Name: Jahquis
School: Win free Academy Dallas
Grade: 9
Age: 15
Essay: Hello, my name is Jahquis my greatest obstacle about high school. I was scared of not fitting in and bullied because i failed a grade and i was struggling really bad in certain subjects. I have adhd so for me its like i have to put forth more effort in my studies and my work. I have to make sure i stay out of trouble and ask questions and try to make sure i always stay ahead. I have three other siblings and i want to be there role model and graduate because my mom is a single mom and she had to take care of my brother who is special needs he is my best friend. The steps i have taken well first my mom moved me to Win free Academy and i am doing so much better in school especially with my grades, i study more, i go to church where i am involved in my church and most of all i pray. I will make my mom very proud in graduation day. After, graduation i do want to go to college and be a Business Man so i can own my very own company one day, but before then i wan to try to make my very own video game and for it to be a big hit so i can help my mom with my siblings. I want to be a respectable man and a role model for peopme that come in contact with me. For me giving means you dont have to yo be rich to give. Its giving from your heart and soul. My mom and i dont have much but we will give our last to someone who is in need because God will bless me for sharing and blessing someone. What i am in most need of for Christmas is winter stuff especially, clothes, shoes, robe, slippers and etc. What would make my christmas more special for me i have been wanting a ps4 and a tv for the past 2 years now i know with my mom only having a monthly income its very hard for her and i dont get upset because i know she is doing her best. For us to have a Christmas tree and for my mom to get a gift card to walmart so she can do christmas shopping for me and my siblings, and a gift card footlocker for shoes, and for mu mom to be able yo order our Christmas dinner from Lubys maybe. More seriously for my family yo have our very own full size car no notes because my mom cant afford it on a montly income, to help my mom with half of the deposit so we can move because mu brother has all this medical equipment, and help my mom get some of our furniture off layway. My mom is a great mom for her to have a 50 inch TV for her . I live with my mom, my sister, and two younger brother’s. My mom brings me to school. I like to play video games, go to trampoline park, go to the movies, go looking in gamestop checking out new games, i wish we had six flages pass and i would love going there, dance, karate but had to get out because my mom couldnt afford it anymore. Places to eat chic fil a, wendys, sonic, subway, pizza hut, popeyes. Chicken express and kfc. No i dont have my own cell phone for me but i ask my mom but we shall see what happens on Christmas. I just want this Christmas to be one to remember for us. I pray that i am chosen and i can surprise my siblings and my mom and finally get what i want finally.
Name: Jennifer
School: Lewisville winfree academy.
Grade: 11
Age: 20
Essay: Hi i’m Jennifer , Currently attending Winfree Academy in Lewisville .
My greatest obstacle I had to overcome was the loss of my father back in 2016 I was doing well in high school until one day we got the news my father had stage four cancer . My father was my whole life so much that it broke me and I lost faith in life I ended up missing so much school that I fell behind . Even if I did make it to school on certain days I didn’t feel comfortable in that environment no one understood how I felt . I fell into really bad depression and just decided to call it quits on school I dropped out and did not want to look back , during the next two years I made choices I am not happy with till this day . It caused me to fall back on school to the point that now i’m 20 years old and still have not graduated. It has taken me awhile to recover from counseling ,to getting a stable job to finally deciding of coming back and accomplishing one of my greatest goals and knowing my father would be proud of me graduating. When I was younger I always dreamed of becoming any kind of doctor , but growing up I found that I like anything on the beauty industry . After highschool I plan on enrolling in a beauty school majoring in nail technician . Now a days you can express so much art with nails and it’s a growing business I aspire to one day having my own nail salon.
The word giving to me means being able to help anyone not just the people in need but also to people who just seem to be having a bad day even just giving a smile or a nice compliment makes someones day .
Just being able to have something to open up this year on christmas day would be lovely.
I currently moved to lewisville this year with my boyfriend .
I usually borrow my boyfriends car drop him off first at work then come to school and after school I head to work .
I don’t have any children currently but in the future I would love to have my own small family.
For fun I like to go on small dates with my boyfriend or walk around the malls and spend time with family on the days I’m not working.
I love to eat at korean bbq , olive garden , and my favorite Mcdonalds.
I Have a metro pcs Zte .
