Daniela Hernandez-Enriquez

What is the secret to a happy life?

"I think that in order to succeed in having a life full of happiness and fulfillment you have to start with yourself. You have to know and accept the fact that you are your main priority, that you cannot rely on someone to make you happy, make sure you succeed, and make you have fun. You have to know how to be by yourself to later learn how to be accompanied. Once you realize that nobody matters more than yourself, you will have an easier time figuring out who in your life is there to help you and to watch you and congratulate you on your accomplishments, and those will be the people who you should value, surround yourself with, and owe the favor back to. You can only give the world what you already have, and if you want to give the world happiness, you need to make sure you already have plenty of that within you."

Natalia Rodriguez Rojas

What is your definition of love?

"My definition of love is that it's a feeling you get instantly for the people you care about. When you feel love towards people they make you feel like you're at home. No matter what happens you'll always be there for them. Love is also a feeling that can't be forced but yet it can just magically appear without you knowing."

The purpose of forgiveness is...

"To let all of the hate and disappointment behind. Sometimes having to hold that in for a long time and it can make someone feel sad and confused. By being able to forgive it lets you release any horrible feelings and be back to how it once was. There are still things that can't be forgotten but being able to forgive is a start."

Jasmine Alvarado

What sound or noise do you hate?

"Umm, how do you say it? Oh yeah, when people chew loudly; especially if they are doing it on purpose."

Why do you hate people chewing loudly?

"Well I mean, I guess it's just a pet peeve."

Who chews the loudest?

"Umm, that's a weird question but I mean I guess my brother because he does it on purpose."

What if someone can't help the way they eat?

"Then I would just not be near them."

Is this just a pet peeve with family or everybody?

"My pet peeve is with everybody."

What about when someone drinks loudly, do you hate that too?

"No, just chewing food. I don't know why I'm not disturbed by people drinking things, but with people chewing loudly, I can't stand it."

Santiago Ornelas

If you could change one thing from the past, what would it be? Why? How did this experience shaped you into the person you are today?

"The few times that I disrespected my parents and changed my attitude. Growing up and seeing them get older makes me sad and do wish to give them the best of the best. Not only because parents really give up everything for you, but also they are not eternal.

That experience has changed who I am now and also make sure to do things that they are proud of. I try my best to show my love for them and spend time with my parents when possible."

Cozbi Ramirez

What is the hardest thing you had to experience?

"It was coming back from Mexico this summer."

Why was this hard?

"I left my Grandma alone, & she's getting older & can't do things on her own. Also coming back without her, traveling completely by myself, it was a weird sensation of being alone for the first time. I cried a lot. I went from trying to be tough, to crying, to sobbing."

What did you learn from this experience?

"I learned that I want to be able to help her more, even if there is a distance."

Shakira Reyes

• What is your least favorite word?
1. Bae is my least favorite word. It's childish, It's such an ugly word. It reminds me of my time at middle school. It makes something feel unofficial. Just say the whole word. 
• What sound or noise do you love?
1. I love rain sounds or waterfall. It soothes me, it makes me go to sleep. When I have a problem to deal with, it calms me down and it helps me forget. 

Gabriel Zamora

What is the secret to a happy life?

"I think the secret to a happy life is first, you have to get the people who you're close with, you make sure you trust them. The people you're close with, those are the people that can help you when times get rough so for example, I have a really good friend who really helps me go through tough times so I think the secret is people in your life. Objects can maybe produce a little bit of happiness but it really comes to others being there for you."

Elaine Loya

"What is the most difficult choice you had to make to fulfill your destiny?"

"The most difficult choice I had to make to fulfill my destiny was that I had to make a decision to where I was going to move because of my moms death. It was hard because my sisters were to young and my uncles did not want to take care of me. The reason for this was because they were too young, they were all in their early to late 20s. My dad and I never had a connection like he did with my sisters. Ever since my mom passed away I have been moving around so many times it's been really hard. Now I am living here in Wisconsin and I feel like I have made a good decision to move here, because I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, with my mom being here in the city, it makes me feel like im home. For me i feel like this was the hardest decision I had to make to fulfill my destiny."

Marlenie Hernandez

What is the lesson it’s taken you the longest to learn?

"It has taken me the longest to learn that although you may be the most caring, loving and respectful towards someone, they can use that against you. This applies to both relationships and friendships. Some will be selfish and take advantage of you, so it’s up to you to realize their true intentions. I always look at the good in someone, so although they might give signs of not being the best person ever, maybe even toxic, I overlook it and give them chances."

Jolissa Valdez

"What is the secret to a happy life?”

