My Mentor

My mentor is my stepsister Kristina. She is a few years younger than me but I look up to her. When she entered my life, we were complete opposites. She enjoyed staying home on her weekends and spending time with herself. She would spend her time reading her favorite books and doing a lot of self-care. I could not wait for the weekends to come because I wanted to go out and have fun with my friends. At the time, I thought my mediocre job was all I needed to make sure I was “doing something” with my life but I just wanted to live for the moment and have fun partying.  Kristina was very determined to continue her education and become a nurse. She went through hurdles but it never fully discouraged her or kept her back from fulfilling her goal. I eventually grew to admire her for her ambition.

One of the hurdles that she had to go through was failing the nursing exam during her undergraduate program. She ended up graduating with a psychology degree. She still wanted to become a nurse so, she enrolled in a nursing program after getting her bachelor’s degree in psychology. With her hard work, she passed her exam and has been a nurse for the past three and a half years. I relate to her because through my journey of completing my bachelor’s degree, I’ve had to make adjustments and now I will be graduating with a sociology degree instead of an education degree. I still want to become a teacher so I am planning on entering an alternative program to get my teacher certification when I get my bachelor's.

Through the years of her studying in school and me partying, she would always advise me that I should be thinking about school too. She always said that even though we were not sisters by blood, she still cared for me and wanted to make sure I was being careful about my choices in life.  After going through a traumatic experience in my life, she had a conversation with me about how I should start thinking about my future more seriously. Kristina would tell me that it is never too late and we are still young. She was the first person I disclosed my decision of going back to school. Being that she had experience in enrolling in school, and applying for financial aid she sat and helped me through the whole process. First, we browsed for the school that seemed best for my needs. She guided me through the financial aid process and what kind of loans I should avoid based on her loans experience.

 

Aside from mentoring me in pursuit of education, I also look up to her on how independent of a woman she is. She continues to make sure she is taking care of herself. A part of that is doing the things she loves even if she has no one else to do them with. She still has yet to find herself a partner, in the meantime; she still enjoys the company of friends and family. But what makes her really happy is traveling and she has taken solo trips several times.  This is something I really admire about her. I have learned that it’s okay to do things alone. She has taught me to make sure I am doing everything on my part to make sure I am happy in life by doing the things I love to do. I am really happy to have her in my life. 

Music

 Hip Hop played a special role in the other Wes Moore’s life. Hip Hop was more than just music and lyrics for him. Being that he went to a different school from the kids in his neighborhood, it was a way to still feel connected to those kids. The other Wes Moore connected to the words in Hip Hop music and being able to share this kind of music with the students in his school gave people more perspective of how his life was. It gave those students a perspective of not only things he goes through but also how other people in his race feel and experience. Because the words in this type of music related to his life, he felt that he was not alone in feeling the things he felt. 

I love how versatile music can be. Music can create many kinds of emotions and it can be used for different occasions. Music allows me to get in tune with my emotions. Sometimes music with no lyrics can be so intense that I can create a vivid situation in my head and will have me feel different emotions from sad to happy. Then there is music that has lyrics that I can easily relate to. I usually have a hard time expressing my thoughts and feelings, but when I listen to a song with lyrics that I relate to, it helps me with being able to express what I am feeling. Similar to the other Wes Moore, music reassures me that I am not alone or the only person who has ever felt certain ways.

I remember going through a breakup with an old boyfriend. I was so sad and I knew that, but I did not have the words to be able to describe my sadness. I created a playlist with some of the sad songs I knew and had them on repeat. Some sad songs did not even relate to my break-up situation, but there was sadness in the song and that is what I needed to let it all out of my system. Just as music can bring out any sadness that I am feeling, it can also bring me joy. With the right kind of music, I will be nonstop dancing around. I use music to make me productive with physical chores. If I have to do cleaning around the house, upbeat music will make my time more enjoyable. When I am getting ready to go out by doing my hair and makeup, I like to have music on. It makes me feel happy and gets me pumped. 

I can never be in my car without some kind of music on. There is something about a sunny day, in my car, with whatever music I am craving to hear on that specific day, that just makes me feel really good and my mood is also good and positive. And of course, what's a party without music? But music can also be calming and relaxing. I also use it to focus when I need to do work. For some odd reason, Disney classical music gets me in my zone and I concentrate so well to get my homework done.

 

Decisions, Decisions

Every day we are faced with having to make decisions that can alter our path in life. When I graduated high school, I enrolled for my first semester at UCC. I think my major was psychology at the time because I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I did well that first semester but I was more preoccupied with hanging out with friends than setting goals for my future. I missed the deadline to enroll for the spring semester and trusted myself that I would enroll for the following. Unfortunately, it took me seven years to return to school.

During those seven years, I made choices, not thinking about my future. All I cared about was the present and having fun. I partied and drank. I did not do anything that major that could’ve sent me to jail or sent me to the emergency room, but I was just not thinking of what I wanted my future to be. During a small period of time, my home environment was stressful living with my mother and her being upset with my choices. I took a mixology class for fun and liked it so much I thought of being a bartender. Bartending sounded appealing because I would be surrounded by the things I enjoyed doing, plus I would get paid. 

