CassidyTitchenell

MariaSilva
Advisory
November24,2015

HabitofMindEssay

GRITandOPTIMISM

InNovember,thesophomoreclassenduredourfirstclassfieldtriptogohikingatBlue
ValleyReservation.Priortothetrip,thereweremanystudentswhowerequitepessimisticabout
theexperienceanddidnotwanttogo.Personally,Iwasntoneofthosestudents.Ihadmy
doubtsaboutthetrip,however,IdidnotknockitdownbeforeItriedit.Duringthetrip,there
weremanystrugglesthatwewerefacedwith.Forone,thehikeupthehillwasprettydifficult.
Withtherocks,ice,wetleaves,andcoldtemperatures,onemightsayitwasaslipperyslope.
Throughoutthetrip,Ishowed
grit
duetomydeterminationtocompletetheclimb.Ifocusedon
finishingtheclimbdespitethehardshipsIfaced.Ialsoshowed
grit
becauseIwasdeterminedto
finishwhatIhadstartedeventhoughitwouldhavebeenmucheasiertoturnaroundandgiveup.
Duringtheclimb,Ialsoshowedabitof
optimism
becauseIcontinuedtothinkaboutthe
breathtakingsightswewouldseeoncewereachedthetopaswellastheuniqueexperienceIwas
intheprocessofmakingwithmyfellowpeers.

WELLNESS
AHabitofMindthatIamintheprocessofimprovingis
wellness.
Throughouttheyear,I
haveinvolvedmyselfinanumberofphysicalactivitiestoimprovemyhealthand
wellness.
For
instance,IwasamemberoftheSheaCrossCountryteam,theSheaCheerleadingteam(for

footballandbasketball),aswellastheOakwoodRaidersCheerleaderteam.Also,Ishowed
wellness
thisyearbecauseIhikedwiththesophomoreclassatBlueValleyReservation.WhileI
havebeenextremelyactivethisyear,similartomyfreshmanyear,Ineedmoresleep!Duetomy
busyschedule,Ioftendonotgethomeuntillateatnight,resultinginmestayinguplateto
completehomeworkandotherassignments.Inaddition,Icouldimproveonmy
wellness
by
eatinghealthierandmanagingmystressbetter.WheneverIamstressed,Itendtolashoutatmy
familywhentheydisruptme.Ialsohavethetendencytomakesituationsbiggerthantheyreally
arewhenIamstressed.Toimprovemy
wellness
Iwilltrytosleepmoreandeatbetter.

ORGANIZATION
Traditionally,Ihavealwaysbeenquitean
organized
student.Inthebeginningofthe
schoolyearIpurchasedbinders,notebooks,andfolders,alongwithdividersforeveryclass.I
thenkeptmybindersneatbyholepunchingeachassignmentandputtingitintothecorrect
sectionbasedonhowthedividerswerelabeled.Being
organized
isatraitthatcomespretty
naturallyforme,soitisprobablyoneofmystrongestHabitsofMind.Ifinditeasiesttobethe
mostsuccessfulstudentIcanbewhenIhavetheabilitytoeasilynavigatethroughmyworkby
maintainingan
organized
binderandfolderforeachcourse.SinceIhaveproper
organization
skills,therewereafewtimesthroughouttheyearwhereIusedmystrengthtobenefitothersby
takingafewofmypeersoverflowing,unkemptbindershomeandtidyingthemtoimprovetheir
chancesofsuccess.

COMMUNITYENGAGEMENTandGRATITUDE

Communityengagement
isacrucialpartofonesphysicalandmentaldevelopment,yet
noteveryoneparticipatesingivingback.AsacitizenofPawtucket,itisamajorobligationfor
metofinditwithinmyselftobe
grateful
foreverythingthatIhavebygivingbacktothe
communitythathasgiventome.IhavelivedinPawtucketmyentirelifeandhaveenjoyedits
programs,educationsystems,parks,attractions,localbusinesses,andmore,yetuntilcomingto
BACS,Ineverreallygavebacktothecommunitythathasprovidedandnurturedsomuchfor
me.
Tobegin,forthepastcoupleofyearsIhavebeencheeringfortheYouthFootballand
CheerleadingOakwoodRaidersOrganization.Whilecheeringthispastyear,Ihavealsoserved
asamentorfortheyoungercheerleadersbyteachingthemcheers,choreography,andother
moves.Mycoachwas
grateful
forthehelp,aswasIthatIfinallyhadtheopportunitytogive
back.Additionally,Ivolunteeredtosellandmakefoodordrinksthatweresoldduringpractices
oratgamesintheconcessionstand.Ialsomadesignsandpostersfortheorganization.Inan
effortto
engageinmycommunity
,IalsovolunteeredtohelpatBlackstonesFashionand
TalentShows.Plus,IamamemberofBlackstonesyearbookcommittee,aswellastheprom
committee.VolunteeringmytimeintheBACScommunityhasexposedmetonewexperiences
allowingmetomeetnewpeopleintheprocess.
Highlightingmy
communityengagemen
t,IwasnominatedforthePawtucketTeenHall
ofFameinMay.WhileIwasnotinducted,receivingrecognitionformyactionswasenoughfor
metoknowthatmysolideffortsinvolunteeringdomatter.Iamvery
grateful
tobeabletoserve
mycommunityandberecognizedsohighlyofitthroughmynomination.

