My family and friends I have a mini basketball of the Celtics because it's my favorite team. A picture of myself because I love myself. A picture of my grandpa because he passed away and I miss him. A picture of my family because they do everything for me. My iPod because I love music.
Diego A.
Rhode Island
5th Grade - 2011
Life The colors symbolize feelings. Black Darkness, blue sad, yellow happy. The tie was my uncles he just passed away. The nunbers on it mean I love you. I put the pancreatic cancer ribbon it it because he died from that cancer.
Alana G.
5th Grade, Rhode Island
Party Time
Steven
5th Grade, Rhode Island
My Family and Friends I have a Cape Verde flag because I love my country and I have never been there before. I have a picture of me and my brother because he's the best brother in the world and he plays with me when I'm down.
Nicholas D.
5th Grade, Rhode Island
My family is the best.
Anthony G.
5th Grade, Rhode Island
This box is dedicated to my grandpa. It is called grandpa I put Gatorade because my grandpa loved Gatorade.
Cole
5th Grade, Rhode Island
My box has a flag of Portugal, Chile, and Peru for my heritage. I also have a baseball because I love to play sports. Also, I have a picture of my family because I love them very much. The last thing I have is my iPod because I love music so much.
Gabriel M.
5th Grade, Rhode Island
During the earthquake in Haiti I was really sad. My dad's parents lived there and I was worried for them. I cried a lot and wrote even more.
Tisany
5th Grade, Rhode Island
My box is about growing up from a seed to a flower. On it are 2 pictures of family members as babies, and on the top I have a handmade flower.
Chastity P.
5th Grade, Rhode Island
A picture when I was a baby because everybody loved me. A baseball because baseball is my favorite sport and when I'm mad if I play baseball I will feel better.
Anthony R.
5th Grade, Rhode Island
Me
Kelly R.
5th Grade, Rhode Island
My Box All of those objects are truly important to me because although my parents are divorced I still love them.
Elizabeth S.
5th Grade, Rhode Island
Extra Terrestrial! E.T. is a smaller alien version of me. The colors represent water, canyons, and the planet purplonia. The pandas show that they are calm and majestical. There are photos of my family to show the memories of my family.
Maryann S.
5th Grade, Rhode Island
Memories My box is all about memories. The knitting needles remind me of when my friends and I had a little and knittle. The pictures symbolize fun things with my family and friends. The origami is from Maryann!
Catherine V.
5th Grade, Rhode Island
My Picture I want to write about one picture. That picture is about me and my brother and a couple friends from church. It was my first performance.
Stephanie V.
5th Grade, Rhode Island
I want to be famous. I made my box because I love to act. I also like to draw. I love art and acting a lot. I take acting classes over the summer.
Molly K.
Friends Academy 2011
4th Grade, Massachusetts
I like campfires because it reminds me of my 19-year-old brother that I don’t see a lot. I like soccer because it’s fun and I’m good at it so I can score goals and be the best and have my teammate learn from me.
Alex B.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
2011
I am Orly. I love to ride horses, play violin, and I love nature. i am Orly.
Orly G.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
2011
I am a sailor, christian, partly know the language, I play guitiar I believe in santa.
Lily H.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
2011
My box is about sports. I put a “Baseball” in the box because I like it. In my box, there’s a guy catching a ball.
Anthony V.
Friends Academy
4th Grade, Massachusetts
2011
I picked the Patriots box because I love the Patriots. I also like splatter paint so I put spatter paint on my box. I cut out letters spelling go Patriots and colored them. I put cool paper on the box.
Diego V.
Friends Academy
4th Grade, Massachusetts
2011
I made my box the way it is because nature is part of us and it relys on us. I made the box as a reminder to other people reminding them to protect nature.
Leah K.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
On my box I put bright colors because I am a bright person. I put a peace sign because I believe in peace. I put a 1957 corvette because I like cars. I put a lego creation in because I like legos. I put a Ninja in because I do Karate black belt here I come. I put Popsicle sticks to make it look like a dojo. I put Mario Sports MTX because I like video games. I put a women run card because it’s my moms business and I believe in her and go to women run.com.
Camden L.
4th Grade, Massachussetts
Friends Academy 2011
Be Yourself. Writing brings out my thoughts. Resepect others. Appreciate living things (animals) around you.
Grace M.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
Soccer, Smurfs, glitter I believe in Smurfs playing Soccer.
Natasha Y.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
My box is about family My family is funny, loveable and caring. I have 4 people in my family, me, my brother Raymond, my dad Rich and my mom Lee. Also including our family dog Capton. I care for my family and I love my family.
Anthony B.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
When my hands are in clay, the world disappears. One form leads to another - -shaping, firing, the possibilities of color -useful objects that make you smile.
Wendy G.
4th Grade Teacher, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
I put a picture in my box because I love art. I put stars in my box because I make wishes on stars. I put a mini model of my favorite book. I put a pretty rock in because it makes me happy. I believe in Gaia, mother earth. I love nature.
Charlotte G.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
I love traveling and I believe that one day natrue will be left alone and not picked or pulled. My favorite seasons are fall and spring, but winter and summer aren't bad!
River M.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
My box represents things I like. My box also represent me as it does have my name on it. Though I did only put some of the things I like on it.
Ethan S.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
I Love fun, Animals, the beach and Holidays. I love the beach because of shells and sea glass. I love Holidays because my dad is home and animals and fun, what’s not to like?
