Youngest Child Colorado Girl Out to Save the World

I am the youngest of 5 children and have 2 incredible parents. This, more than anything, defines who I am. I am the combination pizza of my family, the fruit salad, or the pieced together collage. As a child, everything that my siblings did, I did. I went to all of their sports games, dance classes, piano lessons, school performances, and church activities until those activities became my own. I am who I am because of my family's influence on my life. The activities I was involved in growing up were mostly determined by if my siblings had done them. My beliefs and opinions throughout my life have been formed mostly by listening to my siblings and parents talk and debate. My lessons were learned by watching my siblings grow and learn and react to situations. For me, it has always been family first. I grew up with an incredible support system from my parents and siblings, and my relationships with them are what I value most in life. Every time we are together, my family does this handshake and says "to eternity and beyond". This handshake represents my family, and thus represents me.


Music has shaped my life. I began playing the piano when I was 6, dancing when I was 3, playing the violin when I was 8, singing in choirs when I was 11, and acting in musicals when I was 10. All of these lessons and activities taught me discipline and hard work. It taught me that patience and diligence are required to get the end result you desire. Because of my life of music, I now think in music, experience life and emotions through music, and grow through music. This piano represents the songs that are constantly going through my head, the music lessons that taught me life skills, and my great passion for music and dance that I could not live without. (This piano and many other painted beauties just like it are found on 16th Street Mall in Downtown Denver, one of my favorite places).


This is a painting that a fantastic Ugandan man named Angelo painted when I was living in Uganda during the summer of 2009. My experience in Uganda was a turning point in my life--I changed my major and career goals entirely, my life plan, and my outlook on life, possessions, and happiness. This painting represents my love for adventure, travel, and all people and cultures (especially Africa/Uganda right now). I am fascinated by the world and its diverse population. I believe that there is so much to learn from the world. My fondest memories are from family trips and weekend adventures, seeing and experiencing the world and different cultures. This represents my favorite thing to do, travel, and the lifestyle I want for my future, a life living abroad.