“You have to focus on yourself first”

Giovanny Gomez is a 15-year-old who attends Synergy Quantum Academy in South Central LA. In 2020, he joined the school during the pandemic. He didn’t experience how high school was until the 2021-2022 school year. In this interview, we will look into his perspectives on high school and also see about his life after the classroom’s lights turn off.

Transcript:

Gilbert Gomez: Alright, so basically, we’re doing this right? Right Gio? Yeah?

Giovanny Gomez: Yeah.

Gilbert: Uhh, so can you introduce yourself?

Gio: Umm, my name is Gio, and my last name is Gomez.

Gilbert: And, how old are you?

Gio: I’m 15 years old.

Gilbert: And, which school you go to?

Gio: Uhh, I’m going to high school right now, and I go to Synergy Quantum Academy.

Gilbert: Ah, well that’s good, and like, you know, I’ll just gonna ask you a couple questions and let’s just see how it is. So, how was the transition from middle school to high school?

Gio: It was weird at first, but after, like a couple of months, I got used to it.

Gilbert: And, why was it weird?

Gio: Because you don’t know anybody, there are new teachers, and new school.

Gilbert: And, before you went to high school, how was middle school?

Gio: Umm, it was great, middle school, I enjoyed it, had fun.

Gilbert: And what was the best thing in middle school?

Gio: Um, probably my teachers, and friends.

Gilbert: Ah, and how were they?

Gio: They were cool, they were all cool.

Gilbert: Ah. Well, how was like, hows high school right now?

Gio: The same thing as middle school, I’m doing great, I’m doing fine.

Gilbert: You’re doing fine right?

Gio: Yeah.

Gilbert: Ah, mm, alright so, what’s best about high school?

Gio: Probably that you get to learn more stuff and then you get a better education of what you’re gonna end up learning in the future, for if you can already do it.

Gilbert: Mm, and what do you learn in high school?

Gio: Right now, I’m learning everything, like every subject, like science, math, most of the, everything, English, yeah.

Gilbert: Ah, and like, moving on to the subject of fear, what do you fear about high school?

Gio: I don’t fear anything.

Gilbert: You don’t fear anything?

Gio: No, nobody should fear anything about high school. It’s just like if you were in elementary, and then you go to middle school, and that’s gonna be the same transition.

Gilbert: So like basically, high school and middle school are the same thing, just that high school is harder.

Gio: No it’s the same.

Gilbert: No?

Gio: Yeah.

Gilbert: No but like harder academically?

Gio: Yeah, I can say that.

Gilbert: Mmm, uhh, what is the, what’s your social life, like uhh, like uh, can you explain how are your friends or like.

Gio: My friends are cool, we hang out a lot and then we talk on the phone sometimes.

Gilbert: Mm, and you guys usually hangout with each other outside school or in school.

Gio: Outside school sometimes, mostly after school.

Gilbert: After school. Ah. Alright, oh shoot, it’s still going on for like three minutes and then we got seven more minutes left. Yeah, uhh, so, outside of high school, what do you do?

Gio: I mostly enjoy time at my house, meanwhile, I get to have a break when I get home.

Gilbert: Mm. And like, you know, what’s the other thing about- hold on, so I’m trying to think about something. Uh, oh, so moving on to the subject of high school again, um, in terms of like experience, how would you rate your experience in high school?

Gio: Uhh, if it were a 10/10, I would rate it a 8/10.

Gilbert: 8/10, correct?

Gio: Yeah.

Gilbert: Ah. And then, what is, like what do you see yourself in the next ten years?

Gio: Uhh, probably starting a business, hopefully. Or maybe just following my dreams of becoming a soccer player.

Gilbert: And, and how I mean no. Like why do you want to be a soccer player in the first place?

Gio: Uhh because I enjoy it, my family loves soccer and mostly I just, I just really guess it’s my favorite sport.

Gilbert: And like, uh do you ever played in matches, like soccer matches.

Gio: Yeah, a lot of times when I was a kid but ever since quarantine happened I haven’t played that much at all.

Gilbert: And ever since quarantine happened, uhh have you ever managed to like, you know, get a hold to play soccer again you know. Do you have the same skill?

Gio: I’m honestly getting better than before than I was. Same skill, same me, I just that I need to get, I need to start running more, that’s it.

Gilbert: Mm, and you said that you wanted to start a business right?

Gio: Yeah.

Gilbert: And what business is that?

Gio: Probably like uh, a building company like where you make houses, like design houses.

Gilbert: And why did you get the idea of a business?

Gio: Umm, because honestly, it would be, like, it would really change my life if I had a business like my whole life.

Gilbert: Your whole life?

Gio: Yeah.

Gilbert: And, hold on let me check. Alright, six minutes. So like basically, you said everything, you said that you were, you wanted to start a business, you liked high school, and then like, you wanted to become a soccer player. And then-

Gio: Yep.

Gilbert: How was your, how was your life before all of this, before you became you, before you went to high school, middle school, how was your childhood?

Gio: Umm, I’ve just having like the best life when I was a kid, but right now I gotta like focus on myself, instead of like other things.

Gilbert: Ah, and then like, would you rather be a child or an adult.

Gio: I would rather be an adult because I have more, like I can do more things because since if I am a child, I can’t like go out, hang out with my friends or like, do get work or like have money.

Gilbert: Mm, and since you and me have been together for the past 5 or more years, uh how- [laughs] uh how like you know, aw man, I just don’t got any more questions but like I’m just trying to think of something because you know, this is gonna be recorded and then I gotta give it to Mr. Hmm, alright let me think. So, I said that you and I have been together for over the course of five years right?

Gio: Five or more.

Gilbert: Five or more years. And like, how are we, like how was I?

Gio: Like how was our relationship right now?

Gilbert: Yeah, how was our relationship?

Gio: Um, pretty good, we don’t hang out as much as before because I will always go to your house when I was a kid. And now not really anymore because I’m in high school, I have to focus on other stuff.

Gilbert: Mm, and, did you ever manage to like, uhh, get the opportunity to at least uhh, find yourself time to at least play?

Gio: Yeah, a lot of opportunities especially on weekends because if I do my work in class, I don’t have any more homework

Gilbert: Mm. And since you have a brother, uh-huh, uhh, how was your brother?

Gio: Which one?

Gilbert: Jonathan.

Gio: Uhh, he’s good, he’s normal, the same.

Gilbert: The same guy?

Gio: Yeah. The same person

Gilbert: And, do you see that he changed, like as a person?

Gio: Yeah, he changed a lot, um, I don’t know how to explain it but he’s changed a lot.

Gilbert: Uh, sorry about the background noise, Jonathan and my other cousins are playing, you know, yeah. Well, yeah it looks like we hit the 10 minute mark, so uh, thank you for uh [laughs] for like you know being with us. So, one more que- one last question. What’s this advice you will give to middle schoolers like that are listening to this or reading this transcript, like, what advice?

Gio: If you have a girlfriend, or a boyfriend, don’t focus on them too much, you have to focus on yourself first, you know, you gotta get there first, and then if they’re following the same thing you’re doing, you guys will both get there at the same time.

Gilbert: Mm, and what do you mean that they’re following the same thing that you’re doing?

Gio: Like, stay focused on the work that you’re gonna do, cause whatever you wanna become in the future and just follow your goals.

Gilbert: Ah, well that’s very good of you Gio. Well thank you so much, for uhh being with us today, and that’s it.