“(Graduation) really showcases how far I really came. Coming from New York to now living in Virginia. Now, graduating, I can say I found myself and I know who I am as a person…It means a lot to me. My mom sacrificed a lot. To be her first graduating high school and representing her, I’m really proud and I can tell she’s proud of me too.”

#WeAreVBSchools

“I’ve been a part of VBCPS for the past 12 years. To me, graduating is just basically a mark in the road as to how I’ve grown and progressed to where I am today. You know 12 years, a lot can happen in those 12 years, especially as you’re going from 6 years old to 18 years old. There’s so much you can change and so much you can transform as a person. Starting from elementary school, you really just want to fit in and be like everyone else. And, then in middle school, it’s kind of the same thing and there’s even more pressure on top of that. But, then, once you get to high school, you really just find your clique and who you belong with. And, you really grow as a person and find who you really are and who you want to be. I think that’s what graduating means. It’s having that confidence in yourself and becoming who you really are and who you want to be in the future.”

“Being a graduate means a lot to me because I’m one of the first in my family to graduate with honors and to go off to a university and study nursing. It honestly took a lot of work. There were many struggles with difficult classes, but I pushed through and I got through it.”

What kept you motivated during high school?

“Being the first person to graduate with honors (in my family). Having my family be able to come here. My dad was somebody who really pushed me – Hearing from my dad and getting words of wisdom from him really helped me out.”

“My last name is Zeigler. I’ve always been last. Best for last, you know.”

What do you think it will be like when they call your name?

“I think it’s going to be wild – all the applause. It’s the end of the year. Everyone will be excited.”

“The first time I sang at graduation it was because I wanted to do something different for the seniors. Lisa Corprew was the only one who knew I might sing. I had no music. I had nothing. But I love the lyrics to “Believe in Yourself” from The Wiz. So I started to read it and thought, ‘that’s the only thing I could do for them that’s different.’ And so I did it. I sing every year now. Believe me, I would not sing in front of 5,000 people for anyone but these students.”

#WeAreVBSchools

#vbcpsgrad

 “My sister was a freshman this past year so I’ve had experience giving someone advice for high school. My advice was to be more involved. I feel like a lot of people don’t enjoy high school because they don’t really get the full experience. They just get the go-to-school, go-home, do-homework experience. I really feel like they need to realize how many opportunities are here. That’s what I love about Tallwood. We have so many clubs and so many teams that you can get involved with. It really makes all the difference. I only did sports freshmen year. And that’s all I did up to junior year. And last year I went to leadership workshop and it is just changed my view on school and I really wanted to get involved with SCA. I did apply for SCA Executive Board, got that, and it’s just kind of opened up a whole new realm of high school for me. That’s the advice I would give to incoming freshmen. Get involved.”

#vbcpsgrad

“What I’m most passionate about is dance. That’s how I communicate to people, that’s how I come closer to people and it’s what I love to do.”

“This summer I will spend time with my family because it will be my second-to-last summer with them before college. I’m a triplet and I’m super close with my two brothers, so I’ll spend time with them. We’re going on a summer trip – just the three of us. We’re going to California or Mexico. We’re not sure. It’s not planned yet, but it will be very fun. I’m excited to just spend time with them.

It’s fun being a triplet. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I like that we always understand each other. They can tell what I’m thinking – moods and everything.”

“I read the whole entire Pete the Cat book. He’s at the beach. It’s my favorite because I can read it.”

“My favorite book is this dino book. It’s called Dino-Basketball. So, these dinosaurs play basketball and one pterodactyl gets hit by a basketball on the wing. But it didn’t break open. Then this T. Rex, he couldn’t get the basketball in the hoop because he these little claws.”

“I would like to learn to play violin because music makes me not nervous. It keeps me calm and, by showing that I have learned something, it will help me be more confident.”

“It’s not a superhero; it’s a supervillain. I like villains, even though they always lose. He has six heads. He smashes people and eats animals.”

“I take jazz, tap, ballet and lyrical. I like to dance because I like to get up and move around. It helps me relax after a day of school.”

“So, we’re making a vanity out of an old trunk. We’ll put a mirror inside the top. There will be a shelf and a drawer and on the bottom, cabinets.”

So what happens when your project is finished? Does someone get to keep it?

“One of us could probably keep it.”‘

“Or sell it!”

“Yeah, sell it.”

“If I could talk to everyone on the road, I would say, ‘Please pay attention to our signals, our lights.’ Everybody stop because there are little ones getting off the bus. You don’t know what direction that they are going to go in. Everybody is supposed to stop.”

“The best thing on the lunch menu?  The cheesy breadsticks because they don’t taste like they are freezer burnt.”

