To Live Their Lives

Written and Photographed By Devyn Cox

TO LIVE THEIR LIVES. By Devyn Cox

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song.”

-Maya Angelou

Copyright © 2011 by Devyn Cox. All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. With the exception of nonprofit transcription in Braille. Permission must be obtained from the individual copyright owner.

Printed in the U.S.A.

Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anam Masih . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ben Rabine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Corey Luu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Varman Joseph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Emilie Woog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dillion Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I would like to dedicate the following pages of this book to Vince and Maria DeMiero there are not enough words to describe what they have taught and shared with me.I will be forever grateful and will never forget the late night crunches with coffee beans and mustaches. Thank you. GO COUGS!

Thank you tomy mothermy sisterthe girls;alexaalishasamanthacarlyliz & carolHawkeye staffand the faculty at MTHS.

Introd

uction

.The culminating project is a beast that every aspiring adult at Mountlake Terrace High School has to conquer. This is mine. The pages of this book represent me, my peers and the class of 2011. We graduates face a world of uncertainties and while many before us look down at those who only accomplish a high school diploma, to us it is the first step toward our futures.My class of graduates is a group faced with challenges at home and as a community. My goal in creating this book was to highlight those who have made it. No one knows what another person may be going through, but for many walking across that stage will make it all worth it. Well, at least that’s what it’s like for me. Listen, interpret, analyze, appreciate, enjoy.

Love,

the author.

“I have basically lived here my whole life but I haven’t lost my culture.”

-Anam Masih

With wisps of charcoal hair, tan skin and a constant smile, Anam Masih is draped in beauty. Her beauty is not only visible, but evident in every kind word she speaks. Actively involved in ASB, Key Club and volleyball, along with lending a hand in Invisible Children, Masih’s main goal is “to make everyone feel comfortable at Terrace you know?”

ASB has been one venue where that goal has been met during Anam’s time at Terrace. “Even just saying hi to someone, just making sure they don’t feel left out and being there for that person if they have any problems or something, that’s what I’m here for.”

Confidence radiates from Anam as she speaks, so sure of her purpose. Planning to attend a community college to get her prerequisites finished and then transferring to a university, Masih has decided to go into the medical field to become a nurse. “What better way to help out society than become a nurse?”

Born in Lahore, Pakistan and raised in America from the age one until now, she says her Pakistani roots are still important. “I haven’t lost my culture yet. I can speak the language fluently and we do a lot of traditional stuff as a family.”

Having visited Pakistan, Masih experienced culture shock. “I’ve seen pictures, but they were probably not real because they looked really nice because when I got to Pakistan it was totally different. They have no roofs on their houses. I am

grateful to live in America. I will go back [to Pakistan] and visit, but it’s just nice to know that I have a place to go if I didn’t want to live here or to just go back to my family.”

Masih, three-fourths Pakistani and one-fourth Indian, was brought to America with her mother, father and older sister thanks to her uncle who had himself been sponsored by an American family and wanted to do the same for his sisters and her burgeoning family. Stereotypes suggest that because of her culture, Anam should be a faithful Muslim, but her family breaks the norm since they are Christian Pentecostal and are extremely involved in their church. “I couldn’t live without being Christian,” she says.

The entire Masih family shares Anam’s belief in offering a helping hand to those in need – an ethic passed down from her supportive parents. “Seeing them being so helpful made me want to be the same way, not just to my family but to everyone else and they are so loving they welcome anyone in not judging them by their covers.”

As a 2011 graduate Masih says, “Personally I’m excited as I am the second to graduate in my family, but this is like an actual graduation. My older sister was home schooled her junior and senior year so she didn’t go through all this ceremony stuff. You know what’s happening, so I’m basically the first to actually graduate and attend a college, so it’s a big deal for my parents.”

Masih.

Year after year the countless hours added up. He made hundreds of posters and demonstrated an unfaltering dedication to the Class of 2011. That is Ben Rabine – an unofficial member of the Associated Student Body until his senior year when he was voted class president, who discovered early in his high school career an interest in leadership.

“I’ve definitely gotten more comfortable here and tried to branch out and meet new people. I love it here,” Rabine says.

