Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Please post your two narratives from the interview activity here! Remember, one should be structured linearly, the other should be based around an event. It is okay and understandable for some information to overlap. Each should be no more than a page double spaced (but no less than half a page). So, in total, you should have written between 1 and 2 pages for this assignment. Bring a hard copy on Friday as well for the editing/revision exercise that we will be doing.
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Linear Narrative
ReplyDeleteJordan Via was born in Northport, Florida, but he doesn’t really consider Northport his home. He moved to Venice, Florida at a very young age and it is this city, just south of Tampa on the west coast, that he spent the many “interesting” years of his childhood, beginning with his experiences at the preschool connected to the catholic church there. He remembers how he used to go to the summer camps there, which he recalls as being rather “dumb,” since they would make them hang out in the church while waiting for their parents. However, Jordan had many positive experiences growing up too. The beach was a key part of his early childhood in Venice, as it was probably the most “cool” thing he did while he was very young. But preschool was just the being of Jordan’s education. He soon moved up to Garden Elementary, a place that he does not remember very vividly, as he transferred to Pine View, the gifted magnet school in the area, during the third grade. At Pine View, however, it was a different story. The school was incredibly small considering that grades 3 all the way to 12 were taught there, with just about 2,000 students. Jordan’s graduating class was one of the biggest that the school had ever seen, with 270 students, and so he recalls knowing every single person in the class by name, if not every person in the upper grades, including something about them. It was here that he also had many of the most memorable experiences in his life, starting in third grade when his teacher gave him a referral because the slinky that he was playing with was “apparently” a deadly weapon. It was also the place where he took AP Macroeconomics, where he had an “awesome teacher” who gave each member of the class tons of “personal attention.” It was one of the main reasons why Jordan decided to become a Finance major when came to FSU, a place so utterly different from Pine View as far as size goes that it was initially shocking. However, Jordan adjusted quickly and is eager to continue his college experience here at FSU!
Event-Based Narrative
ReplyDeleteJordan Via may not have had much of a connection with his father while he was growing up but that didn’t stop Mr. Via for looking out for his son whenever he had the chance. Mr. Via was a baker who worked an exhausting 13 hour shift at the bakery every single day, from 6 am at the crack of dawn until 7pm when the sun was going down. It is no wonder that he slept most of the time when he was home, even if that meant less time that he got to spend with Jordan. But while Jordan was in fifth grade at Pine View School, he had to take a states and capitals test, as many fifth graders do. However, something about states and where their governments were located just didn’t click at this point and he bombed the test. Jordan’s teacher instructed the class to take the test home to be signed by their parents, to prove that the parents had seen the student’s grades, which Jordan did obediently. But when he got home to give the test to his dad, Mr. Via was dozing in dreamland, so it took a while for him coaxed from his slumber to sign the paper. That should have been the end of the story. However, Jordan’s father had been so engrossed in getting his rest that he had simply made some scribbles on the paper, and Jordan’s teacher leapt at what she thought was academic dishonesty. “You forged your father’s signature!” she cried. Jordan then did exactly what a fifth grader who was just trying to get his work done would do at that point: he cried. Tears still streamed down his cheeks as he rushed home later that day and the sleeping bear was finally awoken from his daily hibernation: Mr. Via was on the prowl. According to Jordan, his father stormed into the school the next day and “ripped [his] teacher a new one” for accusing his son of something that he was completely innocent of. And does Jordan know the states and capitals today? “I could probably name three fourths of them if I tried,” Jordan laughed.
Liner Based Story:
ReplyDeleteDelaney was born in Birmingham Alabama in 1998. She is the second child in her family and has three siblings, one older, two younger. Growing up she experienced a happy childhood and healthy relationships with both her parents and siblings. Their family moved twice during her childhood but stayed in Birmingham. Throughout her elementary education, she received public schooling and stayed in the same program throughout middle and high school. During this elementary school she was involved in a club swim team, which she quit after her fifth grade year. Middle school was fun. She became scuba certified, made all A’s, and even took up lacrosse. One of her favorite memories was spending time with her cat and two dogs and meeting her best friend, Marina, who now goes to Auburn. She continued lacrosse in high school and participated in her school’s student government association all four years. She also joined Key Club, though which she had many rewarding volunteering experiences, including regularly serving at the Humane Society. During senior year, she applied to Florida State University, where she was accepted and invited to apply for the Honors Program, to which she was also accepted. Graduating magna cum laude, she then came to FSU as a biology major with the intent of becoming a dentist. Her extra-curricular activities include Pre-Dental Club, FORCE Shadowing Club, and Coping Though College. She’s very happy at FSU and is excited to see where it takes her.
Event Based Story:
ReplyDeleteIt was the birthday that marked the transition from playdates to hangouts, hair ribbons to makeup, and childhood ignorance to indisputable knowledge of everything. Thirteen. Delaney was a teenager at last. There could have hardly been a better way to spend this blessed day than at Smith Lake, Alabama at her family’s lake house. The speed boat was churning the deep blue water and playfully spraying a fine mist into her wind-swept hair as she turned and laughed, watching her sister wipe out on the knee board for the second time. “She’s down!” Her dad nodded and turned the boat around to where she was floating. Delaney inhaled deeply of fresh air and turned to look at the shore as the boat bounced forward. She noticed a dog on the shore and smiled. If only her dog at home weren’t so awful, she thought. The dog on the shore saw them too and without warning, jumped off the rocks and swam to their speed boat. Surprised and elated, Delaney and her family helped the dog onto the deck. Her fur was matted with lake water and her frame was emaciated from malnourishment, but she was sweet and gentle. Moved with sympathy, Delaney’s family took her to the vet and decided to welcome Malibu as their newest edition. When they brought her home, Delaney crunched the soft fur on Malibu’s face and kissed her muzzle. She couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present.
