(click on photo to read memoir) 

Thanks to Eli Lyons for taking the photos .

 

Zak

   

My name is Zakary Altenberg. I like to play sports, relax, enjoy the weekends, and other high school activities. I am trying to go to a big public school for college. UCLA is my number one choice. My favorite food is Zakary's Pizza.
  
 

Vannesa

 
    
Vannesa's memoir is on the bittersweet time she had in Mexico with her friend Prema. After you read don’t feel like you’ve lost hope in life. They are still good friends. Vannesa has lived in Richmond her entire life, but has gone to Berkeley schools her entire life, don’t tell anyone. She hopes to go to UC Santa Cruz, and become a chemist.
 

Hanna

 
Hanna has lived in Berkeley all her life. She believes that anything is possible, provided that it falls within the laws of gravity -- but she's willing to try to disprove that! She would love to go to college somewhere that makes her happy. And yes, her family really does eat Thanksgiving dinner on plates shaped like cartoon animal faces.
 

Morris

 

   

Morris came to Berkeley in the 7th grade from San Diego.  Since his family is from Belize, his attitude is a bit different from others.  But he hopes you don't find him to be too passive in his Boy Scout story.  Morris plans to attend a small liberal arts college on the east coast.   Then illustrate and write his own graphic novel.

 

 

Emily

 

    Emily is going to do big things in her life.  She grew up in Berkeley but is bound for superstardom.  She enjoys photography, art, traveling, and meeting new people.  Her favorite food is sushi and she will love you forever if you take her out for a sushi dinner.  Her memoir is based on her sister's drug addiction and the destruction it caused her and her family.  With everything that's happened, Emily strives to go to college and make that gouda!
 
 

Kelly

 

   

A resident of Berkeley, Kelly spends little time with her parents and younger sister and more time at the piano, on stage, and as a director.  One of her biggest pieces of advice is to never turn your back on the ocean.  She hopes to be in New York next fall and plans to become a teacher, among other things.
 

Joaquin

     
Joaquin has lived in Berkeley all of his life. Coming from a middle class family who has had many struggles and obstacles for him to have a better future, Joaquin feels inspired to succeed. He hopes you'll enjoy his thrilling memoir. He hopes to study engineering at San Jose state next year along with playing for the D-1 soccer team.
 

Mara

 

Mara Gerson enjoys drawing, dancing, rainy days, and cookie eating. She loves Berkeley, where she was born and raised, but hopes to attend college on the East Coast next year. If you read her memoir, you'll see why she's glad that her days of traumatic skiing lessons are over, even though she does miss her Disney Princess parka.
 

Natalie

 

   

Natalie was born and raised in Berkeley but she spent the last summer in Oaxaca, Mexico. She loves to travel, hopes to live abroad someday, and has plans to return to Oaxaca soon. Besides traveling, Natalie enjoys dancing and spends much of her time rehearsing or taking classes. 
 
 

Joel G.

 

   
Joel was born in Berkeley, although at some times he tells people he is native to Detroit. He grew up in a family of four. The mother is a baker at the Cheese Board, father a professor of english. Joel projects philosophy into his writing by delving into his own thoughts about moments in his life and trying to thrust them into a greater scheme. Joel plans on attending California State University next fall.
 

Natasha

 

    

Natasha has been living back and forth between Louisiana all her life. She is not close with her family, except her grandmother. She hopes that you find her memoir enticing and full of emotion . You will See how Natasha deals with abuse in a household, and thinks everything happens for a reason. Natasha hopes to study psychology at Spellman University.
 

Emma

 
An immigrant to Berkeley from El Cerrito, California, Emma has always loved traveling and listening to her step-grandmother's stories about living in Panama. It would be best to read her memoir while wearing shoes with good traction and snacking on a tropical fruit, preferably a banana. Emma knows that it's not where you are, but who you're with that counts. She hopes to continue her passion for travel and learning languages in a sunny Southern California college, but would rather be studying and learning to dance salsa in Mexico this time next year. She's crossing her fingers.
 

