The BluePrint

I am so excited to take on the role of Drafting Club President this year! As president, I want to make this school year full of fun and exciting memories that everyone will remember and cherish. I have many plans and goals that I hope will help make our academy successful. As a club, we have already accomplished many of our goals. One of our biggest accomplishments so far was selling out at Club Rush and setting a new record for the most money our club has ever made! Through these experiences, we have made so many memories together and have become much closer as an academy. This year has not been the easiest for us, but we have worked together to not only meet our goals, but go beyond what we imagined. The year has just begun, and I am so excited to accomplish even more goals and make many more memories together. I hope Drafting Club is a fun and memorable experience for everyone!

On Saturday, we had our A&E Academy kickoff at La Habra Bowl from 1 to 3 p.m. Once everyone arrived, we split into groups of six. My group included Randi, Michelle, Allison, Natalie, Michael, and me! It was SO nice seeing everyone getting along and actually talking to each other instead of acting like they didn't know one another. I think because everyone made an effort, we were all able to get closer and make new memories together. Bowling was definitely my favorite part of the day, but there were also other fun places to hang out. My second favorite spot was the restaurant on the side! The atmosphere was so calm compared to all the excitement happening in the bowling area. And as a side note, the strawberry milkshake was SO good! There was also a cute little arcade where students could hang out and have fun. Overall, I would 100% recommend doing something like this! It's a great way to get closer to your classmates, make new friends, and just have a good time without feeling pressured. I had so much fun, and it was a great way to start off the school year. Oh, and by the way, Mr. Dayton is the GOAT at bowling!

The Hot Dog Cooker Project was easily one of my favorite projects we’ve done in the academy. Not only because we got to eat a bunch of hot dogs, but because of how excited everyone was about the project. It was really cool seeing everyone’s creativity and all the different ideas for the best way to cook a hot dog. This project gave us a lot of creative freedom that we don’t always get with other projects.I won’t lie, eating four or five hot dogs was great, but the project became more than that. It turned into a bonding experience for the whole academy. Students from sophomores to seniors were all together, eating hot dogs, talking, having a good time, and checking out each other’s projects. It was also a great opportunity for the younger students to see projects they may get to do in the future and give them something to look forward to. Overall, the Hot Dog Cooker Project was a fun experience that brought everyone together, and I would definitely give it a 10/10!

One of the fun projects we worked on during the first quarter was the Solar Boat Project. For this project, we had to build our own boats using different materials and then add electrical components to help them move through the water. Once we finished building our boats, we tested them under a lamp to see if they would work. On the day of the final test, we all gathered behind the auto shop to put our boats to the test and see how well they performed. It was exciting to watch everyone's creations in action and see which boats worked best. Even though some boats worked better than others, everyone seemed to have a good time building, testing, and learning from the experience. Overall, the Solar Boat Project was a fun and hands-on experience that allowed us to work together, and learn something new. It was definitely one of the most memorable projects we worked on during the first quarter!

Club Rush was honestly crazy and chaotic this year, but it was completely worth it because we sold out of every single taco! After everything our academy has been through, some people wondered if we would continue selling Alvarez's Tacos, but we knew we wanted to keep the tradition going. From the moment the lunch bell rang, the quad was packed with hungry students. It was hot, loud, and stressful, but our academy and Drafting Club worked together to make it happen. Everyone played an important role, from cooking and serving tacos to promoting our booth in a taco suit and handling the long lines at the register. Even though we were exhausted, nobody gave up! By the end of lunch, we had officially sold out and made even more money than last year! Seeing all our hard work pay off made the experience so rewarding. We are incredibly proud of what we accomplished and can't wait to bring that same energy to Club Rush next semester!

The USC and Sci-Arc field trip was an amazing experience that really gave me insight into my future and what it could be like to study architecture and engineering. At Sci-Arc, I got to see what daily life is like for architecture students and how they learn. I was really impressed by the projects they were working on because they were so creative and interesting. Seeing their work inspired me and made me want to learn even more about architecture. Visiting USC was also a great experience. I loved seeing how big and beautiful the campus was. I really enjoyed looking at the different projects students were working on, and I was especially impressed by how big their architecture library was. I also learned a lot about the different classes and programs they offer, which was really helpful as I think about my future. Overall, the entire field trip was motivational, fun, and educational. It was a great experience that made me even more excited about possibly studying architecture and engineering in the future.

On September 25, 2026, my A&E class took a field trip to Cal Poly Pomona. We were able to take a campus tour, dorm tour, and engineering tour. The engineering tour was fascinating because we learned about the different engineering majors and even got to see some of the labs students work in. The lab that intrigued me the most was the building lab. There was a student working on a race car, and we were able to look at and touch some of the tools and ask questions about what they were working on. We also toured the campus, which was beautiful. There was even a koi pond and a gazebo surrounded by flowers. I was really hoping to visit the horse stables they have on campus, but sadly, they were closed. The dorm tour was our last tour of the day, and we were able to see a model dorm room. The dorms were pretty small and compact, but each room comes with a microwave and mini fridge, which was nice. Overall, Cal Poly Pomona has an excellent engineering program and a beautiful campus. Visiting the school made me even more excited about the possibility of becoming a future Bronco!

Our field trip to Cal State Los Angeles was definitely one to remember! It was a day full of new experiences where we got to learn so much about engineering. We learned what makes the engineering program at Cal State LA unique compared to other colleges. They showed us all the different things students get to work on, such as welding, 3D printing, soldering, robotics, and so much more! We also learned about the different engineering clubs they offer and how joining them can benefit students, especially when they get the opportunity to compete at national competitions. One of the coolest parts of the trip was seeing robots made out of wood and powered by batteries. These robots were designed to balance themselves, and it was really interesting to see how they worked. We also got to tour the dorms and learn more about what it's like to live on campus. Overall, this field trip was an amazing experience filled with learning, exploring, and making memories. It was especially exciting because it was our first field trip of junior year, making it even more memorable!