Masterpiece Presentation Essay

To start off, it has been such a great year. I have had many good times this year. I've made more friends and strengthen current ones. The great thing about being a part of the Open Source Learning course is that it is hugely focused on the relationships between you and your peers. Being able to strengthen your network is a huge aspect of the Open Source Learning course. So, I would have to say, yes, I did espoused learning. My growth in this course has increased immensely.

I have been able to build a network, actually strengthen my network with those who make a big impact in my life. I will always remember this year as the year that I have helped create memories that will last a life time.  I will always remember that I have been a part of a course that allows literature to be expanded through the art of remixing (pictures, videos, etc) and through the use of technology. Technology was a huge part of this course that truly creates a convenience for all students. With the use of technology, we were able to connect with others around the world to help acquire a better understanding of the piece of literature that we are working on. This is the network that I am talking about. The network consists of my colleagues, my friends, my mentors, and people around the world who are willing to participate in helping one who is also a learner. Honestly, I do feel that we all have deserved the high level of trust that we all were given this year. We did earn it, and we did honor it. We used the opportunity to build our understanding of the work and to strengthen our relationships with each other.

This year is also the year that my friend, Danny Luu, and I created a community service club called Project Humanity. Our goal was to unite the students of Righetti to spread good in the world.I don't like to "toot my own horn", but we have done just that. We have united many students of Righetti to provide assistance to those who need it within our community. This club was my passion. Compassion was my passion. Compassion was also the passion of many others, such as Miranda Nillo, Shane Hunter, Mia Levy, Ian Steller, Taylor Duguran, Hannah Savaso, Meghan Martella, Kylie Sagisi, Rachel Nolan, Sarah Stevens, Vanessa Padilla and many others. You see, I just named a few people out of the MANY people that all have compassion in their hearts. The showed compassion through boosting school spirit, through creating a blog that helps those through college and its lifestyle, through creating awesome videos that will inspire others to do more for the world, through baking to solely capture the moment when a child takes their first bite of a delicious pastry, and through finding themselves which would impact the world in the long run.

Ian Steller, Shane Hunter, and Mia Levy- Warrior Nation



I have been extremely blessed to be a part of such an amazing class. This class has so much talent, so many skills, so many bright ideas, and so many plans to make the world a better place. Who would not be excited to come to class each day and be with those you know will make a difference in life? Each person that I see every day in this class motivates me to be a better person. They motivate me to find and become the person that I want to be. They motivate me to have "a big heart" because they all are a part of my heart somehow and in some way.

During my masterpiece presentation, I shared a quote from my mentor, Mrs. Deanna Byrne. This quote truly blew me away because it honestly represented exactly what we are all doing. The quote is, " The objective is to do what you can, as often as you can, for as many as you can, whenever you can!" I've seen this quote be put into action every single day, whether it is through a simple action or a complex action. Each person's masterpiece presentation was put together with collaboration with each other. We cannot avoid the art of collaboration because it is how the world is run.

I participated in a science expedition which was organized by my friend, Melissa Steller. She created this event for her masterpiece, and we all were excited to be a part of it. But, what we did not realize that it would be one of the "get-together's" that would last in our memories for a life time. Every day, I see at least one person who talks about the trip and how amazing it was. Many times it was me. This trip truly strengthened my relationship with my friends and built new relationships with others. The laughs, the smiles, the funny moments all helped to create the experience of a lifetime. This is what I call a network. This is the network that you know will always be open for you, anytime and anywhere.

The hero's journey. I am not a hero, but my friends and my mentors are heroes to me. They have helped me to open up and be who I am. They have allowed me to have fun in this course and in the moments that we were all together. This adventure is just the opening to an even bigger adventure. I hope that I will be able to experience the bigger adventure with my friends, my mentors, and my colleagues because it makes the experience so much better. Each person that is in this course is not only one of my friends, but each person is also a mentor to me. We are all mentors with each other because we all have different walks of life and different experiences in life. These two aspects form a real persona. They form who we are. So, if we are all able to learn from each other, in this network, then we will conquer a challenge, and we will return enlightened. We need to embrace who we are so we can enjoy life, enjoy the experience. This two videos talk about we should embrace the moment, embrace the experiences.

Miranda Nillo - Senior Project: Lessons from High School.

Like I said in my masterpiece presentation, we need to Open Up, Be Yourself, and Always Have Fun. When I say these three things, I mean that we need to open up to others. We need to be open in allowing others to direct us to the right path of life because, isn't that what we are all looking for? We also need to be ourselves because that is the easiest way to be happy with yourself and with others. We don't need to hide behind a different persona just to be liked and loved. This network doesn't work with people who hide behind a different persona because then the experience is just a waste because it did not make a difference in that person's life at all. And, lastly, we always need to have fun because this experience, this course is an opportunity to build and strengthen relationships with your friends, your teachers, and your mentors, and it is the opportunity to see yourself, to look at yourself, to find who you are, and to be who you feel you need to be.