HTMMA Vignette

I remember the first day I walked into High Tech Middle as a sixth grader. The hustle and bustle of everyone running around looking for their first period class was daunting, and I literally felt like I was drowning. Kids swarmed around, looking for their first classes, talking to one another, some brave enough to ask a teacher or someone they didn't know where to go. I stood near the walls, listening closely to find someone who was in my class that I could silently follow to the room. Upon finally finding my classroom, I entered quietly as ever, looking around for somewhere to sit. I felt as if everyone knew each other, and I was the new kid here from Massachusetts, which I was. Of coarse, now that I think about it, everyone there was a new kid. Taken from the middle school they were to be attending with all their friends to come and experience this new opportunity. Over the rest of my sixth grade year I did many presentations, some of which were very embarrassing, like singing in front of my whole class. But, through all this, I seemed to get better and better when I was amongst people I didn't know. At the end of my sixth grade year, I was given the opportunity to move onto a new school, High Tech Middle Media Arts. Of coarse, being an art driven student, I decided to give it a try. Turns out that when school started up again for seventh grade, no one else I knew was going to this new school. I was starting over new yet again. But, this time it was different, I promised myself that I would try harder to meet new people that first day, and that I did. I sat with someone and talked to them on the long ride to the temporary school we were occupying, I even went as far as introducing myself to each of the people at my table that morning in Mr. Elizondo's first period class. I can assure you that all my presentations, and performances at High Tech Middle prepared me for this, and here at High Tech Middle Media Arts, I have gotten even better. Sure, I can still be rather shy, but I feel as though I no longer blend with the walls like I used to.

First Entry

My name is Emily, and I am 34 years old and my job here is to recap the past twenty years of my life.

Let's start with high school.

I participated in all four years of high school at High Tech High, graduating next to some of my best friends. Through out ninth and tenth grade I continued to participate in volunteer work at the San Diego Zoo, telling the public about conservation issues that we all need to help fix. Through this, I got my first Summer job, informing the visitors about the pandas as they passed through quietly.

Next, I went to the University of San Diego, receiving a master's degree in journalism. In between semesters I interned at local magazine and newspaper offices, getting all the extra time in that I could manage. After school, I got a job writing for Alternative Press magazine. Doing so meant that I had to move out to Cleveland, Ohio where the offices were located. I wrote many articles for the good people at Alt. Press, which included getting to interview and meet some of the people I idolized growing up. But, overall my fondest writing memory was publishing my first novel. Seeing my name on the cover of a book is an amazing experience, it's even more exciting seeing someone pick it up and read a bit of it.

I met my husband a few months after my publishing accomplishment, and we currently have two children, Pierre (our adopted son who is now 4), and Violet (our baby girl who just turned 2).