TL;DR...
I come from a very close family of 6: two parents and 3 siblings. I grew up in Utah, but I'm lucky to have lived in England and various locations within Southeast Asia! I also love travelling - mainly to learn about the people, language, and culture in each place I visit. I love almost all sports, but I currently spend most of my time golfing (plus some yoga here and there). I'm also a big fan of games, whether it be board or video or other, but unfortunately I have less time for those as I would prefer! As well, I geek out on various science and physics related topics, and my most recent fascination has been the Kuiper Belt (the portion of the solar system where former planet Pluto resides). If you're interested in learning more, I've included more in depth information below!
My Childhood
I grew up in Logan, Utah - a small town/city (I'm honestly not sure what you would consider it) in the Northern part of Utah. I quickly became heavily involved in sports as a child, and much of my childhood and youth was spent rotating between different sports. I've always loved variety and trying new things, but the unfortunate side effect is that I never stuck with the same sport for more than 3-4 years. I started out playing golf and football - and I even won a number of junior golf tournaments in Utah by the age of 10. I probably would've turned into a good golfer (don't mind my bragging), but I then swapped to baseball, basketball, and soccer for the next 3 years. I enjoyed baseball the most, and after a few years I began playing baseball year round. Sadly, my 13 year old brain didn't realize my desire for variety plus the potential burnout that might follow from year round baseball, so after I year I quit baseball as well. Up next, I picked up football again and decided to try out lacrosse as well. Until I was nearly 16, I was a lot skinnier and shorter than most of the people my age, so I felt that this disadvantaged me in physical sports such as football and lacrosse. I played both of them through my freshman year of high school, but then decided I wanted to move on to something else.
Upon informing my parents I didn't plan to be involved in any sports heading in to my sophomore year of high school, my mom was very insistent that I needed to find other ways to stay involved in extracurricular activities. I decided I would try my hand at music/art, and I also pursued a position as an elected student body officer. The elections took place in the Spring, and I was lucky enough to get elected as 1 of 8 student body officers for our school. As well, I auditioned to join the school's chamber choir and made the tryouts as one of the tenors. Between my involvement in the chamber choir and student government, I had fulfilled my mother's wish if staying involved in school activities. Looking back at those moments now, I'm grateful my mom and dad pushed me to be involved! I developed a great passion for learning and playing music thanks to my involvement in choir, and music is still a priority within my life now. I don't sing very much, but I play the guitar often and the piano occasionally. As well, my time in student government also helped me develop greater confidence in myself in a variety of social settings, and led me to experience the joy that comes from serving others.
University Years (18 years to present)
After graduating from high school, I decided to defer my acceptance into Utah State University and instead work as a full-time volunteer for a local church. I was assigned to volunteer in the United Kingdom, and I lived in a city in the Northern part of England called Leeds. I truly loved living in the UK, and I made so many great friends and memories whilst working there. Here are some of the highlights:
Learning bits and pieces of Mandarin, Slovak/Roma, Kurdish, Persian, and Arabic after becoming friends with people from all around the world.
Passing my driving test on the first try to receive my UK driver's license. Also, it doesn't expire for the next 40-50 years, so if I happen to move back to the UK at any point I won't have to worry about re-taking the test!
I was lucky to have a leader who really inspired me with a vision of what I should be accomplishing as a volunteer. Once I had fully bought in and believed in the vision, going out and working every day wasn't a chore, but instead a joy to feel that I was part of a bigger picture and more meaningful plan.
After living in the UK for nearly two years, I returned to the US and quickly got back into the "regular" swing of things. The fall semester at USU started a few weeks later, so I mainly spent my time reconnecting with family and old friends before college began. Now, with only two semesters left at USU, I appreciate the opportunities and experiences that a college education has provided me. I've had excellent mentors that have helped me discover what I want to do in life, I've taken classes that have inspired a new passion (I took a class titled "The Universe" and now I listen to astrophysics YouTube videos and podcasts all the time), and I've had amazing experiences completing internships and studying abroad. However, at times I wish I could go back to 18 year old me, or even 14 year old me, and help me realize sooner what my passions are. There have been a few times at USU that I've suddenly changed course or plans - and I know I'm not an outlier by doing that - but it made realize how precious time is. Every now and then, I wish I could've figured out my true ambitions sooner so that I could have maximized the amount of time I spend pursuing my true purpose. That being said, there's no point in living in the world of "could have been" and "what if", so I focus on what I can do now to make my life, and the lives of those around me, the most fulfilling experience it can be.