthy life that will allow me to live for many years.

Fitness Data and Nutrition:

Fitness Data and Nutrition

Fitness Testing:

Fitness Testing MILE - According to the State Standards, I failed the Mile Test. I have to say that I’m not surprised at the least for failing this one. I’ve never really had a good running condition and it shows here. 1. My goal is to reach the state standard, or even if I don’t, to run the mile without getting as tired. 2. - Try to run a mile each time I go to the gym - Learn how to breathe properly 3. One potential problem that I may encounter is not attending the gym frequently enough to improve my numbers. I can ask someone in my family to go to the gym with me so I’ll have someone to encourage me to attend. 4. A good checkpoint to evaluate my progress would be each month. 5. I think the best reward I’ll get once I achieve my goal will be being able to run a mile and still feel well when I’m done. Mile / State Curl-up / State Trunk Lift/State Push-ups / State Sit-Reach / State 12:49 / 8-10 30 / 18-35 6 / 9-12 7 / 7-15 ? / 12 ?: I didn’t know what Sit-Reach meant and Coach said I needed special equipment that I don’t have.

Fitness Testing:

Fitness Testing CURL-UP According to the State Standard, my curl-ups per minute are good enough for a minimal level of fitness. I’ve always had less difficulty doing curl-ups and even less when I have something heavy on my feet. This year has been bad for me in terms of exercise so I know that once I start to exercise again, I’ll achieve a better level of fitness. Mile / State Curl-up / State Trunk Lift/State Push-ups / State Sit-Reach / State 12:49 / 8-10 30 / 18-35 6 / 9-12 7 / 7-15 ? / 12 ?: I didn’t know what Sit-Reach meant and Coach said I needed special equipment that I don’t have.

Fitness Testing:

Fitness Testing TRUNK LIFT Clearly, I am more than a little below the State’s Standards for a minimal fitness level. This failure is the one I’m least surprised of them all because I’m really bad at anything that has to do with flexibility even though I took plenty of ballet classes as a little girl. 1. I want to be able to achieve the minimal standard for trunk lifts. 2. Sometimes, you can’t ask from your body more than it can give but I think that by doing several exercises that improve flexibility, I may be able to achieve this goal 3. Besides the potential problem of not attending the gym frequently enough, I also have a minor back problem that could probably prevent me from achieving this goal. If my back ever feels uncomfortable by trying to do this, I know that I’ll be able to accept it and do my best 4. Flexibility needs more time to develop so I think a good checkpoint can be every half year. 5. If I achieve this goal, my reward will be being able to do yoga without so many limitations. Mile / State Curl-up / State Trunk Lift/State Push-ups / State Sit-Reach / State 12:49 / 8-10 30 / 18-35 6 / 9-12 7 / 7-15 ? / 12 ?: I didn’t know what Sit-Reach meant and Coach said I needed special equipment that I don’t have.

Fitness Testing:

Fitness Testing PUSH-UPS According to the State Standard, I did pass the Push-Ups test but barely. Even though I have very good strength on my hands and arms since I play piano, my biceps are really week. Also, I really hate push-ups so I don’t do them very frequently and I always choose to do a different exercise when I go to the gym to strengthen my biceps. Mile / State Curl-up / State Trunk Lift/State Push-ups / State Sit-Reach / State 12:49 / 8-10 30 / 18-35 6 / 9-12 7 / 7-15 ? / 12 ?: I didn’t know what Sit-Reach meant and Coach said I needed special equipment that I don’t have.

Slide 18:

Per Night Studying Sleeping TV watching Computer usage Phone usage Monday 5 hrs 6.5 hrs 0.5 hrs 3.5 hrs 0 mins Tuesday 4 hrs 7 hrs 0.5 hrs 3 hrs 5 mins Wednesday 6 hrs 6 hrs 0.5 hrs 3 hrs 0 mins Thursday 7 hrs 5 hrs 0.5 hrs 1.5 hrs 0 mins Friday 0 hrs 8 hrs 0.5 hrs 2 hrs 10 mins TOTAL 22 hrs 32.5 hrs 2.5 hrs 13 hrs 15 mins * Numbers provided are based on approximations I made each day. I don’t follow such a strict schedule.

