Coming into high school, I was insecure and didn't really know how to handle the things I went through. It took me until I was in 11th grade to realize and understand how to properly handle my emotions and situations in a way that not only promoted my self-esteem but was healthy and positive. The idea of Why Do Girls Cry? was introduced to Demo Nianghane and me in 2018 by a friend. We decided to make a mini-organization that focused on the experiences high school girls have and teaching them ways to deal with those situations and emotions. We created a website that includes poems, videos, advice threads and even chatboxes that young teenage girls can use throughout high school that will encourage their self-esteem and happiness in a positive way despite any experiences that they encounter

For my capstone I decided to do a fashion show. This took months of preparation , I held auditions to see who wanted to be apart of the fashion show, I worked on designs, and created my first trial shirt. I held practices after school every Monday and Tuesday and as time passed I created more clothing. I didn't just want to do a fashion show because I am interested in fashion but for the students who tried out I had a goal to build their confidence. The time has came and the show was presented in the cafeteria. I think it was a growing experience for not just the models but for me as well. I learned a lot about myself, and whatever you want you have to work hard for. I am glad I got to help these young ladies, and men gain confidence and be more comfortable in an environment they will continue to be apart of. As I take on the future I hope to grow and build on what I love to do. If you would like to see some of the items the models displayed my website is : https://igonzalez49.wixsite.com/website

When I first began brainstorming for my capstone, I knew I wanted to make a video that could act as sort of time capsule or record of what life was like for me as a high school senior in 2019. The original plan was to simply make a montage-style short film.To start, I began filming little clips day by day of things I was doing in and outside of school. Towards the end of the year, I felt satisfied with the amount of footage I had and began editing. This is when things started to change a bit. Though I liked the idea of a montage of special moments, I wanted to figure out how I could make the video more meaningful so that viewers could gain something from watching it. I decided to interview some friends and ask them what advice they would give to incoming high school students which I then edited over the footage I had collected, along with some music that I felt matched the tone of the video. The final product is what I have presented as my capstone. During this process, I learned that it’s okay for your finished product not to be exactly how you initially pictured. This project took on several different forms throughout the year as my ideas changed and evolved, but in the end, I was extremely happy with my final product, which ended up being a mix between my original idea and new ideas I had come up with along the way.