Rabine, a friendly face in the hall who models his own unique style in fashion and personality. Fashion is not the only medium Rabine uses to express himself as an interest in art was established by his father. “Whether he [my dad] knew it or not, he’s the reason why I got into art. When I was really little we used to just sit and draw, ya know? Like every little kid draws and then after he passed away I needed something to occupy my time.”

At the age of 11 Ben experienced the loss of his father, which altered his life and personality forever. “I just remember that it was later than when he was supposed to be getting home, it was a Friday night, we got a call from his friend before the paramedics could even make it to the scene.”

Rabine.

That was the night Ben lost his father. On a skiing trip with a friend, one night Ben’s father had a massive heart attack and was killed instantly. “There are just too many [things I want to share with him] I would love to just sit down with him like the old days, have lunch and just have him see who I am and who he is. It’s tough that I have so much I wish I could say but…”

The artistic skills are not the only thing I think Ben received from his father, for a person to truly accept another human completely and to have such an optimistic personality, like Ben, they must have had an example. From the love tangible in the air as Ben talks of his father he was obviously a good soul and is surely missed, not by Ben alone but by his tight knit family including his mother, sister, and supportive aunt and uncle.

Rabine is deciding whether art school is in his future, but plans to attend a community college to uncover any hidden passions and then transfer. “[What I want in life] is just to have the people I love and care about surrounding me and just to have my life fully figured out.”

As for graduating this year, Rabine says, “I think it’s awesome. I have a lot of pride in our graduating year. I think everyone does and I just truly do think we’re the best.”

“I have a lot of pride in our graduating year, I think everyone does, I just truly believe we're the best”-Ben Rabine

“All my family wants is for me to be happy... and not be a

drug addict.”-Corey Luu

French author Léon Bloy once said “There are places in the heart that do not yet exist, suffering has to enter in for them to come to be.” Terrace senior Corey Luu experienced the passing of her mother when she was in elementary school and then the deaths of six friends, including the passing of her best friend Janelle, in the past three years.

The constant grieving turned Corey toward drugs and alcohol. “[I met my best friend Amanda] four years ago we met before Janelle died and then after Janelle died we got closer it was kind of, we knew the same person who died so we grieved together, we’d get dunk everyday, buy two fifths of vodka and then it wouldn’t even last us the rest of the night, but even after we cleaned up, sobered up, we were still really good friends,” Corey recalls.

She thought that her drug use could potentially turn into addiction. “I didn’t know how to deal so I was like I’ll just get high and forget about it and when that stopped working I was like I’ll just get drunk and forget about it and when that stopped working I just thought to myself that I was being stupid and that I needed to find a healthy way to deal with it and that’s when I started going to counseling,” she says.

A photography class her freshman year chartered Luu toward a fascination and appreciation of film and she has become an ever present phantom in the Terrace darkroom. Luu has taken five photography classes and has found an artistic escape.

Due to the obstacles Corey has faced in the past four years, she is unable to graduate this year, however. “After I get my diploma through Edmonds C.C., I’m going to transfer to Shoreline and there I want to get my AA and BA and I want to major in business and art...yeah I got this all planned out,” she says.

After experiencing so much loss Luu has slowly discovered spiritual beliefs. “I’m Catholic, newly Catholic kinda. Starting to get used to it, but I am obviously a very liberal Catholic. I’m gay and I smoke and I admit that I drink. What’s life if you don’t have something to believe in?”

* Although Corey is not technically a 2011 graduate she was chosen to be featured because although she will not walking across the stage on June 16th to receive a diploma, she will be in many people’s hearts in that crowd.

Luu.

A

rough baritone

laugh, his dark eyes are hidden

behind long lashes and

dreadlocks. Varman G

aston Joseph is a m

usic fanatic, intellectual and lover of nature.

Joseph started at Terrace on the wrong foot

labeled by a teacher as someone not likely to

succeed, but after graduation Joseph plans to attend

Western W

ashington University to study green technology. “I

really think the waves, just the w

aves naturally coming in crashing

on the beach could be used for energy.”

Fluent in Tamil, the m

inority in Sri Lanka where Joseph is originally

from, he graciously answ

ers several unnecessary questions about how to

say basic words. That’s just how

Varman is. A

kind heart. A guy w

ho is just jam

ming to the harm

ony in his own life and m

aking his own w

ay.

