Kassidy Isham, Public Relations Coordinator 2019-2020
The Initial Letter
My initial thoughts entering the 2019-2020 school year were kind of everywhere. I am going into a new position with a new class after already enduring many big changes in my personal life. I have very high expectations for myself and I have always put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed. I want to excel in my position and fulfill all my duties plus more. I feel like this year I have a lot extra duties in addition to all my job requirements. I am a legacy so it is my job to help and guide all the younger kids as they form their own paths in the leadership program. It is a very bittersweet feeling when you are ending your journey and have to help the younger leaders began theirs. I hope that all the younger kids know to use me as a resource. I know this year will be difficult for me but I will overcome and I will reach all my goals because I am determined. I want to make the most of my last year and have as much fun as possible.
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Part 1: Favorite Quotes
“Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain... To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices - today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it.” -Kevyn Aucoin This quote is very important because it is a key to happiness. No one has a perfect life or does not have obstacles. Our happiness and success comes from what we make out of the bad negativity in our lives. You are the holder of your happiness ALWAYS
“If there were no night, we would not appreciate the day, nor could we see the stars and the vastness of the heavens. We must partake of the bitter with the sweet. There is a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day. They prepare, they purge, they purify, and thus they bless.” -James E. Faust Hard times and rough patches are unavoidable. You can not see how amazing the good is unless you have seen how dark the bad times are. You must live through the dark so you can compare it to the goodness and happiness that life will bring.
“I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value.” - Hermann Hesse
You are in control. I think the world would be a much better place if everyone understood this. You must make the choice to make something out of everything that happens to you in life.
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Part ll: Quote “The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own example.” -John Wooden This quote has so many hidden meanings. You must practice what you preach. To lead you must participate and not act as if you are too cool to be involved. You can't set up a dress up day and tell everyone to dress up if you aren't going to bother making an effort. To lead by example is the key. This concept alone is the biggest mistake leaders make. Leaders try to boss others around and not work at all. People don't like feeling like they're being talked down to. This is especially important for student leaders. You must guide your peers not command them and shout orders. People work more productively when they feel useful, appreciated, and important. I struggle with this and It is a place I need work on but this quote is what I strive for therefore it describes me.
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Part 1: Goals 2 goals for myself connected to leadership
I would like to become better at my time management and stressing out. I get so overwhelmed that I just shut down. I need to work on analyzing a situation and finding a good way to approach it before I just freak out.
I want to improve on my public speaking. Being able to speak in front of a crowd is a really good skill to have. I want to learn how to talk slow. I am a fast talker anyways but once I get in front of a crowd I talk 100 MPH.
2 short term goals for my life
I want to graduate high school with at least a 3.8 GPA and attend CSU Long Beach. I feel that when I apply myself I am very intelligent. I need to stay focused on my goal and I should be able to achieve it. When I walk the stage in 2020 I want to be proud of the legacy I left and be proud that I was able to experience 4 years at “the greatest school in the world”.
I want to learn to stay focused on the good. Positivity is key. When you choose to focus on the good and have a positive mindset, you will find your life will be more positive.
2 long term goals for my future
One of my goals for the future is to travel the world for a year by myself. I want to make my way around the globe because I feel you can learn a lot from an experience like that. You don't realize how much you have and what a great life you have until you see how other people are living. If I travel the world I would become a more well rounded and better person.
My other goal is to have a family. I want to have my own family and kids of my own. I want to be married to someone I truly love. I wish to never get divorced and put my kids through that.
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Part ll: Goals 2 goals for myself connected to leadership
This year I have improved somewhat on my time management. I have had a lot going on and am somehow balancing it all and succeeding. I do not freak out as much and I am proud of that.
I feel like I am slowly but surely overcoming this fear. Before I joined leadership. I could barely look at kids when I was talking in front of them and now as a senior I consider it a skill. I am slowly getting better and improving my skills. I've surely gained a lot more confidence in speaking in front of everyone and I’m very happy.
2 short term goals for my life
I have submitted my intent to enroll at CSU Chico. As I look more into my career, the honors program there is a great fit for me. My overall GPA is a 3.7 So I was close. I am proud of myself for pursuing my career choice and wanting to help the world.
I have really accomplished this more than any other goals. I still get nervous but I am so much more outgoing. I just want to spread positivity and be my best self. Leadership has definitely helped me meet more people and be more social.
2 long term goals for my future.
