Ten Things You May Not Know About Me

 

1. I began running on the high school track and field team in seventh grade. I saw a flyer for a Guilderland youth track and field program and decided to join. I had only ever run in the gym, so I was new to the sport. I was in the group of distance runners and hurdlers. I quickly started to love hurdles. It took some practice to get the hang of actually hurdling over the hurdles, but I soon got the hang of it. Two years later, I learned that GHS had an indoor track team. I couldn't be on the team unless the coach put me on a list to move up; I later found out I was on the list. First, I had to go through the athletic placement process. I got on the High School Indoor and Outdoor track and field teams after passing the process. I am still on the team and compete in the hurdle and sprinting events. 
   
   

   

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2. During the summer, I learned how to play tennis. My father was always trying to get my sister and me to play tennis because he thought we would be good at it. Tennis was never a sport I considered to be a good fit for me. In seventh and eighth grade, I chose to pursue volleyball as a sport. I decided to try out for the JV volleyball team in ninth grade. I began to feel out of place on the courts during tryouts. I was eventually let go. I did not mind getting cut because I was losing interest in the sport. As a sophomore, I wanted to try out for the tennis team. Since I had never touched a racquet before, I enrolled in a beginner tennis camp where I learned the fundamentals of tennis. As of right now, I am a member of the JV Girls Tennis team at my high school. Next year, I am hoping to make it to the Varsity team.                                                                                                                                                 
3. I moved to Guilderland when I was five years old. I grew up in Schenectady, New York. I attended an elementary school and completed kindergarten there. I remember not having enough educational resources to learn efficiently. I felt like I was falling behind my classmates when I moved to Guilderland. I was behind in language arts, particularly reading and reading comprehension; this caused me to dislike language arts. With the help I received at Altamont Elementary School (AES), I believe I am not behind my classmates, and I now enjoy English class.                                                                                                     
4. Every year, my family and I take a trip to New York City during the winter break and summer vacation. My parents were born and raised in New York City, where they spent most of their childhood. To my parents, seeing where they grew up is crucial. Many of my relatives live in NYC, so it is nice to visit them occasionally. We have not been able to get down there because of the pandemic. We want to go when things calm down.                                                                                           
5. I started volunteering with eBookBuddy. EbookBuddy is a non-profit organization that offers online meetings with a dedicated reading buddy to foster literacy in relationships. I used to work as a volunteer at the Guilderland Public Library. Because the library is not currently accepting volunteers, I found a virtual opportunity to help children with literacy skills. I worked with a student named Jacob over the summer. We had two weekly sessions in which we read a book. Volunteering with this organization gives me the chance to build a child's literacy skills just like I did when I first moved to Guilderland.                                                                                                                                                                
6. My favorite type of writing is creative writing. Last year in English class, we did a narrative piece. I turned mines into a creative fiction piece. It was hard coming up with good ideas for this assignment; I thought back to a specific event in my life and started to write. I ended up with a piece of writing that I loved. I ended up receiving a 100 on the narrative. When writing, I had used my imagination. Creative writing uses your imagination, making it my favorite type of writing.                                                                                                                 
7. I listen to music all the time, when running, exercising, doing my homework, or studying. I have many interests, but my favorite is listening to music. I constantly listen to music to distract myself from stressful situations. I could create playlists all day. I have songs that go with certain types of playlists. I believe that adding a bunch of random music to a playlist does not make it one. When you do this, you end up with a playlist that you are unable to listen through.

   

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8. On Christmas, my family and I play long games of Trouble. We have a family tradition where we purchase a new board game of Trouble and play rounds for the entire day. Because Trouble is a four-player game, whoever wins a game gets to choose who sits out and who comes in. Even though my mother is always the winner, I still enjoy Trouble.                                                                                                                     
9. Airhead Xtremes are my favorite candy. What's not to like about these sweet and sour treats? I used to think that they were bitter. The cavities are worth it for the long strings of fruit roll with sugar. Each package contains only six strips. Six pieces of candy are okay because the strips are long. I don't usually share Airhead Xtremes with anyone, but now that there are Airhead Xtreme bites, I do. In my opinion, Airhead Xtremes are still superior.                                                                                                                         
10. I had two pet goldfish, but they both died. My parents would only allow goldfish as pets. Because goldfish have a short lifespan, I should have expected theirs to be as well. Angel and Snow Angel are the names I gave to the goldfishes. I am not sure how my siblings let me do so. I keep asking my parents to replace both Angel and Snow Angel. They will not budge; one day, my mom and dad will.