Linear Narrative:
ReplyDeleteEvann was born in Atlanta, Georgia on the twenty second of September 1997. She has lived there her whole life in a suburb of Lilburn. Lilburn is a relatively small suburb of Atlanta with its population around 13,000 people. One of the nice things about Lilburn is its close proximity, about forty-five minutes, to the urban hub of Atlanta. This close proximity to the various activities Atlanta has to offer including the shopping, sports teams, and other attractions. Evann is one of three children. Her two half-siblings, one brother and one sister, are both older than her. Her brother is twelve years older and is a member of the United States Navy and her sister is ten years older and attended Middle Tennessee State University. Her family does not travel much, but they do take occasional vacations to Florida as well as visiting her mother’s parents in Illinois over Christmas. Evann played soccer all the way up to junior year in high school, but she also has other interests like music. She is very involved with music and even plays the trumpet. Outside of music though, Evann enjoys learning about the sciences. She learned about Florida State through her trumpet teacher, who had many past students attend FSU. Upon looking into it she realized Florida State was the best option for her as she plans to double major in general music and business management. In her short time here, Evann has become a member of the world-renowned Marching Chiefs. Ultimately with her studies, she plans to obtained her masters and then become a CEO or GM of a symphony or arts venue.
Event based narrative:
ReplyDeleteBeing a Marching Chief comes with a large responsibility. It requires long, hard hours of tirelessly practicing in order to be at one’s best. That’s what Evann goes through every single day. She has to wake up at the break of dawn each day to attend practice. After practice there is no time to rest, Evann has to go to her studio class or trumpet ensemble before even being her regular college classes. Once she is through with her classes, she then attends her concert band and then back to Marching Chiefs for more practice. She is normally running around working for nine hours each day, heck that is more than most people work in a week. With these long days, Evann is normally quite exhausted by the evening hours, but the hard work put in all makes it worth it. As many people know, Saturdays in the South are big days for football and school spirit. At FSU, there is no football without the Marching Chiefs. The Marching Chiefs bring their energy to electrify the crowd of 80,000 plus at Doak Campbell Stadium. Evann believes these things are what truly make it special to be a part of Marching Chiefs. All the practices throughout the year all lead to performing on game days. The hard work, sweat, and tiredness all lead to the glory of performing on the field in front of some 80,000. Evann takes a lot of pride in what she does as part of Chiefs as do many others at this university. It is traditions like these that truly makes Florida State University a special place.
Linear:
ReplyDeleteAmber Chu flicks her dark brown hair over her shoulder as she recalls the memories of her life. Amber’s life started on the west coast in California. At age seven, Amber’s family made the move to Boca, Florida. Starting in a new place, Amber and her sister were the only Chinese students in her elementary school. At first, it was hard getting adjusted to the new town. Like most young girls, Amber was put into a ballet class. She fell in love and has been dancing ever since. She is currently on the dance competition team at FSU. If you want to check her out, she is participating in a competition in Gainesville on the weekend of October 29. Not only is Amber a dancer, she is also a musician. Attending an art school, Amber can play the flute. She has also attended a Chinese school and is fluent in Chinese. In the future, Amber hopes to represent a big company that will enhance the relationship with China and America. She’s a little nervous about the future but I am certain she’ll be successful.
Event:
ReplyDeleteIt’s not every day that someone can say they have been to Taiwan, yet alone say they have taught underprivileged kids in Taiwan. Amber Chu can though. The summer of 2015, Amber Chu packed her bags for two months and flew over to Taiwan to teach kids English. When not spending her days teaching the child, Amber would spend her time touring Taiwan. The program Amber participated in recruited participants from all over the world. Amber created lasting bonds with people from Europe to Australia. Thousands of miles away from home, Amber wasn’t all alone. Her grandparents actually live in Taiwan. This experience allowed her to see them which is often difficult considering the distance between Florida and Taiwan. Overall, this experience was life-changing for Amber and she can’t wait to go back!
Linear:
ReplyDeleteStewart Gideon, a freshman at Florida State University, has had a very interesting and, so far, successful life. He was born September 19th, 1997 in Pombay, Florida. He spent the last seven years with his family, consisting of his parents, two brothers, and a sister in Jacksonville, Florida. His older brother, John Thomas, is now attending the University of North Florida, his younger brother, Emmett, is a sophomore in high school, and his younger sister, Elise, is in 7th grade.
During his childhood, Stewart dedicated a lot of time to swimming, and began to be one of the best. He was homeschooled for elementary school, allowing time to grow as a family and as a student, without the normal distractions of elementary school. Going into 6th grade, his intelligence allowed him to be a part of a magnet school. He stuck with this type of schooling through high school, up until college. Once he reached high school, he was able to join the varsity swim team at his school. Stewart remained a part of the team for two years, but realized he was not enjoying his time, as he was growing bored of the sport and was only really staying a part of it for the friends he had. End of sophomore year, he quit, and took up the sports of cross country and track, furthermore finding friends he loved. On top of the sports he played, he also involved himself in many interest groups at his high school, and held a job. He began building up his resume with a job he loved. He worked at a pizzeria the summer between his sophomore and junior year. Following this job, he worked at Win-Dixie for two years, starting as a bagger and working his way to Cashier.
As he grew up, Stewart became a big fan of the Jaguars. He continues to sport their colors even today, at Florida State University. Currently, he is not involved in much on campus, instead he is working to excel academically as he studies economics, more specifically, finance. He choose this major because of his interest in the subject he developed while taking macro economics his senior year of high school.
Jessica Pavolov was born and raised in Panama City Beach, Florida. She loved it there; the small town made her beyond happy and she couldn’t dream of living anywhere else. Growing up, she was very athletic and loved playing basketball. Unfortunately, she tore her ALC her junior year so had to stop, and still can’t play due to trouble with her surgeries. Of course she was sad at first, but she’s learned to move on. She did a lot of dual enrollment in high school so her transition to college was an easy one. Her older sister is at UF and although she also got accepted to the University, she wanted to be different from her sister, so chose to come to FSU instead. Her sister is her biggest role model and also her best friend. Her role model at FSU is her big in her sorority Delta Gamma. Her big is also in the science field so she feels a good connection to her because they both have to study hard for their majors. Jessica aspires to be an orthodontist when she graduates because she had this one friend that had really crooked teeth, which made him never smile because he didn’t want other people to see is teeth. But, when he got his teeth fixed, he started smiling a lot and just seemed genuinely more happy, so she wants to be an orthodontist to make people happy. That’s actually why she’s taking piano right now to show dentist schools that she’s good with her fingers. She plans on staying in Florida for the rest of her life because it’s where she grew up and she loves it here, but mainly because she can’t stand living anywhere cold. She’s extremely excited for the future and can’t wait to see where life is going to take her.
