| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | There isn't a specific experience that sticks out for me. What I did enjoy most in my childhood were the days of being in middle school and looking forward to hanging out with my band friends. There was such a tight bond among us, where our antics led to some treasurable times. We would play our instruments in class, hang out with each other at lunch, go on school trips together, and be each other’s best friends throughout those years. My friendship with all my band friends has faded over the years, but the memories will always ring true, especially whenever I see or play a saxophone, my instrument of choice. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I identify most with my mother, hands down. She is the only person to be a consistent and significant figure throughout the entirety of my life. We share a lot of similar interest in music, movies, and television shows. I hope that one day, I can take her to music festivals because I know she would truly appreciate all the artistry there. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | What I admire most in individuals are traits such as being implicitly selfless, honest, and courageous. It's so easy to lie, cheat, and steal in some capacity, especially if we believe it will get us further ahead. I did this in my younger years and and met the instant gratification that I was searching for. Yet, my sense of fulfillment became more and more hollow as time progressed. These more recent years, I've discovered that it's a much harder but more fruitful road in being honest, selfless, and courageous. It's what I strive to uphold as each day passes, and it's what I've come to admire and appreciate most in those that have consistently practiced these traits. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | It was a charity modeling show, and the theme was futuristic/galactic. There were futuristic heroes in body paint, handmade futuristic pieces of clothing for others to wear, and even a woman in a robotic suit. My portion of the show was with the silver surfers. We were in nothing but beige skivvies and coated in silver body paint. Can't forget that each of us also had to wear these cheap costume wigs. The funny part was in rehearsal, our choreographer and host of the event wanted us to emulate the mood of the music through "interpretative dance" and take it seriously. So, for more spacey/fluid music, use fluid arm motions, and so on. We all laughed at how ridiculous this was, of course, and in correlation to what we would look like doing it. So, once the show started, there was a point where I realize, I am on stage in beige underwear and a wig, "dancing" like one of those wavy, inflatable displays that they have at car dealerships, in front of about a hundred or so guests in expensive suits while they're eating dinner. It was one of those, “How did I end up here?” moments. Love laughing about it to this day with some of my other friends that were also in the show. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I would love to explore Japan, because it is such a wondrous mix of modern technology and preserved tradition. There are old traditions, teas, and hiking trails that I would love to venture out and be immersed in, as well as witnessing cherry blossoms bloom in the spring. Then, the aspect of being around the advanced technology and machinery that is integrated into the streets of big cities like Tokyo. Additionally, I would absolutely love to visit a renowned sushi bar and have a once in a lifetime experience that I know Japanese cuisine would provide. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I want them to have the power to be okay with failing and learning from it. Failure is one of the most integral aspects of life, because it's how we experience growth. In the transitional phases of my life, I've always been the most afraid to fail and not being capable of surviving my environment. Fear of failure has held me back in some regard, however in those opportune moments when I've powered through, it's led to some of the most fulfilling moments. That's something that isn't taught in schools, and it very well should be. Any children of mine would be instilled the lesson that failure is a natural part of life, and that I will be there to support them, so that they will be able to grow stronger and more resilient than before. |