#WeAreVBSchools

“I actually ended up with a career in music and film, and I think that working with scripts and screenplays helped lead me to where I am today…I have always shared stories with (my children) that teach valuable life lessons and help to develop good character. I squeeze in a little history, some sports trivia and a bit of math in every story, and the fellas love it. Everybody has a story to tell. Sure, you can use your imagination, but sometimes kids get hung up on that. People’s lives are interesting, and with a little creativity, there’s a story.”

#VolunteersofVBCPS

#WeAreVBSchools

“Reading gives us more information and helps us expand our knowledge, plus it’s fun and adventurous.”

“I’m creating repurposed furniture, so I am creating shelves out of once were frames. It’s to help us learn to repurpose things, take something old and make it new and make it our own.”

Why do we need to repurpose?

“Recycling is the new big thing, we can reuse what we already have instead of taking things from the earth that we don’t actually need.”

“This is one thing that a kindergartner should listen to. Teachers want you to have fun, but you have to follow their rules, too. Which are raise your hand; get a good night sleep and be good in class. And if you do all that, then I am sure you will have so much fun in kindergarten.”

Do you want to be a teacher?

“Yes! Because the little ones are so adorable.”

“So, we’re using nets to capture organisms so we can tell how good the water quality is. If the water quality is not good, some of the organisms could die and others would be affected become they all depend on each other to survive.  It’s fun, I am interested in marine biology as a career.”

“I play basketball. I play football too.”

Which is your favorite?

“Basketball.”

Why?

“You get to play with your friends all the time. You get to cross people up.”

“Now, getting closer to graduation, it’s caused me to reflect a little more as a student because going through elementary and middle school I never really thought about the impact school was having on me. Talking to people from different schools when you go to tour colleges, you find out how different areas are and how there might only be one big high school in their school system. It causes me to be really thankful for the experiences I’ve had in VBSchools especially in terms of student leadership. A lot of school areas are not really emphasizing student leadership but we have an entire office for it. Those programs have really made me the person I am sitting in front of you today. It’s enabled me to be more confident and independent through being able to lead my peers. Having those experiences has prepared me for my future going on to college and starting to interview for jobs.”

#vbcpsgrad

“As a pre-school teacher I feel very fortunate to play a central role in a child’s first school experience. I am constantly asking myself do my students feel safe, loved and valued in our classroom. Creating a positive impact on how a child feels about school is a great responsibility but equally rewarding. The love that you pour into teaching will always come back to you tenfold.”

“We made this car an example of sustainability energy. It’s a pet project of mine. It runs on electricity. That’s it. It’s just one battery that powers it. It’s totally available for solar integration or wind power or anything you want to do – anything other than burning fossil fuels.

I took an electronics course earlier in high school and we had an entire three month unit solely dedicated to solar energy – learning all the mechanics behind it, how it works, how it’s implemented. I took interest in it. It kind of evolved into this.

What really got me hooked on this car is that, in about three weeks, it is going to be a functioning mobile T-shirt launcher. It’s going to be awesome. We’re going to use it at pep rallies. It’s going to have five T-shirt canons in the back on a trailer we design.

I’ve always had a passion for electronics and robotics and this general field of engineering. Landstown has really fostered that with all of the opportunities we have. It’s kind of ridiculous what an edge I have when I get out of high school because they’ve given us real-world, job application opportunities.”

“I’m Thomas Jefferson. He drafted the Declaration of Independence, he was a magician, architect, lawyer, adventurer, farmer and he went to the College of William and Mary. He founded the University of Virginia.”

“(I love) dogs. They’re just fun to be with and I love playing with them. They keep you smiling.  They’re good companions.”

“I cook for my family all the time. I like to cook because it makes me feel good about myself when it tastes good. It makes me feel like, “Wow, I really did that well!”

What’s the best dish you’ve cooked?

“Shrimp alfredo.”

Worst?

“Quiche. It was runny.”

“I like playing video games, watching shows and videos, and drawing. I like the creativity in drawing. I like how you can draw anything you want in any color you want. It’s kind of a way to escape reality, I guess. I also like to watch channels like Science and Discovery Channel because they tell how the universe works. I really like that. Science is my favorite subject.”

“I went through the auto body repair program at Vo-Tech and I think it was very beneficial to me to go in and get the basic skills and get a good understanding of what all goes into body work and gave me interest to go out and pursue it in the field.”

“My inspiration for this artwork was my dad. I know that it is hard for him to leave my mom and I, but he is keeping this country safe by serving this country and keeping people safe. He is my hero and he makes me proud.” (2/2)