ABOUT ME
Hello, my name is Serenity Ceja. I am a sophomore at Redwood High School, and for the Gigantia, I write clubs&lifestyles. I am one of 11 siblings, and I play basketball here at Redwood. Writing has always been my passion, so I am glad I get to write for the Redwood Gigantea. This is an amazing experience, and I’m excited to look back on all the stories I’ve written when I’m an adult. I want to be a pediatrician; working with children is what I strive for, considering I have so many siblings. I love animals, especially cats. If I see a stray cat on the road, it will be coming home with me. I am not a known person at Redwood, but I have a lot of character once you get to know me. With people I know, I would say I am really extroverted. I want to attend a 4-year university to at least achieve my master’s degree and hopefully get a doctoral degree. I hope you enjoy all my pieces of writing! I don’t have much, but I put a lot of time into them. Thank you!
My stories
Fun vs. Finances: Are School Activities And Events Becoming Too Expensive?
The cost of Rangers Spirit at Redwood High School is being overlooked by its students in various ways. And next on the
I wrote the story for every student at Redwood. Being involved is a very important aspect of being a ranger, but how can we be involved if tickets for dances are above $20? I feel like it’s not easy for everyone to attend these activities due to their absurd prices. I understand that the school needs to profit from its events, and the money must go back into the school; however, I think that there should be other alternatives to maybe get tickets for dances, just because not everybody has the money to pay to be involved. Involvement should be free. I myself have missed out on a few dances and activities just because I didn’t have the money to go when I really wanted to, and as a student, this hurt. I wanted that opportunity to attend, but couldn’t. So are schools overcharging for events and activities?
Connect and Dine: Discover The Breakfast Club at Redwood High School!
With food, films, and friendships, Redwood’s Breakfast Club has quickly become one of the fastest-growing clubs on campus, offering students a chance to connect over a free meal and good company.
I wrote the story connect and Dine: Discover The Breakfast Club at Redwood High School to spread awareness of this amazing club that is a new addition to the Redwood campus. The Breakfast Club is a club that is based on meeting with your peers to eat a breakfast that is provided by one of our local franchises or businesses in town. This was the first story I have ever written, and looking back on how I wrote, I could really see how I developed as a writer. It was so fun to talk to all these amazing people, including the President and Vice President. If you want to socialize and find new people that you may connect with, The Breakfast Club is definitely the club for you because of its social environment and welcoming atmosphere.
More Than Just a Name: Meet Natalie Sanchez
As you walk around campus, going from class to class, you may have unknowingly passed by a girl named Natalie Sanchez. While you might not know much about her, this is your opportunity to gain some fascinating insights into her story.
This story is my first-ever profile piece, and I think I picked the perfect person to write it about. Natalie has a truly inspiring story, and it just reminds you that you walk past people and you don’t really know their story until you talk to them. Natalie has these amazing goals for her life, and she is so involved in Redwood; it is truly inspiring to look at her and see her goals and how she pursues them. This story was really fun to write because it was like one-on-one, which made it super easy, yet challenging at the same time, because you never know how somebody wants their story to be told. However, I think the story was definitely one of my best due to its complexity.
Do New Year’s Resolutions Actually Last? Where Are Redwood Students Standing With Their New Year’s Resolutions?
New Year’s Resolutions are fading as time passes for people across the world. The reason for this is more common for the average human than you may think.
I wrote this New Year’s resolution story with a co-author, Jazlynn Borda Delgado. My thoughts behind the story are that I think it’s important to share people’s goals to see how they commit themselves to it. Hearing how people pursue their goals can not only motivate you but also motivate them as well. I say this because they will feel supported by their peers and people around them. If you look up to them, it’s like they have to fulfill the role of being a role model. The concept of New Year’s resolutions have always stuck out to me just because of their capability to carry so much value, I myself can never stick to a New Year’s resolution and I feel like this story has really motivated me to try again next year because all these people have such amazing goals and I want to be a part of that and accomplish something that I probably would never have the motivation to do.
