What type of student are you?

 All of your goals and dreams are different. Each of us are achieving our goals with many obstacles in between. We all have to start somewhere and mostly from the beginning. If we don't start from the beginning, you will end up in a dilemma worse than before. In order to build a house you have to start from the ground up. With education it's the same thing, keep going to school to better your chances of success.
  After watching this video, I consider myself a dreamer pushing through forming myself into this idea of a laser. I have found my strengths and weakness's through many battles I have faced throughout my journey. Which is helping me conquering my next task during my path of success. As of right now I wouldn't change much about what type of student I am today, because I have made progress and worked so hard to get to where I am today. I made many sacrifices and went without many things I needed or wanted just to make it where I am right now, so brace yourself, these things don't come easy, but it's definitely worth it all at the end. 

Laser Video

Check out this video, it's in reference to my what I just spoke about! 

Success is what it feel like!

What does Success mean to you?

Success is the greatest feeling over everything. it gives you this feeling of accomplishment and achievement. It's vibe is greatly appreciated all over the nation. Who wouldn't want o feel successful or someone close to you reaches success ad helps you through your struggles to get to where they are today. I absolutely have people all around me to motivate me, to strive me to achieve all my goals and to never ever give up.
Success is definitely something you feel, that you have after years of accomplishments. Its' this idea of overcoming an obstacle that you either thought you couldn't achieve or that you struggled so hard for and in the end you achieved that goals and that is what you call success!

  One idea of success that could make you or break you is economic success, having all the money, cars houses and all you could ever want in life. Having no worries in all, yes it was definitely a struggle or maybe it wasn't, but overall economic success could definitely go in both categories; this could make you a better person or this could just totally destroy your self confidence. Having too much pride and feeling like your unstoppable or no one is above you, a sense of cockyness as you could say. 
In fact having everything in the world, some people still feel like they dot have it all and want more out of life. 
For instance in the book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Chris talks about why he burned the money before he set off intot he wild his response was," I don't know how much more you can depend on"? Chris was discussing this was the hippy's wife and after she told him that you need to be cautions he replied as if he did care and just brushed it off like I don't need money to live in the woods. He destroys everything just for that reason to get away from society and civilization itself. Chir had it made, good education and came fro a good standing family who was willing to help and support him no matter what. Yet he still didn't feel like it had enough for him to be come successful. 

A second thought to this idea of how success feels or how it can damage you is personal issues like self improvement. Maybe you had a bad past and did a lot of things you shouldn't have and now you need to fix it all and make your oath a bit clearer to see down and enable yourself to become a success. This task maybe a hard or easy depending on how you take it as the individual. For myself I went  down a wrong path and it messed up alot for me and my future but I seen it, I caught it and I am still here standing today and here to tell you how. In Chris's case it didn't take him very long to branch out and literally become invisible and Chris situation sure pulled him far away from his family. In the book as well as the movie his sister mentions something specific and interesting, "Violence, we were forced to witness it." This was exactly why Chris did what he did. He felt ashamed or maybe a bastard if you will. His father was alier, unfaithful and just over all not a good father figure. His dad was living two different lives, literally he had another family. Previous marriage and a son, which Chris found out from other relative and totally dis-owned his own family. This is why people do the strange things they do to be come success or whatnot, the way you grow up tells a lot about who you are and what you may become.

Lastly we have this idea of resources, transportation for example, which involves money could certainly drive you up the latter to reach success or possibly down the latter and reach no success after all. Some people just don't have the means to send their children off to school, or college. Which is understandable, School or I should say College isn't for everyone. I know some people who didn't graduate college or even high school and have good paying jobs with benefits  to help them maintain. Maintaining sometimes gets discouraging, we all have wants and needs but our needs are important. In the movie Chris tells his parents how he doesn't want a new car, after they tell him they would get him one, "i don't' a new car, no material things, none at all." He didn't want a new car he was perfectly fine with the one he had. Which makes sense, material things come and go people don't. Money is so important for many reasons but we need a ruff over our heads and food in stomachs and clothes on our backs. Those are most important to us, without those life is certainly a struggle and could definitely prevent you from succeeding. In this movie/book Chris totally nails this idea to the tee. He come from a god family, went to a good school had a car and even had money, and yet he totally wasn't satisfied and live alone, anonymously in the wild where he felt safe and could find passion.

