All Jay Flippen wants is to have a high paying job he enjoys so he can avoid money problems. After achieving a perfect SAT math score and currently pursuing an engineering degree at Virginia Tech, it looks like that will not be a problem.

James “Jay” Howard Flippen was born in Norfolk, Virginia on August 3, 1988, and spent his whole life there living with his mother and sister. Since Jay and his sister grew up together, they have a close relationship, however he tries to distance himself from her. “She’s very intrusive and always wants to know everything about my personal life. We are close, but I don’t tell her everything.”

Despite trying to distance himself from her, his mother feel’s that spending time with his sister has helped Jay grow into the person he is today. “Jay matured over the years at an average pace but had some extra prodding from his sister.” Said Barbara.

Ed Whelan, one of Jays friends said he felt Jay’s determination to learn on his is one of his best attributes. “Jay likes to distance himself from people. He is very independent and usually likes to do things on his own.” Said Ed.

During his free time when not spending time with his family, he usually enjoys activities with friends, whether it is playing Monday night pong, skateboarding, or playing Halo 3. When Jay wants to enjoy himself and relax he feels good food and sleep are essential, and one of these comfort foods happens to be his homemade dip that he makes which consists of veggie dip, sour cream, Tabasco, and chili powder.

Jay will usually eat anything since he feels good food is extremely important, however when it comes to food, his mother feels there is one thing that distinguishes Jay from every other college student “He is the ONLY college kid ever, in all of history, that doesn’t eat pizza.” Said Barbara.

“I love just chilling, and having good food, and watching TV.” Jay loves to just sit back and unwind when he is not out biking, playing soccer, or hanging out with friends, and he does this by watching the history channel, and the discovery channel.

Ed described Jay as adventurous and confident, He said, “Jay’s a pretty outgoing person. I remember one time my band was playing at a party, and Jay came up and started playing along with the band even though he doesn’t play any instruments.”

When he is not effortlessly solving math problems or doing work, Jay likes to keep active with hobbies and sports. He usually spends time biking forty miles from his house to Norfolk, which he sees as one of his greatest accomplishments, as well as playing intramural soccer.

It is no surprise that Jay has a strong interest in physical activities and adventure. Even as a child, Jay was always interested in physical activities and having a good time. When asked to recall a fond memory about Jay, his mother said “Looking out the window and watching Jay ride the zip line and jump on the trampoline with his sister and neighborhood friends.”

Apart from his hobbies, Jay has a lot of pet peeves. “I am obsessed with hygiene. I can’t stand when people don’t shower or brush their teeth.” Other than hygiene, Jay dislikes people who are self-conscious or lack confidence. “I especially don’t like when people spend hours getting ready, but say they don’t care what others think.”

Other than the perfect score on the SAT math test, which helped him get into the engineering program, he has wanted to come to Virginia Tech since his second year in high school. “It was the best school I got in to. And I’ve wanted to go to tech since I was 10th grade.”

Although Jay has wanted to come to Virginia Tech for years, he feels the downside to the college is that the town is too small, and it just isn’t the same as Norfolk. “My hometown is ghetto, but it has a much more loose environment compared to Blacksburg. I also miss being near the water”

Jay participates in a number of clubs at Virginia Tech to keep himself active and entertained. He participates mountain biking, intramural soccer and has hopes for a future pong club in which he has already attempted to start with his friends.

Once he gets his engineering degree, Jay hopes to find an easy job he enjoys, but mainly one that pays well so that he doesn’t have to deal with money problems. “My mom used to have money problems when I was younger, so I just don’t want to deal with all that. Constantly stressing out over money is not a good way to live.” However, he does not know exactly what he wants to do with his career.

Jay says he is loving his experience at Tech, however he misses how high school was less work and much easier. “I also went to a private school so it was easier to do stuff, for example skip class whenever I wanted to, stuff like that.” Said Jay.

Although Jay misses a lot about his hometown, he would travel far away to any tropical place if he got the chance. When asked where he would like to travel in the future he said, “I would love to go cave diving in the Philippines and sail around the world. Or any place tropical like Fiji. Anything adventurous works for me.” He also wants visit Greece and then travel through the rest of Europe.

When asked the question, “What makes Jay unique?” his mother said, “Well, in my unbiased opinion - he's smart, musical, athletic, great looking and an all-around wonderful person! Solid Gold.”

Word Count: 968 By Aaron Drew

The Great White Sharko, also known as Tom Sharko, age 18, is what we in the modern world commonly refer to as a Renaissance man. Whether it is on the gridiron or in the classroom, “The Great White Sharko,” is capable of doing it all.

During his years at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Sharko excelled as both a student in the classroom, and an athlete on the football field playing the positions of defensive back and sometimes wide receiver. While attending Ridge High School, Sharko had quite the talent when it came to learning and executing architectural designs. Surprisingly enough however, he is not enrolled in the architecture program here at Virginia Tech. In addition to being caught up with school and sports, Tom is also very family orientated stating that his two biggest influences in life are his father and his brother.

Despite the busy schedules that all four members of the Sharko family have, involving work and school and sports, they all manage to make it home in time for dinner every night. Tom states that “at times my family is super busy, both of my parents work and my brother, Nick, is always out doing his thing, so we are all constantly running around, but we all help each other out whenever we need to and we are all very reliable to each others needs. Every night we have dinner together, we all have a great sense of humor and we’re all honest with each other.”

Sharko finds that playing sports and hanging out with his friends and family are his best methods for creating a fun time and relieving stress. He is not the religious type, and a word to the wise, please do not chew with your mouth around this young man. Sharko finds heavy chewing with one’s mouth open to be very disrespectful, making it his biggest pet peeve. Sharko looks for friends that possess the characteristics of having a good sense of humor while maintaining a high level of honesty.

After meeting and talking with “The Great White Sharko,” it became evident that he is not only very talented, but he has many aspirations and dreams including a passion to one day walk down the streets in New York City on Wall Street, as a stock broker. He also dreams to one day travel to Europe and explore the entire continent, visiting and experiencing the many different countries and cultures. Sharko is a fan of hard rock and metal music. His favorite bands include Rage Against the Machine and Metallica, and he says with a chuckle and a smirk on his face, “Basically anything with a power guitar in it.” His obsessions include a love for the game of ping-pong among other sports such as football, and women, as made evident from comments made by two of Sharko’s friends in Anthony D’Angio and Tyler Luckewicz who say, “Tom loooves the ladies.”

During interviews with Sharko’s friends and brother, it was easy to see just how amazing “The Great White Sharko” really is. To outsiders, Sharko may appear quiet and shy; this is certainly not the case according to those who know him best, in Sharko’s friends. When I had inquired about one single word to describe Tom Sharko, D’Angio and Luckewicz simultaneously responded with “shameless.” Stating that Sharko stands with absolutely no shame in saying what he wants as well as saying what he means when speaking to people and when paling around with friends.

While becoming more in depth with D’Angio and Luckewicz, they informed me that Sharko is not intimidated by what other people think, in addition to not being intimidated by rejection. According to Luckewicz, Sharko applied to Princeton University despite being told by everyone that it was not worth it because he would not be accepted.

I know what you are thinking, a guy with this much talent must not have a very good personality; think again. According to ones closest to him, “Tom is very funny, and he speaks his own very unique dialect. He also tends to display his very own power stance in which he moves one leg in front of the other and with a thrust of the pelvis looks more authoritative than ever,” says D’Angio.

Along with Sharko’s sense of humor comes a talent known only as backpack skinning. Skinning a backpack refers to an ancient trick in which one takes another person’s backpack, opens it up and removes all of its contents, then proceeds to turn the backpack inside and out and refill it with its original contents without the proprietor of the backpack knowing. According to D’Angio, “The Great White Sharko” has the ability to do it in possibly under 7 seconds. Believe it.

Upon the conclusion of my final interview with Tom’s brother, Nick Sharko, I grew to have even more respect for Tom. According to Nick, “Tom works hard at whatever he does and he is also very disciplined.” In one word from Nick describing his younger brother, “determined,” with a back up description of “disciplined.” I asked Nick what he was most proud of Tom for and he replied, “That Tom got into a good school because he works so hard and he deserves to do well for himself.” Interestingly enough, that was also what Sharko referred to as his greatest accomplishment to this point in his life.

