By Elijah Delgado
Even though oil is a big part of Saudi Arabia's economy, the kingdom has been trying to diversify its economy and invest in cutting-edge technology over the past few years. One of the ways it has been doing this is by developing ambitious new projects that are designed to shape the future of the country. Three of the most notable projects that Saudi Arabia is currently working on are "The Line," "Sindalah," and "Trojena." The Line is a proposed 170-kilometer-long city that will be built along the coast of the Red Sea. One million people will be able to live in the metropolis, which will be entirely car-free. Another major project being worked on by Saudi Arabia is Sindalah. A new metropolis with a population of more than a million is intended to be constructed along the Red Sea coast. Trojena is a project that aims to create a new city in the desert of Saudi Arabia. These projects will be using cutting-edge technology, such as 5G connectivity and artificial intelligence, and will run entirely on renewable energy. These projects are a part of the "Vision 2030" plan, which aims to make the Saudi economy less dependent on oil and more diverse. The Saudi economy is anticipated to benefit greatly from these projects, which will also provide thousands of locals with work. Saudi Arabia's plans for the future are important because they signify a shift towards economic and social modernization as well as technological advancement. This is important because it provides other countries with ideas that can help their economies. This introduces cutting-edge technologies that we can implement in our schools and workspaces. Additionally, these plans are important because they demonstrate Saudi Arabia’s commitment to developing an environmentally conscious infrastructure. In conclusion, Saudi Arabia is investing in ambitious projects such as The Line, Sindalah, and Trojena in order to shape the future of the country, create new opportunities and jobs for its citizens, and diversify its economy. These initiatives are anticipated to stimulate the economy and build modern, sustainable urban environments.
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By CharKendra Harris High school is supposed to be one of the most stress-free times of our lives. It's the weird stage between being a kid and an adult called a teenager. We go through the first 3 years not thinking a lot about what life will be like after we walk the stage. Some of us will work, some may go off to the military. Some may do nothing but most of us will go to college. We spend the majority of the year trying to figure out what college or university is the perfect fit for us. The perfect college for you could involve a lot of different things. Maybe you want a big university or a smaller community college? Or you want a program like a SUNY school or you want to pay out state tuition? Not only do you have to choose between many colleges, you may get rejected by some too. Professor Sherman Dorn writes in the Washington Post, “…writers like me who bemoan great students getting rejected by their first choices but who ignore the fact that they almost all get into a good school.” The perfect college may not be the one you've been dreaming about since you were in middle school. A lot of schools prioritize and value different things from you. A community college may attend a nursing program more than the big university you always wanted to go to. The preconceived notion that community colleges are poor or not good schools is very false. It's actually a proven statistic that students at community colleges save more than $30,000 by graduation date than a university student (think impact). This factor of money is a big stress on choosing which type of college or scholarship you may choose because many 4-year students end up with tens of thousands of dollars of debt and student loans to pay off. The risk factor of attending college is always the uncertain guarantee of not being successful in your career. Majors like law, medicine, psychology etc. are never going anywhere because those are necessary for people. However, majors like criminology, sociology and fine art may be a lot harder to find success in as time changes, so do the way people interact with each other and current events involve. For instance, back in the 60s-90s serial killers were more common then they´re now so the need for criminology has significantly decreased. We as high school seniors look for a lot of validation from our peers. Many choose to go to the same cities or colleges as their friends. Others may try to step out of their comfort zone and try a brand new city. The stress of starting over and not being able to go home puts teenagers in a stressful, anxious state. My advice to other seniors is to look beyond the cost, the city, the name and the type of college and really try to find happiness in what you are doing. By Kani McNeil
Has something ever shaped you, affected your core mindset or standard of respect, and kept you moving? Well for me, that something is basketball. While this sport isn’t vital for some people, it has and will hold a special place in my heart for the rest of my life. Basketball has been a part of my life since I was little, playing in elementary school for fun and seeing the older people in my life play themselves. Though until middle school, playing consistently was not an activity I took part in. However, the desire to play for the fun of it and to be a part of something bigger than myself is what pushed me to try out and eventually make the team. Unfortunately, shortly after that, a stark and harsh realization occurred; that being that simply “making it” wasn’t enough. There is a difference between playing basketball for the fun of it and playing basketball with the stake of losing and not taking it seriously meant that coaches didn’t