Reflection on Hours of Study per Night:

Reflection on Hours of Study per Night Total hours per week: 22 hours I actually thought I spent more hours doing homework each week. I have to consider, though, that I’m now studying for AP tests so I don’t have as much homework as before since all the time is dedicated to review and study. I feel like I spend more time per night when I have to do homework and study for tests and quizzes than right now. I do think I spend a little too much time doing homework but that’s because I feel the effects of sleep deprivation. I should compare my hours and figure out how much time I spend compared to others. Because of the classes that I take, I feel like most of the homework that I do actually helps me understand better the class and even if I won’t use it later on, it has helped me figure out what I want to do with my life. At the end, I know it’s worth it.

Reflection on Hours of Sleep per Night:

Reflection on Hours of Sleep per Night Total hours per week: 32.5 hours Based on these recordings, in average I sleep 6.5 hours per night - less than what I should be getting. I know that this is an example of a relatively good week for me because there have been countless weeks where the average hours of sleep I get during a night is 5 hours. Honestly, I believe that my performance in high school depends a great deal on the sleep sacrifices I make. I know it’s not healthy and that I’ll have to organize myself better next year in college, but for now it has been worth it.

Reflection on Hours of Watching TV, Phone & Computer Usage per Night:

Reflection on Hours of Watching TV, Phone & Computer Usage per Night Total hours per week: 15.75 hours I honestly wish I didn’t waste so much time throughout the week. On the other hand, though, I think it keeps me kind of sane and allows me to have a break from doing homework or studying. When I know I’ll have a heavy night, I truly try to cut on this time as much as I can. I don’t know whether the time I spend is acceptable or not but I do wish it were less. I know for sure that if I didn’t have all this technology to distract me, I’d probably spend the time reading books or something that could still give me a break from everything school-related, like spending more time playing the piano.

Social and Emotional Health:

Social and Emotional Health

My hobbies, talents, and sports:

My hobbies, talents, and sports Hobbies: Sometimes I feel like I have many hobbies and others I feel like I have none. The reason, I think, is that even though I like to do many things, I don’t necessarily have the time to do them. I really enjoy playing the piano, for example, but I don’t have the same time as before to just sit down and try to learn a new song. I also love listening to music from almost all genres. I’m a very curious person so I like discovering new things on the Internet. Two of the things that I really enjoy but I find less and less time to do recently are baking and reading. I hope I can start organizing myself better to have time to do all these things that make me happy. Talents: I always find it really difficult thinking about my talents because I never know where’s the point where it becomes a “talent.” I think I’m really good at adapting to different situations, like moving to a different country. Also, I find it that I don’t struggle as much as some of my classmates when learning a different language so I guess I can consider it a talent. Sports: Honestly, I’m not athletic at all. I’ve never good at any sports other than avoiding getting hit by balls (really good at that one). Contrary to popular belief, I do like to exercise at least once a week even though I don’t do anything extreme. I like going to the gym and taking either one of these classes: yoga, Pilates, or aerobics. Pilates is my favorite, though!

Pets and Trips!:

Pets and Trips! I currently have no pets. When I was a little girl, we used to have a BIG dog but I don’t really remember him because he was always outside enjoying himself. We also had a small dog a couple of years ago but he died in an accident. I’d say my family likes dogs more than I do, though. I love to travel but I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like because my dad is always working and he doesn’t really take vacations. My most memorable trip was the summer before I turned 15 (photo to the right). In Mexico turning 15 is a very big deal. I didn’t want to have a big party so I opted to go on a trip with other girls to Europe for around 20 days. We visited various cities like Paris, London, Italy, Venice, Florence, Madrid, Barcelona, Nice, and Monaco. I had the most amazing time with all my friends and being around so much culture was an unforgettable experience. I can’t not mention my recent college visit this spring break as one of my favorite trips, though. I went with my dad and we had a great time getting to know the college that I’m attending next fall and the city of Philadelphia. Once again, the great culture of the city was just so lovely to me.

