| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | My most memorable childhood experience is when I travelled to Costa Rica for a family vacation. The trip was so memorable because I had grown up watching Jeff Corwin and Steve Irwin on the Discovery Channel. I idolized these men and at the time, my dream job was to do what they did. Costa Rica was featured in one of Corwin's shows and it was absolutely beautiful. The water was so blue and clear, the jungle was a beautiful, vivid green, and to me, the animals were even more beautiful. When I found out we were going to Costa Rica on vacation I realized that I had the opportunity to experience "The Jeff Corwin Experience." During the trip, we went zip lining through the canopy of the rainforest where we saw an incredible diversity of wildlife, including the monkeys that were featured in the Costa Rica episode. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a reptile farm where I, for the first time, got to hold a Burmese Python and see my favorite snake, the Fer De Lance, in person. Every day of that trip was an incredible experience, but that day stood above the rest. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I most closely identify with my father because we share an incredible amount of attributes. From the way I carry myself, to the way I approach problems I am a near mirror of him. I am also finding out that he was right. It doesn’t matter what the subject or what he told me; he is almost always right. Every small thing he has advised me to do and I’ve not done, I’ve later realized that I should have listened. For example, he has told me several times to periodically check if my spare tire is aired up. Of course, I didn’t listen and freshman year of college I got a flat tire and my spare tire was also flat. Like me, my father loves to think and plan ahead. He is a man who thinks before he speaks, so when I turn to him for advice he carefully weighs all of the options and breaks them down. He is also very understanding and I am more than comfortable to approach him for help with any problem I am facing. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | The character trait I hold to the highest value is honesty. In order to truly know someone, you must be honest with each other. In order to be honest with each other, you must first be honest with yourself. Being honest with yourself also enables you to identify character flaws and weaknesses that you can work to improve. Along with honesty, I also greatly admire a person who is understanding, rational, and someone who is responsible enough to admit when they are at fault. Many interpersonal problems can be avoided if both parties are understanding. Those that aren’t avoided can be more easily fixed if they are approached rationally. The value of rationality and understanding are not only crucial for relationships, but are equally important for the real world. The ability to break down a problem into to its most fundamental components and tackling those individually is as important in math as it is for managing a company. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | When I was younger, my father used to take me and my brother on camping trips about every month or two. On the drive to one of the camp sites which was four hours away I began to get car sick. My dad thought it would be a good idea to stop at McDonald's and get me something to drink to help settle my stomach. Well, I decided to order my favorite drink, milk. I was young and ignorant to the fact that milk is one of the worst things you can drink with an upset stomach and for some reason my dad didn't second guess my decision. I drank the whole carton and we continued our drive. As we pull into the park I am feeling absolutely horrible and let my dad know that I couldn't wait any longer. As soon as my father parked at the camp site, I reached to open the door and it came up. Not a single drop landed outside of the car. The sound of my father’s voice and the look on his face was absolutely hilarious when he realized he was a quarter of a second too late. My brother and I erupted in simultaneous laughter and the terrible feeling of being car sick subsided after the milk was expelled from my stomach. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | If time and money were not an issue, I would travel to Australia. I find Australia so attractive because it is home to the Great Barrier Reef, the zoo that Steve Irwin worked at, and many beautiful state parks. The environment also changes greatly from one part of Australia to another. If you were to drive several hours, geographically, it would look like you were in a completely different country. I would also love to visit Sydney because it is a very beautiful and lively city with many attractions and great seafood. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | When I have children, I will be sure to pass on a strong work ethic, strong moral compass, good listening skills, critical thinking skills, responsibility, honesty, and a good sense of humor. I want my children to be able to hear all of what someone tells them and decide on whether or not all that they have been told is factual. I want them to understand that they are to be held accountable for their actions. Whether it is good or bad, they should take credit for their work. As for the work ethic, I want them to know that intellect alone will not get you far if you don’t have the self-control to channel it. I want them to learn that honesty and hard work are more rewarding than pure knowledge and deceit. Lastly, I want my children to know how to have fun and when to not take things too seriously. |