see me as a winning factor. This truth made me realize my efforts were not enough and wounded me in many ways. So, in order to not have to go through that again, I worked. I went to the rec center daily and took every opportunity to hoop imaginable, whether it was pride or the beginning of the love I have for the sport now that caused that drive, I couldn’t tell you though. For a time, this alone helped greatly. I got to play for a longer period of time and I helped the team win more and I was happy with that. However, I also learned that as I grew, so did the people around me. Playing basketball was no longer enough. I needed reasoning. I needed a rational and logical reasoning to explain my love for the sport. As I played I thought about my past with the sport and what I realized whatever bad things I thought about didn’t matter. No matter how sad I was at the time, I could put all my focus into the game and nothing else mattered. And from that moment on, I became thankful for it. By Mo’Asia Ferrell
Some people are content in life with just “good” instead of better. That person is not me. I was not content living my life being “just good enough” or “just okay.” Instead, I made a difficult decision that many high school students would not be willing to make. I transferred to a new school for my last year of high school because I was unhappy with the school and its operations. I decided to make this life change because it was best for me and my future. My previous school wasn’t a good fit for me. One of my biggest strengths is that I know myself as a learner–I know what motivates and pushes me to be better. The grading system didn’t work for me. I’m a student who strives for letter grades and grade percentages because it helps me visualize what I need to do better, to get where I want to be, and the school only recognizes grades as “pass or fail” with no GPA. There were no tests or Regents exams, which made it difficult to evaluate my academic growth throughout time. I wanted to attend a school that assigns exams to give myself the opportunity to learn from my mistakes and focus on my future studies. Transferring to a new school was difficult for many reasons. My main challenge was meeting new people and making friends. I have social anxiety so going from a school with fewer than 250 kids to a school with more than 800 students made me feel as if I was suffocating. I stayed quiet in the beginning and many of my peers thought I was shy and quiet. I can be at times, but I read the room a lot while quietly observing. I learned certain individuals weren’t for me– the ones who were more interested in drama, gossiping, fighting and things of those sorts. I want to surround myself with people who are motivated and driven because I want to achieve success. My goal is to give back to my community through the medical field. If I’m shining I want those around me to shine as well. It’s been difficult to adjust to a new school and environment, but teachers and friendly peers have made it easier; constantly letting me know I'm not alone even if I feel that way. I’m very glad I took the step to change schools because I see a part of myself that I’d never thought I'd see. I’m actually happy and feel I have proper resources to help me achieve my future plans. My willingness to succeed has made it worth it even though it’s been hard. As a little girl I always dreamed of being a successful person and helping those whenever I can. To finally feel like I have that possibility in my hands is unbelievable. I’ve come way too far and worked way too hard to accept just the “bare minimum”. I know my worth and I’m going to live up to that as long as I live. My journey isn’t over – it has been challenging, but I will never give up. Making this change my junior year is very “me” --I’m a risk taker and a very committed person. Despite the challenges of moving on to a new school, I still took that risk and did what was best for me. Every day kids at my old school would think about transferring regarding their education, but were too afraid to because of the adjustments that would need to be made. I took on that role because I know where I want to go in life, and I felt where I was at wasn’t going to get me there. As I transition to college, I will continue to advocate for myself as I seek out new learning opportunities that will continue to prepare me for a career in the medical field. I’ll always surround myself with those who lift me up and keep me grounded as I continue to move forward. It’s never too late for change. By Terreil Colon Growing up in difficult circumstances can teach you lessons that you can use for your entire life. While I have endured numerous challenges and overcome many obstacles in life, the biggest challenge I faced growing up was the time my mother, four siblings, and I stayed at a shelter for almost a year when I was nearly the age of eleven. This was a significant obstacle that I felt set me back in life, but now looking back I am able to see it as a moral lesson to take advantage of. Because of how difficult life was for my mother as a single mother and in general, we lived in a shelter. We always remained in the hopeful expectation that we would one day be capable of leaving. During the time I spent there with my family, I learned to become more patient. While we were in the shelter, and even since being able to leave the shelter, it was my job to help take care of not only myself, but my four siblings as well. I felt it was my responsibility because I am the oldest. In the shelter, people are not able to just come and go as you please or even eat a meal whenever they want to. As expected from a shelter, the rooms aren't particularly roomy. There was a curfew and expectation for us to be in our rooms by 8:30 PM each day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were served during