Redwood Hearts: A Ranger’s Valentine
Valentine’s Day is celebrated differently for people all around the world, but how are Redwood Rangers celebrating it this year?
This was another co-author story with Jasmine or Delgado, and my opinion on the story is that it was so fun to write because I feel love week is such a big part of Redwood, it’s kind of like the cowhide of holidays due to its important and enthusiastic celebration. Love week is full of dress-up days, activities, and people just being happy because of the amount of Love Redwood is giving to its students. Lovely is definitely one of my favorite weeks here at Redwood, and I hope it’s a tradition that carries On Beyond my time at Redwood. Hopefully, it grows, and it was fun to see different perspectives on this story from staff and administration.
Finding a way: Mental Health Support at Redwood High School
Mental health. One of the most important aspects of one’s life, shaping who they are and who they become. Where can people who struggle with their mental health go to when they feel alone?
My co-author, Jazlynn Board of Delgado, and I created the story about our counselors as a way of showing counselor appreciation. Our Redwood counselors are so helpful to our students when it comes to academics, emotional, and mental health. We have such great counselors on campus that really help us set up our future, giving us everything we need to be successful. Redwood wants its students to know that we are our community that helps and appreciates each other by supporting and being able to hear each other’s voices. If you are struggling with mental health and are looking for some resources that can help you, the story is for you. And if you’re not and just want to read a story about our amazing counselors, I definitely would recommend this story because it was just so heartwarming to see how much our counselors care for their students.
The Hidden Impact of Classrooms: How do Classrooms Impact the way we feel and learn?
Here at Redwood High School, we have amazing staff and teachers who shape our future through their ability to educate us on the knowledge we have yet to acquire. Have you ever thought about whether the decoration and atmosphere of the classroom affect the way you gather this knowledge?
This was my first opinion piece, ever, and it was so fun being able to express my own voice, yes, I do have a voice but you never really have the opportunity to state your own opinion without being judged in public. Well, in journalism, you’re supported for having a different opinion. This story was very engaging. I got to communicate and talk to these teachers and really dig deep into what inspires them to decorate their rooms to feel so comforting. I got to meet all these new teachers that I’ve never even known of, and all of them were super nice and seemed to really care for their students’ environment. We have so many amazing classrooms on campus that really make us feel safe. I think the story was a little difficult to write just because these teachers had ongoing classes when I needed to interview them, but I made it work by going during passing periods and just taking time out of Journalism to get these interviews, because I think an environment really shapes somebody’s learning ability.
The Race For Class President: Voices Of The Future
Students step up at Redwood High School to be class president, sharing their goals, ideas, and visions for the school year ahead. Who will you vote for?
As the 25-26 school year comes to an end, we are electing new officers for classes and ASB. However, this specific story is only about the class presidents because these people will be shaping the 2-627 school year, and before Redwood Rangers voted, I wanted them to know who they would be voting for and what they would be offering for Redwood. Although elections have already been held, I feel like the story is still powerful to see what our officers will really accomplish and whether the goals that they set for themselves will be met. The story was not too difficult, but instead really inspiring. It was great to see these people on campus who were taking the leap and being a representative for their whole class. It takes a lot to have that sort of commitment and confidence, so I applaud all these people who tried.
Lessons from the Cabin: Reflections on My First Experience as a Scicon Cabin Counselor
Scicon is a well-known science camp in the Central Valley where students go to interact with nature and learn about the world around them in a deeper way. High school students are allowed to be cabin counselors for the kids. I myself have taken on that opportunity, and I want to share what to expect and what I wish I had known before attending.
I wrote this story as a way to inform other students on what to expect from becoming a scicon counselor, and what I wish I knew. Writing this story was super fun; it was nice to reflect on my last experience compared to a recent experience. I wish I had interviewed people for this story, but it was hard to at Scicon due to counselors not being able to have our phones. However, I would 100% do Scicon again, and I really enjoyed the experience.
