“I have found that many online teachers are very kind and friendly and many are more than willing to help students who are struggling. I thought at first that teachers would be annoyed that I was constantly sending them emails because I was confused, but I quickly realized that that is not the case. I was also pleasantly surprised about receiving this award. My Spanish teacher was the one who nominated me for this award, and I didn’t even know that it existed! I try to complete my work early and do the best I can, but it appears that my teacher thinks so much more than I do of myself!” – Mael F.
“Mael is an outstanding student. His work is always excellent and on-time. He reads and follows instructions!! What I most appreciate is that Mael reaches out with questions before submitting assignments to be sure he understands what is required. I appreciate his dedication and hard work.” – NCVPS Spanish IV Honors Instructor, Patricia Lipsey
Mael’s Story
I try to work hard to maintain the best grades that I can and be a positive role model in every classroom and setting that I am in. I try to be kind to everyone I meet and show respect to even my enemies. I think that my family and friends have greatly shaped me into the person I am today, causing me to become the kind person I am today. My expression through music and my funny personality make me recognizable to everyone around as well as my hardworking nature and just nature.
Online Experience
I have taken 3 NCVPS classes over my high school/middle school career, and they were all because of a scheduling conflict, or my small charter middle school didn’t offer a class, and I wanted to stay ahead of the rest of my peers. I had to make the class that I wanted to take work, and the only way to do so was online.
I have taken Math 1 (my middle school didn’t offer Math 1, so I took it online), Honors Earth and Environmental Science (my middle school didn’t offer it either, so I had to take it online in the Summer of Junior year), and I am now taking Honors Spanish 4 (because of a scheduling issue).
I think taking an online course is very different from an in-person course because there are a lot of time management aspects that you have to plan for and deal with every day. Many kids are not used to being completely on their own without someone constantly reminding them to do something. Students have to complete assignments on their own independently, without a teacher reminding them that something is due, and so I think that online classes teach students to be responsible for themselves and it teaches them to use their time wisely. Online courses also allow students to complete work on their own time, from wherever they are, instead of in the morning when they are tired or hungry, or in a freezing classroom, where focus doesn’t come naturally.
My advice to other online students is to make sure that you don’t let time slip by you, create some sort of schedule where you complete a certain number of assignments daily so that you don’t get behind. Pace your work throughout the week so that you aren’t overwhelmed at the end of the week. Make sure to ask your teachers questions all the time, no matter how annoying you think you are, it’s their job to help you.
Life Outside of School
I have to admit, I have quite a few hobbies. I love everything about music. I play multiple instruments, such as the saxophone, piano, guitar, and trumpet, and I also love creating music and listening to it as well. Music is such a huge part of my life because it allows me to express myself in a way that words don’t allow me to. I am part of the marching band at my high school as well as the concert band and jazz band. I am a student intern at my church, and I play the piano there almost every week on the worship team.
I help set up, and when I’m not playing, I run the sound system! I also love to surf, and I often go early in the morning before school or on the weekends to get the smooth ocean water and clean waves. I also like to fish for bass with my friends in the lakes and ponds nearby whenever I have time.
I love to hang out with my friends and I often host weekly board game nights with a huge group of friends. During the week, I go to my Taekwondo studio, where I am a double black belt, and I volunteer as a junior instructor for the younger kids. I love to travel and experience the world and connect with people that I’ve never met before.
My favorite musicians/bands are AJR and Coldplay, and my favorite movie is Pixels with Adam Sandler.
As well as almost being done with Spanish 4, I can also speak French fluently. We speak it at home because my whole family is from Switzerland!
I really like Slim Jim meat sticks as well as Dot’s Famous Homestyle Pretzels.
One item that I couldn’t live without is my piano because I like to wind down after a long day by playing piano for hours.
Goals & Future Plans
A goal that I had this semester was to pass my test and get my double black belt. I had been training for 5 years up to this point, progressing through the belt ranks, but this was an ultimate challenge. After getting your first degree black belt, to advance even further, you must complete even more rigid requirements in both the mental and physical aspects. Coming up to the big test and workout, I trained almost every day, running outside and doing intensive workouts at the gym. I trained in my backyard, making sure that I knew each and every form, block, kick, and strike like the back of my hand so that I made sure that I wouldn’t mess up under the pressure on test day. I went into extra classes to get personal advice from my instructors. I also recorded myself so that I could critique the moves that I was doing and make myself look even better.
I want to help save the environment. This world is being hurt every single day by human forces that we have the ability to stop and prevent. Eventually, very soon actually, there will come a point where the Earth will start to become uninhabitable for humans because of climate change, global warming, and rising sea levels. To think that all of this catastrophe could be prevented is something that is unfathomable, and so it is my mission to prevent us humans from destroying ourselves. I want to work in an organization that advocates for legislation around the world to protect ecosystems and reduce the human footprint on the planet. To reach this goal, I want to major in international affairs, and my use of languages will help me communicate with other people from around the world. I want to use the connections that I already have in other countries to secure contacts that will help me progress. I will not stop until I know that I have made a difference because I can’t sit idly by watching as the only planet we live on is destroyed.
Sample of Mael’s Work
