Digital Media Marketing
Summer Employment
Opportunity 2021
Jessica. Ahilon Jeronimo
Hello Everyone ! I have had the great pleasure of being apart of the Digital Media Marketing Program this summer with Julia and other talented colleagues. The following work you will be viewing as you scroll down has been created throughout my time in the DMM program. I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences and looking at some of my art creations.
Canva Practice
The month of March, 2020, a lot of us were not expecting what has come today. We thought we were getting lucky with a week off school but that soon turned into months that felt like years. As I was in my junior year at Oakland High, I was so eager to pass time until my senior year. COVID-19 took the last stages of my junior year and all of my senior year. I regretted all the times I would tell myself to wait until senior year. I held back on many opportunities and experiences in my first years of high-school because I thought i would have the grand finale ever high-schooler dreamt of.
We continued school online, like everything was normal. It was a hard transition for many going from being in person school to online only. Many students that were usually high achieving struggled and personally I was in the middle of liking and disliking online. It really showcased how I was able to quickly adapt to a new environment, and my independence having to work alone with not much teacher assistance as before. Luckily at the end of our junior year the class of 2021 was able to graduate at the school in person!!! I believed we deserved and earned it for all the difficulties we faced and will continue to with this virus around.
As quarantine followed into summer, more people got vaccinated. A Lot though are still unvaccinated causing the virus to spread more presently. Even being vaccinated myself, I still take proper precautions when going out and being around others. I am happy that we are a tiny bit back to normal and people were able to get their jobs but we are still in danger.
All in all Quarantine has been a rollercoaster for us all and we all have a story for what we have endured during these times. I have heard many actually find quarantine as a sort of break from the real world, and others say it has been the worst time of their life’s. Then there is me, who has had both a good and bad relationship with this quarantine situation. I can say good because I was able to be who I truly am without judgment from others. In school and before quarantine I felt like I didn't really get who I was trying to be. I continuously followed others paths and avoided creating a path for myself. Now that I have had the time to take care of myself and figure out that I was not okay was a big step to becoming me. Although I may not have everything figured out I know more now than I did before about myself.
The other side of me can say that quarantine was the worst. It was like being stuck in a bubble of boredom. We all waited for the announcement of quarantine being lifted for days upon days. Those days were the longest day of my life. Everything felt like it was moving second by millisecond because I hadn't prepared a whole course of activities to do for this situation. I spent a long time on my phone but all the news and social media had been about the worsening cases of COVID-19. No-one could catch a break from all the scary, and bad news of the world. Quarantine took away my long awaited senior year at Oakland High that I will never get to relive again. I am off to college now at UC Merced, and have yet to grasp the emotions of going off alone. I know that everything happens for a reason and although Covid-19 paused everyone's life we continued to move forward.
My Survival Kit
What advice would you give an incoming student about Oakland High?
I was your basic incoming freshman, pretty shy, nervous, excited, scared and a bunch of other emotions. One place you HAVE to go is the wellness center. At first, you might be like why? Trust me, you need to ask for any internship and program opportunities. These opportunities will allow you to come out of your shell and get to know others just like you. It is okay to be secluded and timid but this will be a test to show how bad you want to break free from your shell. You will regret waiting on nothing to do something for yourself. Even if your high school journey is just beginning, it'll shock you how fast it'll end. So take your chances now, go to that dance, wear that shirt you like, be different and be you !
Beyond this summer opportunity, I would definitely want to explore more different methods of creativity. I love finding new ways to showcase all the ideas that I have in my head onto something else. I really enjoyed using Google Drawing, Canva, and Wix. It was all a new experience that I know will come in handy in the future.
How did the Digital Media Marketing Summer Opportunity change your perception of the internet and social media?
Being a part of the Digital Media Marketing program has certainly given me a stronger outlook into internet and social media. My perception of the internet and social media has mostly been positive because I personally use them on a daily basis to connect with friends and family. However, there are parts of social media and the internet that are very negative and share false information. I know that social media influencers create this vision of themselves having the most “perfect” lives and looks. With thousands of followers or even millions they carry a lot of power to influence folks. To the followers that one influencer is portraying a life they wish they could have but what they don't know is what they don't see behind the perfect pictures. The young age groups comparing themselves and their lifestyles around this one much older person can be very sad to see them unhappy with themselves at such a young age. I hope that people start to understand that we aren't meant to look the same or have the same lifestyle. Whatever it may be that makes you happy, do it ! Do not try to follow other people lifes for perfection over your own happiness.
