Blog 16

For my last blog I would like to reflect on what a great year I have had.  This class has given me opportunities to succeed far beyond what I possibly thought was possible.  The free extra time given to me was extremely beneficial on my way to perusing my passion.  This class was all about doing what I love and there is nothing more I could have asked for in my senior year of high school.  This year has been a great way to end high school and it has given me time to realize how lucky I truly have been to live and grow up in such a great place.  If I knew know what I knew four years ago I would tell myself to do whatever you want.  I say this because there is no better way to find out what you truly enjoy other than trying new and crazy things.  I could not be happier about my high school experience and this class is the perfect way to end it.




Thank You Mrs. Sekera for everything.

Blog 15

• What did you enjoy most?
• The thing that I enjoyed most of all was the time that I was given throughout the year to work on my game and become a better player.
• Where were you most productive, what are you most proud of?
• I was most productive in the batting cage working on my swing.  I am most proud of the improvements I have made to my game both physically and mentally.
• What did you learn about your passion?
• I learned that in order to truly succeed in my passion, a lot of hard work is needed.
• What did you learn about yourself?
• I learned that if I push myself to the limits, I can do great things. 
• What do you wish you would have done that you neglected to do?
• I think I could have worked on my fielding more often but for the most part I covered everything I wanted to cover.
• Rate your individual effort toward the learning in your interest area?
• I would rate myself extremely high because I used my time throughout the year very well and wasted little to no time. 
• Where did you fall short?
• I fell a little short at the end of the year because I completely forgot about my final presentation date but other than that I did great and stayed on top of everything all year.
• How will this experience inform your future?
• It will prepare me for my future because baseball and school will soon be what I am required to do everyday and by taking this class I got a head start. 
• Would you recommend this program to others? And Why?
• I have in fact recommended this class to others because it gives people the time to do what they truly love to do and there is nothing more anyone could ask for in their senior year of high school.
• Write anything else you would like to include in this blog entry.
• I would just like to thank Mrs. Sekera for allowing me to do this all year and staying with me the entire way!

Blog 14

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."    - John Wooden

This is one of my favorite quotes of all time because of not only the meaning but the person who said it.  John Wooden is arguably the best coach of any sport of all time.  I have read his book and followed many of his accomplishments closely.  The quote is explaining that letting things that you can not control impact the things you can control is simply wrong.  I have very similar views to that and believe that in life there are things that are out of control. 


Confidence

Bucket List

1. Play college baseball

2. Travel to Rome

3. Watch ballgame at wrigley field 

4. Live on the beach

5. Have 4 kids

6. Go on a zip line 

7. Kill an animal (hunting)

8. Ski in Austria with my grandfather

9. Become a dual citizen 

10. Attend Octoberfest 

Blog 12

5 People 5 Things

People:
1. John and Lisa Spears -parents
2. Ryan Marsh -friend
3. Bob Ferraro -uncle
4. Erik Johnson -friend/mentor
5. Joanna Spears -grandmother
6. Karl Janousek

Things:
1. No fielding errors
2. Hit 500
3. Take ground balls at least two times a week
4. Spend more time with my family
5. Be responsible on the weekends

blog 10

Blog #9

This next semester I would like to accomplish many things but the most important to me and something that has not been done at SRV in a long time is win NCS.  Our baseball team this year is going to have a ton of fun and I want to do everything I can to be in the big game at the end.  The actions I am going to take in order to better mine and my teams chances of achieving that great feat will be related to baseball and the amount of work I put into the game.  I know that clearly winning NCS is not a personal goal it obviously takes a team effort but there is nothing more I would rather strive to accomplish at this point of my life.  One major interruption that could get in the way of my goal is injury.  That is why I am going to dedicate myself to be in the best shape I can be in and still party at the same time.  There is nothing that i need in order to accomplish this goal everything is already set for me and my teammates to accomplish it.  I am exited to get started!

Final

This semester has gone by so quickly it scares me. I think partially due to the fact that I am in IQUEST and I get out of school at 12:35 helps but still time flies. One thing that I love about the IQUEST class is the opportunity it gives me to do the things I love everyday. Baseball is what I love doing and by having that extra 2-3 hours during the day makes a huge impact. I spent over 6 hours on average a week working on my game and getting better. IQUEST has allowed me to become a better baseball player and that is awesome. I try to take 100 swings a day and take 100 ground balls a day. I don't always reach that goal everyday but I try my best to make up for it on days when I have more time. There are so many positive aspects about the class. I get the freedom to do what I love and there is nothing better than that. It's hard for me to think about the negatives because there is none. I get high school credit for not being at school. There is not much more that a senior could ask for to be honest. All the time I have people coming up to me and telling me how lucky I am and I just laugh and tell them that they are the stupid ones for not taking the class. It's a no brainer. If you have a passion IQUEST is the class for you. One thing I have learned about myself is that hard work really does pay off and I've been able to really see that due to the time given to me through IQUEST. I plan on making little to no change in my routine for the second semester. The baseball season is right around the corner and I can not wait! 

Blog # 7 Ted Talk

Richard St. John
8 Secrets of Success
Monterey California 2005

I enjoyed this Ted talk because it showed me how to become successful from a different point of view.  Everyone has their own ways of reaching success but hearing a new way of how to obtain it is always a good thing in my mind.  There is no such thing as bad motivational information.  Anything that has the possibility to help you is something that should be noted.  Recently in my life I have begun to actually listen to people who are trying to help me and it has made a huge difference in the way I look at the world.  Being open minded can truly have a positive impact on your life.  I would recommend this Ted Talk to anyone who is willing to gain knowledge on success because of the way Richard St. John presents the information.