If I were stranded on an island, there are so many things that I feel as if I would need to ensure my survival.  Assuming I have enough resources for food and water, and that I am truly deserted on the island (meaning there are no dangerous, wild creatures who could potentially harm me), I feel that one thing that would be essential to me would be my Bible.  I feel that it would be important to have some sort of religious work/ thoughts to help hold my sanity.  If not a religious work, some sort of book to hold your attention and distract you from your environment.  Another item I feel that I would also need would be some sort of technological device to also keep me occupied.  Whether it would be my cell phone, lap top, or just ipod/ ipad to allow me to listen to music, and again, distract me from my environment.  Lastly, I feel that I would also need some sort of safety kit just incase something were to happen.  This kit would be equipped with antibiotics, band-aids/ gauze, flash light, etc…  The combination of these things I feel would all be extremely useful while I am on the island by myself.  

If I was on a deserted island, the three things I would need are a fresh water source, fruit bearing trees, and a source of very sturdy vines. I'm going to assume things that are abundant in nature regardless of location will be on this island (such as rocks). To survive, I will need a sturdy shelter, a secure source of food and water, and fire for warmth during the cold nights. Since I have the fruit bearing trees and a source of fresh water, I'll only need to worry about a shelter and fire.

The most important thing I would need on a deserted island is water. I would not be able to survive because I drink so much water in one day. I could go through about four water bottles in one day because water is so delicious. That deserted island would need to be supplied with thousands of water bottles just for me. The second thing I would need is my iPad because I use it for everything. I don't even touch my laptop any more unless I really, really have to. My iPad is so convenient and it's always near my side, I would have so trouble living without it. The last and final thing I would need on the deserted island is another person. I wouldn't want to be alone because I think I would go crazy. Being alone would get tiring and who would want to be by themself forever. I would either take my mom or my best friend because either one of them would be fun to hang around. We could have loads of conversations about being stuck on the deserted island. My mom and I talk about anything and everything and the same thing goes for my best friend. I would never have to talk to myself which could get really boring. 

If I were on a deserted island, three things I could not live without would be my IPod, pictures of my family and friends, and of course being the girly girl that I am, ChapStick. I would absolutely go crazy without my IPod. I love music, and at times it gets me through the most difficult moments. Seeing that I would be stranded, music would most definitely have to keep me sane.

Pictures of my family and friends are a necessity also because they are the ones who help me through difficult times. The memories from the pictures would remind me of all the loving moments we had together. Looking at the pictures from time to time would help give me motivation to keep going day to day.

I have a huge pet peeve about chapped lips. I am constantly through the day moisturizing them and applying ChapStick. If I were stranded on a hot sunny deserted island then I would most definitely be reapplying all day. Who wants dry lips anyway? Right?

If I were on a deserted island, there would only be three things that I would not be able to live without: fresh water, food (a.k.a my Nature Valley) and a deck of cards. Fresh water to be hydrated and keep me alive, you know, incase I do actually get saved. Food to give me energy so I can be able to build myself a little tent, fight off any monkeys that want my food,and to climb a tree to call out to a passing helicopter or something that may be able to save me. And last, a deck of cards because when I am all alone and bored, I could just pull out a deck of cards and play some solitaire with myself and perfect my poker skills.

If I had to choose three things, I think I’d take my Bible, a picture/pictures of family and friends, and a telescope (hopefully I’d be able to find food and water or else this island thing isn’t going to end well). I think life on a deserted island would be all about passing the time, so these three things are what I’d want with me while I’m passing the time. But they’re more than just time-killers, they’re also pretty representative of the priorities in my life.

I’d want to have my Bible because it’s probably the most valuable thing I possess. It was a gift from my cousin and it’s been pretty important to the development of my faith and how I try to live. Admittedly, it’s hard to practice what’s in a lot of the book if I’m all alone on the island with no one to interact with, but it’s still important to have to keep my faith strong. I feel like a book is a very natural thing to want to have, and I can’t think of a better one to have on a deserted island.

