New Years

New Years is always an exciting holiday to celebrate. What's your new years resolution? Some common resolutions are spend more time with family and friends, exercise at the gym, loose weight (eat better), quit smoking, enjoy life more, quit drinking, get out of debt, learn something new, help others, and get organized. My new years resolution is to get out of debt for sure! If you have a new years resolution you would like to share, post it! Happy New Year! 2012 will be a fantastic year!

Christmas Tradition

Christmas is a very special time when my family gets together to celebrate and spend time that is cherished. We eat food from turkey all the way to tamales. Just thinking about the food makes me hungry! After we eat, we all engage in playing a competitive game such as MAD GAB or Taboo. It gets intense... While all this is happening we of course share the gifts we received and plan shopping trips to spend the gift cards. That is my family tradition in Salida. In Denver with my other family, we open gifts on Christmas Eve and go to church to watch a Christmas play. Then we all get together on Christmas day and eat! I'm always looking forward to Christmas gatherings... You always have enough food to last you for weeks!

Internship Readiness

Someone who is internship ready must prepare themselves to have outstanding qualities to show their managers that they are ready and motivated to work in their work place. Some examples of excellent qualities are organizational skills, be prepared, having confidence in yourself, staying focused on whatever task you are working on, always having an open mind, be willing to learn new things, have a hunger for more information, keep a positive attitude, ask questions if you're unsure of anything, BE ON TIME, and always make sure that you are managing your time well and getting tasks done ahead of time so you can proofread for any errors. Before your internship it will be important to demonstrate all these important qualities so your manager will be impressed with your outstanding characteristics. Some ways to demonstrate these characteristics in Mod 3 are by asking questions if you are unsure about anything, participate in class discussion, participate in extra curricular activities, get involved in community service opportunities, and do homework ahead of time for the best quality. Some changes I am planning on making in order to be ready for my internship are managing my time better, raise my hand often in class discussions, get more involved in what Year Up has to offer, make sure I get clarity on my assignments, and have a positive motivational attitude. It is key that we all take this time we have very seriously so that we can go to our internship prepared to be hired on full time.

Best and Worst Job

 Working at Boys and Girls Club in Colorado would have to be one of the best jobs I've ever had. I was responsible for helping youth grow into becoming responsible healthy citizens. It was a beautiful thing because I was able to see a lot of youth start out at age 6 and become an amazing part of our community all the way through middle school. I think the skills that I developed at BGC that will serve me at internship are skills like being on time, being accountable for my actions, keeping a positive attitude, having good communication skills with parents, etc. At BGC I learned that it takes a lot of hard work and effort to keep consistent with every youth that attends BGC so that each youth knows your expectations of them and how they can always strive to learn and do their best. Through this process, I learned that it takes a lot of self discipline to be able to go to work everyday with a positive attitude and be ready to take on whatever comes your way. The worst job I ever had was helping my mom clean two buildings. It was the most exhausting, worthless job, that paid the least amount of money I've ever had. I had to make sure each building was clean so that my mom and I never received any letters of complaints from the staff that occupied the buildings. From this experience I know I learned how it feels to really work hard and get my hands dirty. Also, I always made sure to keep in mind that I was doing this to help my mom out so she didn't have to clean both buildings by herself. Which made me feel good in the end because I enjoy helping people.

Occupy Movement

Rivera's mural captures what is going on with the occupy movement today. To me, The top painting shows the busy city of New York with the people in it going about their everyday lives who have jobs just like any other city, even San Francisco and Oakland. The middle painting is the one that can get a little depressing if you really can take a stab what the meaning can really be. People are jobless and are in economic turmoil. Where else can they sleep but in shelters or on the street? If you look at this painting you see not just a few bodies in a shelter but it is packed full of bodies of people resting. In the room there is a guard keeping watch which can symbolize a form of control over the people like the government who is in control of what seems like everything. Where as at the bottom of the painting, you see a bank with rich people investing their money in the bank when they could be helping by giving back to their community somehow. The people who are occupying the streets of New York, San Francisco, Oakland and many more are making a statement that is very similar to Rivera's mural because today there are people homeless and jobless like there was when the Great Depression took place. According to thegreatdepressioncauses.com, The unemployment rate in America had dropped from a high of 25% to 15%, largely due to the New Deal programs introduced by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939. The Great Depression began in 1929 and ended in 1941 when America prepared to enter World War II. That's a great deal of time and I believe today's situation is very similar to the Great Depression back then if not worse. Rivera's mural is a perfect portrait painted for what is happening in the world today.

