Hi, my name is Marina Rush. I am a transfer student at ODU from Tidewater Community College. I come from a military family and have lived in 5 cities but I call Virginia Beach home. The other four are San Diego, Jacksonville, Charlottesville, and Colorado Springs. I live with my parents and a younger sister. I also have a dog and a cat who keep me on my toes every day, especially the cat! Their names are Suki and Ash. I have always struggled through school because of an auditory processing disorder. Lucky for me I can still hear, but sometimes language gets scrambled going into my head and coming out. However, it is getting better with time and practice. Some of my hobbies are reading, watching TV, hiking when I can and have time (I should do the hiking part more often than I am), and volunteering. I am thankful for all of my opportunities in life, and the people that I have met along the way.

I am at ODU to study psychology. I know that I want to help people who are struggling with their mental health. I specifically want to be there for someone that needs help with communication or building a relationship. I want to be that for someone because I did not really have it until later in my life once language started to get easier for me. I don’t want someone to feel like they do not matter because of their weakness or disability. That is far from the truth. I hope in trying to help them with their goals they can in turn be kind to others and pay it forward.