| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | I can't think of one instance that is the most memorable on its own, but there is a series of moments that made up an unforgettable experience. When I was young, my mom and dad used to sing songs to help me fall asleep. They were mostly folk songs like “Blowin' in the Wind” or “Goodnight Irene,” but my parents took requests and sometimes sang other styles of music. My dad always accompanied his singing with his guitar, but my mom sang without any accompaniment. Whenever I hear those songs now, whether I'm out with friends somewhere or by myself, I recall those evenings with deep fondness and warmth. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | It's hard to choose one, since I have close relationships with each of my immediate family members and identify with each of them in different ways. The person I'll write about here is my mom, who I probably have spent the most time with out of anyone because she decided to stop working for a while to raise my siblings and me. We are both firstborns, and because of this we both felt a sense of responsibility to set a good example for the younger ones when we were growing up. Although my mom strongly encouraged me to work hard and get good grades, she always made it clear that I could pursue whatever I wanted and that I would have her support no matter what. Since I am currently in another part of the country, she always makes it a point to visit me at least once a year outside of the holidays and spend time with me in person, in addition to the weekly video calls we have with the other family members. We also message each other frequently to check in on how the other is doing, and I know that no matter what happens in my life, she will always be there to lend a helping hand if I need it. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | Trustworthiness is one of the traits I most appreciate in someone. Fundamentally, all relationships are built on trust in one form or another, so a person who can be relied upon to honor that trust no matter what is quite admirable. Another characteristic I deeply respect is loyalty; this is somewhat like trustworthiness, but also entails supporting people beyond just the bare minimum of what you've said you would do or what is expected of you. It's easy to be a fair-weather friend, but people usually need the most help at their lowest point, when only the truly loyal will be there to look after them. Finally, I greatly admire kindness and generosity, both with time and with resources. I especially look up to those who give freely with no expectation of personal reward, who do not ask for praise or favors in return but instead simply wish to help others. Though I fall short of this ideal (as do most of us), I find it to be a more valuable goal than personal enrichment. As my great-grandfather used to say, "You never see a Brinks Truck at Boot Hill" (i.e., you can't take it with you). |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | When I was ten years old, I went camping with my grandparents in an RV they had borrowed from one of their friends. The sides of this RV could pop out to make more room for beds, but the undersides of these compartments could also open to let in some fresh air. After a day of hiking and sitting around the campfire, I crawled into my bed and passed out. Somehow the side compartment of the RV where I was sleeping was left ajar from when it was hot earlier in the day, and after a few hours I rolled off the side of my bed onto the ground. Fortunately, it was a very short drop onto grass, but because of that I didn’t really register what had happened. I tried to go back to sleep right where I had fallen, but I eventually figured out that I had gotten outside somehow and went around to the door of the RV to get back in bed. My grandma heard me moving around and asked if anything had happened, but I was tired and just said I was fine. She figured I just had to go to the bathroom, so I ended up rolling outside and walking back inside two more times at intervals of an hour or so before she finally realized what was going on and closed the side compartment. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I would travel to Denmark. I have a significant amount of Danish ancestry on my paternal side. Several years ago, my paternal grandfather gave me a book which illustrated the family tree, tracing back hundreds of years to when that part of the family was still in the Copenhagen area. It would be interesting to see the culture there, and how it might reflect any of the traditions I was raised with. I was going to study abroad there in fall of 2020, but unfortunately COVID-19 prevented that from happening. I plan on going eventually with my dad (and any other family members who would want to come) whenever we get a good opportunity. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | When and if I have children, I would most like to pass on the feeling that they are loved and supported no matter what. I know that I wouldn’t be a perfect parent, but I would strive to let my child know at every opportunity that I care about them. In addition to verbal affirmations, taking actions like spending quality time doing what my child wants to do – within reason of course – would hopefully cement this feeling. My parents did this for me and it made a big impact. For instance, my dad took me to several different races when I was interested in cars, and my mom would play chess with me (we would take pieces off the board to adjust for any relative difference in skill levels). While it would be fun to see which (if any) of my own personality traits or habits get passed on, the sense of support that I still feel today from my parents is the most important to me. |
