Sarah Dairiki

My generation has experienced a lot, from the introduction of Snapchat and Instagram all the way to twerking. Teenagers nowadays are so technology savvy that they, in my opinion, become lost in this world of global superficiality, learning to live through their phones and computers instead of facing reality. Because of this explosion of technology in recent years teenagers, including myself, have become exposed to many different "problems" that adults most likely have not faced when they were teenagers themselves. The world we currently live in is very competitive, especially for teenagers. We try to show off and make ourselves look good in order to gain attention, sometimes even acting cocky and arrogant unknowingly. We as teenagers deal with so many problems that adults think are no big deal, and I just want to highlight some of those issues we face daily. Teenagers always feel pressure, from a variety of different sources. However, that pressure from parents grows, espec...

There are many people who don't know the real me. There are just as many people that do not even know I exist, if not more. There have been so many moments when a student is passing homework back, and asks their friend who I am, as they do not know themselves. After receiving my homework back I would hear the person who gave me my homework back say, "What's her name? Sarah Dai...." or even worse, "Is she new?" This specific experience has not been the first. It has occurred before, most likely due to my shy nature and daily task of trying to stay quiet and hidden in the classroom without being called on. However, I am not the only one who experiences this. There are so many others who are terrified of public speaking or simply raising their hand in class, and they sit in the back of the room quietly doing their work. This therefore leads to the usual "Who is Y/N? She/He is new right?" statement. A lot of people at my school and in my classes ar...

From being the first in her family to receive a college degree to becoming a professional basketball player, Erica Hayes maintained a high academic record while pursuing her passion for sports at a young age. Hayes grew up in East Palo Alto, where she started playing basketball in first grade and joined her first team in fifth grade. She attended Menlo-Atherton, where she graduated in 2008. During her time spent at M-A, Hayes played basketball all four years, and earned the title of all-PAL Most Valuable Player during her senior year. “To know I was honored with those titles makes me feel like I can achieve anything I set my mind to. I know it sounds cliché, but it is so true,” claims Hayes of her success. However, earning these titles came at a price. Hayes struggled with time management and to maintain a good GPA throughout high school; luckily, she found a support system through her peers and her teachers. “What worked for me was getting extra help from my teachers as well a...

I have been buying new makeup products from different stores, and wanted to write a blog post focusing on those products I have been purchasing and trying out. You know how a lot of people do makeup hauls on YouTube? I'm going to be doing that, but in blog post form. Here we go! 1. Professional All In One CoverGirl mascara - After I tried out a variety of different makeup brands to find a good mascara I turned to CoverGirl where I discovered this mascara. I instantly fell in love with this tube. Because my eyelashes are hard to curl I buy this specific mascara with the curved brush, which I found really helps curl my lashes. I first started getting the color very black, but I recently got the black/brown color and am loving it. The black/brown color gives a more natural look, however I love both colors and will continue loving this mascara well into 2015 and beyond! I get this mascara from Walgreens, where it is sold for $5.99. 2. LashBlast Volume CoverGirl mascara - When I...

With the money I received from the holidays, I spent basically all of it on clothing and accessories to dress up my wardrobe a bit. Because I was away for half of my winter break on vacation, I did a lot of online shopping due to the inability to physically go to the stores I wanted to visit. So, here is a small haul of all the items I ordered and the stores in which I purchased them from. 1. Crossbody bags - As spring approaches and then summer, I discovered that I needed a few crossbody or shoulder bags for when I go out with friends or on day trips to the beach and whatnot. I have one main purse that I use every time I go out, and I bought a few crossbody bags just so I wouldn't have to use my one purse every time I went out. I visited my favorite websites, Urban Outfitters, H&M, and Express for good quality but not as expensive bags, and settled on Forever 21. From that store I purchased two crossbody bags, a black quilted cross body bag for $14.50, and a black faux leath...