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New School
I grew up going to Catholic school from kindergarten to 2nd grade. The low number of classmates helped me get the attention I needed to understand some subjects better. After 1st grade, my best friend Dan moved from private to public school. This affected me a lot and made my parents consider making the switch. One night in second grade my parents told me I could start 3rd grade in a new school. I was so excited to meet new people have a fresh start. -
Ended Karate
On May 8th of 2011, I tested for my brown belt in karate. Brown was the step right below black. I had never failed a belt test in my karate career. I realized once I hit Brown Belt, I had to stop. It was a huge commitment and at least another year of training until black belt. I had already learned very powerful lessons from karate and it helped my mental and physical strength exponentially. I didn't think that it was worth the money or time, so I hung up my nunchucks for good. -
First Xbox
Ever since I was young I've always loved video games. My parents never wanted to buy me an Xbox because if was too much money and the games were too explicit. When I was 10, my dad finally said that I was old enough to get one, but would have to purchase it with my money. I saved up for a few months and did a ton of chores. I finally went to gamestop and bought an Xbox 360. Xbox has been a big part of my life and has taught me a ton of life lessons such as diligence and teamwork. -
Injury Under The Bus
Everyday in middle school my bus parked on the left side behind a patch of grass. One day I was running late, the busses were honking their horns as I was walking out of the school. So, I ran as fast as I could. As I approached the bus and a little slanted section of grass, I slowed down. My feet swept out from under me and I slid under the bus. I thought I was fine so I jumped up. I felt a slight pinch on my shin so I lifted up my pant leg and here I witnessed a deep 8-10 inch cut on my leg. -
New Dog
The dog that I grew up with as a kid was a beautiful Wheaten Terrier. At the age of 12 her vision and senses started to go and we had to put her down. About one year later, we went to North Shore Animal League in Long Island after a family lunch. We weren't expecting to come home with a dog especially because Cockapoos (our dog of preference) sell out instantly there. It turns out they had one that just came in and got cleared. Her name was Charli, and she found a new home that night. -
First Camera
I have always been into photography since I was a kid, although buying a camera was just out of my parents and my price zone. The summer of 2015 I worked my butt off doing yard work at my moms job to save up a few hundred dollars for this Nikon D3200. I found it online for a good deal and it was easily one of the best purchases I've ever made. I slowly learned how to use it and now i'm currently looking into going to college and pursuing my interest and love for photography. -
Sister Moves Out
My sister and I are very close. I would look up to her for everything and copy her style and music. When I saw her snowboarding I wanted to try it. She has a huge impact on my life. Very soon after she graduated from URI, she went on and moved to Burlington Vermont to pursue her dreams. She lived there for about two years and now recently moved to Lake Tahoe California. Without her around the house the vibe is way different. Having the person you look up to leave changes a lot. -
Woodward
Woodward is a sleepaway camp for kids that want to pursue action sports and have the best time of their life. I went for the first time with my friend Owen for two weeks. The first week for Mountain Biking and the second for photography. I came back the next year for photography and skating. My first year I won camper of the week and met amazing professional athletes as well as new friends. Woodward has given me opportunities like no other and memories that i'll never forget. -
Failed Friendships
Throughout my high school career, my friend group has become smaller and smaller. Freshman year, all of my friends would get together and have a bunch of fun. We would always stick by each other's side through drama and madness. But as time went on, I faded away from people and found my niche. Most of the people I talked to in 2017, are now the ones that dont say hi to me in the halls. This is an accomplishment but also a mistake. Would things have been different if I stuck with the same people? -
First Concert
On January 17, 2019 I went to my first concert at the Barclays Center. I saw my favorite rap group perform with a bunch of other special guests to commemorate another rapper that passed away in 2015. I took the train with my friend ryan and his older cousin. The concert lasted about 3-4 hours but since the train was at 12:10, we had to cut it short and leave a few performers early. This was one of my most memorable experiences and I can't wait to go to more concerts in the future. -
License
The day that I got my license was a huge achievement for me. It was a chance to gain freedom and trust from my parents. It was a chance to finally prove my maturity and move on from getting driven everywhere. To prepare, I took drivers ed and hired my instructor for two private lessons before my test. As I arrived at the test site, I got super nervous. My palms were sweating and I peed twice in about 25 minutes. My nerves transferred to happiness 10 minutes later when I was told that i passed. -
Broken SD Card
I used this one sd card for all my pictures throughout the past three years. It had over 3,500 pictures on it, and none were backed up... One night I was editing photos and I shut my computer to put it on the ground. Little did I know I put it down with the card facing the ground and I heard a small crack. When I lifted up the computer and looked at the sd card, it was bent in two different directions. Now all my favorite pictures are gone and all I have is a broken piece of plastic...
