Given how fast summer tends to fly by, it should not be a surprise that the start of the 2023-24 school year is right around the corner.
With that in mind, several Patrick Henry High School seniors were asked their thoughts on the upcoming school year (classes begin Aug. 21).
We spoke with Manuel Arellano, Jahan Muhammad, Kate Le and Maya Diaz.
Mission Times Courier: How excited are you to go back to school for the final time at Patrick Henry?
Manuel Arellano: As an incoming senior, going back to school for my final year at Patrick Henry is exciting, but it does make me realize how fast I’ve grown and matured since my freshman year. I am excited about what Patrick Henry has to offer this upcoming year and even more excited for what my future holds.
Jahan Muhammad: I am very excited to go back to school for my last year. This year I’m going to get to enjoy a second year of ceramics and more electives that I’m interested in. I also chose to take AP calculus, but I believe that I’m ready for the challenge. I also can’t wait to participate in all the senior activities as I would always hear about how much fun they were.
Kate Le: I’m really looking forward to this school year. My “last first day” is a bewildering concept but I’m genuinely excited to see what this year brings us. Being the ASB president this year, there’s a lot to do but I look forward to helping plan our senior activities and everything in between. I know senior year might be stressful and a lot to juggle but the thought of starting a new chapter in our lives is exciting. I’m happy to be moving onto other things, even though it’s sort of bittersweet to think about how it’s the last time we’ll all be together. Looking back, each school year couldn’t go by any slower but in hindsight, these last 4 years went quicker than I expected. School has been such a large part of my life for so long, it’ll be weird moving on to something different.
Maya Diaz: I am extremely excited to attend high school one last time before I reach “adulthood.” As a senior, you get to experience a lot more than you would in your past three years and our school does a really good job at making sure the seniors get these opportunities and experiences. I recently stepped out of my comfort zone and joined ASB and became the commissioner of Link Crew, and with these new responsibilities I hope to make a positive impact on the student community one last time.
MTC: What are some goals you want to achieve in your senior year?
Arellano: In my senior year, there are several goals I want to achieve to make the most of my final year at Patrick Henry. Here are a few examples: 1. Academic Excellence: Strive to maintain a high GPA and challenge myself with advanced courses or special projects. Aiming to finish my high school education on a solid academic note; 2. College Prep: Focus on researching and applying to colleges or universities that align with my architectural interests and aspirations. Seek guidance from my school’s helpful teachers and lovely counselor Ms. Labe and work on crafting compelling college applications; 3. Leadership and Involvement: Engage in extracurricular activities like clubs and year-round sports where I can take on leadership roles or contribute meaningfully; 4. Networking and Relationships: Foster meaningful connections with teachers, mentors, sports coaches, and fellow students. Building strong relationships that can provide opportunities for personal growth, recommendations, and potential collaborations in the future.
Muhammad: A big goal that I want to achieve is to maintain attendance in my club successfully. Last year at our first meeting we saw a huge crowd of more than 100 people who showed up in the library to our first club meeting. Afterward, with each meeting, it got smaller, and I did not like to see this because this carried over to our events with small amounts of the same people going to them. Another goal that I want to achieve this year is to enjoy myself to the fullest. I recently got my driver’s license allowing me to be with friends without being forced to rely on my dad for transportation. Something I could do with this is to do a hobby other than tennis.
Le: Besides the most important goals of graduating and getting into a good college, I would love to make this an impactful year for everyone. I am in the incoming ASB president and our last ASB president set the bar pretty high, so I would love to be able to step it up even further. I’m working towards strengthening our campus culture and improving efficiency with our spirit events. Other goals I have include building on school spirit, continuing to refine our dances, and having as much as fun as I can with everyone before we all move on to a new part of our lives. However, my most crucial goal will always be preparing for my future and ensuring that I achieve all my long term goals.
Diaz: An overall goal is to really make this year count. I want to step out of my comfort zone in any way possible and not let fear hold me back this year. Every opportunity I am given to have fun and make a difference, I am going to take. My biggest goal however is to get accepted into my dream college(s) of course, depending on what four year college I get into will really set me up to make the most of some of (what could be) my last moments in San Diego/California.
MTC: What are some memories you have up to now of your time at Patrick Henry?
