Happiness lies neither in vice nor in virtue; but in the manner we appreciate the one and the other,

and the choice we make pursuant to our individual organization.

-Marquise de Sade
I can attest to various moments in which I made questionable or experimental choices over the course of my high school career. There were highs and lows because of that, but thankfully I maintained some sort of balance between good and bad choices that has enabled me to graduate from high school a well rounded, informed, and self-aware individual. My name is Gilbert Cruz and after doing an exhaustive 5-stop tour of Austins high school circuit, today I can say I am finally graduating from Garza. An enigma to those who dont know much about me, I believe I come off as intimidating to many people, which I am totally fine with. To those who look past my appearance and reputation, I believe I express myself pretty clearly and outwardly. I have a strange sense of humor, which most people dont understand or appreciate. In my own personal interactions with others, I often seek transgression as the end result, probably as a result of my own boredom. I like to uncover and analyze the hidden sides of peoples psyche, which is maybe slightly predatory. At times I think I can be overly blunt, but I always articulate with grace and tact. Due to my artistic tendencies, I am dedicated to my own individual aesthetic and brand. One of my favorite parts about being alive is looking good. I am a natural communicator, so I look for those who I can maintain provocative and insightful discussions. A writer and reader at heart, the English language arts and more specifically Journalism have always

been main passions of mine, of which I plan on pursuing professionally. Garza is my fifth and final high school. I am very restless and flighty and have unrealistically high expectations of my surroundings, so I constantly seek new, fresh experiences. I have tried essentially every kind of education in Austin. Rigid, thorough schools, overpopulated, relatively uninvolved schools, esoteric, holistic schools, Ive done it all. Here I have found a sort of unlikely haven. I remember hearing of Garza since my freshman year of high school and perceiving it to be a school for burnouts or kids who couldnt finish regular school due to laziness or vagrancy or something judgmental and uninformed like that. I very firmly believed Id never end up here. During my Junior year at Austin High, I got a car and began doing exactly what I wanted to do. I was seemingly exactly where I wanted to be, socializing with older people who had similar dispositions as I, hanging out with artists and musicians and overall absorbing inspiration from what I considered admirable individuals. In retrospect however, I was basically just being a self righteous, slightly out of control teenager. The climax of that unfortunately, was a tragic car wreck. My world was shattered, and with no tangible crutch to lean on any longer, I realized my academic life was disintegrating. I went through a mild depression and essentially dropped out. I felt like school was entirely pointless. I had no friends in high school and I couldnt take any of the classes seriously, as classrooms were essentially crowded animal cages. I felt the familiar urge for change. Garza was, quite frankly my last option. Regardless of that, I began school here in June of 2011 and have come to the conclusion that it was the best choice I couldve made. Over the course of my senior year, I made friends and enemies, realized my artistic potential, further explored my passion for writing and literature, and got just a little closer to being fulfilled and one with the person I

hope to eventually become. I made a trip to New York City this past March and finally found an environment where I innately felt that I belonged. During the next phase of my life, I believe a move to New York will be my main motivation and goal for personal success. This fall, I will be starting college at ACC, where I plan on only staying for a maximum of two years. After that amount of time, I plan on applying to various CUNY schools in New York City or perhaps the Fashion Institute of Technology, for the Advertising and Marketing Communications program. I still feel that I need to explore and develop my various interests and skills before I make a decision career wise. Eventually, Id like to write for an alternative publication like Vice or DIS. Whatever I do, I know that I will only be happy if I maintain a balance between work and fun, which honestly is probably one major thing I need to work on. From the inception of my high school experience, Ive felt a very bold, yet perhaps alienating sense of individuality. I never really related to anyone around me and mostly disregarded the classroom. Garza has provided an environment over the course of this year in which that mindset could be slightly more accommodated, for which I am grateful. I feel that now I am ready to move on to whatever real life is. Hopefully I can say that this wont be the last youll hear of Gilbert Cruz, look out for me yall.