La Shay

 

   

  La Shay is a senior at Berkeley High School and dreams of being a model.  Shopping and writing are activities she enjoys. She plans on pursuing a career in child psychology or fashion. Being the oldest of five brothers and six sisters, she appreciates her quiet time and longs for not only physical freedom, but, mental freedom too.
 

Adriana

     
 

Mia

 

 Mia was born and raised in Berkeley, California, with her mother,
father, and older brother. She thinks the reader may be able to
identify with her memoir about her idiosyncratic family. Mia believes
that laughter is always the bottom line. After weighing her options,
she plans to attend college somewhere in the United States.

 
 

Judy

 

Having lived in Berkeley her whole life, Judy plans to go to college far away to one day become a pharmacist and a proud owner of a pet turtle named Stinky. Ever since she was little, Judy has been roommates with her awesome BMX watching grandma. Hopefully you will enjoy her mix of dreams and reality in Safety Lock.

 

Greta

 

 Greta has been going back and forth from Italy ever since she was two years old. Her father's job requires her mother, sister and cat to cross the Atlantic Ocean every year. Having to describe her Italian lifestyle almost every other day, she decides to write her memoir about a failing episode of her family trip to India. She hopes to attend medical school as she graduates from High School and believes that anyone can help make this world a better place. 
 

Isabella

 

    
Isabella Molatore is a senior at Berkeley High and has been writing since the sixth grade. She hopes you have as much fun reading this as she did writing it.
 

Binh

 

     Binh has lived in Berkeley all his life. Coming from a Vietnamese family, my parents coming straight from Vietnam from the war. He hopes you find his memoir quite sad but also a happy story. Binh believes that " you should live life to the fullest" because you only have one chance in life. he hopes to go to a four year college and jump right into law school.

 
 

Kevin

 

 
Kevin has lived in Berkeley since birth.  His main goal for this
memoir was to write the opposite of a college essay and show some
humility.  His philosophy is basically "Work hard, not long."  Kevin
plans on winning the lottery on his 18th birthday, then using his math
skills in Vegas to make millions card counting and gambling on sports.
 

Joel R.

 

    

 Joel has lived in Berkeley all of his life.  Having been to Mexico once, he rarely leaves California, let alone the Bay Area.  His family came from Mexico in the late 1980's and early 1990's.  They have always been supportive and strong.  His memoir is one of the last shenanigans he got himself into.  He hopes to go to San Jose State after community college.
 

Josh

 

     Josh has lived in Berkeley and Oakland all of his life. He was raised by a talkative family, but hasn't lived up to the tradition. Josh would greatly
appreciate any help that can be given to help him define MRI. Like Todd Shaw
said, "life is too short".In the future he hopes to be advancing his education
in college.

 

Ivy
Ivy was born in Lexington, Kentucky and has since spent time growing up in New York City and Berkeley, California. She has four parents and sixteen cousins, none of whom are any saner than she is. It is important to her that you know she has become a progressively nicer person since the day she was born, though that isn't saying much. There is a constant battle in her head between the power of love and the power of imagination and she hopes to sort those out sometime in the next four years at a school where she has to abandon neither. 

 

Max S.

 

     Max St. Pierre is one word is awesome.
He spends his free time riding his bicycle and raging with local bros.  On the weekends he frequently attends social gatherings in which young local intellectuals bounce ideas off each other. 
Max is known most for his absolutely amazing sense of humor and his erratic behavior trends.  As a local author and part of the Finer Things club, Max frequently studies post war Europe and fine wines. 

 

Ben S.

 

     
Ben Steigmann was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and moved to California when his dad got a job as professor of Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley. He hopes you like his analytical writing style. Ben perceives life as art, and hopes to live magically. He hopes to study at Reed College next year. 
 