My Friends!:

My Friends! I think of myself as one of those people who are friendly with everyone but only have a handful of true friends and like it that way! Moving from one country to another kind of shows you who are the friends who will truly keep in touch with you and will never forget you, and then you who your true closest friends are. I still have many friends in Mexico but two of them have remained some of my very best friends. Livier is my friend in the blue T-shirt and we’ve been friends since 7th Grade. I feel like we just grow closer each year and she’s the one who I keep more in contact with. Lillián is the one closest to the right and we met our sophomore year. I admire her greatly and she’s a really caring friend with whom I have so much fun! I’ve made a couple of excellent friends since I moved to San Diego. Annie has been my friend since the first month. We have our ups and downs but I love her very much and she’s very special to me because we’ve kept each other sane through our last years of high school in a new city. I met Tracey this year and the only thing that I regret is not meeting her sooner. We are great friends and sometimes I feel like it’s scary how many things we have in common. I realize that I didn’t mention any boys. I think that it’s because even though I have really good guy friends I feel as though they’re not my closest - at least not since I moved here.

Schools I’ve attended:

Schools I’ve attended I’ll be forever thankful to my parents for always looking for the best education that there was available for me and my brothers. I’ve attended bilingual schools since preschool and that made my transition to the American school system considerably easier. I attended preschool at Liceo Thezia first and then at CEB Pitic (not included in picture). When it was time to enter elementary school, my parents decided to look for the best school in my city at the time so I started going to Instituto Irlandés (Irish Institute), a Catholic school that had girls and boys but classes were offered separately. I studied there for six years (elementary school in Mexico consists of six years, middle school of three, and high school of three more). For my junior high I attended TAES where I got a really amazing education and earned a scholarship to study at the Monterrey Institute of Technology (TEC de Monterrey) which is one of the most prestigious universities in Mexico and has a great high school. As I’ve mentioned before, I moved to San Diego my junior year and I’ve been attending Mt. Carmel since then.

Clubs:

Clubs Like I’ve said before I have many interests and some that I’ve still got to explore. I’d like to try out for a singing group in college. Perhaps even getting involved in a business-related club, like one that works with non-profit groups, seeing how I’m majoring in business after all. What I’d like the most, though, is to explore and get involved in clubs that I never thought I’d be interested in! This year I’m very involved in two clubs. I’m the Vice President of my school’s Sierra Club. The Sierra Club is actually the first environmental club ever created at a national level, so besides working on ways to better the planet, we also see into how to enjoy nature without destroying it. I also helped create the first San Diego Student Committee of the Sierra Club and we are creating a network with other high schools and colleges in the County to work together as a team and achieve better and bigger results.

My Very Own Health Triangle:

My Very Own Health Triangle

Slide 29:

Age 17 PHYSICAL SOCIAL MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL 60 90 80 I know that my Health Triangle is not very balanced at this point in my life. The main reason behind it is that I’m just going through so many changes in my life that I find it difficult to keep everything in check. Having such a big weakness, in my opinion, on my physical side can affect the other areas of my life because I’m can’t give 100% of myself. Not exercising very often causes me to feel as if I didn’t have quite enough energy sometimes and that can bring me down and mess up my Mental side. In general, I think it’s important to be as balanced as possible to get the best out of life.