Upon sitting down after the four interviews, it started to become more and more obvious that the title of this profile would have to be spectacular and really show how special Tom Sharko really is. Thus it also became obvious that Tom Sharko should be called “The Great White Sharko,” because he truly is that entity.

By Matt Chernick

Race to the Stars!

Sam Hays races to reach the stars.
Sam has always been racing to the stars, not only in his academic success, but also in pole-vaulting, singing, and playing guitar.

Sam Hays was born on July 27, 1990, to John and Norma Hays. He was born and raised in a small town called Short Pump, located on the far west end of Richmond, Virginia with his big brother Nathan.

Now Short Pump is one of the biggest towns in Richmond, but when Sam was born, Short Pump was nothing more than farmland and a gas station. Unfortunately, the grand opening of Wall-Mart and Short Pump Town Center started the industrial boom. “Now, Short Pump is a nightmare town with way too many buildings in way too small of a space. It is impossible to drive through without getting stuck in traffic,” Sam yearns for the past.

Sam graduated from St. Christopher’s High School in the graduating class of 2008. He longs for his friends from his high school. “To me it was hard to leave the friends that I had been with for years and start over. I was worried about meeting new people when I got here, but it turned out well and I have met a lot of cool people,” Sam says.

Sam chose Virginia Tech largely because he has a lot of legacy here and also because he has visited Virginia Tech many times and truly fell in love with it. A number of his family members, including his father, brother, two uncles, one aunt, and two cousins have all gone to Tech. Sam states, “I figured that I should continue the tradition. My dad, brother, and uncles were also all in the Sigma Chi fraternity, so I plan in pledging for them this semester.”

Sam’s main obsession is music. He loves finding “cool” new artists and going to the concerts. Sam says, “Music is such a good way to escape from everything; if I am feeling down, I just lie down and listen to some of my favorite bands and I instantly feel better.”

Sam is a great guitarist. He loves acoustic music and always tries to play songs after he hears them. Although he may not succeed every time, Sam likes to try and have fun.

Since he was only ten years old, Sam has been singing and would like to continue singing at Tech. His favorite kind of singing is a cappella. Sam shows his passion of singing by planning to join a cappella group. “I have heard that Virginia Tech has some pretty good groups, so I might check few of them out next semester,” Sam says.

Sam chooses earning All-Prep and All-State pole-vaulting titles two seasons in a row as his greatest accomplishment. He pole-vaulted for many years and finally, as a senior in high school, he renewed his record by jumping 12 feet 6 inches in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. He felt more exciting because he, not only set a new height, but defeated his rival school, Fork Union Military Academy, which had always dominated men’s track.

Fork Union Military Academy has won the prep and state meets for past few years, and even though Sam received the best pole-vaulter titles, All-Prep and All-State Champion, his high school, St. Christopher, did not beat Fork Union as a team. “Even though we did not win, I still felt good because I beat them in my own event,” Sam expresses his feeling of excitement.

Endless field of Australia and beautiful scenery of New Zealand touch Sam’s love of nature. “I would love to go anywhere that I could just go outside and watch nature,” Sam shows his enthusiasm to travel to Australia and New Zealand. As a nature lover, Sam always enjoys watching the sunset or watching the stars on a clear night. He heard of beautiful landscape and scenery of Australia and New Zealand and always wanted to travel there. Sam says, “If I get a chance to travel, I would definitely go to Australia and New Zealand.”

With his great achievements as a pole-vaulter, singer, and guitarist, Sam seems way different than other ordinary American teenagers. However, Sam shows his ordinary nature of being an American teenager by sleeping, watching television, and eating in his spare time. “Pretty much I like to do nothing because I never have much free time. I am always doing work or going to class or doing something with friends, so it is nice to just sit down and not worry about anything,” Sam says.

One of Sam’s biggest influences is his brother, Nathan. Nathan has always been there to help Sam out with whatever he needs help with. Nathan is seven years older than Sam and went to the same high school, St. Christopher, and college, Virginia Tech. Since Nathan is much order than Sam and walked through the same pathway that Sam has to go in future, Nathan gives him good advice on pretty much everything based on his past experiences.

Currently, Sam is not sure of what to do it future, but he is certain that he wants to do something environmental. With his love of nature, environment suits him the best and is Sam’s favorite subject. He also has some experiences as an environmentalist. He did an internship with the James River Association earlier this year really enjoyed it. “We pretty much just went out on the James River and took water samples, observed the wildlife, and even went fishing. The outdoors has always interested me and I would like to continue to enjoy it,” Sam says of his passion and love for the environment.

Sam’s life always has been a race to become the best singer, athlete, and student. He has overcome the fear of meeting new people and finally reached the goal. Sam is now ready to start the next race here at Virginia Tech.

Next Generation Einstein comes to Tech

Matt Is Matt

“Exuberant.” If you are in the same room as Matt Chernick, you will pick him out, or if you don’t know him you will meet him, he is “that guy.” With a great sense of humor, and a perseverance to tackle problems head on, Matt will have fun or find away to have fun in the most boring situation.

He was born February15 in Princeton NJ. When he was three he moved to Chicago, and then moved back to Montclair NJ when he was twelve. Back in Chicago he had to say good bye to all of his friends, as he faced a new challenge of going to New Jersey not knowing anyone. Due to his character he choked back his fears and dove head first into a foreign environment. Once he discovered many new friends and how much fun he was having, nothing was stopping him. He quotes, “it was hard getting people to like you…a difficult move but a good transition.” For Matt this move wasn’t exactly easy, and it became one of his greatest accomplishments.

As Matt grew up over the years, his mother quoted, “a new age, a new beginning.” She went on to say that he was disciplined to know what he had to do and when he had to do it. Mrs. Chernick also responded, “Everything was a correct change for him and nothing held him back, progressed well.”

Perhaps this trend will continue on into the future, after college towards a career. However, Matt does not know what exactly it is that he wants to do; as long as it is adventurous and thrilling. “…like Bear Grylls.” He states. Matt is the kind of guy that will go out into the real world and just stumble upon a job that is everything he ever wanted, maybe even his own TV show. He’s not the kind of guy who would end up behind a desk crunching numbers 9-5 everyday; but definitely something outside or something that will get his adrenaline pumping.

The only thing he did mention that he wanted to do after college is to go to Amsterdam. He does not know how he may get there or when he might get there, just as long as he gets there.

He is influenced by his parents and his lacrosse coach. Always pushing him to do better and support him in whatever situation he might get into. “He’s a hard worker, blue collar type of person. He will never quit no matter how bad the odds stack up against him.” Mike Landy comments. He is one of Matt’s good friends that has been there on and off the field with him.

Mike recalled a fond memory with Matt, “It was after the championship game which we lost a heartbreaker to our rivals and everyone was down about it especially the seniors. He was hands down the hardest worker on the team. He came up to me as I was crying and put his arm around me and said it was an honor playing with me and he wouldn’t trade the time he had with the team for anything. He wasn’t an all-star on the team, but hearing it from someone who I respected, really made me step back and look at the last few years, playing with him was the actual honor.”

Matt is a big fan of sports, it does not matter he’ll do it and have a blast or watch it and have just as much fun. He especially likes lacrosse and football, the two sports he played in high school. Any chance for him to scamper around and get dirty, he will take it. Besides sports his attention is also captured by females. Now only if he could combine the two, he would be a happy man.
In his free time he likes to play sports, hang out with friends, and party. A place where he can just be himself, relax and have a good time.

When Mrs. Chernick was asked what she is most proud of about her son, she paused for a second and then quickly, almost instinctively responded with, “Matt is Matt.” Exemplifying that Matt is truly unique, because of his character, and how other people portrait him. Whether it is on the field where he is busting his ass for the team, or in the class room where he is making friends and getting all of his work done. When he is faced with a challenge, whatever it may be, he takes it face on and he is not going to relinquish, or let anyone else around him fail. Just like when he is out playing lacrosse with his good friend Mike, always encouraging him and motivating him to do better, but not just him, the whole team as well. She also mentioned his perseverance, courage along with his intelligence.

