The two most influential people in my life are my mother and father. They have shown unconditional love for me from the second I was born, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I know I have given them both reasons to be upset and disappointed, but no matter what they continue to show their love for me; whether it be through conversation or small acts of kindness. They help me whenever I need help, but they also have allowed me to grow into the independent, woman that I am today. This is something I am forever grateful for. My mother, especially, showed me the love and attention that small children need in order to be capable of trusting others once they grow up. She also provided an environment for conducive to independent growth that has directly effected my learning style and abilities today. She planted the seed for me to become the ‘contextual knower’ that I am. I am no longer afraid to take matters into my own hands and to complete tasks or projects that I may not have seen before. Her and my father, both, have instilled confidence in me that I now carry with me on a daily basis. They worked with me, and have assured me that I am able to accomplish anything that I set my mind to. That plays into everything I do, whether it be at work, in school, or at home. They taught me that I shouldn’t depend on others to complete tasks for me. I am so grateful that they began to instill problem solving skills in my life at such a young age, that now it has become second nature. That problem-solving thread most definitely has related to my college and career choices thus far. As a math major, and statistics and actuarial science minor, everything I do involves problem solving skills that I’ve learned in the past. There are very few things I have been unable to do after necessary research.

    My father has also played a very important role in my life when it comes to expressing my opinions and emotions in healthy ways. Him and I have butted heads a lot in the past but he has taught me the communication skills that are necessary in working through arguments and disagreements. He has taught me when to stand up for myself, my opinions, and values, but he has also taught me when to keep my opinions to myself. Certainly, one would expect to be strongly influenced by their parents since such a large portion of their life is spent in close quarters with them, however, I am especially thankful for my mother and father. They have truly showed me to be a loving, openminded, independent, confident, hardworking individual. They have shown me love, compassion, and allowed me to explore and think for myself, rather than smothering me and controlling everything that I do. I have made plenty of mistakes, but instead of being discouraged, my mother and father have taught me to embrace the learning experiences that come from each mistake, and it been nothing but beneficial throughout my life.

     One of the most influential experiences of my life was being sponsored by my high school to attend the Foundation for Teaching Economics, Economics for Leaders program at Vanderbilt University in 2010. My FTE journey was not only my first long trip away from Ohio, but it was one that I will never forget. During my time at Vanderbilt I met complete strangers of which over the course of two weeks, became some of my best friends to this day. This program incorporated a balance of leadership building activities in a comfortable learning environment with economic topics and key issues such as inflation, entrepreneurs, competition, mutual gains, and opportunity cost. While learning important life lessons, I was able to work closely with the twenty-nine other students in completing group tasks, as well as relaxing and doing fun activities during our free time. The biggest lesson I learned from this opportunity was that if you keep an open mind and listen to other peoples' life stories, total strangers can completely change your life. I learned more than I ever thought possible in this short time not only about economics and public policies, but about who I am, and how I could become an even more influential leader with the help of twenty-nine amazing individuals from around the world. I am forever thankful for the learning experience that the Foundation for Teaching Economics provided for me. 

     During my freshman year at Loyola, I participated in the Psychology & Wellness Learning Community which provided many amazing opportunities I may not have otherwise had. Specifically, during my required service learning course, a few of my fellow classmates and I volunteered with CircEsteem; an afterschool program in Chicago sponsored by Cirque Du Solei. During my time with the HomeWork and CircusWork program at CircEsteem, I was able to work with over twenty children ranging from Kindergarten to Fifth grade. I grew very close to them as I vounteered multiple times a week. During our sessions I helped teach students how to cultivate success, respect their and others' space, follow directions, and keep an open mind in trying new things. In order to volunteer with this company, I also had to keep an open mind in learning how to perform multiple circus acts. After perfecting my acts, I then helped to teach the children in preparation for an end-of-the-year performance. These acts include unicycling, tightrope walking, juggling and many more! After completing an hour of CircusWork, I helped other volunteers prepare a snack for the kids before beginning the HomeWork portion of the program. During the HomeWork portion, I was able to engage my tutoring skills and assist my assigned group of children with any homework assignments they had. I was able to truly interact with the students on a cognative level and watch as they absorbed all the information I gave, and applied it to their school work. It was an amazing opportunity working for CircEsteem. I was able to step outside of my comfort zone and work close with children while learning new talents! This opportunity truly influenced the openmindedness that I carry with me today.