| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | My most memorable childhood experience was my family's summer vacation to the beach. I can vividly remember one summer in particular when we stayed at this house with a large tree in the front yard with a rope swing. My cousin and I would spend every evening before dinner climbing the tree and horsing around. For dinner one night, we were eating clams that my dad and uncle had caught. I remember choking on a clam and my mom having to perform the Heimlich maneuver. Despite the choking incident, it was my favorite family vacation growing up, and it is still discussed at family get-togethers. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I closely identify with my sister. Even though we are a few years apart, we have always had a tight bond. No matter what was going on in our worlds, we knew that we always had each other's backs. We may not always agree on some topics, but we respect and embrace these differences. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | The traits I most admire in an individual are honesty, empathy, a strong sense of humor, and being passionate about their beliefs. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | I believe that I was around four or five years old when my family went on a ski trip. Both of my parents were just learning how to ski and my sister had only had a lesson or two. I was riding up the chair lift with my dad and when we got to the top to unload he exited the chair but left me there. I was unable to get off the chair on my own and by the time the lift operator realized what was happening I was on my way back down the mountain. I thought it was the end of the world and was crying hysterically. My screams began to draw a crowd on the slopes below my chair. Ski Patrol and onlookers began forming below me to make sure I was ok. When I reached the bottom both of my parents were there to meet me, laughing! What felt like a near-death experience to me was actually something quite common. Whenever I'm skiing with my parents, we still laugh about my unfortunate chair lift experience. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I would travel to Africa. It is such a beautiful continent, with amazing people. I would love to be able to see all of its vast landscapes, volunteer in underprivileged areas and experience its many cultures to the fullest extent. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I would like for my children to be compassionate to those around them. I would want them to understand that what makes the world great is that it is filled with individuals with many different beliefs, and that this is perfectly normal. I would also want them to be happy with what they have, but to never stop striving for more. |
