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Mikayla Canales

Senior Portfolio Committee

Service Learning, Period 3

05 May 2017

Statement of Intent

The steady beep of the monitor next to the crib showed that the babys heart rate was

normal; he was ready to go home. Except he wasnt going to the home that he was supposed to

and deserved. He was going into foster care because his mother chose a life of narcotics over her

son. The baby boy, who was born months early, was given the label of a drug baby in the NICU.

His heartbreaking story was just one of the many I heard during my time spent at NorthBays

Nurse Camp. His story confirmed one thing for me: I must obtain a selfless career. I have assured

that I will be able to achieve my goal one day by working hard in high school, taking the

necessary steps to attend a university, and working and volunteering in relevant fields.

Throughout my high school career, I have worked to assure that I will be able to achieve

my goal of obtaining a career where I can help others. From my freshman year to present day,

Ive managed to maintain good grades, knowing it would bring me to where I wanted to be. In

order to achieve the grades I have, I had to develop a few skills along that led to my success. For

example, I had to developed organizational skills to manage all my assignments and projects and

assure all were turned in on time. In addition, time management was something I had to tackle.

Though it was a struggle, I learned how to find time to study and do all my work while also

being able to still spend time with family and friends. Lastly, high school has taught me

motivational skills and great commitment. Since I have stayed motivated and committed

throughout my four years, I know I will be able to continue this behavior into college; Ive come
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too far to just give up. All of these skills have led to my high school success and will ensure that

I reach my goals in college.

I know I will be able to achieve my goals of obtaining a generous career since I have

taken all the steps needed to attend a university. For example, I took testing, such as the SAT, in

order to apply to four-year universities, where I will be able to continue my education.

Furthermore, Ive partaken in extracurricular activities that have taught me about college and the

responsibilities I will have while in school. Clubs, such as CSF and NHS, have shown me the

steps I needed to take to be accepted into the post-secondary schools I applied to. Taking on roles

in clubs, such as being secretary in S-Club and NHS and president of Debate Club, has taught me

how to manage multiple tasks and how to handle mandatory responsibilities while juggling

schoolwork. All of these have led to me being college ready during my senior year.

In addition, I have taken classes that have also led to me being able to attend a post-

secondary school. For example, in my junior year, I joined the leadership class to further work on

my ability to take on responsibilities. As treasurer, I took on even more responsibilities in my

senior year, helping me be more involved in my school. Since Ive been so involved in my

school and have taken on responsibilities, it has given me a peek into what its like to work for

selfless causes. Other classes that have helped with my college readiness are AP Language and

Composition, AP Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, Anatomy and

Physiology, and Statistics. These courses have given me insight on what college level courses

will be like, and Anatomy and Physiology has informed me a great amount about healthcare,

which is the field I wish to go into. Ive taken four years of science and math, even taking

Statistics at Solano Community College, to show universities that I have the skill set to pursue a
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career in nursing. Since I have taken all of these courses, I know a higher education is something

I can and must pursue.

My work and volunteer experiences are two things that are helping me reach my goals.

My sophomore year, I had a paid internship at M&G DuraVent during the companys busy

season. Even though it was only a temporary job, it taught me a great amount about working. It

showed me that the line of work I was doing wasnt for me; a career where I can make a

difference is really what I want. It motivated me to do well in high school and go onto college.

My second job, which I currently have, is a paid internship at Solano Eye Care. It has taught me

patient care, and meeting everyone I have while working at the optometry office, has assured me

that a career where I can help others is what I need. Volunteer experiences, such as tutoring and

dog fostering, have given me another peek into what it would be like to work in selfless career

fields. As long as I can help someone, Im perfectly content. I urge to help others led to me

attending nurse camp, which was one of the best experiences Ive had. I got to have a week full

of mock nursing experience, further proving it is a career I would love to have. All of the work

and volunteer opportunities Ive had throughout high school have proven to me that I must

pursue a generous career.

By working hard in high school, taking the necessary steps to attend a university, and

working and volunteering in relevant fields, I have assured that I will be able to achieve my goals

one day. All of the experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today are also the

experiences that have proven that I can pursue my dreams and achieve my goals. After high

school, I know I will go onto a university and major in nursing. After college, I will obtain the

selfless career I long to have.