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

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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.”