Hi there! My name is Nianna Shaffer, but my friends call me Jo. I am an eighth grader at Dobie Jr High School. 

My school year goals aren’t very many at the moment but I will list what I have so far. My first and foremost goal is to keep an A average in all my classes. This is my first goal because one of my classes that I am taking is for a high school credit. Another reason this is my first goal is because I want to be able to prove to myself  that I have what it takes to be in the eighth grade. I say this because I am twelve years old and the grade I should be in is way below eighth grade. I want to prove to myself that I can do the work put in front of me and overcome any challenge I am faced with. 

So far in the school year, I have enjoyed it very much. I have made a bunch of friends that I never knew I needed! With these friends, I have been able to challenge myself and in our group we help each other and raise each other up. These kinds of friends have taught me to always push myself and to do what I thought impossible. In making these friends I surround myself with bright and brilliant minds, always thinking, always solving. What’s even better, we are all in the National Junior Honor Society! This is a group of students in the middle grades who have exceeded in all their classes and shows the core characteristics to their fellow peers and helps out other students when they are able. 

This isn’t so much as  a goal but a lesson. I have learned that the higher you achieve the more responsibility will be out on your back to carry and how high standards are going to be raised for you. This is a valuable lesson because I never knew that the higher you aim, the more things are going to be expected of you. But this year, I have learned that you are not alone! We have teachers and peers to help us out and to encourage us to be a better version of ourselves. Another lesson I have learned is time management. This is something I am truly terrible with. In the seventh grade, it was easy to manage our time because we were just itty bitty seventh graders. Now that we are in the eighth grade, more is expected of us. Time management is a core skill that is very valuable in the real world. So far, I have been able to improve my managing skills with all my classes and homework with my everyday life. I still have very far to go with my goals and lessons learned but I hope to be the very best version of myself!