Juarez High School - Not to hurt anyone’s feelings or anything, but at first I thought JILG was going to be one of those blow off classes for my senior year. I would have never thought that I would have had not only such a good time in class, but also learn so much about myself and life.
I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had being the JILG Secretary. I was able to go on the Leadership Conference which really changed how I viewed myself. I am kind of a shy and quiet person and I would prefer to just kind of mix in with the rest of the crowd. After the LDC, I noticed that I started to carry myself differently. I didn’t mind having my head up high and I did not lower my eyes instead making eye contact. It really has changed how I interact with others.
This last week, I had a college interview at Northeastern Illinois University for admission into a special program and a scholarship. It was strange, in that moment all of these little tips that I got all this year started coming into my mind. I didn’t have time to be nervous and I actually felt as if I belonged there. I went in there and introduced myself and offered my hand, and yes, gave a firm handshake. In my intro I stated my “affiliation” as a Juarez student and then after re-stated why I was there interviewing to-day. I could immediately tell that my interviewer was impressed with how poised I was. And, I am not going to lie, I was a little im- pressed with how confident I felt. So thank you, Ms. Puentes and JILG, for helping to transform this little shy girl into a college bound girl with a big prospective scholarship and a certainly more confident future.
