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Slipping on the smallest sized jazz shoes and racing to be in the front line. I was so eager to start my dance career. From that day on, I took more advanced and different style dances, which only grew my love for the sport. I started trying out for bigger numbers, taking classes from broadway cast members, spending hours at the studio creating my own pieces. I kept up with my love for this art throughout quarantine, where some people lost their passion. I have been devoted since my first class -
When I was 5, my sister was on the softball team. I would get dragged to every game, even though I would complain the entire time about being bored or barely being able to see. My dad, being the person he is, would find different ways to make me happy while my sister was playing. He would prop me up on his shoulders or let me run to the snack shed to get ice cream. This stuck with me because of how impactful these small gestures were. It made me want to do these small acts of service for people -
I was little when my vision got fuzzy. I remember telling my 1st grade teacher that I could barely see the board. She sent me to the nurse to do a vision test. My mom picked me up later that day and told me we were going to get some glasses. I started to cry. I thought people would make fun of me. The eye doctor sent me to look at all the pretty frames. I put on my pink glasses and stepped outside, and could see each cloud and leaf. I instantly felt happy. I would finally see the world clearly. -
Walking into a huge stadium with a poster in one hand and my camera in the other, grinning the cheesiest smile anyone has ever seen. Being in that phase that every teenage girl ever has; the boyband phase. However, I am silently still in that era, but that's a different story. stepping foot into my first concert paved the way of my love for music. It made me realize I love the rush of singing along with thousands of other people who all relate to each lyric. I discovered my love for music. -
"After the second World War, all my friends and I were playing in all the rubage left from the war that just passed through my home town. I didnt think of what I was playing with, because I was only 4, but some old bomb went off, and all the metal went flying and cut straight across my neck. And I have a scar from it. " All words spoken by my grandpa, who lived in Croatia during WWII. He sat me down and told me the most detailed story. This helped me establish my family history and embrace it. -
I had the opportunity to take a class with SYTYCD top 8 contestant Comfort Fedoke. Before the intensive started, we were told there were 3 scholarships being awarded to 3 different people at the end of the class by Comfort herself. When they announced my name, I started screaming on the inside, but then I looked to the side to see my friend at the time giving me a death glare. This is when jealousy was introduced to me. Instead of celebrating my win, I comforted my friend who didn't win. -
In seventh grade, I had the worlds worst dance teacher. He started sharing ideas with us about how he would love to create a dance project; a video of the class dancing in different spots around town. Me being the growing kid I am, I suggested we go to Mcdonalds to film and get food after. My teacher simply replied with "Why? Because you're fat?" I nervous laughed, but then felt a little uncomfortable. I told the studio owner, and the next time I went to class, the horrible teacher wasnt there. -
Walking onto an unfamiliar campus, wonder filled my brain. Walking into a strangely small dorm, all I thought about was how 2 people live here. Walking through the ceiling to floor bookshelves, I then realized how much I craved college life. I didn't even know what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to go. But I craved that college experience at age 13. This proved to myself how ready I can be when life gets thrown at me. Maybe even more ready than some of these college students are. -
Freshman year pep rally. I have never been so nervous. Yes, I have danced in front of audiences and on the turf already, but all of the bleachers are full along with people around the turf. I knew I had a big stunt; running on top of my teams back. We started dancing, and it was going smoothly, until that stunt came. I freaked myself out and fell on top of my teammates in front of the ENTIRE school. I wanted to cry, but instead I laughed. I swallowed my emotions and turned it into a funny story. -
In the darkest times, after losing friends, after getting my freshman year taken away from me by a disease, my mom dragged me into the craft store to find something to keep myself busy. I saw some wire and beads and thought "maybe that'd be a sick ring" so I did just that. I made the wire and the beads into tons of different rings. I took a bad situation and found a passion. And I kept up with my jewelry making and started creating stuff for others. I turned a horrible situation into a passion -
Throwing a party with about 15 people doesn't sound like it would be stressful, but one person can ruin a night. I was talking to a friend when all of a sudden I feel water poured on my head. One of the kids who I thought was a friend dumped water on my newly dyed hair and outfit. I forgave them after that, but they kept screwing me over and being a bad friend. This is one of the biggest mistakes. By taking this person back, they think they did nothing wrong. I regret forgiving this person. -
Working with the PAES Lab has taught me many things. The biggest being is that they can't defend themselves. I noticed this class is limited to 2 classrooms in one corner of the building, and it made me think. During a K-12 writing committee meeting, I asked a question,"Why cant they have more available classes to be able to walk to the other sides of the building?" I want them to have a similar high school experience like the rest of us. If they cant fight for themselves, I will fight for them. -
One of my friends was having a hard time, and my love language is gift giving, so I decided to make my famous peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. However, something didn't go right. To this day, I don't know what I did. I followed my step by step procedure but the cookies were not rising. The cookies were in the oven for so long and they wouldn't cook, so I gave up. I felt like such a failure because these are my signature cookies and I should be able to make it for my friend, but I couldn't. -
Struggling with body dysphoria, trying on prom dresses was something I dreaded. I tried on a satin dress first, and regretted it. I felt defeated about my stomach. Deep down I knew I had a healthy body, but I let myself overthink. I didn't wanna go dress shopping ever again. Until I told myself to try again. Try to find another dress that makes me feel pretty. The first dress I picked up, I felt so pretty in. I told myself not to overthink anything, and I ended up with the perfect dress. -
While at the movies one weekend with my friends, I had an awakening. I got a small popcorn and small slushy, but was actually starving and wanted a large of both. I admitted this thought to my friends, all of them told me they didn't care how many calories they ate because it'll only bother them, so just live. The calories you ate that one day at the movies wont matter in 10 years. I have listened to their advice ever since, and I feel so much healthier and happier. I don't judge myself anymore.