My Three Sides:

My Three Sides Physical: - Even though I don’t suffer from any diseases like obesity, I think I could do a better job of taking care of my body. - I do exercise but I think I should do it more times per week. - I suffer from back pains constantly. - My heavy schoolwork and extracurriculars take away much of my sleep, so I’m sleep-deprived many days per week. Mental and Emotional: - I would say that my mental and emotional health is part good and part bad. - I think I’m very mentally healthy since I love learning and do pretty well in school. - For the most part, my emotional health is fine but I must admit that it cracks sometimes. - I try my best to feel good about myself and understand me as a person and my limitations. Social: - I think that my relationship with my family also counts as part of my social side and I feel as though I have a very nice relationship with my family and we are very close. - It is true that I might not have almost a thousand friends on Facebook, but I believe that what counts the most is that the friends that I have are true friends. - I don’t have trouble meeting new people and I am very friendly. - I’m really easygoing except with people who have hurt me.

Time for Some Pictures! My Picture Timeline:

Time for Some Pictures! My Picture Timeline

Slide 32:

In this picture, I’m three years old - sometime during 1996. As you can see I’m at my preschool (Liceo Thezia)and they were taking our group picture. Me!

Big jump into the future! (All my childhood photos are in my old house in Mexico). Back then, I was actually the equivalent of a freshman in an American high school. It was the beginning of June 2008 just before the end of the school year and we were in Kitt Peak, Arizona. Here I am with my classmates at an Astronomy Camp held by the University of Arizona Alumni Association. :

Big jump into the future! (All my childhood photos are in my old house in Mexico). Back then, I was actually the equivalent of a freshman in an American high school. It was the beginning of June 2008 just before the end of the school year and we were in Kitt Peak, Arizona. Here I am with my classmates at an Astronomy Camp held by the University of Arizona Alumni Association.

July 2008 In this picture, I am with my friend Piri after our mass in Rome to celebrate our “Quinceañera.” This is during my trip to Europe that I previously mentioned.:

July 2008 In this picture, I am with my friend Piri after our mass in Rome to celebrate our “Quinceañera.” This is during my trip to Europe that I previously mentioned.

November 2008 Taken during my first semester of my Mexican high school (sophomore year here), in this picture we are at my previous high school’s Quad where the International Food Festival was being held. We were representing France and our decorations and food can be clearly seen. We won first place! :

November 2008 Taken during my first semester of my Mexican high school (sophomore year here), in this picture we are at my previous high school’s Quad where the International Food Festival was being held. We were representing France and our decorations and food can be clearly seen. We won first place!

May 2009 My friend took this picture while I was telling her not to - that’s the reason why she’s holding my face like that. We were at a small town close to my hometown in Mexico and we had just been to a party. This was my last summer before moving :

May 2009 My friend took this picture while I was telling her not to - that’s the reason why she’s holding my face like that. We were at a small town close to my hometown in Mexico and we had just been to a party. This was my last summer before moving

Thanksgiving Break 2009 This picture is from the first time that I went back to Hermosillo. Some of my closest friends and I went to a local bowling alley and had a great time!:

Thanksgiving Break 2009 This picture is from the first time that I went back to Hermosillo. Some of my closest friends and I went to a local bowling alley and had a great time!

December 2009 This photo was taken during my first semester living in the States. Here, I am with my friend Annie at a local Panera after having a nice afternoon with some friends and watching a movie.:

December 2009 This photo was taken during my first semester living in the States. Here, I am with my friend Annie at a local Panera after having a nice afternoon with some friends and watching a movie.

January 2010 This photo was taken during New Year’s Eve! It was our first holiday living in San Diego. My little brother Meni is the one pictured with me. We were still at our apartment but we drove to Mexico the next day to spend the New Year with my dad’s family.:

January 2010 This photo was taken during New Year’s Eve! It was our first holiday living in San Diego. My little brother Meni is the one pictured with me. We were still at our apartment but we drove to Mexico the next day to spend the New Year with my dad’s family.

Early June 2010 This picture was taken during our APEL Dance of the Decades. Here, I’m with Nina and we were in our school’s Orchestra Room. It also represents the end of my junior year!:

Early June 2010 This picture was taken during our APEL Dance of the Decades. Here, I’m with Nina and we were in our school’s Orchestra Room. It also represents the end of my junior year!

