You might not be so excited about waking up early every day for school, but besides your parents’ voice, there must be something that motivates you to roll out of bed and take on the day ahead.

What drives you?

“I think about how everything I do now will be worth it in the end when I graduate,” said sophomore Ashley Recendez.

Junior Pedro Ramos says that he loves school. Although at home he can ‘chill’, Pedro says that when he’s at school, he’s engaged and more aware of things going on around him.

Some students say that their families and friends are what inspire them to come to school every day. “I see my mom working hard to do everything she can to give us what we need,” said junior Dayana Estrada.

Areliz Trujillo, also a junior, said, “My mom pushes me because she wants me to have a better future.”

Senior Luis Hernandez says that his girlfriend pushes him to come to school. “It makes me think of the things that we want to do and have, and I know that it’s only possible if we both succeed,” he said.

Obstacles

School isn’t always easy, and when times get tough, students still find ways to overcome obstacles. Senior Yazmin Barreto says that getting bad grades brings her down, but when this happens, she tries harder, prays that things will get better, and drinks chamomile tea.

For senior Alejandro Gonzalez, failing a test is his downfall. Instead of grieving over the bad grade, though, he improves his study habits so that he’ll be able to pass the next test.

When the road gets rough, “I smile and act like an idiot,” said freshman Raphael Alvarez, who doesn’t let things ruin his usual happy mood.

Bryan Sanchez, a junior who knows that he’s lazy, tries not to let that interfere with his work, but when it does, he says, “I go out with my friends to take my mind off of things.”

Advice from Students

Students leave this advice for those who feel as if they don’t have any motivation. “Look at where you want to be in life and realize that, if you try, you’ll accomplish your goals,” said sophomore Reinaldo Cardenas.

Dayana Estrada encourages people to stay positive. “When you lose hope, you have lost everything,” she said.

Advice from Teachers

Teachers and staff encourage students in different ways. Math teacher Mr. Strickland tells students his story of the obstacles he faced to get to the point where he is in life now, in hopes of students getting something out of it. He believes that by telling them what he went through they’ll believe in themselves and know that there are always other options and opportunities.

“I encourage them to do the work,” said English teacher Ms. Ransom. “They don’t know that they can do it until they actually try.”

Ms. Stephanie from the Motivational Coaches of America (MCUSA) program here at Miami High says that she encourages students to focus on the positive things about themselves rather than the negatives.