Week 1: Class of 2011

Today I graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School. For the past nineteen weeks, we have been counting down to reach the Class of 2011’s graduation day. June 4^th has been highly anticipated amongst many students and today was finally our day! We arrived with our caps and gowns in hand, and found our way to our rows. The whole town gathered around and the entire morning was surreal to me and many others. There was something about seeing all of my best friends and fellow classmates dressed in their graduation attire. It brought countless tears to my eyes, yet I couldn’t stop smiling. We’ve all waited 18 years, now it all came down to this. They cued the music and we began to walk through the main curtain. I scanned the crowd and saw my incredible family holding up signs and hollering my name. It filled my soul and goose bumps ran down my spine. My best friends were all there in rows. There was no turning back… it was our time to walk across that stage. My tassel slowly turned and the moment quickly passed by. I definitely cried plenty of happy tears. I know the best is yet to come, even though I’ve had the time of my life for the past four years. It’s my time to fly out of here and make a difference in this crazy world. Everyone is now going their separate ways, but I hope they never forget the memories we created over the years. I pray that God will watch over each of us as we embark on the next chapter of our lives. High school was filled with Friday night football games, first loves and first heartbreaks. The Class of 2011 has made plenty of trouble, but we learned from every mistake. I left those hallways with no regrets because I always did the best I could. It’s been a long and winding journey, but we’ve hung in there through the tribulations. It’s definitely a bittersweet goodbye, but now it’s time to celebrate!!! Graduation day was amazing and I can’t wait for Pro-Grad tonight!

Congratulations, Class of 2011… WE DID IT!!!  

 

Week 1: Almost There.

Today marked the first official day of summer! We started off with our fingerprinting appointments at the government building for Kids R Kids, then headed to lunch as a family at a new pizza restaurant. Afterwards, we took Jason to see how much progress has been made on my parent’s amazing new daycare center. Jason filmed a hilarious video of my parents by the sprinkler park and we shopped for accessories at Charming Charlie’s for my graduation outfit. The afternoon was plenty busy and in the evening I attended Mariah and Kendall’s graduation party. After hanging outside under the tent, Ariel and I headed to Cameron’s birthday dinner at Escalante’s. All 25 of us waited in the hot summer heat for over an hour only to decide to eat at Pappasito’s instead. It all worked out in the end…. It always does. Despite some unnecessary drama, we all had a ball. It was an extremely interesting night to say the least. Once Ariel and I left dinner, we headed to Swirl. It was definitely a much needed ice cream night. Ariel and I have been through thick and thin together since we were two years old, so I am glad I could be there for her tonight. After I got home, I played a bunch of games with Jason and all of his wild friends! Tomorrow is the big day…. we’ve waited eighteen years for this. We're almost there.

Week 1: Last Day!

My 4th Grade Class

Last Day Beach Trip!

Graduating Class of 2011!

SURPRISE... Jason's in Houston!!!!!!!

Today was my last day of high school and it was the best day ever. It was filled with several mixed emotions and non-stop action. The day started with signing in at 8:30am and picking up our cap and gown for graduation. I rushed from the high school to Walker Station for my fourth graders poetry program. We have been memorizing poems for the entire school year and we have been writing and decorating our poetry books for the last few months. Needless to say, these kids put countless hours into this program- including me and Mrs. Sebesta! All of the parents arrived and their show was awesome! I was in tears on multiple occasions, but especially when they sang me their own original song titled "We'll Miss You, Miss Engle". It was a complete surprise and I was bawling like a baby. They were my first class to ever teach, and although some days they were completely dysfunctional... They were the best group of kids I could have asked for! They brought joy and laughter to all of my days! I was a volunteer student teacher all year and I wouldn't trade my experiences with that class for the world. Mrs. Sebesta will be greatly missed at WSE, but her cheerful spirit will remain there forever. She changed my life and will always be my inspiration. Immediately following the show, I went to Surfside with a bunch of my friends to celebrate our last day of high school. There was a huge group of people from Austin HS there and a ton of graduating seniors. It was very hot and the mosquitos were plentiful, but the day was amazing. I played a lot of sand volleyball and socialized with everyone. This was our last beach trip as high schoolers, but I am sure we will be back for plenty more trips in the future! After an eventful day at the beach taking pictures and hanging out, I arrived home and went to a late dinner with my family at Katz’s (because Katz’s Never Closes as my Dad would say)! They convinced me that my mom had an event downtown in the loop and we were meeting her and her friend, Janet, for dinner. I didn’t really care, or think much of it for that matter. My eyes were heavy and I was desperate for food. We were all seated around the table waiting for my mom to arrive, and then two big hands covered my face and Shannon screamed, “Jason!!!!” I couldn’t believe it. My parents flew Jason to Houston for my graduation weekend and it was a complete surprise to me. I talked to him earlier in the week on the phone and he claimed that he forgot that my graduation was this weekend. I can’t even begin to explain how excited I was to see my brother… I was nearly in tears. He is my best friend and I love him more than anything in the world. He always makes me laugh, gives me great advice, and tells the best stories. They pulled off the surprise perfectly and I couldn’t have asked for a better graduation present! We enjoyed our dinner at Katz’s together and died laughing the entire ride home. I am in love…….. WITH MY FAMILY!!! What a perfect ending to my last day of high school!

