AP biology final project

Aaron Rodriguez

Kelvin Nguyen

James Mori

Peter Rulkov

Period 3

AP Biology Final Project

Plant Survey

Marina Arroyo

Paynich

NSS 101

5 October 2015

Blog #1

    Deciding to attend college was my top priority from the beginning of freshman year in high school. The odds were against me with an unsupportive mother and the battle of depression on my shoulders. At thirteen my biological mom was physically, verbally, and mentally abusing me on a daily basis. I was diagnosed as clinically depressed by a counselor who was allowing my mother to abuse me. While most teenagers were studying for tests, waiting impatiently for Friday night’s football game, or trying to socially fit in, I was stressing about when my mom would receive her child custody court papers from my dad, dreading about my next counseling session, and worrying if I would make it through one more day at my mom’s house. During my first year in high school, my grades dropped drastically. My second semester was focused on pushing through the pain so I could keep up my grades. But it’s not easy to stay motivated when you constantly have a parent telling you, “You’ll never make it out of Merced, or high school. The most you’ll do is end up stuck here like the rest of us. Don’t get your hopes up.” That is what motivated me to attend college. For four years, that was my motivation; to prove her wrong, to prove I was more than the average kid, to prove I had the potential to succeed.

    Los Angeles has been my favorite place to visit ever since I was in middle school. Coming to school in Los Angeles however, wasn’t always in my dream. I had planned on attending Fresno State until my junior year in high school. I hadn’t seen my biological mom since the summer going into sophomore year until we realized she had been stalking me. All of a sudden, she was at every soccer game sitting on the other team’s side, her car was in the parking lot of the school almost every day, she was trying to pull me out of school without permission. It felt impossible to escape her and that’s when I decided moving out of town was the better choice. There was no other place I would move to than Los Angeles and after researching CSULA, I knew it would be a great choice. Everything I did from that point on was done to ensure I was on the right track to being admitted into CSULA.

    Although I knew what college I wanted to go to, I didn’t decide my major until my senior year in high school. I chose sociology and psychology because I want to become a clinical psychologist in the near future. I hope to help individuals struggling to find happiness in the best way that I can. After experiencing all that I have, I never want to see a child struggle through what I did, or witness a person have a personality disorder and hurt others around them because of it. If I can offer a helping hand to these people in need, I will. I wish to graduate within four years and then continue on to achieve my Master’s degree. While in college, I’m excited to gain knowledge specifically about my major. It interests me to learn about the working of ones thinking process that leads to a decision and that’s what I hope to learn more about while taking classes for my major.

    To conclude, the decision to come to college was based mainly so I can succeed and create a better life for myself than what some people had pictured for me. Choosing CSULA was a better choice for my future because this school is providing me a great education and an escape from my normality. It’s exciting to be in a new city with new friends. I’m excited for what’s to come in my future.

Accomplishment that has changed me

Aaron Rodriguez

Accomplishment that has changed me

Winning a championship is the greatest experience in the world but it’s not the simple fact of holding a trophy over your head which makes it satisfying but all the work that is put into it to succeed, the brotherhood of picking each other up and making each other better that is what makes a championship satisfying. The road to success is never easy but for me not only was it hard but unexpected. My freshman year of high school I had tried out for the basketball team, unfortunately I had not made it. I had gone to the coach and asked him what I needed to work on, so I could be prepared for next year, but before we talked about that he had said that cutting me was a very hard decision to make. The road of playing had seemed to have come to an end however, it was not. One day walking down the halls some of the people who had made the team said the basketball coach wanted to talk to me. This was a nerve racking experience because I had no idea what he had to tell me since I had not been on the team. The coach had brought good news someone had quit the team and a spot was open. He asked if I wanted it. I was overjoyed with excitement not being able to feel my body almost in a state of floating. A second opportunity was given to me and I had intended to make it count. The practices were intense, most times I had messed up and the other player would yell at me. At first I had been slightly offended but after getting to know my teammates I had realized that that was just their passion for the game. Through the weeks and months I too had the same passion as my teammates. The passion and grit we showed in practice definitely translated into the games. Some games we would be up by 30 points and we would be playing as if we were down by 5 and 2 minutes to go. This was instilled by our coach he always said “don’t worry about the scoreboard just play the game”. Our coach would push us extremely hard in practice running us all day long. The practices seemed to be harder than the games some days I wouldn’t even think of doing homework because I was so tired. I still did though because that was something that was instilled in us by our coach, hard work. Hard work on the court and hard work in the classroom. The hard work that we did paid off when we won the European Championship. Winning the champions had great satisfaction but the greatest satisfaction was the hard work paying off and it has become a core value of mine that I intend to carry through the rest of my life.        

