The holidays are a season of exchanging gifts, comforting recipes, and most importantly, giving back and showing appreciation to those you love through heartwarming gestures. For this upcoming season, learn how three Oxford students give back to their communities and celebrate each year with family and friends.
Ricardo Guillén, 10th Grade:
How do you celebrate the holidays?
“It’s very different [each time], because sometimes I go to my uncle’s house and we often share gifts, and we like to do big parties during Thanksgiving and invite family over. But it’s very different every single year.”
How do you give back during the holidays?
“I like to give gifts to my family, that matters to them because I know they do a lot for me, so I want to give them something meaningful and just have a time of sharing.”
What’s on your wishlist this season?
“Well, there’s not a lot, but I kind of want new things for my soccer season, like my cleats. I also just want to be able to spend time with my family.”
Ayleen Maza, 9th Grade:
How do you celebrate the holidays?
“[We usually celebrate] at home, the only traditional things we like to do are Christmas trees, presents, and spending time with the family. [We eat] tamales, pozole, pan dulce, and Mexican hot cocoa.”
What are you looking forward to for this holiday season?
“I’m actually going to Mexico to see my grandparents! [The last time I went] was around two to three years ago.”
Aria Shah, 7th Grade:
How do you celebrate the holidays?
“I normally hang out with my family. Sometimes my family will go to a local food bank to volunteer for the morning. I’ve been doing it ever since I was really little,
so I guess my parents just always took us there. That’s what started it, but I also
really like doing it because I like to give back to the community. My family [also] decorates our house a lot for Christmas, so we go all out and we have tons of lights,”
What are your favorite memories from past holidays?
“A tradition that my family has every year is going to Big Bear, and I love playing in snow there
and skiing. I’ve always loved the cold and the snow, so that’s really fun for me.”
What are you looking forward to for this season?
“I’m looking forward to going to Disney World because we’re going to go on Christmas Day. We’re going to go to Orlando and we’re going to spend six days in Florida.”