FED up students

Closed mouths DON'T get feed.

After watching this video I wold LOVE to meet this guy, I totally agree with him with the idea that teachers should put way more effort in their job and teach us individuals what we need to know. This boy had went back to school at 18 years old and after having a disagreement this guy Jeff totally calls out the teacher and tells her how she's lazy and to actually do her job as the teacher, have a passion to help student that are eager to learn. If not then don't be a teacher, choose another job that fits you better. I see his point I also had to call a few teachers out myself here at Chabot College. Teachers feel like were lazy and were the ones half-assing things yet it's on them as the teacher to help us want to learn, have fun with it, make it so we enjoy coming everyday. I know I enjoy Mr.McFarlands class, because he makes it interesting, he's real, he's been one of us at one time and he has a passion to for helping others succeed. Thats what us students need! 

Something interesting that happened was the boy never got in trouble, this video went viral and even on the news, I think this is what the world needed was for someone to finally stand up and say "Hey, were here to learn and to better ourselves and to become someone", and by teachers being lazy and not actually doing their jobs, they make us students have the same affect and thats not what us children need, we need strong, eager to teach and help others in need, especially those that want to succeed. 

Fed up Student

This guy just blew me away when I first watched it, but it's real, I feel like I'm there, Can You Feel it?

My Passion

Passion; Explore it, Go for it, let it flow!

Watching this movie gave me a lot of insight about my future and who I am and what my passion truly is and my struggle thorough it all. I will never forget the first time my best friend s mom asked me, "Stephanie have you found yourself?" I laugh about it all the time, but it was true, she was just curious if i found my passion for life. it's like you have to know what desires you have each day you wake up. what drives you into this world with many ideas and career's. It definitely took me a long time to figure it out until one day a friend ask me, "Steph why don't you look into Photography, your always taking pictures." I thought that might be a good idea and i should look into it, and now I've been doing Photography for 5 years now and still pursuing my career and now thinking of combining graphics design with it as well. I never thought I would doing what I am doing today, but truthfully if you figure out what your strengths and weakness are in life you should be able to pin point your passion and the rest should follow and flow like it was second nature.

The purpose of life is a life of purpose!

Without this there is no purpose, you can't have life. Find yourself and figure out what makes you happy. Soon you will have sense of what your desires and passion of life is. When you make it this far, get out there and make it happen, only you hold the power to do so!

Artist; Myself Stephanie Owens

Inner Expression Photography

website; magicalmoments4life.webs.com

Passion Versus Privilege

What's the difference between Passion and Privilege?

The difference between these two concepts varies in many different ways, meaning there could be more than one answer for this. Passion is something you love to do, you desire to do, something that just comes naturally because you love it so much. Were as privilege is something that cant be seen, in fact it's the complete opposite of passion. Privilege can be seen as something that you have or it could be anything of value, meaning who you are individually. For example your religion could be a privilege or even how you were brought up in this world, meaning your class. Those are things that could be considered examples of privilege. another example between these two concepts is that passion comes naturally, because it's something you love to do and you do it alone, like being your own leader, yet privilege is something that you end up doing because other's are as well, like following the leader instead of being a leader. So the difference between them two is, being a leader verses being a follower. when you lead you follow your own heart and mind. when you follow you not only following someone else's heart and wishes but your not standing for what you as the individual believes in. Like they say, if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything.

This quote in the beginning from Ray makes sense to this, "in order to love life you have to find your passion; you have to find what truly makes you happy and when you find what truly makes you happy you gata chase after it; you gata take those risks." He's saying in order to enjoy life, you first must find your passion and when you find your passion you will then have to continue chasing after it, and thus taking risks which could lead you in the wrong path or the right path, sometimes you have no choice to do certain things especially when your only trying to succeed and become a better person and be bale to help the next individual find themselves as well. This is where both passion and privilege could have some sort of connection, meaning to find your passion you have to take risks' these risk's could damage you or help you and that's what privilege does at times, not knowing what the outcomes is could be detrimental, but you do it anyways to help you determine your next step in success and or your desire and passion for your life. Something like that.

