My name is Karl Francis C. Pastoriza and I was born on the 03rd of April, 2000 in Davao City, Philippines. My parents were Clair Marie C. Pastoriza and Felixberto V. Enriquez. We are triplets, so i have my twins namely Kent Fritz Pastoriza and Kym Fredrique Pastoriza. My mom and dad separated at the year 2000

Unfortunately, because of their separation changed my personality. Fortunately I have been smart enough to avoid that bad habit and didnt use it as a reason to hindet myself to have a perfect life.

My early childhood was the rise of the millenials the 2000’s. My dad is self enployed for he is a dentist and runs his own dental clinic and my mom was a stay at home mother. I had a happy, normal childhood as an only child, leaving me somewhat spoiled. My mom and dad separated when I was six years old and now both have their own relationships and partways. My dad remained a boyfriend to my stepmom Tes until today. My mom engaged lot of relationships and currently having a long distance relationship from singapore to davao. My first stepdad Lemuel which i call him Dad became a big part of my life and I maintained close contact with him until my mom made up his mind to end their relationship in 2009, Yes, that was a very bad week, losing a dad even though he’s not the real one but i treat him like my own.

Growing up with split parents was especially difficult since each of my parents families are not in good terms. I lived with my mom until I was 15 and in high school. And moved to my dads when i was 16 and upto the present.

By my junior year in high school I had begun to hang around with friends that got me into a lot of trouble with a number of things including rebellious acts and cheating. I was rapidly heading down a negative path, but was fortunate enough that ever in my life i experience this things which i will always cherish.

With the fresh start I was able to move up junior high school without further incident, graduating from University of the Immaculate Conception in 2016. Even with my questionable behavior earlier in my life I had always wanted to become a flight attendant. So, to kill time and stay out of trouble I joined the UIC High pelp squad immediately after turning 16.

I joined the squad and we were sent to prestigous competitions like DACS, Milo, and Ncc and luckily bagged championship titles! After becoming a member of the squad, I was assigned to be the team captain of the UIC High Pep Squad.

What stands out the most about my time in the squad are the extremes of the deadliest stunts that you are subjected to. Some of my happiest memories and some of my worst memories come from my time in the squad. One thing that I am sure of is that it shaped me to become the person that I am now. The squad really straightened me out from my troubled High school years.

Getting through a day can be hard without a motivation. I find that I can face each day of my high school life easier whenever I think about my plans and big dreams. It is one of the reasons I believe I feel like I live for my dreams. I am young and ambitious but I believe that even a teenager should reflect on his high school life. If more youths set their goals and review their routines as high school students, they would be able to achieve more success. This path will reflect on my own life as a high school student to serve as a reminder that I am living for my dreams and I can gain success. It will also serve as an inspiration to my peers who aim for the success.

Being a happy high school student would not be possible without my family. I am a child of two non showy supportive parents. Even though they are separated, They work hard to support our family and do their best to spend time bonding whenever they can. My family values loyalty and responsibility. This is the reason I always try to be honest to my family and tell them my high school activities. It is also why I believe that if more high school students are honest to their parents, they would struggle less with their academic and extra-curricular goals.

Living with a separated yet supportive family encourages me to dream and aim for good grades and a good career.

Every day when I go to school I attend all my classes to learn more. I believe that each lesson there are insights I can gain. There are times some teachers are not professional or do not explain some of the lessons well. But I always strive to gain an understanding of our lessons with the resources I have. I take note to jot down my misunderstandings so that I can find it in the library or online. I can say that I am a responsible high school student that takes my studies seriously because I want to achieve my dreams.

As a high school student, I also enjoy time with my friends. In between classes and sometimes after school, I go out with the gang. We eat food, watch movies, talk a lot, and listen to music. We participate in school events together and a few are with me in club activities. Sometimes I struggle balancing time for family, studies, and friends. There are a ton of times I chose to have a sleepover or check out a new club with the gang over more important activities. I will work on my time management more so that I can accomplish goals that should be prioritized. I realize now that to grasp my dreams I should have friends but I should also manage my time with them well.

To be a successful high school student it is not hard to find motivation. Being motivated helps a youth believe his dreams are possible. All that needs to be done is to value one’s family, studies, and friends. With a positive outlook on the people and environment of a youth’s life, he can do anything. He can overcome struggles like difficult teachers or lack of time management. He can live for his dream and succeed. These are the beliefs that are shaping my life as a high school student now. I will always use this story of mine to help me review what motivates me to live for my dream. I can only hope that it will inspire my peers.

“I am strong person. Everything that hits me in life, I’ve dealth it on my own. Ive cried myself to sleep. Picked myself back up and wiped my own tears. I have grown from things meant to break me. I get stronger by the day, and i always owe it to the mighty one!”

– Pastoriza