ReplyDeletelinear story:
ReplyDeleteAnnaJane was born in Tallahassee Memorial Hospital on May 20th, 1998. She was the first born child of her young parents, who had 4 more children. She had a great relationship with her family members and grew up in Tallahassee with both homeschooling and Catholic private school. In her free time, AnnaJane picked up ballet and tap dancing, as well as soccer and horseback riding. In her middle school years, she was mostly homeschooled in a community environment where her and other students would come together. It was during this same period that she met her best friend, Gigi Fontnot and found a passion for swimming. She gradually became more involved in her youth group throughout middle school as well. High school was the first time AnnaJane attended a public school, but she was able to adjust very well in no time. In addition to being an honor student, AnnaJane continued her passion for swimming and maintained a stronghold with her youth group.
event story:
ReplyDeleteAnnaJane’s most memorable, life-changing experience happened to her in the summer prior to seventh grade, while on a religious retreat with her Catholic youth group at Camp Covecrest in Georgia. One day, AnnaJane took part in a group prayer as usual, but this time was different. For the first time in her life, AnnaJane truly felt God’s presence, and his love for her. It was at this moment that AnnaJane’s life calling came to her: she decided to start serving God as a lifelong devotion. Although she was raised Catholic and was already well-informed on her religion’s fundamentals, this was the first time AnnaJane truly found herself immersed into her faith and decided she would become as involved as possible. This moment led to AnnaJane deciding to following her faith up to this very day, as she is now in the Catholic Student Union.
Linear narrative.
ReplyDeleteSarah Miller was born in Louisiana, but didn't spend much time there. Her father was in the military, regularly stationed overseas, and so her family moved around a lot throughout her childhood, never staying in one location for longer than 3 or 4 years. Her first move was to Atlanta, Georgia where she cumulatively spent the most time during her childhood. Following this move, they went to North Carolina, back to Georgia, to Upstate New York, to Tampa Florida, and only this summer up to Stafford, Virginia. Sarah is one of three girls, with her older sister Katherine and her younger sister Laura. She always enjoyed moving and felt it made her family much closer and their bond stronger. Growing up, Sarah always loved science (except not so much physics), while explains her current biology major with a pre-med plan. Science is learning about life, and Sarah liked that it was always new and improving information. So far, she loves Florida State!
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ReplyDeleteLinear
ReplyDeleteAmanda Lewis was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but soon moved to Georgia at the age of three. She has one brother, who is current age twenty-two. Her parents are divorced, and she moved to Florida with her mom when she was eight. In high school she was voted prom queen. For graduation, she got to go to Australia and New Zealand with her family, where she went bungee jumping, visited the zoo, and saw the Sydney Opera House. She is an exercise science major here at FSU and intends to become a veterinarian (despite being allergic to cats) after going to Gainesville for vet school. She is on the pole vaulting team for FSU, and dreams of settling down with someone and having one daughter, one son, and multiple dogs.
Event-based
ReplyDeleteFor Amanda Lewis, the most fond and proud memory is her trip to Australia and New Zealand. This trip was a gift from her grandmother for graduating from high school, and is one of the last memories she has of her grandmother. She was the youngest person on the trip at 19 years old, and most of the other tourists in her tour group were age fifty or older. She fondly recalls bungee jumping in New Zealand (which her grandmother did not do, just to clarify) and getting to go snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. She visited the Sydney Zoo, where she intended to hold a koala, but could not because it is illegal. In Amanda’s opinion, the Sydney Opera House is a lot smaller than most people think and New Zealand was prettier than Australia, on the basis that New Zealand had more mountains.
Linear Narrative:
ReplyDeleteDavid was born on June 25th in Genoa, Italy. As a child born to a Dutch father and Spanish mother living in Italy, he was surrounded by a variety of languages from a young age. When he was two his family moved to Madrid, Spain where he was taught Spanish in pre-school but by kindergarten he was living in the Netherlands. He attended first and part of second grade in Sicily after his family moved back to Italy. He spent the remainder of second grade home-schooled in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he learned some English, then later moved to Boca where he finished the remainder of his elementary school years. Being the new kid who did not speak English very well was tough, but he took English classes and officially learned English by the end of third grade and made many new friends. He played soccer from second grade to eighth grade and began wrestling in high school. During high school he began the application process to college and knew he needed to go to an instate school where tuition would be most affordable. He decided on Florida State and became the first person in his family to attend college in the United States. At FSU he became involved in the Honors Program and the environmental service program. Although he is worried about finding off-campus housing for next year, he is excited to see where college will take him.
Event-based Narrative:
Moving to a new place can be difficult for anybody, especially moving to a new country with a different language. David had moved four times before second grade all throughout Europe, from Italy to Spain to the Netherlands and back to Italy. When David moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida from Sicily, Italy at age seven, it was difficult for him to adjust to say the least. Only in second grade, he found himself in an entirely new environment. His home in Italy, a town of 4000, was vastly different from his new home in Florida with over ninety thousand people. The towns also had different development standards, causing the adjustment to be even more difficult. He was the new kid in school which was hard enough, but on top of that he was surrounded by classmates who spoke a different language. He had to take special English classes at the school and slowly began making more friends the more English he could speak. A year and a half after his family’s big move to the United States, David could officially speak English, had a multitude of friends, and played soccer for the school. He started to appreciate the move to the United States, understanding that it was the right choice for his family and found himself no longer missing home.
