Juniors realize their time left in high school is short

DOWNEY - As news of college acceptances arrive for high school seniors, class of 2012 juniors are becoming more aware of the fact that their final year of high school will soon be upon them.Downey junior Safa Garawi is an active member of Normaneers, an all-girls service club that participates in activities such as Susan G. Komen breast cancer walks. Despite the popular opinion that the college application process is stressful, Garawi takes on a positive attitude. "I have taken the SAT in December and I'm planning to take it once again in June," said Garawi. "What I'm most excited about in senior year is a break from all of the hard studying. I also look forward to college applications and getting accepted to a university, then finally having a break and being able to talk to friends about random stuff other than how hard the history or physics test was." Warren junior Gabriela Kochanowski has played clarinet for the marching band since freshman year, and she is also involved with the animation class that began in 2009. The animation class will participate in a state competition held by SkillsUSA, a nationwide organization that prepares students for career skills. "I'm excited to be taking a psychology class in senior year," said Kochanowski. "I've been really interested in the human mind and why we do the things we do. I will also be taking the next level of animation at Warren. I want to go into Pixar and make movies for young kids and teens. I think that would be the best thing in the world!" Downey junior Jabari Ruffin recently committed to USC as a linebacker and will be the first Viking to play on the USC football team since Randy Meadows in the 1950s. This accomplishment would not have been possible without hard work and dedication. "It makes me feel very excited to know that I am putting Downey High on the map for sports," said Ruffin. "I chose USC because of the things I can do with the kind of degree that I can get from the university. Also, USC has a wonderful football program with a tradition of back-to-back winning seasons." Although Ruffin's future is set one year in advance, he has no plans to underperform in his senior year. Rather, the thrill of doing his best motivates him to be a better player. "I love the game and I don't even know how it feels to slack off," said Ruffin. "It will be my senior year and my last season playing in my Viking uniform. I will always play hard for my team." Regardless of where their interests lie, juniors have one more year ahead of them to enjoy their high school lifestyles.

********** Published: March 17, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 48