Off the bat, Mrs. Chernick could only think of one weakness for Matt. It is that if he is not fully interested in something, then he will lose focus and get distracted, in a good way, with something else. However if it is something that he does not like and it is of importance then that is where it becomes a problem. Other than that situation why should he waste his time with something he does not enjoy?

Matt is very talkative, and can start up a conversation with anyone. You can’t be around him for too long before he starts talking to you, about random topics. Within the first 5 minutes of English class this year he was already talking to me about Jersey, and I never met him before that.

All in all matt is a very humorous, hard working, intelligent individual who faces challenges head on, and does not give up on anything that he is committed to. Very friendly to everyone he meets and can relax and hang out with friends, while working hard through school, and enjoy any game of sports in the afternoon. His mother can only describe him in one word, exuberant.

--by Tom Sharko

“And this year’s 2008 Homecoming Queen is… Mary Burton!” A surprise to many, even herself, Mary gracefully walked up to the podium and accepted her tiara and sash. The once tom boy, transformed into a lovely dancer, Homecoming Queen and sweetest friend that anyone could ask for.

Mary Burton was not the most popular girl in school but she was probably the nicest. The people at her school knew that and loved that about her. Mary aimed to please and made the effort to be completely genuine and kind to everyone.

So, when she won the title of Homecoming Queen at Hidden Valley High School, it did not come as a surprise to those who knew her well. She admits she felt somewhat bad for the girl she ran against because she was the epitome of the popular high school girl and all of her friends were cheering her on.

Mary Burton’s love for dancing always shines through everything else. People view her as timid, shy, and introverted but the truth is she laughs, jokes, smiles and speaks her mind. She admits it does take her some time to warm up to people but once she becomes comfortable, she lets loose.

Her personality breaks through the moment she hits the dance floor. She has been dancing since she was three years old. She went on a “So You Think You Can Dance” tour with her sister-in-law, Elisabeth Burton, over the summer and loved every moment of it. Her mentors are her dance teachers since she has been so immersed in dance.

Her mentor and most beloved dance teacher Mrs. Watkins, was practically her second mother and one of the biggest influences in her life. Mrs. Watkins always kept Mary entertained and inspired. Recently, Mrs. Watkins was diagnosed with breast cancer and it amazes Mary everyday how she continues to dance and teach and take pleasure in life with her situation.

Another prominent influence in her life is her mother, Julia. Her mother endured so much throughout her life and was forced to take care of Mary and her older brother Phillip all by herself. Mary respects and understands the hard work her mother underwent to raise two children with very minuscule help from their father.

Julia Burton also inspired Mary to pursue a career in the medical field. She dreams of becoming either a physician’s assistant or an optometrist. When she was younger she would join her mother at the hospital. Mary wandered the halls and watched the surgeries, the doctors at work, patients being rushed to the ER and knew it was her calling.

Mary truly values her family over everything. She knows that they will always be there for her no matter what is thrown her way. She enjoys her friends but also is aware of the fact that not everyone is your friend. So, she believes in having a few close friends that are always dependable and that care about her.

Mary’s friends and family pride her for never prejudging people and treating people insanely well, but warn her that she can be too kind and people might take advantage of that. She learned that in high school people tend be deceiving and untrustworthy, so she applies that to her everyday life.

One of Mary’s strengths is the ability to be honest. She says “I hate lying so I don’t and I think a lot of people lie. Not that I don’t trust people. I just don’t like to lie.“ Not only is Mary honest with others but more importantly she stays true to herself.

She believes in a set code of ethics and morals that no one can shake from her. She is independent and decides for herself what she wants to do and refuses to give into peer pressure. Her sister-in-law says “She doesn't have the view of "that is what ever one does today" she goes by her own thoughts and beliefs.” These admirable traits sufficiently prepared her for college.

Mary’s acceptance to Virginia Tech has been her greatest accomplishment thus far. Her family and friends were overjoyed with her acceptance into Virginia Tech, not only is it a fabulous school but it is also so close to her home.

Mary was born and raised in Roanoke, Virginia, a short drive of only forty-five minutes. Part of Mary’s decision involved the fact that it was such a short distance from Virginia Tech. She said that “Subconsciously I liked the fact that the Tech was so close to home because I am very close with my family.”

She is also an extreme Hokie football fan so there was no question after she got that letter in the mail that she would be attending Tech in the fall. She has already joined the pre-optometry club too. Success.

The only aspect that Mary truly misses from home would have to be dance. The one activity she devoted her whole life to is no longer accessible to her. She loved dance and practiced and performed regularly and at Virginia Tech there are not as many opportunities to dance; which is the one among the many of her favorite things.

Mary also enjoys watching movies, especially zombie movies. She seriously finds pleasure in watching people. She says “It’s one of my favorite things to do, just watch people, especially at fairs. Carnies are funny.” She also loves to eat everything but really loves steak and chocolate. Her favorite past time would have to be taking a nap, not only does it calm her down but it is almost a hobby.

Mary Burton can be described in many words but lovely, good-hearted and reliable pretty much sums it up. She always tries to be pleasant and caring towards everyone. Many people view her as shy but it’s only because they do not know the real Mary. She can be easily found out on the dance floor. Her talent is immense and wonderful and she has “…an obvious love for musical expression of all types…”.

--by Liesel Benjamin

New Experiences, New Values: Profile of Carlie Guilfoile

George Bernard Shaw once said, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” Carlie Guilfoile did just that last year.

In the spring of 2007, Carlie was nearing the end of her high school career and was faced with the same choices multitudes of students are. However, unlike many of the others, Guilfoile opted to take a risk.

“I was scared to take a year off but I realized I simply like to do things that scare me. I like to push myself to see my limits,” Guilfoile explained.

Carlie decided that it would be in her best interest to not immediately
continue her education in a college but instead grow as an individual while traveling abroad to three different countries.

Guilfoile began her travels in Greece where she spent a month in a tent having never camped before. It was here that she worked with a turtle conservation program and was able to make an impact on her growing concerns for the
environment.

Carlie then traveled to South Africa where she experienced life in a township first hand. She was apart of a lower class community and worked at the local preschool. She recalled her fondest memory of her time spent there to be watching the children play at recess and the interaction she shared with them.

The last stop on her three part adventure was Guatemala. It was here that Carlie attended school to study Spanish. And although she has a background in the language, Guilfoile found this to be the most mentally challenging place to travel. She was placed in a home with a family who did not speak any English.

Carlie stated, “There were lots of tears but it made me value communication so
much more.”

Carlie’s mother shared that she was very pleased Carlie choose to take a year off. She felt her daughter grew up a lot during this time and was awarded the opportunity to learn who she is as a person without the influence of family and friends. Guilfoile also personally credits this to be her biggest accomplishment and the source of her gaining independence.

After completing her year off, Carlie made the decision to come to Tech where she is currently apart of the University Studies program. Interior design has always been a huge passion for her and for this very reason she hopes to get into the school of architecture to complete this major.

Coincidently, Guilfoile is obsessed with IKEA. This large home furnishing store is filled with everything she loves. She enthused, “I get really excited about interior places!” In fact, our interview was held in what could be considered a fairly empty room with plain walls and a few pieces of mismatched furniture. Carlie’s face lit up when she talked about all the things she would do with the study lounge given the opportunity.

Carlie’s mother also mentioned that they moved into a new home last year. She shared that Carlie took great pleasure in combing through many design catalogs and created her very own work space within their home that is very brightly colored and comfortable, a reflection of her personality.

Although Carlie’s adventures in traveling and her career goals are a reflection of who she is, there is much more to her personality and life.

Carlie Susan Guilfoile, or Carr as her friends call her, was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and spent a mere two months there. She and her family moved to Dallas where she resided for eight years before finally picking up and moving to Chapel Hill, North Carolina where she has happily lived the past 11 years of her life. The multiple changes in environment has led to Carlie’s outgoing personality which is obvious from the moment you meet her.

