About Me
My Hometown(s)
I have been all over the country since moving as a military family, but if I had to pick one, my hometown would be Ridgecrest, California. My family and I temporarily moved to Texas, then Washington, both states of which I watched my younger brother and sister respectively be born. All the way from Washington, we drove to our last station: Chesapeake, Virginia. Although my childhood was not spent within this first colony of Virginia, it is where I have lived the longest so far. I would not have had my journey of moving with my family any other way.
A map of the states I have been to. A star indicates that I have lived there. The dotted lines show the moving process.
Why I Chose ODU
I chose Old Dominion University for its commendable rehabilitation therapy programs. Aside from the constant push from my parents directing me to a healthcare profession, this university is perfect for me in many other ways. Commuting is not much of a problem since Chesapeake, excluding the inescapable traffic each morning, is no more than a 25-minute drive from ODU. Most of my previous teachers and older family friends have said nothing but the best about the university, and it shows when they talk about their careers and how happy they are to have it. The main reason for choosing ODU, however, is to follow in the footsteps of my older brother and become a role model for my younger siblings, as he did for me. I would not be a student without his guidance and patience.
My Interests and Hobbies
Drawing, playing video games, and sleeping are the three activities I always find myself doing whenever I have spare time. I have always had an interest in art of all forms, notably visual arts—it came to a point where I taught myself how to animate with the few materials I had as a child. Although finding the time to return to my artistic hobbies has been difficult lately, I love it all the same, even branching out over time to appreciate performance art. Video games, on the other hand, are easier to access, enjoy, and make time for. I have been interested in video games for as long as I can remember, from platformer games on consoles I had growing up to rhythm games on any device I can find, it is impossible not to bring up my love for video games of any genre. Of course, if all else fails and there is no time for my interests, getting sleep is the most beneficial “hobby” for me.
My all-time favorite rhythm games as of now (From left to right): Voez | Cytus II | Rotaeno
My Academic Life (With a Few Fun Facts)
I have been homeschooled for the majority of my life, never properly completing middle school or high school publicly, unlike most other people I know. Once my academic years of solitude were starting sophomore year, I had been expected to be as involved with my high school as my older brother, the straight-A AFJROTC program’s colonel at the time. Working hard to get good grades was never a problem, but socializing was (and still is!). I was lucky enough to find my high school drama department and fell in love with being a stagehand—I had no idea how active and highly regulated theatrical productions were backstage. My passion for performance arts and the various technicalities that came with it only grew as the years passed, fortunately, and unexpectedly paying off for the role of ‘Tech Manager’ being passed on to me. I would not have changed a thing about my experiences in my high school drama department.
Nellie | Taken after winning 2nd place in the VSHL One-Act competition | February 2023
Into The Woods | Taken mid-set-up in preparation for out summer production | May 2023
Queens | Taken after VHSL One-Act Competition, my last public performance | February 2024
Inductions | Taken after passing on my role as tech manager and inducting underclassmen as official members of our drama department’s International Thespian Society Troupe | June 2024