And in the blink of an eye my summer is practically gone. Lazy days and long nights, lost under the start of school deals and panic! Okay, allow this ranting stranger to formally introduce herself. I’m Lisa Cantu, coming to you straight from La Joya, Texas, otherwise known as “The Valley.” A senior from La Joya High School, your average 17-year-old, minus the attitude, plus the poignant view of everyday situations.

My life revolves mainly around my family and school. Education has been, and forever will be, a priority in my household. Since I have a very large amount of aunts, uncles, and cousins who are sure to be in on any part of my well being, I have never really lacked support in anything that would better my future. Living where I do, my Latino roots have never been stronger than these last moments I have as a niña (girl) in high school.

My summer has been dominated my cousins’ quinceañera (15th birthday celebration). A Latino tradition involving an immense bash that serves to symbolize a girl becoming a woman. My entire family has been busy finding long-lost relatives, buying dresses, ordering cakes, and attempting to keep their heads together through it all. It will be the closest we get to seeing my family in its entirety, so needless to say, we are all so excited.

I also recently started my dance camp. I am a part of “La Joya High School Jewelettes,” a dance team that entertains our football players and our football fans during Friday’s half-time shows. It was one of the first things I ever remember being intent on when I was younger. My aunt was a Jewelette when she was in high school and my first time entertaining publicly was performing on the field with her when I was 7. That must be the thing that has me jumping the most about this year; and the 2 weeks of camp were far from promising.

As an ambitious teenage girl would claim, I am totally ready for my senior year! However, as the day approaches that I must walk those halls to begin my last, first day, I can’t help but feel my emotions push themselves in a thousand different directions. It’s difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that I only have one more year in high school! As anxious as I am to move ahead with my life, there is a twinge of yearning for my younger years. A yearning that I’m hoping won’t hinder any of my coming aventuras (adventures.)

I haven’t taken my ACT test yet, so I will begin the school year by jamming and refreshing my noggin as much as I can with reading, science and especially math. Math has always been somewhat of a sore subject for me. Even though I am following the school’s distinguished achievement plan, and it only requires 3 years of mathematics, I will take an extra course, so I can be prepared for the ACT test. I started taking college courses in sophomore year, so I’m working on enrolling in pre-calc DE; which means that I shall begin searching for a tutor the first week of school! Nerve wrecking and intense as it might be, I know that I must prepare myself. I spent quite some time reviewing the practice test offered on the ACT website. My strategy: familiarize myself with the test as much as possible.

I’m growing up, and I’m going to take you on the ride of my last moments as a high school kid. Juntos (together) we’ll face the rollercoaster I call “senior year”.