Persevere 

By Brandon T

All students can relate to some sort of stress they had under school and the struggles of overcoming it; and changing circumstances to better themselves is exactly what Kristie did.

School was especially bad for her sophomore year where she was enrolled in CCA for the year, where she had felt she had been burnt out and overworked.

Kristie enrolled into CCA because of her sister’s convenience, while enrolled into CCA, she met a lot of people that were trying really hard in school and wanting to strive to get out a good career.

Because of CCA, the most memorable part from CCA was her graphic designing during COVID, graphic design really opened up a lot of creativity and flourished off of it. “And that’s when I started becoming more interested in graphic design and art even more,” said Kristie, “Nowadays I find myself drawing or painting something else”.

But also there was the bad side she had of CCA. “It was really stressful, I burnt out a lot of the time and put myself in a toxic mindset that I should be able to do all these expectations that CCA set for us, being a leader, having a social life, and high grades. But all of those really weren't worth it” Kristie said, “because especially it broke down my character so much, that I had to rely on other people for reassurance and love that I couldn't give to myself because I couldn't hold myself up to those exceptions”. 

Kristie said “Sophomore year, and dealing with my current classes, and trying to balance that out with things that I wanted to do, and only had one hobby wearing me out,” Sophomore year is the year where she found out it wasn’t for her,  “wanted to do more than just working out, and that's when I realize CCA isn't for me, dealing with all these expectations, burn outs, essays, assignments, quizzes, like daily was too much for my own well being, even though I could have been and been placed in the perfect CCA student.” She said. 

Now that she has left CCA, everything has been much better for her.

Her sister also played a big part in her life, her name is Kathy, and she is going to UC Davis. Kristie said, “She is important to me because she's been there since I was a kid and she always was the one who taught me about art. She taught me the boring stuff like how insurance works, car works, and how I need to do this and that to help apply for a scholarship. She's been there through a lot even when I've done not so great actions for myself and my family. She is still stuck by me and refuses to give up on me and I really appreciate her in my life”.

“She also does play a little bit of my role model and how I want to be when I am an adult except just more artistically expressive and chaotic. But I do want to know half of the things she does, and show others how to do things as well.” 

With everything that has happened to Kristie during CCA, and after she left has been much better, and she is more open to things that she couldn’t do before. And along with that she has a supporting older sister to help with difficulties.