Event story
ReplyDeleteIn February 2016, Sarah found out new father's newest job, meaning her family's newest location. The process of moving from town to town, state to state was old news for her. When you never live more than 4 years in one location, you get used to the chaos that moving can be. The newest location was Stafford, Virginia, just north of Richmond. After she completed her senior year of high school, graduated, and went to FSU orientation, her family would be relocating up to Virginia. This time, she wouldn't be there for very long, as she was starting at Florida State in the fall. The final day of the move was approaching. So far, most of their belongings had been relocated up to Virginia. All that was left was a moving truck to be driven by her mom with her 8-year-old boxer dog, Ella and her family's mini van that her and her sisters would ride up in. The night before the move is always one that is busy. Everyone wants to come and say goodbye, as was the case the night before Sarah moved. Friends wanted to come to say their final goodbyes, so the finalizing of the packing was postponed until the morning of their departure. Sarah got up early on the day of the move and began to load the moving van. As her siblings and mother got up later, they helped her to finalize the organization. Packing up the truck was like a 3-D puzzle where everything HAD to fit. The stress and emotions of the day caused everyone to be a little snappy, completely understandable. Finally, there van was packed and they headed out on the long drive up to Stafford, Virginia. After a two-day drive with a stoppage in a hotel along the way, they made their way to their new home.
She’s played basketball her whole life, so when she tore her ACL her junior year of high school, she was devastated. The endless trips to the doctor’s office gave her anxiety every time she went. Basketball was her passion and she didn’t think she would be able to handle life without it. Through her many surgeries, she hoped that the surgeon could heal her ACL and allow her to continue the sport she loved so much, but unfortunately, her surgeries were troublesome and she couldn’t play basketball anymore. Deeply upset, she worked through her emotions, and it took a bit, but she got over the bad situation, and has moved on. Basketball will always be fun for her, and she’ll always cherish the times she had playing the sport.
ReplyDeleteLinear Narrative:
ReplyDeleteCassidy Ross is a girl trapped between the lines—state lines, that is. When asked where she’s from, unlike most people, she doesn’t get the luxury of a simple one-name answer. Instead, she gets a process. For Cassidy, home is not a place, but a story.
Her life began in Birmingham, Alabama, a relatively small city but still the largest in the state. Which, she guesses, says a lot about Alabama. There, she lived with her older half-brother, her mother, and her father, until her father’s tragic passing when she was four. It’s pretty common sentiment that someone shouldn’t have to lose a parent so young. Unfortunately, circumstance doesn’t really care about sentiment. She lived two more years in Alabama, attending kindergarten at Pinson Elementary, before her family uprooted to Erin, Tennessee. Erin was, if any place, her “hometown”. She spent eleven years of her life there, attending Erin Elementary, and Houston County Middle and High Schools. Although as she went through school, she always found her way to the top of the class, she was burdened by the knowledge of just how much she was missing out on, how many opportunities she could have, if she didn’t go to scantly-funded small-town schools. Opportunity came, however, with a second move—this time, to Tarpon Springs, Florida to live with her aunt. There, she participated in dual enrollment and honors courses, and although the education wasn’t perfect, she felt she was finally getting something out of school.
Now, Cassidy’s moved again, this time to attend Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, and in the time she’s been here, she’s been asked over and over again where she’s from. She wishes that it were an easy question to answer. But she tells her story anyway, and hopes to find new friends in the ones who choose to listen.
Linear:
ReplyDeleteAlayna Bradley, a first year student at Florida State University, was born in an unknown city in Pennsylvania. However, after only 4 months of living in the Keystone State, Alayna moved to Fort Meyers, Florida. She has lived there for most of her life, and with that, experienced many of her fondest memories. The 18-year-old only child was very active since a young age. This includes, but is not limited to, gymnastics, dance, horseback riding, volleyball, and cheer. While athletic, the country music loving girl also has a very spiritual side to her. Alayna was/is very involved in her youth groupesque where she loves to play games with her friends while furthering her faith. Alayna is a finance and human resources manager where she plans to become, in the short term, a benefits manager. However, her goal in life is to become a stay at home mom where she can take care of a mixture of her children that she had herself and she adopted. She is excited about the life ahead of her where she will undoubtedly succeed.
From a very young age, Alayna Bradley attended a very strict catholic schooling system where she felt as if religion were being forced down her throat. Because of this, she began resenting religion to a degree. However, it was not until 16-year-old Alayna Bradley went to her annual youth life camp during the first week of summer. The youth life camp was a time when her entire school left technology for a week by going into the wood where the students would enjoy playing games while also becoming closer with God. However, it was not until Thursday that Alayna’s life changed forever. During the warm afternoon the students, just like any other day, gathered to hear a preaching. However, after the session the students were told to go outside to find a place to sit and pray in silence for a few minutes. During this time, everyone received a nail to act as a physical representation of everything the church meant. From this, Alayna thought long and hard about what the nail represented. After deep thought, she decided that she was willing to give herself to God. And from this moment on, Alayna’s perspective on life changed, and with this, so did her personality: her originally sour mood became happy and cheerful.
ReplyDeleteLinear:
ReplyDeleteOn November 13th, 1997 Daniel was born in Miami, Florida. His parents, Michael and Karen, were excited to welcome their second child into the family, at this time they had no idea what he would be able to do. When Daniel was 6 years old his family moved to Mexico, this is where he lived until he returned to Florida to attend FSU. His school was very small, having only 150 kids spanning from 6th to 12th grade, so Daniel participated in nearly every sport. Playing soccer, flag football, field hockey, basketball, swimming, and running made for a very busy high school career, especially when he had to focus some time on his school work. Now, a freshman at Florida State University, Daniel is studying Finance and Risk Management; but, similar to many freshman he may alter his career path and change his major as his collegiant adventure continues. As life continues on Daniel looks to his grandfathers for inspiration as they both lived the fulfilling lives that led to much enjoyment. He also admires Winston Churchill in how he rose from humble beginnings and eventually made huge impacts that changed the world. In college Daniel has many plans, he would love to learn piano and continue to prepare himself for a future that will be filled with ample success.
