Synopsis of Mural

Looking in the Mirror

Aariyah Rivera

9th Grade

Looking in the mirror is an everyday thing but when I look I can not see the person I want to be Fake and phony is what I have to be So no one will question me every day I put on a smile Meanwhile I'm trying to find a way to heal this heart of mine connections made and lost Trust earned then destroyed Can't take this anymore I’m bored with what life keeps throwing my way Having to question will this person will stay Why does life play with me this way Is something wrong with me Or is it them Can they not tell When they see a friend That I will go with them until the end I wanna transform I wanna see better days I wanna be true to myself in all ways I want the same back for my friends to be I want loyalty Is that too much to ask For them to be down and stick around So when I look in the mirror I can not only see me but my friends all along side me

Identity of Aliyah!

Aliyah Guerra

Grade 9th

The first time I walked into Empower Community High school I felt it wasn’t for me stomping around the halls, banging on the desks, And yelling across the rooms. When electives came around I chose one that sounded interesting to me. We learned about different identities, mainly about our own identity, How we would identify ourselves. I was truly unhappy with the way I would identify myself Me thinking about getting judged and so many thoughts that Were flowing in my head. I then realized who I was and how I identified myself. It was like a bullet shot passed my head. I was then comfortable Expressing my identity to others, my identity was flowing like a fast roller coaster. When I look in the mirror I see myself standing and thinking. I see different colors behind me, they hold me back from saying things I mean. The reflection of me is something that is like an illusion at certain times. My face, a recognizable image of me not just identifying who I am or how I look.

The world looks at me and sees how much different my identity is from others. A smile as bright as the sun because of happiness, I want to show. My hair was a short wave in the ocean waters, An image of who I was and now as a person reflecting back at me. Eyes as shiny as the sky above because of how I view certain things, A sweet friendly girl wanting to communicate with people, A quiet girl that hides her thoughts and feelings, A fluttering stomach as if there are butterflies around. The dark colors hitting different making me feel scared. Waking up to the sunrise In front of me through my window. Empower is a school where Your voice is heard You are able to be involved And have a lot of opportunities Moving to Empower has taught me That you should be proud of your identity no matter what. Identities are like sine in the sun.

Manny Morino

9th Grade

I think society sees me as a careless boy. I think this because I tend to be very careless at times. No, that’d be wrong. I’m not careless. I see myself as a more carefree person than careless. I’m not super reckless like that. I can be as carefree as a little kid at times. I also think society would describe me as very quiet, however I honestly don’t think that’s true. I’m quiet, but not around the right people. Sometimes I really do feel like I need to change to fit in more with people. But then I realize everyone is different, no two people are an exact copy of one another, like snowflakes falling in the cold, December, January type months. I also think I’m a very proud person. I don’t let it cloud my vision though. At least, that’s what I think. I think a lot of things though, and thinking is very different from doing. I’m a very solitary person. I’ve always liked the number one. It can represent many things. It can represent being alone, which honestly isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. One also represents being the best, so I think In a way I look up to the number one. One must be able to depend on themselves to get something done, not other people. To be able to be the very best at what I do. while not depending on any single person. I want to be like one. To be the best soccer player on my team. I will make it big. Regardless of all of the doubtful people in my life. My idols, The likes of Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Xavi, and Iniesta. I will follow in their footsteps. I will do this because this is what I love, Where all worries are lost. Where all stress is forgotten. The beautiful game. This is my dream.

The reality of how I see myself and how the world sees me

Estrella Hernandez

9th Grade

When I look at myself in the mirror I see a daughter that was raised right, I see the youngest sister, I see a Tia, I see stubborn, I see my brothers face features of my nose, my eyebrows, and face shape, I see rude, I see a dog lover, I taste the warm cinnamon and sugar when I made snickerdoodle cookies, I see shy, I smell the marshmallow fireside candle the makes me think of Christmas, I see the one who loves to travel to different states, I see my love for traveling is like the amount of key chains I have, I see my tangled hair is my tangled life, I hear the laughter and the screaming of my little niece and nephews when we played hide and seek, I touch the raw cold meat and chicken that I have to marinate when I help my parents, I see my mom and dads face features, I see the goal that I accomplished that I was so proud of, I see the one who loves Disney movies I see my birthmarks, I see the trouble maker, I see lazy, I see the one who loves and plays with little kids, I see young, I see teenager, I see different, I see all the drama in my life that made stronger, I see the star that shines in the night sky. When the world looks at me they see stubborn, They see tall, They see my culture, I hear my family and people say “Omg you guys can be twins you guys look the exact same” whenever I stand next to my brother and “Oh here comes Luis” Whenever I have an attitude”, They see nice, They see a quiet girl who just sits in the back, They see grown, They see my love goes and comes like the ocean waves, They see the love and kindness in my heart, They see the one who doesn’t care, They see an Innocent girl, They see the one who can’t make it, They see me going crazy when it's Christmas, They see annoying, They see young, They see old, They see me as the baby of the family, They see me only touching my medium long hair, They see me smelling the fresh air from hiking, They see me taste new foods, They see the love I have for little kids, They see the one who is nice to everyone, They see weird