Gratitude Post (Pictures)

My cousin and I cooking Thanksgiving dinner

Showing gratitude for a great friend, Hennah

Gratitude Post

Giving thanks is something that I find to be very rewarding.  I am so thankful for my friends and family because without them I would not be the person I am today.  I have much to be thankful for, and having the opportunity to show my gratitude for those who have helped me so much in life was a great experience.  The first act of gratitude that I executed was with my group of three (Danny, Nathan, and I) and this one was directed toward our friends.  We wrote nice notes on post its and then put the post it notes on their cars.  The three people whom I specifically wrote notes for were my friends Hennah, Patrick, and Jagger.  Hennah has been one of my closest friends for many years and I am always appreciative of all she does for me, so it felt good to show Hennah how grateful I was for all of her support and love.  Patrick and I haven't  been friends for very long, but in the time that we have been friends he has always been there for me.  He is a very funny person, and considering everything that I have going on and all the times that I get overly stressed it is very important for me to have a friend that can make me laugh.  Jagger is a friend that I have had for pretty much my entire life.  He and I played youth basketball and baseball together, and since then we have grown very close.  Although we don't talk all the time, he is one of those friends that I can always lean on for support.  (picture of gratitude shown in the next blog).  My next form of gratitude was individualized.  I have a very tight-knit family and we spend a lot of time together.  My grandmother on my mom's side, Mae Mae (Portuguese for Mother's Mother), recently underwent knee surgery and has been going through the recovery process.  Typically on Thanksgiving, Mae Mae cooks a majority of the food while the rest of us hang out and talk.  This year however, she has been recovering slowly and standing for long periods of time has not been easy for her.  My cousin Isabel and I decided that we would show our gratitude for our Mae Mae by cooking the Thanksgiving meal (other than the Turkey).  Mae Mae was very thankful that we did this for her, and it felt great to help out someone who has done so much for me in my life.  I love exercising acts of gratitude, and even though this time of the year is the time to give thanks, being thankful is something that can be expressed throughout the year.  I have so much to be thankful for in my life, and it is great to know that I have so many people in my life to be grateful for. 

Industry Research

While researching my dream job I realized that I need to get more of a firm idea as to what specific job I would like to go into.  There are so many aspects of the business world which makes it hard to decide the exact path that I would like to take.  I am majoring in Economics in college and I would like to think that after my undergraduate studies at whatever college I go to I will have more of an idea as to the exact position that I would like to fill.  A lot of positions in business are very similar, and most of the jobs that I researched sounded very interesting to me, and I am excited to be pursuing a career in business.  My dream job and dream location match up very well and are very attainable, and I would like to hope that one day I could have my dream job with my dream house in my dream location.  If anything this affirmed that business is the field that I am interested in pursuing.  I did not truly know how expensive it was to live in California and how much money is spent on things other than just rent.  My future plans have no changed, I would like to be a business executive and with the average salary in California I would be able to afford living in the bay area.  I am so excited to further my professional studies in college and in future internships to hopefully get on the path toward my dream job.  It is crazy to think that everything that I do today has important ramifications in my future, and I have always worked incredibly hard to give myself a wider range of opportunities.  I am very happy that my dream job lines up with my dream location and I will work very hard to ensure that my dreams become a reality.

The Definition of Success

Success is making a difference in your life or the lives of others.  Being in a very important leadership role here at Cal High, one of my biggest personal goals for myself in school is making a difference on campus, whether that be planning events for the student body or getting students involved in more activities such as clubs and sports.  As a leadership class as a whole, our goal for the year has been to make a difference at school to improve school culture, and although there have been a few set-backs, as a class we are striving to initiate change.  Making a difference is such a broad definition of success, but success comes in different forms to different people.  You don't need money to be successful.  Success is something you define for yourself, not something that society can define for you.  My standards for success come from both my parents and teachers that I have had in the past and this year.  My parents show me success by making a difference in my life.  By providing for my brother and I, they show me what success looks like for a parent.  My dad shows me success in the professional world by making a difference in the pharmaceutical industry and providing a platform for doctors to communicate that was not available prior to the inception of his company.  My teachers show me success by making a difference in the lives of their students.  Although students don't always appreciate teachers, teachers show you success on a daily basis by teaching you information that is important in your future.  I will know that I have achieved success when I make a difference in other people's lives, as well as my own.  This happens often, and I like to say that I achieve my definition of success everyday.  Success shouldn't be something that is occasional, there should always be opportunities to be successful.  To be successful I am willing to do almost anything.  Success is such an important part of life, and to see the definition of success as achieving wealth, respect, or fame really bothers me.  Success shouldn't be defined as a material thing like money.  Success shouldn't be something that is more available to certain people.  Success should be attainable for all, and success should be something that is easily achievable, because when success is defined as something that isn't easy, people live their day-to-day lives feeling unsuccessful and worthless.  Changing the definition changes the meaning.  Success is achieving your goals, success is being happy, success is making a change, and success is making a difference.