My inspiration

The first time I was inspired was when I moved to San Francisco in 2010. I met a woman by the name of Geraldine who pushed me past my limits to better myself in everything I did. Geraldine always said you can't settle for what is good, you must strive to get the best. Follow your heart and fulfill your dreams. No one ever told me encouraging words like that. It made me really think about what it was to never settle for just the ok things in life and to always push myself to get the best. For example, I was three years out of high school with no college behind me, she always put "fire under my butt" to go with her to City College to take some general classes, which I found that I enjoyed. That is one of many of my goals is to have a college diploma and with Geraldine's help, I can reach that goal. A year ago, Geraldine came across a flyer, in big bold letters, it read YEAR UP BAY AREA. She did a little research about the program and knew that a have a love for the technology world. She said you better jump on this opportunity because not many have this kind of chance. So I researched more about the program and decided that Year Up was something I wanted to be apart of. In the past, I was always told I wouldn't amount to nothing. That I was nothing. That college shouldn't even be in my vocabulary. Today, I am something because I know I can contribute some way some how in this world. Each time I struggle I am asked who said life was easy? When you go through these troubles, that is what makes you stronger. Everyday I always keep in the back of my mind that I am getting stronger with all the trials and struggles I go through. I also remember that there is always someone else out there who has it a lot worse than me. I appreciate Geraldine and what she has instilled in my heart because it advice that will last a lifetime.

The Community of Boys and Girls Club of Chaffee County

Boys and Girls Club of Chaffee County was a community that I was apart of about two years ago. It is a safe place for children and young adults to come and have a good time as well as learn and get a better understanding of their education. At BGC education is very important because children are able to get tutored and mentored to encourage them that furthering their education is very important. At BGC the staff provides a positive environment so the children know that they can always come to a positive place for advice, for a shoulder to lean on and a place where they can feel most comfortable. At Boys and Girls Club children and young adults can engage in physical educational activities such as kickball, basketball games, soccer and more. There is a place in Boys and Girls club called the Games Room where there are activities like pool air hockey, wii Fitness, Dance Dance Revolution, Puzzles etc. There is also a place for the children and young adults to express themselves in art. The building itself is full of amazing things for children and young adults to take part in. I take pride in this particular community because it is a positive place for anyone from ages 6-18 to come.

Ashlee's Positives, Ashlee's Growth Areas

In module I, I learned that I do a lot of procrastination. In return I do my assignments at the last minute under pressure expecting to have a perfect outcome to turn in. I surprised myself by being able to get threw a whole module in such short time and I’m proud of myself for being able to complete that. I am disappointed in myself because I know I can do better at getting my assignments done in a better time setting and not procrastinating until the last minute. There is always room for improvement.

+                                                                                  Δ

Organization	Time management
Turn in assignments on time	Ask for help/ clarity on assignments from my instructors
Ask my peers for help	Better study habits
Knowledge	Better sleep schedule
Able to help others	Always have a plan B

Coming from the mountains and settling down by the bay

I grew up in Salida, Colorado. Unlike many cities, my town does not have specific names for the neighborhoods in it. I lived in a house right off of Highway 50. You could say the people in my neighborhood were between low class and middle class citizens. There were never shootings or robberies. It was mostly quiet, unless the people next door were having a party. My town, as a whole there is not much to do so you can imagine what my neighborhood was like, boring. A lot of the students I attended high school with turned to drugs and alcohol to occupied their time, I wasn’t interested. After graduating high school I found myself looking into moving to San Francisco, talk about a major life changing experience. I currently live in the Visitation Valley, where I realize everyday is a gift of life that no one can promise. I’ve heard many gunshots and so far I have attended one funeral for a dear friend that was gunned down behind my house. I have learned that no bullet has a name so I am careful of where I am all the time. There is such a separation with Sunnydale, Third Street, and I am sure more, that I see people that are constantly watching their backs. Do you see the significance difference in my neighborhoods? I am who I am despite the neighborhood I live in because I can lead an example that life can be better if you make it. All it takes is a step of faith and believe in yourself that you can do your best. It’s the people that make the neighborhood the way it is, so if the people can turn a neighborhood into a war zone, they can also turn it into a safety zone.

It's not easy crossing the opportunity divide.

A quarter century ago, Byrider’s founder, the late James F. Devoe, say before most people the untapped profits in selling expensive, highly financed products fto marginal customers. “The light went on that there was a huge market of people with sub prime and unconventional credit being turned down,” says Devoe’s 38-year-old son, James Jr., who is now chief executive.

