A little About MeI am an avid traveler, soccer player, and runner. I can't really stay in the same place for long periods of time. I would much rather be outside than cooped up in a classroom or office. I am a hard worker but definitely not a perfectionist. Time-management is not my strong suit and I always seem to be rushing to get out the door.
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"Not all those who wander are lost." -JRR Tolkien
InTRO: |
I have always looked at the future as something in which I could plan for, endlessly nitpicking at what I wanted my life to be. Over the last four years I have realized planning, perfection, and staying between the lines is not the life I want to live. In many ways I think I grew up too fast. I know, this has probably been said before, countless times, but it is true for me. I never really went through the normal “teenage years.” This mindset has given me the opportunity to accomplish amazing things. I am incredibly grateful for having honed a work ethic I take pride in. But along the lines, with all the work, all the accomplishments, all the late nights doing what was expected, I think I was doing myself a disservice. However, in the last two years, I have let my true self shine through the tough exterior. I have traveled to amazing places. I have met amazing people. And in two short and amazing years, I have experienced life from a different perspective. Instead of trying to plan endlessly, I live my life day by day, realizing that control is my worst enemy. My all time favorite quote is “not all those who wander are lost,” and I think sometimes a little wandering is exactly what I need. I found myself through the last four years. It has taken me a little digging, but in the end I can say LBG has changed me for the better.
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MY PAST: |
Nostalgia is a funny thing. It creeps up on you when you least expect it. I was driving to school the other day and I had a BIG TIME flashback to sophomore year, riding to school with my older sister, Alexa, who was a senior in high school at the time on her last day. I vividly remember laughing with her, but having the sharp pang of sadness that this would be the last time I would ride to school with my sister. Now, with my trips to schools dwindling faster than my dwindling motivation (senioritis is a full blown disease), nostalgia has hit me like a freight train every day. But I welcome those memories, because nostalgia, to me, is there to remind of the great life I have lived. When I see my little sister, who is going to be a freshman in high school next year, stress about what high school is going to be like, I smile, and think to myself “wow, it really has gone by fast.” I am at a point in my life where the future's so bright, I can’t stop and take time to embrace the past. However, I can look back and smile at all the good times, be grateful that I was able to get through the bad ones.
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MY Friends: |
I have always been blessed with friends who have supported me throughout it all. Over the years my friend group has changed. In middle school I spent most of my time reading books, and kept to myself. I didn’t talk much and focused completely on school. Again, this goes back to me “growing up too fast.” I wish I would have branched out more and talked to different people. Looking back onto middle school, I realized that those three years of “awkwardness” probably did me a world of good. One of my best friends moved to Iowa when I was very young, and I was crushed. That instance made me less likely to let people in and there was always a part of me that wondered whenever I met someone new that they, too, would leave. After middle school, I really started talking to more people and becoming friends with people I usually wouldn’t associate with. Having Katrina, Jake, Connor, and Caitlyn as friends has been so fun, and I hope we stay in touch long after high school. Kelly, Sam, Hanna, Julia, Olivia, and Sara have also been some of my best friends. I could delve into every one of my major friendships, but instead I’ll talk about how my friends have helped me. My friends have taught me to let go, have fun, live life without worry, and to go places on a whim. I have learned to let people in, to trust people, and to make lasting friendships. I don't know what I would do without my friends. We all went to Old Town Lansing a few weeks ago, and as we walked around the town, laughing about the stupidest things, I realized how much I am going to miss these people. I won’t be able to see people everyday. This is okay because I know change is good and meeting new people in college is something I am looking forward to. If I had any advice for people just starting high school it would be to strengthen your friendships. Don't let petty fights and differences drive barriers between you and your friends. Life is too short to be ticked off at someone for something they did years ago. Don't be afraid to talk to people you normally wouldn't associate with. You never know, that person who you thought was "weird" could end up being the only person you stay in touch with after high school.