Hope United Methodist Scholarship

Hope United Methodist Church Foundation Scholarship Award

16550 Bernardo Heights Parkway, San Diego, CA 92128

Dear Aaron Conrad Perez Rodriguez,

CONGRATULATIONS on your Hope United Methodist Foundation Scholarship award in the amount of $500.00.

The estates of Mary K. Long and the Severson Family Trust bequeathed to the Foundation funds to be explicitly used for higher education.  The money is to be awarded to qualifying members of Hope United Methodist Church pursuing post-secondary education at an accredited institution, and who have been a member for the calendar year prior to receiving the scholarship grant.

The funds awarded are to be used solely for the purpose of academic expenses, i.e., tuition, books, academic fees, and equipment pertaining to your courses.

You have met the criteria for receipt of an award for the 2015-2016 academic year, and we are pleased to present you with this scholarship.  We hope that you’ll be willing to keep us posted on your academic successes and share with us how this scholarship has impacted your studies.  Again, on behalf of the Hope United Methodist Church Foundation, congratulations on your award.

Please sign, date, and return this acceptance of your award.

______________________________________________________     ___________________

Name                                                                                                                         Date

I understand and agree with the terms and conditions of the scholarship award.  I certify that the funds will be used exclusively for educational expenses.  I further certify that if for any reason I discontinue my education in the next twelve months, I will notify the Hope UMC  Foundation Scholarship committee and return the entire scholarship award.

Christmas without china

Aaron Rodriguez  

Economics 201  

Professor Castillo  

January 13, 2016 

Christmas without China  

Christmas without China illustrates the challenge by a Chinese American film maker named Tom to an American family to live a whole month without using products made in China. His father was confused on why he is trying to get people not to use Chinese products but Tom later revealed to his father that he was trying to get Americans to realize that China is not their enemy but is there to help America in getting products cheaper. The family accepted this challenge because they thought that Chinese products were full of lead and poisonous to them. Every time the family went out to go shopping for the holidays they looked at the product and tried to avoid things that were made in China. Soon they found that they were spending more money and working harder to get things that were half the quality of the products that were made in China. The family began to appreciate the things that China can provide to America and didn’t look at them as adversaries anymore. This movie illustrates how China is a vital part to the American economy because they create good quality products to Americans at a cheaper price then getting the same products from America or other countries and how china specializes in the creation of assembled products.  

Resume

Aaron Rodriguez  

5151 State University Drive Los Angeles California 90032 

(858)-342-5921 

Objective: Entry level position in a marketing department  

Resume 

Education 

December 2015  

Mt. Carmel High School 

GPA: 2.9  

Business Administration Option: Marketing  

Major Coursework: Business 101  

Volunteering 

APO:  Lung Force Walk, NSW: Literacy Fair, Think Pink Run for Hope  

Key Club: Bucking it for the Broncos 5k, 10/20 K   

Extra-Curricular Activities:  

Tennis: 4 years Varsity  

Basketball: 1 year Varsity, European Championship  

Baseball: 1 Year Varsity  

APO: Public Relations Chair  

Honors Activities  

Honor Roll: 2 quarters 

4 year college plan

4 Year Plan  

	Fall		Winter	Spring
Year 1	Buisness 101   English 96   History 202 B		Communications 150   English 101   Math 104
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4

Notes: 

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