About Me

First off, HI :) Thanks for visiting my blog, and supporting me on this journey!

I'll start with a short, brief to-the-point intro for those of you who don't want to read too much into my life. (Pun? I can't tell.)
I'm 22, a senior in college, and majoring in Physics. When I graduate, I'll commission into the Air Force and I'll be leaving my beautiful city of Seattle to relocate in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My career goal is to be a middle school science teacher. I love my family and friends, I enjoy baking, I watch too much Law and Order SVU, and my favorite color is cerulean. Now, for those of you who don't want to read too much, this is where you click on a new tab, or go back to browsing Reddit.

For those of you who are interested, I'll get a little deeper into all of this.

First, two of the most common questions I get- Why physics? and Why the Air Force? Well, it's been a long process to this point, but to keep it somewhat short, it's safe to say that I've always loved science, and I've always had a passion to serve. When I was young, my mom would take me and my brother out to the runway to watch the planes take off from McChord AFB in Tacoma. My whole life, I grew up with the sound of C-17s roaring overhead, and Army bombs rattling my windows from miles away. I grew up learning what service meant, what dedication meant, what pride meant. I knew in high school that I wanted to join the military, and when I transferred to SPU and found out they had an ROTC program, I was ecstatic. And now, three years later, I've gone through countless hours of training, many sleepless nights, but I am being equipped for a great start to my career in serving my nation.

Growing up, I had thousands of ideas about what I wanted to be- a dancer, a professional soccer player, a tour guide, a translator, an actress, a singer, a teacher, a stay at home mom... Even when I was in my freshman year of school, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do; I was enrolled in a local dance theater, played IM soccer, was taking French, in concert choir, and working as a nanny. I guess this goes without saying that I've gotten better at my decision-making skills. I chose to go the engineering route, but after a few classes I knew it wasn't for me, but I loved my physics classes. After volunteering at a local middle school, I felt a sense of confirmation that I wanted to be a teacher. Soon after, I discovered that SPU offered a major that is a BA in Physics with an education focus, and I felt like I hit a gold mine. With two quarters left in my undergraduate career, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed my studies, and I am excited for what is to come!

For those of you who don't know, I spent my summer in Vietnam teaching English. Honestly, my heart still remains there. I miss it so much, and I can't wait to return. The picture of the kids in the circle is one of my classes- the kids loved playing games, so we often played in a circle and passed a ball around, and the students would have to say a word from our topic of the day. For example, if the topic was "Transportation," as the ball was passed, they would say "boat" or "car" or train," etc. They really enjoyed working together, and it was such a great thing to see them having fun while learning and building relationships. Having this opportunity to start teaching, especially in a foreign country, was a huge blessing, and makes me all the more excited to be a teacher!

When people hear that I want to be a middle school teacher, they scowl, almost like they ate something sour, or terrible memories of their middle school experience began to surface. Middle school is such a vulnerable, but mailable, age- students are old enough that they can accept responsibility, understand right from wrong, and begin to make important decisions. When their creativity is stifled and they are treated like they are just "hormonal," they are severely impacted in a negative way, and unfortunately, a lot of teachers look at the 12-14 range as irresponsible, pesky kids. I want to be a teacher that fosters that creativity in a way that each student is able to thrive in their own respects, but I want to help mold them into active learners who want to learn and are eager to come to my class. I want to invest in them, help them begin to sow seeds of passion and inspiration. Help them become who they want to be. That's what I'm passionate about, and I can't wait to be in the position to do it.

Another question I've been asked is about the URL name for my blog. Odessa means 'long journey' in Greek, and I thought it very fitting to what I am embarking on. This is not just an overnight change, it will be a long journey, but I am ready and excited for every step.

I feel like the other things are pretty self-explanatory. And if you don't know what cerulean is, it's the blue crayon in the box that you use to color water and clouds. ;)

XO