I am planning to do this after college. I still think it’s very important to do and I will accomplish it. I have a Greece trip scheduled this June if COVID-19 doesn’t take that away from me.
I am young so this goal comes later but It will happen
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Part 2: People Magazine Article Kassidy Isham has always been one to push herself. Growing up in the small town of Ripon, Kassidy has always known she will do big things. She was recently accepted to California State University, Long Beach. As a young child, Kassidy was always outspoken and wise. She did not plan on being a motivational speaker but she feels as though the occupation “chose her”. She started off slowly with the sport. It was hard for her to understand golf. She has always had strong opinions and been devoted to being genuine and kind in all that she does. She is very determined to show people how beautiful life is and the power of gratitude and positivity. She believes your mindset is key and if you choose to see the good then good things will come your way. She learned this lesson the hard way and hopes to inspire other people and remind them that it's never too late to become the person you want to be. She is currently majoring in nursing and balancing her newfound career with her studies. She hopes to become a nurse practitioner one day. She is so grateful for the opportunity to speak out to others. She wants every person to be happy with their lives and know they are in control at all times. She never dreamed of becoming a public speaker and she can’t believe this “fun task” is her occupation. This young girl with an old soul is taking the world by storm and people simply can’t believe how wise she is. She has earned so much respect and grasped concepts that some adults can't even comprehend. She is an advocate for vulnerability and believes that although it can be scary, there is so much love to be found there. She wants people to live everyday like it’s their last and take the time to see that life is so beautiful and the opportunities are endless. She hopes people can always find the good and see the light at the end of the tunnel. She is spreading her message everywhere and advocating for self love and love the life you live and create.
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Role Model My role model is Mia (Mija) Benzinger. She is my role model for many reasons. I would be proud to be like her. She is patient in helping me whenever I need guidance. She carries herself with pride and respect and I hope that I also carry myself like this. Mia is not scared to disagree. Just because her opinion is different doesn't mean she will change it to be like the rest. Being in leadership together last year brought us closer together and I could not be more thankful. I hope to follow in Mias footsteps. I love learning from Mia. She is good at teaching and always knows how to help. Mia balances everything in her life so well. She balances school, being dorm president, a job, and a social life exceptionally well and I hope one day I can be half the person she is.
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Inner Animal The animal that represents me the most would be a penguin. Penguins are curious and like to explore. Penguins also thrive in their environment because that is where they are most comfortable. I struggle when not “In my environment”. I like to live in my comfort zone. I am most comfortable when in my comfort zone. I lose my confidence when not with people I know. Penguins are also good in groups but also very independent. That is very much like me. Sometimes I like being around people and it makes me happy. Other times I want nothing more than to be by myself because being around others stresses me out and overwhelms me. Penguins are not feisty and do not fight very often. This is also like me because I like to avoid fights so I would rather be the bigger person in most situations in order to avoid problems.
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The best things about me (part 1)
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The best things about me (part 2)
I can hold my breath I can bite my tongue I can stay awake for days If that’s what you want Be your number one I can fake a smile I can force a laugh I can dance and play the part If that’s what you ask Give you all I am I can do it I can do it I can do it But I’m only human And I bleed when I fall down I’m only human And I crash and I break down Your words in my head, knives in my heart You build me up and then I fall apart 'Cause I’m only human, yeah I can turn it on Be a good machine I can hold the weight of worlds If that’s what you need Be your everything But I’m only human And I bleed when I fall down I’m only human And I crash and I break down Your words in my head, knives in my heart You build me up and then I fall apart 'Cause I’m only human, yeah I can turn it on Be a good machine I can hold the weight of worlds If that’s what you need Be your everything I can do it I can do it I'll get through it But I’m only human And I bleed when I fall down I’m only human And I crash and I break down Your words in my head, knives in my heart You build me up and then I fall apart 'Cause I’m only human, yeah I’m only human I’m only human Just a little human I can take so much Until I’ve had enough ‘Cause I’m only human And I bleed when I fall down I’m only human And I crash and I break down Your words in my head, knives in my heart You build me up and then I fall apart ‘Cause I’m only human, yeah
This song says a lot about my personality. I believe that everyone makes mistakes and the key is how we recover from them. This song is a reminder that it's okay to not be perfect because nobody is perfect. You make the choice of whether or not to learn from your mistakes. You will never be perfect but that's okay because that is what shoes humans to be better. The lyric “I am only human” means a lot to me because I need the reminder at times that this is my life.
