My 7th grade year at West Ridge Middle School has been a year full of excitement, drama, unexpected events, awesome classes, amazing teachers, and best of all…IPADS! I could go on and on, paragraph by paragraph, book by book about the different things I’ve learned from West Ridge Middle School.
First off, iPads are a very convenient, handy, and crucial element to a 7th grade WRMS student. I have to say that the iPad privileges have improved so much since 6th grade. Not only do we mischievous students get to text-away, take photo-booth pictures and play Flappy Golf behind our teacher’s backs (just kidding I would never do that!), but we also get the chance to actually use them in class activities! Because of the countless Keynote presentations, Skyward learning checks and quizzes, and endless Kahoot competitions (shoutout to Mr. Bailey!), I’ve learned to appreciate the beneficial use of our school iPads!
Now don’t get me wrong, but even though West Ridge has thousands of great things to offer, it still has its dilemmas. My first year at WRMS was basically a year of coasting through my classes with slick ease, homework was very subtle and was usually checked as completion. But in 7th grade— oh no no no! Boatloads of homework, copious amounts of projects, and the all time favorite…the stay-up-til-midnight-to-study-for tests! Seriously, the homework change from 6-7th grade definitely caught me off guard. Some days were better than others, but some days were simply days filled with last-minute studying, procrastination of projects, and trying to figure out the last problem on my math homework. But the most important thing I would tell an upcoming 7th grader is to MANAGE YOUR TIME WISELY!!!! I could not possibly tell you how many times I have waited until the last possible second to finish my homework—more than the number of grains of sand on earth…😕
This year at West Ridge Middle School has been so exciting with various twists and turns around every corner. I’ve learned hundreds of different things from learning how to simplify a radical expression to becoming a more responsible student, I couldn’t have asked for a better year at WRMS. But alas—I’m afraid that my years at WRMS has come to an end. I cannot believe that out of my 13 years of living in Austin (2 of which going to the best middle school ever) that I’d say this but…I’m moving! 😭😭 In dedication of me moving away from my friends, my home, and WRMS, I’ve decided to create a poem down below.

I walked out the door
And I didn’t look back
It was time for me to go
Nothing left in my tracks
As I looked out of the car window, driving further away
I asked myself a question, “Why couldn’t I have stayed?”
My friends, home, and school will be missed
“Mom I don’t want to leave!” I plead and insist
But I realize that it is after all for a good cause
I will carry all my memories, my mistakes and my flaws
But let me just say before I part
That I will always keep my experiences in my throbbing heart
And I can not bare to see my friends go
If I had a choice, my opinion would be no
“California here I come!” I finally sigh
I realized now that this was goodbye.

  What is beauty? Is beauty the darkness or length of your mascara?  Is it the way your new colored contacts shine in the moonlight? Is it the fake hair extensions that accentuate your real hair? Or is it the heavy amounts of powdered foundation that masks someone’s inner beauty? Well think about it like this, even though what looks on the outside may be attractive to the eye, the looks on the inside are what captivates the heart.

  Who cares about the blemishes or boils on the surface of your face? Or the dry/discolored patches on your skin? Ok no more questions…But what I’m trying to say is that you shouldn’t try to conceal your imperfections. I’m not saying that girls should ban makeup from their everyday life, but its the personality and the heart that really excites.

  Take me for example. Being the imperfect girl that I am, I’ve been blessed with a mouth full of braces, incredibly dry hair, and the best of all—eczema. Eczema is a very common skin disease that creates and spreads a canvas of bumps, cracks, dry patches, and rashes across my whole body—how fun! However, over the years, I’ve learned to deal with my flaws and realize that they mold me into the person that I am today. No matter what, I will always have awesome friends that love me for who I am, not for what I look like. 

Have you ever heard the saying don’t judge a book by its cover? Well that’s exactly what real beauty is. Just because someone has attraction on the outside, doesn’t necessarily mean they have attraction on the inside.

  To conclude, beauty can come in a variety of forms. It can resemble large doses of makeup that supersedes someone’s natural beauty. Or it can be the lightness in someone’s heart that really shines through. Once in while it’s good to accessorize with a little lipstick or mascara, but take some time to unplug, and let the world see your inner beauty come to life.