Richard Man Castaneda

I’m currently a junior here at Hoover High. I am half Mexican because of my dad and half Chinese because of my mom. I was born May 10, 2001 and I am the youngest of 5. I currently live with my mother and sister.

One of the main factors of my happiness and one factor that made me the person I am today would have to be my friends. My friends have always been there for me in times of struggle, success, or simply just boredom. Especially Amie. However, a time I felt peer-pressured was when I felt like I had to date this one girl.

One of my greatest struggles right now is trying to keep my ollies consistent while riding my skateboard. A piece of advice I would give to my fellow peers would be not to worry so much about what others think. If you like doing something, just do it. A time I took a risk would be when I lied to my mom so I could go on a date. It was worth it.

A time I felt depressed was during the summer. I had lots of time to think about how lonely I am, but I realized that was stupid because I always overthink. On the other hand, a recent time I was happy was when my mom let me hang out with friends a little later than usual. We went to eat, then we went to get boba.