Emilia D.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
Angel=I’m religous She has a crab pet The turtles=My favorite animal and I love disney The shells, chair, and beach thing=I love the beach and not mosquitos. Ocean back round=I love swimming and the ocean Heaven back round=because I’m religious shell under angel's hands I remember spackle my pet Sparkle.
Dryanna K.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
I have hulk smashing because I am strong. I have pencils because I like to draw. I have a car I like cars. I like games so I have Monopoly. I have Phineas and Pherb because I like the show.
Ean M.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
The Lego guys is there to show that I like Lego’s. the shells are there to show that I like to swim. The Book is there because I love to read. The knife is there to show I love to carve.
Ethan M.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
I put singing in my box because ever since I was 3 I loved to sing. I love karaoke. I put a stage curtain because I like to act.
Julia K.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
Hollywood magic! This box Represents me because I Like acting!!
Trey S.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
The green on the top of my box represents my favorite basketball team the Celtics. The blue on the right side represents The Patriots because they are my favorite football team. The red on the left side represents the Red Sox because that's my favorite baseball team. On the bottom, it’s purple because my favorite color is purple. My favorite sport is basketball so I put a basketball and a basketball hoop.
Jack B.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
Fun. Love. Glitter!
Maddy P.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
I made a box for REVEALED. I put smurfs in my box because I love Smurfs. I put an eyeball because I like making eyeballs. I also made flying pigs because they are awesome and real. I put glitter because I love it.
Sophie R.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
I Like to ripstick, golf, riding My Bike, Play Basketball, cars and Drinking Arnold Palmer because I like the ripsticking and making obstacles, golf because I love it. Biking because I do a biking camp. Basketball because I'm good at it. Car’s because I like the movies called Fast and Furious. And Arnold Palmer because it lemonade and iced tea.
Peter V.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
My box is all about Dirt bikes. Dirt bikes are my life. My Dad introduced it to me a year ago. I have three Hondas an orange one a blue one and a red one.
Frank Z.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
My box represents what I believe in. I believe in fairies, my family, my friends, and nature. I put in an owl because owls are my favorite animals. I also put in a book, a shell, a feather, and a cat because it represents what I like to do. I like to read, go to the beach, play with my cats, and the feather is because I always wanted to fly!
Hannah H.
4th Grade, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
I believe in Angels. I believe that I can do anything if I really, really want to. I believe that everything happens for a reason and if you look really hard, there is always a silver lining. I believe that hope and faith can cause miracles. I believe in the importance of taking time to acknowledge and appreciate the beauty in nature and the gift of life. I have filled many roles in my life – daughter, sister, mother, friend, wife, artist, teacher, student and survivor – and would not change a thing, but I still believe the best is yet to come.
Susan C.
4th Grade Teacher, Massachusetts
Friends Academy 2011
Dylan
Roger Williams University
2016
1. If there were three things that I hold close to myself, it would be sports, family, and the ability to overcome. Sports have influenced my entire life and kept me on track. Sports in general, wrestling especially, gives me something to drive for. I am someone who sets goals and meets them the best I can. Athletics and staying active as a whole has kept me pushing forward to better myself. I fight with my family. All the time. But I would never trade them in. They mean the world to me no matter much we argue. They have supported me through thick and thin. Through the best of times and the worst of times. I know whatever happens, they will be there for me. Lastly, the ability to overcome has always played a huge role in my life. In life, there are always hard times, but I believe how someone recovers is the best way to see their true character. The way in which people get up after being knocked down reveals what they are really made of and how strong their drive is to move forward.
2. I don’t know exactly how I will convey my beliefs in a box quite yet, but I have a few ideas. I want something to show how much family and friendship means to me. To do this, I could use a gift from a friend or something me and my friends do together, such as a game board piece possibly. Also, I want to display how I expand my horizons. Traveling, opening up to new experiences, meeting new people. These are all things that I also hold close. I could use a stalactite I brought home from Bermuda or a volcanic rock from Arizona. Another thing that I would like to show is something along the lines of nature. I could use moss or a picture I have taken. But I would ideally like to show how much it means to me.
Caroline
Roger Williams University
2016
There are many things I believe in, but only three that I hold close to me. Caring for others, art and family. When I was younger, I was raised in a way that I put others before myself. Not only was I taught that, but I also was taught to take care of my siblings whether if they were sad, or had a scraped knee. For me, anything medical related is interesting and important. I believe that everyone has the right to be taken care of, and treated for their illness. When it comes to art, I believe that art is a way for people to express their feelings and sometimes it’s just there to help one relax. Ever since I picked up a crayon, I had this drive to perfect my art skills; become a better painter, drawer, graphic designer, photographer. Not only did perfecting my art skills make for better art pieces, but also it made a better me over the years. I made a lot of friends from my art, I met amazing teachers who inspired me to continue with an art career as well. These people all helped in some way to make me a better person, and the person I am today. Some of these people also includes my family. My family, while it feels broken at the moment, is the most important thing to me. I don’t go a day without thinking about my parents and brothers. I treasure my brothers like nothing else. Like what I said about being raised to take care of my brothers, in a way, while they are younger than me, they take care of me too. My brothers make me go insane, but they also know how to make me sane. They make what seems like a dark time, brighter. Therefore, I believe in family. All three things are aspects in my life that make me who I am, and have contributed to help make me, me.
