Socrates once said, "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." It is true that the more I learn, the more I realize there will always be more to learn. Still, my academics are very important to me, and always have been. When I was a child in elementary school, I prided myself on Good Citizenship, Excellent Attendance, and Academic Achievement awards. I apparently even played teacher with the other neighborhood kids, doling out report cards to their parents. In elementary school, I also started playing the flute, something I associate with my academics because I think music should be forever linked with schooling. I have always loved to read, and was known for consuming whole books in a day as I read in my great grandmother's backyard. My favorite series were "A Series of Unfortunate Events", "Harry Potter", "Goosebumps", and the Nancy Drew mysteries.
The teenage years for me were this mad dash to get as many accomplishments in as possible. I maintained a high GPA, volunteered and performed hours of charity work, participated and held leadership roles in Speech and Debate/Swimming/Teens Against Tobacco Use/Students Against Destructive Decisions/etc., made sure to get certifications in everything like CPR and First Aid, and took my stab at journalism as a writer for the school paper. During this time, I became the youngest person in Washington to create a School Walk for Diabetes event for the American Diabetes Association. In the end, I graduated with Honors, a scholarship, and an acceptance to Brigham Young University-Idaho. I also was listed as a National High School Scholar.
I spent one semester at BYU-I before I took two years off to help in the care of my siblings when my mother became a traveling nurse. I use the phrase "two years off" lightly, because they were a productive two years. I got married, homeschooled my siblings, and learned a lot of life skills like bill paying, business call making, and both money and time budgeting. I came back to BYU-I in 2013 and studied according to a major of Sociology with emphases in Home and Family Studies, Psychology, and Criminology. I had the opportunity to take amazing classes, have inspiring professors, and learn so much! This July, I graduated with my Bachelor's degree and a certificate in Criminology.. In my time at BYU-I, I served in various leadership roles including BYU-I Sociology Society President (working my way through Treasurer, Activities Coordinator, and VP first) and Student Director of Safety. I also worked with the Parking Appeals Committee and the Academic Advising Center.
While my formal education may be done for now, I plan to attend the police academy soon. I am currently studying and honing skills in photography. I study the scriptures on a regular basis. I'm even learning all there is to know about cheerleading as I am helping coach my sister's squad. I love to have debates with my friends, and learn more and more about politics (this is prevalent now in this election year.). I am not done learning, and I never will be, any more than I am done loving or living. Hopefully, neither are any of you reading this.
As Nelson Mandela said, "a good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."