Name: Adamaris
School: Winfree Academy Richardson
Grade: 9
Age: 17
Essay: The greatest obstacle I have over come is being in the hospital for weeks at end for health reasons. I am diabetic and recently had a kidney procedure done. Then a week later had a lumbar puncture. My health has gotten better but that was a tough time recently that I have overcame. My plans after high school is to go to community college and work to save money. Because of my health issues, I would love to study medicine and become a nurse or doctor to help people. To me, giving means a lot. People will always be in need and it’s important to give what we can live without to people who need it. The items I am in most need of are comfortable shoes (Toms size 11) and clothes. I had saved up money and bought a laptop for school but it had caught on fire so I am in need of a laptop to continue my school work at home. I love arts and crafts. I live at home with my dad, brother and two dogs J.Lo and Monkey. If my dads car is working he takes me to school but if not I take the bus. I like to walk and listen to music for fun. Also playing with my dogs. I like to eat at taco bell, subway, jack in the box. And I do have a phone. It is an iphone 6s.
Name: Morgan
School: Winfree Academy at Richardson
Grade: 11
Age: 20
Essay: The greatest obstacle I have overcome during my process of graduation is my thinking skills, my lack of understanding some subjects and lack of motivation. What I mean by that is, when it comes to studying, figuring out problems, and being placed in a room, where I have to do test, or when I have to work out a problem, I lose all track, my mind goes blank and i’m unable to think of a problem, to think of a solution, how I’m going to work this through. Going through that has been difficult for me and to this day, has been a struggle because I still struggle with remember, staying calm, etc. I’ve somewhat tried to overcome this, and it somewhat helps when I keep repeating the question and the answer. My lack of understanding, and motivation was also a struggle and still is. I still lack the courage, and the confidence to go and ask questions. Anxiety hits me every time I try to ask a question, so my lack of understanding and motivation is based off on that. I’m currently having therapy thanks to Winfree, so it’s slowly helping me speak up, ask questions, and gain some motivation. I think that would be my greatest obstacle, the motivation, the understanding, the memory and my anxiety that adds up. Meanwhile, my goal after school is still undecided fully, I would either like to become or try; photography, dancing, and/or writing. Even now, I don’t know exactly what I want to do, i’m unsure for myself and always think I’m not going to be good at this, and once someone is better at my goal than I am, then I lose all interest, so keeping those three goals is hard but I feel that photography, and dancing would be something that would stay with me, and would motivate me even when others are better. Giving others stuff like; food, money, gifts, has always been something meaningful to me, considering I don’t have much, never have and be it that I’m struggling with my home life, my personal life, and my school, is suffocating for me, giving is amazing and seeing others happy with what I or others gave them makes me happy. I don’t ever want to see people, friends, family, strangers, struggle like I have and am. ‘What items are you in need of’ This is a difficult question, I don’t like having things bought for me because I’d feel as if I owe you because I have nothing to give but the items that I really need is, food,clothes, there’s so much other stuff, but I think those two things are really important and of need. I live with three people but since a friend is staying at my house, just to come to school, I’d say four people. My father, my mother, my sister and my friend are living with me. School wise and how I get there, is mainly bus and train, and whenever I can, I get a ride from my father but that’s only when absolutely needed. Children? No, I’d like to graduate, and do something with my life before having children, I can barely keep myself alive, how am I suppose to keep an innocent child alive as well? Sometimes, I like to go on adventures, just to explore my neighborhood, I’d like to travel the world once I have money but that’s unlikely. Sometimes, I go to the library to read or to find a quiet place. We have a duck creek/pond couple blocks away, so sometimes when in the mood, or when the weather is good, I’d decide to adventure there but other than that, I stay at home, play on the ps4, or play with my animals but that’s really all. Places I like to eat? I only go to apple-bee’s cause my brother words there, but we barely go anywhere to eat, because money is a huge problem. I like Chinese food, Mexican food, tai-food, I like all sorts of food beside fish, so any food place besides fish is good to me, in my opinion. Yes, I have a Android phone, but my phone is slowly dying away and of need of a upgrade but as I’ve stated, money is a huge problem, and i’m unable to get one, so soon, I might not have one, or i’ll make due before the phone breaks on me.
