1. Gwathney 1
Benicia High School
Cultivate Garden Essay
Broderick Gwathney
Steve Gibbs
Lit1 Honors
2. Gwathney 2
Table of Contents
Benicia High School ....................................................................................................................... 1
Cultivate Garden Essay................................................................................................................... 1
Broderick Gwathney ................................................................................................................... 1
Steve Gibbs ................................................................................................................................. 1
Lit1 Honors ................................................................................................................................. 1
Tone setting quote........................................................................................................................... 3
Dedication Page .............................................................................................................................. 4
Cultivate Garden:............................................................................................................................ 5
Chapter 1......................................................................................................................................... 5
My Future Careers................................................................................................................... 5
Chapter 2......................................................................................................................................... 7
Home and Family Life ................................................................................................................ 7
Chapter 3......................................................................................................................................... 9
My Philosophy of Life ................................................................................................................ 9
Chapter 4....................................................................................................................................... 11
My view on today’s youth......................................................................................................... 11
Chapter 5....................................................................................................................................... 13
Travel ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 13
Works Cited .................................................................................................................................. 14
3. Gwathney 3
Tone setting quote
“The only thing that I can say, to you is pray
Cause when niggas start equipin'
And throw the clip in
Your blood drippin'
And got you slippin'
Under the victim, don't know what's hit them
Through his spinal, just another man who defeated by survival
That's your biggest rival, in your whole life
These bars you can't handle you better hold tight
They sayin' I'm the best, I'm like you're so right
Still ain't got enough shine to last the whole night, nigga”
- Joey Bada$$
4. Gwathney 4
Dedication Page
1. Ryan Wolch
2. Adam Harlander
3. Master Will Gomez
4. Justin Love
5. Adrian Gonzales
6. Matthew Swicegood
7. Annie Gwathney
8. Master Alexander Gwathney
9. Grand Master Soon Tae Yung
10. Master Michael Capilli
11. Sean Case
12. Siobhan Case
13. William Case
14. Maxen Case
15. Wyatt Gwathney
16. Violet Gwathney
17. Gabriel Crisostomo
18. Andrew Clark
19. Makayla Depew
20. Ross Garner
21. Jacob Osborn
22. Robin Osborn
23. Mike Osborn
24. Joey Hertia
25. Sunny Sharma
26. Beverly Irvin
27. Kenny Seng
5. Gwathney 5
Cultivate Garden:
Hi, my name is Broderick Matthew
Gwathney. I think that I am a young
visionary with a large amount of potential. I
say this because I am constantly thinking
about new things, and the only way for me
to stop is to listen to someone else's
thoughts. Now even though I don't express
my thoughts very much I do think believe in
my thoughts. I will use this writing
assignment to tell you about how I will
reach my goals and to express my visions in
life.
Chapter 1
My Future Careers
In my future I would like to be a
merchant mariner. To accomplish that goal I
would like to go to California Maritime
Academy because they are close to Benicia
and they offer all the degrees that I would
need to pursue my profession. But before I
go there I have to complete high school and
all of the classes that would help me in the
future.
In high school I would like to stay in
and apply to as many advanced courses as I
can so that when the time comes for me to
start applying to colleges I will have more
options. So as of right now I am planning on
taking Spanish 3 next year and applying for
any AP classes. Along with advanced
courses I would like to get extra credits over
summer through college and online classes
so that I don’t have to stay in high school
any longer than I have to. Now classes that I
need to pursue my career are pre calc and
physics along with a 3.0 GPA average from
sophomore to senior year. The most
beneficial GPA would be a 4.0 but the
majority of accepted applicants to CMA
have a 3.04-3.6 GPA average. Along with
GPA it is not required but recommended to
submit your SAT and ACT exam scores. So
for a Mechanical engineering degree it is
recommended to get a math score of 550 and
23.
So while I am attending the
California Maritime Academy I would like
to get a degree in mechanical engineering
along with my Coast Guard License so that I
can be a third assistant engineer. While I am
in college along with my classes I will have
to go on two cruises and serve on a live ship
for a certain period of time. Once I am
employed and working on a ship my first
years’ salary should be between $91,000 to
$104,000 according to www.glassdoor.com.