I think it’s a little obvious why I’d want a picture of family and friends. Living on a deserted island means complete isolation, so it’d be hard to live without something to remember my loved ones by. It’s hard to imagine, but if I didn’t have something to remind me of what they look like, I feel like over time I might forget and that’s definitely not something I would want to live with if I could help it. Plus, it’s always nice to have a warm reminder of loved ones, especially when the nights are cold.

Lastly, the telescope is a nice little thing to have to keep myself curious and appreciative. Looking up at the stars without a telescope, just pausing and really looking, is a very humbling experience. I can still remember the first time I looked up and just took in the sight – it was honestly a moment that guided me towards science and physics. I wouldn’t need the telescope to admire the stars, but it would be nice to have something that would let me take a closer look when I wanted to. In a way, that’s what science and physics are – a lens through which we can take a different look at nature. I can’t take all of that with me, but I think I’d be happy settling for the telescope.

If I was stuck on a deserted island, three things I would HAVE to have with me would be a knife, a frying pan and a first aid kit. The knife would be essential for not only hunting but building a shelter as well. The frying pan would help me distill the sea water making it drinkable and would also allow me to cook whatever I happen to hunt. Lastly, I would have to have a first aid kit to treat ANY aliments that I may get while living on the island. The objective while on the island is survival and survival is dependent on fitness. If I am sick or injured I can’t hunt , if  I don’t hunt , I won’t eat and the rest is self-explanatory. So, those are the things I could not live without if stuck on a deserted island. 

If I was stranded on a deserted island, I could not live without fresh water, food, and a companion.  Salt water is all around, but that would only make me thirstier.  So I would have to find clean drinking water. Second, I would need to find good food! I would have to find a way to tell which fruits were good to eat and also a way to catch real food.  But most important I would need a companion because I do not know how to do either of these things on my own.  I hope whoever survives that accident with me has a lot of experience in nature and knows all about how to get food and water on a deserted island.  Also, humans need company to keep them going in life, like Tom Hanks in the movie "Cast Away" who was stranded on an island and in such desperate need of a companion. Overall, I know what I would need to survive on a deserted island, but I would definitely need help to get it; I would appreciate that person who is with me for all their help, but more so for being there to relate to and share that experience with me.    

Growing up in a small town, you will often feel misunderstood. It seems as if the only choice you have is to assimilate. You will find there are not a lot of people that like the same things you like, play the sport you want to, eat the food you normally eat and stuff like that. It’s mostly one culture and you feel as if you have to adapt. I always felt misunderstood cause I was often the only black girl in the crowd.


In my graduating class of 500, I was the only black girl. Now there were black people as in guys, so I would always hang out with them, but after a while it would get old, because sometimes I would want to be around girls who understand the same things I’m going through and do the things I want to do. So I had a group of girlfriends, they were white but they took the same honors classes as me. We related in an intellectual way but often many things were a culture shock to them. Like explaining to them the way I do my hair or explaining the things my family do or even listening to different music as them. On the weekends they would always want to party and get drunk but I never wanted to. They didn't understand that why I would rather sit at home, or go ball with my friends, so they often would forget to invite me anywhere after a while. When life started getting hard dealing with that, I then found myself waiting to go to college. Now that I’m here I've found a group of girlfriends and guy friends who are exactly like me and do the same things that I do.

Since high school and even now in college, I've usually been misunderstood for my shy personality. I would always hesitate to say hello to people first or put myself out there because of my shyness. People would often think that I was rude or stuck up because I wouldn't run up to them to say hello. I just have always felt more comfortable with some people more than others and I think that often came across as antisocial. The way I dealt with it in high school was simply putting myself in more social situations and actually allowing myself to talk to people more. When I came to college I just became more social and really forced myself to get involved with student organizations and clubs. It forced me to open up and really develop my social skills. It’s hard to think of that shy, anti-social girl that I used to be. I’m practically a full blown social butterfly now.

I’ve been misunderstood many times, in many different occasions. I was always very involved in high school; I participated in many committees and community service events. Although I was very playful and friendly in school, I was a little more serious when it came to my community service. I have been told many times that I have a “mean face”, meaning that I look like I’m upset all the time making me look like a mean person but once people got to know me they learned that I was friendlier than I looked. 

