| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | My best childhood memories were from playing little league baseball. My brother and I played on the same team for years. I pitched, and he was the catcher. Some of the absolute best times growing up were hot summer days, playing baseball in the morning, and then going to Dunkin' Donuts afterwards with my brother and my parents. I will never forget that, and I hope my two daughters have similar experiences that they will cherish for a lifetime. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | My oldest brother. We share a dry sense of humor that makes each other crack up with laughter when we are together. More importantly, however, his hard work and determination are what I admire most about him. For a variety of reasons, he has had a change in his career trajectory, and he has always worked tirelessly to make the best of it and support his family. He too has two daughters, and he is an amazing father. He taught me at a young age (and still reminds me to this day) to always stay driven and motivated to achieve what you want, and never settle, like he says he did. As far as my accomplishments in my career go, I attribute most of them to him. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | Some of the most important character traits to me include being genuine, a sense of determination, and having passion. Everybody is unique and important, and when people are genuine to who they are, their true self shows, which is extremely important. Determination is also important, because to me, this lays the groundwork for everything somebody will work towards and achieve. Whether personal, academic, or professional goals, I feel strongly that determination outweighs intelligence, genetics, and just about everything else. Being determined and doing everything you can to achieve what you want is a strong personality trait that I hope to instill upon my daughters. A strong passion for what you love is another extremely important trait. Whether it is an activity or a subject, a burning passion is the first prerequisite for becoming an expert in that area, and getting the most fulfillment out of it. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | The first thing that immediately comes to mind was a surprise graduation party my family threw for me after college. I went to my sister's house under the impression that we were having a surprise party for my brother's birthday, which was the same day. Much to my surprise, several of my friends from college (who have no other ties to my family) were present. I am embarrassed to say that even seeing them and thinking it was odd that they attended my brother's party, who they have never met, did not clue me in to what was happening. It took a good five minutes for me to realize that the party was for me. To this day, I have yet to hear the end of it. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I would travel to Fiji. The peacefulness, the weather, and the pure natural beauty of it make it my dream destination. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I have two amazing daughters. There are many things I want to pass along to them. Possibly the most important to me is to instill in them a sense of self-worth, high self-esteem, and confidence. In my opinion, many people today have issues that likely stem from a deficit in one of these areas, whether it be an unhealthy or abusive relationship, an unfulfilling career, or simply generalized unhappiness. I want my girls to be self-efficacious and independent. With these qualities to go along with a strong personal confidence, I think they will be as prepared as possible to achieve absolutely anything that they want. Overall, my biggest wish for my daughters is that in life, they are happy and they are safe. I think the above mentioned qualities are perhaps the most crucial to them achieving this. There are literally countless other life lessons that I hope I can pass on to them, but I'm afraid this would take at least thirty pages to discuss. |