Today, I am one thing; confused. I put together not one box, but two. Why? Because my life seems to be in two different worlds. One world where I imagine being a doctor, helping those in need, something I’m very passionate about. This has been a dream of mine, something I’d definitely have to work hard towards, but an achievable goal. The second box is the world where I take my creativity and art skills and become the best graphic designer I could be. I will create logos for huge companies and design websites for businesses. Two very drastic careers that I feel so conflicted choosing between. However, the significance of two boxes isn’t only about my love for art or dream to become a doctor, it also symbolizes the separation my family is going through. I hold these two boxes close together because while my parents are going through a divorce, these two dreams of mine are pulling me through it all. My brothers who mean the world to me, bring these two boxes together. This conflict and confusion I’m feeling probably won’t go away tomorrow, or the next day, or even in the next year, but my love for art, drive to learn more about biology, and my relationship with my brothers have helped me become who I am today.
Britney
Roger Williams University
2016
In my life, I have three major beliefs. These beliefs have driven me to where I stand today as a person. My first major belief is that you only get out what you put in. I am an athlete in several sports. However, I would have to say that javelin in track and field is my main event. My first season as a thrower, I did not succeed. I could not throw far and my technique was poor. There was no way that I was going to be able to improve if I did not put in any effort. The next season, I signed up with a private coach and worked on improving my strength spending 9 hours per week in a weight room. At the end of the seasons, I progressed to the final round of the All-Division meet and placed 15th in the All-Area meet with a personal record 30 feet farther than my previous season. This was much better than anyone had expected me to do. If I did not put in the effort, I would not have progressed. My second major belief is that God does everything for a reason. I have had plenty of friends in my life. Most of which have come and gone. However, if I had remained with the same people, I wouldn’t be nearly as happy as I am now with the people that I have around me. God put me through some tough situations because He knew that without them, I would not have made it to this point in my life. I believe that mistakes have to be made in order to learn. If I didn’t have to deal with these frustrating times in my life, I never would have learned how to deal with them in the future. To me, making mistakes is the only way to become stronger. My third major belief is that being quiet gets you nowhere. I’ve learned through many circumstances that being tough is the best thing you can do for yourself. This is not to say I don’t have days where all I need to do is cry. But when life hits you hard, you need to retaliate 10 times harder. You’ll never be able to make something of yourself if you can’t speak your mind. For example, one of my professors works to see you struggle. She pushes you to your full extent. Most people squirm in fear. I stand tall and confident and voice my rebuttal to shut her down.
In my life, I have three major beliefs. These beliefs have driven me to where I stand today as a person. My first major belief is that you only get out what you put in. I am an athlete in several sports. However, I would have to say that javelin in track and field is my main event. My first season as a thrower, I did not succeed. I could not throw far and my technique was poor. There was no way that I was going to be able to improve if I did not put in any effort. The next season, I signed up with a private coach and worked on improving my strength spending 9 hours per week in a weight room. At the end of the seasons, I progressed to the final round of the All-Division meet and placed 15th in the All-Area meet with a personal record 30 feet farther than my previous season. This was much better than anyone had expected me to do. If I did not put in the effort, I would not have progressed. My second major belief is that God does everything for a reason. I have had plenty of friends in my life. Most of which have come and gone. However, if I had remained with the same people, I wouldn’t be nearly as happy as I am now with the people that I have around me. God put me through some tough situations because He knew that without them, I would not have made it to this point in my life. I believe that mistakes have to be made in order to learn. If I didn’t have to deal with these frustrating times in my life, I never would have learned how to deal with them in the future. To me, making mistakes is the only way to become stronger. My third major belief is that being quiet gets you nowhere. I’ve learned through many circumstances that being tough is the best thing you can do for yourself. This is not to say I don’t have days where all I need to do is cry. But when life hits you hard, you need to retaliate 10 times harder. You’ll never be able to make something of yourself if you can’t speak your mind. For example, one of my professors works to see you struggle. She pushes you to your full extent. Most people squirm in fear. I stand tall and confident and voice my rebuttal to shut her down.
The first thing I plan on doing with my box is presenting it so that it opens upwards instead of outwards. I feel like this defines me because you have to look further than what is right in front of you to truly understand me. I may even have the lid hang off slightly because sometimes it is hard for me to open up to people and show them who I truly am. I am putting a music note bandana inside my box to hold all my other objects because underneath everything, music is what really gets me through the tough times. Inside I am putting two types of artificial flowers. Some are purple and some are white with writing. The white flowers resemble my passion for journalism. I use every chance I get to further my writing abilities for my future as a journalist. The purple flowers represent me in a different way. Purple is defined as combining the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red. I think this defines me because sometimes I just need to stay calm to help me overcome something and other times I need to voice my opinion so that everyone can hear it. Purple also shows pride and independence which are two important qualities in my mind. On the outside of the box, I want to decorate it with sparkly black foam because black represents the unknown. I consider myself a hard book to read because I am always pulling my mind in different directions. I also want to place a pearl letter B sticker on the outside because pearls symbolize loyalty and I am always loyal to everyone around me.
