Hey guys! My name is Annabelle Warren. I currently reside on the fourth floor, but I'm originally from Ventura, CA. It's about 50 minutes south of here, and it's basically just like Santa Barbara but....less wealthy. I think one of the reasons I chose UCSB is because I just couldn't leave the weather. The west coast IS the best coast. I love the greenness, the beach, and the beautiful people.
I attended Foothill Technology High school, which was a little magnet school. We didn't have sports, so our school was very competitive in academics. A lot of times, it felt like all four years were dedicated solely to getting in to college; I would sign up for clubs that I wasn't even interested in, just so that I could write it on my college app.
Don't get me wrong, I loved high school. Despite the competition, I had the time of my life trying new things and learning. I was a member of Varsity soccer, showchoir, the speech and debate team, and I was the passionate president of the National Art Honor Society. High school was where I found myself and the people who I consider to be lifelong friends.
Academically, I am a good student. Sometimes I have to push myself to work. I mean, lets be real--nobody actually works as hard as they swear they do in their college apps. I am, however, glad to have chosen a major in a field that I care about--environmental studies. In high school, reading a history textbook or finishing a math worksheet was a struggle. But here, environmental studies lectures have me pretty much captivated. I would love to pursue a career in the field, and learn as much as possible about saving our environment.
I chose to attend FSSP because I am striving to graduate in 3 years. Everyone keeps telling me, "don't do it! Make it last as long as possible!" Believe me, I wish I could. Unfortunately, money is a factor. I have an older sister studying at Cal poly, and a foster sister who is working hard to get into the University of Hawaii, Hilo next year. I applied to literally dozens of scholarships, and am receiving sufficient financial aid which I am incredibly grateful for. I also worked two minimum wage jobs back to back all summer, some days working up to 13 hours. So don't be fooled; I may look like a typical rich white girl from California, but I thank my lucky stars that I get to be here.
I look forward to getting to know you all!
-Annabelle Warren
Hi Annabelle,
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel about being in an academically competitive high school. My own high school, Henry M Gunn, was full of very intelligent people that did amazing things, but always stressed out about having perfect academic credentials. Therefore, finding something that I was passionate about was very important. For me, these activities were CG animation and robotics. Throught my experiences in these activities, everyone I met was an interesting character. Some became fast friends, others I am happy to leave with highschool. Regardless, these friends helped me push through the trying times with my academia pursuits.
Patrick
Greetings Annabelle,
ReplyDeleteI would like to appraise you for all the hard work you've put into your education. I can relate with you in terms of trying to graduate in the shortest time possible as I too have siblings who are well on there way to college. Although my school wasn't the most competitive academic wise, I took pride in participating in challenging courses and being involved in various clubs; that and being the first child, I always feel the pressure of setting a good example. I am interested to know what the National Art Honor Society was about! I understand what working during summer is like (it has its ups and downs) but its good to finally be here at UCSB!
Best Wishes,
-Luis Ramirez Lira
Anabelle,
ReplyDeleteVentura—what a cool town. But is the West Coast the “best” coast? Hmmm… we’ll have to dig into some research and collect evidence to figure that one out.
You mentioned “finding yourself”—that’s the name of the game, sister. Pleasure to have you in class. Keep up the great work that’s gotten you to this point!
Z
Hi Annabelle:
ReplyDeleteTrust me, you would never want to imagine how it's like to be in high school in China(where I come from): working all 24/7 on classes and homework, and barely got to rest. I very much admire your liveliness displaying in your words, and your colorful experience in high school, which I rarely had chance to have a try back in China, but I definitely will try them out here in Santa Barbara.
I love the environment here too: no severe pollution, clear sky, vast ocean, green grass, nice people... everything is so different(in a better way) than China that I believe I didn't make a wrong choice.
I hope you can finish your college life in the way you wish, but don't push yourself too hard, there's no problem that can't be solved, for there are so many friend and people out there for you.
I hope to know you better!!!
Hi Annabelle,
ReplyDeleteI totally get what you're saying about the weather in Southern California. When college decisions started, I was convinced I was going to move to Southern California. Although I ended up applying to lots of schools on the East Coast, and almost ended up moving to Boston, I'm glad I came here.
I did FSSP because I am also striving to graduate in 3 years. I want to go to law school, so graduating early is something that I really want to do because I have to invest so much time in law school as well. I think it’s admirable how hard you work.
Best,
Anoli