“Good Cars for People Who Need Credit,” the company declares in its sunny advertising, but some law enforcers say Byrider’s inventive sales techniques are unfair. Joel Cruz- Esparza, director of consumer protection in the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office from 2002 to 2006, says he received numerous complaints from buyers about Byrider. His office contracted the dealer, but he never went to court. “They’re taking advantage of people, but it’s not illegal,” he says.

I can vouch and say I have been a victim of being sold a worthless car with high mileage for a price that was sky high with a high interest rate. It’s one of the worst things you could ever go through because you have to pay for a vehicle that is not even worth paying for. What’s even worse is paying out of pocket for all the extra, and when I say extra, I mean EXTRA work that it needs. This stopped me from crossing the opportunity divide because I had no way out but to keep paying for it so my credit wouldn’t go bad.

Who is held responsible? We the people are responsible! It is our duty to make sure we know what we’re getting ourselves into! Do a good amount of research before you put your money and credit on the line because it will help you out in the long run. Resources that need to be in place are FREE FINANCIAL ADVISERS! So we can all get counseled on how to spend and budget our money wisely for what we can really afford and not afford. 

Source of information found from The Poverty Business article.

Passion

If you were asked the question, what is one word that describes you best, what would it be? Hi, I am Ashlee Chavez. Passion describes me best. Why? I am a leader. I have a passion for what I do. I give it my 100% and I will go the extra mile. Four years out of high school, life has brought me to a place called Year Up. It changed my life completely because I’ve become apart of a world where I never thought I’d see myself. It’s called the professional world where there is support, guidance, structure, a most important, a positive atmosphere. This is the place that has motivated me in life and the place where I can put my passion to good use. I am now a walking example of a professional businessperson. I have professional etiquette technology and business communication skills. On the other hand, family is the most important to me. It’s something like over 1,000 miles that separates me from them. It’s very important to me to keep in touch. After reading this, hopefully I will leave you with a good definition of what passion is and how it can be a key motivational tool to use for life.

It's A Bird It's A Plane...No... It's A Satellite!

Don’t let the satellite fall near you! An amateur astronomer recently found a falling satellite that is headed our way, to the Earth that is. The six-ton, 20-year-old spacecraft has fallen out of orbit and is expected to crash somewhere on Earth on or around 24 September.¹ Researchers are expecting it to burn up before it reaches the earth. Well I hope so! It’s a 20 ton satellite, and if it hits the Earth are we all doomed? Folks this is a little scary and when I say little, I mean BIG. Nasa said scientists would only be able to make more accurate predictions about where the satellite might land two hours before it enters the Earth's atmosphere. ² The 1 in 3,200 risk to public safety is higher than the 1 in 10,000 limit that Nasa aims for. But agency officials stress that nobody has ever been hurt by objects re-entering from space.³ Well Nasa, we are counting on you to please use those telescopes at the second hour before it’s supposed to land to inform us whether this will be the last day of our lives. Frankly, I would like to live longer, than to be killed by a satellite from space. Nasa needs more control over their equipment falling out of the sky. It’s one thing for birds, but satellites? Come on. This is quite dangerous and disturbing to think about. So where ever it lands, there will be a huge hole 20 tons deep. This is not ok. Any feed back friends?

Salida High School

Salida High School may be slightly small compared to schools in California. Class of 2007 had 250 students. It is the only high school in the tiny town of Salida, Colorado. There is a majority of the class that is related to each other and most everyone grew up knowing each other. So there is no need to learn names. It is the high school my mother, aunts and uncles attended back in the 40's. Up until recently, the board decided to remodel the whole school including the grounds. When I was in school, everything was very old and falling apart before my eyes. Sometimes it became dangerous hoping the roof wouldn’t fall in. It was quiet an experience. The teachers were wonderful and made the students feel a positive vibe and support (they were always there for you). Our school is very involved in community service activities. Triathlons Park clean up etc. A club called Key Club put on these community service projects. Salida High School is a small, yet very close knit with a big heart for the community.

The Way You Speak.

As a child, you look up to the eldest that are most present in your life. You pick up on what you see and learn by the example that is led. I must give credit to my lovely Mother and Aunt Barbara for being the reason why I speak the way I speak today. Thank you. Today, 'Gonna' 'woulda' 'shoulda' 'wanna' 'gotta' 'fir' are part of the language I use. These words my Mother and Aunt by now can probably pick up on when a conversation is being held. I would like to share a quote with you. 

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." 

-Nelson Mandela 

The questions are, what language settled in your head? What language settled in your heart?  

If you can't guess already, the language that was taught and spoken to me went to my heart. Sometimes the language that I use in day-to-day conversations may be from the language I have learned and developed over the years of growing. On the flip side of things, I am currently learning a whole new language at Year Up. Hopefully I can catch on quickly and use it more often.