Just like Photography, we develop through the negatives & together come up with a theory that we all develop differently but yet were all looking for our life's purpose and figure out our passion and develop thorough these many obstacles we face and become a success in life!

Still Here, Not giving up!

 School has always been difficult for me, especially since I have a learning disability and I have troubles understand many issues. No matter what, I stuck through it all. My parents helped me a lot during high school by getting tutors for me left and right.That was the only possible way for me to get through high school. I wasn't going to give up, no matter what. 

   Now today as I still struggle through college, money is also an issue I face each and everyday. It's only been a rough road, but I am still here and haven't gave up. I believe in myself and when I got to college and got my first A and B I was stoked, Yay, I did it and all by myself. I knew that I could handle this with our without a disability. I was strong and made sure no matter what I was going to get my point across and make my way to reach my goals. I felt that was a huge deal breaker, meaning that I knew after all the struggle, if I kept pushing myself I would make it, as I did. 

   No matter if I had a learning disability, or I was low on funds, I didn't let that discourage me to thinking that I'm not good enough or I can't do this or that. I did the opposite, I made it happen, that was the best feeling in the world, especially when others doubt you.
Whether I had to share books or or even go half with another student I made it happen. Just like my disability  I didn't let those obstacles affect my goal to become a professional Photographer, which is now my passion and I strive to make it happen.

 Step by step and speed bump by speed bump, I slowly but surely made my way to the next step and now i'm just a couple classes away from being a professional. I have made a lot of progress and still in the process of making better moves for myself to better my career.Since then I have sold 3 photo's in each school show we had, and that their was a true sign that I was made for this, the art world is where I'm needed! 

Exactly my point, I have not failed with these struggles that I got through, I just simply find ways that won't work for me. The truth is you have to fail here and there in order to make it right and figure out your weakness and build that into strength and overcome your obstacles!

I am now feeling like a professional Photographer and have sold 3 images already.

Into the WIld

How do you think this book can intersect with the direction we are going in our class: education, passion, equity/privilege, race/class? 

     As we discuss the many ideas of education, privilege, class/race we look at the trial and errors of each. From the great aspects of getting a education and so forth to passion and what your desires and needs and love for life is.To the equality and desire to feel some value of  importance. With these thoughts in mind how do you address these to make sense to where we collaborate the facts that class, passion and education as well as equality play a big part in our daily lives. Some ideas are much more important and valuable to others.

    First I'll start with how this book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is about a young boy who came from a high class family who only wanted the best for him, made sure he had everything he needed and wanted, he did have to ask for much, cause his parents were willing and ready to give him all he wanted. His parents had money and both wanted the best for Chris, their son who wants more to life than the material things, he wants to go deeper with his thoughts and feelings about who he truly is and what his passion is. there was one big turn that I believe is the reason for Chris just disappearing like he did, and it's cause he felt alone, isolated from who is really way and where he came from. After finding out his own father was living a lie, he already had a family elsewhere and yet he with Chris's mom and now that Chris knows this he totally reacts accordingly to his deep thoughts and feelings about it all and sets off to this world of being alone and fighting to stay alive with little food and survival things, he loose hope and eventually dies, fighting for so long this is where Chris wanted to be, sad yet true.

    One way that passion intersected with the book Into the Wild was with self- determination. Right after his college graduation he set off for a long adventurous journey into the wild. He came across many different people and always made the best out of each encounter. Christopher had this desire, this passion to be away from society, he wanted to just get away from it all. he told his parents, "I think I'm going to disappear for a while" (pg 21 Krakauer) Shortly after that, he did just that and disappeared for a long time. Soon after he burned his id and cut all his credit cards and make sure he became anonymous. He definitely accomplished that goal, pretty gutsy move but that's something that he wanted, he hoped for, his passion so he did what he had to do to make sure he was happy no matter what. He felt that by making this move he might figure out what his passion truly is or who he really is.