Event:
ReplyDeleteAt the age of 6 you can not quite understand what someone having cancer is; however, when Daniel's mom was diagnosed with breast cancer he surely understood one thing: his life was going to change. It seemed so sudden but his family was packing up and moving, not just moving across the state or country, but to a different country, to Mexico. The majority of his mom's family lived in Mexico so while fighting this sickness his parent decided there would be much more comfort if they were surrounded by family. The long drive along the coast seemed to take an eternity, but when they arrived in Mexico Daniel could tell he was going to like it. Adapting was not easy at first. He had to learn a new language and make all new friends, this is a difficult task for any 6 year old. Daniel's mom having breast cancer completely changed his life.
Event Narrative
ReplyDeleteCassidy awoke long before the dawn. In a sleepy haze, she watched out her window as the sun rose, coloring the sky with brushstrokes of orange and pink. She thought that maybe after the sunrise, she’d fall back asleep, but the sound of someone puttering around in the kitchen drew her from her room.
She caught her grandfather just as he was leaving the kitchen. He had his coffee in one hand and a Bic lighter in the other, an unlit cigarette clenched between his teeth. Upon seeing her, he gave a muffled, “good morning,” and nodded in the direction of the front door. She followed him out to the front porch and over to their usual spot, where he sat his coffee on the table, lit his cigarette, and said to her, “I’ll be right back.”
Not expecting anything out of the ordinary, Cassidy took a seat on the other side of the table and waited, staring absently out at the woods beyond the yard. When her grandfather came back, his arms were wrapped around an old, discolored globe. He sat the globe on the table between them and said to her, “this was your father’s, once.” Cassidy swallowed back the burn of grief as her grandfather spun the globe with almost childlike joy, eyes sparkling as he jabbed his finger on a random country. They made a game of it—spinning the globe, tapping locations, making up plans for their travel to every corner of the world.
Yes, they lived in a great big world, full of strange places and even stranger people. But for Cassidy, the whole world could be this one little house, wrapped in the enclosure of the trees, bathed in the pink light of sunrise, and still be enough.
Linear: On the 30th of September, Sarah Beck was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Sara's dad, Jeff Beck, is from Coco Florida, near Cape Canaveral, and her mom, Laurie Beck, is from West Virginia but was raised in North Florida. Jeff Beck is a branch manager for a construction company called “Top Build” and Laurie is a stay at home mom. Sara is a middle child, she has an older brother named and a younger brother. Sara looks up to her older brother because he is a good example to not only her but little brother as well. Sara lived in the Atlanta area before moving to Ormond Beach, north of Daytona, when she was small. There, she went to school made friends, and lived a life that some would be jealous of.
ReplyDeleteAt Spruce Creek High School, Sarah was a prominent member of her school, not only excelling in academics, but by being heavily involved in extracurriculars. Sarah took 4 years of Spanish, fell in love with Tennessee Williams, who became her favourite author, was part of the IB program, where she enjoyed Economics the most, and was a Majorette (baton thrower), Sara's favourite subject is Maths, she and can play the piano pretty well. Her good grades, cool hobbies, and outgoing personality landed her a spot in the Honours College at Florida State University, even though she supports the Steelers.
So, after being part of a graduating class made up of 750 of peers, classmates, and close friends, Sara said goodbye to her home, and head off to Tallahassee, Florida to double major in Business Management and Exercise Physiology. Although Sarah is doing well, and will do well in the future, she was unsure of what she wanted to study at University. Sara thought about becoming a dentist, or going to medical school, but chose to follow what she felt was right and decided on her double major. Even though it's her first semester at FSU, Sarah has thought about Studying Abroad, or volunteering abroad. She's been to Ireland, London, and countless other places within the U.S, but would like to add to her list of places she's visited. Sara wants to work as a physical therapist when she graduates, and she is currently pursuing her passion, and if her track record says anything, she'll graduate with Honours and be a successful therapist.
Interview Narrations
ReplyDeleteJarrett Lopez-Scarim was born in Chicago Illinois and then moved to Palm Beach during fourth grade. His dad is originally from Mexico, and is a chef. His parents met while his dad was working as a chef in the same place his mom was a manager. He still has a lot of family that live in Chicago on his dad’s side. He is the second of five children, he has one older brother and two younger brothers and one younger sister. He went to a Magnet school for high school where he enjoyed studying about science and is a biology major today. After finishing college, he wants to attend grad school and live in a larger city on the west coast, possibly northern California, Washington, or Oregon. He describes himself as mostly an introvert and an avid Game of Thrones fan who also enjoys plenty of Netflix binges and loves pop music. He is already involved with undergraduate research in his major and is a member of the Pride Student Union
The event that molded Jarrett into the person he is today was his decision to attend a Magnet school for high school. For those who don’t know, a Magnet school is a public school that offers special instruction and programs not available to regular public schools. While the program is a free one, they only admit students that show passion for their interests. Their goal is to attract a more diverse and dedicated student body. He felt that he was separated from a lot of the people he knew growing up, but not necessarily in a bad way. He felt more free to grow with the new environment. He also felt free to pursue more of his goals and to achieve his full potential. His school also pushed him extremely hard. The school was rigorous and he took as many advanced classes as possible. This helped him develop his work ethic that is something that he credits preparing him for college. However, with the rigorous coursework, it consumed nearly all of his time. ‘he had very little time to do anything else. His experience at his high school was not necessarily the most fun, but it did help shape him into the person with us today.
Event:
ReplyDeleteAs an adventurous and outdoorsy person, Stewart Gideon planned a trip with his two best friends to spend a week the summer before college at Jensen Beach. About to enter real adulthood, this would be his first taste of independence, and last big trip he would take before moving to Florida State University. The week was filled with many different adventures that made the vacation one of the best he had ever been on. After arriving and unpacking, Stewart and his friends headed straight to the Walton Rocks. Overlooking a nuclear power plant and the beach, the friends observed the waves noting they were perfect for a day of surfing. Surfing is one of Stewart’s favorite things to do when he visits Jensen, therefore he dedicated a lot of time to it. Before coming to Jensen Beach, Stewart made his own decorative surfboard, which he and his friends decorated as they wandered the town stopping in many different skate shops to collect stickers and other little mementos. Other days were spent hanging out at the mansion at Tuckahoe, which had been turned into a skate park. On a sunny day, this was the perfect place to hang and practice their skills. The group also spent their time lounging or snorkeling at Sebastian beach. There they could see the amazing undersea life of this coastal area, causing them to fall in love with the town even more. This excursion was exactly what the group needed before being forced to separate as they went to different colleges. The memories made at Jensen Beach would definitely live in their minds forever.