CREATIVITYandOPTIMISM
Being
creative
andartisticisnotatraitthatcomeseasilyforme.Iamnotonetoeasily
beabletodraw,paint,orsewanythingthatwouldgiveonethewowfactor.Myartispretty
blandandwhileitmaybeunique,itisnotspectacularinanyway.Insemester2,Iwasplacedin
theSewingCourse,wheremy
creativity
waschallenged.Fromthebeginningofthesemester,
myspiritswereautomaticallyhinderedsincemyartisticabilitywasnotasproficientasothers.I
oftenletmyweaknessin
creativity
overthrowmypotential,enforcingaratherpessimisticview
onmyearlyassignments.IfIhadbeenabitmore
optimistic
towardsthiscoursefromthe
beginning,IfeelasthoughImayhaveallowedmyselftoreleaseanewartisticversionof
CassidythroughtheworkthatIproduced.Despitenotbeing
optimistic
attimes,my
creativity
wasstillabletoexpandasIlearnedanabundantnumberofskillsregardinghandsewingand
sewingonamachine.Attendingsewingcoursesallowedmetoacquirenewskillsandstrengthen
theonesIpreviouslyobtained.
WhileImaynotbeavery
creative
personwhenitcomestoartart,Istillexcelwhenit
comestowriting,whichisanotherformofartoftenoverlooked.Ienjoywritingfictionstories,
somethingwefocusedoninEnglish10thisyearasitallowsmetotapintoadifferentpartofmy
brainandletsmyinner
creative
sideshine.Ibelievethatmy
creativity
wasliberatedinmy
PublicRelationsandMediacoursesinceIconstantlyhadtothinkofuniqueideastoexpand
BlackstonesFunStuffpageonthestudentwebsiteandonotherassignments.

COLLABORATIONandCOMMUNITYENGAGEMENT

Astheyearprogressed,my
collaboration
skillshaveimproved.Previously,Iwasamuch
shyerstudent,oftenkeepingtomyselfandallowingmyvoicetobeovercastedbyothers.WhileI
amstillnotanoutspokenstudentbyanymeans,myabilitytostandupforothersand
collaborate
withthoseinmy
community
hasgrownsignificantly.Beingacheerleaderfortwoteamsand
runningcrosscountry,Ihavebeenabletogatherastrongsenseofwhatitmeansto
collaborate
withothersduetobeingamemberofthoseteams,allowingmetorecognizethateveryonehas
certainstrengthsandweaknessesthatmustbetakenintoconsiderationatalltimes.Forinstance,
duringgrouplabsinChemistry,Iwasoftenpairedwithstudentswhoseabilitiesweremuch
differentthanmine.Onestudentinparticularwasunabletomeasureanythingoutusingatriple
beambalanceandoftenfounditdifficulttofollowsimpleinstructions.Afteridentifyingthatthis
studentwasnotonthesameskilllevelasmeinChemistry,Iwasabletoworkwiththatstudent
andprovidealevelofpatiencerequiredtohelpingthem.
Addingon,Ihave
collaborated
throughouttheyearthroughmy
community
engagement
.Iworkedwithmypeerstocreateafantasticpromevent,alongwithapotential
yearbook.Plus,IwasforcedtocollaboratewithothersduringBlackstone'sTalentandFashion
Shows.

UPSTANDERNESS
Asachild,Iwasraisedrightfromwrong.Soasateenager,Icandistinguishifsomething
beingdoneiscorrectornot,however,Iamnotalwaysabletostandupformybeliefsandvoice
theopinionsthatIlongtosay.SinceIamaratherquietstudent,itissometimeschallengingfor
metobeabletostandupformyselforothersinacrowd,making
upstanderness
aHabitof

MindthatIneedsomeofthemostworkon.AnexampleofatimewhereIshouldhaveshown
more
upstanderness
wasthisyearinthehallwaybeforeclass.Iwasstandinginthecrowded
hallwayawaitingthedoorofmynextclasstoopenwhenIheardastudentpickonanother
student.Ratherthanadvocatingforthestudentbeingpickedon,IpretendedasthoughIdidnot
hearwhathadhappenedandneversaidanythingtotherudestudentorateacher.TothisdayI
regretmyactionsandwishthatIhadbeenabletofinditwithinmyselftousemyvoiceto
stand
up
forthestudentinneed.

