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Student Reflections

"What do you want to do with your life?"
Lehman College Coordinator Laura Tringali visited the art class last week to talk about writing and about how writing can reflect who you are as well as express what it is you want to communicate. The students pulled out their pens to try to capture a bit of their personalities on paper, and these essays were the results.

Jennifer Ortiz

My name is Jennifer and I want to become a lawyer. I want to become a lawyer because I would like to defend the innocent. My back-up job is to be a vet because I love animals, especially baby animals.

My friends say I should sing as a profession or become a comedian, but I would rather stick with my two careers. If I ever chose to become a singer or comedian, it would be because I wanted to or life led me there.

I guess my friends like me so much because I’m funny. I make them smile when they are sad. I love talking and that’s a good thing but sometimes it can be a bad thing, although talking out loud is good if I am to become a lawyer or a singer.

That’s what I’m going to do with my life right after I finish school, college, and then more school for law, singing, or animal medicine.

Mireille J. Afanador

What I want to do with my life is what I’ve wanted to do since I was small–become an elementary teacher. I want to become a teacher because I love kids. I always babysat my little cousins and that encouraged me to become a teacher. I want to give all my students what I have received–a great education. I’ve learned a lot and hope to learn a lot more.

I think that the reason people like me is because when I’m into what I want to do, I set my mind to it and do whatever it takes to accomplish my goals. What I like about myself is that I never give up on my dreams. I try hard to make my dreams come true.

I also think about becoming a pediatrician because once again I love kids. I want to help cure their sicknesses. I want to save kids from dying and help them enjoy their lives like I’m enjoying mine. I like to see the smiles on children’s faces when they are happy and full of joy. I will always have a special place in my heart for all the children I have helped.

I sometimes wish that I had all the time in the world so that I could be everything I want to be. I hope to accomplish everything I want to become, and to always have a back-up plan. These are the two things that I want and hope to become in life–and all because I love kids!

Stephanie Arroyo

What I want to do with my life is a question I always ask myself. I mean, I want to do many things and explore life. I want to do and try new things. I want to have many opportunities and pursue a career.

Well, the first thing I want to do with my life since I’m starting high school is to work very hard. I want to improve the things I need to work on and achieve in my studies. I want to accomplish finishing high school and entering college. Entering college will help me get a good career. Then I would like to try different professions.

Osiris Perez

I would like to join the Navy after I finish high school and college. Then I will probably become an artist and create my own fashion line of clothes, sneakers, hats, etc. I probably will call it "Juvinile."

ShaNay Gibbs

I honestly don’t know what I want to do with my life. There is so much I want to do. I want to join the army, be a track-and-field runner, be a middle-school math teacher down south (in South Carolina), and I also want to be a middle -school counselor. Life is so short that I’m going to try, no, I’m GOING to make the most of it. And I won’t let the issues with my mother and the fact that my brother is in the army effect what I want to do with my life.

Isaac Maysonet (intern)

Ever since I could remember it seems that I always had a paper and a pencil nearby. Ever since I could remember I always liked to be unique and different. Over the years I wanted to be a sneaker designer, make toys, draw cartoons, and make comic books. Although I had all of these aspirations, there was something else I cared to do ever since I could remember, and that was helping others.

I did not realize the impact I could have on anyone, let alone high-school sophomores in a psychology class taught at Lehman College by a social worker from Walton High School named Mrs. Jupa. This class, which I helped teach while I was a sophomore here at Lehman College, made me recognize how needy our youth are. In essence, all of the adolescents in the class became my family, and I had no other choice but to declare psychology as my college major.

Since then I have not looked back. I have been with Walton and now with the HSTP Summer Program for what seems like an eternity. When I tell people I work with high-school kids, they are, like, "do you like that?" And I say, "no, I love it!" I have seen and dealt with issues such as rape, attempted suicide, cutting, emotional issues, and issues that never seem to heal. Yet these very kids who I work with and talk to, these very kids who think hope is an unattainable, unreachable concept, are the same kids who now effectively deal with their inner demons. To them hope has become a real possibility.

What I want to do with my life would not be much different from what I am doing now. I want to inspire others to be useful to themselves and to those around them.

