| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | Christmas is a very meaningful holiday for both my immediate and extended family. When I was a child, about four or five years old, it was decided that the entire family on my father's side would join at our house for Christmas day and the following few days. When the large family started streaming in, it was a time of loving hugs, excitement, and crepes every morning for breakfast. Besides talking Pokemon (and whatever current affairs are relevant to a five year old) with my younger cousins, my favorite part of the experience would be when we all found ourselves gathered in our living room simply talking and relaxing with each other. I remember sitting in the living room, watching my family and listening to the Chieftains, and realizing how profoundly close and loving my family is towards each other. It was the first time I realized how lucky I was to have been born into this loving group of people. As I grow older, this memory becomes more and more valuable as the respect I have for my family continues to grow. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | My entire family, both nuclear and extended, has been incredibly supportive of me throughout my life. Of my family, I feel there is one particular cousin with whom I most closely identify. When he was nineteen years old, he decided to devote 22 months of his life to a ministry he found in Quito, Ecuador, which is a personal sacrifice I greatly admire. He has always been a very powerful role model in my life, from his strong moral convictions to the way he has always carried himself in every interpersonal interaction I have seen. Because of this, I have always seen him as someone of character. I will continue to view my cousin as a personal role model, and someone with whom I will always closely identify. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I believe honesty is the most important character trait an individual can have. It is very difficult to build any type of relationship, whether it be business-related, casual, or personal, without the fundamental integrity of trust. Beyond honesty, I feel humility can be an incredibly powerful character trait. Personally, I think that arrogance is not an attractive trait at all, and actually takes away from an individual's potentially redeeming qualities. The relationships I have with my closest lifelong friends are built on my admiration for their honesty and humility, and I know I will have a similar admiration for those I meet in the future who exemplify honesty and humility. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | When I was in middle school I remember being excited for a large birthday party my friend was planning at his forest cabin house. Adding to my excitement, I had found out that the girl I fancied at the time was also attending. One of the main events of the party was a large game of capture the flag, which stretched around his house and into some of the surrounding woods. Late in the game I managed to grab the opposing team's flag and was running at full speed around the cabin. After glancing back to see who was in pursuit, I felt something take a harsh hold of my neck, which soon sent me into the air. Confused, choking, and now on my back, I look up to see the neon green clothes line I had just clipped myself with, and my crush standing above me laughing hysterically as she tags me out and grabs her team's flag... It was one of my more embarrassing middle school memories, and friends still let me hear about it, but now that the brunt of the shame has passed it is one of the funnier things ever to happen to me. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | Up to this point in my life, I've never had the opportunity to travel outside the country, but I've always wanted to travel. If time and money were not an issue I would love to travel to Ireland. With a rich cultural history, beautiful scenery, and many tourist and locally-known destinations, Ireland is a wonderful travel destination in and of itself. However, Ireland also has an intrinsic attraction, considering most of my mother's family is ethnically Irish. I hope that someday I have the opportunity to spend time traveling in Ireland, especially if I'm able to share the experience with my family. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I've been blessed with an incredibly supportive family. When and if I ever have children I would want to instill in them a level of psychological security that I will always love and support them throughout their lives. Additionally, I hope to pass on to them a strong sense of moral conviction, something my own father calls a "moral compass." As long as my children know they are loved and supported, they have a strong moral conviction, and they take their academic studies seriously, they will have an incredible opportunity to lead fulfilling lives. |