Rachel
Roger Williams University
2016
Through the course of my life so far I have developed many beliefs. The three beliefs that are the most important to me as a person are you cannot survive in the world without friendship, you are your own worst enemy, and that people do not tell you who you are, you tell them. The first belief is something I learned early in life. As an only child I had to go through a lot of things alone in life, but having my two best friends with me since I was a child showed me that I was never truly alone. We all had similar family situations, and that made me feel that I was not alone in this world. Without their friendship and the other friends that I made throughout school, I honestly do not know if I would be here today. The next belief is something I learned when I was a Freshman in High School. Studies say that middle school is the time when children start to lose their self confidence and esteem, and this was true for me. I was so bent on straightening my hair everyday, and making sure all my clothes were from Abercrombie and Hollister, because I was so worried about what others would think of me. I do not remember the exact moment when I realized that no one is paying that much attention to what I look like or what I am wearing, it was just me. I really am my worst enemy. I am so hard on myself still to this day. I struggled a lot with this junior and senior year, and I am just now learning how to accept myself more. The final belief is something I learned Sophomore year of High School. It might sound silly but I learned this from Gossip Girl. My favorite character of all time, Blair Waldorf, is about to run away to Paris to escape the gossip surrounding her, and her best friend Serena Van Der Woodsen stops her on the tarmac, and tells her that “people don’t tell you who you are, you tell them”. That really stuck with me. People can call me a ditz, fake, or annoying, but I am none of those things. This might be my most important belief I have, and it is a belief that has helped guide me through life, and will continue to guide me.
My revealed box will reflect me through objects and symbols. I have a bunch of shards of broken glass that will be hanging inside the box from strings. Glass is something that is shiny and pretty, but this glass is broken, sharp, and dangerous. Handled with care it is still beautiful.
Carly
Roger Williams University
2016
Life holds many qualities. Qualities such as happiness, sadness, tragedy, and love. At one point or another during my life, I will feel these emotions, my life circles around them. This drives me to look at my life and the struggles I have been through and all the high points I’ve experienced contributing to the person I am today. This belief originates from the idea that I believe life is not perfect, it is an intricate puzzle that gets pieced together day by day, one step at a time. After watching my great grandmother pass at the young age of six, I was introduced to this new understanding of life first hand, then again when I was diagnosed with a life changing illness at the age of nine. I want to make my life count and without going through the highs and lows of life, I thought many things. How could my life mean anything if my life is only all highs without the lows? I also believe that people are free spirits, we do what we want as we please. We have the power to shape our lives to be what we want. This contradicts the idea that I was brought up on. I was brought up to believe that God has a plan out there and preset for every person. As I have gone through life, I got dealt horrible cards from medical issues, relationship issues, and family issues. However, I built this new belief for myself that it is me in control of my own life. I chose and continue to choose who I am and who I become. Lastly, I believe that life has a beautiful fluidity to it. This was driven from my love for music, I use it to describe how I wish to live my life. Music and its fluidity mimics that of real life going on around us. I feel that I am embedded in a song that I create through the situations I find myself in. I construct myself in an outer body way, I take ideas from the outside and created them into the inner me. I am a person of faith, but faith on my own terms and beliefs.
I picture my revealed box to display the life I have lived through the use of the everyday objects I have in my room and still use today. Most of these objects are directly given to me from the people who have helped to create the happiness, sadness, tragedy, and love in my life. These objects gave me the strength to keep pushing on when I thought I couldn’t. I see things hanging with in the box on a string. They may or may not swing but this will only show the fluidity on how I view life. With intricate movement or none at all. I plan to attempt to reshape the box for the photographs. This will display the free spirit. The box was given to us to be a square box. However, just because it was dealt to us like this it doesn’t need to always stay like that. Showing I have the power to change what is dealt to me, I have the power and will to change my life. The box will also be covered in sheet music with my favorite pieces of music on them. They were coping mechanisms for when I hit a hard low of being diagnosed with a life changing auto immune disease at the age of nine. The box will show the struggle I have been through, the high points I have experienced but most of all how I have the power to shape my own life and how I live it is my choice. Not the choice of the world around me.
Isaac Martin
Roger Williams University
2016
1) The first belief I hold close to myself is to not care about what other people think. I hold this close to me because I constantly remind myself of this. I found when I focus on what other people think, I lose who I am and who I want to be. I focus on what other people expect me to be. So use this belief to remind myself of who I want to be. I use this saying most when I feel as if other people are judging me. When growing up I was raised to behave in a way that would not affect how people view me. So when I came out as gay, I struggled with what others would think and tried to change. Eventually I learned it was okay to not care what other people think, as long as I was being authentic to myself. The second belief I hold close to myself is that no matter what everything gets better in someway. This comes from realizing how I survived things, that I, at the time, thought was the worst possible thing that could happen. After whatever it was at the time happened, I learned to either live with it or the situation changed and became easier. Mainly this has to do with my coming out. In high school I viewed my parents finding out that I was gay as the worst possible thing that could happen to myself. But after I was outed, I went to college and did not have to deal with them or be closeted anymore. I saw how I could live with the situation and how being outed helped my situation get somewhat better. This belief does not come with the belief that eventually everything will be perfect, but survivable. The last belief I hold is to not take life seriously and have fun. This belief does not mean not doing any work and only having fun, but to make time to relax and have fun. I remember this whenever I get bad anxiety, overreact, and make things to be more important than they really are. This belief also reminds me to not make work and school the focuses of my life because people should not live to work. 2) The REVEALED box, that we will construct
Roger Williams University
2016
Olivia Pelzar
Roger Williams University
2016
1. Three beliefs that I hold true, and find myself living by every day are compassion for others, resilience, and honesty. I would have t describe myself as a pretty blunt person, I am the type of person that will not wait and beat around the bush when I can knowingly do something to change a situation. Many of my beliefs originate from my dad, my two older brothers, and the soccer field. As I was going to write my heritage speech on, I grew up in a hardy tomboy lifestyle and was introduced to soccer at an early age. Early years of soccer teaches you just as much about life as is does to kick the ball, and one of the first life lessons of the game is to quickly get back up and keep playing after you’re knocked down. After soccer practice I would come home to my dad who would ask me about practice, and proceed to tell me what i should be doing better. My dad is where I learned that honestly (and the occasional brutal honesty) is the best way to get something done without confusion, and it was an effective way of building resilience aswell, I was never allowed to be a kid that got a trophy just for participating. Soon after, my brothers would normally arrive home from their practices and get the same speech. As you can tell this was not only a sport, it was a 24/7 lifestyle. So I grew up a pretty tough kid, and it wasn’t until my teen years that I witnessed the importance of compassion. In 2013 I began traveling on mission trips in and out of the country a few times a year, and my largest trip was to the town of Boscobel, Jamaica. I met some of the most amazing people of my life who live in drastically worse conditions than I could ever imagine. Before my mission trips to Bridgeport CT, Logan County WV, Atlantic City NJ, etc. I lived in a tight New England bubble, and found it easy to judge others outside of my realm, but now I look towards everyone with compassion and optimism.