July 2010 This photo was taken just before the concert of Kings of Leon started. Andrea, Livier, and I are at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater here in San Diego. :

July 2010 This photo was taken just before the concert of Kings of Leon started. Andrea, Livier, and I are at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater here in San Diego.

August 24, 2010 (a.k.a. My 17th Birthday!) In this picture, I am at my house taking a bite out of my birthday pie after blowing all the candles.:

August 24, 2010 (a.k.a. My 17th Birthday!) In this picture, I am at my house taking a bite out of my birthday pie after blowing all the candles.

Early April 2010 - Spring Break One of my most recent pictures. My dad took this one the day I went to my college’s Preview Day! I’m in the campus in Philadelphia! :

Early April 2010 - Spring Break One of my most recent pictures. My dad took this one the day I went to my college’s Preview Day! I’m in the campus in Philadelphia!

My Personal Crest:

My Personal Crest

MJ’s unique self:

MJ’s unique self *In case my audio doesn’t play like I planned it to, you can listen to “my song” while looking at my project by clicking on the following link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdIw6tEjyEg

Details in the Fabric by Jason Mraz (Feat. James Morrison):

Details in the Fabric by Jason Mraz (Feat. James Morrison) Calm down Deep breaths And get yourself dressed Instead of running around And pulling on your threads And breaking yourself up If it's a broken part, replace it If it's a broken arm, then brace it If it's a broken heart, then face it And hold your own Know your name And go your own way Hold your own Know your name And go your own way And everything will be fine Hang on Help is on the way And stay strong I'm doing everything Hold your own Know your name And go your own way Hold your own Know your name And go your own way And everything, everything will be fine Everything Are the details in the fabric Are the things that make you panic Are your thoughts results of static cling? Are the things that make you blow Hell, no reason, go on and scream If you're shocked it's just the fault Of faulty manufacturing. Everything will be fine Everything in no time at all Everything Hold your own And know your name And go your own way Are the details in the fabric (Hold your own, know your name) Are the things that make you panic Are your thoughts results of static cling? (Go your own way) Are the details in the fabric (Hold your own, know your name) Are the things that make you panic (Go your own way) Is it Mother Nature's sewing machine? Are the things that make you blow (Hold your own, know your name) Hell no reason go on and scream If you're shocked it's just the fault (Go your own way) Of faulty manufacturing Everything will be fine Everything in no time at all Hearts will hold

Why do I think it represents me?:

Why do I think it represents me? The first time I listened to this song I felt like I could really connect to it. It wasn’t just another pretty song (although I do think it’s beautiful). I feel like at this moment in my life there are so many things going on - college things to think about, ideas going on in my head, thoughts about my future, my true friends and my family. To me, this song shows that it’s true that not everything is perfect and that I’ll have to overcome many obstacles to become someone that I can be proud of, but that doesn’t mean that I have to give up or that it’s impossible. The song says to me that’s ok to be different as long as you embrace that uniqueness and fight for it. I have to trust myself and do everything accepting the consequences that may come, some of them which will be unexpected.

My very own self-portrait:

My very own self-portrait This is a sketch of a photo that I took of myself the other day. I don’t like taking pictures but when I do I try to show only my face because I guess I never like how my whole body looks in pictures. I think this self-portrait shows that about myself. Also, the fact that I always manage to cover some part of my face for no reason (or maybe it’s my subconscious?).

Future Aspirations:

Future Aspirations

My Dad Inspires Me:

My Dad Inspires Me I know that choosing my dad as the person who has made a great positive impact on my life will seem kind of cliché, but that doesn’t bother me. I have many things in common with my dad - so many that we get mad at each other very frequently. That doesn’t mean I love and respect him greatly and I think he’s one of the people form whom I’ve learned the most. My dad comes from a very poor background but he’s worked and studied hard his whole life to succeed. His life proves me that it doesn’t matter how far away the goal seems, it’s always possible to achieve it. I really admire his work ethic and how dedicated he is to his job and his example has made me, without him demanding it from me, give my best and work hard to get to places I never imagined I could get.