“The secret to a happy life is surrounding yourself with people who uplift and empower you. Having a support system, whether it’s just one or two people,  that you can count on for anything is essential. For me personally, when I’m not happy, I need to vent and talk out my emotions with someone I trust. Doing this keeps me leveled and balanced. I am not always happy but I do think that I live a relatively happy life and it’s all because of the people that I keep close to me.”

Jorge Daniel-Medina

What is the root of all hate? 

"I believe the root of all evil is how someone is raised. As a person is young, they tend to believe what adults tell them since they are the more responsible ones. It is the job of an adult to make sure these ideas don’t get confused, but sometimes adults don’t correct themselves and allow their children to believe a falsely stated opinion. Once this opinion is engraved into their minds, they’ll stick to this idea and spread their belief, causing a cycle of hate that continues forever."

Is there a remedy for hate, racism, and prejudice?

"I believe there will never be a remedy for hate, racism, or prejudice because everyone has a different perspective on subjects and one's own words cannot change another’s opinion. It is only a matter of teaching children how they can treat others with kindness, and to not be tainted by the negativity in this world."

JaJuan

What is your favorite sound? 

My favorite sound is laughter. 

Why is it your favorite sound?

Laughter is my favorite sound because it reminds me of a good time.
I like hearing people having fun and it gets me into cheery mood.
It’s a good way to see other people are happy and not gloomy all the time. 

Sebastian

"What has been one of your biggest regrets in your years of high school?"

“Looking back to moments when I know I could've done the extra work to get better at school.”

"Why is that one of your biggest regrets?"

“After looking back I know I really could have done better and it was in me but I still took the decisions knowing how they would affect me in the future.”

"What advice do you have for future students?"

“If you know you can do it just do it because the time will go by fast and you will see that it was really worth it.”

"How do you move on of your regrets?"

"You make something better out of the regrets.”

Jimena

I feel the presence of love when…

“I am surrounded by people I care about. I think that is what love is about...

Supporting people and showing them you care about them.”

Manuel

What is the secret to a happy life?

Hmm, the secret to a happy life is being and doing what you want to do. Not something that others say you should. That includes your parents. Parents can be tough on their kids, especially if they have a set mindset on how they want you to be. An example of some things that I like to do is soccer and chilling with the boys. They mean so much to me and have shaped me into the person I am today.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

The advice I would give to my younger self would be to stop talking during classes and to pay more attention. As a younging, I didn't care much about my assignments. What opened my eyes was when I failed a class. I felt disappointed and from there I improved.

Raquel

What is your least favorite word?
My least favorite word would definitely have to be 'savage'. This is because that is what the Native Americans were falsely called when voyagers arrived at what is now known as America. When I hear this word, a feeling of discomfort reaches me. 

Lylibeth

What is the lesson it has taken you the longest to learn?

- The lesson it has taken me the longest to learn… is letting go and moving forward, Life is about learning from mistakes and moving on.  it's never easy but there comes a point in our lives when it becomes inevitable. It can be a painful and challenging choice but once it's done you feel relief because you no longer have that sense of uncertainty. Letting go can be interpreted in numerous ways. Either the end to something or space for new experiences and opportunities. I always try to look at the positive side of things.

Xaynesis

                                         what is a piece of advice you would give to your younger self

I would say to always trust in God and in His plan for your life because sometimes I would stress about the future or about situations I would go through but with time I learned to trust in His process and that things happen for a reason and they help you grow as a person.

Mayra

Question: What is the Purpose of Forgiveness?

People often find it hard to say the word sorry and they rather live with resentment. I can say it from experience, I feel a great sense of peace when I tell the other person that I have made a mistake and that I feel sorry. The purpose of forgiveness is to have peace with yourself and with the other person; to live a life without owing anything to anyone, to live life without fearing what others will say about you.  

Hannah

                                                     What do you think will happen when you die?
When we die and find out that heaven does in fact exist, I want to hear god say thank you, I'm proud of you, you've done what's been needed on this earth for so long. I'm changing the world, and I don't know what the inclination to do so comes from, whether it be the fact that I'm such a big hearted person, or that god has willed me to change the world, but it's going to happen. and when it does, I want him to tell me how good I was down here. 

Katelyn

What is your definition of love?

My definition of love is caring for someone and being there for them when they need you. If you love someone you should feel good around them and feel happy. Loving someone can be hard but it's worth it when that person means a lot to you. I also think loving someone is giving them your time and your energy and making them feel wanted.