SELFADVOCACY
ThispastyearIbelievethatIhaveportrayed
selfadvocacy
muchmorethanduringany
otheryear.Iamnotsurewhy,butthisyearIwasconfidentenoughwithmyselftoknowthatit
wasokaytoaskforhelpintimesofneed.Itwasquitetypicalofmetobeabystanderofmyown
education,watchingmyselfstruggletothepointofabsolutestressanddestruction.However,this
year,itbecameokayformetoaskforhelp,okaynottorelyfullyonmyself.To
advocate
for
myselfwhenIdidnotunderstandatopic,Iwouldemailmyteachersand/orstayafterschool/
afterclasstoreceivehelpfromthem.Additionally,Iwouldtextafriendoraskoneofmy
adviseesforhelponsomethingduringadvisory.AclassI
advocated
formyselfheavilyonthis
yearwasPortuguese1.GrowingupinahouseholdthatonlyspokeEnglish,Ididnotknowany
partofanyotherlanguage,soPortuguesewasabitofastruggleformeatfirst.Itwasinitially
difficultformetoproperlypronouncethewordsorunderstandwhatthedirectionsonan
assignmentwasaskingme.Ratherthanstruggleandletmygradesuffer,Iputmyselfoutthere
andaskedmypeersorconsultedwithCindy.ThispastyearIhave
advocated
formyselfand

havenotfeltashamedwhiledoingso,suggestingthatIamgrowingadeepersenseof
humility
aswell.

ZEST
Participatinginclassdiscussionsorpresentinginfrontofagroupofpeoplehasnever
beenmyforte.Personally,Iwouldprefertokeeptomyselforsharewithasmallgroupasit
createslessanxietyandmakesmefeelmorecomfortable.However,comparingmyselffromthe
beginningofsophomoreyearorfreshmanyear,
zest
isatraitIhaveimprovedtremendouslyon.
ComingintoBlackstone,Iprobablyparticipatedinallofmyclassesthreetofourtimesaday.I
rarelysharedinclassandwasextremelyanxiousforthepossibilityofbeingcoldcalled.WhileI
stilldonotparticularlyenjoyparticipating,itisatraitthatIhavegrowntoimproveon.Inow
add
zest
totheclassbywillinglysharingmythoughtsandopinions,whileengagingothersin
classactivities,suchassocraticseminarsinhistory.

HUMILITY
Throughoutthedurationofmyeducationalcareer,schoolhasalwaysbeenastrengthof
mine.IhaveexcelledinalmosteveryclassduetothesolideffortsIputforth,yetmysuccess
doesnotcomenaturaltome.IhaveworkedtobecomethesuccessfulstudentIcurrentlyam,yet
Istillhaveweaknesses.Despitemyminorvictories,suchaswinninganaward,orbeingonthe
HighHonorRollfortheentireyear,Idonotgloat.IacceptalltitlesmodestlysinceIknowthatI
stillhaveanumberofweaknesseshidingbehindmystrengths,suggestingthatIhaveastrong
senseof
humility
.WhileImaybeagoodstudent,IhavetheabilitytorecognizethatIamnot

greatateverything.Therearestillanumberofskills,suchaspublicspeakingorparticipatingin
class,thatImustimproveon.AndevenwhenIdoimproveonthoseskills,Iwillneverbe
snobbyaboutmyaccomplishments.Ifinditcrucialthat
humility
andbeinghumbleisaconcept
inlifeasitisimportanttoonesmentality.

INTEGRITY
Personally,Ibelievethat
integrity
isatraitthatIdefinitelyposses.Iamabletotellthe
truthtomyself,aswellastoothersbymaintainingastrongsenseofhonestyandrecognizing
reality.Ialwaysfollowtherulesandrarelylietoothersregardlessofthesituationasitisjustout
ofmycharacter.ThispastyearIhaveshown
integrity
whenaskedifIwouldallowsomeoneto
copytheanswersforanassignmentoffofmypaper.Withplagiarizingbeingamajor,yet
commonissueatBACSandschoolsallovertheworld,itisoftennormalforonestudenttolet
anothercopytheiranswers.TypicallywhenIwasaskedtoletsomeoneusemyanswers,Iwould
lieandtellthemthatIdidnotfinishmyworkordidnotknowiftheanswerswerecorrectsinceit
waseasiertodothantotellmyfriendno.However,thisyearwhensomeoneaskedto
plagiarizeoffofme,Itoldthemthehonestanswer,Yes,myworkiscompleted,butnoyoumay
notcopy.Iwouldlaterexplaintothemthatneitheroneofuswasbenefittingfromthemcopying
mypaper.Whileitwouldhavebeenmucheasiertoletmypeercopymywork,Ihadthe
integrity
tohonestlytellthemnowhileinformingthemofthedangersofplagiarizing.