sjsprWriting

As I got ready for school, I begged my mom to let me stay home. To not make me walk into a classroom with 15 unknown kids. 15 of the 50 that were part of the Class of 2016. I refused to walk in. I cried, I screamed, I pushed, I did anything to not go in there. My Pre-K teacher then sat me down with some kid, calmed me down and that's when my mom saw the opportunity to run away. It was the same routine for the first week of class. My mom would say she’d be just outside all day waiting for me but it was never true. Well, thank god she forced me in there. Thank god she made little Tuto get out of his comfort zone at such a young age to join this class. Today, the last day of my Saint John’s journey, i don't want to leave, i don't want hear that last bell go off saying goodbye. Yes, i understand all the bulshit of moving on and a new step in life, but I didn't say i want it to happen now! I'm with my family. A family of 38 kids that completely understand me. Each and every one. This is like when you need to shower. You don't want to go in, you don't want to get wet, you refuse. Yet once you're in, there's no way anyone takes you out of there. In the comfort of warm water.

In the 14 years of my life, i have seen classmates come and go. I have created friendships that are not going to break. I have memories that are going to remain with me for my entire life. The guys in our grade are brothers. Yes, you look at us and see us doing the weirdest stuff but it's brotherly love. I remember around 9th grade, we were playing futsal and Carli and Nacho almost punched me in the face. That's when Carli and I hated each other. Yet now, they are friendships that i will cherish for the rest of my life. Not only them, but every single boy in our grade. I know they have my back and they know i have theirs. The girls in our grade, well, have learned to tolerate and actually enjoy the crazy shit the boys do. Like really, if any girl would see us, they would simply not talk to us.

The advanced writing class started off not so great. I would dread going into a class where we had to be completely quiet, no whispering, no nothing. Just sit down and do your work. No lecture, no nothing. Then the magnificent Mrs. Erickson came back and the class completely changed. She came in and said, well why aren't we in a circle? And from then on, it became the class i would look at my schedule and say “Fuck yes”. The class where everyone was heard and everyone shared their ideas. I want to thank those people in the class for creating a great bond and listening to everyone’s perspectives with respect. I want to thank them for really caring what everyone has to say. Most importantly, I want to thank Mrs. Erickson for giving me the chance to be in this class. I remember going up to her at the end of 11th grade, being really scared and asking her if i could take the test to be in the class and thank god she did. Mrs. Erickson, there is no better class than this one. Out of the 14 years in SJS, it's the class that i have actually learned and enjoyed it. The class where the teacher doesn't treat us with superiority. She is one of us and that is something special. Thank you Mrs. Erickson, it has really been an amazing year.

To conclude, I’d like to point out to nacho that the Celtics are a better team than the Thunder and it is so obvious.

Nacho and Alvaro, YNWA, Ill definitely see you guys in a Liverpool game at some point in our lives. Pretty crazy but im going to miss

Vero’s laugh. It would definitely get even the people in the worst moods to at least smile. Sabrina, keep rocking that hair and dont let anyone, not even Ortiz, tell you what you can and cant do, unless it illegal.

Blas, youll probably become some famous novelist in the future with an alias of “el caballo”

Cata, well Chile kinda sucks at soccer, so maybe you can go for Argentina now that youll be living there.

Sophie and Vero, dont forget we have make a wish may something and we have to organize parties or something, idk ask sophia. No but seriously, Soph thanks for your beautiful and inspiring camp stories. I can definitely survive 10 days in the woods now. And Vero, for always pumping everyone to go out.

Isa is 100% going to win some Nobel Prize or something for her poems and writings and will marry Adrian.

Michelle should bring her dogs to college with her, yes, all of them

Sari, im still waiting for your dads movie of Vermont.

Sofia expect texts from me asking about the new rap music coming out so you can chair it with me. I mean, share.

Nicholas your stories are always the longest yet the deepest and most interesting.

Alvaro,well, there's so many things i can thank you for but ill keep it short. Thanks for always having my back even when things get tough. Let's go hard tonight.