Marlen

What advice would you give to your younger self?

“In school to focus and not slack and try my hardest because in the long run you will have a lot of responsibility especially when you're a senior in high school. I say thus because if you suck in your freshman year you're gonna suck senior year. In general, I feel like you should live to the fullest. I feel like you shouldn't be scared to try something new and make new friends. Or take adventures and experience new things. I haven't experienced living my life to the fullest but adventures? Yes! Last summer my friend was learning how to drive but didn't know how to drive on the freeway that well. We went on the freeway and I was in charge of the GPS and I don't know if the GPS was dumb or I'm dumb because we kept taking the wrong exits,

but it's fun now because this is a memory I will never forget”.

Angel

Would humans be better or worse if we focused on what was

going well rather than what’s going wrong?

I feel like things would get worse if humans focused on what was going good because even though we would hope that the good would change people and influence them to be good, I feel like a lot of people do bad and if we ignore the bad then nothing’s going to change.

Nancy

Why do we dream? 

"I think everyone has a different dream, I feel like we dream because we want to express ourselves when we're sleeping when we can't express our imagination to others out loud. It's like you're afraid someone might judge you for thinking all these different ideas. When you dream you don't have to be afraid of anyone else's opinions and you simply live freely. It is a safe and healthy environment."  

Jolissa

What was the hardest experience you ever went through and how did you get through it? 

The hardest experience I ever had was in fifth grade in 2013 when my dad died. It was hard not having the relationship other people had with their dad´s at such a young age. What helped me through it was having my family being by my side and supporting me. My mother and I are strong believers in Jesus and we believe that he is always with us taking care of us. 

Danity

What advice would you give to your younger self?

The advice I would tell my younger self would be to enjoy life. Growing up I was always looking forward to the future and always wanted to grow up and move out and do my own thing. I never really stopped and smelled the roses, I had always brushed by them and just kept on going with one thing on my mind which was being independent. Growing up I was always independent, so when it came to me being a teenager I always wanted to be gone, and when in reality I should’ve lived in the moment and been happy and enjoyed where I was at. Now I am a senior and I am stressed 24/7 about colleges and I had realized that I am not ready to be an adult and I just want to be a little kid again and watch cartoons and not have a care in the world. Yet life is moving on and it is not stopping, but in small days where I have no worries, I take great pleasure in them and I do not take it for granted. Take your time, and don’t rush.

Carlos

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

I suppose the lesson that took me the longest to learn was that not everyone that comes into my life will always be there. This can apply to friends, family, and even significant others. I would hear this in movies, tv shows, from people I knew but I didn’t ever truly understand what it meant until it actually happened. Without having to go into too much detail I can say that I learned this lesson when I was sixteen so about a year ago.

Gerardo

What is one of the hardest experiences you’ve had to go through in your life?

I think one of the hardest experiences that I’ve had to go through was transitioning from a middle school to a high school. At the middle school, we didn’t change classes. We had one class and that class taught all the classes. So it was pretty difficult learning the new thing of switching classes, but in the end, I got the hang of it, and I’m doing pretty good now.

What was your biggest takeaway from it?

My biggest takeaway was that even though sometimes I felt like giving up, I came through it. The main takeaway is to never give up, and follow through because at the end of the day you’re gonna make it no matter what.

Brian

• 
  When I am angry, sad, or even nervous, I pick my violin up and play the emotion that I am feeling at that moment, I play to the fullest and the songs that I play make me happy and brings my spirits up.

Kryssi

"If I were an element of the earth, I'd be the ground so I could support people and hold them up." 

Gloria

​What was the hardest thing you’ve had to experience?

Ummm, I  guess it would be this girl would umm... bully me and stalk me. It got to a point where I didn't want to go to school, I missed doing homework, but I didn't let it affect me. I actually left that school and came here.  She continued to stalk me on social media, not showing her identity. 

She stopped when I told her to stop and leave me alone

Why was this experience so difficult?

It was difficult because I couldn't do anything, she wasn't saying my name. I didn't want her to turn things around, I felt trapped. 

What did you learn with this experience?

I learned not to trust people, not everyone is going to be your friend. Also, I learned to stick up for me.