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Homecoming Pictures (part 1)
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Homecoming Pictures (part 2)
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Part 1: What I Like Best About Being a Member of Leadership I have made a lot of memories this year. The back to school bbq was a good memory because it went so smoothly. It was my first time without hailey but I love that I got to train kate. I remember the costco trip and us trying push 800 sodas through costco “traffic” getting laughed at. We also struggled picking up the charcoal at ACE but we managed and none of this was very fun at the time but looking back now I laugh. The BBQ went so smoothly and everything went as planned which was so nice and I felt very accomplished and happy with the result of my hard work. I had a lot of fun at core camp because it's when you first get to meet everyone. We had lots of new people in the class this year and I loved meeting and bonding with all of them. I love how happy everyone was at core camp. I loved planning the year and getting a little preview of how they year would go and how everyone fits together. I had a lot of fun in the car to and from core camp and I'll always remember all the laughs we shared in the car. I remember how strong you could tell our class and we just showed how strong and willing we were.
I love doing the ACE write ups. I love getting to recognize kids that don’t always get recognized for all they do for our HS. The smiles on the kids faces when I tell them they were nominated by those around them for their hidden good deeds mean so much to me. I love interviewing them and seeing how excited they are knowing that people notice what they do. ACE nominations are such a good way to make sure that even the less known kids get the recognition they deserve. I am glad that I get to write about them and say all I know about them as well as write about their reaction to finding out the news. I was really unsure if I would like this job but I’m really happy that I got it
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Part ll: A reflection of a peer in leadership
I am so thankful for Carmen Simon. Carmen is one of the strongest and brightest people I know. She takes on each day with resilience and a bright soul. Life may not always be fair to her but she has never let it wear her down. She is in love with life and it shows everyday through her actions. She is friends with so many because she is so easy to love. Her smile is contagious and her will to succeed is strong. She knows how to balance work and play and I admire that so much. Her grades are incredible and her dedication to leadership is amazing. She does everything wholeheartedly and she never lets difficulty slow her down. She keeps her head held high and never loses herself. She is loved for being who she is and she refuses to change her character to please others. I am so thankful we’ve gotten closer and I can’t wait to see where the future takes her. She’s the snooki to my jwoww forever ;)
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Part l: RHS Pride
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Part ll: RHS Pride
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What I love to do (part 1)
I love to travel, play golf, ride dirt bikes, and snowboard. I went to New York recently and had so much fun. Next I will be going to Greece. I have golfed 4 years for the high school. I had so much fun golfing and I hope I continue to do it forever. I grew up riding dirtbikes and it is so much fun. I have snowboarded my whole life and I love it so much. I am so thankful my parents showed me these hobbies I can enjoy for the rest of my life. I am excited that it is finally snowboarding season. I want to travel the whole globe before I die.
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Letter to Parents I don't know where to begin. My parents have never not been there for me. I have always been the kid doing a thousand things. From school to sports to clubs I have always needed help and support and I always received it. My parents have never hesitated to come to the rescue when I need them most. I am a pain in the butt but they put up with me and that alone is very impressive. Thank you for loving me no matter what I put you through. I don't say how thankful I am enough. Without parents like you guys I would be nowhere near where I am today. I couldn't feel more loved. Thanks dad for being at every game and always supporting. Thanks mom for drying my tears and reminding me to see the light. I couldn't ask for better parents. As I get older I just become more busy and my parents never fail to get me where I need to be. Thanks for pushing me when I needed it. Thanks for believing in me when I doubted myself. Everything I've ever needed, you've gotten me. I am forever thankful for you guys. I hope one day I can be half the parent you guys are. I cried writing this because my support system is unmatched
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Your True Legacy Dear Public Relations Coordinator,
Congratulations on your new position. Your main responsibilities are ACE of the month write ups, cleanliness of the storage room, and social media assignments. ACE of the months are important and you need to make sure you select a good ACE. You look through the nominations and select the best candidate. Me and my partner split up the ACE nominations and she selected a teacher and I selected a student. The write ups are due once a month. Keeping the storage room cleaned and stocked is also very important. Make sure you are prepared for large events like homecoming in winterfest because more supplies will be used during these times. You fill out a purchase order request forms in order to buy supplies needed for our storage room. We go through a lot of paint and we usually purchase our paint from ace hardware using morty’s Cal card. It is easy to keep clean as long as you stay on top of it and don’t let it get really bad. We purchased a lot of items from Oriental trading and Amazon. We stock up on ribbons, balloons, paint, paper, things like that. You are also in charge of the class social media assignments. Morty or classmates will ask you to assign a social media assignment. The kids in leadership will have a due date that the post is due on. Me and my partner also split this task up. I was responsible for all the upperclassman and making sure they did their assignment and she did the same for the underclassmen. We both will report to morty who completed the assignment and who gets credit. I wish you luck in this position and I think you have a lot of fun as long as you stay organized and manage your time well.