Arellano: For as long as I could remember, I wanted to attend a different high school; I thought Patrick Henry would never be a good fit for me. I gave my parents a hard time, and I feel horrible because of it. Now I couldn’t be more grateful for choosing Patrick Henry. From the fun engineering classes and clubs to the year-round sports with such charismatic teammates. The laughs and stomach cramps we all get from laughing too hard are something I will forever miss. There is a community for anyone and everyone at Patrick Henry, and you just have to look for it.
Muhammad: In my junior year, I had for the first time raised my hand to try to be picked for the pep rally mini games. In this game, we were tasked with transferring water from one bucket to another using only a sponge. As I ran up and down the stairs I could hear my name being shouted from within the crowd. It surprised me how many people knew me at school. At the end, we compared the amounts, to the other competitors by getting up on the stage with my bucket of water in front of the whole school. Usually, I am a pretty quiet person, but I thought the whole experience was pretty exhilarating. I also remember my first tennis match with the team. Going into the game I had some anxiety because I had never done a match like this before, a lot of people were watching, and I had this horrible thought of what would everyone think if I had lost. One of the things I did to get rid of this feeling was to eat the great snacks my teammate’s parents always brought. The food helped calm my nerves and, in the end, we won the match easily. Another memory I have is of a field trip I went on to the North Island Naval Air Station, provided by Henry’s ROTC unit. It was a breathtaking experience being allowed to use the expensive helicopter simulator. We were also given a tour of the facilities where they did maintenance on the aircraft. My dreams of being a pilot made this one of the best school trips that I had ever been on.
Le: I think the ever infamous, post-homecoming Patriot Plague will be a story I tell for the rest of my life. Homecoming is such a large event at our school, and ASB worked incredibly hard to put it all together. We were all so excited for that night but no one expected over half the school to be taken out by some illness only a few days later. We made national news and were on the San Diego headlines for a good couple weeks. In addition to that, all the rumors that circulated around the school about how it happened was absurd and entertaining in itself. It was rough in the moment, but as a collective negative experience, I’m glad we can all look back on it and laugh. I hope to never experience that again though.
Diaz: My most favorite times ever spent at this high school would have to be the football games. The students come together so well and have so much fun (even when we are losing). Even at the end of a long night, students will still gather at a Denny’s or In-N-Out and reminisce on the fun we had. Another overall experience I will never take for granted is the countless amazing teachers and staff that have guided me towards success and have rooted for me since the day they knew I was on their roster. I’ve made lifetime mentors that I would never be able to replace as they’ve all made such a positive impact on my life. (Shoutout to: Mr. Ferro, Mrs. Robinson, Mr. Bolton, Mrs. Oberlander, Mr. Schoettler & many others!)
MTC: What are your plans after Patrick Henry?
Arellano: After graduating from Patrick Henry, I plan to hopefully attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, get a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture there, and preferably study abroad in Florence, Italy, for my Master’s Degree in Architecture. Of course, this is not easy to achieve, and it would be costly, but I am confident that my perseverance and discipline, along with the resources I’ve been blessed with at Patrick Henry, will take me all the way.
Muhammad: The plan I have after Patrick Henry is to go to a 4-year college, and major in aerospace engineering. At the moment I will be applying to SDSU and ASU. There are still many other colleges that I’m considering. Something that I want to do outside of education is to travel and go to new places and check out cultures that I have never experienced.
Le: The goal is to attend a 4-year university and then further my education by applying to medical school and pursuing a doctorate in a specialized field. I’d like to attend college somewhere up north, but wouldn’t mind if I end up in San Diego for a few more years. I’d also love to study abroad in Europe or Asia at some point while in college. Traveling is a big goal of mine so why not hit two birds with one stone if that means I get to see the world and pursue my education at the same time.
Diaz: I am looking to jump straight to a 4-year college in hopes of leaving California/San Diego. Looking out-of-state I am interested in colleges like BU, UW, ASU, etc. I have lived in this city for over (what will be) 18 years and I’ve wanted for years to get out, explore somewhere different and start fresh. These next four years I have the freedom and opportunity to do so much more with my life and I am gladly going to use my time and make a positive impact in not only my life but others. I have taken interest in a couple majors/dream jobs one being graphic design in which there are numerous out of state schools that would fulfill this experience. I also have a passion for sports (specifically baseball) and with my communication and math skills I think an analyst or on field reporter would make an impact as there is a lack of women in sports. Even a combination of both would excite me for years to come.