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ReplyDeleteTristan was born in a small retirement like community called Niceville Florida and has lived there for all of his life. There was a brief period where he lived with his uncle in New Orleans after the passing of his father. When Tristan was younger, he was in the acting business for eight years with an agent and everything. He also enjoys practicing special effects makeup. Tristan was elected to the homecoming court twice in high school and also claims to be 50 % psychic. Tristan ended up coming to FSU because his mother is an alumni at the school and he thought why not. He recently went to Halloween Horror Nights with his roommate and would like to go again. He also enjoys spending his free time hanging out with friends and playing video games. Tristan is interested in learning more about Computer Science and wants to be rich when he gets older. In the future Tristen would like to move to Colorado and work from home with hopes of having a family with one son and one daughter.
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ReplyDeleteIt is always a difficult to abandon your home, move to another place, and redefine your identity based off of where you live. Some may argue, that it is even more difficult to adapt after a drastic change in life when you are young. Regardless, when she was around four years old, Sara Beck moved from her hometown in Georgia, to Florida. It is a common misconception to say that South Georgia and North Florida have the same customs, but even though they do share many things, they have even more distinct characteristics that set them apart. Sara's change of home, state, school, way of life, and customs, shaped her into the person she is today. If she hadn't had moved, she wouldn't be at FSU today, her life would have played out differently, and she could have a completely different person than she is today.
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ReplyDeleteSophomore year of high school, the awkward transition of no longer being a freshman nerd anymore but not yet a cool upperclassmen is hard on everyone. After being bullied in middle school for being different, Tristen really found his friend group in high school. Homecoming season is something all students look forward to. It came as a shock to Tristen when he heard his name called over the intercom for being elected to sophomore homecoming court. Tristen felt like this was a turning point in his life as his perspective changed and he was able to rise above the past. As the years went by and Tristen became somewhat of a social butterfly in his school, senior year homecoming was here and Tristen was once again elected to the homecoming court. These events really helped Tristen gain a new perspective on life and to ignore the negative and rise above.
Kerra Kuzmick was born on November 2 1997. She has an older brother named Brady and a younger brother named Jake. Her father is in the navy so she moved around as a child but settled in Tampa Bay, Florida. Go Bucs! In high school Kerra played Basketball as a freshman and sophomore but transitioned to flag football her last two years for fun but it ended up taking her to the state competition.
ReplyDeleteSome of Kerra’s favorite memories come from her family vacations. Her freshman year she went skiing in Utah during spring break. They went on snowmobiles, skiing, and shredded the pow pow on a snowboard. Kerra also enjoys 4th of July with her family friends. A big party where they can laugh, open a fire hydrant and celebrate the birth of the greatest country on earth.
Kerra is not adverse to working. In high school she had a job at a gym called Lifetime athletics in “operations” or in laymen’s terms a janitor. When all of her favorite fellow employees left she decided to find a new job herself. So the summer before college she worked with a friend at a local law firm.
As the car approached the airstrip people rained down from the sky. These lunatics chose to leap out of a plane at 15,000 feet. thankfully for them they were wearing parachutes. The car rolled to a stop and Kerra Kuzmick and Anna Randall stepped out. As if jumping out of an airplane was not a warning sign by itself a previous jumper was getting treated for an ankle injury from landing wrong. To the reluctance of the each pair of parents the duo climbed into the plane to climb to the desired altitude. Some would say 300 dollars is too much money to spend to poop your own pants, but the memories of the 60 seconds of free fall, the five minute descent with the chute and gliding through a cloud enveloped in a thick, white, wet blanket made it all worth it.
ReplyDeleteDuring his sophomore year of high school, Chandler began a service project in his neighborhood. He would go out every two weeks for about two hours and collect canned foods or any donations people were willing to give him. It was a mainly elderly neighborhood that he’d grown up in. Many of his neighbors really felt that he was helping to bring the community together. He continued to take up this collection all the way through his senior year in high school. He also tutored regularly at his school, generally in math. One day while tutoring another senior at his school, the student asked Chandler if he was the student who dropped food off at the food bank all the time. This kind of took Chandler by surprise. He never thought one of his peers could be in need of those donations he makes. Chandler had known this boy and his family. He knew his mom was a single mom, but they never made it seem as though they were in need. He realized that you never know who you could be helping, and sometimes it’s not the person we expect. The person next to us could be in need of our help the most, and we may never know it.
ReplyDeleteChandler Stockamp was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. He grew up with his parents and older sister. His dad is a surgeon, and his mom is an interior designer. His sister’s name is Megan. She went to Miami as an undergraduate student and is now a part of FSU’s med school. He’s 18 years old and was born on October 22. (That’s this Saturday; happy birthday, Chandler!) He played tennis as a kid and still plays for fun. As he got older, he transitioned into playing table tennis competitively, and in fact, he was ranked seventh overall in the state of Florida which included all ages. He doesn’t like country music or screamo music. Ironically though, his great-grandfather helped found the country music hall of fame, and his mother grew up in Nashville. I guess the taste for country music skipped a generation. He enjoys doing things that computer programming and computer science in his free time, but he is currently majoring in Biochemistry with the goal to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a surgeon. After graduating med school, Chandler would like to start a family and eventually, have two kids.
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ReplyDeleteEverett Dorman was born in the small town of Gulf Breeze. The same town that his father had been born in. He’s part of that exclusive group of people actually born in Florida. The Town of Gulf Breeze was so small that there weren’t enough students for multiple schools. So after he left private school, he had to attend the only high school in the town. In high school, he got involved in the debate and lacrosse teams. While these activities might seem like an odd pairing, Everett has always been a person of varied interests. He enjoys rap music, binge watching half of a Netflix series, watching the pelican’s games, and watching/reading Game of Thrones. Rather than continue to live in a small town Everett intends to move outside of Florida and head to the West Coast. His desire to leave his hometown and not wind up with a mountain of debt led him to attend Florida State University. It was somewhere that he felt was a happy place.