set time frames. If you missed the serving time frame, you missed the food. All of this together gave me the impression that I was in jail because I could not do what I wanted whenever I wanted. My mother worked to get Section 8 housing assistance to help us move into a house. This process took more than seven months, it wasn't just a matter of submitting paperwork and being admitted. We were put on a waiting list amongst many other people waiting to be helped. It took a while to get off the waiting list and into a house that was ours. Because of the lessons I’ve learned through this experience, I have become persistent, laser-focused, and constantly moving forward. These are qualities that have helped me and will continue to be helpful as I move forward in my life. These traits can help me gain from college because they not only help me improve as a student but also as a person. Another lesson I have learned while living in the shelter is how people lean on each other for moral support and help when needed. My mother was a form of hope for me and my siblings. She showed us that we would make it through the rough times we dealt with by supporting each other and being there for one another. My academic advisers are another group of people I can trust and count on since they guide me in the proper direction and inspire me to complete the necessary tasks. I applied these lessons to my life upon beginning my senior year at a new high school. Initially, it was difficult for me to become talkative and open to people. But before long I found myself a great set of friends, on whom I now rely on, and in turn they rely on me. I consider them to be my second family in a huge way since we have all supported one another through good times and bad, much like my mother, my siblings and I did for each other in the shelter and still do even now. By Quentin Gordon-Smith My story started June 8th, 2005 when the doctors told my mother I had a 50/50 chance of living. I was born with my intestines outside of my stomach which led to multiple surgeries. I was a premature baby, I was born two months early and I had to stay in the hospital for a couple months before my mother could take me home. I am a miracle child. I am a fighter. That’s the biggest challenge life threw at me was death so whenever I face adversity I laugh because there isn’t anything I can’t get through. No matter how many times I fall I'll always get back up. When a challenge occurs in my life I look at my scars, it motivates me. My scars remind me of what I've been through and that a challenge I face in life is nothing. Another challenge I overcame was school during the pandemic. Covid changed a lot, everyone had to quarantine at home. School was now online, we used zoom for classes. After time I started to struggle with school. My grades were dropping, I couldn’t focus, I couldn’t learn. It was very stressful for me. I began to break down. I stopped going to online classes because I couldn’t learn that way. When covid died down, schools created hybrid learning. Hybrid learning was an opportunity for kids to come back into school. It helped me a lot, I was finally in person with teachers to help me. I brought my grades back up and started to understand my classes. One challenge that I’m facing right now is being a big brother. My little brother is 12 and he only has me and my mother to support him. My little brother lacks a father figure so I’m filling in. I try to be there for him as much as I can and do great things so he won’t get influenced by the negative things around him. It’s been very hard because we are not into the same things. I like sports, and he doesn’t. I connect with him by doing the things he likes, for example dancing. I can't dance but I do it with him for fun. Also art I can’t paint or draw but I do it for him, I’m even taking art class to try to get better. I’m just trying to be the best brother I can be. My future goal is to become an optometrist. Last year I took a class called vision care. Vision care teaches students how to make glasses. I was so interested in this class and eager to learn more about the eye. Then we started to actually do real hands-on work using different machines and learning the fundamentals of this field. I messed up a lot but nothing was stopping me from doing it right. I have been trialed and challenged through the face of adversity from every setback and loss, I have grown from the mistakes that were made to come out a better student in this field of work. Then I took everything I learned in class and made my first pair of glasses and at that moment I fell in love. I have continued to come back every year to learn the ins and outs of this career. This year we have the opportunity to learn through experience, taking care of patients as if we were professionals. My future life is going to be hard. I have a plan and goals to accomplish for my future. The work that I have invested into myself will set me up for success so when I am faced with adversity I will move past it, learning from every mistake that I make to become the best person that I know I can become. This is the power of my story. By Jeovanne Finch-Negron For many people, family is the support system that helps them overcome obstacles. What happens when it is the anchor that drags you down? It makes some obstacles seem like they are insurmountable, but it takes a certain mindset to look through the fog and persevere. The setbacks of an unstable family life have not kept me down, that have made me who I am today. One main challenge I have faced was the lack of support from my family. In my earlier years of life, I had to rely on myself when I needed the most help. The lack of empathy, care and support from my mother and a false father figure that entered my life after my dad passed away had a major effect on my mental health, and childhood