One day more...

...until the the first day of the last week of school (whether you consider that as being Sunday or Monday depends on what you consider "one day" being taking into account the time I posted this as well as what you consider to be the first day of each week - so that is open to interpretation).

I am right now sitting at the dining room table, drinking cinnamon coffee and listening to jazz, ruminating these last four years.  The slope of a line can be begotten by this formula:

Pretty much, the difference between the first point and last point.  This formula could be applied to my high school experience.  I can look at how I began - on that first day of school - and compare it to how I am now and find the slope of my growth.  It is most definitely a positive slope.

That was a less illustrative analogy that I hoped for it to be.  

Okay, to get the point - that I've grown a lot and thank iPoly for a great many things - across, I will define the first point and the last point.

First Point (first day of school):

I was distrustful of people my age, believing them to be foul-mouthed, sneaky creatures.  Around the end of first semester, I was determined to be a Loner, thus preserving my innocence and calm of mind.  My self esteem was a bit low and ordering things on my own usually proved to be an ordeal.  Those cashiers, man - fierce and demonic organisms.  Social gatherings and generally mixing with people I didn't know were uncomfortable necessities to me.  I was pretty set on physical therapy or naturopathy as the make-up of my future.  There's this college in Florida that has a naturopathy major.  UCLA is ideal, though.  I mean, it's UCLA.      

Ah, Passport Approved...

Last Point:

People my age are foul-mouthed, sneaky creatures - and that's okay!  It adds zest to the goings on of my everyday.  iPoly has taught me to deal with stress by having a sense of humor.  That nearly-all-nighter during Passport Approved was pretty funny, come to think of it.  Whenever I look back on it, I always laugh.  :)  I've come to realize that cashiers are humans like me and are there to make money and, some, to get a promotion.  They are not out to sabotage me!  Meeting new people is fun, but hanging out with any group of people from this Class of 2014 is always funner.  Academic shtuff is still a joy to me - but I'm not so sure what I will focus on.  I like my humanities - morals, literature, organizational goodness - as well as STEM - molecular biology, ecology, marine biology, physics, nano tech, green chemistry, engineering, maths.  I shall be going to Pomona College - chirp chirp - which I feel is way better than UCLA. X)  I now know how to appreciate a research paper, make an effective pie chart, organize a research presentation poster, use a micropipette, "network", shake hands properly, use Pixlr, fold a tri-fold brochure, play badminton, use a piñata as a presentation board, among other excellent things.  Risks are many times fruitful, and every experience is an opportunity.  Thanks iPoly.   

Behold, a delicious pie chart.

This post has a lots of "I" in it, which makes me uncomfortable.  That's okay, though.  This is blog is about me anyway, right?  I mean, it's called "vmachucan..."... (whoa, double ellipses).  Am I sad to see my four years come to an "end"?  YES.  I try not to be, telling myself that there is no "end", just a continuation, that many of my friends are staying in the area.  I won't see them as often, though, and some are going out of state!  But hey, we'll stay in touch, and I know I'll be coming back to iPoly.

Where am I now?

I've ended my mentorship, but Manji made me promise that I'd stay in touch with and update him on any significant developments.  I may start doing research at Pomona over the summer - perhaps on nano materials.  I'll find out if I've been accepted to the program this Monday.  I could have chosen a research project that mirrors my senior project - with Crane, on carbonoclastic anaerobes - but thought I'd choose something fresh and relevant to my blooming interest in the nano world.  At Pomona, I hope to hone my chess skills and maybe get into fencing, volunteer at the organic garden, do as much research as early on as possible, join the anti-fracking campaign, work on establishing a stronger connection between Pomona and iPoly, among other things.  In particular, I'll look into connecting the chess clubs, diversity efforts, and physics goodness at both schools.  Hopefully these efforts will bear fruit.   

So, I'm not saying "goodbye" to iPoly.  Rather, I'm saying "see you soon".  

This post is too sad - so here's a photo of my amazing dog and good friend: Kaia.