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MY Family: |
I could write a book on how much my family has helped me become the person I am today. At the end of the day, you come home to your family. After all the school assignments, the conflicts, the sporting events, you come home to a family that loves and supports you through the thick and thin. High school is a time where many young adults break away from their family, as they start making new friends and experiencing new things. This is true for most people, and I too found myself distancing myself from my family at times, not appreciating all that they have sacrificed for me. Part of my "journey" was realizing that my family is SO important. Each of my family members has been a big part of this journey. My mom has always been a role model and friend to me, and I can't wait to come home to talk to her after school. She is the most caring and loving person I know. I admire my dad's work ethic and his determination to make things right. He has passed on so many of these values onto me, giving me the prime example of concrete and sound morals. My older sister Alexa is the most creative and open-minded person I know, inspiring me everyday with her creativity and kind spirit. Her moving off to college was extremely difficult for me, but I have been so proud seeing her thrive at GVSU. My younger sister, Myia has been such a crazy, energetic, fun force in my life. She is so driven in her sports and studies, and that determination inspires me to do better. It is hard to put into words the impact my family has had on my life. This is because family is always there. If we took our entire lives, at least the life from birth to high school graduation, the majority is spent with family. All those little things: watching tv with your mom until midnight on as school night, driving to school with your sisters, and fishing with your dad combine to form who you are and how you interact. Going off to college next year is scary, especially not having my family with me, but that's okay, because I know my family has taught me so much that will help me after high school.
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MY SPORTS: |
I have always been a busy person. My life has been a mad dash filled with track meets, soccer games, and cross country meets. Sports keep me sane. Sports give me the chance to be part of a team. Sports have always been there for me when I need some time to just go out and compete. Academics have been the main focus of my life, but being cooped up in a classroom does not suit me. Three sports have shaped my life: soccer, cross country, and track. Soccer has been my main sport since I could walk. Even though I decided to not pursue soccer after high school, soccer will always be there for me. The feeling of being out there on the pitch is such an amazing feeling. I still remember sophomore year, when we played Lansing Christian in the district final game. We fought for that game until the very end. We didn't end up winning, but instead of simply giving up, we put our heart and souls into that game. I was a sophomore at the time and was extremely nervous to play in the district final. It was my first year as a starter and a thousand thoughts of me failing were playing out in my mind. As soon as the game started, all of those fears washed away. The rest of the game was a blur. But that is what happens in life, you get so focused and so determined that you forget all those details. When it comes to sports I am okay with that because I know that means I worked hard. Track and cross country have also impacted me immensely. I am the most nervous before the start of a track meet. I get antsy and I can't sit still. But I am going to miss that feeling so much. Track served as a means for me to make new friends, go to states my sophomore year, and become a seasoned athlete. I may not be taking organized sports with me onto college, but those values of teamwork, dedication, and competitiveness will translate onto my future life and careers.
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MY PASSION: |
I have a passion to help people, to impact people's lives in some way. This passion has been exemplified through many of the things I do on a day to day basis. Firstly, academics have enabled me to learn new things everyday. Even though I hate calculus and know that I will never use those equations ever again, I know that those days and nights spent learning and studying will help me in the long run. For all the subjects I enjoy, especially science, I have learned things that have helped me understand what I want to do after high school. Learning about biology, anatomy, and chemistry has been a blast. I want to translate this love for science into my later life. I hope to go into the sciences (maybe the medical field) and be able to help people on a daily basis. Another aspect of my life that has helped me understand my true passion is publications class. Writing for the newspaper, designing yearbook pages, and taking pictures at school events has enabled my creativity to flow freely. As I grow older I realize I work better without such a structures and confined environment. Publications class has helped me think freely and be in an environment that inspires me to create eye-catching designs and publications. Photography has taught me to enjoy those split second moments that affect my life so greatly. Whether it is the moment of making it to states in a relay track team, or the second the clouds clear at the top of the Alps, these are the moments that we will remember. Photography freezes time and enables people to travel back in time and to relieve those moments. I have learned to try to enjoy every second of my life. Sometimes we get caught up in the everyday stresses and don't take the time to slow down and actually enjoy what we are doing. I know I will always have a passion to create, to help, and to achieve. These passions have been extremely important in shaping who I am and who I want to be. Again, I'm not quite sure what I will be doing ten, twenty, thirty years from now, but I do know I will be helping, creating, and achieving.
