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Today was a great but sad day. Today was our last day in writing with Shelva and aztec math with Candonache which made me sad because, I really enjoyed both of the classes. I’m going to miss writing because, I got to practice for writing my college personal statement and I got to see how scholarships work and how i can get to them. Math on the other hand was really fun I thought as math is one of my favorite subjects so to learn about the nepo was really interesting and I’m glad i got to have the honor to learn it with all my friends. I also would like to give a shout out to Shelva and Candonache for taking time out of their lives to come and teach us, I really enjoyed spending time with you guys and receiving the knowledge you gave us, so Thank You. 

Today was pretty set back and chill . I didn’t do the aztec dance in the morning because i was still tired from the night before. I went to breakfast and then after we had our last writing workshop and common app with Shelva . I didn’t finish my writing peace but i’m very confident in what i did do. I can say my writing has improved over the course of these two weeks. I didn’t really like it at first and know that i have been doing it a lot i kinda like it. It makes me feel like expressing my feelings is fun. hahaha. We also had our last math session of the aztec math with vesenthe and it was really smooth, i kinda got the hang of it know, if we had more time in this program, i’m pretty sure i would have mastered it. Even though i struggled a lot in it, i’m going to miss it.After dinner we had a elder come in and talk to us about that movie we watched and then told us about her career and how she wanted to correct history by telling the truth. Right know i’m feeling calm and like i want to see my family. I miss them and love them, but theres only today and tommorrow so i’m trying to make the most of it. I have made so much friendships here and it almost makes me feel like there my family too. My mentor louda , i am truly grateful for, she makes time for my huetziline and Marrissa . I love my mentor!!! Louda if you read this i am thankful for you!!! And i’m going to miss you a lot!! Thanks for putting up with me and the others!!! You are such a strong , amazing, beautiful person inside and out!!! Hopefully i run into you in hawthorne hahah. Im going to miss you, you should come back . I am.

Today we finished our last writing and Aztec math class. Both of these classes had huge impacts on me and will continue to help me in the future. Vicente Candonache is an amazing teacher, not only his teachings but also his way of teaching. He pays attention to the students and knows the best ways to get the lesson to stick. During class he has thought me so much about the Aztec calculator know as Nepohualtzintzin. Growing up I have learned the Nepo, the values and how to count. In two weeks, Vicente has taught me more advanced math such as multiplying, dividing, and finding the square root. I am excited to take this math back to my school and use it. In our last class with Shelve, we finished up our first draft for an essay we wrote for the common application. This is important to me because I am going to use this essay to apply to college. I would like to thank her for pointing me in the right direction for college. She also gave me a chance to speak in front of my peers here at the program about my experiences with scholarships. I appreciate everything she has done for us in the small time we were together.

Its my second to last day of blogging. I first want to Thank You to our wonderful and wise professors. Vicente and Shelva they were both the best at their jobs. I really enjoyed the Aztec math with Vicente it was something o really enjoyed and i was really into learning about. I learned how to divide, add, subtract, find square roots, and work on fractions. With Shelva i learned how to express more in my writing and use stronger vocabulary. I loved this class because soon I will be applying to college and will have to use all I  learned about writing and the common app.  I really also enjoyed all the guest speakers we had that educated us on useful things. I made some great connections through them and will be using my resources when I need help.

I had my final class with Candonache today. He taught me the esoteric art of preforming math on the Nepohualtzintzin. Candonache was my favorite teacher, not only because he so well illuminated the methods of Aztec math to me, but he provided me with wisdom pertaining to the beliefs of our people, and on how to improve my understanding of the world.

I also had my final class with Shelva today. I am very thankful for the consideration she had for all of us, concerning our futures and future colleges. Before I began attending Shelva’s classes I had no idea how to apply for scholarships, or even how to search for potential colleges, but because of her class I am now confident in these processes.

I appreciate the influential lessons of all the other I speakers, incredibly.

Thankyou Candonache, Shelva, and everyone else!

-Zaryn Prussia

there is a lot that i am taking from those classes. i have learned how to write a good essay to a college. i have learned that technology is not always correct. i will never forget any of the teachings and the knowledge that was given to me. i want to get to know more about the different cultures. i am sad that i have to leave but i am coming back next year.

The past two weeks, I took two classes with the rest of my peers. First class being, writing and common application class with Shelva and the other being Aztec Math with the Nepohualtzintzin with Vicente Candonache. Shelva was a great professor, the way she gave us a lot of examples to help us write our personal statement, even though it will take more than two weeks to submit to universities as our final draft. She also gave us great websites to use throughout our senior year in high school to research more about colleges and help us find what university fits best with us. Throughout Vicente’s class, he was always telling different stories about the Nepohualtzintzin or about the Nahuatl culture. The way he was always telling us to not be shy to ask for help, and that was what I did. I asked him to explain to me how to multiply and divided by using the Nepohualtzintzin. I actually never thought we could use the Nepohualtzintzin as a calculator, I only thought it was used to count, but apparently I was wrong. I am glad I had these two professors throughout these two weeks, they have gave me more knowledge than I came here for. So, thank you Shelva and Vicente, keeps teaching other youth your knowledge, they will need it. 

always happy, Johanna Osuna 

Today was the last day of Aztec math and Shelva’s academic writing class. I had fun in shelvas class, because i got to finish my essay, and get it corrected. I feel like i did a good job, and i wanna thank Tekpatl for helping me make my essay stronger with better vocabulary. I enjoyed Aztec math aswell, it may have been difficult here and there but Vicente is a good teacher and makes me understand it even in the hardest times.

Today, was our last day in Aztec math, and writing class. I am disappointed to see that i won’t be taught Aztec math anymore. At the beginning of Aztec math, i didn’t get it at all. We were at Pamona college that day. I was there like “What the heck is this?”. It was like learning math all over again. Then i continued to learn more and more. The hardest part for me is probably the long division.  I still don’t get it. I just get lost in the way Vicente teaches because he is so fast with the nipohltzintzin, that i can’t keep up. I then started to get into it. The learning started to get easier. So i think i am pretty good at it, but i’m pretty basic in this field. I just hope to get better at this type of math. Thank you Vicente for teaching us, me, how to do Aztec math.

Same thing with Shelva’s writing class. Shelva has taught me how to properly write and essay. Also with the help of the mentors. In that class, i had the strength to tell a powerful story that i went through. I almost forgot about the common app. Shelva has gotten me to see what is ahead of us. What i have to do to be successful. So thank you Shelva for helping us me.

Today was my last day with both Shelva and Vicente. I feel kind of sad because I was able to learn so much from both of them and I’m going to be leaving them. I learned how to properly write a college essay with shelva. I also learned how to do aztec math with Vicente. At first I had some trouble with the aztec math but after a couple of days doing it, I picked it up pretty quick. I am so glad that I was able to acquire these skills and I can’t wait to take them back into the world. I thank both of them so much. I hope you have safe journeys.