Guilfoile’s roommate shared that her first impressions of Carlie where actually the exact opposite in what she was excepting to find in a roommate. She feels that Carlie is a very outgoing and determined person who others view as laid back and easy to talk with. Her best friend of seven years, Mari said she believed Guilfoile’s “care free spirit, energy, eagerness for adventure and enthusiasm for anything different,” makes her the unique person she is.

Her colorful personality is something which she has always possessed. Her mother recalled one of her fondest memories of Carlie being when she was a small child and strapped in her car seat. She had mistakenly left her purse within Carlie’s reach and when she turned to check on her, she discovered her daughter to be covered in lipstick from head to toe. Another time, she expressed her creative nature by giving herself a haircut which was described as, “not pretty, but pretty funny!”

When it comes down to who Carlie is and what she enjoys, it is apparent that she is your average, down to earth girl. She describes herself as a very competitive person who loves to be apart of a good challenge. Carlie was a member of a soccer team for 13 years but opted to quit playing her junior year of high school. The sport was a large part of her life and she often
contemplates picking it back up.

Carlie loves nothing more than chocolate and a good bowl of dumplings which get her through her hardest days. And of course, she has two very close friends who she enjoys spending her free time with. Her favorite thing to do with the girls is to get coffee in a small café in Chapel Hill called Driade. This is one of the things she misses from home but knows it will make going back even better.

Guilfoile values nothing more than an interesting conversation. She thoroughly enjoys coming into contact with new people who have perspectives on life that are different than her own. She shared, “I love to branch out and talk to people.”

All of the experiences in Carlie Guilfoile’s life has had impact on the person she is today and the goals she has set for her future. Her traveling has given her the thirst to learn more about other cultures and communication. Guilfoile desires to spend time traveling to many other places and to make herself the most well rounded individual possible while still doing what she loves.

--by Jordan Hunt

Katrina Macareag: A Perfect Friend

“Cold sand through my toes, almost tripping, best friend in arm, eyes covered by a blindfold, never more curios.. and even a little scared.. in my life...” that’s what her best friend was feeling the night that Katrina planned a surprise birthday party for her at Virginia Beach. MaryAnn Jackson will never forget that surprise party. That is just one example of how wonderful Katrina Macaraeg really is.

It would be no surprise to see this beautiful, smiling face everywhere you turn on this campus. Katrina Macaraeg might possibly be the most fun and outgoing girl around. Raised in Newport News, Katrina is a one of a kind girl. She is extremely family oriented, has a slight obsession for fashion, wants to be an ophthalmologist, wishes she carried a small vacuum in her purse, and could very easily become your best friend.

Everyone knows that Katrina would do absolutely anything for her family. Her parents are so supportive of everything that she does and has accomplished. Her older brother is her mentor and very protective of his baby sister. Molly, her younger sister, looks up to her in so many ways and is so grateful to have such a wonderful, “headstrong” sister. Katrina values her family more than anything else and they have been her biggest influence in her life thus far.

Little sister Molly says that she will always appreciate everything that Katrina has done for her. “She is the best older sister that anyone could ask for. No matter how much we bicker, I really do love her,” says Molly. Katrina has been a role model to Molly in so many ways. Katrina says that she respects her sister as she gets older and matures and actually finds it flattering to be Molly’s mentor through life.

There are so many words that could be used to describe Katrina. Friends see her as “loving, sweet, fierce, spicy, and bold.” Those are just a few that MaryAnn shared about her best friend. John Jolissaint, another best friend, adds, “optimistic, honest, sexy, funny, and smart.”

John recalls the day that he first met Katrina. It started with throwing dodge balls at her and ended with Katrina threatening him. John says, “It was basically love at first sight.” He says that he would not be half the person he is today without Katrina. She has taught him so much and has been the most loving and supportive friend that he has ever had.

Some say she is “loyal” others would say she is “caring,” but any way you look at it, Katrina is an amazing friend. She has gone out of her way many times for the happiness of her friends. They can go to her with anything and she will be there with open arms, open ears, words of wisdom, love, and support.

Outsiders may first view her as “just a pretty face” but they will soon realize that she is a genuinely kind-hearted person. She is approachable and easy-going, she has an “infectiously joyous personality” that rubs off onto everyone around her, says best friend John. “Anyone who is around the girl for five minutes loves her,” he adds.

Katrina puts everyone else before herself. She values what other people think and the way that they feel. No matter what, she would drop everything for anyone. But one of her best qualities might be that she is true to herself and does not let what other people say get in her way. She does not judge and does not let other people’s judgments of her bring her down.

Volunteering, just another way that Katrina can give back and help others. She has been volunteering every year since ninth grade and has loved every minute of it. From hospitals, to a hospice, to nursing homes, even Bible school, Katrina has done it all. “I love those kids… they are sooooo much fun,” states Katrina about her third grade Bible School class. Katrina has always loved being the support of her friends, but being the support of complete strangers gives her “a feeling I can’t get anywhere else,” she says.

Katrina is determined and “she has a good head on her shoulders,” states MaryAnn. She has accomplished many things in her life, especially academically. Her friends and family say that they are so proud of all the things that she has accomplished, one of her biggest being accepted to Virginia Tech. Katrina says, “It was a big step for me, I had no idea where I wanted to go to college… but I love it here, it is absolutely amazing!” And her best friend agrees, “She obviously picked the best school.” But, she also loves it here at Virginia Tech because of football season- and who doesn’t?

Ophthalmologist, a.k.a. eye surgeon, is a pretty intense career. Well, that is the career that Katrina Macaraeg has her mindset on. She has the dream of curing every one’s eyesight in order to make life a little easier for them. “Eyesight is so important, so why settle for having to wear glasses or contacts everyday?...what a hassle!” Katrina adds.

If becoming an eye surgeon becomes impossible then Katrina wants to have her own clothing line and boutique. She loves fashion and all the newest and latest trends. Katrina says, “I love seeing people dress nice and show their personality through the things that they wear.” You can tell by looking at her that she definitely has a wonderful sense of fashion and accessories. Fashion is just another passion of Katrina’s.

It is also very important for her to have a steady job and work extremely hard in order to provide for her future family. Which is another thing that she wants in life, a family. Katrina looks forward to finding her “soul-mate” and having a loving family. She wants a family that will continue to support her through everything that she does. Just as she does with everyone else in her life, Katrina will love her family unconditionally and will make “one-helluva-mother,” says MaryAnn.

Soaking up the rays of the sun, laying on a towel on the warm sand, listening to all kinds of music, this is one of Katrina’s favorite things to do. It is her way of relaxing and unwinding. Living so close to Virginia Beach makes this all very easy. The beach is where some of Katrina and her friends have had their fondest moments together. It is the place where some things happened that she will forever remember. “I definitely want to stay close to the beach when I grow up…I am way too used to being able to relax there that I can’t imagine not being able to anymore,” says Katrina.

So who would not want to be this girl’s best friend? She sure wants to be yours. She wants to be everyone’s best friend and give them the most fun they could ever possibly imagine, because she is indeed always making every situation exciting. What a perfect best friend: kind, easy-going, strong-willed, determined, and just simply wonderful.

--by Kerri Moriarty

Jenny Walsh: Always on Pointe

Always on her feet from a very young age, Jenny Walsh dances through her years going above and beyond to reach where she stands today.

The tiny six pound twelve ounce Jenny was born June 25, 1989 in Richmond, Virginia. She has lived in the same house since the time she arrived in the world with her parent’s, Bill and Cheryl, and older sister Alison. However, Jenny was the only child in the house- other than her miniature schnauzer dog, Heidi- since entering fifth grade after Allison left for college. She maintains close relationships with her parents and thinks of her mom as one of her best friends. “We are so similar…” Jenny explains.

Jenny finds her hometown of Richmond as very generic and stereotypical with “a lot of soccer moms driving Volvos.” The teenagers follow the same trends and fit a cookie cutter mold but Jenny finds ways to avoid this conformity. However she has built many close relationships with her family and friends, which allow her to stay away from peer pressure. Jenny believes that one of her greatest accomplishments so far is “…not conforming to the standards of people’s expectations. I do not give into peer pressure a lot. I don’t let other people’s opinions get to me or influence me.” One of her biggest pet peeves is when people are unreliable and do not follow through with their promises. This could be because she presents herself as a reliable source for her friends when they need her most.