Brian

• What got you through the most tough times in life?
• The thing that got me through the toughest times in life was my mother. She is always there to support me and makes it possible for me to move on with life even though sometimes you might think you don't belong here. Personally, I haven't gone through much tough stuff or bad things in life, which I am grateful for; but I see other friends of mine suffer and I just want to be there to help them as much as possible.
• Have you ever wanted to leave Veritas? If so why did you stay?
• Totally, I wanted to transfer since my sophomore year of high school and decided not to. The reason I stayed was that I wanted to prove to myself that I was a good student and not the type of student that got in trouble. Also, I am the only student in this whole school that plays for the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. This program is among the best programs in the Midwest and even in the nation. It's a privilege and an honor being in this prestigous program. Now when I am a senior I noticed that I meant to stay at Veritas without going to a different school.
• What makes you happy when you feel your lowest?
• The thing that makes me happy when I am at my lowest is my violin. When I am angry, sad, or even nervous, I pick my violin up and play the emotion that I am feeling at that moment. I play to the fullest and the songs that I play makes me happy and brings my spirits up. Ever since the 9th grade, the violin has been a key role in my life and I do not plan on quitting the instrument after I graduate from high school.

Kaylee

 What is the purpose of the human experience?

   The purpose of the human experience is to serve other people. So like we all have this thing we have to fulfill whether it is to convince someone to keep going on in life or singing and bringing music into the world or making art that moves people. So I feel like essentially the purpose of the human experience is to serve others with your actions.

Hania

“If you had to give a 30 second on-the-spot speech about our school, what would you say?”

Umm, Veritas is a great school, everyone should come to it. They have great people and it's tons of fun. Homecoming is a great way to have fun and dance. *laughs at herself for 10 seconds* It's small, so it is very easy to get around and find your way. There is a lot of inclusion between the grades, and that I think is really cool. It's really easy to make friends.

Emely

What is love in your perspective and how do you know when you feel it?

In my perspective although I've never felt love, this is how I would describe it. When you find love you not only find a person who is with you through good and bad, you find someone who you can learn from, someone who you can trust, and somebody who balances out your life. Love isn’t about being affectionate and having to be told that you are loved, love is about being yourself. I lied earlier when I said I have never felt love, and to be honest I was just being close minded. I do love. I love me. Love is growth, and for a long time I thought I “never” felt it, clearly in the beginning of this question you can see that, but that’s okay, because I’m still growing. Love is about how you feel towards yourself and your actions, and honestly if you don’t learn that, no matter how hard you want to, you’ll never find love."

Who would you go to or who would you think about if you suddenly lost everything one day?

If I lost everything tomorrow, at least I’d know I still have myself. I’m not the type of person that relies on anyone else to make me feel okay. This is a good thing because I have learned that without me, I’m nothing. Obviously right? But many people don’t know that. You are the most important thing in your own life, and it’s not selfish, it’s the truth. That’s why people have so many problems with figuring themselves out and knowing what to do in situations like these. If I lost everything tomorrow, I’d have nothing left but to create the strength to lift myself up and start from the beginning.

Lupe

What's your definition of beauty?

To me, beauty is being comfortable with yourself and not caring what anyone has to say. Not caring what somebody wants you to be like and just being yourself.

Do you consider yourself beautiful?

I mean ha-yeah!. Yes because I feel like, I myself, don't care what other people think. Everybody knows me as (the mean mugging person) but I’m also goofy, so I do fit in. Also you know how people be saying that girls with make-up 'aren’t pretty', that’s just 'no.' You express your talent to make-up.

Have you ever been bullied? How?

I went to an all Caucasian middle school and I was one of the only Hispanics and I’d always get in trouble for like dumb things, like legit dumb things. Okay don’t quote me on legit- okay nevermind! Forget the discrimination. I haven’t been bullied. No. So I wouldn’t know how it would feel.”

Cozbi

What was the saddest moment of your life?

“When my uncle passed away in October… I felt like it wasn't real. Like it wasn’t happening and I couldn’t accept it. My head wouldn’t process it and it wasn’t believable to me. I felt bad for my dad because he was really close to him. I couldn’t believe it until I saw his pain. So I felt lost for words. I didn’t know what to express towards my dad's face streaming with tears… All I could do was hug him and try to console him. Then I found out he was leaving for 2 weeks to Mexico and that made me go into a mode of fake smiles, thinking everything would turn out good. And it worked. I saw that it was something we could overcome.”

Shannon

What was the hardest thing you had to experience?

“The hardest thing I had to experience was letting go of the ones that held me beneath myself. That was the hardest thing I had to experience because I never thought that I would have to let someone go especially if that person meant a lot to me. This experience changed me by knowing that even though I lost one, I can gain another. Every downfall is another come up.”

Does this affect who you choose to associate yourself with?

“Yes, it does affect who I associate with.”

How?

“This affected me by the limited people I allow to enter my life. Yes, I do look at traits in a person because they could be nice the second they meet you, but then switch up in a matter of seconds. Red flags...Showing their true colors, controlling about everything, not too concerned about the friendship, nags you about the littlest things, etc.”

Do you have any advice or anything to say to people who are struggling with this too?

“Know who your real friend is before calling that person your friend. Oh and always try to get to know the person because that person could seem to be nice at first but be devious inside.”

