5 Questions with Jocelyne Rojas
May 11, 2016
As of last week, Jocelyne Rojas, 10, is the new girl in school, and she tells about the major differences between her old private school, compared to Downey, and her hope for the future.
Q1. Describe your experience so far at Downey.
A1: My experience so far is great! It’s different from where I came from, but there are a lot of nice people that are ready to welcome you. The teachers are friendly and are ready to help you fit in and catch you up on any academic work.
Q2. Did you notice any immediate differences between your old school, Glendale Adventist Academy, and Downey?
A2: I noticed a few differences. One of them was how big the school is. It’s amazing to see a building that big and everyone have a certain place. It’s huge and that amazes me. There’s a large amount of students that attend Downey High.
Q3. You went from a school with 200 students to a school with more than 4000, how does that feel?
A3: I came from a school with about 200 kids, and now I’m going to a school with more than 4,000! Different. The experience is going to be different, but not necessarily bad, I see it as a good thing. Everyone pretty much minds their own business and keeps to themselves. The people are very friendly. I see it as a possibility of more friendships.
Q4. What do you think would be the biggest hurdle for you to overcome to become accustomed to this school?
A4: One of the things that would probably be the biggest hurdle for me to get accustomed to this school is the amount of students. There’s a lot of people that I don’t know, but I’m sure if I take the time, I will get to know some of them.
Q5. What are your academic aspirations?
A5: I really want to go to a 4-year university. I’m not sure what I’d like to study, but I’m excited for the future.

“I remember as a small child I would write stories to my dad,” Hernandez said. “Once he read them, he would compliment me on my storyline; he would really support me.”
Hernandez enjoys taking real life experiences and turning them into fictional stories.
This allows her to vent without disclosing the identities of the people around her.
Hernandez’s friend Samantha Melgoza enjoys showing her creative side through writing. Melgoza has been writing for four years and plans to pursue a career as a writer because she believes its way to stay in touch with her childhood while being seen as a professional.
“I like to write because it’s a way to show whatever imagination I have,” Melgoza said.
Michelle Vilarino, another friend of Hernandez, has been writing for five years as a hobby. She does not plan on perusing a career in writing but does plan to keep it as a hobby or a possible side job.
“It’s kind of a way to escape,” Michelle Vilarino said, “you can insert yourself in a story that would never happen.”
Hernandez only writes as a past time and does not plan to become a full time fiction writer in the future. She does however want to pursue a career in journalism.

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