2. In reading my top three beliefs above, I have a few ideas as to what I should put in my box. What is not mentioned above is my love for art, which I have been told I have excelled in for all of my life. I feel that my box would not be complete without some stylistic/design elements. One thing that I know will go in my box is a gold painted rock with the number 14 (my jersey number) written on one side, and the word believe written on the other. This rock was given to me by my high school lacrosse coach, each one of us received a rock. “Believe” was our word of the season that drove our once underdog team to the state championship, the first time in a decade. I believe that it was resilience that got us there. Also, I plan to put a picture of my dog, Abby, in the box because she has been my number one fan for the last 9 years. She is also a mark of determination for me, I had been begging for a dog from the time I could speak and my family finally caved into my constant nagging. These are the definite things I want
Brandon
Roger Williams University
2016
My Identity
My life can be described in a few different ways. Many people, objects, and events have a strong influence in my life. Anything that describes my life contributes to myself concept and constructs me. The three beliefs that I hold very close to myself are family, working, and sports. Without any of these, I would not be where I am today. All these people/events are what drive my life and influence me to become a better person in this world. To start off, the most inspiring and influential people in my life is my immediate family. They are people who inspire and influence me to help describe my self-concept. To start off, my parents are the people who guide me through life. They teach me right from wrong. They are two people who tell me to make the most of everything. They inspire me to do my best in no matter what I am doing. Both of them teach me that working hard is what gets you places. They inspire me by telling me how to become the best person I can be. They drive me to fulfill my goals by keep working hard. They motivate me because they know what is best for me. As for my brothers, they motivate me to become a better person and to tell others how to be better people. Having an older brother has always put me in a position where I am being motivated to be a better overall person. Having a younger brother teaches me to help him and tell him how to become a better human. They both influence and teach me how to be a better person in different ways. The second belief that describes me is working. Without working, you cannot get anywhere in life. Working teaches people how money doesn’t fall from the sky. You have to put effort and hard work into something in order to get benefits out of it. For the summer, I work at a beach club. I carry chairs and umbrellas down to the beach for members. It is hard work by carrying these objects to and from the beach all day long. It may not be the easiest or most exciting job, but at the end of the day, it is worth it. The money is not even the best part of the job. Working shows me that without hard work you won’t get anywhere. My job has taught me how to deal with others and has influenced me to become a better person and work hard for anything that I desire which is the happiness which comes from making money. A goal in life is to become successful and make money in order to hopefully support a family of my own. Lastly, one more belief that inspires me is sports, specifically lacrosse. It influences me to work alongside with others. Same as working, I need to work hard in order to get better and get a positive outcome. Lacrosse has not only influenced me to work in a team but it also is a sense of comfort because whenever I am stressed picking up the lacrosse stick will help calm me down. Lacrosse is a sport where it teaches me to work hard to become better, but also teaches me to work with a team which is important when it comes to getting a job when I am older.
The way my three beliefs will demonstrate my box are very similar. Each belief is based on one another. It is almost as if it is a domino effect. To start off my family teach me everything I need to know. They will be the front piece of my box because they teach me everything when growing up. They are the people who try to make me a better person to the outside world. They are the forefront of my life and without them then I would not be where I am today. The second row of my box will be working because learning how to work hard is from my family. Working is what makes me happy and teaches me determination and motivation. When I look at pictures of working then I realize it motivates me that I need to work to get places. To conclude, the last row of my box will be lacrosse. Lacrosse is fun but family and working teach me that becoming a better all-around and hard worker are what get me better. It is still present in my life and will be present in my box but everything is a domino effect in my life. So without my family, I would not know what working really does and how it affects me. If I didn’t know how working affected me then I would not cherish the sport of lacrosse as much as I do.
Sammy
Roger Williams University
2016
1.
