2 College Questions

The first question I would like to address, which is not really a question, is tell me about yourself. So, my name is Hunter Ehlen Bartlett, my parents chose my middle name to be Ehlen because that is my mother's last name. She did not change it when she married my father. I attend New Paltz High School, where I run cross country, swim on the swim team and run track. My sports career has been an integral part of my life and it has shaped who I am today. Education has also been an important aspect of my life, but I wouldn't say they are are on the same level of priority. In other words, my desire to succeed as an athlete propels my educational achievements. I am aware that in order to gain access to the colleges I have my eyes on, I must maintain my grades. But at the same time, I know that in order to become a part of the elite swim programs that are offered at these colleges I must maintaing my pyhsical fitness and dedication as well. Grades and athletic elgibility go hand-in-hand, so I know I need to stay in check with my education. I want to compete at division 1 level schools, so I stay focused on my sports all year long.

The second question I will address in this final post what I see myself doing in 10 years. In 10 years, I see myself being a teacher at a high school in a state somewhere on the east coast. I think i will become a teacher in college because when I see most of the teachers that work at the high school I attend, I feel that they are truly content with their jobs. I know that the paycheck is not very impressive compared to many other jobs out there, but money is not even close to the most important thing in life. Sure, it provides you with more opportunity than if you have less money. But more money does not necessarily mean more successful. Success is determined by many things, things that I feel vary from person to person. A man or woman with a good job and a lot of money is without a doubt successful. But a man or woman with a fair amount of money with a decent job can be very successful in many other ways. The ways in which they seek success is different than those that are wealthy because they pursue what they are passionate for. A person who on a daily basis helps his community is successful. A person who trains for a large portion of their life for a race such as the marathon and wins is definately successful. A person who is content with their life is successful because the definition of success the favorable termination of one's attempts or endeavors. So when I think about where I think I will be in 10 years and what I will be doing, I think I will be teaching beacause that is what I think will make me happy. I know that I will be successful if I do that because teaching is indeed a good way to give back to your community, for it is the act of shaping the minds of young children and young adults, who will one day rule the country. I do not not know if I will for sure be a teacher in 10 years, but what I do know is that whatever I am doing, I will be happy, because if you are happy than your are successful, and that is ultimately what I want to be.

Extra Blog

I think I might have finally discovered my true interest in reading. Before I began reading Dear John by Nicholas Sparks, I had basically never seriously read a book on my own. The only time before that was when I was probably 10 when I read Holes, but other than that I only read because either my parents or my teachers would make me read. But this time I think things are different. Although I am sure there are books I would enjoy more, I enjoy reading Dear John alot. The reason why I say I think I might have finally discovered my true interest in reading is because for probably the first time in my life, I actually turned off the video games so that I could read my book instead. I am eager to finish this novel, but for two main reasons. One reason, the obvious reason, is because I enjoy the book and want to know how it ends. But another reason is because I am excited to start reading other books. About six months ago, my dad read this book that is in a dog's point of view. He told me I should read it because he liked it, and also because he knows me and knows I would be interested in such a book. But I said I didn't want to read it, basically because I was too lazy to give reading a try. Now that I have introduced reading into my life I am interested in reading that book (I forgot the name). I have to say I am quite surprised with what has happened, because I never thought I would learn to enjoy reading, especially starting with a book that is meant for women to read (My mom suggested Dear John to me. I am also happy that I am reading more now because it is more productive than playing video games for hours on end. Reading makes you a better reader, a better thinker, and a better person. I can not say the same about video games.

How Technology Has Impacted My Literacy

I would say technology has played a large role in the development of my literacy. Ever since I was born, the internet has been available to me with easy access. Since the internet was made available to the public, the methods in which children and adults have been gaining knowlegde has been changing rapidly. Despite this fact, when I was a young child in the early stages of developing my literacy, I did not depend on or really use the internet for my needs other than playing games. In these early stages of my literacy, I learned to read from my parents teaching me and a little bit from watching television shows.

As I grew older though, I did become more dependent on cartoons to teach me how to read and speak. I was learning a lot in school of course, but at home when I would watch shows I would hear words I had never heard before, which helped expand my vocabulary. Also, as I got older, I would use the internet more often and read about current events on a daily basis. This helped me become a better reader. Another way technology impacted my literacy was the use of Microsoft Word and its spell check feature. This helped me learn to spell words better, and helped me avoid making the same grammatical mistakes over and over. If I was born 50 years earlier, I may never have become as good speller and reader than I am today.