Author: adviser

  • Life with a Job

    Out of 500 applications to the newest Chick-fil-a, located on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), CIC junior, Gladys Mora got hired and is finding a way to juggle high school whilst working a job.

    “In all honesty, I don’t think this job has affected me to the point where my grades are suffering. Sure, I have a lot on my plate, but I don’t mind,” said Mora about her daily life. “I work part time, and I know what my priorities are. It’s just nice to receive some income I can spend selfishly on myself,” said Mora on the benefits to having a job on high school.

    “Nothing bothers me about having my job, I like it. Sometimes I work during school activities, like the football games, but it’s not worth quitting my job for,” Mora said light heartedly. she is excited about her new parttime job and looks forward to all the benefits that come with working within a network of people her age , that is the fast food industry.

  • Tips for Internships

    Internships help gain work experiences to help build up your resume, reach goals, improve team working, engagement, employability, communicating, and interpersonal skills, through trainings.

    First impressions are very important, so keep in mind that to be a professional you must dress like a professional, shake hands, make eye contact, smile, be friendly and confident. Don’t wait for the internships to come to you, besides the thousands on-line internship web sites and books, network through family, friends, friends’ family, and school contacts to find out about possible internships. While being an intern you will have a great opportunity to network with people working in your field.

    Treat your internship like its real job by showing up for work on-time and being prepared. Find a mentor in the same work field that will support you and provide you with advice. Establish good relationships with your coworkers.

    Stay off your phone and social media during shift hours, this will show others you are willing to learn, are motivated and have a genuine interest in your job, also ask questions when possible. Such internship programs, even volunteer opportunities, will provide you with real world experiences, and build a career foundation.

    Research shows that companies recruit about 85 percent of internships and similar experiential education programs participants to become full time workforces.

    So put all your effort in now and before you know it you will go from being an intern to an employee.

  • Cross Country: The Last Ride

    Cross Country: The Last Ride

    On November 1, a number of Poly seniors run the last cross country race of their high school career. Many of these seniors are looking forward to Moore League finals and are hoping to achieve their personal goals of improving  with faster finishing times.

    When asked how the cross country team prepares for the race, senior Brian Espinoza said, “We train really hard to get where we want to be and would like to achieve…being fully committed is a number one priority to achieving our goal.”

    Senior Leslie Diaz said she likes to stay hydrated and keep a positive attitude before she races. Diaz also stated that one of her personal goals is to be patient during the race and try to enjoy the race as much as she can.

    One of the highlights from this season, explained senior Lanae Caldwell, is having the opportunity to run in the Mount Sac race.

    “Thinking of all the other amazing athletes that have ran this race before me, made me proud to have ran this race,” Caldwell said.

    Senior Nate Cooper said his goal for the race is to achieve his best time for this season.

    “I am excited to see all the hard work we’ve put in over the past few years,” Cooper said.

    It is obvious that these student athletes put in a lot of work, time and dedication into their sport and academics. In the end, their hard work should pay off and hopefully they will feel content with their achievements.

  • Time Management: Juggling Work and Homework

    Most people get their first job in high school, usually around the age of 16. There are many jobs that aren’t as demanding as a fast food restaurant. Junior, Natalie Magana, has recently experienced a few different part time jobs that any student can do, such as baby-sitting and tutoring.

    When asked what kind of qualities and skills are necessary to do these kinds of tasks, she claimed it involves a lot of patience and communication. She baby-sat over the summer and is currently tutoring.

    “It takes up a lot of time when you’re in a sport and still have school work to do, but if manage your time correctly and you know what you’re doing then… You’re good”, she said on time management.

    Time management is something Magana knows very well as she has practices most weekdays after school until 6 or 7. She tutors as often as she can when practice isn’t in the way. Juggling two important parts of her life may be a challenge, but Magana isn’t concerned as long as she has time to eat and do homework. Poly students can take advantage of our block schedule, Magana says that she if she does not finish her homework, she makes time to do it in the morning as she does not have a 2nd period, Magana only recommends this as a last resort. While Magana manages to keep her grades in tip-top shape, she often gets really tired and stressed but remembers this will all benefit her in the end. Although, some days she is moments away from a break down, she knows that one day, everything she did was worth it and the money she worked for can come into place.