Five People and Five Things

I have big goals and aspirations for my future, and those around me, whether it be my family or my peers, play a huge role in my successes.  I have been blessed with amazing people in my life, and I can confidently say that I would not be the person I am today without the unconditional support from my family and my close friends.  I would consider myself to be a pretty social person and I have a good amount of friends, but there are only a small few whom I would consider to be my people, the one's who are truly there for me and believe in me.  That's a big one for me: believing.  If a friend that I have doesn't believe in me, then that is a huge red flag that the person may no have my best interests at heart.  I would consider my 5 people to be my parents, my brother, Hennah, Patrick, and Mr. Bristol.   These are people who have my best intentions at heart, and when I need someone to lean on, I know I can count on these people to lift me up.

1. My Parents - Although this is technically a group of two, the are one unit and their consistency throughout my life has really laid the foundation for my success.  I owe my parents everything.  My mom raised my brother and I as a stay-at-home Mom, and she is my biggest supporter.  She is always there for me when I need someone to talk to, and the term "Mama's boy" would definitely be something that I would use to describe myself.  My dad has worked tirelessly to provide for our family, and I would not be living the life I am today if it weren't for him.  He is my biggest inspiration, and I strive to be as happy and successful as him in the future.  I know these two will always help me achieve my goals because they encourage me to take chances and they always pick me up when I fall. 

2. My Brother - My brother and I have always been competitive and pushed each other to achieve our goals, and Sam has always supported me in everything I do.  I love that we are still competitive now, but in a different way.  We now challenge each other to beat our own personal goals, and every time something happens that's important to me I call my brother (who is currently attending the University of Arizona) to give him an update.  I was recently accepted into U of A, and I immediately called my brother, and his main message to me was how proud he was, and making my brother and family proud is part of what pushes me to achieve my goals.

3. Hennah Shamel - Words cannot begin to describe how much Hennah means to me.  She has been like a sister to me since 7th grade, and her friendship, love, and support has been constant throughout these years.  Hennah inspires me to be a better person, and I have always admired how caring and compassionate she is.  We call her "Mama Hen" in Leadership, since she truly does take care of everyone.  Her opinion means everything to me, and I have never had a friendship where I feel that way.  I could not imagine anyone being by my side in Leadership and in life.  Hennah has always pushed me to be the best version of myself and she has always been one of my biggest supporters.  She will help me achieve my goals because I know no matter the outcome, she will always be by my side.

4. Patrick Michie - Patrick is someone who I have recently become very close friends with.  He keeps me on my toes and lightens my mood.  Whenever I am stressed he always finds a way to calm me down without trying, and that is something that I really appreciate.  I haven't had the best group of friends in high school in terms of supporting each other, and I'm glad that I met someone like Patrick.  I can tell that he truly cares and that's so important to me.  I know Patrick will help me achieve my goals because he is someone who even when I don't succeed will always encourage me to go after my next goal and see what new heights I can reach.

5. Mr. Bristol - This one is a little different from the others.  Mr. Bristol is my iQuest mentor and also someone who is genuinely caring.  Mr. Bristol and I have a close "friendship" and I really value his advice.  Mr. Bristol is someone who will help me achieve my goals because he keeps my head on straight, and similarly to Patrick, gets me to focus on what is truly important.  He has been a very influential person in my high school life, and he is great at his job because he cares about his students.  I know that I will have Bristol's support throughout high school, and I hope that we will stay in touch in the future.