Name: Skyller
School: Winfree Acadamy – Richardson campus
Grade: 11th
Age: 20
Essay: My greatest obstacle I have overcome on the road to graduation, would have to be not giving up and pushing through all the hardships. School is something that I’ve struggled with since I was young. I never used to go to school and so I didn’t have my chances to learn some of the most important things that I would need to know for the future. I didn’t have the best childhood and my family life wasn’t the best. It really prolonged my graduation, but I’m glad that I never gave up, no matter my struggle. What I’d like to do after I graduate would be to find a job, right now my living situation isn’t the best and we are struggling. It doesn’t bother me all that much, but my mom is working so hard and always comes home sore and tired. I just want to find and job and help out with the money in the house as well as go to a community college for now. I’m not quite sure what I want to do as an adult, but I have a few Ideas. While I figure it out I think the best thing I could do would to be working as well as trying to work for what I truly want to do in life, so that my mom won’t have to work anymore. To me, giving means helping others, It means putting a smile on someones face even if just for a second. The way you feel after giving someone something or just helping others, is amazing. It’s a great experience that not only makes the other involved happy, but yourself as well. I know that not everyone has what they want and or need and to just help someone with any little thing would make me happy. Right now there isn’t much that I would want or need. The biggest thing would have to be a job or a way so that my mom doesn’t have to work as much and maybe my uncle can get his surgery. Money is always a struggle and so I think it would be nice to be able to help out my family for a change. They’ve always helped me out it the past and so I just want to return the favor. I’m not really the type that wants much, but would rather give to my family.
For the school year, I’m staying with a friend. I live in a motel about thirty or so minutes away from the school and we don’t have the gas to go back and forth. I know that I could just transfer to a different school closer, but I like the school that I go to, to much. But due to not having much money to get to school, I’m staying with my friend who lives closer to school. I go back home for breaks and of course after school’s over. How I get to school really depends, sometimes my friends dad gives us a ride when it’s to cold outside. Other than that we really take the city bus. I don’t have any children at the moment. I don’t really do much outside of school work, but if I’d have to do anything for fun it would be hanging out with my friends somewhere. Once in a while we’ll get on the train and go somewhere and just explore. Or sometimes we will just stay at home and hangout there. It’s been a while since I’ve really gone out to eat, so I’m not really sure of the places. I’m not really fond of fast food places much or anything really outside of the house. But if I would have to pick, there is a place in my hometown, back in California, called Del Taco. I have an android phone currently, It’s from my friends mother. I’m not one of those phone crazy kids. If I don’t have a phone then It’s no big deal to me. Although, the only thing I would need it for would be when I have a job.
Name: brian
School: Winfree Academy Richardson
Grade: 12
Age: 20
Essay: Hi my name is Brian and the greatest obstacle I’ve had to overcome on the road to high school graduation was having to prove my parents wrong and getting to were i am today with out no help. The first thing i had to do was to get out my comfort zone and get out on my on and ask my teachers for help plus don’t lesson to people when they try to bring you down and i had to believe in myself. my plans for after high school is to go to college for game design. the word giving means to me is to offer anything that can help change a persons life like if you had a extra room in your house and you saw a family in the cold homeless and you asked them if they would like to stay until they get back on there feet and also just giving your time to help the fire department is good to. the items that wold make my Christmas more special is shoes and a bike or scooter to get to the places i need to go and clothes and a pair of glasses.I live with my girlfriend and her mom. i take the bus from mesquite to Richardson to get to school. i don’t have any children. I love to play video games and take pics for fun. I love golden chick and i want to try whatabuger and dq. I dont have a phone
Name: Kiara
School: Winfree academy charter schools (lewisville)
Grade: 9th
Age: 14 years old
Essay: The greatest obstacle that I have overcome on the road to high-school is me finishing 7 classes/semesters of work and getting moved to the sophomore class still as a freshman . My plans for after high-school is to go to college to be a doctor or a lawyer because I would like to help people in need. What giving means to me is to give back to the community and help people that are less fortunate then me. The items that I would like and would make my Christmas more special for both me and my family would be Felt tip pens for school , Jewelry , cozy pajamas , gift cards, socks , stress free coloring book , And a new phone case for my phone . The people that I live with is my Brother , Mom , Dad Grandma and Grandpa. No I do not have any children. What I like to do for fun is spend time with my family and friends . I also like to sing and play volleyball. Places that I like to eat is wing stop , red lobsters , chili’s , chick-fil-a , Chipotle and Starbucks . I do have a phone I have a Iphone (Iphone 5se) .
The reason I would like the Felt tip pens is because I like to organize my notes. Color makes my notes have a pop.
The reason I would like the clothes For my whole family is because we could all use some new, different clothing.
The reason I would like the game super smash bros is so that my family could enjoy family game nights together.
The reason I would like the stress free coloring book is because when I get stressed I can coloring in it . This could help me relax .
