A Proud Teacher's Assistant (by William)

I had an eye-opening experience as a teacher assistant for the wonderful Preparatory Choir of LACC. The experience taught me how to interact appropriately with children much younger than myself. I also learned how being a conductor’s assistant can be like. Directly below is a lovely letter from Mrs. Brigham, director of both the Prep and Intermediate Choirs in LACC. She summed up my contribution as the Teacher's Assistant helping the Preppies learn and grow, and my participation in the operas.  Thank you Mrs. Brigham for your encouragement!

"It has been a pleasure to have you assisting with Prep Choir.  You are a wonderful assistant, and I appreciate how your interactions with the Prep Choristers are friendly, kind, and thoughtful.  You help them to feel comfortable, and you are an outstanding model and mentor for them.  I am very grateful for your assistance.

Your work ethic in preparation for La Boheme and Magic Flute was exceptional, William, and I admire the way that you view every situation as an opportunity to learn and grow.  That was inspirational!

I am wishing you and your wonderful family a bright and joyous New Year!"

Card from Mrs. Brigham

My First Late-Night Pizza Party (by William)

Delicious pizza scents wafted over to our table in Mamma’s Pizza.  I checked my watch, 9:30 p.m.  I tried to watch the Rams losing to the 49ers, but I was too occupied to really focus on the football game.  After 30 minutes of solid waiting for my good friend Anson and the badminton batch to come after the night training, I heard the happy clamoring of the energetic children.  I recognized one voice, which belonged to Anson himself.  Just then, my group of ecstatic looking friends walked into the restaurant.  I greeted them warmly, and our late-night pizza party began!

We sat around a long table and shared delicious pizza, pasta, salad, and garlic knots. Anson’s cousin KZ was the special guest from Singapore.  He kept adding cheese powder and spice to his pizza and the other food.  He would keep adding garnish toppings until nobody could see the outlines of the pizza slices.  Auntie Michele and Uncle Alren kept reminding KZ to stop adding spices using very serious tones of voice.  KZ usually agreed hastily with a mischievous glance at us, and after two minutes of intervals, his sneaky little fingers would slowly reach for spice containers and again, dump excess toppings on his food. We all found KZ’s tricks intriguing and funny.  Auntie explained that KZ was used to the heavy taste in Singapore, but she considered it’s healthier for kids to intake less spices.

After the party, we kids decided to start a trivia game.  Our first topic was song lyrics - Ella read lyrics and made us sing the rest of the song.  I quickly changed the subject of trivia to Star Wars.  The change of subject made my answers ruthless and efficient.  All the people at our table were utterly astounded on how much Star Wars information I possessed.  My mom called those “useless knowledge.”  The trivia games were fun for all the kids, parents, and grandma.
   
I loved my first late-night pizza party and will cherish it forever.  I had never tasted better mom and pop pizza in my life.  Both the white and meat lover pizzas delivered a mouthful of juicy, creamy, and thick flavor.  As I am writing, the tastes still linger in my mouth.  The buttery garlic knots punched my tastes buds with perfect garlic and olive flavors.  Thank you auntie Michele for treating us, and I am looking forward to the next gathering. 

My Big Dream ( by Ethan )

       About two years ago, my mother showed me a gif of a sea turtle who had a straw stuck in her nose. I used to use straws all the time, and more than once a day, too. Immediately after watching the gif, I was struck with a whirlwind of emotions. I was extremely hurt by the gif of the turtle, so much so that I still remember it to this day. 

      I realized that plastic straws, while a convenient, durable method (that is, they don’t get soggy and break down like paper straws) of drinking things, can end up harming animals, like that turtle. Since then, I have stopped using plastic straws altogether. But, when I go to any restaurant, I still see people using plastic straws.

    And this is where my big dream comes in: Developing a new biodegradable straw that is as inexpensive to manufacture, durable, and versatile as a plastic straw.  Instead of cluttering our oceans and harming marine life, my biodegradable straw can decompose into compost which can then be used to plant trees.  

    There are four reasons why people use plastic straws despite the harm to the environment and animals, like sea turtles:

1. They are especially cheap, unlike those metal reusable straws, so people’s wallets stay happy.
2. They are appreciably durable, they don’t break like glass, and can also stand the test of time.
3. They’re easy to manufacture, because they do not need advanced equipment to produce.
4. They can withstand being submerged in liquids like water without getting soggy and turning into mush like paper straws. 

   To overcome these perceived benefits of plastic straws, my product will need to provide similar advantages while also protecting sea turtles and other ocean creatures.

     So what will I need to accomplish this? Patience, perseverance, and investing in lots of things: knowledge, health, money, and time to name a few, particularly the last two. Knowledge: I will need to know much advanced chemistry to make the chemical properties of this new material suitable for human use, and biology to make sure that it is safe for all species. Health: I cannot accomplish things with an ill body or mind. Money: Everything comes at a price. Time: Not all changes are immediate. This enterprise can take years to carry out.

    Now, I am in 7th grade. After ten years, I will be just graduating from college, so I can have a startup to make my dream reality. Here is a ten-year plan I made to cover the cost for developing a biodegradable straw. 

     Based on my online research, I am planning to ask for $500,000 seed money, which I will invest in the ten-year period. I have created a portfolio with 35% stocks, 30% bonds, and 35% mutual funds. Jimeet Modi, CEO of SAMCO Securities,  once said “From a ten-year perspective, investing in the consumption theme should pay off handsomely. Be it NBCFs and private banks, consumer durables, or consumer staples, all should perform well, irrespective of the ups and downs in the economy.” I researched some consumption funds and discovered that the best have a return rate of almost 15%. By choosing this type of investment, I can predict at least a 10% return for my portfolio. So after 10 years, my seed money will grow at least to $1,178,973.85.

     You have good reason to invest in me because I am very passionate about science and am very hard-working, and I have a clear vision about the environment. A straw might not seem like much, but keep in mind that 500 million are used every day in the US, and 8.3 billion pollute the oceans. When my dream comes true, we could save the oceans and no turtles will be harmed.