"I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul"

    It is almost impossible to reduce Erika Grace Padilla into a few adjectives. The very name itself commands respects from the entire high school body. Erika is the epitome of a balanced personality – with an impressive scholastic record, exceptionally high grades, and a gamut of responsibilities (being the Student Council Officers President, at that!), she still manages to go out with her friends, watch a good movie, or just sit back and admire the big picture. This girl knows how to have some serious, unadulterated fun. She’s a highly proficient public speaker who voices out her views eloquently and intelligently. When she speaks, everybody listens. A born leader, Erika has mastered the art of motivating her members to excel in her chosen fields and to never give up until their task is done, while still retaining the spirit of fun. Her deep, soulful voice that may sound intimidating and commanding, the same voice that resonates through the corridors and through out the classroom, also has a musical twang to it. Her infectious laughter and bright view of life is to contagious that you’ll find yourself laughing your head off with her sharp sense of humor and wit. She may be light-hearted one moment, while extremely intense the next. She has a natural aptitude for learning and leading that its no surprise classmates and friends turn to her explaining complex math problems, which she gladly obliges with. This sophisticated lady also happens to have an elegant fashion sense that never fails to turn heads and attract attention wherever she goes. A true charmer, she could very well be one of, if not “the” most prominent and prettiest faces in school. And it doesn’t end there. Erika is also a multi-talented teenager, not to mention the competitions under her belt. Aside from being a public speaker, she is also into volleyball, acting, and writing, sensible essays and heartfelt poems. But above all, she remains an approachable and reliable friend. There are indeed so much things to say about this young lady that this yearbook alone would not be enough. But to sum it all up, Erika to put it mildly is truly one heck of a young woman.