Naideliz

​

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

"If heaven were to exist, I would like to hear God say that he has forgiven me for anything I have done in my lifetime that he may have considered to be wrong.  Also, that there are dogs in heaven."

What is your personal prayer?

"When I pray, I often pray about well-being, such as happiness and good health, for not only myself but for others as well. I think that it is important to pray for others because we all go through stuff and we all deserve to have good fortune and have a good life."

Bertha

Do you think humanity as a whole has gotten better or worse throughout the years?

“I think that it depends on the perspective that you look at humanity. It has gotten better in some areas such as technology and science. However, society has gotten worse, from kids playing outside after school, to locking themselves in their room playing video games. Our generation has isolated themselves from others, and others speak words that some of us hope we would never have to hear. We have created our own fate, full of hate and discrimination rather than supporting one another regardless of our appearances.”

Paola

"If you left your current life in order to pursue your dreams, what would you lose?"

"Besides my close relationships with my family and friends honestly I don’t believe I’ll lose anything. If I did leave my current life to pursue my dreams that would be to go and help third world developing countries. In fact if I did decide to pursue my dreams I would gain more than lose. I would gain admiration for the people living in such conditions and I would have the opportunity to see and experience what the definition of working hard and not giving up actually is. We sometimes forget how lucky we are, and that living here we have somewhat of a voice to make changes, though for those people living in extreme poverty they have nothing but themselves. So actually thinking about it I would lose my desire for benefiting myself, and gain the desire to help and impact others."

Shelly

What inspires you to come to work every day?

“ I like being around students. I like knowing that even though I am just a lunch lady, I am supplying you with food that will hopefully get you through the rest of your day and help you to do your work. I also love coming here because I love what this school stands for. I’ve never actually had a job like this and it's very rewarding for me.”

Have you’ve had any other jobs besides food service?

“I have been in food service for 15 years. I catered in Waukesha for all occasions including at weddings and Bar Mitzvahs. I’ve also worked at the Mount Mary Cafe, and opened up the Law School Tory Hill Cafe at Marquette University, running it for 3 years. I went to school at MATC and got a degree in baking and in pastry art. I started off working at the age of 14 as a bus girl for a Jewish country club. I've been an Administrative Assistant, a Certified Pharmacy Technician and also a Personal Assistant to an eye glass manager for Vision Mart.“

When you were younger what did you envision yourself doing?

“I dreamt of owning my own bakery and I still to this day.”

Do you have any hidden talents?

“I am a phenomenal artist with frosting! If you put a pencil in my hand and ask me to draw, forget about it, but if you put a bag of frosting in my hand I could give you whatever it was that your heart desired. I was better at frosting designs than I ever was with charcoal drawings.”

Emmanuel

"What are your plans after high school?" 

"I plan to go to MATC for my college years and then after that I plan to join the peace the peace core 

and move to Portland, Oregon." 

Dan

"When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you have done?"

"Probably. In the literal sense, I do tend to talk a lot and do not lead the most active lifestyle at this point.  In the figurative sense, I think that holds true for most of us; for most, it’s easier to say something than it sometimes is to follow through with something. Even for the best of us out there, I don’t know if it’s realistic to keep every promise or to do each and every thing we say we’re going to do, but that shouldn’t keep people from trying. "

Diana

What’s your life motto and why?

My life motto is to be happy without worrying about what others think. I live by this motto because for a long time, I was worried about what people thought. I was so worried about making everyone else happy instead of focusing on myself. So now, I just worry about myself and I’m trying to be the happiest I can.

Fernando

Do you have any regrets in your life?

My regret is that I never worked hard in my life. I either slacked off on my assignments, I never lived up to my capabilities like I’m able to do. I’ve been told by multiple people that I’m either dumb or stupid and it brings my morale down to the point where I believe them. This makes me tell myself that I’m good for nothing and that leads to more regrets.

How have you learned from this regret?

I haven’t really come to a conclusion yet, I can only imagine what my life would’ve been like and only come up with a potential future.  I think about what my life could’ve been and I think more about what my life will actually be then what it could be. I will not let this drag me down and I’m going to graduate and go to college and I plan on proving everybody who doubted me wrong.

Abel

Do you consider yourself different from everyone else? If so, how are you different?

I consider myself different in the way that everyone else does; each and every single one of us have different qualities and interests that make us unique. However, I would not necessarily put myself under a specific box. My interests are vast and unlike most seen at Veritas. For example, I could talk to you about the new Migos album, discuss the artistry behind a movie such as Solaris (1972), and be able to explain to you why Agustín Lara is one of the most important composers of the 20th century. It's the sort of eccentricity that tickles the fancy, and I'm glad I'm able to possess it.  