Pay will always vary depending on the job,
bonuses, hazard pay, and time of the
6. Gwathney 6
shipment. Over time I will go up in the ranks
to do this I will need to take a series of tests
and have a certain amount of days logged on
ship. Through the ranks I will go from Third
Assistant Engineer, Second Assistant
Engineer, First Assistant Engineer, and
finally Chief Engineer. Throughout my
increase in rank my salary would have gone
up about $100,000. All of the requirements
for each rank can be found here. While I am
at sea I would like to go to places like the
coast of Somalia so that I can experience
what it is like in a corrupt third world
country. One of the cons of being a
merchant mariner is that if America is at war
with another country Merchant Mariners
will be used to send things to the coasts of
war zones. Along with the dangers of being
a Merchant Mariner I will be able to travel
the world, meet new people, and truly
understand how the world works. While I
am learning how the world works I will also
hope to understand why man was put on this
earth because I will be exposed to many
different religions, lifestyles, and personal
opinions.
In this profession I will be working
for very long periods of time, but I won’t
mind because I won’t have anyone to see at
home. Something that comes along with
long hours is the physical strength and
mental strength to keep going strong and
keep a sharp mind. The reason why I want to
be a Merchant Mariner is because I want to
travel the world in my life and truly
understand the world. I think that this job
suits me because as you will find out later I
don’t see myself having much of a family
life so this profession will keep me busy.
While I am at sea I will also need to
learn to deal with all of the people that work
on my ship. For this reason the first couple
of years there will be a big learning curve
because I can't just go home or leave if I am
having a hard day because I am confined in
a limited amount of space. But I could also
be put on a ship with a whole crew of people
that I like and enjoy being around. Whether
I am put in a good situation or a bad
situation I will have to deal with it and learn
to cooperate with all of the people around
me.
7. Gwathney 7
Chapter 2
Home and Family Life
When I am through with college
there is a possibility that I will start a family
but it is very unlikely considering that I
enjoy being alone. Some of the reasons why
I don't see myself starting a family are that I
am not good with kids, I don't want my wife
to leave me or cheat on me, and I simply do
not see anyone wanting to start a family with
me.
When I grow up I would like to live
in a nice house in Nevada. I would like my
house to be in a secluded area of Nevada in
a three bed two bath home. Along with my
house I would like to have a decent amount
of land around me because I do enjoy a lot
of outdoor activities. I would like to have a
dirt biking track made on my property with a
good amount of trails. I would also like to
have some land for hunting and fishing
Now since I will be living alone I
would like to have a basement for a “man
cave” with a bar, pool table, TV, etc. I
would also like to have a hot tub that
waterfalls into a pool in the backyard so that
I can go swimming in the summer and in the
hot tub in the winter. One of my bedrooms
will be a nice big office with all of my music
production equipment, computers, gaming
equipment, and anything else that I see fit.
Inside of the other bedroom I would like to
have a guest bedroom just in case I have any
company come over. Now inside the master
bedroom I want to have a California King
bed with light gray covers. I would also like
the bed to be made of a lighter tone wood
like a Red Oak. Along with the bed all of the
furniture inside of the room will be made of
a matching wood whether I buy it like that
or I have it custom made. Inside the rom I
would also like surround sound and nice 80-
90 inch plasma mounted on the wall directly
8. Gwathney 8
across from me. Inside the room I would
also want a good sized walk in closet so that
I don't have to fold my clothes, instead I
would just hang them up. I would like the
bathroom counters to be made of light gray
granite with a full one piece mirror going
across the counter. Along with my sink I
would like a shower with four shower heads
that come from three sides and one directly
above. Inside the closet I want a wood tone
similar to that of my furniture and bed;
along with that I would like a tall mirror in
the back of the closet.
Inside my kitchen I want the same
tone as my bedroom with light gray counter
top and Red Oak cabinets. I don’t have
many specifications for the kitchen because
I don't see myself making food, I see myself
going out a lot.
Inside my office I want to have a
large “L” desk with multiple sections for
different things. I would like the desk to be
made of a black laminate wood that is easy
to clean and keep clean. At one part of the
desk I would have my PC, then I would have
all of my gaming consoles and monitors, and
finally I would have a clear space to do
paperwork and anything that involves
writing. On the other side of my office I
would have an eight foot butcher’s block
work bench. On the bench I would have all
of my tools excluding large power tools. The
bench would be used or all of my firearms.
The reason that I want to live in
Nevada is because there is no income tax.