Jenny presents herself as very laid back and easy going. Her sister Alison says, “Jenny has a very nice presence about her.” She enjoys having a good time and relaxing but also focuses on accomplishing her goals. Her best friend, Lauren Fargis, says that if she did not know Jenny she would think of her as a wild child, but “she studies all the time…she definitely knows how to get her work done.” She commits herself to the things she cares about, such as dancing and her education, and can even be described as a perfectionist when accomplishing her goals.

Dancing since her childhood, Jenny excelled in ballet and jazz above many other types of dance. At eight years old, she preformed in the Nutcracker for the Richmond ballet. Her role as a mouse in the performance required a solo dance on stage. Her sister Alison described this solo dance as “a shining moment for her and involved a lot of bravery for a young girl.”

Jenny continues to perform but stopped dancing in high school to focus on her education. The commitment required to continue dancing was one she felt she could not fulfill while maintaining high grades in school. “It required half days of school and half dance practice,” she explained. Instead Jenny turned to theater and drama classes, a place where she could express her personality through acting. She began acting in school plays, which allowed her to develop an outgoing personality and attempt new things. Although much of Jenny’s life had been committed to dancing she enjoyed doing theater during high school more than her previous years of dancing. Her ballet classes involved very strict rules whereas theater let her express her personality more and enjoy the company around her. In the week before the plays would open to the public, Jenny recalls having seven-hour rehearsals where everyone in the production would bond over dinner. She enjoyed the time she spent with her cast mates and got to experience a new setting.

During her junior year of high school, Jenny preformed in her school play You Can’t Take it With You. Jenny recalls this as her favorite production. “It was so much fun because I was with three of my really good friends and I got to play a ditzy ballerina and wear a big poofy tutu and my Pointe shoes,” says Jenny. She met a lot of new people during her time involved in theater and developed many relationships off stage. She explains the experience as unforgettable, and allowed her to expand her experiences as a performer.

Expanding her experiences well outside her comfort zone, Jenny she loves to travel across the globe. She and her mom take annual summer trips to different locations and have visited places such as San Francisco, Hawaii, and Wyoming. She enjoys exploring her surroundings while on these trips. While Jenny and her mom stayed in Hawaii they toured the island and snorkeled. When they visited Wyoming they stayed on a ranch and tried horseback riding and whitewater rafting. She loves trying new things and visiting places but also continues a traditional vacation to different ski locations with her father every spring. One of Jenny’s favorite activities includes skiing and belongs to a ski club with her father. Of all the many different ski resorts she has visited, she enjoys Vail, Colorado the most for its scenery. Jenny says, “It is so beautiful and the mountains are great.”

Dillard described Jenny as “remarkably kind.” She emits a presence about her that makes people want to approach her and enjoy her company. Jenny lights up the room she walks into and captures people with her laugh. Her laugh is the most entertaining thing about her. She loves to laugh and make other people laugh along with her. People who do not know her often refer to her as the “girl who laughs a lot,” says Dillard. Jenny likes to make people feel comfortable around her and entertain them. Dillard Watt says Jenny, “has the ability to provide a positive energy that is often a guiding light when things get down for those around her.” Jenny presents a strong front as an independent woman who sets the standards high for herself. Her friends and family describe her as confident, conscientious and likeable.

Jenny Walsh takes part in many activities and has experienced many places. She loves dancing, acting, double stuff Oreos, and her dog Heidi, and enjoys the company of her friends and family. She always strives for her best and reaches for the stars in everything she is involved in. Jenny loves to enjoy life with those who mean the most to her. Dillard says, “She loves to laugh, no matter who she is with.”

--by Tara Sones

Linda Saysithideth- More Than Just Laotian Blood

Having a mother and father who escaped from Laos and took refuge in America with little to no belongings or money, one learns to value the important things in life. Linda is grateful to have parents who work so hard and have succeeded in
truly amazing things throughout their lives.

Laotian culture is a great part of Linda’s family. She has been back to Laos numerous times to visit her grandparents. Also, in her household of five, the delicious Laotian cuisine is kept cooking all the time.

Laotian food is definitely not the only food Linda enjoys though! She could hardly even pin-point her favorite food because she exclaimed how she, “likes so many things.” Out of everything, she said that pasta is definitely a dish
she could never get rid of. She also loves BBQ ribs, spring rolls and pork buns.

Along with her mother, father, and older brother, Linda’s uncle is also living
with her. Even though he is not part of her immediate family, she says they
are all, “as tight knit as possible.” Some would envy the closeness of the
Saysithideth family. Whether it is having dinner together or family time,
Laura says her parents, “value the family being close.” Even Laura’s cousin,
Susie, says, “When the family does get together, there’s a bond like no other.”

Linda and her family are Buddhist and used to attend a temple every weekend. Throughout Linda’s elementary school career, she was extremely involved in the Buddhist community, but her religious activities have lessened greatly since then. With all of the activities and school work, it is understandable that they stopped going as often. Linda and her family are still active members about once or twice a year for the festivals. After hearing this, one may characterize her as not being religious at all. This is not true. When one goes through struggles and stress, it sometimes points them towards praying. This is what happened to Linda. She had awful nightmares from being stressed with school and work. Her friend recommended that she start praying again. After taking this advice, she has been praying every night since.

Along with being family-oriented, Linda’s cousins and friends viewed her as extremely talented. They say that, “music and art define her character…she is very creative and a talented person in both music and art.” Linda religiously plays guitar, both acoustic and electric. She plays soft rock or R&B songs to help her relax. With knowledge of many instruments, she took the classical
pieces for the violin, and tried them on the guitar. Linda’s cousin says she can also, “play the piano and sing.”

Many fear trying something for the first time, but not Linda. Sophomore year, she tried out for her high school musical with no experience. She landed roles that even she could not believe, including the understudies for the main roles.

But, not only can Linda convert classical violin tunes into a great guitar sound and act/sing, she can also viciously serve a ball on the tennis court better than most you’ve ever seen.

Playing tennis since she was eight, Linda continued and, come freshman year, she
was the only freshman out of thirty to make it on the varsity team. Along with playing for the competition, Linda plays as a stress reliever. Whenever she has a problem, she says, “Going on the courts and just playing tennis really helps.”

Although Linda has multiple talents and a firm family bond, she always makes time for her friends. Priya, her best friend, stated, “She’s always there to lend an ear to a friend.” Along with lending a helping hand, she is also a great mentor. Her morals and responsibilities are outstanding and she always follows them not matter where she is. Linda is even looked up to by her twenty-four year old cousin who envies her, “talent and book-smart intelligence.”

Another one of Linda’s cousins considers Linda as an adviser. Not listening to ones parents usually results in being a rule-breaker or a rebel, but not when Linda is your guide. A. Mina Phomphakdy, Linda’s cousin, exclaimed how Linda, “taught her many responsibilities that she was taught and brought up to do, like cleaning the house, doing the laundry, cooking, and helping the family.”

Linda’s cousin shared how this taught her discipline and sees Linda as her role-model.

Linda always tries her hardest to succeed. One of the reasons she chose Virginia Tech was because she said she felt more capable of, “excelling at a school like Virginia Tech.” Along with the great academics, she loves the kind people, beautiful scenery, and extreme diversity. She enjoys the crowd at Virginia Tech because they, “know how to have fun, but at the same time, they know the importance of studies.”

It was very difficult for Linda to choose a major because she holds numerous
interests. She is involved in Business Finance now, but plans on switching and
exploring the interesting fields of medicine and technology. Because of Linda’s
remarkable knack for helping people, she plans on excelling in her career as a
financial assistant by helping out people who are in extreme debt.

Along with book-smart intelligence, Priya boasts about how Linda can always think logically before making a decision. Priya went on to declare how immensely proud of Linda she is in the way the she matured over the years she has known her. Out of all, she is extremely happy that, throughout everything that Linda has been through, she stayed humble. Also, she said that Linda has, “matured over the years by realizing that her priorities come first.” This is a
great skill to acquire and difficult to many.