A lover of m

usic from a young age, Joseph says he plays “the trum

pet, French horn, a little guitar, and a little ukulele, a little little bit.”

“If you’re in a bad mood listen to an uppity song. If you’re listening to som

e gangster rap you’re gonna be like A

RGG

. Listen to some reggae or som

e upbeat music. It puts you

in a good mood, it eases your m

ind,” Varman says. “I w

ould love if I could make m

usic my

living, I would be a happy guy.”

Joseph has adapted a sort of Rastafarian lifestyle that makes those around him

smile. A

nd as far as being a m

ember of the C

lass of 2011? “It feels great,” he says.

Joseph.

“Music is life.”- Varman Joseph

“Music is life.”- Varman Joseph

“FIRST has brought me a whole family.”

Woog.“Before my mother died she told me, ‘I’m going to live ‘till you’re 18.’ I turned 18 in August. I told her when I was 6, ‘you aren’t going to make it ‘till I’m 18’ and she said ‘I know, but I want you to promise me that you’ll be someone in life’ and I promised that I’d try to be someone in life and I’m sticking to that promise.”

Emilie Woog would one day like to be an aerospace engineer for NASA and plans to attend Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago next fall. Having been involved in “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” an organization more commonly known as FIRST Robotics, the program has been the guiding light for Woog’s future. Woog was the head programmer for her freshman through junior year and as a senior has taken the position as secretary and builder for the Terrace robotics team.

“FIRST has brought me a whole family,” Woog says. Having been awarded numerous robotics awards including Dean’s List Finalist, the most prestigious award that can be given in the robotics community, Woog has definitely found her calling, but is in no way limited to this one interest. “I like to write a lot but no one really knows that. I love books, I read to escape. When I’m really sad I’ll read my favorite book “Sky Memories” – it’s like 76

pages huge font. I don’t remember who gave it to

me. It’s about a girl named Emilie whose mother dies from cancer and she goes to live with her aunt. I’m so glad I found that book because when I’m feeling bad I just pick it up and read it.”

Woog has an uncanny dedication to soccer, too. “I play soccer, I play more soccer. I was on three soccer teams at one point in my school career. That was intense!”

Having endured complications in life that only few in this world can relate to, Woog has persevered through it all, with humor, dedication and intelligence. “I feel weird saying it, but yeah I’ve taken in a lot and I’m still going. I’ve gone through so much crap and I’m still trying hard and I will show my mother that I will be someone.”

As far as being a 2011 graduate, Woog says, “I’m happy I get to do it I get to make it through life. It’s a whole new world.”

Green.

A deeply rooted love of nature keeps Dillon Green down to earth. Green attributes much of his personality to his father. “[He] taught me all about hunting, made me who I am today.” While at Terrace Green has spent time in the weight room, but never participated in an organized team sport. “I love to be athletic. I have for all 19 years of my life.” Although Green was never involved in sports he did establish an interest in art – particularly jewelry. Having taken jewelry with Mark Walker for three years, Green has bonded with the insightful artist dwelling in the burrows of Terrace, Walker has gained knowledge on a project Dillon has been dreaming about

completing since the 6th grade. Being the outdoorsman he is, Green has a strong appreciation for nature and all of its elements. Since elementary school, Green has been collecting antlers from deer he has killed and from along various hiking trails he has traveled. For his culminating project Green has created a chandelier, two lamps and a coat rack all made from these antlers. These pieces feature the beloved memories of being in the woods and add an eagerness to move on with his life and continue to enjoy his favorite pastime. “It feels very wonderful to be a 2011 graduate, I look forward to doing other things in life.”

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better”-Albert Einstein

Green.

Aboutthe Author My name is Devyn Cox and I have attended Mountlake Terrace High School for all four years and lived in this community my entire life. My life has been anything but simple and that’s why for my culminating project I wanted to create something that will last, something that will matter. I wanted to know what the people I will be sharing the most important day of my short life with have gone through. From this project I have learned so much about my peers and I feel as though I have bonded with each and everyone of them. We are the class of 2011, we’ve made it.