    Another way this book intersects with of idea such as equality comes from this fact that Chris wanted to feel some type of importance in life sense he wasn't getting it from his own family. We ask ourselves, do we think that if we make a decision right now, this moment could or will it jeopardizes us in any way possible? Did Christopher think about that when he was hurting his family, not one bit. Does that make it right that he just left without saying anything, yes maybe. His parents were in fact worried about him and didn't know what to do or what had happened. His own father mentions, "That really scares us, say's Walt, "By that point we had absolutely no idea what Chris could be up to" (pg 31 Krakauer). He felt it was all a lie especially after he went to L.A and met some family friends and they told him how his father was already married and had a family so Chris wasn't his first and his father used to hit their mother and argued all the time, even in front of Chris and his sister. So Chris left to find some equality with in himself sense he couldn't get any from neither on of his own parents. He set off on a journey anonymously and continued his passion to find equality and freedom from all society and all of its rules and regulations about life, he just wanted to be free from it all, no worries whatsoever.

   A third way that this book Into the Wild intersects with this concept of class is based on how wealthy his family was so he came up with very good standings, went to a good school, had a car, lived in a big home, his parents both worked, he dad worked for NASA. So we get the picture, and right after his graduation Chris meets with his parents and they tell him they want to buy him a new car in case his old one breaks down or falls apart. he mentions how he doesn't want the materials things in life, he wants whats deeper, like love and honestly and loyalty. He doesn't get that from them, so he feels like he doesn't owe them anything. Chris tells us this in one of his journals, "I'm going to have to be real careful not to accept any gifts from them in the future because they will think they have bought my respect " (pg 21 Krakauer). He gets a bit angry and questions them back and tells them how he is not interested in the fancy cars and material things, he doesn't want anything, those things aren't what's important to him. Chris wants more than these materialistic things, he wants to feel like he is loved and whats to feel like he is special and came become a real man like his own father, but actually its the opposite. his own father betrayed him and his mother and sister, so why would anyone want to become like this man, father figure at that. This shows how you can have everything and still felt like it's never enough, all Chris wanted was to feel equal to his own family as well as his own father,  but he felt as if he did't have anyone, but himself which is why we left into the wild anonymously.

This quote explains in reference to this story how a boy struggled to find himself and through others he felt as if he could live his life and figure out his destiny, I do believe that sometimes these issues come up and it's hard to say if this is true or not, but through this story ad many others I do believe this quote to be right on point with a compare and contrast model that can help an individual find themselves or at least a step in the right direction.

Mel Robbins TEDx

I found this Video and felt it definitely related to this topic about passion, privilege and this idea of change. It's about being yourself and keeping it real no matter what. Tell the truth and know that you, yourself is the one who makes a difference. there's this word the F word, FINE. people always say I'm fine, Oh I'am ok. Well like Mel said, tell the truth people, you know your not fine, or ok. It's okay to say your mad, sad, pissed off or whatever. I know it's hard to trust and to find your passion and take risk's to find "who you are" but in reality you just have to dedicate yourself. With any area of your life, you have the ability to get up and do it, meaning your job, your school, whatever it is that you do, you have the physical ability to do so, so stop wasting time and making excuses and just do it like nike!

Just exactly what this say's here; you have three choices so instead of making excuses, just give it all you got and you will have already given that much effort and will feel one step ahead of everyone else that did even try to give it all they got!

Mel Robbins How to stop screwing yourself over

Andrade Growing Roses in Concrete

My response to this video is very deep in the sense that I have seen and heard so many different things thats it hard to grasp what I am truly trying to say. I mean that I feel that if people want change then they have to start with themselves. First find yourself figure out where your heading, find your goals and reach for the stars. If Obama can do it then so can you. Anyone can come from the bottom and still make their way out and become someone. It's up to you as the individual to make anything happen in your court. All these crimes and killing have to stop sometime, or else were only making our communities smaller and smaller. certainly not making any type of justice with you as the people destroying your own city. These important people build youth center and after school programs for children who want to get out of that lifestyle and make a better one for themselves. I don't know, maybe if you watch this video you may have a different feeling or vibe from it, but in all reality, get up, get out and make a difference or just sit back and watch your entire world crumb piece by piece. 

It's never too late

What major obstacles play a big part in people's life toward change?

How do we give people that "push" needed to make that next step? 

How can we show and tell our younger generation that they are important to our communities and help those better themselves?

Andrade, Growing Roses in the Concrete