| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | Each summer I looked forward to going to camp out in the woods. My first year, the camp had just constructed a new rope course, complete with the largest zip-line on the coast. The zip-line is a long wire on which a climber attaches and propels along using special equipment; it was a pretty big deal. However, being the youngest member at camp, I could not compete for my certification just yet. So the following year I made a great effort to learn all my knots, ropes course lingo and safety work. While contesting for my certification, I was the youngest and fastest learner to graduate to the high ropes level. To this day, jumping off of that platform and flying weightless for four seconds is one of the most memorable childhood experiences. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | Aside from my almost being a mirror image of my father, I identify with many of his outlooks on life. Like him, the world intrigues me, and I love to experience it daily with a smiling face. I also embody his work ethic. His famous "Dadism" passed from his father was, "if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well". In addition, my father has the rare ability of likeability, and I believe that it is a exclusive but exceptional attribute. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I admire honesty and ambition. I grew up in a household where the only thing that was unacceptable was lying. The truth can never hurt as much as hiding it. I also have a high regard for ambition because it drives people who really want to achieve their dreams to succeed. I try to convey these characteristics and also associate myself with others who are similar. I have seen these attributes take my role models to their level of success and I aspire to do the same. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | The first and only time I ever received a detention was for using a squirt gun in the lunchroom during grade school. Apparently, the neon green and orange bubble shaped squirt gun was too similar to a real weapon and could be misconstrued. The day that I served the detention happened to be the same day of my sex education class at school. Upon returning home my father sat me down in the study and asked me an ominous question, “What did you learn today?”. Completely forgetting about the absurd reprimand, I went into all the details about human reproduction, and all things associated with maturation. After a grueling half hour I stopped and my father burst out laughing. I was so embarrassed I thought I had confused everything. But, after my dad wiped away the last cheerful tear, he explained that what he meant was, what did I learn from my detention. Even more embarrassed I blushed, and made him promise not to tell mom what I had said. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | The first place I would go to is New Zealand. However, if time and money were not an issue, I would travel the world. New Zealand is one of the last lands that remains untouched. It holds some of the most spectacular natural landscapes on earth. The people that inhabit new Zealand have a "zeal" life. I am attracted to this place and the people because of its heartiness and strength. The New Zealanders are an earthy people, and they practice green living. They live off the land and they respect the land . It is uncommon to see a symbiotic relationship of man to earth in these times. I would like to experience their clean air, untamed wilds and happy healthy people. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I think the most important thing we can give our children is a good education along with a loving environment that enables them to discover in this world what fulfills them most. One thing that I see lacking in our age is a strong role model and as a parent I would want to be able to fill that role. I would attempt to be everything I would want my child to be, so they can have a close figure to look to. |