  • First Job Hacks

    All teens are looking for jobs to make money, but some teens may not know how to work in a job setting. Some things teens should know when having a job is to be vulnerable, which means it’s okay to ask questions if you’re unsure or if you need advice.

    You also want to build great relationships with co-workers, bosses, and managers or people you’d like to work with. You might get a position you don’t want to work at, but just be patient. Do what you have to do and start at the bottom and make your way to the top in position of power.

    If you find a prospective job, research the company and people who work there before applying to make sure it’s the correct fit for you.

    Work on your body language, like posture and hand placement to show dedication and to exude confidence.

    Once you find a job, make sure you’re interested in it. Pick a career you love to do because when you’re working it won’t actually feel like work and you’ll be enjoying it more than feeling like you’re forced to doing something.

    Do it with a passion and put your all into it. Yes it will be stressful but worth it because not only are you helping yourself you’re helping others around you. Granted, sometimes you are just working to earn money and hate your job, but make sure the money is actually worth it.

    Moral of the story is to know what you want to do and actually do it with a passion while knowing the ins & outs of having a job.

  • Hipp Ripp

    Comic by Brandon Hipp

  • ROTC Pays College Tuition

    ROTC Pays College Tuition

    It is officially college season and this is the time when high school seniors are working on college applications and looking for any and all ways to get money for tuition.

    Unfortunately, not all scholarships guarantee a full ride for college. However there is always the choice of a military scholarship that does in fact pay for all years of a student’s college education. The Air Force, Army, and Navy branches of the military have Reserved Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs in colleges that give scholarships to anyone willing to apply.

    While the scholarship provides students with full college tuition, in return the student has to be committed before the start of their sophomore year in college to stay in the program while they remain in school. That student has to not only be committed to the ROTC program but also to being a commissioned officer in the military at a minimum of four years after college. The choice of being enlisted to the military is always a choice but there is also the choice of going into the military as a Health professional; there are many choices for health professions in the military, anyone can be anything from a Doctor to Obstetrician to Veterinarian and anything in between.

    Unfortunately neither the Marines nor the Coast Guard have the option of ROTC for college students but they do have something similar. The Marines have an option under the Naval ROTC program that allows students to apply for a Marine Corps scholarship and the Coast Guard has a separate program called the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative that gives students who may be interested, the chance to get a scholarship as well.

  • Hidden Talent at Poly

    Jacqueline Garcia is one of Poly’s few signed models. She started modeling at a young age and has stuck with it ever since.

    Garcia got her start by “being in beauty pageants because of the glamour part of it.” She said it really helped her confidence grow and allowed her to get away from being shy. Garcia got her break as a model when she was fifteen.

    She entered and won a beauty pageant called Miss Covergirl and won “scholarship money as well as the cover of a magazine sponsored by Disney,” said Garcia. Thereafter, she had photographers and agencies lining up at her door step.

    Garcia’s love for modeling still remains strong to this day. “I love the creative side of it, especially now that I’ve gotten more comfortable to express my ideas to make shoots fit my personal style.”

    With the help of her modeling, Garcia has decided she wants to pursue a degree in marketing one day. “Modeling has helped me make connections through the industry and make any friendships with awesome people who all have interesting and vibrant personalities.”

    Garcia claims that modeling is not as easy as it appears to be. “You have to be very aware of every part of you as well as your environment. It also depends on the people that you get to work with, luckily I have never had a negative  experience with photographers or designers but I have heard my fair share of horror stories.”

    Garcia has effortlessly managed to balance her social life and her work life. She is excited to see what is in store for her future and is grateful for all the support she has had in pursuing modeling.

  • Eric Wilson, #20

    Eric Wilson, #20

    Senior year means the end of an era for most students, but for Poly’s linebacker, Eric Wilson, this year is only the beginning.

    Wilson has been playing football for his entire high school career at Poly. He has met “incredible people from coaches and players to staff members” during his time at Poly. These people became his support system and his family. He said that the type of environment Poly has created for him is the reason it has kept him here the past four years.

    Being at Poly has allowed Wilson to “take on more of a leadership role on the team and form bonds that no one will be able to take from [him].” He has also has been given the extra confidence boost towards extraordinary goals with the help of being on varsity football for the past three years.

