My dad – what can I say? When you ask me how I came to be interested in plants out of all things, I would have to say because of him. From when I was small, he would take the family on trips to national parks because he loved nature so much. That love for nature passed down to me, made me appreciate nature and become interested in pursuing some sort of environment or biology related field.

From both my parents, I have learned some major concepts about life. First and foremost, take care of yourself and your body. Yes, I believe most people have heard this all their lives and get sick of it, but it’s a really important idea for me, especially since I am not the healthiest of all people (it’s a long story I won’t go into). But I guess this is how I think of my body – it is the medium through which I experience life. If I jeopardize it in anyway (and yes, I’m being slightly extreme here), I will not be able to do things that I still want to do.

Other than my parents, some other people have inspired me. Mrs. Tedford, my high school dance teacher, introduced me to dance and through dance, completely changed my perspectives on life and how I view myself. In fact, I am thinking about minoring in Dance and Performance Studies because of my love for dance and how it has impacted my life. Historical figures: Eleanor Roosevelt and Anne Sullivan – these two women had so much perseverance and dedication to their work. My sister – she is the complete opposite of me, yet she has many qualities that I admire and always hope to develop; she is very vivacious and charismatic.

All in all, there is not just one person or several that have influenced my life. Each person has changed my life in some way, inspiring me to be more outgoing, to be more understanding. etc. In the end, I aspire to be the person I imagine that I can be – a combination of all the qualities I believe to be important to me.