| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | My most memorable childhood experience would be the winter when my family welcomed our first puppy into our home. His fur was so long that it was near impossible to find his face underneath it. I vividly remember playing out in the backyard with him, as he would scamper up and grab my mittens, then go bury them somewhere underneath the snow. The weight of his fur made him sink right into the deep snow, and many times I'd have to come to his rescue. It was so exciting to have a little friend, and beyond that I learned valuable lessons about responsibility taking care of that dog. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I would definitely say that I identify the most with my sister. Since we are so close in age we developed a strong bond early on. Going through so many of the same experiences ranging from starting school to going to camp together, has given us many of the same memories to share. It's so valuable to have someone who understands your strengths, as well as your faults, available to help be a guide through different obstacles in life. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | Altruism has to be the most admirable quality to possess. To have a genuine compassion, and concern for the well being of others can have such an amazing effect on society. By nature it seems almost easier to focus on one's own life, which makes being able to put others ahead of yourself all the more meaningful. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | Perhaps the funniest thing that comes to mind is on a trip my family took to South Dakota. I was quite young, and had never been there before. I remember being blown away by all the rock formations, and huge cliffs, so I decided to climb one. The cliff in question probably wasn't all that large in hindsight but at the time I thought nothing would be more impressive then to climb it. So I scaled up the rocks quickly as I could even though my parents warned me not to. But I was very determined! I made it up the cliff fairly easily, however I ran into a problem when the time came to get down. I must have been up there for close to an hour, scared to move an inch before a park employee came and helped me down. The funniest part is thinking back on all the comments people passing by shouted to me. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | First and foremost I would love to travel to Italy. I couldn't imagine a place that would fulfill my love for Renaissance art more than the museums there. Even more than the art though the history fascinates me. I can just imagine being surrounded by so much culture in Rome or the Vatican, and at night relaxing in a small village. It seems like traveling to Italy would be a breathtaking experience. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I strongly believe that especially in today's technology driven society that the most important lesson I could pass on to my children is the necessity of developing relationships, and connecting to people around us. I think it is becoming increasingly easy to become so entangled in internet, and MP3 players etc... that we almost become isolated from the rest of the world. My true hope is that I can show my children how amazing and unique our interpersonal relationships can be if we allow ourselves to connect. I want my children to be compassionate to those around them, and realize that we are in it together. |
