| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | As far as childhood memories, nothing compares to my first summer away from home at summer camp. I remember being so excited and nervous at the prospect of spending a month away from home and not knowing what to expect. I remember not wanting my mom to leave me. I might have even cried. But within a matter of days I was having the time of my life- exploring the woods, riding horses, camping, archery, etc. I never felt more alive and free. By the time my parents came to pick me up, I didn't want to leave. I made friends, learned crafts, and gained my first real insight into my talents and the wonders of the world. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | Without a doubt, I most closely identify with my younger sister. We are separated in age by only three years and went and did everything together growing up. It's like having another best friend for me. We are always there to support and encourage one another through good times and bad. We especially share the same goofy, wry sense of humor. In fact, as kids, we even had our own language. I've been fortunate to have such a smart, capable, and caring sibling throughout my life. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I find many traits to be admirable in people, but to me, none carries as much weight as compassion. It can be easy to have your spirit crushed by the tribulations of the world and to become self-centered and narrow-minded, but someone who can empathize with people and exhibit altruistic tendencies can really change other people's lives. The people that I admire most are caring, compassionate, and giving because they feel genuine compassion for others. Of course I value intelligence, beauty, artistic talent, and humor, but when someone has all those characteristics, it is easy to be vain and self-centered. It takes a truly great person to find a way to be kind and compassionate on top of that. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | Once as a toddler I was under the supervision of my grandma at her condo. Apparently, she drifted asleep and I became restless enough to unlock and open the sliding door and sneak out of the house. My grandma awoke to find me missing and hysterically called my mother and the police. Meanwhile, I was walking down the street in nothing but a diaper in one hundred degree weather. A female officer found me about a mile away from the house and picked me up. The officer began driving me around the neighborhood trying to locate my mother. Eventually the officer located my mother, but when my mom ran towards me calling me by my name, the officer pulled me away. "I'm sorry ma'am; this child's name is Joshua. He's not yours." She kept saying "No, that's my child." But the officer wasn't convinced. They went round and round until my mother was about ready to lose it. After some tenuous moments, I was returned to my mom. No one could believe this barefoot two-year-old had managed to do this. After my mom and grandma calmed down, they asked me what I was thinking. "I was bored and I like the name Joshua" was my explanation. My mother tells the story as a joke now. I doubt she thought it was that funny then, though. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | As a history and culture enthusiast, nothing captivates me more than the Eastern Mediterranean. If I could spend a month, or a year for that matter, in Turkey and Greece, I would do it in a heartbeat. I studied classical civilizations in college and have always dreamed of visiting the cradle of western civilization. Some of our most coveted principles are derived from the ancient Greeks such as rule of law, democracy, the idea of using science to better our lives, athletics, and arts. I would walk in the footsteps of Achilles and Pericles, visit the ancient ruins and peer across the Aegean just as Alexander had. To this day, the Bosphorus Strait is the crossroads of the world, and my dream destination. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | The single most important piece of wisdom I would pass along to my children would be the value of kindness. I would show them through my example that how you treat other people is the most important thing in the world. The reason I find this to be true is that our human world is shaped by perception. The way you view the world is based on how you view yourself. If you are a kind, selfless, caring person, you are likely to believe that others share the same qualities and motives. This then becomes a self-fulfilling idea. By doing good, you can directly affect how others behave. This concept is empowering and is the most basic way that we as people can make a kinder, gentler, more loving world. |