growth. My younger brother's dad, the false father figure, conditioned me to not trust the words of others. It was little things that built to that loss of trust: he would promise to be there, then not show; tell me he’s got me next time, then not follow through. I had to rely on myself, and myself only. As a result, I put so much weight onto my shoulders to become the best person that I could be, and to not become like my false father figure. Around the age of 12, I took on the role of a father figure for my younger brother. I wanted to teach him how not to follow in his father’s footsteps. In order to be a positive role model for my brother, I strived to teach him the importance of education and attending college. I began working at Wegmans to show him the importance of working for what you want and having stability. I also want to show my brother what it means to maintain positive, healthy relationships. I have dedicated myself to making sure he has a positive role-model in his life. The setbacks of an unstable family life could have limited my future, but instead I’ve used it to start off with a clean slate, allowing me to shape and sculpt this person that I envision myself to be: a reliable leader and advocate. I work in all aspects of my life to bring my vision into fruition. For example, I am captain of the track team which allows me to advocate for my fellow teammates to lead them onto the best path for them. I protect them, sometimes from themselves. One track meet we had that was extremely hot. One of my track runners, who was about to run a relay, was on the verge of heat stroke so I had to tell the coach that he could not run the race for his own health. Another way that I have taken on leadership roles is through my community by working at Teen Empowerment and participating in Upward Bound. These groups allow me to use my voice to advocate problems occurring in our community and work to bring positive changes. Upward Bound helped me advocate for my future and support others who are trying to do the same. It proved that teens can gather together to advocate for people who don’t have a voice within the community. My experiences of being a parentified child have shaped my character and taught me lessons on looking at the bigger picture. The years of persistent work to find my voice and true character opened my eyes to what I am capable of. I have acquired the skill to adapt to overcome challenges while not losing my sense of self. While providing for my younger brother and my community I continue to find myself striving to be an athlete, scholar, brother, son, captain of the track team, and ultimately me, Jeovanne. By Luanys Rivera As my plan is to go into the nursing profession, being one of my long-term goals, I have come to believe that this career will lead me to make the impact I want to make in the world and in others. Knowing that the nursing profession makes the most impact on people more than I have expected leads me to reason that it is not about just helping people but to care for them, demonstrating compassion and being very truly and deeply understanding towards people including from different backgrounds. Building and having these qualities in which are my strengths are how I can show why it is so important to have in the healthcare field. During my junior and senior year of high school, I have been exploring multiple careers in the healthcare field to discover which profession I am most interested in. Participating in programs such as The Perry Outreach Program where young girls explore male dominated careers in orthopedics and engineering while doing hands-on tasks. Stating in an interview “I wanted to test myself, challenge myself, to see if maybe I want to be in orthopedics, I wanted to answer the questions I’ve had on my mind”. Knowing that this experience has allowed me to realize that I am capable of anything, willing to accept challenges and gain new experiences. While also being involved in Neuroscience research at the University of Rochester with the NeuroEast program, learning techniques that researchers use to study the brain in the Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab. Working in a lab and taking part in research changed my whole perspective. I learned that research takes time, makes a huge impact towards the world but realized that it is a career that is not for me. I enjoy being in a moving environment, engaging directly with people, and being able to create a personal positive impact. Working as a Patient Care Technician in Rochester General Hospital through the Youth Apprentice Program has allowed me to be exposed to being in a hospital environment and working alongside healthcare professionals where I have been able to learn what is like being part of a team, showing emotional support towards patients and providing the needed care. While I have come across some challenges, I grew out of this experience. Learning to do vitals, working with unsatisfied patients, coming across COVID patients, or my help being needed the most for being one out of two patient care technicians available, these challenges did not stop me but instead motivated me. One of the many best experiences was participating in the East Pathways to Nursing Program through the University of Rochester’s School Of Nursing. Given the opportunity to learn from experienced nurses at Strong Memorial Hospital who became my mentors, and was taught clinical skills that nurses need to develop. At the mid end of the program we had a field trip to Strong Memorial Hospitals O.R, and had the chance to see two spine surgeries which not every student has the opportunity to experience. Being able to speak to the surgeon while they explained the procedure was one of the most memorable experiences. At the end of the program we had to research a disorder, I decided to set my focus on