Linda also gets involved around campus. Along with classes and intramural tennis, Linda is a part of clubs that involve her in the campus-life. She plans on cave-climbing and salsa dancing with her friends this semester. She wants to get involved in as many ways as possible.

Therefore, on top of Linda’s tight family bond, she is a talented and extremely versatile student which shows how much more to Linda there is than Laotian blood.

by: Julia Povolny

Marco… Polo... Marco… Aaron?

Where did Aaron’s life begin? He did spend four years in Singapore during his mid-childhood, but that was only after Katmandu, Nepal. Swaziland, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Brussels, Belgium and Petoria, South Africa have also been called home to the nomadic family of Aaron.

Born November 2nd, 89’ in Washington D.C., Aaron’s adventurous lifestyle was about to begin. His father, employed by the U.S. State Department, is one of the reasons for their family’s traveling lifestyle. Aaron’s mom nonetheless, works for the American embassy. It is not surprising his family has grown a love for traveling, which is especially appreciative of someone who loves to surf. Moving from America to Africa at two months old, his life has been shaped by living all over Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. His immediate family also includes two sisters, one of which he is very close with, the other being older and having ‘too obsessive’ of a work ethic. His friends describe him as having a Southern California “So Cal” lifestyle, contradictory to his unusual history of residency.

After his birth in D.C. came Burkina Faso in western Africa for two years, then Swaziland for a four year period. When Aaron was six, his family left Swaziland for Kathmandu, Nepal. Here his father immersed his son into sports, first setting up a basketball rim and backboard on the side of the driveway. Although Aaron does enjoy “sitting around doing nothing” and just chilling on the beach, don’t let his laid back personality deceive you. He has been on multiple travel teams, experiencing challenging lacrosse and basketball competition overseas. Recently at an International school tournament in Tanzania, he received the honor of being named the all-tournament point guard. Not only a basketball and lacrosse athlete, he is an avid fan of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and a surfer at heart. Aaron and his immediate family are not religious; however the persistent and continuous love of sports he possesses is extremely religious. There is no lack of faith in his life, committing a positive attitude towards every community he affects. When asked where he would want to travel, Aaron chose Hawaii and Australia; specifically anywhere that has good surf. Although initially shy about public posture, Aaron would do very well in leadership positions. His father describes his only weakness as not “stepping forth and commanding his strengths” in being a leader, and the fact that he does “only what is required” in his academics. He has a taste for almost any food and sometimes goes as far as watching the food channel due to his passion towards pizza and grilling out on the beach. Despite his relaxed personality, he has only one pet peeve; when people touch him that he does not know (not so much with the ladies, of course). Aaron is far from lazy though, perusing his sports, personal life, and academics with a passion that does not interrupt his laid back and unassuming personality.

Much of Aaron’s individualism is derived from his experience in his traveling sports teams. His drive as a competitive basketball player has created a good sense of a leader that is easily felt soon after meeting Aaron. Not only a patient person when first met, Aaron is not at all judgmental and has a great deal of patience with other people. His father describes him as “easy on the nerves and people therefore are very comfortable with him and his smile and humor.” He easily makes new friends and earns respect with them as a result of his modest personality. Contradictory to his mature personable attitude would only be his intolerance to things he cannot enjoy. His father stated, “He picked up my sincere impatience when shopping with his mother.”

Aaron’s good friend Phil Feldman describes one of his best memories with Aaron when he resided in Belgium. Christmas break was spent in the garage playing Halo and eating frozen pizza. Even after the unhealthy amount of food they consumed, Phil and Aaron were up to an open gym held by the basketball coach. Unfortunately they ended up running suicides, but Aaron was able to make it through with his positive attitude. Phil does say Aaron is “pretty much the same as he was in 7th grade. Both physically and mentally”, but Aaron is far from immature. He is described as being serious when needed, despite his ability to enjoy a messy room.

Aaron has had his eyes set on Virginia Tech since around age twelve. Even though he has traveled and lived all around the world, he still chose one of the best schools in the country. Although he is a surfer and would have done well at the University of California, San Diego, Tech made more sense with his family’s residency and financing of tuition. A passionate sports fan, Aaron has the enjoyment of the competitive division one sports at Virginia Tech. Here at Tech he is joining intramural basketball and plans on other clubs in his following years. After considering a possible club to join for the next couple years Aaron believes home brew could be a club for him after he turns twenty one. As far as his major, Aaron is considering doing urban planning and development although he still undecided. He plans to find a career he can truly enjoy, specifically one that requires little effort and pays well. He has many options on where to settle, with many networks of friends from his previous residencies. He not only is looking at Australia and Hawaii in terms of traveling, but also is becoming open to living far overseas. But far overseas is a small distance for Aaron. His concept of distance is vast, and he does not have definite plans for the future. Southern California is appealing to him, and he would fit in well with his surfer-like mentality and laid-back, but reasonable personality.

--by James Flippen

Life of Ordinary Teenager Does Not Seem So Ordinary

When someone imagines life of ordinary American teenager, who do they think of? From the surface, Logan Kelchner, who was born in the United States, looks like the perfect example of the ordinary American teenager. He likes to hang out with friends, hitting up parties, making jokes, etc. But as we all know, one cannot be judged by the surface. Therefore, as one looks deeper inside of his life, one would find it surprising that Logan’s life isn’t so ordinary.

Logan Kelchner was born on March 7, 1990 from town called Winchester, VA. Winchester used to be small town. But as Logan grew town grew big also. As Logan recalls “It (Winchester) wasn't (big) when I was young, but it's started to grow, and has grown to be one of the biggest cities in Virginia.” Winchester is a big part of Logan’s life. Partly because he was born there and lived there whole life and partly because his dad is an important figure of the town, where he is a minister of the United Methodist church.

This church, known as Round Hill Methodist Church, is a big part of Logan’s life. Because Logan’s dad is minister, he taught Logan Christian values since when he was a young age. Most important value that Logan’s dad emphasized was “trust in the Lord that everything will work out.” However, he thought while trust in the Lord Logan needs to “work hard for any success that may come by” which meant “studying hard” for him.

Logan is grateful for his dad for teaching this value because “he was good about keeping me in line, and is a huge reason I’m here today in college (Virginia Tech) and not at the local Seven Eleven.” Logan is proud of his accomplishment that he got into Virginia Tech and he considers this to be the greatest accomplishment of his life.

Another essential Christian value that Logan's father taught him was to “treat others how you would prefer to be treated. Lend a helping hand whenever possible, and whenever possible, lend two”. Because of this, he has volunteered to help those in need. Logan has done lots of volunteer work but main volunteer work he did was for hurricane relief.

Led by his youth group leader, Kristen Bloodworth, Logan and his youth group visited Elizabeth City, North Carolina in 2006 with hopes of helping out those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The following year, that same youth group drove to the southern coast of Alabama to help those people as well. Logan's youth leader, Kristen Bloodworth, evaluated his work in saying "Logan did all that he could to help the misfortunate, and by the end of each mission trip, that was very evident with result.”

However, Logan is not just a book worm or downright religious man either. He knows how to have good time as his friend, Derek, describes him as a “fungi” (or fun guy) because his jokes never get too old like fungi. When he was asked what he and Logan like to do in the spare time, he said “whatever we (Derek and Logan) feel like doing”. He goes on little further and said this “whatever feel like” includes “playing volleyball, grabbing some food, or hitting up a party. Every time is a good time with Logan.”

So Logan likes to play volleyball, grabbing some food, or hitting up a party in his free time with friends. But what is his favorite thing to do? When Logan was asked what his favorite hobby is he said “I’m a big fan of soccer. I have played soccer since I was about 8 (1998), and just recently stopped after my senior year. I am thinking about joining an intramural league”. It was clear that with all those past time enjoyment, soccer was his favorite. Even though he played soccer since he was eight, his talent for soccer showed off during his high school year. Coaches put him in midfield during his varsity years because he “(I) was blessed with endurance. So my coaches would make me play just about every minute of every game, at the position which demands the most out of you (more specifically, Right Midfielder)”. A Midfielder’s job is not flashy but he still got his job done. He ended up with 6 goals and 5 assists during his senior year.

