When Alou and I started to chat about her plans for after high school, she mentioned studying in a field like Philosophy or some sort of thought-provoking subject, and I was not at all surprised by that response from her. You know how there are some people in the world that you meet and you feel like you have known them forever? Like, maybe in a past life we were friends or we just seemed to have a common understanding of the world, that was meeting Alou. She was calm, she was respectful, and she was wise beyond her years. In reading more from her senior questionnaire, I see that Alou already has an appreciation for life that is often sought after for years.
When asked what she wanted to be when she was a kid, she stated: "I wanted to be a princess. As much as I would rather be a princess, it’s not possible, but I can still value myself as one." I very much value a girl who has made it through school holding tight to her confidence and self-awareness. There are many pressures in life, especially for a high school student, but Alou has found strength and encouragement to hold on to the value of loving herself. What a gift, and what a thing to treasure, as we are all learning to maintain our own self-acceptance. She thanks, several times, in her questionnaire, her parents, and Aunt Miriam, and Stephanie. Wherever they are, I hope they read this, please know you have done an amazing job raising this young woman, and she whole-heartedly loves you. She thanks you for loving her unconditionally and for teaching her to value herself. Sending all the love to you all! In fact, Alou mentions that her greatest lesson is that "there is light even in the most darkest days, I am loved by my friends and family, and if I’m okay with that, then that’s all I need."
In Alou's future, she would also love to travel. Experiencing new places and meeting new people can be eye-opening to the world and in one learning more about themselves. She hopes to one day go to Finland because that is place that not many people talk about. I hope that she gets to travel like she hopes and that she finds herself "sitting in a coffee shop, enjoying the autumn skies."
On top of all of her future plans, Alou is also currently part of Robotics, Speech, SkillsUSA, and Cross Country. She mentions one of her proudest moments placing 8th out of 11 teams in Mechatronics at Nationals. First of all, kudos to Alou for being in Robotics as a woman! I love seeing m ore females in STEM areas of education and loving it. She also attributes part of loving high school is going to her Robotics class specifically. When there is a love of education, one will never lose their wonder for life. For in-coming freshman into her school, she would also give the advice to stay focused because school is so important. Alou is already such a great role model for those she comes in contact with.
Overall, I am wishing Alou a wonderful rest of her senior year. I feel like I have a kindred spirit with her, and I hope she always keeps that love of life and confidence in herself and her abilities. Shine on, girl! You are going places!
