I'm an all star. A super star. A rock star. Use whatever hackneyed buzz word you want. I was born to shine. And I don't mean just a dull glow.
I'm a loyal wife, a fierce friend, an avid football fan, a dedicated alumni, an extraordinary employee, a big thinker, a natural problem solver. I don't know how to quit. I'm passionate and driven. At times, I'm more like a force of nature.
From a young age, I wasn't like anyone else. Some people march to the beat of their own drum. I've always had my own percussion section. I learned to talk early and developed a sophisticated vocabulary quickly. I was curious about everything and hard-headed about figuring out things for myself. I lost a parent at a young age and grew up quickly. I learned to adapt and accepted a greater sense of responsibility. Some people react to trauma by becoming fragile, but it made me strong. I don't panic no matter what comes my way. I'm in my element under pressure. When it comes to getting things done, I'm a machine.
I take my responsibilities seriously. I detest the thought of letting someone down. My goal is to always exceed expectations. For all that though, I don't take myself too seriously. I'm a goofball, a nerd, a dork, a geek. I love math. I took five years of it in my four years of high school. My mom wanted me to be a lawyer, my (step)dad a doctor. In the end, I went to art school in college. I loved sculpture and drawing and photography. I ended up with minors in art history and English to go with my BFA in Graphic Design. My parents thought I'd never get out of school!
For me, school was never about grades or degrees or getting out. It was about learning. I love information. I love to acquire new knowledge. I don't say that lightly. It's more of an obsession really. My interests range from art to database structures to Buddhism to community building to quantum theory to social change. Thank God I also have a talent for synthesizing huge amounts of information, the ability to find patterns in chaos.
My challenge in my adult life -- and I love a challenge -- has been finding a way to combine the varied and contradictory strengths and interests into my life's passion. The place where I am going to make a difference. A very big difference.
