Honest, naïve, bright. Since I am the firstborn, I grew up in a bubble; ignorant of the world around me and spoiled by my parents. This sheltered upbringing gave me an honesty and naiveté that, when mixed with my intelligence, created a mischievous nature. Originally, my mother couldn’t handle the sarcastic teenager that I had become, but eventually she began to use my personality to her advantage. Even more then the casual “how do I look today?” she asks for my opinion on parties she wants to hold, new people she meets, and even job offers she receives. To my mother, I am a source of truth she can rely on and a daughter she can put her hopes in.

Mean, smart, loving. My younger sister was born in 2000, leading to a 7-year age gap that cannot be bridged until our twenties. I remember the first time I held her in the hospital; she wouldn’t stop crying until the nurse took her from my arms. Recently, my sister has been having trouble in school and I have been given the task of helping her study. The day before her last math test, we worked all day; I created worksheets and practice tests while she worked through the problems and studied my sample answers. The next day, she came home with her first 100 on a test and I realized how much closer we had become. To my sister, I am a tutor and disciplinarian, but most of all, a caring friend.

Hard-working, sassy, endearing. I began volunteering at the hospital in my freshman year of school; I thought it would be a benefit when applying to college in the future. I would have never thought that the food services department of the medical center would become a sanctuary in the years to come. I became fast friends with the employees and even the supervisor of the kitchen; I would tell stories of high school and they would entertain me with stories of “real life” and college. There have even been times when the employees have thrown me a party for my birthday. To the staff, I am a little sister they can dote on and a reliable volunteer they can trust.

Obsessive, indecisive, afraid. I have always had an obsessive personality and have always made sure everything was perfect: my homework, my appearance, and even my life. My need for perfection has always left me afraid of what the doctor would say about my mental health and incapable of making decisions. The day I started building 3D puzzles could be analogous to seeing the light, a revelation. Finally, I had an outlet to pour my obsession with perfection into; I completed puzzle after puzzle, until I eventually recreated all of the wonders of the world in my living room. To myself, I am a little girl waiting to grow up and a confused high school student hoping to make the right choices.
Who am I to you?