Week 1: Poolside.

Since I am except from all of my final exams, these are the best days of school ever! All I had to do was sign in everyday at 8:30 am, then I was allowed to leave. The only set back was battling every other exempt junior and senior in the hectic traffic lines each morning. I will not miss the Austin High School parking lot. My days so far have been spent working out, decorating attire for our Cancun trip, student teaching,  laying out by the pool, organizing my sorority packets for A&M, laughing hysterically at the movie “Bridesmaids”, and designing my “Here’s To The Nineteen” digital scrapbook. I have been very busy, but that’s nothing unusual. Today I spent the afternoon running around outside with my fourth graders on the playground and swimming at Savannah’s house with a bunch of my friends. There is nothing better than the hot summer sun combined with friends, exemptions, and a pool! Tonight, Michelle Sebesta treated me to dinner at Lupe Tortilla to celebrate my graduation and to thank me for being her student teacher. She cracks me up and I am beyond blessed to have had the opportunity to teach alongside her this school year. I love her so much and she will forever be my inspiration!

Week 1: Goodbye PALS.

Senior Legacy Entry:

PALS

PALs was a program at Austin High School that made my junior and senior year of high school simply unforgettable. Our mission in PALs was to equip and empower ourselves and those around us to selflessly serve and make a positive difference. PALs taught me countless leadership lessons and truly made me a more well rounded person. We shared countless laughs and formed life lasting memories throughout my days in class. PALs participate in ropes courses, influence lifeskills students, plan the Commander Baker Softball Tournament and the dodgeball tournament, volunteer at Oyster Creek Elementary School, and serve in various other ways. My junior year of high school, Richard and Susan Lazarou were the PALs teachers. I was in the Prom Fashion Show PYPM group with Fazile. This show was a huge event that raised money for various charities. We had 40 models (20 girls and 20 boys) that represented a few of the organizations at AHS! I ran the show from “the box” and sent out plenty of cues. The Prom Fashion Show was one of my favorite memories from junior year. The people in our PALS class were incredible. We were one big ol’ happy family. We had plenty of different personalities and scattered opinions, but we worked together perfectly. We spent countless hours at HOT Hangouts and we were always socializing with one another. My fellow PALs were my best friends throughout my junior year of high school. Since that was my first year in the class, my passion radiated throughout the room. Senior year, Karla Lalendorff was named the new sponsor of PALS. There were plenty of changes, a few conflicts, and absolute craziness at times. I was in a PYPM group with Jennifer Thankachan and together we led FLO-SAIL- which stands for Freshmen Leadership Organization and Sophomores Advancing in Leadership. We met every Tuesday morning and gave the underclassmen an opportunity to advance in their leadership and serve at our school! I loved spending my Tuesdays and Thursday with my little PALs at Oyster Creek- Lizzie and McKenna! My decision to participate in PALs and show leadership was the best choice of my high school career. I invested in numerous individuals and I believe it paid off. At times I wanted to rip my hair out, but in the long run 4^th period PALs was always the highlight of my day!  

Week 1: Our Graduation Party!

We have less than one week until graduation. That is completely CRAZY! Week one kicked off with me and Lauren's graduation party, and it was an absolute blast! Lauren graduated from the University of Texas and I will be graduating from Austin High School. It is unbelievable how fast time flies! We spent the entire day preparing for the party and my mom did an amazing job with everything. She has got this party-planning thing down perfectly! We had friends and family arrive from all different aspects of our lives. I am so thankful for each and every single person that came to help us celebrate! It is Memorial Day weekend, so I know a lot of families were out of town. We had Pappasito's catered, plenty of tasty desserts, and lots of drinks. We had a UT shrine at the kitchen table for Lauren and my AHS table in the dining room- complete with my senior legacy, prom book, yearbook, and Project 365 book! I enjoyed socializing with everyone, but my favorite part was hanging out with my closest friends after everyone left. Our combo graduation party was a total success and a HUGE thank you to everyone that has helped us throughout our lives. We couldn't have accomplished these great things without you. Happy Graduation Week!!!!



Week 2: Hollywood.

Shannon and Mia's 11th birthday party was on Saturday night! They are best friends and their birthdays are only one day apart. The theme was 'Hollywood', so all of the girls dressed up like they were ready for the red carpet. They gave out awards, took lots of cute pictures, and danced like rockstars. There was a chocolate fountain and plenty of food! Katy even came to help celebrate their big day! I had an absolute blast pumping up the party and getting everybody on their feet. We took a ride in my Dad's Kids R Kids bus, danced around the pool and even made up brand new dance moves. Hollywood party = TOTAL success!!!