With the holiday season fast approaching, The Raider Review staff takes a moment to reflect on what they are thankful for this year.
*Submissions were not edited for content and appear as each Staff Writer submitted it.
I’m thankful for my family and how much they’ve shown me to deem our time together. It means everything to me and I could not ask for a better Thanksgiving celebration. Every Thanksgiving, since our family is notorious for traveling all over the world and are always returning back from a cool destination, we hold this joyful tradition of writing or announcing what we’re thankful for about each other on the plane ride home. No matter where we are, we always have a 1-2 minute long appreciation of everyone in our family from each person. It’s a tradition I hold dear to my heart, and cannot wait to spend all my Thanksgivings and years along my family.
-Priya Ramamurthy, Class of 2024
What I am most thankful for are my coworkers and the experiences I’ve had with them and the
lifelong friendships I’ve made. The experience of working with kids and being able to show them
the love, friendship, and care that should be shown to them while you’re young. I am also
thankful for the work experience I have now for future jobs!
-Tara Castro, Class of 2024
I’m thankful for two bestest friends Chloe and Tara. I’m thankful because they’ve both shown me that there are good and genuine people out there. I appreciate them for everything and always being able to make me laugh.💕
-Isabella Chavez, Class of 2024
One thing I’m thankful for are books and diaries. Books let me read and pass time by. And diaries let me pour my thoughts out. The diary thing was years ago. I would’ve said Spotify but it seemed a but shallow.
-Justin Doan, Class of 2027
I am thankful for a full and caring family. I am thankful for a full and complete secondary education. I am thankful for that I live in a wholly inclusive, rather than exclusive society. I am thankful to live in this country.
-Nischal Jasti, Class of 2027
I am thankful for my beautiful dog. He’s always here for me and he is the sweetest which is why I love him so much. I’m grateful that I was able to adopt him because he makes me so happy.
-Jenny Le, Class of 2024
I am thankful for my amazing cross-country and track-and-field teammates who double as my friends. They always make sure I stay out of trouble, they always put a smile on my face and they’ve helped me through the hardest days I’ve ever experienced. The hard workouts are a little less painful, I see them as my second family, and would not be where I am without them.
-Dhilan Mistry, Class of 2024
I am thankful for being able to enjoy the small things in life. All of that is thanks to my family for letting me be able to have this freedom to do what I want and need. To be more specific, the small things in life would be the scenery I would view outside my window, the games I play to pass the time away and the thoughts that keep me awake at night.
-Jonathan Nguyenau, Class of 2024
I am thankful that the San Jose Spartan Promise only calculates your 10-11th grade GPA.
If they counted my 12th grade, I’d be screwed 💀
Calculus is NOT doing me any favors (but that is totally my fault on my end)
-Derrick Nguyen, Class of 2024
I am thankful for my bestest friends. They are by my side during everything; when life is hard, the best it’s ever felt, and even the neutral, “boring” days. I am tremendously grateful that we have the ability to show and learn love and support from one another.
-Diem Tran, Class of 2024
I am incredibly thankful for my sisters, who have been supportive and caring throughout my life, even now in the present. Their presence brings joy and warmth to even the coldest of days, and I cherish the bond we all share, even though they are older than me we still find a way to connect and spend time with each other. Through thick and thin I know my sisters will always be there for me, and I will be there for them. I am grateful for the laughter we share, the memories we’ve created, and the profound sense of belonging that comes with having such remarkable sisters by my side.
-Kayla Cuen, Class of 2024
I’m thankful for pizza, thank you, Raffaele Esposito. Without him, every Friday there would be an empty, triangle-shaped hole in my heart. For me, it’s how much the sauce can carry the flavor of an entire pizza. It’s amazing how sometimes the cheese can perfectly cut off in my mouth or get connected so much I rip the entire layer of cheese off. I think pizza is a strict art, it’s subjective, but that’s also one of the best parts; there are so many ways to make it, and so many little details.
-Jake Navarro, Class of 2027
What I’m Thankful For
I’m thankful for my mom. She had me at a young age and I can’t imagine how difficult I was for her to deal with. I’m grateful because she turned out to be a great mom. She’s done basically everything for me such as providing me with food and buying me things I want. As a kid, I loved shopping with her because she’d give me shopping sprees and I feel like that was a good mother-daughter bonding time.
-Natalie Nguyen, Class of 2024
Im grateful American Muscle because they have always have parts for my car. They have allowed my to buy many parts for my car. They also offer some of the lowest prices and have original parts for my car
-Alfred Ortiz, Class of 2024
I am thankful for my family. They have always been there for me whenever I needed them and they’re people I can really look up to. They make me happy and thankful for all the things I’ve been given.
-Alvin Hoang, Class of 2024
Im grateful for my family for supporting me and especially my sisters making me laugh. Im also grateful to myself that i work hard to earn things for myself. Im most grateful for my dog oso for being the only one i tell everything to and his mom toby who was with my family for 17-18 years.
