Stephanie Lopez, an eighth grader at Animo Jefferson, wants to be a therapist when she grows up so she can help people with their problems and change their lives.

Middle school is going pretty well for he. She is making new friends and is excelling in school. Mr. Saltos has had the biggest influence in her life because he taught her that she can learn from her mistakes and her mistakes make her learn better.

Stephanie switched middle schools during the second semester of seventh grade. She had lots of friends in her old school. And transferring to a new school during quarantine meant she had to do online school, which was pretty hard for her since she didn’t recognize the school, the teachers, and the classes, so it kind of felt weird for her. But now going in person for eighth grade feels good and is way better for her then online school because she can make new friends.

Stephanie says she is ready for high school because she is ready to start a new chapter in her life. Though she isn’t happy about it because she might not be able to see her friends.

Transcript:

Meleni Hernandez: My name is Meleni, I am 13 years old. Today is September 12, and I am speaking with Stephanie who is my best friend. We are recording this interview in Los Angeles, California. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Stephanie Lopez: I want to be a therapist.

MH: Why?

SL: Because I can listen to people’s problems, I can help them, you know maybe change their lives.

MH: What made you want to be a therapist. Like what inspired you?

SL: Cause I just see lots of people hurting themselves and like you can change someone’s life like that.

MH: Yeah, How do you feel about almost graduating middle school?

SL: I feel kind of good but bad.

MH: Why?

SL: Because I probably won’t see you again, probably will. And you know I feel good because I can finally go into high school a new chapter in my life. It’s gonna be like a new milestone basically.

MH: Yeah yeah. [inaudible] How did it feel switching schools during like mid, middle school?

SL:  Uhm cause I had two middle schools, So like the first one I was getting used to it cause like I had lots of friends around me so like now changing on online school it felt kind of weird because I didn’t recognize the school, the teachers, the classes, so it kind of felt weird.

MH: Mhm. How does it feel now while you’re going in person? How’s the new school for you?

SL: It feels good cause it just feels way better than being online and like you can just meet new people.

MH: Yeah. [inaudible] How was your last year in elementary?

SL: Uhm it was good because we made memories and it was just a great environment for us.

MH: What was your favorite memory?

SL: There was a lot.

MH: Yeah.

SL: Uhm but I like going on field trips one. I like going to the beach one the best.

MH: Oh from Mr. Cruz?

SL: Uh huh the reading one.

MH: Oh that one was nice, I had fallen and hurt myself. [Laughing] I still have a cut I think.

Uhhh How was your experience with Mrs. Barahona?

SL: Horrible.

MH: Horrible Why?

SL: I don’t know she just wasn’t the best teacher, but she did make us learn lots of things.

MH: She did.

SL: She’s not the easy going teacher, she is more of the strict and go-through teacher.

MH: Yeah she was very mean to all of us.

SL: Mhm.

MH: [inaudible] Do you have a good memory of her?

SL: Good memory? Uhm probably going on field trips cause she wasn’t that harsh, but she would just let us have fun. 

MH: Yeah [inaudible] What are your favorite memories of Mrs. Huffer and why?

SL: I liked when her husband came because he just made it ten times better.

MH: Yeah He did.  He was cool too. Remember one time didn’t he give us candy or something?

SL: Uh huh I also liked when at the end of the day we’d get our seating charts well, not like our seating charts, but our behavior charts and we can pick a candy or something. I think it was the end of the day or maybe the end of the week. I think it was the end of the week. Mhm.

MH: We were all really close too, then we all separated.

SL: Yeah.

MH: So sad.

SL: Fourth grade just changed.

MH: Yeah it did.

SL: But we got to meet new people.

MH: But then we also stopped being friends with a lot of the people in third grade.

SL: Mhm.

MH: That was sad though. [laughing] What is your favorite memory of me?

SL: Uhm there’s a lot but I really liked when we would go on a field trip and we’ll always be partners.

MH: Yeah, what kind of field trip was your favorite?

SL: Probably the boat one cause we’ll go to the gift shop, we’ll go on the boat, and we’ll take a picture.

MH: Yeah, and then we get wet.

SL: We’d get wet.

MH: I think I got sick after that actually.[laughing]
 SL: Boat sickness or motion sickness?

MH: No, just sick because of the cold like the water.

SL: Mmm.

MH: Yeah I got sick. [inaudible]

SL:[laughing]

MH: Who has been the biggest influence in your life, and what lessons did you learn?

SL: Uhm, probably Mr. Saltos.

MH: Why?

SL: Cause when I was in his class for math foundations like in the beginning of the year he told me that I can learn from my mistakes and my mistakes make me learn better.

MH: And how did that help you?

SL: It helped me because it got me to get out of math foundations.

MH: Okay okay. What are your goals for high school?

SL: My goal for high school is to get straight A’s. I don’t mind like a B but I want to try and be the best student I could possibly be and I want to be noticeable like I don’t want to be that one quiet kid I want to be the one where everyone knows me. And have a lot of friends.

MH: Mhm how are you going to do that?

SL: Like talking to people, getting to know people like new students or something.

MH: Is this school better than your old school?

SL: Uhm I’ll say yes because in my old school it was one class per grade, So there’s like one teacher for two subjects basically.

MH: Mhm.

SL: And for this school there’s like multiple teachers who can help you and there are office hours if you need extra help.

MH: Yeah. What is your favorite class right now?

SL: Probably science class because Mrs. Alamilla is nice, we do lots of projects, and she makes science fun and not be boring.

MH: Yeah, well what’s your favorite lab thing that we have done?

SL: Lab? Uhm the one I remember was the tower, the paper tower where we get tape and paper.

MH: Mhm.

SL: Me and my team just gave up if i’m being honest [laughing] I don’t remember who won but we definitely didn’t get anywhere.

MH: Did your tower get bigger or like did you create it pretty big?

SL: No [laughing] Uh I think it was like 12 centimeters.

MH: 12? Oh wow. [laughing]

SL: I know.

MH: Uh well thank you for having this interview with me [laughing] Bye.

SL: Bye.