I have had much going on in my life that is Leadership related (Homecoming!) so it has been hard to make time for other personal growth things, but here are five goals that I will work on these next couple weeks

1. Send in my college application to University of Virginia
2. Talk to my brother about homecoming and other things that are happening
3. Family weekend trip to Carmel to spend time with my parents
4. Planning a successful Middle School Leadership Conference
5. Finish my UC Application

Pictures of Me at my Internship (Veeva)

Starting my Internship

I am currently interning at Veeva Systems, a software company in Pleasanton.  I intern two times a week, depending on our iQuest schedule (I go on days when we are released early).  I spend approximately 5 hours a week at this internship, and I spend about 1 to 2 hours of my own time working on projects relating to what me and my mentor at Veeva are working on.  Currently my internship mentor, Lisa, and I are working on redesigning the website for the company in order to make the application process easier and to give the website a similar look to companies that are known to be very successful, such as Google, Salesforce, and Apple.  Also one that I have specifically been working on is how the company can reach out to help the community.  Being a Leadership student has taught me that being involved in the community is one of the most important things that an organization can do because its giving back to something that has given you so much in return.  I love giving back and so far at my internship I have helped organize Veeva's sponsorship of the San Ramon Run for Education, in which we donated $10,000 to the run itself, and $10,000 in running related donations such as bags for the event.  Also, the CEO of the company is very interested in speaking to high school students about starting companies and what works in the business world and what qualities are important in someone seeking a career in business.  So far, my internship mentor and I have secured speaking opportunities for the CEO at both Foothill and Amador, and my mentor has made it my job to reach out to schools in San Ramon as well.  I have learned that being in the business field requires a lot of professionalism, since emails are sent frequently and meetings are a common thing.  It is important in a business to show the best side of yourself, to always be presentable, and to always know what's going on and keep up to date.  In regards to myself, I have learned that being outgoing is a good thing in the business field, and that is something that I don't find very difficult, so my internship thus far has been working out really well.  I would love to continue the community service work that I am already doing & I would like to start getting to know a little bit more about how the business runs.  I will accomplish this goal by going to my internship more frequently and meeting new people with different responsibilities ton see what type of job in business is most appealing to me.

Goal Setting

Goal setting has always been something that I have seen as important.  I am a very driven person and set goals for myself early on and plan out ways to achieve those goals.  This process was more organized and very structured which will help me in the future with achieving these goals since I have a fairly specific outline.  In the past I have had goals but no determined ways of achieving them and I often wouldn't achieve them, but now that they are written down and planned out I am determined to achieve them.  I learned from this experience that planning ahead and creating a set outline is very beneficial in achieving goals.  I consider myself to be fairly organized in my head, however translating it into writing sets it in stone and is more visual which is very helpful to me.  I would consider one of my strengths to be reflecting on the past and finding ways to change any mistakes that I have made and improve myself as a person.  I have not always made the best decisions, but for me it's more important to learn from your mistakes than to never make any.  I have always prided myself on being able to bounce back after something bad has happened, and high school has really showed me this, especially last year.  It's always hard for me to share these things of course because in general I am fairly self-conscious even though it may not seem like it.  This is one thing I struggled with on the first page of the goal setting workbook.  I have tried to improve my self confidence as the years have gone on, and this year has really helped me through both Leadership and through this class.  I can really feel myself growing as not only a student but also as a person and that is something that is so important to me.  My biggest 1 year goal that I will achieve is attending college.  My dream school is UCLA, and I would be beyond blessed if I was accepted there.  Another of my one year goals is more specific to Leadership, and that is to motivate and inspire my fellow students.  As the student body president, I am in charge of the Leadership class and I have made it my goal this year to improve the culture of the Leadership class to make it more positive and supportive.  A 5 year goal I have for myself is to gain valuable experience in the business field.  I am starting with this high school internship and I hope to continue with internship and summer jobs in college.  A ten year goal that I have for myself is to strengthen my bond with family and with friends.  This is a ten year goal because this is something that can always be improved upon.  My last goal is leave my mark on Cal High.  This has been a huge part of my life thus far, and I would like to end on a good note.

