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Moved to Brewster
I was born at Greenwich Hospital and lived in Nanuet prior to moving. Moving to Brewster really started my journey in life because I became friends with a lot of my neighbors. I have no recollection of the apartment in Nanuet, so to me, this is my first home. I made so many memories in this house. My father re-did most of the rooms in my house which really made it ours. It wasn’t in the best condition, but with a lot of love and repair, inside and out, we have made something to be proud of. -
My Grandfather died
I was almost four when my grandfather died. He was an air traffic controller in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. I have many of the collectibles he had that remind me of him every day. It makes me think of how I would have liked to know him. Since he died, my mom has said that he has been watching over me. I had some close calls, especially with my fainting incidents, but I always fell a certain way so I would be ok. I like to think it’s my grandfather looking down and protecting me. -
Rescuing My Cat
I was five years old when we rescued my cat. My neighbor was talking to my dad and he said he found a kitten behind his shed. My neighbor couldn't keep the cat since he had dogs. He asked if my family and I wanted to keep the cat. Of course, we said yes. We think he got lost from his mom. I named him Mickey, but we call him Minouche, which is french for Mickey. I can't imagine my life without him and always going to the vet because he got in a fight again with another cat. -
Birth of My Sister
I was eight years old when my sister was born. I always wanted a little sibling to play with. To this day, I remember when my parents told me. I thought they were joking, but they were not. when she was born, it became a lot more real for me. I used to babysit her a lot since my parents had busy schedules. I knew how to change a diaper at the age of nine, which was interesting. We had our ups and downs, but quarantine would a lot more boring if I didn't have her. -
Got Braces and Glasses The Same Month
In fourth grade, I had some trouble seeing the board and some teeth problems. At first, I was excited. Looking back at the pictures, they are a little cringy. A lot of people were getting braces and glasses, so I never felt lonely. After a while, I was not so thrilled with the braces, and they started to really hurt. I am glad I had them though because my teeth in this picture weren't so hot. When I got to high school I finally got contacts which are definitely better than glasses. -
Fainted At My Bus Stop
Since I was about 2, I have had a fainting problem. Whenever I was in pain, it would be almost too much for me to handle. I had various tests done and there is nothing wrong. I was walking to the bus stop and I slipped on the sidewalk and scraped my knuckles on an icy snowbank. All of a sudden, it went black. I fell behind into a snowbank. When I woke up, a bus stopped in front of me and the bus driver asked if I was ok. I was completely delirious. This sparked a lot of rumors at my school. -
Visited Grandparents in France By Myself
I was around 13 years old at the time. My uncle and aunt were on the plane with me there and back, but I was with my grandparents after for a week and a half. I don't speak much french so there was a communication barrier. I was homesick the first day and I wasn't allowed to bring my phone so that was hard. This was a great experience because it showed I could be independent and bond with my grandparents without knowing their language and without my father (who was born and raised in France). -
Didn't Get on JV Volleyball Team
Freshman year, I was on the JV Volleyball team. I tried out sophomore year. I went to all the workouts and tryouts. When I didn't make the team, I was crushed. I loved volleyball and the people I met doing it. My best friend made the team when I didn't and of course, I was happy for her. It was hard seeing everyone in their jersey. This showed me that even when you work hard for something and do everything right, you might not always get what you want, but everything happens for a reason. -
Got a Job at Thunder Ridge
Someone on my varsity ski team who worked at Thunder Ridge on the DEVO team (jr.race team), said they were short on people for the season. I interviewed with the head coach and I got the job. Since this is a six-week program, I joined ski school after. I am so grateful for finding a place at Thunder Ridge. I have met so many amazing people at made so many memories. I never complained about going to work because I truly loved it. The bosses are amazing and I have gotten really close with them. -
Not Making High Honor Roll
Sophomore year was hard for me. I was taking my first AP, AP World, and taking honors chemistry. These courses were pretty hard and were different than anything I ever took. I was also more focused on my social life and outside activities. Not making honor roll for two quarters made me want to work harder. Junior year, I have raised my GPA, even with taking two APs and more challenging classes. I am proud of myself because I was able to step back and fix the problem. -
Doing Poorly Junior Year Ski Season
I have been on the varsity ski team for four years. Freshman year, I took a break from the ski team. When I came back sophomore year, I was actually not doing too badly. I was fortunate to make it to sectionals as well. At sports awards, I was even awarded the most improved player. Coming back junior, I had high expectations for myself. Let's just say I didn't do so hot. It was so hard seeing my times increasing. This showed me that I need to work harder even if I thought I was good enough. -
Getting My Drivers License
I had my permit for a year before getting my license. My parents and I wanted to wait since I wanted to do drivers ed. I was so excited to take the test because a lot of my friends had it and I didn't need my parents to see my friends. Even though the test took seven minutes, I felt a sense of accomplishment. This is something every teenager can't wait for. Waiting a year was definitely worth it. I love being able to blast my music and not always have my hands on "ten and two".