 

Eline

 

     Eline was born in the Netherlands, but has lived in Norway for most of her life. She is living in Berkeley with her family for one year, because her parents got invited as guest professors at UCB. She got inspired to write her memoir about friendship after a hard goodbye with one of her best friends.

 

Lauren

 
Lauren has lived in Albany ever since she was born. After having her mom and two little sisters Paige and Laisani move to Washington D.C. she now lives in her house with only her grandma.After reading her memoir she hopes people will finally see the drastic change that came upon her over a short period of time before the start of her senior year. She hopes to eventually find herself in the physical therapy field after she graduates.  

 

Ben W.

 

      Ben is 17 years ald and enjoys playing basketball and eating sunflower seeds.   His favorite color is blue.  He enjoys consuming super burritos with  sour cream and guacamole from Gordos.  He likes Mitch Hedburg and listening to Bolo Marley. 
 

Michael Y.

 

   
 

Rashod

 

Having called every section of Oakland home, Rashod has grown up in what is called a mixed family, where neither his older sister nor younger brother share both the same mother and father. With his, some might say, ambiguous approach and philosophy of life, one might find funny his relationship with the unresponsive that he gives personality to. He plans to study anthropology in college and be a productive “mind reliever” (whatever that means). He hopes from his writing one can receive more than just funny dialogue and cliché blabber.  

Aleksis
 

Lily

 

  

Lily was born in her house in Berkley, CA where she still lives. She has a mom, dad, two sisters, and two dogs. She hopes her story doesn't scare you and that she doesn't come off as really immature. She believes that you should approach every situation with an open mind. With that philosophy in mine she is planning on attending a four-year college but is not tripping about which one.
 

Max B.

 

    Max would like for everyone to know that he does not
take himself nearly as seriously as this piece may
lead you to believe. In reality he is already jaded,
cynical, and believes that nothing really matters.

 

Jeffrey

 

     
 

Shaendl

 

    Shaendl lives in Berkeley with her parakeet Felipe in a house with flowers painted on it. Although she would like to attend college next year, she can't seem to find one that she is very enthusiastic about. She hopes that the future will hold interesting and exciting things, and expects changes to come that she never would have though possible.

 

Dandara

 

    

 
 

Dusk

 

Dusk Delacour was born in 1991 may 30th in Berkeley Alta Bates hospital. From the time he was born till 5 and half months he spent his time in a foster home in Hayward. Than he was transferred to his present parents, his uncle and aunt. His first school was at Washington school, he went there 1 year for kinder garden. Then he was transferred to Columbus Elementary which is now called Rosa parks. He went there till 5th grade than for Middle School he went to Martin Luther King. Dusk is now in the 12th Grade and graduating from Berkeley High School. Dusk is planning on going to a Community College.
 

Taylor

 

     Taylor is from the Bay Area and lives in Berkeley, California with her mother. She likes to read and write and hopes to become a famous writer someday. Her life theme is "Fly by the seat of your pants."

 
 

Koji

 

   Koji has lived in Berkeley for most of his life. He spends most of his time on the mat wrestling. He comes from two very different parents and hopes you find the home of one of them amusing.He plans on going to college and hopes to pursuit a career in firefighting or sports medicine.

 
 

Will K.

 

  Hailing from Oakland California, Will Karn currently resides in Berkeley, and lives with his family, will lives by the immortal words of Nas " When I was ten, I was a hip-hoppin shorty wop, Known for rocking microphones and twisting off a 40 top." Will is unsure what he wants to do., he plans on attending Oxford University. quad s.
 

Nathan

 

 Nathan was born and raised. He loves music, water, and long moonlit walks on the beach. Unfortunately, these dangerous passions have landed him in quite a few tricky pickles. Junior year killed any interest he had in analytical writing, so he now looks forward to a life of creativity.

 

Simone

 

    Simone Kurland was born in Albuquerque New Mexico and moved to California when she was seven years old. She has always been one who needs to write their first draft with a pencil and paper, never a computer. She hopes to move far away for college.
 