-Sophy Martinez Tamayo, Class of 2024
I’m thankful for my PS5 because I can play it when I am bored or have nothing else to do. I can
play on the PS5 to get things off my mind. I am also able to play with my friends and make
memories with them.
-Dylan Amaro, Class of 2024
Something I am very thankful for is my friends. My friends bring me joy and they’re someone I can rely on to provide comfort during difficult times and are always there to light up the room. I cherish the wonderful bond I have with all my friends that bring me different perspectives and help me grow. I love that they make me feel connected and understood and bring out the best in me. I hope to make many more friends in the future that I can cherish and spend my life with.
-Gisselle Becerra, Class of 2025
The reason I am thankful is related to this individual, who refused to tell me his name on the first
day, who gives speeches about me to inflate his pride, and whose voice can be heard through the
walls of the school. I am totally thankful for every moment where Derrick Nguyen is not
speaking to me. I have long cherished the days before I knew he existed, and now that he’s here,
I definitely cherish the hours of the day where he isn’t next to me. Just hearing his voice when I
asked for a photo of him totally made my ears ring with infinite pain. If it wasn’t obvious, this is
satirical and made with his consent; he makes Journalism so much more interesting.
-Jake Ha, Class of 2024
I’m thankful for my dog who is always there to put a smile on my face no matter what’s happening. He is very loving of the people around him and always lightens the mood. He is always putting smiles on everyones’ faces and bringing a moment of joy to all.
-Yathin Karthikeyan, Class of 2027
I’m thankful for the delicacy of Korean barbecue/hot pot. I will always eat kbbq or hot pot as a comfort food. I enjoy the flavors of the dishes. If I ever need a break and just some good food i’ll always choose hot pot/kbbq.
-Michael Pham, Class of 2024
I’m thankful for my boyfriend. He has been someone who I can rely on and whenever I need him he’s there. Zach is always patient with me, understanding, loving, and just so good to me in general. I’ve never met someone who I could be so comfortable with and be completely
myself around. Thinking of our future gives me something to look forward to and it gives me the motivation to be better.
-Chloe Washington, Class of 2024
I am grateful for my dog, Dexter. Dexter is a Welsh Springer Spaniel who is turning 6 years old on Thanksgiving this year! He’s my best friend, and I am thankful that he is in my life.
-Max Alexander, Class of 2025
What I’m thankful for the most is my mom. Ever since I was little, it’s always been my mom and
I against the world, and we have both gone through so much together. My mom has always been
my biggest supporter and best friend through everything I go through. I truly cherish my
relationship with her, and honestly don’t know how I would survive without her. I’m glad we
have such a close and healthy relationship, and that I can share everything with her.
-Sonia Kumari, Class of 2024
November is a month of being grateful and today I was to give thanks to everything I have. The first person I want to thank is my older sister Jessica. She is the only one who can tell when I’m sad and I can always talk to her about it. She is always there to support me and cheer me up when I’m sad. Whenever I need help with any school work she’s always there to help me out. If I’m gonna be honest my sister is my best friend in every way even though she’s seven years older than me. She always says she’s my mom and she acts like it. I’m grateful I have her in my life. The second person is my mom. My mom and I are really close but can have arguments then and there but she’s always there for me. She’s always supporting me in any way she can. She does a lot for my family. Sometimes I wish I could do something for her but I still don’t know what. My mom always takes care of me when I’m sick or injured. She does a lot of sacrifices for me. She can be sick but still make sure that I have a ride to school and back and make sure I get something to eat. I love my mom and I’m grateful for everything that she does for me.The third person will be my brother Pablo. My brother and I don’t get along with each other probably because he’s 10 years older than me or I’m not sure. But when it comes to soccer we can talk for days. Right now I’m playing for jv and varsity at the school Silver Creek High School and he’s playing for I don’t know what team but we both just talk about how training went
or our games. My brother was always there for me to give me advice on soccer. Fourth person I would like to give thanks to is my dad. My dad is my number one supporter. He is always there for me no matter what. My dad always made sure I was okay and had something to eat before soccer practice. He always made sure I wasn’t injured and gave me advice for soccer. My dad is kind, funny and loving. I love my dad for being like a best friend to me. I will always be grateful for him. Lastly, I would like to give thanks to everyone. From my friends, family and pets. I am grateful I have a roof over my head and for everything I own. I am grateful for my life and all the people in it. For having wonderful teachers and classmates.
-Ximena Quiroz Nava, Class of 2027
https://www.capcut.com/presentation/7298993544755298309?workspaceId=7298554664310849542
Click the link to see a special message from Jasmine Sessoms, Class of 2025
I am thankful for having the privilege to work with such an amazing journalism staff. This year’s staff is truly some of the most gifted and talented writers. Keep up the amazing work everyone!
-Ms. Newray
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