Besides there being no income tax it is a
beautiful state, it has snow, and finally there
are relatively loose gun laws. The reason
why I am fond of loose gun laws is because
ever since I was old enough to shoot a gun
I’ve been shooting them. Along with my
love for them I don’t appreciate California
gun laws because they are too strict in my
opinion. But I won’t get into that because
gun laws are very controversial.
9. Gwathney 9
Chapter 3
My Philosophy of Life
Throughout the past couple of years
(about 2012-2015) I have been
contemplating life and what is needed in
life. So since we are on this topic I would
first like to start with my religious beliefs.
Since I have been baptized I am Catholic but
I do not believe in the teachings of the bible
simply because I don't think that I need to
look to a higher being to guide me through
tough times. The reason why is because if I
do find a way to get through a tough time I
don't want to think that higher being is the
one that has guided me through it, because I
was the one that guided myself through it. I
also believe that there is no need for religion
anymore because we have proved many
things that religion has
“explained”, wrong and
corrected it. Religion
was a way for the
unexplainable to be
explained; a way for
scared people to find
relief.
Now I think
that life is whatever you make of it. One of
my favorite quotes was said by a young
lyrical genius no older than 19, he said “ It’s
evident that you're alive but do you really
live “ - Dave Steezy The reason
why I love that quote so much is because it
explains most people’s
lives in such few
words. It is true that
most people have their
daily schedule and do
something with no
value and no reward in
their mind. Most
people go to work or
school and just
survive the day, now there is value in these
activities, like money or an education.
Imagine if that person that goes to work
every day and sits at a computer entering
numbers and words pointlessly, did what
they dreamed. Let’s say that that person
always wanted to serve their country and
join the military but couldn't because they
knew that they wouldn't want their wife or
kids to suffer not having their father or
mother away for 9 months out of the year or
possibly losing him completely in another
country. But if he had joined the military
and did what he wanted to do in life he
would be happy and enjoy his own life. I'm
not saying that you shouldn't put other
people before you, you
should, but the key is to
choose which people.
I also think that
throughout my life my
view will change, but as
of right now I think that
this is how you should
live your life. You
should enjoy every second of life and not
concern yourself with what other people say
and think. You need to take hold of your life
and live it how you want. People need to
understand that they need to have a reason to
live they need a spark in their life that makes
them get up every day.
Maybe if people could
have that spark no matter
what then we wouldn't
have so many obese
people, we wouldn't have
people killing
themselves, we wouldn't
have people waking up
every morning not
10. Gwathney 10
wanting to get out of bed because they're
afraid of living their life to the fullest, for
some stupid reason, like somebody makes
fun of them. I think that we wouldn't be
afraid of other people if we embraced what
were good at in life and used that to our
advantage. Instead of letting it is used
against us. Then just maybe everyone could
live their life to the fullest.
Another topic thing that I have been
thinking about lately is why everyone can’t
love and appreciate each other. I’m not
saying that I don't want people to make
jokes about each other, but what I am saying
is that no matter who you are you have a
place in society and you affect how I live
my life. So if everyone loved each other like
family then I think that society would not
have as many crimes because if we all
believed that we were family then you
would never want to hurt each other,
because most people wouldn't kill their
brother or sister. Right?
11. Gwathney 11
Chapter 4
My view on today’s youth
(The majority of this chapter is based off of
personal experiences)
My view on today’s youth is that not
enough people try. I believe not enough
people try at everyday things. My piers will
simply stop trying at very simple tasks that
only need a little bit of creative thinking. I
think that the reason why people do this is
because they have been spoon fed the
answers to all their problems their whole
life, and they are finally learning at when
you're alone with no one else around you
have to solve it on your own.
I also believe that today's youth are
distracted from what is really important at
this time in their life, which is school. Now
not all households think that school is
important but I have been taught that school
is important. I have also learned that there is
a class for any interest; therefore there is no
excuse for a student to be bored all day. I
personally find my day boring but I know at
the end of the day everything that I have
done so far is only going to help me in the
future.
