1 March 12, 2006
Dianne Vanessa M. Alejo Year III-4
Nicholas Charles Sparks is one of the best writers of the present time. He is renowned to write outstanding love stories which do not really end up in happy endings. His stories of love, tragedy and fate were actually based on experiences he has encountered or of people he knows.
Sparks was born in Ohaman, Nebraska, on New Year’s Eve, 1965. He was the second son of Patrick, a professor, and Jill, a homemaker, Sparks. His family moved to California when he was 9 years old. Graduating as the valedictorian in high school, he got a full track scholarship to the University of Notre Dame where he majored in Business Finance. He wrote his very first novel, The Passing, the summer after his freshman year when he got injured. Though it was never published, it was still a masterpiece for him since it had an exceptional story.
On March 1988, just before he graduates, he met Cathy in Florida—a love at first sight experience. They got married a year later, when he was 23 yrs old. They had two sons in 1991 and 1993, Miles Andrew and Ryan Cody. He also had another son, Landon, and had twin daughters after—Lexie and Savannah. He considered them as some of the most precious things that ever happened to him.
After writing his second novel, The Royal Murderers, in 1989, he decided to concentrate on another career. He was always rejected by publishers—and now, by the law school as well. He got many short-term jobs and became a pharmaceutical representative in Sacramento. He then transferred to North Carolina where he and his family live until now.
He also wrote a book with Billy Mills, and it was published by Feather Publishing. It sold 50, 000 copies in the first year it was released. When he was 28, he wrote The Notebook and was published in October 1996 by Warner Books. Then it was followed by Message in a Bottle in 1998, A Walk to Remember in 1999, The Rescue in 2000, A Bend in the Road in 2001, Nights in Rodanthe in 2002, The Guardian and The Wedding in 2003, Three Weeks with my Brother in 2004 and True Believer and At First Sight in 2005.
All of his books became best sellers and were translated into nearly 40 languages. Some of his books became movies. Such were Message in a Bottle in 1999, A Walk to Remember in 2002, and The Notebook in 2004. His novels were just some of the most successful franchises in Hollywood—earning about more than $150 M each.
Nicholas Sparks was not just a prolific writer—he is also an avid athlete. He runs daily, lift weights regularly and is a black-belt in Tae Kwon Do. He attends church regularly with his family and is a generous contributor to various local and national charities, and to the Creative Writing Program at the University of Notre Dame.
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Dianne Vanessa M. Alejo
Year III-4
My name is Dianne Vanessa Manrique Alejo, known to my family and friends as Dianne. I was born on 1989, 11th of August in Makati Medical Center. I am the eldest of a brood of 4 girls. My father is an engineer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and my mother is a homemaker and a part-time businesswoman. My family and I lived in an apartment in Pasig City for 7 years, until we transferred to our current home here in Taytay. Before entering Assumption Antipolo as a 2nd grade student, I have been studying in Colegio de Sta. Rosa in Makati City—which is also an exclusive Catholic school for girls.
Living here in Taytay has been tough for quite some time. I had many friends in our past home, and being a child, it was hard to let go of my friends. Fortunately enough for me, I made a lot of friends months before we moved here, making this experience slightly easier.
During my preschool years, as my mom recounted, I was not the typical shy girl—but an outgoing kid. And because of my sociable personality, I always win the Most Friendly Award and became a favorite representative of the class for school presentations. I have also joined numerous school programs and contests in school. I had many extra-curricular activities during the weekend like Piano and Voice Lessons in Yamaha and Ballet classes with my teacher Sofia de Ayala. When I moved here in Taytay, gymnastics occupied most of my weekends for a year.
I was also a “straight-A” student when I was in Colegio de Sta. Rosa despite of my various weekend activities. Graduating from preschool, I was in the list of the “top students” in the batch. Not only was I talented, as my mom’s friends say, but also a bright student.
Taytay is quite far from the city, causing some of my weekend activities to end because of too much traveling time for me and my mom. I became focused in my studies then. My favorite subject is Math so I was particularly good at it. But my grades did not retain when I was in the latter part of grade school; I became an average student, minus the subject difficulties.
I became less engaged with extra-curricular activities in school because I was not really sure of what my interests were. I joined many clubs in my grade school years to hone my “talents” and serve God, such as Gymnastics Club, Kids for Christ, Art Club, Culinary Arts and YMAA (Youth Ministry of Assumption Antipolo). Through these clubs I have joined, I have learned to do many things that I thought was not capable of doing. I gained patience and self-confidence through these organizations and was able to gain friends as well.
Graduating from grade school, virtues I have acquired through the years remained in me when I entered another milestone—high school life. Together with my clique of friends, and moral support from my family, I “conquered” the best, but hard, phase in my life. During my freshman year, I was quite hesitant in high school. We were the youngest batch and inferiority was the main theme of the story. I guess the fear lessened because of my friends and family’s help.