In Three Years:

In Three Years In three years, I see myself as a college junior studying business at UPenn’s Wharton School of Business. I know that by then I’ll probably have a clearer idea of what I want to do with my life: if I want to continue studying or if I think I’m ready to start working. I’ll be living in Philadelphia and probably at one of UPenn’s high rises or maybe even out of campus with some roommates. I know I’ll still be close to my family and helping them with anything I can especially since one of my little brothers will be starting high school by then. Whatever I’m doing, I know I’ll be exploring all the opportunities that the University of Pennsylvania will allow me to.

In Five Years:

In Five Years In five years I see myself as a graduate from UPenn, W’15. Hopefully, I’ll have found a great job. Even if I decide by then that I want to attend Grad School, I know that I’d like to have some work experience before. I know the first year after graduation will not be easy but I have confidence that I’ll be able to overcome all the obstacles. I’ll be paying my tuition debt to my dad and allowing him to start saving for my little brothers’s college experience. I don’t know if I see myself living in Philadelphia by then but I know I’ll be living wherever my job takes me to. I think that by then I’d like to have a boyfriend but nothing too serious, like getting ready for marriage or anything like that.

In Ten Years:

In Ten Years Ten years seem so far away right now. By then, I’ll be close to 28. I’m sure that I’d like to be a successful businesswoman, whether it is in environmental management, non-profit organization, or some other field. Perhaps I’ll have my own business. I think that I’d like to get married or at least have a very serious relationship. I’d like to see my little brothers going to college themselves and helping my parents with whatever they need and that they’re happy. I’ve no idea where I’d like to live in 10 years but I’m thinking that probably out in the suburbs or in a nice house in the city. The possibilities truly are endless.

If I could accomplish one thing... :

If I could accomplish one thing... Right now, as I get ready to start my college life this upcoming Fall, I can’t help but think of one thing that I’d love to accomplish. I’ve previously mentioned it and it is being able to successfully graduate from Wharton and finding an amazing job that not only will allow me to pay off my debt to my dad but to do so while working on something that I’m passionate about. I want to become a successful businesswoman but I also want to help in every way I can.

Media Awareness:

Media Awareness

How the Media Influences Me:

How the Media Influences Me Please don’t think that the previous picture had no significance at all because it did. I feel like the media likes telling everyone that we should be unique but it tells us how we’re supposed to do that. In other words, the media sells us an image that’s really far away from genuine. It tells us to try this new product because we’ll look better but we’re all supposed to try it so we end up copying other people. Personally, I think I don’t put too much attention on what the media thinks is “hot” for the season. When I shop, I like looking for things that I will feel comfortable in. If there’s something that I like, I buy it and that’s all. I must admit that I do pay attention to the activities that the media announces but only because I want to know what’s there to do. I honestly haven’t had time this year for much fun and I do think the media’s concept of “fun” is a little different from mine. Does it affect me? Yes, it does because it makes me ask myself if I’m too boring or if I should be doing things that the media shows. At the end, I try to follow my mantra of only doing things that I’m comfortable with and most importantly that don’t break away from what I consider right. It’s ok to get out of my comfort zone but it’s not to forget about my principles. Where the media influences me more is in the music I listen to. Many people have told me that I listen to tons of “indie” music but compared to some of my friends I think I listen to lots of mainstream music, too. I do let the media show me new music but that doesn’t mean I take all the music only because it is considered a “must” at the moment.

Positive Body Image Billboard:

Positive Body Image Billboard The following slide contains the billboard that I created. The inspiration behind it was singer Adele and I even included one of her quotes. I thought her quote was very inspiring and that it conveyed a message that we tend to forget nowadays and the media does an excellent job at helping us forget it. Took some creative freedoms here.

Thank You!:

Thank You! Disclaimer: Most of the images used are mine. The ones that aren’t were taken from Google. I don’t claim to own them and no harm was meant by using them for this presentation.