I value loyalty, honesty, adventure, kindness and passion.

I am the product of many cultures mixed into one. Though I was born in Washington state and shaped by American culture, my mother is from Russia and my father from Israel. Growing up with siblings with such a large age gap left me alone at home with parents that weren’t very accepting. My mother often gave off a rude vibe, despite that she raised me to value respect. Along with that I value loyalty, honesty, adventure, kindness and passion. I have lost many friends over the years possibly from our different values. I wondered time and again if it was me, but maybe it’s them. Because of the amount of friends, I have lost I don’t put up with mischief or nonsense from anyone. People perceive me as detached, straightforward or rude—because I don’t put up with their crap! In reality I actually do care about many things, very deeply in fact. I am not mean to someone unless they’re mean to me first. I am a nice person, I want to help everyone, maybe even too much sometimes. My dream job is to teach in some way, to make a difference.

As I entered and went through high school I had no goals and no motivation. As graduation approached I made my decision to study for the SAT’s and apply to go to a university… I got accepted into three! I am happy to have made my decision. One of my greatest fears is to be stuck and not know what I want to do. I have spent so much time alone and at home I have come to value life so much more. I want to go on adventures and explore the world, and I am scared I will waste time in life and miss out on my goals. I want to travel to Israel, see the northern lights, get married, start a family and give back to the community. I have things I want to accomplish and I don’t want to miss opportunities because of wasted time. My parents are also paying for my education and I would hate to waste their money or my time. This is what motivates me every day, as well as my support team, which consist of my counselor—who has been incredible in helping me deal with anxiety and stress—my boyfriend, and my mother, who is starting to come around.