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Do’s and Don’ts List DO: Utilize social media to spread the word about any event we plan DO: Stay on top of social media assignments DO: Regularly check on the storage room DO: Own up to all mistakes and be honest DO: Orders as soon as you get PO back DO: Ask about any uncertainties you have… better safe than sorry :) DO: Learn from the mistakes you make DO: Take time to write ACE write ups DO: Select ACEs that deserve it DON’T: Blame other PC for your mistakes DON’T: Lie And try to cover up your mistakes DON’T: Waste your time on work days… they are very valuable days DON’T: Don’t talk bad about the program behind closed doors DON’T: Take credit for work you didn't do DON’T: Disrespect others and criticize their ideas in a harmful way DON’T: Be controlling and talk to down to your peers DON’T: Make excuse for yourself DON’T: Disregard due dates
The Professional One thing we discussed very often was time management. I think we learned about it so much because it was a key skill to have. We have crazy weeks sometimes where there are no breaks and sometimes those are the weeks Morty decides to assign the most homework. When you feel overwhelmed and under pressure, Morty just observes and waits for us to mess up lol. If that isn't a way to learn time management I don't know what is. You learn by doing. Managing your time has to occur when you are a leader because you have to manage others and their time while managing your own time to help them manage their time. Yes that sounds confusing and overwhelming but this skill has been the most valuable one I've learned in the program so far. Another skill is communication. Anyone can think like a leader and have that mindset but stepping up and giving direction to huge crowds is totally different. Nobody can hear your valuable opinion unless you stand up and say it without worrying about judgment or disagreement. Communication is key in event planning because people are willing to help but if they aren't told where they're needed their help is worthless. Responding to other communication is also important. You need to show you understand the Information they have told you and how you plan to react to the information they told you.
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Change I think I have come a long way as a leader. I have accomplished a lot and had many struggles. One time I failed was not winning the senior class president spot. I worked hard in the position I was given to prove to myself that I deserved a spot in the class and was a good leader . As far as class, we failed on the back to school dance. It was a rough night and a lot of bad experiences took place and our class learned a lot. I feel like we have truly come so far from that and we are doing very good and I do not think we would ever fail like that again. I was/am very excited for Ripchella and was so impressed on how well we planned it as a class. I think a change would just be to use our time more wisely. Sometimes the lack of early on planning results in stress and problems and we can avoid that. I think that we can all work on being better at keeping track of our schedules and planning more ahead of time. As high school kids it’s easy to understand why we can get behind but if we want to avoid stress and be all over happier than more planning must take place.
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The Ideal Leader An ideal leader is one who keeps others on tasks and guides them without being bossy and over controlling. Anyone can boss people around and make them do whatever you want but to be a leader takes great self control. A good leader acts as an equal to their peers rather than a boss who just watches and does nothing. People are going to respect you and listen to you if you do the same in the return. If you are rude and demanding, the people you are leading will soon turn on you. To lead a group is to work closely with a group and remind your peers of the task at hand. When someone comes screaming at me to do something I show then no respect and I dislike them. If someone politely guides me, and shows me what to do, I work well and happily. A leader also knows their strengths and weaknesses. A leader will use everything they are good at to their full advantage. If the leader lacks certain qualities, the leader will work to improve them but not rely on them alone because they know that they still need to improve. As far as behavior, I think respect covers it all. An RHS leader should show respect to other students, teachers, and administration. When you show respect to others, you receive respect. You must always be polite and think about the consequences of your actions. A true leader will lead and stay on task without being asked. Even when nobody is watching you still need to focus and be a good role model to other students. Also the respect you show for yourself shows a lot. If you view yourself as a respected young adult, you will get treated like one. If you act like a wild and crazy teen don't expect a lot of respect. In the end, those who treat others like they would want to be treated are the best ideal leaders.