By: Quynh Anh Thach

I love the city

I love the city buildings

I love weather here

By: Cristiana Ramos Timas Dos Santos

Animals—they are

the best company, man’s best

friend and part of life.

By: Danilson De Pina Da Silveira

Add and subtract stars

take notes, explore difference

khan academy.

By: Dawens Desroches 

Dolphin, elephant,

cat, bird, tiger, monkey, fox,

chicken, dog, lion.

Soccer

By: Elias Sultan 

I do love to play

soccer, my favorite sport, 

I like Ronaldo.

By: Elili Sultan

I love my mother 

I have my family love 

I love injera. 

By: Hafsha Akter

I love my country              

I like my garden flowers 

I am a student.

By: Huy Le 

Today there is rain.

Snow storms— very dangerous.

The sun—very hot.

By: Ksenia Clark 

I draw a dolphin,

multicolor drawing sky,

drawing school for kids.

By: Simone Resende Pires

I love my sisters

I have two sisters—all mine

my funny sisters.

Food

By: Tien Nguyen 

I like black milk tea 

in Vietnam— pho very good

I love hamburger.

By: Dahyana Feliz Diaz

The ice cream is cold,

ice cream has different flavors,

helado frio.

By: Ery Mejia Vallana 

My organism

experiments are the best,

give me a second.

By: Fabrina Abreu Rosario

The reds are tasty,

the reds are my favorite part

the reds drip water.

By: Fleiver Ramirez 

Yo como uva

me gusta el tomate 

yo como sopa. 

Island   

By Paola Reyes Maria

The water is blue.

On the island there’s cocoa

the wind is blowing. 

Jardín  

By: Yolainis Trinidad Troncoso

Me gusta rosas

las rosas son hermosas

rosas bonitas.

By: Johan Arias de la Cruz 

Cielo azul

la luna resplandece

estrellas grises.

By: Nikaulys Suero Guzman 

La compran todos

me encanta la pizza

salsa tomate.

By: Aneuris Mateo Nova

Snake is poisonous 

Lion—King of the jungle 

I love animals.

“Are they speaking about me? What if they don’t like me? What if I don’t pass my test and I won’t be able to pass to the next grade?” “How do you feel today?” “… Good…” 

These are the thoughts that go through my head on a daily basis. Because I was born with the developmental disorder autism, I find it extremely hard to speak about my emotions and feelings, even to the people closest to me. Autism affects one out of 63 American children, making it a common disorder. So why do I feel so alone with it?

I noticed that I was different when I was in public and the sounds of trains made me go insane and cover my ears and cry. I’ve noticed that the simple gesture of making eye contact when speaking to someone is like climbing Mount Everest for me. When I was four I did not speak. I was put into several varieties of therapy such as speech, music and regular therapy where they would ask me about my emotions, which to this day I still have a problem speaking about. 

I was six when I met Julie. I was hesitant and didn’t speak to her for about two weeks, but as I opened my book of life I realized that she understood me, and till this day is the only person I am comfortable sharing my emotions with. Julie would stay silent with me when I chose not to speak and would help me decipher problems when I couldn’t control my emotions. When I was nine Julie declared I was prepared enough to control my emotions. I was overjoyed and happy to feel like a free being. When I was nine my parents and I were at the Esplanade for the annual fireworks show (a tolerable noise), and as we left it started to pour. I wanted to run to the station but my body just stood there trembling and I felt the tears coming. My father had to pick me up and cover me with his jacket while people stared as I cried in the rain. They did not know me and my story and my many small but mighty accomplishments before this incident.

By my own choice, I decided to transfer to a school closer to home during fourth grade and it was small, which made making friends easier. The school I was in before was too large and my autism made navigating the school feel like I was walking for hours. When I arrived it was thrilling, until a boy came up from behind me and humped me with a pencil between his legs during lunch one day. This was confusing, but I knew that it wasn’t okay. This and several other bullying incidents caused me to be paranoid and scared about the other kids around me. I would wake up crying and pleading with my mom not to send me to school. This traumatizing experience forced me back into therapy at the age of 11, with a guy named Cooper. He also changed my life by helping me let go of the suspicion that everyone was out to get me. 

We talked a lot, and this time around therapy felt a lot more mature. Because of Julie, I was able to express my emotions to a therapist much easier. After a bit, Cooper thought that I was ready to trust the world. So after a combined seven years of therapy, I´ve learned to truly appreciate the small feats. When I made my first friend in school I thought that was a call for celebration. So I write this essay to inform you, reader, that you are trustworthy, but to warn you that you do not know everyone's story. You have just walked in on one chapter of their book, and you have no right to judge without asking about their accomplishments and past.

ME
I ask myself sometimes what is right and what is wrong.

Yo soy de sangre Mexicana,

and will forever be. Pero I wonder,

does being born here make me mudblood, 

like Hermione Granger in Harry Potter? 

But then I sit, look at my skin, look at my hair and I see the eyes of a fighter— 

I see that I do so much for my family, who will always have their hearts open. 

And my wonder, am I half or am I full Mexican, comes to an end.

I will always be loyal to the country where my roots come from, 

to the place my grandfather died, and the body of my godfather was sent to. 

Si, I was born here in the U.S., 

my home almost 3.3 miles from here.

My heart will never beat to American colors pero 

de Mexico na mas.

I may not have been born el la tierra santa, 

but I grew up in a Mexican household.

Though my accent might not seem Mexican, 

eso es porque, crecí en un area Dominicana all my life.

Though I never felt in the right place here in America,

or Roxbury,

I've only ever felt close to home while in East Boston, Revere, Chelsea—  

they are latinos close to mi tierra, not like those in Roxbury.

So my question is to where I belong, 

where my heart takes me, which has lead me to open up today.

You think you know me,

You think you’re my friend, but you have it wrong.

You have no idea what my WHOLE story is.

You ask me, 

“Why are you sad, what’s wrong?”

Nothing's wrong, I peep and fall back. 

It took me a few good blows to realize people’s true colors 

But here I am standing strong, overcoming things I thought I’d never do.

So no, you’re not my friend,

God is my friend, though I'm not always nice to him.

He’s seen my ups and downs, 

he knows my WHOLE story, and didn't stop loving me.

And those who know part leave ASAP

So the question is who am I?

A fighter

A soldier

A big sister

A daughter 

More importantly, I am a Mexican. 

With all the dirt the President hands on us, I only become prouder,

because he does not know each and every one of our stories.

So do you know who I am?

Pues eso si, que es un no.