Written by: Mishel Vargas
Yaneth Marin is a senior, running for the Miss Cardinal title at San Bernardino High School. Yaneth is determined about her studies and focuses on who she wants to become in the future; she is very passionate about being ASB mayor at our school and is also a leader in a club. She’s willing to put herself out there, making her a sociable and friendly person, she mentioned that she likes being involved with school and it helped her grow into the person she is now. Yaneth is overall a persevering, patient individual, even if her goals have yet to be accomplished. She doesn’t give up and keeps on pushing for a better outcome and ending.
Mishel Vargas: How has San Bernardino High School changed you?
Yaneth Marin: It has changed me in many good ways. It has made me more confident in myself. I have done a lot of clubs. The admin here has been so supportive of me. They have taught me new ways and have taken me to find new opportunities, to work at the college career fair, or just help out other teachers and stuff like that. And that has taught me new things. That has taught me to put myself out there more, and just overall to try new things, to not be scared to try new things. And that getting a bad grade is not the end of the world. Instead of that, take it as a lesson and push forward, keep fighting for what you want, and keep going ahead.
MV: Do you think you still act and think like you did in freshman year?
YM: Honestly, some parts I still do, and some I don’t. I have changed for the better in many ways, but I feel like my overall like attitude to keep fighting and not giving up is still the same. Like I’m still very persistent, and I’ll take it. I don’t like taking no for an answer if I can find a way around it. I like pushing hard, like trying new things.
But I have also changed a lot in ways that I see many things, learning new lessons, learning how to be more persistent in certain things. Sometimes I would be very upset, like when they would tell me no, and now I’m pushing more forward. Instead of taking the no, I’ll do other things. I have learned that it’s okay to take no as an answer, but if you don’t like to keep pushing forward, still be very persistent, because there’s always a way around it. There’s always a way to do different things. When a person tells you no, it’s not the end of the world, you know.
MV: Did you find it hard to change?
YM: In a way, yes, because I would always like to come back to the topic about the grade. I was always thinking, I have to get straight A’s because if I don’t get straight A’s, I’m gonna end up being a failure. I’m gonna end up like being nobody in this world. A lot of my teachers would always support me, and they would say you’re not always gonna do things perfectly. I really liked that way because I was a negative person in the aspect that I had to get these perfect grades, that I had to be this perfect student. When in reality, all I had to do was try my best and keep pushing myself forward and do the best I could. I might have not been able to get the best grade but at least I tried my best.
Knowing that I tried my best has really helped me a lot because I can actually be someone even if my grade wasn’t the best in that class or anything, I know that I tried my best. My grades do not define who I am at the end of the day because I can always find ways to make myself better, to keep fighting for what I want, to do things in my career. I have done so many things for the school, like becoming the Cardinal City Mayor, which was a big achievement, and I have become the student store manager for my e-business pathway. I have started two clubs, and I have helped out in my community in so many ways. Giving flowers on Mother’s Day to the elderly and even just reading books for like little kids.
MV: What’s the challenge you have faced at school, and how did you overcome it?
YM: So a challenge I have faced was that I failed a class, and I thought it was the end of the world. Honestly, I’m not even gonna be able to pursue my career. No college is gonna accept me. The way I overcame that was that I started seeing dual enrollment, I told myself, it’s not the end of the world. My parents talked to me and said why are you going to stop at an F? It doesn’t mean the end of the world. One grade does not define who you are and it does not mean that you’re gonna just end up being a failure. So, I overcame it. I started doing dual enrollment, taking classes at Valley, finishing classes so I can have more free periods to get extracurriculars to bring my grade up. Even till now, like I’m taking seven classes, and I’m taking three classes in dual enrollment, which is actually helping me a lot. That grade did not define who I was at the end of the day.
MV: How do you keep up with the schoolwork, and do you procrastinate often?
YM: Sometimes I procrastinate, and I’ve always been a person who likes to get out there and try new things. I’ve always loved trying new things, and now I’m a very open person. You’ll always see me around the hallways, talking to new people, or just giving compliments to people, just making conversation and wanting to meet new people. Sometimes back then, I would procrastinate and as under classmate, I would be like, why would I do this right now? It’s due at 11:59, and I would be like that or even if it was due tomorrow, that’s work for tomorrow. And that has had me up to like two in the morning trying to finish all this work that I’m supposed to be turning in, or trying to do the work in other classes and falling behind in other classes, and that’s not good.
The way I keep up with schoolwork is always. Ever since I started procrastinating, I stopped because I learned that the hard way. What I started doing instead, I would always write the assignments I would have to do in my Google Calendar because it’s connected to your Google Classroom, and it would always tell you, oh, this day you have to do this. And as soon as I had a little bit of free time, I would work on it even beforehand, so I wouldn’t pile up, and I wouldn’t be rushing at four in the morning trying to finish all this work that I had to do. So instead of going out or just being invited to places and being like, oh yeah, you know what, let me go with you or stuff like that. Instead, I would do my work and just get that over with, because it’s better.
MV: What do you value in life, and why do you value it?
YM: I value a lot of things, even if it’s just little lessons or stuff like that. But overall, I value my family a lot. They have supported me not just as a family, but also as my friends. My sisters have always been there. I had a really rough patch my sophomore year because. My dad had health problems, and honestly I was kind of in a really negative mentality. I don’t want to go to school, don’t want to do this, you know, and I was feeling really sad and bad about myself, but my sisters were always there for me, as friends. Even if I had nobody to sit with at school, I know I had my sister, and they would always just sit with me at lunch, talk to me and be like, “Oh, let’s do this and let’s do that.” My older sister would include me in her events or stuff , and she would always pull me along, or even my younger sister, she would be like, “Oh, come play with me” and that has always motivated me to keep going forward, and that’s something I really value.
MV: Can you tell me more about a memorable experience that is worth sharing?
YM: I have a lot, especially in school. But one that I always remember, and even when I leave, I feel like I’m always gonna remember it. It was honestly a very fun thing that I did. I started doing folklorico my freshman year, as a separate club through CAPS and I was able to dance at the mayor’s office. We were able to go and perform for the mayor, and honestly, that was a very good experience. I enjoyed it a lot. I was able to talk to the mayor of the time, and I was able to see all these different people, and I don’t know. I always remember that, and it makes me smile. It just kind of brings me happiness.
MV: Is there anything I didn’t ask that you wish I did?
YM: I kind of wish you would have asked me a little bit more about what I do around the school, because I do so much, and I feel like that’s something that motivates students. Like coming to a high school, not knowing what to do. I feel like many students don’t know that you can actually start your own club as long as you have a sponsor and students that are interested in doing the same thing. I feel like many students don’t know that we have all of these clubs because I feel like we don’t sponsor them as much, or like we don’t promote them as much as students know.
