PUBLISH: Submit your story by Friday, December 2, and possibly be chosen to be published in the next edition of Poly Spotlight.
Poly Spotlight is excited to promote our own Human Library Writing Challenge. Our goal is to unite all kids on Poly’s campus from freshman to seniors, athletes to band kids, and everyone in between, and show that even though we all have our own unique talents and lifestyles, we really are not much different at the core than we might believe. Together, we can build a school culture of empathy and compassion by sharing our stories. One of our own staff writers, Julia Bailey, has written her story as the first published story.
Go to this link for the writing template and submission details: CLICK HERE
Julia Bailey
Junior
Favorite Teacher: Mrs. Yeyna
My Sport/ Instrument/ Activity: Soccer
Dream College: NYU
Hobby: Cooking
My Ranking of Best Movies:
- Love Actually
- Gladiator
- The Sound of Music
- Mamma Mia
- Indiana Jones
What is a typical day in your life?
I always begin my day with picking out my outfit. Then I move onto brushing my hair and teeth, putting on my make-up, sometimes doing my hair if I have the energy (usually I don’t), etc. Then I have a chobani every single morning for breakfast (I LOVE chobani yogurt). After taking tests and getting classwork done at school, I go to my first soccer practice of the day during 6th period. After that, I get home around 4:15 and eat a late lunch. At 7:00, after a little bit of rest (watching way too much tiktok) and getting my homework done, I drive to Redlands for my club soccer practice. Once I get home around 10:00, I eat dinner and shower. Then, I finish up any remaining homework, and watch tik tok until I go to bed at around 11:30.
What is one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?
I am a huge book nerd. From Percy Jackson, to Harry Potter, to Throne of Glass, I prefer to spend my free time immersing myself in fictional worlds, finding brief escape from ours. My favorite genre is fantasy with a bit of romance, but I also enjoy reading the occasional historical fiction or nonfiction.
Describe one of the defining moments in your life
One of the defining moments in my life was the time my mother took me to one of her friends, Karrie’s, trials. Karrie was prosecuting a man who had done unspeakable acts to his young step daughter. Seeing how Karrie thoughtfully and thoroughly made her case against such an evil man, while gently questioning this scarred woman, ignited a passion for justice in me. Ever since that day, I knew that I wanted to be able to change our world into a safer, and more just place, just as Karrie did that day when she put that man behind bars.
What is your most cherished memory?
When I was eight years old, I was able to tag along with my dad on a work trip to Mexico. This was my first time being away from my mom and sister for such a long period of time, but I was so excited I hardly noticed their absence.
Traveling first on an airplane, and then in cars and buses, I got to really experience the sights, sounds and smells of Cuautla, Mexico. Every person I met was so kind and genuine, and having to rely on my Spanish speaking abilities to converse with everyone was incredibly empowering. Even being a picky eater, being able to experience the variety of new foods and culture, and being welcomed into their community was an experience I likely won’t soon forget.
Describe a time you felt your happiest.
Growing up, every year around fall, when the leaves began to change colors and float gracefully down through the cold October air to the ground, my sister and I would run for the rake. To our backyard we ran, screaming “Dad!”, “Dad, come on, hurry up!” as we went.
There had to be hundreds of orange and brown leaves decorating the grass, fallen from the huge tree in the center of our backyard. My sister and I would run around with our dog, tiring ourselves out as my dad got to work raking the leaves up into a huge pile. Finally, as the sun started to dip into the trees, we would all take turns jumping into the pile, burying each other under the damp leaves. The feeling was pure joy.
Who is your biggest role model and why?
My biggest role model is Taylor Swift. She is arguably the most talented and accomplished musician of our time and still so young. She grew up middle class without any connections and just wrote songs about how she felt that became universally loved. Even after all of the hate and belittling and unfairness she experienced in her career and life, she stayed true to herself and continued being the best version of herself she could be. I truly admire and respect Taylor for that.
All of your stories are valuable, and we encourage you to share them. Please participate in this challenge. Go to this link for the writing template and submission details: CLICK HERE