Where I Am From

I am from a water bottle, from Crystal Geyser, and Dasani.

I am from the kitchen, smelling sweet and amazing.

I am from the rose, the pedal.

I am from the courageous and the selfless.

From the holes poked in the sky at night and the tears from the soft pillows covering the blue.

I am from my own faith. I do what I can to make things right in my life.

I am from California and Sicily, peas and carrots.

From the bucket on my brother's head, the laundry basket I was placed in, and the gentle hands of my father.

I am from the photoalbum high upon the shelf, full of memories and distant places.

Philosophical Objection

Amanda Oliva
Mrs. Baldwin
English 4 per. 2
9 September 2008

I would say that my philosophical objection would be how hard it is to get into college. There are a lot of requirements in high school that you have to achieve, but that isnt even the worst of it. The cost is ridiculous. To go to the best schools to get the best forms of education, costs so much. There are so many intelligent people that I know, that miss out on the opportunity to make something of themselves, and granted, part of it is a choice, but some of them never get the opportunity to get a great education because they, or their families dont make enough money. It seems the only way to really go to college and not be in debt for years, is to get a scholorship. The competition is extremely hard, and very few people, at least where I am from, dont get them very often. If only one person gets them, what happens to the rest of the people that tried really hard? What about the athletes that are awesome at what they do and have the potential to play at a college level, but are never found? Living in an area that is not well known, it is even harder to get noticed because there are very few scouts.

Does it happen? Yes, for some. But the cost and eligibility are hard to come by. If our schools could make more of an effort to provide students with more opportunities and more information, more people would probably go. If our government made it more affordable for students to get a better education, imagine what the world would be like with more intelligent people. More doctors, more talent, more police officers, more political leaders, more teachers. Maybe our society wouldnt be in such a bad situation as it is now, if more people had better educations.

My Heroes

My Heroes

Heroes are everywhere: In books, movies, and real life. The people that you look up to, or the ones you have an infinite amount of respect for, can be a hero. Fortunately for me, my heroes are in my life every single day. I can see them, talk to them, and there in never a moment that I can’t reach out when I need them. They have all changed and shaped my life in so many positive ways and have given me the determination to be the best person I could possibly be. The three men in my life are truly my heroes.

My biggest hero is by far my dad. He is absolutely amazing and is my hero in every aspect: An athlete, a person, a role model, a parent. He raised my brother and me as a single father, working a hard schedule as a police officer. He had so many opportunities to move up in rank and make more money but sacrificing time with his family. I know that there are a lot of people who really only care about the money. However, he was willing to let those opportunities go because he wanted Anthony and me to have good lives, with a parent that was present in them. He passed up amazing opportunities for himself, and gave my brother and me opportunities to be successful in sports, and most importantly- life. He made countless sacrifices and was always the stable ground. He kept us from knowing just how bad things really were sometimes. The things that he has been through in his life should have ruined him, but he never gave up. He always made sure that he put his kids first before anything else. To me that is what the world is lacking in parenting, especially now. More and more I see parents that could care less about their kids, and I really do feel sorry for them because I have such a supportive, strong, and selfless dad.

My best friend and my boyfriend, Nick Kurland is my personal hero because, the simplest way to put it, he saves me from myself. There has been more that one occasion in my life where I really get stressed and really, really down and depressed. I shut everything off and really just stop communicating with him. Even though it sometimes pisses me off, he knows me and can read me very well. He knows when I’m going through a hard time. For the first time in my life, I have found someone that really knows how to calm me down and get me to smile, even when it hurts. With that, he has always had a gift. I have known him since my freshman year, and since the day I met him, there has never been a dull moment. Out of anyone I have ever come across in my life, he has made me laugh the most. Even when things are bad with me. He has a way of getting me to open up to him, and I know that is really what he wants, and he knows that that’s what I need to do. I am a very closed off person and deal with my emotions and problems by myself, and he hates it. Somehow, he gets me to let a lot of things go. It is definitely a trust thing and is one of strongest things in our relationship. I can tell him anything and he accepts every part of my personality: The darkest and the best. Fortunately for me, I have someone that brings out the best in me and even when I’m at my worst, I can’t help but smile when I look at him.

My hero as an athlete is my brother Anthony. Anthony is a living legend where he is from. He’s always been the fastest and the strongest. He works hard and is determined to make something out of himself. He’s set records, been in countless newspapers, well known, and respected. Basically he is an all around bad ass. He’s been playing football since he was about 7 years old and always stood out. Since he got into high school, he’s been injured four times and had to miss out on what he loves most. Each time he came back and worked hard and never gave up. Before he came to West Valley his junior year, the whole school was talking about how that “Anthony Oliva kid from Enterprise” was coming to play football for them. They had heard how fast he was and how great of a football player he was. When he came to West Valley, the team didn’t have a GREAT season, but he did the best that he could for the team and for himself. That year Anthony walked away with, literally, a trophy case full of awards. What the coaches said about him, brought tears to my eyes because I knew how much he had struggled and he finally got recognition for his hard work. I had watched him grow up and become what he is today, so I know what he’s gone through to get where he is. In the weight room here at the school, he has a plaque along with many other great athletes that have played football, and it is inspirational to look at. I look at it and think,”That’s my brother. He’s apart of history here at this school.” As an athlete I hope to be as successful and amazing as my brother was and still is.

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for them. These are the three most important people in my life. Out of anyone that has ever been in my life, these three have affected my life the most. I can’t say that everything is always perfect between all of us, or that these people are perfect themselves. There have times where I have been let down, but I think that’s what makes a hero. Their ability to make mistakes, but learn from them and bounce back. They never stop fighting and know when to admit that their wrong, and keep moving forward to improve their lives. All three of my heroes have showed that example and have improved my life in more ways than one. That is what makes them my heroes.