About Me Project By: Jacob Razzouk 2/8/16 Per. 1 Main Menu

Family & Background Future Plans Personal Goals Hobbies/Interests My Life My name is Jacob Razzouk. The one objective that sums up my aim in life is to make the most out of every minute that is allotted to me during my time on Earth. For me, that entails trying to become the best I can possibly be, and all the while spending quality time with the things I love most. That involves striving to do a superb job academically, but also devoting time to my many passions in life. Exercising, reading, and playing basketball are all among some of the activities I most appraise. My family and church are also entities I place a high importance on in my life.basketball church My plans for the future revolve around two concepts, making myself content, and making others happy as well. My target is not to achieve overwhelming financial success, although that would be a nice byproduct of what I choose to do, but to enjoy what life has to offer by following what I personally find interesting in life. I like to dictate my decisions on the principle of one of the quotes Jim Carrey said, which states, “You can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.” I also like to live by the maxim made famous by Drake, YOLO, which stands for “You Only Live Once”. I do not use it as an excuse for engaging in stupid activities I know are blatantly wrong, but for reminding me that there is no reason not to seize a particular moment that might benefit me later in the future, even if it has the potential to embarrass or hurt me a little. The buttons to the left serve as guides into all the aspects of my life, where you can find out more about all the characteristics that make me who I am today.Jim CarreyDrakeYOLO Portfolio

My Family and Background Main Menu The Members of My Family Born in Loma Linda, California at Loma Linda University Medical Center on March 22, 2001, I now live in Redlands, California with an extensive, loving family that I am very grateful to have. My immediate family consists of my mom, dad, brother, sister, and dog. My mother, Teri, is originally from Fresno, California where she was born and raised. My father, Anees, has origins that are much farther away, as he is an immigrant from Lebanon. My brother, Max, is biologically my half brother, for my mom divorced once before marrying my dad. Despite that and our immense age gape of nine years, as he is twenty-three and I am currently fourteen, we have a close relationship, and I can count on him for solid advice and understanding whenever I need it. My sister, Gabby, who is thirteen years old, is our younger sister. She attends Loma Linda Academy, which is where I used to go to school in elementary and Jr. High. My dog is technically not one of my family members, but I would not consider him to be anything else. Titan, a black and yellow, one-hundred-pound German Shepherd, is unquestionably my best friend. He can be very defiant at times, but what he lacks in obedience he makes up for with steadfast loyalty. Loma Linda, CaliforniaLoma Linda University Medical CenterRedlands, California Fresno, CaliforniaLebanonLoma Linda Academy My family is Seventh-Day Adventist, which is a religion where people attend church on Saturday instead of Sunday. We are not strict conservatives of Seventh-Day Adventism by any means, for we eat meat and play sports, which is considered by some to be immoral. We do try to observe the Sabbath as best as we can, but it is not a big transgression if we do not attend church dutifully every week. We have been attending church at Loma Linda University Church ever since I was born. We also have had the tradition of going to Shaver Lake, California up in the Sierra Nevada's before I was born. My uncle owns a cabin there, and we try to go there at least twice every year to visit. It is a real treat when we get to go, for in the summer time there is skiing and fishing on the lake at Shaver. In the winter time, there is ample snow for snowboarding and competitive snowball fights. It is these fun activities and the wonderful memories I have up at Shaver Lake doing them with my family, that makes it my favorite place on Earth.Loma Linda University ChurchShaver Lake, California

Future Plans Main Menu Pursuit of Education Regardless of what I choose to do in life, I aspire to attain an education. I definitely plan to graduate from Redlands High School, which is currently where I go to school. From there, my sights are on either the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point, or Southern Methodist University, where my brother previously attended college. I entertain the thought of applying to West Point because it is a commendable school, and it presents the opportunity for me to serve my country as well. However, those plans are not cemented in any way, and for right now I am focusing on attaining the best grades I can possibly get. That way, when the time comes for me to go to college, I will not be inhibited by my grades. In terms of what I would like to study once in college, my interests are broad. I find history and chemistry appealing, but other fields such as engineering and exercise science seem enticing as well.Redlands High Schoolthe United States Military Academy Southern Methodist University After Schooling Once I have my credentials in whatever field I choose as my vocation, I aspire to do the greatest job I can do to help benefit society. Presently, the fields most captivating to me are teaching and physical training. If I were to become a teacher, I would definitely covet a job with younger children, such as first or second graders, because I like little kids and feel I can intimately relate with them. Personal training is another vocation I feel would coincide with me, for I have a great passion for fitness and feel I would enjoy helping people achieve physical self-satisfaction. Although possessing a lot of money is not an overwhelming aspiration of mine, having enough to live on without worrying is a goal I hope to accomplish. Money in the future is not so paramount to me, but staying physically keen is something I want to have more emphasis on in my life. With regards to marriage, I do not hold any notions of marriage in my future, for I like the idea of being unwed and unattached. While I do have vague plans for my overall future, I seek to make each day as fulfilling as possible in case it is my very last.teacherPersonal training