Three beliefs I hold very close to me is to be unique, to utilize creativity during everyday life, and to not let others influence your own thoughts and opinions. For my own self, being unique and having my own original ideas is very important to me. I have never been one to follow the crowd and I actually enjoy standing out from others, whether if it is with my appearance, actions or contracting beliefs. Being unique drives me to become a successful individual because when one is unique, their ideas become of interest to others which can eventually lead to their success in life, whether if it’s in a career or one’s personal life. My belief to be unique originated from my parents and older sister. Ever since I was young, my mother has imprinted in me how important it is to be yourself and to not follow the crowd. My sister similarly passed this trait down to me by telling me not to copy others because it’s the “safe” thing to do, but to wear what you want and think what you want. As well as being unique, I also hold creativity to be very important in my life. Without creativity, life is dull and not imaginative. I believe creativity is extremely useful to use in life because it creates multiple ways to approach a situation or problem and it benefits the mind by working it in a new way. I engage in my creativity because I think it can benefit me in the future by turning my hobbies into a career. My creativity originated from becoming fascinated with the arts including fashion, photography and literature. These subjects tapped into my personal creativity and made it easier for me to express who I really am and show my artistic and creative qualities. Lastly, I strongly believe that not being influenced by other's opinions and holding true to your own is an important quality to carry throughout life. If you are constantly influenced by others, you will never find yourself in control of your own beliefs and thoughts and you won't have a strong sense of self. To not be aware of your own beliefs is dangerous because you may never establish independence. The less independence one has the harder it is for them to find success in life. This belief was manifested in me by my dad because he constantly reminds me to never let anyone tell me my opinion is invalid, to always stand up for what I think is right and to not be afraid to speak my mind despite what others may think of me. These three beliefs and qualities make up my principles and the person I am today.
2. Looking at the above answer please do your best to articulate how your REVEALED box, which we will construct on Monday November 7th together, and will be photographed on Thursday November 10th, will likely (as you plan at this time, even if it doesn't turn out how you envision it now) is a reflection of this inner work you describe in part one of your writing prompt
For the construction of my box, I will try to incorporate my personal beliefs and interests through the use of multiple objects and decorations. First I plan to paste several flowers in the box to symbolize my growth as a person and how I have changed from a shy girl who was sometimes nervous to share her ideas and opinions, but is now confident and always willing to speak her mind and stand up for her beliefs. The flowers may also represent my creativity and how I appreciate the beauty in art and nature based on how I perceive the world. Some of the flowers are white and I may dye the other half black to reveal the edgier side of my personality. I am edgy in my style but also my mindset because I like to think differently than others and I find myself telling the truth straight forward and speaking my mind. To add to my box, I also want to place my camera on top for a number of reasons. The camera will not only show my love for photography but also my creative and unique abilities of how I view the world around me. Photographers tend to have unique images jump out at them that others may not have noticed. To further demonstrate my creative side, I will paste images of fashion and other art forms that I find attractive. Although it’s not an internal belief, I believe my love of fashion shapes who I am because it is more than just clothes you put on every day. Your personal fashion can define who you are because of your individual taste and style and through this style you are able to communicate to the world what you are like. I utilize my creative fashions sense to fulfill my need to be unique from others, so I think it is important that I include something regarding fashion in my box.
Devin P
Roger Williams University
2016
I may not be a specifically religious person, but I find that so many religions often times have these great moral codes that people are told to follow. Without speaking about faith so much as the guidelines of a religion, you’ll see that so many major religions all hold respect for other people, and all do good by themselves and by others. These key components are prominent in almost all major religions and those who abide by these basic guides are better people for doing it, whether they’re committed to a faith or not. I, personally, have learned these attributes from my family with a Lutheran upbringing, my martial arts and my experiences at school.
While I no longer identify myself as a devout Lutheran, I was raised, baptized and confirmed as one. Learning about the religion was an interesting experience; not so much because of the stories that were told or the concepts of heaven and hell, but more specifically for the way that our pastor explained how to be a decent human being and how every choice you make matters. The church always encouraged us to be polite, kind, respectful, generous and courageous people- “Good Christians” they called us. And whether or not I decided to pursue the faith past my confirmation (which was heavily influenced by my parents in the first place) or not, I took the concept of doing what’s right to heart as best I could, because it seems as though that’s the way life should be lived- maybe not in order to provide yourself with eternal life, but in order to provide yourself with better current life.
Through my practice of karate over the last 11 years (which one could argue is, or had replaced my religion), I’ve learned so much about chivalry and passion for all other living beings. A key thing to remember is that in a perfect world, you should do unto others as you would have them do to you. This was ingrained in my head as I began karate, and will not leave me until I die. Additionally, respect for your elders and peers, taking pride in all that you do, and speaking with confidence, modesty, honesty, and passion have all been embedded in my by my education in karate. These help shape my beliefs of being the best person you can be to make the best world we can have.
From Pre-K to senior year of high school, I have watched other, more outgoing people, criticize their teachers, peers, or even that kid with the learning disability until I feel disgusted. I’m not saying I don’t feel frustration towards other human beings. Everybody does. But the way I’ve heard people trash talk others is not something I can support. Outwardly disrespecting your colleagues and superiors is an act that shouldn’t be done for laughs or out of anger. Seeing so many people verbally tear others to shreds for the last 19 years has left me realizing that abusing people in any way is so degrading to both the target and the speaker because it shows a lack of self-discipline. This contrast that I’ve experienced my whole life has only reaffirmed my goals of being more respectful and supportive for those around me, to do my best to make the world a better place. A quote from the movie Kingsmen is a surprisingly sound representation of my goals for myself: “Being a gentleman is not about being better than anybody else. It’s about being better than the man you were yesterday.”