High school was also the time when I encountered many problems, both in my family and my friends. My family had a major crisis causing to financial troubles and problems between my parents. Together with these, my barkada was also facing problems of our own. It was a turning point in my life since it made me a better and stronger person. I learned to face these problems instead of keeping it inside me. Through these, also, I found my “hidden” talent of writing which became the outlet of my feelings.
Academically, I could say I am above average. To be frank, I am not a diligent student—I am lazy, so my full potentials are not achieved during the first half of high school. But during my junior year, I could say that I have been performing well enough, especially in my Chemistry class, which I never thought I’d pass. My grades in the report card were not lower than 85, and I could say that this is a great achievement.
My family is very religious. We always spend Sunday mornings to hear mass. We also observe various religious practices such as Stations of the Cross, praying the rosary and joining in religious processions for saints. My parents have taught me to pray as early as I was a year old. My mom was the one to teach me to pray the rosary too. Hence, I joined the Kids for Christ when I was a kid, and now I am a teen-ager, I am part of Youth for Christ. I could say I have been active in this organization. Through these organization and conferences, my fate in God increased and I could say that because of YFC, I have better relationships with everyone—my family, my friends and God.
As a kid, I have dreamt to be a lawyer who would defend the innocent people. I also wanted to be the 2nd woman president in 5th grade because I wanted to do something good for my country. Entering high school, I concocted various careers I wanted to take; interior designing, restaurant owner and tour guide to name a few. But I realized that careers are things you cannot just meddle with: it’s a life time decision wherein you should take good consideration. And comparing myself to a mother elephant, I wanted to be a good provider for my family-to-be. I still want to be a lawyer someday and work hard for my family. Like a mother elephant, I want to take good care of my family and as of now, that is what I want to be.
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47 English March 13, 2006
Ma. Andion Joseli R. Yabut III-3
Autobiography
I was born on the twenty third of April, 1989. My parents are Jose Maria P. Yabut and Alma Constancia R. Yabut. They named me Ma. Andion Joseli R. Yabut. I am a native of the batangas province, but have lived in many places.
Through the years I have been to four different schools. For nursery I went to St. Joseph Development Center. From kinder to grade one I went to Assumption Antipolo, but I had to leave Assumption and Manila. Our family went to Mindanao and I attended Notre Dame of Dadiangas when I was in grade two. When I was in grade three and four I went to De La Salle Lipa. But unfortunately, I only studied there for two years. After finishing grade four our family went back to Manila. I went to Assumption Antipolo again from grades five to year three.
My classmates would always ask me, “Why do you move a lot?" or "Isn’t it hard to move and attend a new school almost every year”? I would always say the same answer, “it’s not hard it’s actually fun, new place, new escapade, and new acquaintances.”
At some point in the summer of grade four I tried out a new sport that I didn’t know I could do. When I was just a kid, barely even eight years old, I started my swimming lessons. At first I was scared because I was afraid of the water, but through the years I have learned to love the sport and become actually good at it.
I have competed internationally for my team. Also in the Philippines I joined the first ever “Batang Pinoy”, held in Bacolod. I also joined the Southern Tagalong Regional Athletics Association (STRAA). I won a silver medal in STRAA at the four by twenty five relay race.
Ever since I was I a kid I’ve always wanted to be a doctor and save lived. I have looked up to my uncle who’s a doctor in the province. He is very excellent. And no matter how our doctors leave the country to be a nurse he is still there in the province willing to be a soldier of God to help the people in need in out country. If I can compare my dream to anything I would compare it to the air. Like air, it is every where; similar to a doctor He or She must be in attendance every time. Also with out air we cannot live, in the vein of air we cannot live with out our doctors.
Now I am in year three, I am about to graduate next year. I guess my stay here in Assumption is my longest stay in one school. The school has helped me grow as a person. It has taught me a lot about my faith in God. They also taught me how to value my friends and learn to love my family. I learned in Assumption that we must be people not only women of faith and action. I also learned that if we want to get something we must work hard for it. Assumption taught me that in life if you want to be able to help people shouldn’t think of yourself only but you must think for others as well. You must think about the good of the people and how you can reach out to them. I also admire that in our school we really value simplicity. You don’t have to blow your own horn about something to be someone, just be you’re self. You shouldn’t care about what people think, if people don’t like you for who you are, being simple, and then those people are shallow. They just judge you buy your looks; therefore they are not worth your accompaniment.
Up to today I am still figuring out my mission in this world. Why God sent me here. I am willing to wait to find out what God’s mission for me is. I am here to be his soldier of faith anytime he needs me. If He wants me to be a doctor and save lives, so be it. But for now I deem that He just wants me to be a friend a student and a daughter to him and my parents.
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