-
Explosion at the World Trade Center in NYC
Muslim extremeists first attempt at destroying the towers, 5 people were killed and thousands were trapped or injured. Because this happened around the time of my birth, it did not directly influence me, but it surely sets the stage for the world I would be growing up in. -
Born
-
Cared for by my grandparents after school
Much of my family lived within about 20 munites of me for the majority of my life. I never had a hired nanny or babysitter and my grandparents cared for me after school and on weekends when my parents were busy. Their unique outlook on things greatly shaped my perspectives. -
Began Kindergarten at Hermosa Vista
I lived in the same house for my entire childhood in a nice, upper-middle class neighborhood of Mesa, Arizona. The community was safe and I could go outside to play without supervision. -
Launching of the International Space Station
As a child I always wanted to travel to outerspace. Surely the advances in technology in this feild and the media coverage surrounding it contributed to this. I also remember being very aware of when a space shuttle exploded. -
Apple debuts iPhone
I am a part of the technology generation. I dont remember a time when my parents didn't have cell phones or there wasn't internet in my house. The release of the original iPhone is just one example of the advances technology made as I was growing up. -
Began Hign School at Xavier
Because of family tradition, my parents expected me to go to Xavier College Preparatory, a private all girls school in Phoenix, which I was not excited about at the time but ended up giving me a very solid foundation for my education.I ended up graduating from Xavier very glad that I attended such a wonderful school and feeling very prepared for college. -
Global Economic Downturn
During my first year at private high school my mom and I were living in an apartment and my parents were separated. With rent and tuition and the downturn of the economy it was difficult to make ends meet. My mom was always insistent on me getting a good education, though, as I remember her saying "Even if she was riding the bus to work and she had to ask family members to help us, I would still go to Xavier." -
Grandpa's Surgery
My grandpa had complications from a surgery that left him very ill and in need of constant care for the final ten months of his life. My mother, grandmother and I were constandly caring for him and spent many hours in the hospital and providing home care. I think of this as a time during which I had to grow up a lot, learned to take care of myself (becasue my mom was not around to care for me as much) and others and learned to accept death, but also that death can be beautiful as well as sad. -
Worst Oil Spill in US History - Gulf of Mexico
This occurred while my grandfather was in the hospital: a time when I spent a lot of time sitting in a hospital room watching the news. I remember thinking how sad it was as I watched gallons and gallons of oil pour into the ocean. This is definitely one of the reasons I chose to volunteer in environmental conservation in Costa Rica during college. -
Dad went to Rehab / Got my Driver's Permit
During my Sophomore year of high school, I learned that my father was additcted to Meth when he overdosed and my mom and I had to check him into rehab, further straining my relationship with him and fueling my dislike of him.
On the same day, I got my driver's permit. -
Parents sold their business
Because my parents sold their business in the year before i began college, their income looked huge and I did not qualify for and financial aid, thus limiting my options for college. -
Shooting of US Representative Gabrielle Giffords during community event in Tucson, AZ
This is another news event that I saw much of the coverage on while I was taking care of my grandpa. As it was near the end of his life, to see coverage and memorials for those who lost their lives had a definite impact on me an I prepared to say goodbye to someone myself. -
Begain Dating Ryan
During our senior year of high school I begain dating Ryan, who had been in my same group of friends all throughout high school. We are still together and now live together and he is a very important influence in my life. -
Death of Osama bin Laden
There was hardly a time in my life that I didn't know the anme Osama bin Laden. I was 8 when the twin towers fell and I have spent most of my life in a post 9/11 world. Though becasue I was young when the war started, I never fully understood it. The death of Osama bin Laden felt to me like a tangible win within the war that still continues. -
Began College at ASU
Despite getting into University of Washington, Berkeley and UCLA, I could not attennd my top choices because of the cost.Though I definitely have been shaped by my time at ASU, it has shown me what I want to do with my life through a path of discoverry I couldn't have had anywhere else. -
Travel to Costa Rica
My first time out of the country, I spent five weeks volunteering and traveling in Costa Rica. I learned a lot about other cultures and leraned a lot about myself. I would love to return there or even live in Costa Rica one day. -
Olympic Games are held in London
Watching the Olympics is something I have always enjoyed doing. In 2012 I ended up missing the entire thing because I was in the middle of the Costa Rican rainforest. While I was disappointed I missed these olympics, I was being transformed and humbled by my experiences in another culture.