I do understand today's youth because I am
today’s youth, and I can tell you that they
are confused. The reason why they are
confused is because of today’s media. When
all you see on TV is sex appeal and drugs
you can start to believe that what you're
seeing is cool or normal, when really
it’s not. They don't understand that people
use drugs to escape from their everyday life
and the hardships in life. We are taught in
school that drugs are bad and that’s it, but
that’s not the truth. If the school wants to
teach me and my friends; people that I care
about, about drugs then they need to tell me
why people start using them, they need to
tell me why these people turned to drugs,
and they need to stop just saying “they’re
bad” and elaborate on the subject. The
reason why I mention drugs is because I
know people that have used drugs and have
had bad effects because of them. Even when
you look at statistics about 21% of twelfth
graders use marijuana on the daily. Which is
pathetic considering how much schools try
to demote drug use?
12. Gwathney 12
Similar to drugs the media is a way
for people to stop worrying about their own
lives and start caring about what some
celebrity is doing. It’s not bad to stay
connected with your favorite actor but you
don't need to make them a part of your
everyday life. The media also promotes
these perfect bodies for women to have
when they are unrealistic. Even though I
cannot say what women think about it, I can
say that I personally do not think that
women should change their bodies to fit
those of a model. I think that you need to
embrace your body. You shouldn't try to be
something that you're not.
I also believe that today's youth have
become too emotionally soft and sensitive. I
think kids these days have everything given
to them candy coated. I think that if kids
applied themselves to something that they’re
good at and be productive they wouldn’t feel
sad or worthless or bullied, if people took
that feeling and applied to something then
they wouldn't feel that way. I think that kids
these days need to be told the truth about life
and be able to have their own view of the
world that surrounds them. I have gone
through hard times, I have gone through my
parents cruel divorce, and I have felt
completely worthless and whether I felt like
I had no reason to live, I had no reason to be
here, or if I felt like no one cared about me I
always found an escape in music, whether
the music was negative or positive just
knowing that someone else out there
understood how I felt, it would comfort me
when no one else could. Now I’m not saying
that music is the answer to all depression,
but what I am saying is that there is always a
positive escape from everything. We just all
need to find what our passion is, that one
thing that makes us feel happy and that
makes us feel like we matter. Once my
generation reaches this point I can guarantee
that the world will only change for the better
because my generation is filled with some of
the most creative people I have ever seen.
The reason why I say this is because my
generation has access to the internet one of
the best tools ever made.
13. Gwathney 13
Chapter 5
Travel
Later in my life I would like to travel
to different countries that I have never
visited before. Now I don't want to make it
sound like I don't want to see all of the
beautiful sights in the countries that I visit,
because I do. The thing is, is that even
though I will have a job that allows me to
travel a lot; I want to learn about all of the
different people in these countries. Just like
Candide and his travels he found people that
were pessimistic and optimistic, rich and
poor, etc. I want to find all of those different
things in this world that I live in, but, the
golden goose if you will would be the
Eldorado of today. I want to find a place
where everyone lives in peace and prosper.
When I find this harmonious district I will
hope to move there if possible. But if it is
not possible then I will visit them until I find
another place in my travels.
Another thing that I
would like to do in my years is
travel across America in a
1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS.
Now the car of dreams would
cost about $60,000 completely
refurbished and painted. But I
could purchase one for a lower
price of about $20,000 that won’t be in such
good condition and will have more miles
logged. If I did buy one with a large amount
of miles I would most likely change the
engine for a new one of better quality, but I
couldn't put a price on it because knowing
myself I would probably add on a large
amount of aftermarket parts to the engine.
In my travels I would like to visit
some specific countries because I have
family and heritage in many European
countries. So I would like to visit Ireland to
visit some family out there that I don't see
very often. While I am there I would also
like to see like The Skellig Islands, The
Giant’s Causeway, etc. Another place that I
would like to visit, even though I don't have
any family that I know of, is Wales. The
reason why I want to go to Wales is because
I have heritage there on my Father’s side of
the family. While I am there I
would like to just visit as many
places as possible. The reason
why I don't have any specific
places to visit is because I have
never really heard about
anything worth seeing in the
country.
Conclusion
So as you can see I have a general idea of
what now, and the future holds for me. At
the beginning of this assignment I thought
that this would just be another boring
writing assignment, but as I got more into it
I finally realized how this will help me. I
also appreciate this assignment because it
finally let me put my thoughts on the world
down and into a document. So thank you
Mr. Gibbs for giving me this thought
provoking and useful assignment.
14. Gwathney 14
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15. Gwathney 15
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Candide Timeline in Candide." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University,
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