Daisiana Figueroa

What I would like to do with my life is to become a teacher. I love to help little kids and their families any way I can. I will be nice to kids, but I won’t let them walk all over me or treat me without respect. I give respect so I should get respect back. I will show them how to be mature and not childish, and I will show them that if you want to do something big, never give it up! I remember since I was a kid I always helped out as much as I could and I still do. I also remember when I did a lesson plan for a teacher as a bet and my teacher said it was better than the plans done by the teachers in school! I guess I was made to be a teacher! I have lots of patience, I don’t panic in a bad situation, and I think clearly. I may give lots of work but I am actually nice. I am fun and energetic so a class can never be boring. I think a teacher needs at least some of these qualities to become a great teacher.

Paloma Ferreiras

I have a lot of things I would like to do with my life. I would like to become a famous actress. I would rather like to act and not get paid, because to me it is a hobby. I like to act for the fun of it, and, better yet, if I get to entertain people, that would be my dream come true! I really just hope that people will like the way I do what I do best.

Damia Simms

I think people like me as a generous friend and an honest person. Certain people may think I’m not smart and nice, and they might talk about me, but I don’t care because I know who I am. I think that I am loving, caring, honest, and helpful, because I love all of my friends and family, and I help them when they are in trouble. People may think different things about me, but no matter what their opinions are, I know who I am and what I am going to be.

Dasha Tolentino

I want to do so many things with my life, but I just can’t decide. I know I’m going to finish school and get a job and an apartment so that I can live in peace. I would like to be a veterinarian because I love animals and I don’t like it when they’re hurt. I want to take care of hurt animals and give them the love they need. Another important thing that I want to do with my life is to be with my family because they have been there for me through all of my life.

Tinese McElveen

The one thing that I have always wanted to do with my life is to teach, because I know that I have the ability to make a difference in a child’s life. Becoming a teacher is one of my biggest dreams. After college, I will act out my teaching career.

The thing that people don’t like about me is that I am too quiet, and I don’t tell people how I’m feeling. They usually have to find that out on their own. What I like about myself is that I carry myself well. I don’t have everything in the world, but whatever I have, I make good use of it.

Miriam Torres

Well, what do I want to do with my life? I never

really sat down and thought about it. Well, actually I have, but I never really made up my mind. I have so many dreams that I don’t know which one to try first. Well, let’s see, I love children, so maybe I’ll try being a teacher. Nah, I see how some kids can be and I don’t have much patience. I love to sing, so maybe I’ll try being a singer, but I don’t know if I’m good enough. I hope I am. Oh, one time when I was in school and I made myself cry, I was being really dramatic about a stomachache...so maybe I should be an actress? That’s something I’m really good at. I don’t know what I want to do with my life, but whatever it is, I’ll probably know when the time comes. I hope!

Leomi Gonell

When I think about my life and what I want to do with it, so many ideas come to my head, I just can’t pick one. I think first I will finish school, then get a job. I probably will be a teacher, but then I also want to be a basketball player, a karate teacher, and so many other things that I just don’t know which to pick. I will just pick the one I’m best at, but when I come to think about it, I’m best at all three! So I will just pick the job I most desire. The job I most desire is a teacher, so in the future, I’m going to be Ms. Gonell, teaching her future 2^nd grade class! I always wanted to be a teacher because I always wanted to help kids. I love to help people, especially people who have a lot of problems and need advice. That’s why I also want to be a psychiatrist. I like to talk to people and listen to them, give them good advice, and help them out with their problems, especially girls’ problems, because I understand girls’ problems. When it comes down to it, I just want to be a person who helps people out in life. I want to change people’s lives.

Michelle Buddington

In life I would like to be a teacher and I want to be very successful. I love to be around children and teach them new things. In life right now, I help certain kids with their problems if I need to.

My first goal is to be very successful because if I am not, how can I be a teacher? In order for you to achieve, you have to be very successful. Otherwise it won’t really work out the way you planned.

Someday I would like to be a wife and mother. I want to be able to share things with someone that I can’t share with anybody else. I also want to be a wife because when I need comfort, at least I know that I will have someone there to comfort me. Also,

when I need to be loved, not only would I have my parents, I would have a special love from my husband. Being a mother to me is very precious because even as much as I love children, I also want a child who I can love for myself and be able to provide for.

In conclusion, there are a lot of things that I want to be in life. In order for me to achieve, I have to be successful. Being a mother and a wife is not a very easy job, but if I am successful, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Taking a Trip on the Circle Line The guided tour around Manhattan on the Circle Line was designed by teacher Tom Lopez to introduce students to various types of architecture on the island of Manhattan. In addition, students learned about landmark bridges, buildings, and, of course, the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island.