Aside from soccer, Logan has another favorite hobby: Music. He admits that he has absolutely no talent in music but he loves music nonetheless. He doesn’t prefer one kind of music another because “I love just about every of music and everything about it”. Maybe this is reason that “music has always been a constant in my life, not matter the circumstances”. Whether he is sad, happy, angry, or inspired, there is always a song that fits his specific mood. For example, he listens to rap when he feels like he wants to dance. He listens to Kenny G when he wants to relax. His favorable musicians differ based on his mood. However, for the most part, he is “a mellow guy who’s into mellow music” as his friend, Derek, states.

This love for mellow music inspired Logan to have experience of his life time which was going to John Mayor’s concert. He was lucky enough to go to one of John Mayer’s concert this summer at Merriweather Post Pavilion, in Maryland. He describes this experience as “(even though) it poured the entire time but it was still one of the best nights of my life”.

All these things make him misses his past life, but he finds new life in Virginia Tech. He says he is “in love with Blacksburg”. He was worried that it might be too big but despite his concerns, it only took him a day to adapt in this environment. He says “the people are great here, the campus is great, the school work… isn’t great, but other than that, it is all good”. He looked like he misses his old life style in Winchester but he is ready to move on to new environment in Blacksburg.

Nonetheless, his life is not quite ordinary. In fact, it was quite opposite of ordinary. As one looked closely in his life, one can conclude that he has experience that nobody else has experienced in their life time. Although he shares many common interests with “regular” teenagers, his life experience shows that he is ready to move on, not just as an extra ordinary teenager but become a real college student.

--by Sungbin Ma

Cookie-Cutter Kerri

Picture a picturesque five-bedroom colonial home, as you enter in you can smell the delicate scent of home baked chocolate chip cookies infusing the scent of the house. The baker, Kerri Moriarty. Destined to be the traditional trophy housewife, Kerri has her eyes and heart set on becoming the best mother and wife, not just as a career but also as a living. Along with the balanced home life of running kids to school and back, she aspires to be a kindergarten teacher. Kids, food, loving husband, add a family pet, Kerri is there.

Born and raised in the city of Richmond, Virginia, Kerri is born to be the all-American teenage girl. Friends love her, her family supports her, and school is a piece of cake. All throughout high school Kerri was involved with everything from SCA to an all girl volunteering organization. She knew how to balance out her schoolwork and her socializing.

She does have downtime though. When asked what she likes to do for fun in between work and school she responded, “I love to sing and dance...especially in my room. But, I also like to be lazy and honestly do nothing but watch TV or read”. Name it all she was in it, scholastically, socially, and whole-heartedly. Though clubs and organizations dominated, it is not the best thing she can do, it is dancing.

Dancing is synonymous to Kerri. It is a way for her to release stress, showcase her amazing talent, and shine in her own light. She has been dancing since she was 3 years old. During the interview Kerri explained, “My favorite things about dance are performing on stage in front of an audience, it’s when I let loose and let me personality shine though.”

Her influences and supporters are always there for her, and one of the more memorable influences is her dance teacher, Judy Matassa. Kerri spilled in the interview about Matassa, “She has shown me to always reach for my goals and never to stop trying. I will never forget the impact that she has put on my life.”

Kerri as a person through the eyes of her family is the same as any other bystander. From my first meet with Kerri, she had a warm and happy spirit, with a matching shining smile. Maygen Moriarty, Kerri’s older sister stated, “I think compassionate really defines Kerri…she is beyond friendly and will make anyone feel like a friend.” Just being in the room with girl will brighten your day. The conversations will just jumpstart because she is such a sociable person and down to earth.

From a far, one might think of her to keep to herself and only to her friends but, that is not the case as explained by her older sister, “ For example, she saw a boy eating lunch alone and asked if she could join him. That stuff only happens in the movies!! But yet she does that in real life.”

When with friends, Kerri is the one that lets loose and loves to have a good time. She is seen as the strong and confident one, the one that takes initiative and never backs down. When her and her friends get together they are the typical bunch of girls just driving down to the beach singing, laughing, and gossiping. It is a daily tribunal for the girls when they get together.

Loved by all her friends and family, Kerri captures the heart of everyone she meets. As described by her best friend, Katie Morgan, “ Kerri is one of the most honest people I know…Her strengths are her charisma, her openness and acceptance to new people and situations, as well as her origination.” She continued to explain all the trips they had together and all the fun memories they shared.

But to break the cookie cutter mold that she seems to be perceived as. Kerri has her downsides too, even she agreed. Just like any other teenager growing up, maturity follows. Maturity allows one to seek out their faults and flaws.

Kerri explains, “ Like I said some people think I have OCD so the tiniest things get on my nerves…one thing I have always hated was when the teachers won’t get all of the chalk off the board when they erase it.” Laughing her older sister goes on to say, “ I mean I guess if you know her you know she is OCD about stuff…Hmm that she organizes her underwear drawer…the underwear drawer that’s weird!”

Along with the OCD, her sister and best friend share her weaknesses. Everyone has weakness to an extent. It is part of a human to contain down faults. No one is perfect. Kerri’s sister wrote, “Her weaknesses are that she lets people take advantage of her kindness and she also can be pretty stubborn…”

But in the same sense who isn’t when they believe they are right. Katie, her best friend, also goes on to say, “ A weakness would be she is very stubborn and set in her way.” All these weakness do not define Kerri Moriarty though.

What does define her, are her goals and strengths. When asked what is your career goal, Kerri responded, “I want to be a kindergarten teacher and a mom…I think that is what I put here to do. I absolutely love little kids…” That just goes on to show that she is a very responsible and determined person. Warm hearted and jolly, her sister and best friend agree. To extenuate her goals, Maygen and Katie retorted Kerri’s strengths.

In order to carry on goals, one has to have the tools to do them. Kerri’s tools would be her strengths. Maygen her older sister said, “Her strengths are she’s charismatic, funny, smart, loving, goofy, strong willed, and compassionate.” In addition, Katie said, “ Her strengths are her charisma, her openness and acceptance to new people and situations, as well as her organization”.

With these open qualities and amazing characteristics there is nothing Kerri cannot accomplish. With all these her best qualities were taught to her through dancing, determination and responsibility.

Kerri Moriarty, the accomplished high school student, now Hokie is ready to open her wings and soar as high as she can. The ability to do almost anything and everything has allowed her true personality to shine through.

There is no running around or second-guessing, you get what you see when it comes to Kerri. An awesome spirited young individual who is grounded and strong; she is a great escape for anyone.

Ever need help with dancing? You can go to her. Want a perfect housewife? You can go to her. Want to be loved? You can go to her. Want a friend? Kerri’s your girl.

When asked what do you value, Kerri opened up and said, “ My life is important to me. Life is short and you have to value every second of it. Love the people you come across. Be grateful for everything you are given. Cherish every moment of the day.”

South Korean Keeps Hold of His Roots

Seoul, South Korea.  Many people don’t realize that this capital city is the second largest metropolitan area in the world and is home to almost 23 million people.  About one quarter of South Korea’s total population lives in Seoul.

Peter Kim, 19, was once a resident of this city until he and his family moved to the United States.  “My grandmother helped us come to the US about six years ago,” Kim said.  Peter came to America with his parents, Yongmook and Jaesoon, and his older sister, Sooyoun, who is currently a sophomore at James Madison University.

Peter’s sister vividly remembers life back in Seoul.  You wouldn’t think it to look at him, but “Peter was very naughty when he was young,” she said.  “He didn’t listen to anyone…but basically he was playing.”  This is likely to be the origin of the many fights that ensued between Peter and Sooyoun. And just how ferocious did these fights get?  Not anything too serious she said, just your typical sibling rivalry.

But Peter has certainly matured significantly.  He is described as being both a very valuable friend as well as a smart, thoughtful brother.  Now, instead of arguing and fighting, his family is what is most important to him.  “Peter is very respectful to his others…and always makes people around him enjoy their time.  He is [also] generous, especially to younger people, and sometimes surprises them by doing something nice just because,” John said.  This is merely one of numerous examples of Peter’s charity and selflessness.

