Headline News

Graduates - 2003

Michelle graduated with Honors from Osborne High School last Saturday. A week before her graduation, Michelle was among the distinguished school award recipients for the many things that she has accomplished through her years at Osborne. Among them were Superior Cadet Medal (highest medal given by the Department of the Army to an ROTC Cadet for superior academic standing, Scholastic Achievement and $250.00 Cash Award from Osborne Prevention Task Force for Integrity and Dedication.

Michelle is now busy preparing for her new step to independence and career path - the United States Air Force. She will be leaving on June 9th for her 6-week Basic Training in San Antonio, Texas. Following that, she will proceed to Monterey, California for her 1.5 year Linguist Training at the National Language Institute. With God's Blessings, Michelle will be among the privileged men and women who will have the opportunity to fly on the AWACS to perform her job as a USAF Airborne Linguist. While in the Air Force, Michelle's plan include working towards her engineering degree.

Scholastic Background - Personal Statement

As a Filipino-American, I feel it is important for me to go for my highest goal and try more than my best to achieve it because of all of my ancestors and relatives who do not or did not have the chance or opportunity to fulfill theirs. Even though I was not born and raised in The Philippines, I have a great sense of loyalty and patriotism to both countries. Because of this, I joined the Filipino-American Association of Greater Columbia, South Carolina when I was eleven years old. For almost four years, I was the lead dancer for the Filipino-American Dance Troupe (in Columbia, South Carolina), and I taught the cultural dances to new members.

Although my life has been challenged by the fact that I belonged to a "single parent" home environment, the uncoditional love and moral support that I received from my mother and brother have kept me focused in my interests in life. I started getting involved in school activities during middle school. I was on the Mock Trial team and Environmental Club. I also participated in a county Big Brother/ Big Sister program for homeless children. I went to school early in the morning and stayed after school in the afternoon to help the librarians, and during my free time I went to the office to help run errands or Special Education classes to help with the students, which I learned later became a regular occurrence after a friend and I started it.

In high school, I became more involved in my school and community. During my freshman year, I was in the school's international club that regularly performed cultural dances and shows in front of the school body. In my sophomore year, I was still in the international club until I moved to another school and became involved in my teacher's after-school tutoring sessions that she had just started. It was a long way from where I lived, but I managed to make it to the weekend sessions to tutor the elementary and middle school children.

My junior year was the year when everything really started going for me. I became very involved in my school's Army JROTC program. I ran for an office in Student Council, and unlike many others, even though I did not make it, I still stayed with the club as a non-officer. Later on that year, I found myself overwhelmed from volunteering at practically every after school function since most of the officers only joined because it would "look good" and then never showed up. For my efforts, though, I was picked to choose the decorations for my class's graduation memorabilia. I also joined the Key Club International, Academic Team, Octagon Club, Osborne Prevention Task Force, Keep Cobb Beautiful, and Cardinal Crime Coalition. The Octagon Club is a high school club branced off from an international club called Optimist. We regularly did highway clean-ups, after-school parenting programs, and field days at elementary schools. Because of my involvement with Octagon, the sponsor introduced me to the Osborne Prevention Task Force, which is a community organization devoted to crime prevention and community upkeep. Through my connection with the Task Force, I then joined Keep Cobb Beautiful, a county organization devoted just to environmental issues. Because of my hard work for these organizations, I was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Community Service Award by the Princeton Club of Georgia, given out by then Georgia Governor Roy Barnes.

As if all of these activities were not enough, the Octagon Club sponsor chose me to go to Washington, D.C. to attend the four day Youth Summit Conference on Preventing Violence along with three other students chosen from the school's Law Enforcement classes. At the conference, we learned many things that we brought back to our school and community. While meeting one day before school, I suggested that we start a school club focused on crime prevention in the area. Together, the four of us, the Octagon Club sponsor, and our chaperone from the conference formed the Cardinal Crime Coalition, which has already been approved by the school principal and will be starting this year.

I excelled in JROTC, and as a first semester cadet, I earned more ribbons, cords, and medals than most of the first year and some second year cadets. I was awarded the Military Order of World Wars Award of Merit for having the third highest grade as a first year cadet in the area. From my character and academics, I was the only girl in my school to attend Georgia Girls State 2002 (sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary), where I was voted the Superintendent of Parks and Recreation.

Toward the end of my junior year, I regularly attended SAT (college entrance exam) classes that turned my attention toward Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), which I joined this year. I continued my involvement with these organizations. I was hoping to attend the next Crime Prevention Summit in Aneheim, California, and I hoped to return to Georgia Girls State 2003 as a junior counselor, but now graduation is here. Lately, I became involved in my mother's website www.oroquietacity.com where I serve as the site's editor.

Thank you and I hope that somehow in some ways, this would serve as an inspiration to those Filipinos, Filipino-American children who aim high. I lived through poverty, but make no mistake, poverty is never a hindrance to success. I have worked very hard to get to where I am and will work even harder to where I want to be.

By: Ofelia Bayutas Mutia