Alex
Roger Williams University
2016
When the question is posed to me about what I believe and hold close to me, it is often difficult to think about what I believe in. This is simply because I do not spend too much time thinking about this issue because I almost find it distracting. However, in a time where I have just entered college and the cliché idea of college is to “learn about yourself”, I find that I think more often about my future than anything. How can I get from point A to point B in an efficient way and as a result, do what I love for a career for the rest of my life? This is where my beliefs come in. My first belief that is very central to my idea of life is that you must work hard to achieve a goal. Sure, luck has a part in how you achieve a goal but I tend not to rely on luck to get to where I want to be. While this particular belief is quite vague I can relate it to real life. How did I get into college, without working extremely hard in high school? How did people who are doing the jobs they love, get to that point? They worked hard. Working hard is the only way to achieve what I want to do. That being said, what I want to do for the rest of my life is make people laugh. Whether that is through stand-up comedy, doing professional writing on television shows, or a once in a lifetime spot on SNL, the only way I’m going to get to this point is from seriously hard work. At the same time, I believe it is important not to take life so seriously. I do not mean go out and drive a car using only your feet. I mean that it is important to relax and not get to stressed out about what is occurring in your life. That being said, I often find myself stressing out about various school projects or whatever is on my mind, but I have to remind myself to step back and look at the bright side of life. With working hard, and not taking life to seriously, I believe it is most important to have a passion. Without a passion, there is no drive or ambition, and by result, nothing gets done. I know plenty of people in my life that have no passion and do not know what they love or have a backwards way of thinking about what they truly love and I feel very bad. What is the purpose of life without passion? With passion though, comes a good work ethic, and a good outlook on life. Three solid beliefs that I hold very close to me and that contribute to my own self-concept.
I plan to put things in the box that I like and that attribute to me and relate to my own self-concept. I do not often like to credit myself for my own accomplishments or what I have done simply because my life is a series of influences that have resulted in what I do. Therefore, I plan to put things in my box that relate to me and have influenced what I believe and think. I plan to put my Chris Farley bobble head inside the box (as you already know the influence of that). I also plan to either put my saxophone mouth piece or harmonica into my box to showcase the influence music has on me. I want to put my phone into my box too, not to show the significance of an Apple IPhone in my life, but rather show the influence a screen (whether phone or television) has had in my life. I have a few pictures that I am planning to put in the box as well as other items. But all of these have had an influence in my passion. My passion for comedy and making others feel better. Again, through that passion come hard work and a good outlook on life. The hard work comes from these influences that tell me what to do or how to accomplish something. It is by these influences (that I plan to put in my box) that I have good work ethic. And finally, all of these objects in my box will ultimately represent what has given me a good outlook on life. What is keeping me sane in a world that wants me to be stressed out? Through my box, I hope to portray that I try my best to not take life so seriously. With a good outlook on life and a hard work ethic, that may also result in finding you passion. I hope that my box will show off these three beliefs and what has influenced me in this way. It is only with my influences that I have my self-concept.
Connor
Roger Williams University
2016
1. Everyone has their own specific set of beliefs. It’s one of the many things that makes all of us unique individuals. These beliefs can be anything from religion to a favorite sports team. Personally, I believe that if you have the ability to help someone, then you are morally obligated to do so. This is something I’ve always thought to be extremely important. Throughout my entire life I’ve always been a huge fan of comic books and super heroes; and despite the fact that those characters are fictional and could never exist in the real world, I’ve always looked up to them and each day I strive to be more like them. One of the ways I do this is by helping others whenever I can, regardless of the sacrifices I have to make for them because making other people happy makes me happy in return. Another one of my strong beliefs is that one should never be mean or hurtful to others. Sure, people may have their differences, but at the end of the day, we’re all humans trying to make it in this world, so why should we make life difficult for others? As someone who has experienced a lot of bullying in the past, I feel the pain of others who are treated unfairly and believe that being disrespectful and mean to others is one of the worst things you can do to someone. In addition, I also practice Catholicism. I’m not extremely religious, but when times are tough and I feel like the world is beating down on me, I always find myself looking for help from a higher power. Religion has always been present in my life and I intend to keep it that way. These are just some of the beliefs that help define who I am.
2. Honestly, I’m still not entirely sure of what to do with my REVEALED box. However, based off of my beliefs and interests, I’m thinking of including something involving super heroes. I’ve always been extremely interested in these characters and they have helped shape my beliefs and who I am today. Super heroes stand for justice, friendship, and goodwill. Each day I strive to be like these heroes and help those in need whenever I can. Because of the major impact that comic books and their characters have had on my life, I plan on including references to them in my REVEALED box. In addition, I may include some objects that represent my Irish heritage. Family has always been extremely important to me and is a huge part of my life, so I would like to showcase that in my REVEALED box. I also may include objects referring to computers because computers have had a major impact on my life as I spend most of my free time in front of one, and I’m a computer science major and I intend to find a job working with computers in the future. These are just a few of the many things that represent who I am, and by putting objects such as these in my REVEALED box, I can show others just who I really am on the inside.