Peter is someone who is intelligent, warm-hearted, and cheery, but don’t let this fool you; he is after all a college student.

To the common eye, Peter is a simple college kid: he loves eating, playing video games, and just hanging out with friends. Peter has already gained the infamous “Freshman 15” and he doesn’t plan on stopping there with the nations top cafeterias at his fingertips.  “I love all kinds of food, but my favorite is chocolate.”  He likes to play tennis, soccer, and basketball, as well as work out.

His favorite sport out of the three is tennis and he is an avid player.  He used to play in high school and has a lot of speed and a fast reaction time, two things that a good tennis player requires.  He plans on joining a tennis club here at Virginia Tech.  Peter also played in the band at his high school, Grafton High, which was state champion.

But you have to get to know him to find out that there is much more to Peter than what is first observed.

One of his best high school friends, John, remembers hanging out ("and skipping school!”) with Peter during their high school years.  John recalls going fishing with Peter and two of their other friends on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  Except for Peter, “we had no idea how to fish, so he had to bring all the tools and do all the preparations.”  The best part?  Peter never complained about not being able to fish and helped his friends learn, saying that he could go fishing anytime he wanted.

With all of these activities, it is a wonder how Peter keeps up with his schoolwork.  “I honestly think he does not try, [and] most of the time he does better than others,” John said.  One thing Peter does miss about high school is the tests and papers.  “Now that I’m in college, high school was much easier.”  He is currently majoring in biology, but his career goal is to go to medical school and become a doctor.

He chose to come to Virginia Tech because one of his friends, who now attends VCU dentistry school, went here and loved it.  Peter also thinks that the strength in academic status is right for him to start on his way to a medical degree. 

But Peter is not only smart when it comes to school, he is also very observant.  When he gets into a new environment, he is has a knack for knowing what is going on around him.  As John has found out many times, it is hard to keep things from Peter.

One of Peter’s dreams is to visit China.  Not only do some of his friends live there, but also the countryside has captured his interest.  He particularly wants to see Beijing; who wouldn’t want to see this amazing city after the recent Beijing Olympics?  I don’t think Peter is alone in his aspirations to visit this city, for many people were captivated by this competition.

But the most intriguing part of Peter’s life is his bond to his native country.  “I belong to an organization called the KCSA (Korean Catholic Student Association).  I joined it as soon as I came to Tech.”  This is an interesting organization because it brings Koreans together who have a common religious denomination to talk about life at school and to expand their faith.  Faith is a very important part of Peter’s life, so he was adamant about getting involved once he arrived in Blacksburg.

Korean heritage is very important to Peter.  He has strong ties with his family back in South Korea and says that the biggest influence in life is his grandmother.  He also wants to keep his Korean name, Donghwan, as his middle name once he becomes a citizen of the United States.  This seems like a very important time in any person’s life and wanting to keep his Korean name shows a lot about Peter’s character and the pride he has for his home country.

Peter has always wanted a dog, but his parents wont let him get one.  Perhaps he will use his medical degree to advance our own knowledge of the human body, or to help out our four-legged friends, who knows?  The life of Peter Donghwan Kim has only just begun, and there are plenty more meals to be eaten, games of tennis to be played, and tests to take.

 

-Sam Hays

Sungbin Ma's Quest for Glory

Just a few months after becoming a teenager, Sungbin Ma decided to leave his hometown of Seoul City, South Korea, with the intentions of exploring his education in a new and entirely different environment.  Just about eight exhausting years later, Sungbin still resides in Blacksburg, Virginia, now attending Virginia Tech as a sophomore.  Of course, his arrival on campus was by no means easy.  

When describing life away from home, Sungbin said, “I miss my family; especially my father and mother.  I came here when I was thirteen by myself, so I wasn’t able to spend my teenage years with my parents.”  Sungbin was forced to leave his entire family behind, in hopes of bettering his education, a feat that proved to be strenuous. 

One can imagine how difficult it might be to embark on a life across the Pacific Ocean, with virtually no familiar faces.  This task would be daunting for any person, no matter the age, but to attempt to manage such a change in scenery at the tender age of thirteen is mind-boggling.  With such an abrupt change, expectations for a smooth and easy transition were in no way high.  At any rate, Sungbin felt he was ready for this certain alteration in lifestyle, and flew across the globe, until he finally arrived in an extremely unfamiliar town, Fredericksburg, Virginia, a town not so far from his current location.

Since his arrival onto American soil, Sungbin has continued to baffle any critics, and continue to better his education, and ultimately, himself.  While he has adapted much better than people had expected, the journey has been tedious, and at times, doubtful.  Thankfully, with the values bestowed in him while living in South Korea, Sungbin has been able to find a way to prove the doubters wrong each and everyday.  This is in large part due to the his biggest influence; his father.  

“My dad is easily my greatest influence.  He is my mentor, my teacher, my parent, and my biggest supporter.  His life story truly motivates me in many ways, especially in my studies,” said Sungbin of his father.  Before leaving his parents’ side at thirteen, Sungbin was fortunate enough grow very close with his parents, more specifically, his father.  While this added to the hardship he had to experience due to distance, it has helped him in the long run in many ways.  Even at a young age, Sungbin was able to learn valuable life lessons and values; Christianity, being the most important to him. 

“My Christian values are very important to me.  I try to stand by my religion under all circumstances,” stated very clearly by Sungbin.  By keeping his Christian values close to his heart every step along the way, Sungbin has been able to beat the odds and overcome every obstacle he has faced.  

When Sungbin was so desperate that he lacked faith in himself, he still maintained faith in God.  When he was faced with such trials and tribulations, that he was unable to rely on himself, he relied on God, and eventually came out the victor in each conflict.  And so, it is no surprise that Sungbin’s greatest accomplishment is overcoming adversity.

When asked about his greatest accomplishment to date, Sungbin replied, “I feel that my greatest accomplishment is never giving up.  There has been many, many times that I have wanted to give up studying in the United States, and go back to my life in South Korea.  However, I was able to get through it all, and get into Virginia Tech.”  

When asked that same question, Sungbin’s cousin, Ji Hye Lee and best friend, Jinkwan Lee, both shared the same response.  Not to ignore his other accomplishments throughout his life, because there have been several, but what other achievement could truly compete with this one?

Sungbin has already had an amazing life with an amazing story, but he still yearns for more.  All of his reasoning in coming to Virginia Tech to study, was so that he may one day be a very successful adult.  His plan for doing this as of now, is majoring in Economics.  This has been his dream for the majority of his teenage years, and now, just about five years later, his plan is finally playing out the way he had intended it to.  

Like the majority of college students, if not all of them, Sungbin wishes to have a profitable career, having a six-figure income soon after graduation.  While he is not yet positive on his specific career choice, he is very sure that it will be centered around finance.  When asked where he envisions himself working in the near future, again, he is not conclusive, but is able to narrow it down between the United States and South Korea (favoring South Korea).

The fact that Sungbin favors South Korea, shows more than his employment intentions, but where he would enjoy to live out the rest of his life as well.  When asked where he would travel if transportation were not an issue, Sungbin replied, “I would love to not just visit South Korea, but live there too.  It would be interesting to see how much it has changed over the years.  More than that, I would love to see my family and friends again.”

“I would also love to visit Japan. Some find it odd that I lived so close to Japan, and never actually made it there, but I don’t feel it is all that strange.  In America, there are many people who have not visited Canada, and that’s not much different.”

Sungbin’s main reason in wanting to visit Japan happens to be it’s extensive city life.  This is something he grew accustom to in Seoul City, and has missed the scenery ever since.  So while Sungbin Ma’s journey started in Seoul City, there is good reason to believe that it may end there as well.  

So far, Sungbin has managed to leap every hurdle, and has every intention of continuing to do so throughout the rest of his life.  Whether he spends the majority of his life in South Korea, or perhaps here in America, time will tell.  However, one thing is for certain, and that is no matter the setting, Sungbin Ma will do everything in his power to find success, in his quest for glory.