Hello Everyone!
2022 is at our doorstep as we say goodbye to 2021. Due to Covid, 2020 was the worst year, but 2021 made it a little better because of the vaccine. I was able to do a few things I wanted to do this year, but I hope 2022 brightens up our lives. I have reached a few milestones this year, and there are so many more to achieve.
Here is a little recap/highlights of this year!
Getting Recognition and Invitation to the Elmbrook Schools Award Ceremony
Last year in December 2020, I had written a blog about the 30 books that helped me survive 2020, which got attention from several famous authors. I was highlighted in the Elmbrook newsletter. I was also invited to the Elmbrook schools Engaged in Excellence Awards. I announced the nominees. I felt as if I was watching the Grammys live and in person.
Receiving my first-degree black belt
For almost five years, I had been training to be a black belt which I have been waiting to get for a very long time. Tae Kwon Do has really impacted my life, and when it was time for me to get my first degree, I trained and worked as hard as I could. I did a five-hour test which was really tiring, but it was worth it. The next day, I reached my biggest milestone.
Getting Covid Vaccine
When the vaccine came out in December, my parents got the opportunity to get the vaccine. As doctors, they would always talk about the side effects and the experiences their friends had. A couple of months later, I got the vaccine the day after they allowed ages 12-15 to get the vaccine. It was a little scary at first, but it was exciting. I would have a good chance of not getting Covid. A month later, different variants started appearing, but I am thankful the vaccine still works.
My Thirteenth Birthday
It would be my first year of being a teenager, which meant I was getting old. The day before my birthday, we had a big celebration with my cousins. We had to sleep at a family friend’s house. On my birthday, the guests from Michigan left, and my mom had to go to work. So we had to postpone my birthday dinner to the next day. But, I really enjoyed it.
Volunteer Work through Our Sunday Project
I got many volunteering opportunities this year.
It included donating clothes for Afghan Refugees, donating to homeless shelters/Milwaukee Rescue Mission/ Waukesha women’s center, Feeding America, sponsoring education for a girl in Nepal, and many more.
A few weeks before my birthday, Afghanistan was at its worst point. So when I looked at a poster my mom showed me of people wanting to donate their clothes to the refugees, I decided to step up and help. We had family friends, friends, and relatives donate boxes of their old clothes. It was so much fun to do this, and I was just happy the refugees were safe and would have good clothes to wear.
Going back to in-person school after over a year/new school
I was virtual last year for two semesters, so I had completely forgotten that going to in-person school was real. When I went back, I interacted with other students and teachers in seventh grade.
School Clubs
I was excited to see so many after-school clubs in middle school. During the second week of school, my mom suggested I apply for the National Junior Honor Society. In order to get into the club, you need 10 hours of leadership and volunteer work, a GPA of 3.5 or higher, showing kindness in community and classes, and doing things for the school or the city. So it’s kind of like Girl Scouts but a little different. I applied because I liked the idea behind it. Luckily I got in! It was a huge honor to be a part of NJHS, and it’s a pretty big responsibility. Similarly, I am in Battle of Books, Best Buddies, and Forensics. I just joined the golf club.
Good time with family and friends
Family get-togethers, getting closer with relatives, making new friends, and celebrating different occasions, including birthdays, Diwali, Thanksgiving, and more.
Being Able To pursue my hobby of music
Music has been a very important part of my life, I used to sing, and now I do both Violin and Piano and possibly the Viola in high school if I need to. This year, I finally got to perform on stage with the school’s orchestra. Because of covid, I only got to perform solos, but it was so much fun doing orchestra at school and being a part of a team. This week, I am excited about my violin and piano performance at assisted living for our senior citizens.
I end this last blog of this year here. Happy New Year!