INTERVIEW RESPONSES
What has been your proudest moment?
My proudest moment is from a mission trip I went on to Philadelphia. I traveled with my church's youth group to St. James School to help make the school a safer, more educational, and more fun place for the students to learn, and the faculty to teach. The moment that we got to see the completed product after three days of hard work made my heart glow in pride. We had fixed up a whole shed, raked all of the leaves of of small crevices on the grounds, and helped finish the landscaping. The difference between before and after was astronomical, and it made me very proud to know that I was a huge part in helping make that happen.
What are three words you would use to describe yourself?
Three words I would use to describe myself would be persistent, creative, and team-player. I chose the word persistent because I've found myself in a lot of difficult situations, but I've always found a way to persevere and make it through tough situations even when I don't think I can. For example, when I moved the first time, it was from the United States to Italy, and I thought that I would never make it past my first day there. But even with a new language, culture, house, and school, I was able to make it through, move back home two years later, and grow as a person out of the experience. I chose the word creative because thinking outside of the box and thinking freely rather than analytically has always been a big part of who I am. When faced with a difficult situation, where others would usually give up, I can think beyond what I'm given and come up with a more creative solution. Finally, I chose the word team-player because while I am somewhat of an introvert, I've always been able to connect to others when I'm put on the same team as them. Even if not everyone gets along, I'm able to use my leadership skills to bring everyone together and get the job done--and not just done, but done well. I have plenty of experience from working with others and leading a team through my years as captain of the cross country team, and a leader of the LINK Crew.
Tell us about your most challenging experience. What obstacles did you encounter, and what did you do to overcome them?
The most challenging experience I've ever had to face would be when I moved for the first time. My dad works as an engineer for General Motors, which has dozens of plants all over the world, so often they invite distinguished employees to work overseas for a couple of years. My dad was invited, so my family and I moved to Italy for two years. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do--I had to leave my family, friends, school, and home all behind as I ventured into the unknown. When we moved, I hardly knew the language or the culture at all. I'd never even left the United States at all--or even been on a plane. But I was determined to make the best of this new experience, and decided not to look at is as a setback, but as an opportunity. The second I opened my mind to a new perspective was the moment I knew I could persevere and make it through--and I did. We moved back to the United States two years later, and I actually found myself sad that I was leaving, something I'd never thought would happen. Therefore, despite how impossible it had seemed in the beginning, I'd found a way to open my mind and adapt, and went on to enjoy my experience so much more than I would have ever imagined.
If a customer asked you a question, and you didn't know the answer, what would you do?
The first thing I'd do if a customer asked me a question I didn't know the answer to would be to tell them that I wasn't quite sure what the answer was. Depending on how much I knew about the subject, I might elaborate a little on what I knew. The next thing that I would do would be to tell the customer who could give them an answer. If one of my coworkers nearby knew the answer, I would either point that person out to the customer, so they could go talk to them, or personally accompany the customer to my coworker so we could resolve the problem together and make sure that question was answered. If someone who knew the answer wasn't nearby, such as my boss, I would go ask that person the question myself, then return to the customer with that answer to make sure they were satisfied.
What's the most important thing you learned in school?
Many people believe that the most important thing you learn in school in knowledge, and while that is a huge part of it, to me, that's not the most valuable thing you learn. At school, you learn so much beyond math and history, and for me, the most valuable thing I learned were different skills, like what it means to be a friend, and how to work with others even if you don't get along. Most importantly, I learned that not everyone needs to like me, even though that was a tough lesson for me to learn. During my freshman year, I found that I was drifting apart from some people, and that one of them didn't even like me. For that, I felt excluded, and it was hard to accept that that person didn't like me after being so close to her for so long. But after a while, I found out that I just needed to accept her opinion and push through, because her opinion--or anyone's opinions, for that matter--shouldn't matter to me. I had to focus on the people who would choose to accept me for who I was, because in the long run, they would offer me more success and a better chance a happiness.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
If I could be anywhere in the world, I think I would chose the town of Turin, Italy. This was where I lived for two years while my family and I loved overseas, and this city was a huge part of making me who I am today. Turin, Italy taught me perseverance and what it means to have strength, and how to cope with difficult problems. Visiting that city would give me the strength I need to overcome most anything, and the confidence I often crave when I'm feeling down. That's why, out of all of the places in the world, I would choose to go there.