Personal Goals Main Menu Ma Accomplishments The personal achievements I target to attain throughout my life lie on a spectrum of everything from unicycling to owning a parrot. I hope to one day be able to not just mosey around on a unicycle, but to be able to zip on one as proficiently as if I were on a regular bicycle. I also entertain the idea of owning a multicolor parrot because I find their aesthetic striking, and I think it would be awesome to teach a parrot words and phrases. Another material accomplishment I seek to accomplish is owning a 1966 Volkswagen Kombi. There is something about the aesthetic of that car and the vibes emitted from it that I find alluring. Furthermore, I crave to one day hit the road on one of those vans and traverse the United States. Putting everything on pause to hop on a cruiser and see the U.S. is one thing on my bucket list that I especially crave. Specific sites I would like to see on that trip are places such as The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, and New York City.unicycling parrot1966 Volkswagen KombiThe Grand CanyonYellowstone National ParkNew York City In addition to the more tangible goals I hope to fulfill, there are some psychological and societal goals I hope to achieve as well. The first is living an upright life founded on honor and integrity. I also endeavor to generate the most out of life, but to not take it too seriously. I aim to obtain peace of mind in knowing I gave life my maximum effort, but to also not forget to laugh and have fun along the way. The goal of my life is to stand out as a good- natured individual who makes life enjoyable for himself and for others, and lives in an upstanding way so as to have a clear conscious when it is all said and done.

My Interests/Hobbies Menu Main Menu Sports Music Cards Games & Music When I am not preoccupied with school or chores, I like to unwind by engaging in one of my hobbies. I am a competitive person, so my idea of fun is rooted in games. I enjoy playing sports as well as card games when I am not absorbed in something else. Although I enjoy playing almost any sport, I am particularly fond of basketball and weightlifting. Playing Yu-Gi-Oh! and anything involving a standard 52-card deck are card games I like to participate in the most. An additional activity I have a liking for is listening to music. I tune into multiple genres of music, depending on whether I want to get pumped up or toned down. My hobbies’ role in my life is to provide a diversion from all the other affairs in life, and allow me to take it easy and have some fun. Playing Yu-Gi-Oh! a standard 52-card deck

Athletics Interests/Hobbies Menu Basketball Weightlifting Playing basketball is one of my favorite activities. I play for Redlands High School on their Junior Varsity team. I enjoy the sport because of it’s physical as well as mental demands. There is nothing like the thrill of sinking a shot without the ball even touching the net on the way in. I also like the mental challenges it presents that test my character in regards to how I will react when I make a bad play or air ball a shot. My role models in basketball are two of the most famous figures to have ever been involved with the game of basketball. Stephen Curry is the first one, who I admire for his work ethic and virtuous life off the court. A man named John Wooden is not just one my favorite role models regarding basketball, but concerning life too. His first fifteen seasons at the University of California, Los Angeles reaped him hardly any titles at all, and it did not look like he would become one of the best coaches in college basketball history to instruct the game. He skyrocketed to fame when he emerged as a legend after winning a total of ten NCAA championships, with seven of them coming straight in a row. He also coined The Pyramid of Success, which is the formula I try to implement into my daily living. These two men inspire me to focus on working my hardest to become the best basketball player I can be, but also to strive to be the finest person I can be as well. I do not have any vast dreams of playing college or pro basketball, but I aspire to be the best I can be at the game while I play it In a competitive manner. I want to learn as much as I can from the game of basketball, and use it as a character builder for later life.Redlands High SchoolStephen Curry John Wooden University of California, Los AngelesThe Pyramid of Success Lifting weights is a passion of mine because I enjoy the challenge. The feelings of satisfaction that come from accomplishing a tough workout or successfully executing a heavy lift are without equal. Of course, I also like the physical rewards that come with it too. Although I am still quite skinny now, I have come a long way from where I used to be when I did not lift weights. I currently lift at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) located in Redlands, which has become like a second home to me. Although the rest of my family goes to LA Fitness, I opt to stay a YMCA member because I know a lot of people there and I like the general atmosphere it protrudes. In addition to weightlifting at the YMCA, I can also engage in my other athletic hobby of basketball there because they have three courts that I have spent countless hours on throughout the years.Young Men’s Christian Association LA Fitness

