Shauna Jones:
CLASS OF 1992
Cleveland High SchoolClass of 1992
Portland, OR
Shauna's Story
July 2012- I went to Cleveland for three years, and then transferred to Metropolitan Learning Center. I thought I needed a different environment to learn. That's why I left. The new school was nice, but I needed to return to Cleveland for a morning class the second semester. A bit of irony there... So I wasn't so very far away after-all.
I hope my friends, my girlfriends, remember me as just a fellow schoolgirl. I was just trying to complete my studies and be able to graduate like them. Unfortunately, I was having some health problems then which made going to school difficult. That is one of the reasons that I felt I needed to go to a different school, because the teachers at Cleveland were often giving me a very hard time about my work, and my tardiness, and my absences. It was not something that I could help. So I wanted to be in a completely different atmosphere��. Metropolitan Learning Center is wonderful in that they have a pass/no pass option for their classes. I had no grades while I was there. And I was finally happy for a while. I only wish that I had been there for the entire four years. When I left Cleveland, it wasn't to get away from my friends. I cherish the happy memories that I had with them there. It was sometimes fun, and that's partly because they helped make it fun. But I wasn't really enjoying my life because of the difficult schoolwork. I was in honors classes, and the guidance counselor wouldn't let me leave them. Even though I was doing so terribly. The real reason that I went to Cleveland was to take business courses and be involved with DECCA. But I wasn't allowed to be in DECCA due to being unable to keep up with honors courses. So it was a failure for me. Cleveland wasn't in my neighborhood at all. I had to ride the bus for over an hour each way in the morning and in the afternoon. My health problems have continued to this day, and I am unable to work. I wish it were different. I would like to contribute to the world in a more significant way. So it's been a little disappointing.
I always wanted to be a lawyer when I grew up. My family and friends thought that was a strange idea. As it turns out, they were neither right nor wrong. I just was unable to do it. I wanted to help right some of the injustices of this world. And I don't think that was a bad idea. I only wish I could have had the support of the guidance counselor, so that I could have fulfilled my mission for being at Cleveland which was be involved with DECCA. Without that, it was meaningless time spent away from my area of the city. It really was. I should not have had to spend that much time on the bus each day only to develop chronic stomach pains from all of the pressure. It was bizarre.
How do I blow off steam? My favorite way to relax is learn new things. I love to read, and I love to try out new ways to do things from the reading I do.
The wildest thing I ever did in school was skip my last class once, and go home. My teacher refused to give me a note to see the nurse, even though I was very ill with a migraine. So I left, risking arrest and all that, and got myself home and to bed. That was pretty wild for me.
Do I have a hero? I have several heroes. My inspiration comes from a lot of different people since I read so much. Someone who I really identify with is Andy Warhol, who was this amazing artist. He was so unusual and awesome! I also love Bono, and his work with U2 as well as his work fighting global debt and what he does with ONE to end AIDS in our lifetime. He's like the closest thing to the messiah that I think we'll ever see. He's amazing. Also, Howie ...Expand for more
Mandel is so very cool. He's funny and brilliant. He is a stand-up comic, has had his own cartoon, a game show, a talk show, and there's Mobbed, which features flashmobs to help people tell ��something that was hard to say in real life. And he's on America's Got Talent. Steve Jobs is great. I've been spending a lot of time on YouTube watch interviews with him and about him, and all his Apple Keynotes. He's a really good speaker. He's like the comeback king. He was ousted from his company that he co-founded, Apple, when he was only thirty. He then went on to start a new computer company, Next, and worked with Pixar, a computer animation company. Between the both of them, he got a lot of experience leading, and when Apple bought Next, he was signed on as interum CEO, which became a permanent job after a while. One of the reasons he's so fascinating is his speaking skills. I'm sort of studying the way he speaks because I'm a volunteer tour guide, and I thought it could help me.
The one person from my past who I'd most like to see again is a girl named Tara from the class of '93, because she loved reading so much and I think we would have a lot to talk about. I wish I could be in contact with her again.
What are my obsessions? I have a cat, a tuxedo cat, named Milton. I love cats. So many stories have been written about them, throughout history. They're really iconic. How can you not love a cat? I do a lot of virtual traveling on the internet, mostly going to haunted houses. I also love watching programs about ancient mysteries.
What's been the biggest surprise in my life? I would say it was that I have remained sick, long into my adulthood. People have this myth going around that God doesn't give you more than you can handle. He does. It's just really frustrating to be sick all the time. I try to focus on being calm, and not feeling like a failure. Because I'm not. I just have a lot of sick days. That's all, and that can happen to anyone. I am not cursed and I am not doing all the wrong things.
If I could improve my home, I'd remodel the basement and dig it deeper, and have a finished ceiling and walls. My dream home would be small and cosy, easy to clean and easy to heat.
I am not a parent, but I have spent some time with children, and I have learned that there is nothing greater than teaching kids how to read. Whole worlds will open up to them when they know how to read. It's the best thing you can be involved in. Because even when someone can't afford to buy books, they can get them at the library. It's an equal opportunity thing. Raising the literacy rate of our society is something we should all be concerned about.
I would like to see Mr. Bill Miller again, my English teacher from junior year. He was the nicest teacher that I ever encountered at Cleveland. He was always there for me. He always listened and cared. He also showed how he loved reading by being surrounded by books and magazines. He wasn't afraid of us stealing his things. My favorite thing was that his desk was messy and you could see what he'd been reading, and what his favorite books were. He was so cool. I also really enjoyed Mr. Ditmore's Algebra class, because he was such a great teacher. He explained everything so well, and still had time to talk about his passion for sports.
I am not supposed to give you my e-mail. But I won't get mail from you here, since I'm not a paying member. So could you email me at blescing at hush dot com, if you would like to reconnect and/or have a pen pal from your high school. They won't let my put the symbols, so that's why I wrote that funny. Thank you!
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