In the midst of deciding what I was doing with myself, I eventually met my boyfriend who I have been dating for the past eight years. With the support of my family, my partner, and new friends, I decided that going back to school was the best option for me and my future. Had I not made the decision to stop surrounding myself with bad influences, I would still be stuck in an environment that encouraged my drinking.

I have cut all ties with people who I feel would not motivate me to make something out of my life. I don’t believe those friends were bad people, but they continue to choose a lifestyle that I no longer wanted. Because of social media, I still see glimpses of what their life is like, particularly one girl I was very close with. She has now become a bartender. Through her social media, she constantly shares that she drinks while working and drinks there while she’s off because she’s hanging out with friends. I also see the type of people she continues to surround herself with. I recognize a few people from before and to say the least, some are not great influences. Sometimes I am speechless when I see her post the things that she does. It is hard to believe that I was almost following in the same footsteps. I am very thankful that I chose a different path for myself and I am heading in the right direction; therefore, I do not regret any of the decisions I have made in my previous years. I am looking forward to the next step in my life when I graduate, as I will be the first in my family to have a bachelor’s degree in America. 

Are We A Product of Environment or A Product of Expectations?

What this question means to me is thinking about the factors that influence our actions. Are our actions a result of the environment or what people expect of us, which in turn becomes our own expectations? I think our outcomes in life, the path we follow, can come from both aspects. 

I believe that the environment consists of the community and the people we socialize with daily. These factors influence some of the choices we make. I don’t think people have an expectation to make wrong choices; however, if the environment is filled with negative and wrong influences from people, it is easy to fall within that. Naturally, as humans, we can adapt and adjust to our environment. If our environment consists of people who want to be successful in life, it influences us to adapt if we want to “fit in.” The expectations come from within us wanting to fit in with the rest whom we surround ourselves with. 

Is Higher Education Worth The Price?

    There is no right or wrong way to answer this question. Ultimately, it depends on the individual being asked. One person may believe that higher education is much needed, despite the price, to become successful. Others may think other paths can make them successful without spending thousands of dollars. Every person will have a different experience whether they decide higher education is or isn’t worth the price. Some may believe that higher education is something they know they need and want but still find the price ridiculously expensive but feel as if they have no other choice but to continue attending college.

    

The video The Ivory Tower (2014) mentions how college tuition has continuously increased over the years. This was my most immense stress when I applied for college. It continues to weigh heavy on me and influences me on whether I want to continue for a master’s degree. Decades ago, students could pay off their debts by working summer jobs, but based on my own experience, I’ve been working a full-time job throughout my five years in school, and I still won’t be able to pay them off right away. The future is unknown, and no one can promise a person with degrees a job. Therefore, people can be reluctant to attend college if they won’t be able to work their “dream job.” 

Some people graduate and do not find jobs for what they studied, or others do not make enough to pay their regular bills and pay back their loans. Many are left with a massive debt to pay. Tuitions increase, and part of the problem of students having huge debts is that they are forced to take more general education classes. They may find them irrelevant for the real world or have already learned about it during primary and secondary school.

  

 According to The Ivory Tower (2014), another factor that may lead towards higher education not being worth the price is because the class sizes are too big and the teachers’ attention is limited, making it hard for individualized learning. The documentary video also discussed how people had found alternatives to becoming successful without spending thousands of dollars on tuition. Millionaires and billionaires have shared their stories about dropping out of college to become entrepreneurs. The skeptical part of that is not knowing whether or not you will become that successful. Other people find alternative programs to teach essential life skills useful for different job opportunities.

 

Is Fast Food The New Tobacco

     It is time to tackle the fast-food crisis as done with tobacco. The consumption of junk food has resulted in the rise of obesity and health issues, and it can start with children. Life has changed over the past few decades. More people are eating at fast food places. Fast-food places like McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco bell offer affordable meals for people, especially teenagers fending for themselves with little to no money (Zinczenko, n.d). Fast food is convenient not only because it is cheaper but also it’s quick, especially for those with a busy life.

One of the problems is people not being fully informed about these health hazards to decide what is healthy to consume. According to the documentary What the Health?, processed meat is classified as a Group One Carcinogen, the same class as tobacco smoking. In the article Don't Blame the Eater, Zinczenko assumes that without warning labels on food, "children will continue to eat them, obesity will continue to rise, resulting in the industry being vulnerable to lawsuits from parents" (n.d, p.393). Obesity and health issues that come with obesity will continue to rise if we do not take responsibility and take action. It's time for parents to do their part in researching nutrition information instead of blaming restaurants for lack of information. It is also the responsibility of parents to educate their children about healthy foods so they can learn to make informed decisions for themselves as they get older. The industry is not forcing anyone to eat it; that is a choice people make on their own.

Pop Culture

 Is Pop Culture Good For You?

Whether we like it or not, pop culture surrounds us. It is everywhere from browsing online, social media, TV programming, and magazines. The main question here is, is pop culture good for you? Well, pop culture can increase and strengthen the interaction between people in society. Over time, pop culture has become a tool in bringing light to social issues. Lastly, pop culture has made us more intelligent.