Jenna
Roger Williams University
2016
My beliefs are often deciding factors in my everyday life; they are the values in which I base my life and I find that I identify with them in many ways. I am greatly influenced by my faith, my lack of a materialism and the conscious choice to live without assumption All of these things have greatly impacted who I am as a person. On an intimate level, I don’t believe in judgment. I like to embrace others for what they believe in, the way they think, who and what they like and what makes them who they are. I do not believe that I, as some ordinary person, am qualified to evaluate the worth of another human being. I believe that there is a higher power that does that and from my perspective, as humans, we are all on the same level. Everything I do, I do for God because I find that to be what faith truly is. Contrary to the beliefs of some less spiritual people, as a person of faith, I do not live according to certain values because it’s dictated to me by my religion. I confide in my religion because of the fact that it values the ideals I find most important to my life. There are few physical items that I hold close to my heart and have a true spiritual connection with. I carry my experiences with me rather than putting them away in a box to take out and cherish when I would like to and it is evident that this factor has shaped who I am.
When thinking about what to put in my box in regard to physical items, I was for the most part at a loss as there are not many trinkets or keepsakes that I find significant to who I am. Many people keep their memories close to them by storing them inside tangible things, associating their emotion and experience with visual reminders. I, however, cherish these moments in a different way. I keep them compiled within my soul and allow them to direct me and mold me into the person I will become because tomorrow and each following day we become new. On my box I want to show that I am a person of faith because it's something that I'm proud of despite ridicule I have faced in the past. I didn't always have my faith and for the majority of that time period I was miserable. When I recollect who I was back then I realize how lost I was and how much my spiritual beliefs have impacted me in such positive ways. I would not be the person I am today had I not been born again into my faith. I want my box to display my spiritual beliefs while still conveying they are not all that I am. I’m considerably open and although I have a set path that I have chosen for myself, I respect and appreciate others for having their own direction. Every individual has a unique predilection and each one should be embraced because it is part of what makes them who they are.
I believe that there should be peace between all mankind. There is one world for all of us to live on so why do we fight? We all don’t have to agree, but we don’t have to fight. Have peace and spread it.
Christopher G.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
I believe in choices, chances, changes and challenges. Find advent – where ever you go. My box is plain grey to resemble my teddy bear form childhood. The sparkles represent light and cheerfulness.
Emily S.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
I believe that music can bring family back together.
Erik F.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
I left my box empty because I don’t know who I am yet and what I want to be and believe in. I haven’t figured that out yet. I decorated it – black and yellow paint with sparkles, because I know I am not dull. I just don’t know who I am yet.
Dasia F.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
I put a bow because of cheerleading – I put a belly ring because I love piercings and sparkles – I put a mirror because it is juicy couture and that is my favorite designer – AND because I love myself. I am confident. My box is crazy because I am crazy.
Anna S.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
I believe in my mom and everything she stands for. My mom has been a single mother who raised me and my siblings on her own. I appreciate my mother. I believe in my mother.
Darrien P.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
I believe in family, friends, choices and decisions. My box represents my life – how in the beginning it was perfect, we were all together. As the years went on, we grew apart and then we went as far as we could go. But as the years pass … we are growing closer again.
Joaquin G.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
My box is black in the inside from all the dark times I’ve had in my life. I’ve had ups and downs and still manage to stay standing – stay standing like a soldier. A soldier is someone standing up for what they believe in – no matter what, they do not give up. I can fight this war all by myself.
Bryant C.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
I believe….. I want to look back 25 years from the moment this picture was taken and it will reflect who I am at this stage in my life. So many changes in my life at 50 years old, feeling very connected to my children and disconnected from my husband. My faith brings me close to the ocean and its calming nature. I believe in God. Healing is a word that keeps coming to me, yet I am not sure how to heal? My life is so full, yet something is missing.
Kathy G.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
I chose this picture to represent my parent’s youthfulness and the care free spirit that I have endured from them. I admire my dad's strong will which he has instilled in me, my mom for her loyalty which she has instilled in me. I am a combination of my parents to whom I hold dear to my heart because without them I would not be me. This is what I believe in.
Bhryana P.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
My box is a road because I believe that I need to find myself. I don’t really know myself yet. I have headphones plugged into my box because I love music. Music represents me. The road represents me finding myself a future road to success.
Sarai V.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
This I believe the only person that you can rely on is yourself. This is why I used a mirror – to represent me relying on myself. At the end of the day the only person responsible for your well-being is yourself.
Angel A.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
I believe in God. I believe that good things will come to good people. Even after I lost my mother I thought good things would come. I am on a healing path. Things are only getting better. I am learning to express myself and my feelings through my art.
Yasin P.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
Even if my jewelry box does not have a ballerina, I am free. In this box, I have a watch because it is my dads and he is important to me. It also represents that time will not stop me. The drawing represents my fate – I am an angel and I make my own path. This I believe
Jennifer G.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
My whole life I have had a passion for robotics. This toy is what birthed that passion.
Anthony K.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
I believe that everything can change. I believe in transformation. I recently started welding and I fell in love. I fell in love with the feeling of changing something that felt so definite. I always thought of metal as something strong, something difficult (almost impossible) to change. As I watched the molten metal transform from under my welding face mask, I learned … that even the things that feel the most strong, can sometimes be weak, can sometimes change, can sometimes break, be turned into something better and stronger – everything can transform. My box may just look like pieces from a junk-yard. The trinkets, the small pieces of metal – some are important to me – pieces I’ve collected, others are just parts that will some day be turned into something else. Like me, they can change, they can become stronger, they can break, they can be better than they once were …. (With a little patience and a whole lot of heat)
Megan C.
The Met, Providence RI
2012
Boston Massachusetts
2013
Boston Massachusetts
2013
Boston Massachusetts
2013
Boston Massachusetts
2013
Boston Massachusetts
2013
REVEALED Class Gallery