Time Management Reflection

Time management plays a huge role in my life currently.  Balancing so many things such as schoolwork, a job, an internship, leadership, and other extra-curricular activities has taught me the importance of managing my time effectively to ensure that everything is completed on time.  The main strategy that I use is alarms on my phone to set a time for things to be started by.  I pretty much plan my whole day out through alarms.  I'm also very organized in my head and am pretty good at guessing how much time an activity will take, which makes it easy to plan out my schedule.  One thing that I discovered through my time mangement activities is that on weekdays I don't really have a lot of time to just relax, my schedule is always so packed and stressful that i don't really have time off.  I like having a busy schedule so that way I'm not getting bored, but I desperately need to find a way to get some time to relax so I'm not as stressed out.  One thing that I would really like to improve in my time management is taking the time to write things out.  In the future I see my time management skills progressing toward using a planner to stay a little more organized.  Also maybe dividing my activities into the 4 categories that we did in class so in my head I can make a list of priorities and get those done first.  I think that if i can figure a way to factor these two things into my time management planning, then I will be more efficient and more successful, which is my ultimate goal.  I think that the 80-20 rule is very accurate.  I notice that a lot of the time, especially relating to leadership, things that don't constitute much of what we do end up having greater effects than we anticipated.  For example, Homecoming is our biggest event and altogether is probably 20% of the stuff that we plan in Leadership, however we receive close to 80% of our yearly profit from this one event.  It is definitely prevalent in other areas, but I definitely recognize it the most in Leadership.  I think that i will start to design my daily schedule to reflect more of the importance of things that are getting done so I am not leaving things that are important for last minute.  I definitely do little things to keep busy while pushing off things that take time and need to get done, and that is something that I really want to change so i am less stressed.  I think writing is everything, even though so much stuff is online nowadays, when I write things down they really stick with me, so i will try to employ a little more writing into my time management that way it will be stuck in my head.  I will deal with procrastination by being more organized, like I said before the more organized I am the more successful I am, so I think by improving this area of my life I will be improving many more.  The one thing that I spend way too much time on is Leadership.  As President I have a lot of responsibility, however some of the things that I do could easily be delegated to other people.  I just like taking on as much as I can so i feel like I am helping the school, which is the main reason why I take the Leadership class, but it makes everything less productive and especially makes it harder for me to finish other things.  I love Leadership and it has always been a huge part of my high school, but I think that I need to trust people a little more to get things done without me helping.  Time management is one thing that everyone can improve on, and I'm happy that this class is giving me the tools necessary to improve my time management.

My Passion and Goals

My name is Andrew Cabral and I am going into my senior year of high school at Cal High.  I am very involved in the school, and am serving as the ASB President this year at Cal.  Leadership has always been one of my passions, I love working with people to reach a common goal.  To me, working with others to complete a task has its most direct ties into a career in business, which has also become a passion of mine.  My dad is a CFO (Chief Financial Officer) of his company that works to create cloud software for pharmaceutical companies, and he has always been my biggest role model.  He has inspired me to follow my passion, which is one of the main reasons why I applied to be in the iQuest class.  Going into my senior year, I have high hopes for college.  I have always prided myself in being self-motivated and a hard worker, and I hope to be accepted into my dream school, UCLA.  I will be spending this year applying to colleges across the nation, working at Splash swim school, and getting great real-world experience in the business field through my internship. I am applying to many colleges as an Economics major, and I hope to take my first step into my future career through my internship and through taking the AP Economics class this year.  I work at Splash Swim School, and it is one of my favorite places to be.  I love working with kids and finding creative ways to get them to reach their goals.  I have began a summer internship at a company in Pleasanton called Veeva Systems, but I am not sure how long into the school year I will be continuing it.  I am currently looking for companies closer to Cal, but in the meantime continuing my internship while searching for other potential business to intern for.  At Veeva, I intern in marketing and help to give Veeva more of a brand.  In the internships that I am looking for, I would like to intern in more of a business management type position to gain more experience in that field and to see if that is truly the career path that I would wish to take.  I am very, very excited for my senior year, and I have high hopes for how this year will turn out.  I am most excited to figure out what college I will be going to in the fall of 2017, and to take my first family trip to Europe, a place that I have wanted to go ever since I was younger.