Music Interests/Hobbies Menu Rap and Country Music is a tool I use for relaxation as well as motivation. Rap music is predominantly what I listen to when I am trying to get electrified and pumped up for an activity such as a workout or basketball game. I enjoy listening to rap because of it’s beat and rhythm. Although rappers try to convey their thoughts and feelings through their lyrics, I mainly like to listen to rap because of it’s upbeat energy. However, if the rap has to do with a subject I can relate to, then I of course I listen to what the words have to say. The artists I like within this genre are people such as Eminem, Tupac Shakur, and The Notorious B.I.G.. My favorite rapper of them all is Drizzy Drake because there is something about the way his songs sound and flow that I find appealing. His oldest album, So Far Gone, is my favorite of all his collaborations, but I like his newer stuff as well. The song he made that I like best is one of his most recent hits, 10 bands. Rap is one of the facets of music that I find attractive because it hypes me up and pushes me to accomplish difficult tasks. EminemTupac ShakurThe Notorious B.I.G.Drizzy Drake When I am trying to relax, country songs are the tunes I like to listen to. Country music has a way of engrossing me in it’s sweet melody. No matter what, every time I turn it on it relaxes me and takes away all my worries. I used to only like rap music, but now my playlist for country is bigger than the one I have for rap. I listen to music through Spotify, which allows me to play any song I want ad-free in exchange for a membership fee. I am an advocator of Spotify because I love the concept having the entire music world unlocked for me and at my fingertips. Sometimes Spotify’s brilliant features become a problem because I have the habit of playing my best-liked songs until they sound unbearable to me. However, my favorite country performers, George Strait and Jason Aldean, will never get old. My favorite song by Strait is Check Yes or No, and the one I like most by Jason Aldean is called My Kinda Party. The two radically distinct genres of country and rap are what I like to listen to when opportunities present themselves. This hobby of listening to music may not better me in the sense of physical or mental development, but it does improve me emotionally and psychologically.SpotifyGeorge Strait Jason Aldean

Playing Cards Interests/Hobbies Menu Yu-Gi-Oh! 52-Card Decks Playing a game of cards is an entertaining activity for me. I grew up playing a card game called Yu-Gi-Oh! with my cousins, and over the years it has become one of my favorite card games. The way the game works is each player has a deck of at least forty cards consisting of spells, traps, and monsters. You use your deck’s strategies to overcome your opponent by reducing their life points to zero. Each player starts out with eight-thousand life points, but they can dwindle away in matter of turns if one player can manage to out do the other’s firepower by summoning more powerful monsters or sorcery. There are a countless number of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, with all of them being suited for some category of deck. There are a wide variety of decks to choose from, but the two types I primarily use the most are dragon decks and pyro deck. Yu-Gi-Oh! is embedded in my childhood, and is a game I still take pleasure in today.Yu-Gi-Oh! While Yu-Gi-Oh! is a more specific card game I like to partake in, I also love playing a wide variety of games with a standard 52-card deck. 52-card decks would always manage to show up at family events, so over time I developed a liking for the entertainment those cards would bring. Cards helped me to bond with my family as well, for whether it was my grandmother or baby cousin, we could always find common ground on the cards table. Cheat, Slap Jack, and Spoons are all games I enjoy playing with a deck of cards. My favorite game to play is poker, although I am horrible at it. For one, I do not have the steel to maintain a poker face, and end up giggling or smirking whenever the occasion calls for a solemn expression. Additionally, I do not play poker enough to fully remember which combinations are worth than others, so I end up losing much of the time because I run out of all my gummy bears simply due to my ignorance. I say gummy bears because that is what my cousins and I usually use for betting, although we will occasionally implement other candies as currency. Although I may not be the best at poker, I still enjoy playing it because of the camaraderie it sparks. That is the main reason I enjoy playing cards in my pastime. They are fun and entertaining, and also ignite fellowship, which is something I deeply treasure in life.CheatSlap JackSpoons