What school do you attend and what grade are you currently in?

I go to Samueli Academy and I’m in 9th grade.

Tell us a little about yourself…

I like to hang out with my friends whenever I can. We usually hang out at the mall or the outlets where we will sometimes watch movies or go inside Round1 Bowling or Dave & Busters. I really like music. I like to sing but people sometimes tell me I don’t have a good voice but it’s okay, I still like to sing anyway! I love my family, especially my sister since we go everywhere together just the two of us and it’s always fun.

Did you have any challenges you were dealing with prior to attending TLC?

Yes, I’ve struggled with anger issues. I can get angry and annoyed at the smallest things. I really wanted to fix it since I would sometimes get in trouble when I reacted in a certain way.

Was there a coping strategy that you were introduced to that helped you manage those challenges?

I’ve learned different techniques through the program but the one I use the most is the breathing one. Taking a deep breath when I get angry really helps.

In what other ways has participating in the TLC program helped with your mental health?

I’m smiling more! My friends even tell me that I seem to be in a happier mood now and make more jokes all the time. They tell me that some of them aren’t that funny, but they still laugh because of how happy it makes all of us, which still works!

Why do you feel it’s important for teens to have resources like TLC to help them learn life skills?

I feel like at first, I wouldn’t really understand why I was having to take these lessons or wonder what the point was sometimes. But as I started to listen more and be open to the topics, I started to find similarities between what we were talking about and my own experiences. You might go “Oh yeah, I do that too” and then learn some tools on how to work on certain things.

What were some of your favorite activities?

I really liked the circle card activity at the start of every class. It helped me to open up and learn to talk more in front of people.

I also enjoy journaling, I actually started to keep my own journal after working with them in this class. I’ve noticed that by doing that I can express a lot of my feelings and sometimes write five or more pages of just my thoughts during a given week. It feels really good. I haven’t really gone back and re-read anything yet, but I like the experience of moving forward in the journal, onto the next page as I continue my journaling.

Who or what motivates you to be the best version of yourself?

Definitely my sister Milena since she’s like a role model to me. She gives me a good idea on things to do and not to do based on her experiences. She’s a good influence in my life and I’m thankful for her.

What is one achievement that makes you proud?

I’m really proud of my math grades. I like that subject, but I sort of get nervous about it and sometimes overthink the problems or contradict my thoughts about it. Seeing that I get good scores on my math test helps me to know I’m doing well.

What are your plans after graduation?

I really want to get into a good college. I’m currently trying to decide whether I want to go into law or if I want to pursue something more focused on math. Whatever I do, I still want to try to stay grounded and connected to my family.

What advice would you give to a student starting out in the TLC program?

My advice is to just really give it a shot and try to listen through every lesson before making any judgment. I’ll be honest, sometimes I wasn’t sure why certain lessons were being covered but then I started to realize that how many things we talked about could be applied to my life. You may not realize how the lessons can be helpful until you go through a difficult time but then you already have some tools ready to help you out.

TLC is so proud for all the wonderful students we work with! To learn more about the TLC program, visit: https://tillyslifecenter.org/program/