Event based narrative
ReplyDeleteThe event that most impacted Everett Dorman’s life was his junior year of high school. It was the time in high school where he began to solidify his friend group. It was the time in his life when he first began to come out of his shell. He had previously been in a private school with only about 50 students. He hadn’t had much experience with handling a large school. Before his junior year, he had been really shy and quiet and struggled to feel like he fit in. Something about that year made Everett less nervous to be social and he finally felt like he had a place there. It lead him to become the person he is today.
Linear narrative
ReplyDeleteMark Salters grew up in his hometown Tallahassee. He attended a small private school and through his perspective there is not much to do within the town. Throughout school he enjoyed learning new things, including history, social studies, and government. Some of this favorite topics were AP Government and comparing how political systems work. By learning these topics he has come to respect Abe Lincoln for his integrity and ability to respond well to situations. He believes his main qualities have become dealing with rejection and other negative situations and turning them into positives. His parents have provided a lot, including places of heritage that he can call his second home. This includes where his mom was from, Boston. He feels welcome there and still follows their sports teams. His father is from the Netherlands and Mark enjoys having those connections. When Mark turned 18, his father gifted him with a ring that his father's father had given his father. In the near future, Mark would like to run for Senate next year. In the distant future Mark would like to possibly go to grad school, get into the political world, move to DC and eventually become a change maker.
Event based.
ReplyDeleteHis entire life had lead to this moment. The moment his father had had and shared with him. The moment he had looked forward to for forever. When Mark Salters turned 18, that day finally came. His father gifted him a black stone ring. This was the ring that his father's father had also given his father and now it was his turn to bear the ring on his finger. He had grown up well, always enjoying learning and analyzing situations other than just memorizing definitions. This thirst for knowledge will get him far in life, perhaps even into the White House. He has already traveled multiple places, including a Europe trip, so this change of scenery will not bother him. In his perspective, Tallahassee is a good town, but with very little to do, so DC will offer many new opportunities and experiences. But, before these milestones, he needed to hit the mark of becoming an adult. First he needed that milestone of traditional lineage. Now that this has past, Mark Salters can go anywhere and be whoever he wants and change the world for a better place.
Linear Narrative
ReplyDeleteStephanie was born in the small town of Deland, Florida before she made the big move to a small town in North Georgia. She was more used to the far more diverse elementary school she attended in Deland. In Georgia she went to a far more traditional school where all the students already knew each other at the school. Because everyone already knew each other it was much harder to reach out and make friends but Stephanie was able to make many friends eventually even in this small Georgia town. She became an avid runner and high school, and she wishes she could always go back to her favorite moments at the Nike Running Camp during here high school summers. Her continued interest in running allowed legendary University of Oregon runner, Steve Prefontaine, to become one of her biggest role models. She would always write quotes of his on her arm before a race to gather inspiration. It is the stories of him that have inspired her to become a person that is happy and people can look to as an example of an approachable person.
Event Based:
ReplyDeleteWhen Stephanie made the move to the small town in North Georgia, which made her hometown of DeLand look like a metropolis, she never expected to be here in this moment. Blairsville, Georgia, a town with just a population of 652, was typical small southern town at the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. Stephanie had to make the big adjustment to getting used to not having the same resources she had in DeLand. She had to leave all her great friends and begin to work her way into the very rigid community that she is now a member of. She had to begin to make the very difficult connections at the school where every student had known each other for their whole lives. But Stephanie was resilient and she made her way into the community to become a second place finisher at the Georgia State Public Speaking competition. Her hard work allowed her to make these connections and gain the confidence she needed to succeed at the highest levels.
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ReplyDeleteKeegan was born on July 17, 1998 in the city of Lakeland, Florida which is located in between Tampa and Orlando. His parents are from Michigan and in 1994 they moved their family business to Florida. He lived in Plant City, Florida with his parents and younger sister until he was four years old when he moved back to Lakeland. His family also has a Japanese Spitz named Pipkin (after the road he was found on. Keegan played many different sports when he was growing up including soccer, baseball, basketball, flag football, and golf. Sports have always been a huge passion for him as well as sports statistics which inspired him to pursue the field of actuarial science. He chose to come to FSU for college because he met with the head of the actuarial science department and felt like it was the perfect place for him. He is already heavily involved at FSU with the Catholic Student Union and Intramural sports teams, but he also hopes to get involved with the NCAA football or basketball teams. He eventually plans to spend a couple years working for a firm before pursuing his dream job of pension work for pro athletes or working for a major sports team like the Yankees.
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ReplyDeleteOne of the most impactful experiences in Keegan's life was a school trip he took several years ago. He went to Europe for twelve days in a group of 30 kids and 7 adults. Their trip took them to Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, followed by a few stops in France, and finally Florence and Rome in Italy. They explored the modern parts of Europe's thriving cities as well as many notable historical buildings and places like churches and monuments. There were many amazing sights and experiences, but the highlight of the trip for Keegan was getting to see the Vatican. Getting to see a mojo cultural and religious hub like that in person allowed him to see the world in a different way than he ever had before and is the reason why going to Europe had a significant impact on his life.
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ReplyDeleteThis is Alannah Cranwell. She was born in Dublin, Ireland to her Irish parents. At a year and a half old, she and her family moved to Palm Harbor, Florida. They lived there for two years, during which her sister Emily was born. They then moved to Port Monmouth, New Jersey, where they resided for twelve years and where they would welcome another daughter, Julianne, to the family. They moved again in 2012 back to Dublin, where they lived for four years. This past August they moved back to the States and live in Lutz, near Tampa.
Alannah is an exploratory major, but she has expressed passion for humanities and social sciences. She enjoys working with children and is considering majoring in Family and Child Sciences with a possible double major in Psychology or Social Work.
Alannah is very family-oriented. Her enjoyment of working with children seems to have been sparked by the time she spent caring for her sisters and younger cousins. She is very close to her sisters, acting as a best friend to Emily and as a second mom to Julianne. Alannah's familial connections also manifest in her extreme closeness to her mother, her high respect for her late grandfather, and her ring that she wears, which has an amethyst stone that once belonged to her nana.
