My friends, my sister, and I trick or treating (pictured above)

I have lived a complicated life, but God was with me through the good times and the bad times, and that is what made me a survivor. I have accomplished a lot of things in a short amount of time. I have lived through several years of poverty and abuse, but I overcame them.

I love my guardians dearly as well as my mother, my sister, my friends, my boyfriend, and my relatives. These people were able to emphasize with my life and make life not seem unpredictable, harsh reality but rather fun and enjoyable. I look at things through the eyes of an optimist, knowing that a smile would never go wrong.

I was an officer of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community colleges. My job had been to recruit new members. During office, I was able to successfully recruit over 200 people, which doubled the prior year's recruitment.

I have had several jobs. I worked as a filing secretary for a lawyer, molds/ impressions technician for my orthodontist, a clown with my adopted mother, and worked as a cashier at Checkers. I am currently a clerical/ fitting room employee at Target. I have met Governor Bush and many other local and state politicians. I also love doing community services.

My favorite sport is volleyball, and in my spare time I love to read, write, and make jewelry. One of my essays, "Adopting Teenagers vs. Babies," has been read into the state records of Minnesota and Florida. I have spent some time with the teenagers at Children's home, and I have also been in the Department of Children and Family system for some time, which inspired me to write my essay. Having been selected to present one of my essays on "Fast Food and Obesity," at the Phi Theta Kappa regional in November 2003, I found it quite a honor, and I have also conquered one of my greatest fears: speaking in front of hundreds of people.

I like watching shows with murder-mysteries, humor, and romance. My favorite movies are The Bone Collector, Titanic, How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days, Gone with the Wind, and Pearl Harbor. My favorite television show is American Dream. My favorite styles of music are country, pop, oldies, and Christian. I love listening to Toby Keith, Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne, N'Sync, Elvis, Beach Boys, Plus Four, and Relient K.