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MY TRavel: |
I have been extremely grateful to have been able to travel to so many amazing places over the year. My family has a passion for travel and that passion has been passed onto me. Going to new places and experiencing new things is my ultimate passion. If I could get paid to fly to different places around the world, I would. My obsession with traveling started back in 2010, when my parents took me and my siblings to California for a two week, cross-state road trip. I had never really been to many places outside Michigan, so I didn't understand how that trip would change my life. For two weeks all we did was drive around California, sleeping in hotels by raging rapids and eating from food trucks. This was such a change from my regular life, I realized how living like that suited me. Living life day by day, mile by mile, trail by trail. Ever since that whirlwind trip I realized that I want to travel as much as possible. The world is just so big and so interesting, I couldn't live my life knowing I had seen a mere fraction of it. Another major trip I took was last summer, to Germany and and Austria. We hopped around Europe, eating in little restaurants, waking down cobble-stoned streets, and talked with natives. Europe is such an amazing place, filled to the brim with culture and history. Walk through any town in Europe and there is probably a landmark or building that is older than the entirety of the US. This is mind-boggling to me, but its details like that which again, spark my passion for travel. I love to learn about new places and hope that someday my career can enable me to not only travel to different countries, but to help the citizens of those countries. Traveling has opened a world of possibility and discovery. Traveling has also taught me the importance of having a home. Even though I rave about traveling and not being able to stay in one place, home will always be home. After a week of being somewhere new, I get the familiar pang of homesickness, begging me to come home. I honestly hope that feeling never goes away. I hope that when I am far out of college, I still want to come home to LBG, drive through the pot-hole filled streets, maybe go to a basketball game, and show my own kids where I grew up. I think sometimes people spend to much time wishing they were done with high school and moving on with their lives, and don't realize that their home is a good, comforting place. So yes go hop on a plane and eat crazy spicy Indian food in India, but never forget where you came from.
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MY FUTURE: |
The future. What a freaking scary, freaking awesome thing. Back to the planning thing. I always thought that I could plan out my life. When it comes to my college dreams, I thought everything would go according to plan. Grand Valley State University was always on my radar, I loved the campus, I loved the people there, it was going to be my school. I just knew it. Life throws you T-rex sized curve balls, and half way through my senior year my life took a swerving U-turn into the unknown. After applying and competing for a scholarship I had no confidence in winning from Central Michigan University, I received a letter in the mail which would change everything. I earned a scholarship from CMU, which made Grand Valley seem like a forgotten memory. I am SO excited to go to CMU in the fall. Everyday I get more and more ready to start a new chapter of my life. Whatever the future has in store for me, I am ready. I won't try to plan it out or ponder endlessly about what is going to happen. I am going to let it happen, one day at a time.
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MY ADvice: |
Stop trying to be perfect: Perfection is a tainted word. As human beings, we are constantly trying to better ourselves. This is okay, but only to a certain extent. You are who you are for a reason. All of your quirks, flaws, and insecurities combine to form an extremely interesting and unique person. I have learned that having the perfect grades, the perfect life, etc just leads to more stress. Life isn't meant to be so structured and confined. Go make a mess.
Go outside your comfort zone: Living within the lines is easy. We end up cushioning ourselves in an artificial, culturally controlled box, untouched by anything which scares us or makes us uncomfortable. But life isn’t meant to be lived this way. The only way to grow as a person is to be uncomfortable. Be kind: We live in a world of great cruelty and angry rhetoric. People insult each other on whim, and kindness has become something that is not the norm. Being kind can open doors and make us become more mature and empathetic human beings. Maybe it is just a mere compliment or a helping hand, but these small acts of kindness make the world a better place. Enjoy life: Stop analyzing everything. Live in the moment. Look at every opportunity with an open mind. Enjoying life to its full extent, enables us to be able to truly live. Sometimes this seems impossible, life is too complicated, filled with stress and things to do. Take a step back and ask yourself "why am I doing these things?" If you don't know why, then the first step is to jump ship and find something that you truly enjoy doing. Don't forget to laugh, to cry, to show emotion. |
HERE's A FEW More PICTURES FROM THE LAST FEW YEARS:
Closing: |
I have probably rambled on about the various aspects of my life. But that's okay. As I said numerous times before, life is meant to be messy. All of these photos, words, and songs combine to give a jumbled picture of who I am. These last four years have been a whirlwind. I stepped into this school thinking I could plan out my life and walked out with a plan to do the opposite. "Not all those who wander are lost," and I have definitely wandered. And I hope I someday I will be able to look back on all the stumbles, the wandering, the failed attempts, and the memories, and smile.
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