Beyond familial values, Alannah values honesty and respect, and she embodies these ideals. She is very caring and is always willing to help someone in need.
A major event in Alannah's life was her move to Dublin from New Jersey. Her father's work often required him to travel all over the world. Towards the end of 2011, Alannah overheard her parents talking about possibly moving somewhere new, most likely within the States. Having felt anxious at the possibility of needing to leave the friends and community she had there.
ReplyDeleteHowever, come Christmas break, her parents announced that her father had been offered a position in Dublin, where Alannah has been born and where the bulk of her extended family lived. Naturally, Alannah was thrilled. In the past, she had felt somewhat left out because her peers had family so readily close by, and moving to Dublin would satisfy that longing for family while also not being a totally alien place (she used to visit for a few weeks every other summer). Easter 2012 brought a company paid, two week trip to Dublin to look for good schools and housing. Since the company was paying for the whole visit, it was first class flights and a five star hotel. This Alannah's excitement even greater, especially given the anticipatory thrill that already comes from with starting high school.
Unfortunately, moving is pretty difficult. Between packing, maintaining daily life up until they left, the logistics of going overseas, and managing three 8th grade and under girls while the father is working and prepping in Ireland, Alannah's family had their hands full. Her Aunt June graciously came over to help the fortnight before the actual move, which eased the process.
Alannah looks back on the move fondly. While the move itself was hard and being in a totally new place would make anyone anxious, the overall journey was pretty awesome. New friends and memories were made that may last a lifetime. Ireland has shaped Alannah as a person, opening up her shell to new experiences and her eyes to new and different cultures. It opened her mind and she wouldn't trade it for the world. Even though she has since returned to the States, she still considers herself more Irish than American and embraces that heritage.
Erin Elise Christopher was born, a twin, in the city of Tallahassee, Florida, population of 186,5000, along wither twin brother. Three years later, Erin, her twin brother, and her parents moved Lexington, Kentucky, population of approximately 314,000. Although very populous, Lexington has a very distinct social hierarchy among the citizens of the city. Erin, growing up, faced hardships as her father is a reporter for the local news station and was set at a higher level than the rest of his family. As she got older, her education took her many places. She started her education at Dixie Elementary School where she attended kindergarten, homeschooled for 1 and second grade, Athens-Chilesburg for third grade, School for the Creative and Performing Arts for half of fourth, and then back to Chilesburg for the rest of fourth and all of fifth. She spent all of middle school at Hayes Middle School and then attended Tates Creek High School. Through elementary school, Erin faced many obstacles as she was constantly bullied and it continued throughout middle school. Luckily, as she went into high school, things got better for her. She found her passion for writing later in high school and was a part of the IB program. In the beginning, she had not intended on pursuing a career in creative writing and had an eye for the science field. As the end of high school began to approach, she decided that her love for writing was a risk to take. College application began submitting and results came in. Erin made the decision to attend Florida State University, located in Tallahassee, the same city of her birth. She is now a creative writing major, and enjoys writing science fiction. As she progresses her writing, she allows others to guide her to see different angles and is always absorbing new approaches to entice her audience. If there is an epidemic, Erin Elise Christopher has writing about it and continues to spread her creativity to as many people as she can.
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DeleteErin Christopher has always been a person to take her education to the next level. From school projects to learning a second language just by taking the class very seriously, she has always had a knack for success. One thing she never knew she would be taking to the next level is her writing career. Up until high school, she was set on going into the science field. Particularly anything to do with geology, specifically seismology or geophysics. To understand the change in her plans, understanding of the beginning of her passion is most important. Erin grew up a very creative child. Her parents always found her with a pencil or crayon in her hand as she developed a story. She was a bright eyed child who loved to give everything in life a big story to juice up its interest. She would even come up with story for her Barbie dolls. Erin grew up with a heart full of creativity and a mind full of ideas. On occasion, she would play pretend with her neighbors. For a child with a large creativity, “pretend” is a world of wonders to dive into. She would then go home and start developing the next best thing off of what she had done. These things stuck with her all of her life, but in the ninth grade, she decided she wanted to take her writing to the next level. Out of curiosity, she wanted to see what would happen with an old story she had written if she expanded it into a book. What was meant to be as a hobby sparked a flame in Erin. This flame burned inside her and she realized that she had to be a writer. The best way to live a full life and enjoy her future was to pursue a career in writing. At this very moment, Erin and her family realized that big things were to come. At this very moment, everything changed. Her mom came to her and asked if she was still sure about the science path, she realized then that she wasn’t so sure that she should go down that path. That night, Erin and her mom began looking at art schools and Erin knew at that moment, she made the right choice to pursue a career in writing.
ReplyDeleteAlannah Cranwell was born in Dublin, Ireland to her Irish parents. They moved to Port Monmouth, New Jersey, where they resided for twelve years. In 2012, her parents announced that her father had been offered a position in Dublin, where Alannah has been born and where the bulk of her extended family lived. They were to move the next summer. Between packing, maintaining daily life up until they left, the logistics of going overseas, and managing three 8th grade and under girls while the father is working and prepping in Ireland, Alannah's family had their hands full. Prior to the move, she had felt somewhat left out because her peers had family so readily close by, and moving to Dublin would satisfy that longing for family while also not being a totally alien place (she used to visit for a few weeks every other summer). She enjoys working with children, which seems to have been sparked by the time she spent caring for her sisters and younger cousins. Alannah's familial connections also manifest in her extreme closeness to her mother, her high respect for her late grandfather, and her ring that she wears, which has an amethyst stone that once belonged to her nana. Beyond familial values, Alannah values honesty and respect, and she embodies these ideals. While the move itself was hard and being in a totally new place would make anyone anxious, the overall journey was pretty awesome. New friends and memories were made that may last a lifetime. Ireland has shaped Alannah as a person, opening up her shell to new experiences and her eyes to new and different cultures. Even though she has since returned to the States, she still considers herself more Irish than American and embraces that heritage.
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