1. Growing up in a traditional, typical German-American family, I never thought of myself as diverse. Experiencing the same traditions and foods over and over I didn’t know anything other than what I lived. Listening to experiences my friends had in their family, I was always envious. One day I realized I wasn’t as ordinary as I thought. No one is like me at all. I am unique. Every little decision we make in a day makes us who we are and makes us all different. Starting my future after high school is the beginning to what I have been waiting for with open arms. The only way I will be able to succeed with confidence is showing the world how I am truly proud of everything I am. To begin my journey, I have many things I would love to share with SUNY Oneonta. <br />Want to learn how to play the piano? Meet me in Parker Theatre! I’ve been tickling the ivories for eight years now and would love to teach you how to play your favorite song.<br />Interested in learning some Bible stories? I’ve been teaching my church Sunday School class for the past four years.<br />Curious of how to perfect a C scale on the violin? I’ve been leading the violin 2 section in our school orchestra since fourth grade.<br />Meet me at the church and I can show you how to use your feet to make music on the pipe organ pedals! Enthusiastic to be one of the last Pipe Organ players in the area, I have been taking private Pipe Organ lessons and have learned how to play a three-thousand Pipe Organ since fifth grade.<br />My religion is very important to me. Whether I am playing the organ or piano during our church services or singing my heart out in the church choir, I always find a way to serve the one who I love most.<br />The school choir is not just a credit class to me. Expressing someone else’s work in my own way and constantly finding ways to improve has motivated me to sing in the school choirs since fourth grade. No matter what song we sing, I’ll be caught singing it for hours after the bell rings.<br />One of my biggest passions is traveling. I am waiting for the day when I can travel the world and experience more than what my small hometown has to offer. Being able to study different cultures is an important learning experience, but learning firsthand is most beneficial. I have traveled to five countries, and would love to share my adventures with you, such as forming a human chain in Ocho Rios, Jamaica to climb the Dunn’s River Falls, or zip-lining over the Haitian coastline, gliding down the longest course in the world.<br />The experiences listed above, have helped create the diverse person I am today. I am grateful for the many opportunities I have had in my seventeen years of life and hope that the future will bring even more exciting learning experiences at SUNY Oneonta. I have confidence that this will expand my understanding and foundation for my long anticipated career of helping children find their own uniqueness. <br />