Change is something that has been prevalent throughout my life. I have moved five times, from Illinois to Pennsylvania, from New York to Virginia, and finally, to Ohio. Although it was saddening in the moment to leave the towns I had grown accustomed to and the people I was familiar with, living in a variety of places, with different atmospheres and paces of life, has enabled me to experience life from a different angle in each place. Some places were slower paced, others were bustling and fast paced, while still others were somewhere in the middle. Above all, this experience has taught me not to fear change, but to embrace it. Sometimes things happen and there is no way to change the situations you are placed in, so the only thing left to do is change the way in which you view the circumstances and learn from the experience. By no means am I perfect at this, but it is a principle I try to adhere to whenever times are tough.
One constant throughout my life has been utilizing creative outlets. In my childhood, I enjoyed making up stories about imaginary characters in the woods, and as I got older, I began writing them down. Over time, my interest then switched to photography. Throughout the end of middle school and high school, I began to further develop this passion, which eventually led to the creation of my senior photo business, which came to fruition in my senior year of high school. Since then, I have still been taking photos, now with friends who enjoy photography as well, but I have also developed a love for painting with watercolors. I also recently discovered that the door to my dorm room can be drawn on with chalk, so each week I draw on the door and add a pun about the drawing. Creating things is my outlet I turn to in times of stress.
I also am passionate about optometry. Becoming an optometrist has been my ultimate career goal, since my days at Lakota West High School in West Chester, OH. For now, I am still figuring out what major would be best, while keeping in mind this end goal. I am currently a freshman at the Ohio State University, navigating my way through the ups and downs of the first year. I am not sure where I will be in four years, because, as I have learned, life is always subject to change, but for now, I am pursuing my dream of becoming an optometrist.