    Wilson said, “One of my long term goals is to play in the NFL.” But unlike his other teammates he also hopes to become “a professional saxophonist and win a Grammy award.”

    After high school, he plans to continue his football career and plans to double major in business sports management and music.

    The football star is notably popular among the Poly community. Wilson’s optimistic quality outshines the students around him. It is a characteristic that is necessary for playing on a team with such a great reputation.

    At the start of this year’s football season, Wilson said he “expected us [Poly] to go undefeated.” Even with our loss to Mission Viejo, he said, “our team can win the CIF Southern section championship and state title.”

    Wilson never loses sight of what he wants. When Wilson puts his mind to something, nothing will stand in his way.

    Poly football has played an important factor in who Wilson is today. He said, “through our football program, I’ve learned how to be a better young man, son and brother.” A teammate on and off the field, Poly’s football team is more than lucky to have the number 20.

  • Horoscopes

    What the Signs Are Doing in the Middle of the Night 

    Aries: On Tumblr

    Taurus: Watching Anime

    Gemini: Playing Mario Kart

    Cancer: Sleeping

    Leo: Admiring themselves in the mirror

    Virgo: Redecorating their room

    Libra: Doing homework they should’ve done weeks ago

    Scorpio: Plotting revenge

    Sagittarius: Fantasizing

    Capricorn: Petting their cats

    Aquarius: Drawing

    Pisces: Dreaming

  • DACA is Still a Thing

    DACA is Still a Thing

    About 9 months into his presidency, Donald Trump has managed to repeatedly mortify many Hispanic families. Apart from the fact that he is still working on building his “border wall,” he has repealed DACA impacting many Hispanic members who were part of the program.

    The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was created by former President Barack Obama in 2012 and allows certain people, or Dreamers, who come to the U.S. illegally as minors to be protected from immediate deportation. Recipients are able to request “consideration of deferred action” for a period of two years which is then to be renewed.

    DACA increased wages and labor-force participation of DACA-eligible immigrants and has increased the odds for a career and better standards of living than previous family members.

    One Poly student has felt the impact of Trump’s DACA repeal.

    “I, out of my whole family and my two brothers, am a DACA recipient,” the anonymous student said. “One of them is graduating this year and when he got the news it struck our whole family hard.’’

    Around 800 college and university presidents have signed their institutions support onto a letter urging Congress to pass legislation as soon as possible to permanently protect Dreamers. These universities would like to provide security for dreamers who currently study on their campuses, and who will be seeking an education with their establishments in the future.

    “Colleges and universities have seen these remarkable people up close, in our classrooms and as our colleagues and friends,” according to the letter posed to congressional representatives. “Despite the challenges they face, they have made incredible contributions to our country and its economy and security.”

    Many people think that DACA is no longer an issue, however, it still impacts a wide variety of Poly’s surrounding communities.

    “The repealing of DACA was a big hit to many other families and I know, some way, my family such as other families will not stop fighting for our loved one’s dreams,” the anonymous DACA recipient said.

  • PAAL Students Under the STARS

    On October 26, PAAL had its second annual “Monsters Under the Stars” horror movie night. It took place on the PAAL campus, which is located on Long Beach Boulevard and 16th Street. The hosts of the event had mixed feelings concerning the overall turnout.

    “The night was successful,” said Marisol Ibanez, the Activities Director and a teacher from PAAL.

    “Roughly 75 students attended. That’s approximately 25% of the campus, which is really impressive. However, we only had about two students from the Poly campus show up, which is really disappointing, because we expected a larger Poly audience. ”

    The campus was lit up with orange and purple lights, and the movie was projected on an inflatable screen.

    “The design of the campus quad is like an outdoor amphitheatre, which creates these natural steps for people to sit and chill with blankets and pillows,” Ibanez said.

    PAAL students chose to screen 1408, which is about a father who loses his daughter and becomes a paranormal investigator who stays at a haunted hotel where no one can leave. Before the sun went down, scary short films were played before 1408  started rolling its tape.

    In comparison, “PSC is basically the ASB at PAAL,” Ibanez said.

    “PAAL has no formal representation on the Poly ASB. That’s why we are working together to support one another. Mr. Puth came to show his support for the event, and it was greatly appreciated. It takes a lot of resources to host an event, and we need Poly’s support to transition our events from events that foster a positive campus community and experience to events that generate income.”