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Michaea Vaughn

High School Reflection


Denver Center for International Studies has not only provided me with 5 core values:
Integrity, High Expectations, Collaborative Culture, Diversity, and Reflection.The most important
thing I learned in high school was: nothing good comes from playing it safe. My high school
education has been about finding myself and taking risks.
In freshman year, I struggled with time management and using my resources. I still
struggle with those things because I do not enjoy asking for help and I am a natural born
procrastinator. That said, I learned somethings about myself from how I handle academics. I
need to be challenged. I need to feel supported. I am currently applying to small, private, liberal
arts colleges because I feel that they will meet those needs and provide a space for me to
advance socially and academically. My goal for my sophomore year was to get involved in
extracurricular activities and to excel academically. Sophomore year I decided to become a high
school counselor at Balarat, and I had a 4.0 GPA for my first semester. I also went to
Canyonlands with some of my peers. My experiences with extracurricular activities helped me
manage my introversion and become involved in leadership roles like co-president of BSA.
Overall, I gained confidence in my sophomore year. Junior year was almost my most difficult
year of high school. It was a very challenging year both academically and personally. I joined
the swim team, Building Bridges, and continued my membership in LSA. My grandma passed
away in October of my Junior year. I was difficult to keep my grades up during first semester
because of the loss. I also had a lot of work because I was taking two Advanced Placement
courses and Passages I & II. Passages allowed me to explore my interests while getting a
glimpse into college and beyond. Finally, Senior year has been beautifully chaotic. I am
becoming an adult everyday, and the stress of applying to college is looming.
There have been teachers that have encouraged me to do my best work, like Mr. Munoz,
Ms. Houk, Mr. Zielinski, and Coach Lunger. That said, I also have met new people throughout
the years. I learned more about what friendships and relationships require. I made tons of new
friends through Building Bridges. I also discovered more about my identity and the identities of
others and how that plays a role in each of our lives. Building Bridges and my elective social
studies classes are the reason I want to minor in Critical Race Theory/ Social Justice in college.
After high school, I plan on majoring in Molecular Biology and Critical Theory and
minoring in Spanish. I want to major in biology because I want to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. I
also want to start a for profit company using my CTSJ degree to generate revenue to be
donated to related causes. Overall, my time at DCIS has been turbulent, but I had a lot of time
to get to know my peers and myself intimately. I understand my purpose. I want to help people
and I want to do so through medicine and social work. Our social studies focus has opened
many doors for me and given me passion. I am excited to see how I apply what I learned in high
school to other parts of my life as I age.

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