About Me
My name is Daniel, and I'm going to tell you about me. I was born on June 3rd, 2000 at Kaiser Woodland Hills Hospital in California, and I have been in California ever since. I went to Weekday preschool when I was five, and I remember exactly of the moment on my first day, when I didn't want to release my tiny hand on my dad's shirt. I didn't know where I was or what was happening, and I just started crying right there in front of the teacher and my dad. Little did I know that that day would be the beginning of my education. When I finished preschool, I went to St. John Eudes school where I started as a kindergartner. I don't remember much, except that I was somewhat quiet, but I loved to answer questions. I also looked up to my "glow buddy," who at the time was an eighth grader who would trade with me presents on the holidays. I thought he was the coolest person ever. First and second grade flew by quickly, and I didn't remember much except for one of my best friends with the same name as me joined our class, and that I fell headfirst into the ground while climbing. But other than that, first and second grade went so quickly, I didn't remember anything. However, I did remember my year in third grade, when homework became challenging and I went through detention for the first time. I also joined SJE's swim team to compete against other schools, and practiced at YMCA as well. Since then, I was always fond of swimming more than anything, but I didn't have a goal or a lot of motivation, so practices felt pointless to me for a few years. Fourth grade was the first time when I had a pair of glasses of my own. I couldn't see clearly very far, so I had to get some glasses, and it proved unimaginably useful for school. Now I could sit at the back without having trouble seeing clearly! In fifth grade, I remember the first time that I actually had to stay up late to do homework, and I nearly fell asleep the next day several times. I was also upset that some classmates that were in SJE school since kindergarten, left to a new school at the end of fifth grade. When sixth grade began, it was the beginning of junior high. But during the year, I forgot about everything and thought about nothing except homework. We received tons of homework from our sixth grade homeroom teacher, and I stayed up many times doing homework with no energy, the longest being up to four in the morning. I still believe that that year was the most challenging and demanding, even harder than eighth grade! The positive side of that year was that I was elected as the Student Council Secretary, and I would begin the next year in seventh grade. I couldn't wait to start because I was curious about it since I had no experience. It was also the same year that I met new friends on the swim team, and I made my goal to surpass them. I started working very hard and paid a lot more attention to practices. It paid off later on when I placed fourth in the league for my age in seventh grade, and tied for third in the league the following year. In seventh grade at school, I started the year like normal; quiet, listening, focused, and as the Secretary, which was exciting because I was involved in a lot of the events. I was also a lot more talkative during the year, but more unfocused because of it. And finally is eighth grade, where I'm focusing on school, friends, and the hardest part: choosing my high school.