When I am “zoned out” or focused, I am not being mean, I’m just serious, but others didn’t quite understand that. One day I went to my counselor's office because I wanted to do community service, I asked the lady at the front desk if she knew where my counselor was and at what time would she be back because she was not in her office at the time, the lady said she doesn’t know so I decided I was going to come back later. When I finally spoke to my counselor about doing community service she informed me that the lady in the front desk does not want me to work for her because I have an “attitude” and I looked at her in a rude way. My counselor had me sit down with her and explain to her that I had nothing against her. 

When I started my community service with her we grew very close, and she then explained to me that I looked like a mean person but I am sweeter than I look. She also advised me to smile more often because I have a “serious” face. She bought me gifts and recommended me to many places. Many similar situations have happened where I have missed out on opportunities for simply not smiling, therefore even when I’m focused or “zoned out” I try to remember to “crack a smile”. 

Throughout High school and the first 2 years of college I felt misunderstood not by my peers and friends, but by my parents. I’m sure many young people have felt this way and can relate. I have always been comfortable at school and within the numerous extracurricular activities I was involved in but I felt my parents simply accepted the things I was doing without truly believing in me. Like many others, my parents wanted me to go to law school or enter into a field that would guarantee a great deal of money. But the decisions about my future were constantly changing and once I told them I wanted to enter into education, it was a very hard fact for them to sallow. It took many arguments and under handed comments for them to realize I wanted to do what I loved regardless of riches. Once we were all on the same page I was able to live my life more freely knowing I had my parents in my corner. My advice to young people who are in a similar situation is to stick to your guns and continue to be interested in whatever you desire. Once your parents see the passion. They may very well come around and be in your corner as well. 

In high school, and even in college, many people believed that I was a selfish person that did not care for others. I have always been the type of person to keep a small group of close friends, rather than to have an abundance of acquaintances. I was always thought to have an attitude and other negative characteristics of that sort. Even though it bothered me, those who bothered enough to get close to me realized that I am a person with a good heart and intentions of helping others. 

Dealing with this gave me an important life lesson—the only person whose opinion about you counts is your very own. The talk and slander did not bother me because I was indifferent; I have never looked to others to affirm my identity. I am an individual and I am confident. People’s harmful words will have much less of a ripple if you constantly remind yourself of how amazing you are. Disregard the rest, the only person to please is yourself!

I was extremely misunderstood in high school.  People thought my sense was humor was harsh or felt I laughed at things that weren't funny. I felt the need to constantly explain myself or justify my feelings so  people would get where I was coming from. The way I dealt with it was just coming to terms with my personality, I'm  weird, that's it. It's one thing to explain your ideas to someone but explaining your personality is something you shouldn't have to deal with.  If people think you're "strange " because you express yourself differently then they clearly aren't ready to deal with your awesomeness, give them some time. 

When I was in middle school, I was encouraged to apply to a high school they considered to be very prestigious, Hunter College HS, the same school my sister attended. After visiting the school, I didn't hate it, but also wasn't sure that it was really the right fit for me. Nevertheless, after hearing the school praised so much, I decided to take the test (kind of like the NYC Specialized High School Admissions Test, except you had to take it in 6th grade).

I got in, and quickly found myself bored and uninterested. The school had a focus on liberal arts with strong art, theater and social studies programs, but I was always more of a math and science kid growing up. It also had about 200 students per grade, a lot less than I would prefer. In 10th grade, I told my parents that I wasn't happy there and wanted to transfer to a different high school. I knew they might end up being a little disappointed and that the school I would transfer to  might not be as good, but I still felt like it was something I had to do for myself.

Within months of transferring, I knew I had made the right choice. My grades improved, I go more involved in clubs and sports, and was just a lot happier overall. This decision also helped spark a desire to continue my education through my undergraduate degree and likely even further down the road. I doubt I would have cared as much about academics as I do now had I stayed at my first high school.