Jairo

The hardest thing that I had and somewhat still experience is living without a father figure. I never knew what it was like to have a connection with a dad. And although I never had that relationship, my mom filled in the blank space. And I appreciate it because it made me realize that I didn't really need him as I was growing. He missed a lot from my childhood like important school events, birthday parties, my first steps, and my first words. However; now I have my step-father, which isn’t exactly the same, and we don’t have a strong bond, but he does tend to help me out here and there. Which to all I can say that my mom has raised me well, and give her the credit for it.

Rodrigo

What profession would you not like to do?

The profession I would like not to do is one where I am not happy. For example, working in an office, I find that really boring. If I go to any profession, I would like to be comfortable and do something different every day. A job that does not interfere much with my personal life would be great. I think having time for myself and my family would play a huge role because it is always better to keep your relationship with those who you love. I would like to be able to go to my soccer games and have some fun with friends. Salary is also important because you want to work somewhere you earn enough money to move forward and pay for any expenses.

Miguel

                            Question: "What's the lesson that's taken you the longest to learn?"

Response: “I’ve always had a problem waiting. People always tell me to wait for my time. A good example of my problem waiting is one of my most vivid childhood memories. When I was six, I wanted to help my father cut the grass, but I couldn’t operate such heavy machinery. So later, my father bought me a plastic lawnmower because I could not wait to get older and help him out. Another example is when I couldn’t wait to work. When I was 13 years old, I had the opportunity to help my dad at the bakery store. It wasn’t a 13-year-old job, but I got the work done. I cannot wait. There are so many things in life that I want to do before I die that sometimes I feel like I won’t have enough time to complete them. Life is getting crazier and it's not getting any better. You never know what will happen tomorrow. And personally, that is one of my biggest fears.” 

María Abarca

What is your definition of love?

Love is that feeling where you leave your pride and selfishness aside and give all support to that person that you love. Love is a decision we make every day by deciding to love that person every day. Between everything, it's important to know that God is love and that love is not just found in one person in particular, but it is found within us and within the people that surround us.

Why do you say this?

I say this because I had to go through a very difficult path in order to learn that love is found within me. Sometimes life experiences help us learn to value ourselves and those around us that always support us. 

Ishmael Zavala

The purpose of forgiveness is… 

“You can forgive in others or people can forgive you from the mistake you made. The purpose of forgiveness is to learn from the mistakes. You basically just Live and learn throughout life. I think forgiveness is important so that we as people can learn and grow as humans. To show who we can trust so that you don’t end up in the same spot. Forgiveness is not for the benefit for them,  but the benefit for yourself. To prove that you are capable of healing from the pain. Forgiveness doesn't mean forget what they did and move on from your life but hoping that the person that hurt you learn from their mistake. Forgiveness isn’t something you get right away. Forgiveness is a process, which means it can take hours to years to finally understand the power of forgiveness. Once you have forgiven the stress and the madness is gone.”

Veronica Zavala

What is the secret to a happy life? 

The secret to a happy life is to live in the moment. Reality is what you are encountering in this very moment; not the thoughts and feelings that we focus from the past or future. You’ll begin to have a profound admiration for your life if you just live in the moment.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

The advice I would give my younger self is to enjoy life. Growing up, I was always focused on the future and so focused on school and work, I never had time to just have fun. 

Jorge Benito

What is the purpose of the human experience?

I think that the purpose of the human experience is to do mistakes and to learn from them, and time here is not forever. Because everything is superficial, knowledge is what stays with you forever, until your death bed.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I'd tell, my younger self to live my life more because I can grow later, I don't have to grow up so quickly and to continue to learn from my mistakes, because they will follow me up to the rest of my life.

Richie R.

What is the lesson it's taken you the longest to learn?

"The lesson that has taken me the longest to learn is finding motivation. It took me years to understand that I had to try my best at school. That comes with motivation and in order to succeed, you have to put the work in. Motivation for me is finding what drives you as a person and to keep moving forward." -- Richie Roque

Esteban T,

Worst Experience - The worst experience I’ve ever had was going at it with my dad, to the point that things got physical. I was out and my brother accidentally set the microwave on fire. My dad was beyond mad, and when I got there I knew I had to defend my brother and mother at all costs. “Mi papa loco, imaginate yo.” This is why I’m here today.  

What is Love - Love is the trust between two people, the respect you give yourself as well as your partner, that is the greatest depiction of love you can give and have.

Jorge

If you could be any animal what animal could you be?

If I could be an animal I would be an eagle. I would be an eagle because they are big explorers and I like exploring.

What’s the best advice you’ve gotten?

To always do what you believe in, to do what you feel is right and not let other people change you or your opinion.