Autobiography

My name is Catherine J. Rivera but people call me Cathy. I am 17 years old. I was born in December 8, 1992. I was born at the Metropolitan Hospital in Los Angeles. I am 5’8. I go to City Honors College Preparatory Charter School in Inglewood. This is my last year in high school and I am exciting to start a new chapter in my life.

I have lived in a couple of placed over the years. When I was born, my parents sat that we lived in a couple apartment building close to downtown Los Angeles. After the earthquake in ’94, we moved to an apartment on Wilton Pl. We lived in that building until I was 12 because our apartment caught on fire. I didn’t want to leave my school because I was doing so good there, I would be awarded with certificates every year but my mom told me it was time to move on. After the fire incident we moved to an apartment in Inglewood. I went to Highland Elementary my 5th grade year. That is where I started to meet different types of people. I saw how some people would treat me. I started to hang around more with African Americans in 5th grade because the Latinos were always judging me. I didn’t go back there my 6th grade year because they transferred me to Parent. I started to play basketball my 6th grade year. I started to love basketball more and more after that year because we won the championship. We went undefeated. I met my best friends in 6th grade. They are still my best friends today and I love them dearly, Christian Garland and Diego Castro. They have always pushed me to strive for the best and they have always succeeded. We always help one another and I can say that without those two, I have no idea how my middle and high school years would have gone. After my seventh grade year, my mom decided to move to a house on La Brea, so I lived there for 2 years. When I was in 7th grade, I got injured. I dislocated me knee while we were practicing. That was the most horrible experience in my life. I couldn’t play for the rest of the year. I had to sit on the bench and it hurt more because I was captain. I try to see everything on the bright side though. I attended Parent until 8th grade. I always had good grades and I was very popular since I was captain of the basketball team. Everybody said that they loved me because I was like a big teddy bear. I look mean but in reality I am one of the nicest people you will ever meet. I am always laughing and I love clowning around but I know how to get serious when it is time for business.

My 9th grade year, I came to CHCPCS while I was still living in the house. I kept playing basketball but it was not the same as before. It didn’t feel right but I kept going. Before I started my sophomore year, I was having too many problems at home with my mother and her boyfriend so I decided to live with my dad and his wife in Paramount. Moving here was a big step in my life and sometimes I still question whether it was the right decision but I know that I cannot live in the past so I try not to think about it. I kept playing basketball but I started to mess up my knee even more so I had to slow down. I met my roll dawg my sophomore year. He is another person that has impacted my life greatly, Daniel Holcomb. Throughout my sophomore year, I was going through a lot of emotional problems and he helped me feel better. He always checked up on me especially since we went to the same school. He was the one that taught me how to be and he helped me evolve into a better person.

I lost a lot of friends my junior year. I was going through a phase where I did not care about anybody but myself. Nobody mattered. I was mean to a lot of people that I cared about but for some reason I feel glad that I acted the way I did because I believe that if somebody was really your friend, they would stick by your side no matter the situation in your friendship. It opened my eyes in who really was there for me. I learned that in this life, you have to succeed because if you do not succeed then there was no point in living.

It is my senior year and I am excited to say that I am ready to take the next step. I stopped playing basketball but the love I have for it is and always will be there. I started to work instead to try and have some extra change in my pocket. I like to work; it is teaching me the responsibility of having a job. It feels good. I am going through some obstacles but I then I always tell myself this quote, “Rise and rise again until lambs become lions.” I am going to keep falling but I will not stop getting up until I become a lion. I will succeed. My motivation and enthusiasm will help me get to success.