Rachel

 
Rachel was born in Berkeley. She has lived in over ten houses around the Bay Area. She loves poetry and tried to incorporate it into her memoir. Karl Marx is her hero. Her favorite quote of his is, "Let the ruling classes tremble at a communist revolution.... Workingmen of all countries, unite!" After high school, Rachel hopes to fight for immigrant rights. 
 
 

Tom

 

     

Tom Lee has been on point since age like age eleven. He lies about how on point he is and when he developed his on-pointedness. He dislikes large amounts of coinage. Especially change which includes pennies. He only knows three songs on the piano, and will play them at your house over and over. Don't let him play piano. He gets most life advice from A Tribe Called Quest. His favorite show is Superjail. 
 
 

Eli

 

     
Eli was born in San Francisco and has lived in Berkeley all his life. He is an only child living with both his parents, and hopes to study Biology next year in college. Like John Muir, Eli believes that, "in every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." If you like adventure, wilderness, and In-N-Out Burger, then this memoir is for you.

Geoff

    

Geoffrey Mahley has lived in the tough streets of North Central Berkeley his entire life.  His appetite for danger and excitement sometimes gets him in a little trouble.  Geoff enjoys long walks on the beach and playing baseball for the BHS Yellowjackets.  Geoff lives by the famous saying "You reap what you Sow,".  Geoff plans to attend college next year.
 

Sophie

 

    

Sophie was born in Palo Alto, CA but has lived in Berkeley all her life. She enjoys reading, writing and making art, including short films and taking pictures. She doesn't like to talk about herself much because she isn't one to toot her own horn. Unfortunately, there is no horn to toot for she isn't very interesting. She apologizes.
 
 

Michael N.

 

    
 

Jeremy

 

 Jeremy has lived in Berkeley, CA his whole life.  Being the youngest of three older siblings, he was often the main target to pick on.  Jeremy believes that "Doing things your way does not always work....sometimes you just need to wait it out."  Jeremy hopes you find your way of doing things and make them work.
 

Will N.

 

         Will Novey was an extremely ambitious teenager who loved the outdoors. One summer, him and his father decided to go on a backpacking trip in the Circle of Solitude. They packed their bags and set off for Kings Canyon to do a seven day trip.They made it to Kings Canyon and began their hike, but things didn't end the way the Noveys expected. What happened in the wilderness. what creatures did they see? what kind of people did they meet? Did they meet their goal? Did they ever come back?




Molly



  
 

Autumn

 

 Autumn Rauscher is a senior at Berkeley High School. She highly dislikes typing in third person. She has always been interested in writing and story-telling, having grown up in a family where falling asleep with one's nose in a book, late at night, was commonplace.  She aims to take a year off when she graduates high school and travel, eventually taking a road trip across the U.S. Her story is one that simply revolves around the title of her piece, and she hopes you will enjoy.

 

Haley

 

    

 
 

Frank

 

     Frank Stier was born in Alameda, California. He attended St. Josephs Elementary and participated in swim team, eating Macʼn Cheese, baseball, and basketball. After his father passed away he lived full time in Berkeley with his beloved mother and brother where he attended Berkeley High and dominated the water polo team. Next year he plans to attend a 4 year university.

 
 

Kate

 

Kate was adopted from Paraguay as an infant and came to the U.S. 17 years ago. She enjoys playing soccer and lacrosse. Before attending college, she plans to study abroad for a year in Spain and South America with the goal of becoming fluent in Spanish. She lives in Berkeley with her parents, who both work for State environmental agencies.

 
 

Lakshmi

 

       Lakshmi has lived in India for 16 years,  she then moved to U.S. Her parents and her little sister have lived in Berkeley. Lakshmi hopes that you won't have a hard time reading her story. She thinks that "Every minute in life is valuable, and you should learn to enjoy it." She hopes to study medicine in one of the UC'S.