Year Up Pledge

In my Business Communications class we were instructed to create a post representing the pledge we will make to ourselves throughout the Year Up program. Below is the pledge I wrote specifically focusing on my growth areas that need to be addressed and resolved in order for me to graduate.

I pledge to graduate from Year Up by:

• Maintaining perfect attendance
• Respecting core values
• Maintaining good grades

I pledge to advance my Tech Skills by:

• Asking more questions in class
• Spending more time with the book
• Working more with Windows operating system

I pledge to eliminate self doubt by:

• Participating more in class
• Practice public speaking
• Study more to reassure my knowledge

I pledge to maintain a B- or better in all my classes by:

• Turning in all assignments on time
• Not rushing through homework
• Study, Study, Study!

Year Up has completely changed my study habits and the way I approach school work, I find myself more dedicated to my school work then ever before but I know there is room for improvement so this pledge will reassure that I reach my goal of completing the program to the best of my abilities. This way I can never say I didn't give it my all. 

My Side of Town

When I turned 8 years old I moved to the hills of  Hayward, Ca. The community I reside in was built new, all the homes are two stories and usually when people come to visit me they assume that I'm "rich" just because of the location that I live in. Everyday it never fails that you run across some deer, a mob of turkeys, or even horses trotting up the concrete hillside. You never see public transportation because the buses won't make the trip up the hill and there is almost always tons of silence.

I was often expected to be a stuck up spoiled person just because of where I lay my head every night. Although there are many wrong perceptions and assumptions attached to my neighborhood, there are also lots of things I took from living here. Nothing is given to you, and my mother worked hard for years just so that she could be able to buy our family a house like the one we live in. I appreciate things more then people would think because I know what it's like to live somewhere where you have no food, no internet, no phone, no car, and no real sense of safety. When I was pregnant I lived in Lodi, CA, a city in the middle of no where with nothing to offer me. I had no groceries or income and used to have to steal to feed me and my developing child. I was so far from my family and friends that I had no one to help me, the people around me were all doing drugs and I never felt safe. Moving from one bad place to another and still with child, I then moved to East Palo Alto, Ca. A city where a day never passes without hearing various sirens and witnessing several fights, killings, and drug deals. Although I was thankful my daughters grandma let me stay with her while I got back on my feet, I knew this city was not the place for me to stay. I finally moved back in with my parents in Hayward and have been there ever since.  Living in this suburban setting I'm not limited when it comes to diversity. There are not a lot of African American's in my neighborhood but I grew up around many different cultures. Even though we do not communicate, it's nice to see the faces of the people who live around me once in awhile when I'm checking the mail, driving by, or taking my daughter on walks.

Much good came from the area in which I reside, but there are also expectations that I know I will never meet. I tend to hear that I'm "White Washed", "Spoiled", or "Rich" just because of my address and anyone who knows me well can see that I am none of those things. I dress like an "urban chick" from Berkeley, Ca and I listen to music that most people would think I'd never hear of just because I live in a suburban area. I will admit that when I was younger I was an extremely rebellious child and part of that was because of who I felt I was despite of my neighborhood. I didn't have friends around me growing up that I could just walk to so instead I would constantly drive or get picked up to go hang out because I never wanted to be home. Everyone says they wished they lived in a house like mine, I always rolled my eyes and shook my head like, "no you don't". I am an extremely free spirited cultured individual despite of the cookie cutter manufactured neighborhood I live in.

Advertising

In the country we live in you can't walk out your door without running across some type of advertisement. Whether through the media, radio, mail, billboards, or social networking, everywhere you turn there is someone promoting their product. There are several different types of advertising meant to appeal to different consumers.

Colorful commercials that play in between your sibling or child's favorite TV show with cute little song to draw in their attention and make them some to you pleading, "Mommy/Daddy, I want that"! Usually eventually resulting in you being forced to purchase this product because the child will almost do anything to get it. Clean the dishes, clean their room, do their homework, etc.

I personally cannot stand advertisements, but once in awhile I will run across some that draw me in, usually because they are humorous. For example the Sun Drop soft drink commercials where they play the song, "Drop it Like it's Hot" and feature someone "Dropping it like it's hot". I personally can't stand the soda, but I enjoy laughing at the commercials. Especially because I do not understand what about them has anything to do with the drink, nor does it explain what it tastes like.

Sun Drop: Dropping it like it's hot

Though there are a few commercials that draw in my attention, there are also some that I just find offensive. One company in particular that broadcasts commercials I do not appreciate is Mc Donalds. As much as I pay enjoy a sweet tea and a large french fry from time to time I cannot help but notice that the majority of their commercials feature African American's and I tend to ask myself, what are you trying to imply? Why not Olive Garden, or Apple Bee's? It is an obvious display of how commercials try to market their product towards certain groups of people, whereas most companies try a little harder to be discrete.

Advertising plays a big role in the American society, it's so much a part of our culture we barely recognize it ourselves. But if it weren't for ad's how would we know what to buy, where to buy it, or what it's functions are? I find it hard to picture our country without the influence of advertisements since it plays such a big part of our everyday lives.

 

From Vocals to Computers

Below is a video of me singing one of my favorite songs: I See God in You By: India Arie

I have always had a strong passion for singing. Every day I find opportunities to practice my talent. Whether outside, in the shower, cooking, walking, or in between class I always find time to sing a tune. Perfecting my talent took a lot of practice; I took singing lessons, recorded songs and did several performances. I try to apply singing to my everyday life. The motivation I show when I’m singing is something I am going to use going forward in this program. Even though music is my passion and I.T. isn’t the techniques I used to get good at my craft I know I will find useful in a classroom setting. Even singing out my new vocabulary words or putting them on a CD and playing them back to me to try and make them stick in my memory will probably be useful. I want to excel in my classes like I do with my singing, even though I know it’s going to take much more practice and dedication then it would with music.