The reason I would like a new case for my phone is because I would like to have a nice case that is not worn out.
The reason I would like some of the gift cards for restaurants is because I would like to go out with my family and enjoy it because we don’t always have the resources to go out and eat.
The reason I would like to get the socks is because I need to have more comfortable socks.
The reason I would like to get the cozy pajamas is because I would like to be comfortable.
The reason I would like more jewelry is because I need jewelry that is not worn out.
Name: Marta
School: Winfree Academy Charter School
Grade: 9th grade
Age: 15
Essay: What is the greatest obstacle you’ve overcome on the road to High School Graduation? What steps have you taken to overcome the obstacle?
– Everybody has their own stories some were able to handle the worse some weren’t but as a student that is still is aiming to graduate i would say that one of my major setback are the times of peer pressure amd unmotivation, i went through a lot since i was a kid, since the moment i was born they told i would die but im alive, i’ve had asthma i would consider myself not having it anymore for my health is way better but the pain of asthma attacks, and not being able to breath impact my life more than i ever imagined thus i wanting to be a pharmacist to help distribute medicine to the need. I also went through suicide, cutting myself was something i am still afraid even now doing and going through that especially in a young age made me realise more about life, more than a child should, which is why my mentality grew in a perspective point of an older stage which i hope to help spread awareness to help others. I’m the child that will not talk back to their parents , i don’t why but i just would not talk back to my parent and i guess it was the influence of my older sibling as the oldest got bullied because of his intelligence and second oldest wanted to do whatever she wanted and would rebel against my parent, she got influenced by her so called friend to do bad stuff. Growing up seeing my sibling argue with my parent being with anger or sadness would always scared me and i couldn’t do anything i would just sit there and watch as i heard the words contradict each other then settle down with silence. The relationship between them got better through time until my mom got sick which made everybody sad as we went through financial problem cause of medical bill but we were together and thing got better we still get some challenges but we know we can get through this.i know because seeing the action of my sibling made me not want to speak up because the fear of argument scared ne and it always stuck with me until i just couldn’t and the peer pressure of my friend wanted to lead me to trouble, i knew right away which is why i went to winfree to not go through the stuff my sibling went through. Right know i, going through a dilemma of emotion for i lost my motivation of studying and wanting to graduate, i don’t know if something made me lose motivation but i will regain it and achieve my diploma.
What are your plans for after high-school and why?
– I know what i want but at the same time i don’t, i’m good at many things and i want to pursue them all, but i’ve been told to only go with what you really want which made me distress, after evaluating some things i decided to going with pharmacy once i’m out of high school but at the same time to the thing i like such as make a video game and start a business of skateboarding and clothing line for everybody and with that i could also help people and donate for the homeless and organization that are making the world a better place like this one, i may not be in a position to help others but i hope i do in the future for education can bring you to a lot of places.
What does giving mean to you?
– Giving is a very personal thing for everyone and there are many different reasons such as some give out of guilt, some out of obligation, some just for pure pleasure.To me, giving means sharing what I have an abundance of: time, talent and treasure. It’s a mysterious way of saying i can help you right now and always not just with money or possession but also with attention, a listening ear, commitment and our presence.
What item(s) are you most in need of, or would make your Christmas more special?
– Clothes would be nice especially if they last awhile as well as some toys and if possible some books plus crayons for the little ones, food would be greatly thanked with some helpful kitchen gear for my parents, music cds would be great for my family or movies if possible, dog food/accessories would be great too.
Who do you live with?
– I live with my family of seven member, my parents: Maria 44yrs and Prudenciano 45yrs, 1st child: Luis 24yrs, 2nd child: Rosa 17yrs, 3rd child(me): Marta 15yrs, 4th child: Zoe 6yrs, 5th child: Fatima 3yrs and a small dog
How do you get to school and/or work?
– My dad takes me to school every morning and picks me up if not my mom would usually pick me up.
Do you have children?
– I do not have any children of my own other than my younger sisters
What do you like to do for fun?
– I like to draw/paint, read books, hear music, play video games, learn thing that help me in the future like financially or health issues, as well as do athletic activities which mainly included skateboarding or running
Where are some places you like to eat?
– My family likes to eat anywhere as long as we are together but my mom got sick over the years as well as my brother who got ill this year so we try to not to always eat in fast food restaurants as they are not healthy instead we opt for Jason Deli.
Do you have a cell phone?
– Yes i do have a phone, i have a galaxy j7 prime
Be the Tree 