Epilepsy. As I received positive feedback from nurses who shared the same interest in knowing more about Epilepsy. All these experiences required me to get out of my comfort zone and have the drive to want to learn more, not just for my career but for the person I want to become. By Elijah Delgado Sometimes we are able to make our own decisions in life, other times those choices are made for us. When we make a choice for someone else, we don't know the lasting impact it will have on their life. When I was young, my parents made the decision to change my life and my siblings for the better by uprooting us from one city to another. I appreciate the choice my parents made for me and how it impacted the trajectory of my life. Growing up in the Bronx, I saw tragedy every day. I was in danger physically and mentally. I wanted to get away from the widespread acts of violence, drug use, poverty, and lack of opportunities in the neighborhood. I didn't want to be one of those teenagers who fell under peer pressure just to be like their friends. I wanted to be independent and able to make choices that I felt would be in my best interests, such as being polite, attending school, and performing well. I always made an attempt to surround myself with individuals who could help me with that, including my family and friends. I was afraid of getting swept up in negative influences; I didn't want to start drinking, smoking, or even become a teenage parent. In the Bronx, I did not have the chance to attend good schools and grow up in a safe environment compared to other boroughs of New York City, like Manhattan. Opportunities for success were difficult to find because the Bronx is such a large borough with low socioeconomic levels. Moreover, access to transportation was difficult and my family would frequently walk through high-crime areas to reach our destinations. Even though we moved to Rochester for a safer environment, we soon realized that Rochester is also full of danger and violence. However, there were better educational opportunities. We had to make a lot of sacrifices and go through a lot of adjustments when we moved because we had no relatives or friends in Rochester. I had to establish new connections and change how I carried myself. I've always thought of myself as an introvert, but I had to change that if I wanted to meet new people. It wasn't easy for me to grow up in Rochester, but it did provide me with better opportunities. I came to the realization that I must work for all of the things I want. If I had remained in the Bronx, I would not have developed into the responsible, driven, and assertive person I am now. The high school that I attend works in partnership with the University of Rochester and provides students with social and emotional resources, better courses, Career and Technical Education Pathways, and job training. Some of the opportunities I have taken advantage of are the Hillside Work Scholarship Program, Upward Bound, Principal’s Round Table, being President of the National Junior Honor Society, and playing sports such as volleyball and soccer. I am also the salutatorian of my graduating class. Since I was in middle school, my father has told me that he wishes he had the opportunity to own his company. I hope to fulfill my father's dreams and run my own business, so I have decided to major in business management. I take pride in what I do, and I know that I have the leadership skills to be a successful business owner. Through experiences, learning, and self-reflection, I believe I have gradually grown to enjoy taking the initiative and being a leader. I want to build a business that will enable me to assist people in becoming their best selves by utilizing all the talents and skills I have learned and acquired from those I surrounded myself with. By Eugene Barnes
Is god real? This is a question I've struggled to find an answer to. My grandma was born into a Christian family and went to Catholic school for the most part of her life, and my great grandparents were members of the church for their whole life. Around the age of 7 was my first experience going to church. To Be honest, the first couple of times I went to church I enjoyed it. The people there were really nice and welcomed me and my grandma with open arms and answered all the questions I asked them about god. After about 3 years of going to church every Sunday my faith was tested, during my 4th grade year we started to learn about slavery and I was told that slavery lasted nearly 400 years. Fourth grade me was confused as to why god would let something so bad happen for so long. When I went to church that following Sunday I went to ask the pastor. “Although slavery was a bad thing, everything is a part of God's plan.” After that I really questioned if god was real or not. If god was real and putting people through slavery was a part of god's plan then I didn’t want to go along with his plan. Shortly after that I stopped going to church, mostly because I thought it was boring and a waste of time but what that pastor said always stuck with me. As I've gotten older the more I think about if god is real or not the more I realize I just don't care. If I had to answer the question “Is god real” I would say yes and no. It's a hard question to answer because people think of god different in different ways, for example the Greeks, Egyptians, and Vikings think there were a pantheon of gods while the Christians, Muslims and Jewish only believe in one god. Personally, I don't believe any of that is real but I do believe in a higher power. So I guess my answer would be no, I don't believe in god. As to how this question will impact my life further? I don't think it will. I feel like I’ve come to a conclusion I can live with and I have also come to the fact that I might be wrong. |
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