By Jenny WalshBreeze blows through her long, brown ponytail as her heart pumps faster. The sound of each step on the pavement is all she hears. Running releases Tara's stress; it is her alone time. When she crosses the finish line of her cross-country race, a sense of accomplishment rushes through her. As her heavy breathing subsides and muscles begin to relax, Tara feels at ease. All her tension melts away with every drop of sweat that falls to the ground.
Tara Elizabeth Sones was born April 3, 1990 to Karen and Randy Sones. At the time, Tara's parents, and older sister Steph, lived in Baltimore, Maryland. At the age of eight, Tara's family, now including younger brother Taylor, packed up and moved to Woodbine, Maryland where they still live today.
Tara describes her family as, "Loud and outgoing. I am close with both my parents and my brother is my best friend." Tara's friend Alyssa considers Tara's family her second family. "She has a really good family... I am going to marry her little brother, and she's going to marry mine. Not really, but we say that," says Alyssa. Tara's parents expect their children to always try their absolute best and do as well as they did academically, socially, and independently.
Tara considers her father her biggest role model. "He grew up very poor and supported himself throughout college. Now he supports a family and made it for himself," says Tara. Her greatest accomplishment so far in life is getting accepted to Virginia Tech and Penn State, where her dad attended school. She is also influenced by friend, Alyssa, because she works very hard at everything she does. Tara also inspires her friends. Alyssa says, "She is very determined and inspires me to work out and get good grades."
At the age of eleven, Tara discovered she had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, when a person feels compelled to perform actions repeatedly. "She has problems with counting syllables... but she isn't psycho, I swear," says Alyssa. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be difficult and much worse than in Tara's case. "I mainly count things a lot and see everything in sections. When I go up or down stairs, I have to land on my right foot," says Tara. OCD is not really a problem, more so just something you have to get used to. This explains why some of her biggest pet peeves include odd numbers and when people lick their fingers.
This "disorder" has nothing to do with defining Tara's character. She is described as selfless, responsible, intelligent, and "one of the most generous people I have ever met," says friend Ann.
Tara does not pretend to be anyone she is not, nor does she care what other people think of her. She does what she wants and does not let anything stand in the way. Tara is the same around everyone, caring.
She is also very organized. She organizes to relax, along with sleeping and taking showers. Her organization makes her unique. She is continuously well put together from her clean, decorated room, to schoolwork, hair, and clothes. At all times she tries to assist someone else and always goes out of her way to help a friend. Tara is a great person for many reasons including her ability to laugh and have fun. "She is never bored and always comes up with something to do," says her brother Taylor.
Some of the most fun Tara and her friends have had include senior week and their trip to Florida this summer. Tara and three of her friends traveled to her house in Sanibel. Alyssa says, "It was so much fun, we went to the beach, pool, out to dinner, and just hung out with each other." Taylor says that some of the most fun he has had with Tara has also been at the beach just hanging out with her. He says, "She can be a little crazy and laughs uncontrollably when something unexpected happens." Alyssa recalls, "One of the funniest things I have every seen in my life. We were getting ready to go to a concert... Tara was really excited and ran around the corner, but slipped on water and completely wiped out."
Tara is a very strong person, mentally and physically. She has played lacrosse for eleven years, participated in cross-country throughout high school, and played soccer when she was younger. She still loves to run everyday. "The other day I ran ten miles because I was stressed about my roommate," says Tara.
Mentally, "Her strength in sticky situations is something I am very proud of her for," says Alyssa. She is always there for her friends and has gone through a lot with them. Tara has matured and now realizes herself that she is a strong person and can be independent.
Tara aspires to major in Fashion Merchandising, Apparel Housing, and Resource Management. She chose to attend Virginia Tech because it was the only large university that was not too far away from Maryland with her major. Tara's goal is to work in the fashion industry and become a buyer for a company or a costume designer. When asked if she belongs to any clubs at Virginia Tech she replied, "Yes, I am a member of FMDS, Fashion Merchandising and Design Society, because it deals with my major."
Creativity is another defining trait Tara encompasses. "She is really good at doing hair, makeup, nails, and picking out clothes. One time she did my toenails zebra... it was awesome," says Alyssa.
While being away from home, she misses her dogs, brother, bed, own space, alone time, and mom's cooking. "My favorite food she makes is turkey chili," says Tara. Since Tara is from a small town, she misses the comfort of her high school, Glenelg, where every student knows every other student and a familiar face is only a step away.
It's a good thing Tara likes to run a lot, as she loves any kind of chocolate. "She has a major weakness for chocolate," says Alyssa. "That's really the only weakness I can think of." Tara can get stressed and upset really easily over little things, but everyone does. She is a great person over all that loves to play lacrosse, run, shop, and enjoy the company of her friends. Tara values her friends, family, and education above all else.
Tara is compassionate and altruistic. She is a wonderful person with many assets that make her who she is. Alyssa says, "One time she lost a pair of my earrings and bought me two new pairs, she didn't have to... but she did because she's that kind of friend."
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