Mariah Correa

Hello, my name is Mariah Correa and I am a freshman at El Camino College. I grew up in Hawthorne, California with my two parents and three siblings. I enjoy photography which actually led me to take an Art 150 class here at El Camino College. Volleyball has always been a sport that interested me. Back in middle school I was on the varsity team for three years straight. I also enjoy reading. One of my favorite books is titled Nobody's Fault. My goal in life is to become a forensic scientist. The road ahead to reaching my goal is long and tough, but I am willing to put in the work. My schooling from preschool to high school consisted of me being in advanced classes. Although, during my junior and senior year I had began to slack off. I chose to participate in other activities rather than focus on my school work. However, seeing my friends succeed in the areas I was not actually pushed me to better myself in school. I knew I was capable of doing so much more. I just needed to put in the work and effort to achieve success. Being in a remedial class during my first year in college has made me reflect on my past mistakes, therefore I will strive to succeed and not fall back on my bad habits. I know now that attending class is crucial to my success.



"Ten Skills You Really Need To Succeed In School" by John Langan has greatly impacted the way I approach school. Chapter 5, Taking Notes in Class, informs us of the importance of attending class. If we do not attend class we will miss key ideas of the course. If we miss those key ideas we will not learn anything. We also learn about recall words which has helped me with my study methods. Recall words are key words or phrases. By using the margin space at the side, or top of each page, I write down a series of key words or phrases that help me remember the important ideas on the page. This has helped me greatly in my Art 150 class as I turn the key words into questions and study off of that.



Chapter 4, Managing Your Time, has taught me the importance of how to use my course outline. At the beginning of the semester our professors will give out course outlines. The course outline is the key to progress and doing well in the course. Chapter 4 encourages us to use a large monthly calendar. In my experience, this has helped me greatly in becoming organized and prepared for class. My calendar reminds me of important dates and due dates for my assignments. It also lets me know when I will be having a test so that I may begin to study.


Every year on Thanksgiving Day my mother and I participate in handing out food to the homeless. We have always contributed by bringing in our homemade tamales. Which we always prepare a day before. I am looking forward to this coming Thanksgiving tradition and giving to others. The feeling of spreading kindness towards those who are less unfortunate is an incredible feeling. I believe many more people should contribute to helping others. Kindness can go a long way if people are willing to spread it amongst themselves.