| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | My most memorable childhood experience came one summer when I was around thirteen years old. That summer (and many before and after) I participated in a hugely popular soccer tournament for youth teams all around the world. The tournament is unique in that it gives local kids such as myself the opportunity to play teams we never would have otherwise. I will never forget being able to play teams from Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil, all with some of my closest friends. To top it off, we played our biggest rivals in the championship game and won in penalties. What could be better than playing your favorite sport with your favorite people? |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I closely identify with my father for several reasons. For one, our brains process information quite similarly, and because of this, we both are hesitant to come to any conclusions until we have completely thought over a matter. Our senses of humor are also largely the same, and we usually employ it in the same manner; always trying to lighten the mood with a witty (and sometimes just silly) joke. Lastly, we both share a passion for the great outdoors. Some of my favorite memories are those bonding with my father out on the lake fishing, combing cornfields for pheasant, or patiently sitting thirty feet up in a tree, just hoping a big buck happens to walk our way. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I admire many character traits in individuals. One character trait I highly admire is empathy, because it leads to other good characteristics such as kindness and sympathy. I also admire drive and determination, as it leads to general success in many different areas of life. Lastly, I admire integrity, because those who possess it are always honest and trustworthy, two other very important qualities in a person. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | The funniest thing that has ever happened to me occurred one fall in middle school, during a routine game of backyard football. In order to chase down a deep pass, my eyes were focused on the ball in the air instead of the path in front of me. Needless to say, this was a mistake; I ended up running head first into a metal clothesline pole. I hit so hard, apparently the sound of the collision was like that from a gong or bell. In addition, the impact left an egg-sized lump on my forehead for the next couple days, inciting countless questions and remarks from my classmates during the week. Injury aside, my friends and I laughed uncontrollably immediately after the impact, and afterward noted that the laughter was a better ab-workout than anything we had done in actual football practice. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | If time and money were not an issue, I would certainly do extensive travel all over the world, spending as much time as I wanted in each place. One of the places I'd be most interested in visiting is Scandinavia, mainly Norway and Sweden. This is the home of my ancestors, as good as any reason to want to travel someplace. Add in the mountainous landscapes, unending archipelagos, distinct four seasons, and high quality of living, I could see myself spending many years in this region. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | When I have children I will be eager to pass on many things to them, such as: a strong will, determination, and integrity; compassion and empathy; love and respect for themselves; love and respect for others; love and respect for the Earth; curiosity and awe of the world; a drive to live life to the fullest because of we all have limited time; basically all the knowledge and tools for them to live long, happy, and healthy lives. |