Nasha

“What is the best compliment you have received?”

“I’ve been told it was my nice laugh. I think people say that because my laugh is very contagious, and it’s funny, and weird. It makes other people laugh. I don't know…”

Jennifer

What's your favorite type of weather?

Gloomy, rainy, it’s my favorite.

Do you wish the weather would stay like that forever?

Not forever, only once in awhile.

What weather gives you the most stress?

When it is very hot outside, because it’s hard to decide what to wear to not “die” from heat.

Hazael

"You moved here from California. How has that changed you or how did that change affect you?"

"I decided to change as a person and keep everything about my old self and change the things I didn’t like. I knew that I wanted to be a new better person."

"How do you feel about the change? Are you happy?"

"The change is different. I don't like it because it isn’t my home. I didn’t grow up here and I’m not used to the different culture. I’m happy, but I will never be as happy as living back home."

Octavio

"If you could be one superhero who would you be?"

"Spiderman"

"Why?"

"It might help me get rid of my fear of spiders...I love Spiderman but I hate spiders.

I have Arachnophobia."

Fatima

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Dubai.  Because everything is really nice and seems so futuristic-like and gorgeous.

Marlen

"What is the toughest moment you’ve been through?"

"The toughest thing I have been through is when my mom lost her dad. It was the toughest because I had never seen my mom go through something like that, and also because she couldn’t go to Mexico and see him, and the very next day was my brother's wedding.

She is one of the strongest persons I know."

Melanie

¨What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months?¨

¨It would have to be when my mom told me and my sister that we had to go live with my dad. It´s not that I didn't want to, it's that I didn't feel comfortable. My sister didn't want to go either.¨

¨Why didn't you want to go?"

¨Because we have never had a good relationship with him.

So, I didn't really see the point of going.¨

¨Did you move yet?¨

¨No¨

¨How does moving make you feel?¨

¨Like I would be fine with it, but it will not be the same as living with my mom.¨ ​

Jordan

Where do you find peace?

I find peace in sports. When I play it is just like nothing else matters. It just feels natural, I don’t have to force myself to do anything and I can just focus on winning. I just get into a zone where I do not have to worry about anything else, it's peaceful.

Zac

Have you had a traumatic experience? If so how has that changed you or made the way you view things differently.

I have a sister that has down syndrome, so I think her life has had a traumatic impact. She had a hole in her heart so she went through a lot when I was 9. We found her under the stair well, she had eat a thumbtack. Our parents were not home so we called the ambulance and another time when my parents weren't home, I found her passed out and again this time her breathing was very different, it wasn't fast, it was slow, and stopped for a moment,

so again we had to call the ambulance.

In high school when I was junior she had to have a fake heart put in and it was a dramatic event because it was a tough year. I had to balance all my school work, my teachers didn't really take my situation into consideration but it helped me see that no matter what happens in your life, people don't care, you still have to live your life and get things done. I've seen that even though my sister was having a rough time she still kept going. For example, when she had gotten her fake heart put in she threw peas at my brother who hated them.

It showed me that she was a strong person.

Jaime

"If you could send a message to the entire world, what would you say in 30 seconds?"

“I would say make sure you do you, be the happiest you can be, don’t take anything from anybody, because you are the best person you could ever be. And also remember that love is love, and we should love each other the same, no matter the race.”  

Maribel

​If you could teach someone one thing you've learned about life, what would it be?

I would give them my life experiences without the pain in order for them to have the same experiences 

but not commit the same mistakes.

Michelle

What is one of your best memories and why?

One of my best memories is probably when I found out I had a twin. This is the best memory because I realized I had another me to play with. It was like I was going to have someone there for me forever. I also thought it was really cool even though I didn't

understand a lot of what it meant but I still thought it was cool.

Azteca

Would you want to be ugly and live forever,

or attractive and die in a year? Explain why.

Personally, I would want to be ugly and live forever. First of all because I am really ugly. Secondly, personality is the main key to beauty. Being attractive from the outside is simplistic. Also, you can’t live a life in one year; you will miss the beauty and wonders of the world!

David

What has made you the person that you are today?

My family has been separated for more than 7 years now and they're living in Mexico. Losing close friends has made me think twice before doing something. I lost 4 close friends all because of drinking while driving. I got to experience a lot of things at such a young age which has influenced my decisions that I make right now...But I'll say that my dad's deportation has been the biggest impact on my life.

Vicki

"Do you think that you are a harsh critic on the students' art work?"

"I wouldn't say a harsh critic, I would say honest."

"Would you change your career?"

"At this part in my life, no."

"If you could go back in time would you? What career would you choose instead?"

"I would say yes. I would design and build houses. I suppose an architect."