It was the middle of my sophomore year in high school, Rockville High School (CT) was a good school you just needed to be involved and do your own thing, grab a couple friends along the way too. It was a November night and mom came home and brought my sister and I downstairs, she asked us that how would we feel about moving somewhere south. I was all in for the idea new state, new school, new faces, and new friends. It wasn’t going to be official until April. We put the house on the market and we got interests instantly. April came around and Mom was the first to leave the house while Penny and I moved with dad for the remainder of the school year, Penny was the second one to go she left on Memorial Day weekend so that makes me the last one
up here still going to school. Finally the last day of exams the last day of school, I went back home waited for dad to get out of work. After he got out of work we took one last drive past my old house, a whole lot of memories of 7 years in that house and then we drove off to Chilis for dinner. The following day was my flight, Boston Massachusetts to Charleston South Carolina all in the span of 3 hours. It was emotional saying goodbye to my dad and leaving him at the gate as I continued walking through Logan International Airport.
It was my senior year of high school, I was sixteen, getting ready to turn seventeen. It was my senior year of high school. I was not your typical girl wearing makeup everyday and worrying about getting dolled up for school. I did not play sports. Don’t get me wrong, I would get all dolled up if I had something special to do like go to a school dance. I had a part time job at Olive garden because my parents motto was “if you do not play a sport you need to work!” My mom used to say to me “you know Alana back in my time I was not able to work so you are very lucky you're able to work.
It was the fall of 2010 and little did I know that my world was about to change drastically. We had moved back to Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2008 after living in Mexico, and I was starting to enjoy my life in the dairy state. My 6th Grade classes had just started at Bullen Middle School. It was right at this time when my world seemingly got flipped upside down. My parents had a family meeting and informed my siblings and me that we were moving to a small Iowa town called Orange City. I had feelings of nervousness, excitement, and sadness all mixed together.
How did the country move on after so much death and suffering? I don’t believe after such horrid events causing so much death you can truly move on however, as a country efforts to date have and are being made to locate and bury those who were lost in the Civil war. This definitely I’m sure brought, much closure to the families who are missing pieces of their history, pieces who they are and the family they come from. Memorial Day was founded around the Civil War and each year we remember those who paid the ultimate price to sacrifice their lives for a fight for freedom and equality. It’s very saddening to look back on history and see how many lives were lost in a war that began for something that one would think would be easy as human beings
I recently had the opportunity to attended a veterans day open house. Which was held in the “Dr. Juan R. Oliarez Student Plaza ,in the main building at Grand Rapids community”(Grand Rapids Community College.edu). There were a ceremony and reception at the end of the ceremony, we all took a moment of silence to recognize the fallen soldiers that were unable To be with their families, and loved ones. Not to mention I had placed my flag in the dirt it was one of many flags that were scattered around. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to thank some of our brave soldiers, for instance my professor, notably it was an honor to shake his hands. Then later on that day I still needed to spend 3 or more hours at a political or governmental functioning.
Memorial Day to me means to be grateful for the things that I have thanks to all of the men and women who risk their lives every day. It is a day to thank all of the veterans who are with us but also the ones that have passed away. To me it is a day to say a prayer in thanks to the Veterans that have done so much for our country. It is a day in which I think about what I can do to give back for all of the sacrifices that not only the Veterans but also their families have endured.
But changes came near the end of fifth grade and beginning of my middle school life. My mother and father thought about moving and bought a house in mission hills. My sister was surprisingly alright with but was sad that we wouldn't be able to see our friends for a while or as often. I felt the same but was again excited about possibly making new friends with the neighbors.
Good morning I am very honored to be standing here today to talk about such an important event memorial day.memorial day is a remberence it's also a day when we put aside our difference and come together as one and remember the people how fought for us to be free. A man by the name of Joseph Campbell once said “ A hero is someone who has given His or her life Do something bigger than oneself.
I was hoping to move to Alaska or Arizona, but instead we got Arkansas. I wasn’t excited about it but, it was some place different. I moved around the end of July. It was really hard to move and leave my friends, but we still keep in contact every now and then. When I came to Arkansas it was really different. It felt weird to be in the States after seven years. There were new things that I had never seen or even heard of. I was anxious about starting school. Getting used to going to a small school on base in Germany was extremely different from going to public school.
It was the summer after my freshmen year of high school. Earlier in the year my parents had decided that they wanted to go on a mission trip as a family
“…and we will meet at the WWII monument in an hour.” The tour guide’s words may as well have been a starter pistol, for our group of twenty Safety Patrols took off like a shot racing each other as they ran along the wide walkway of the Vietnam Memorial. All except for one, which was held firmly in place by my hand on his shoulder. This was my fifth Safety Patrol trip to Washington D.C. with my children and the race was standard procedure for ten-year old’s after a long bus ride from Florida. However, to a parent, everything is a teachable moment whether they fully understand it or not. This was no exception.
Thesis: The war overseas, but there are millions of veterans still fighting the war at home.
When I completed Middle School, I was living with my dad and uncle, but during the Summer my dad went into federal prison. My uncle couldn't take care of me so I had to move with my mom's friend down in Florida. Then another situation happened where I couldn't live with my mom's friends anymore so I had to go back to New York and live with my Grandma, since my dad was still in prison. Since then, I still live my Grandma, but I now attend Brentwood High School because my address runs with their district.
Growing up, I was raised by a single mom who gave birth to me while attending college which meant we didn’t have a lot. I still remember being woken up early in the morning by her and driven to my grandparents where they would watch me while she took on 2 shifts each day. Because of the amount of hours, she would work my grandparents took on the role of taking me to my school functions and sporting events. Although it was hard not always having my biggest fan there to cheer me on I knew inside that she would give anything to be there watching but someone had to put food on the table. We had to move quite often due to my mom’s job constantly relocating her to different branches. By the time, I had entered the 1st grade my mother and I were moving into our 5th residence in the Houston area. I was still in my adolescence so moving never seemed to bother me as long as I had my toys and a TV I was pretty content.
That day I was so happy that I got to finally be the student of the month. When I came home from school and my mom told me good news. She told me that she was expecting!! But, after that my mom told me that we were going to move to California. Since my mom was expecting we had to move because there was not enough room in our apartment. My whole family lives in United Kingdom. So, my parents thought that it would be a good idea to buy a house in California.
When I was in high school there was a mess up and I was not about to graduate. I found out at the end of my senior year that I was one class short of graduating. My junior year, I went to another school, then the beginning of my senior year I went back to the original school I grew up at. Come to find out, the other school