| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | I have a lot of memorable experiences so it is hard to pick just one. I guess my favorite times were around the holidays when all the extended families would get together and have a great time. We were really a close family both on my mom and stepfather's side of the family and there was always something fun going on. Backyard football, putting contests, (pseudo) friendly card games or dice cups to name a few. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I most closely identify with my mother. She was a young mother who endured a lot of hardship in our early years. She never got down, never gave up, and kept pushing through. She is the glue that continued to keep our family together and I have a huge amount of admiration for her. It is from her I learned perseverance, compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance - three qualities I hold close to my heart. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | Honesty in everything you do. Drive to fight adversity. Will to never give up. Compassion for your fellow man. Being aware of how your actions affect others around you. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | Most of the funny things that have happened to me were self-imposed! I have run in a five mile race wearing a taco costume, knocked myself out running through electrical wires in a mud run, dressed as a Hooters girl for Halloween (+ shaved legs), and the list goes on. Not only is laughter the best medicine, I am sure it is key to living a longer life (or at the very least, making life worth living). |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I absolutely love nature and my favorite places on Earth are the mountains. I would spend my time traveling to all parts of the globe (with my family in tow, of course) backpacking and climbing mountains until I am old and gray. I love the smell of the crisp air, the vision of a sunset over a snow-capped peak, and the peacefulness of being "disconnected." Perhaps I'd become a modern day John Muir. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I have two daughters and this is what I aspire to teach them: The value of hard work- when you do a job, always do it to your best ability. Responsibility for your own actions. Mistakes happen. Learn and grow from them. Bad things are going to happen in your life. They happen to test your faith, your resiliency, and your will. Those who live the most fulfilling lives have done so because they have learned how to grow from tragedy. Be kind to people. It is easy to hate, admonish, and reject but one day you might find yourself doing so looking in a mirror. |
