C/I 101D: The Environment: Issues and Choices


About Students in this Class in their Own Words

250-350 word bibliographies written by the students

Luis Cuevas

The Life and Times of Luis Enrique Cuevas---My life has had many challenges and victories but to really tell my story I have to start with my parents. By the time they had their third child Luis Enrique Cuevas at 7:30am on June 17, 1987 in Cali, Colombia, they had battled all the challenges laid before them to go from kids living a simple life in the Dominican Republic to people in the position to show their kids the life they never got the chance to experience. Given all the hard work of my parents, I had the greatest childhood any kid could ask for. I was blessed with a close-knit family that will always be there for me when I need them. The most important part of my life has been defined by the support system I will always carry throughout life that is deeply rooted in my family.
When I was six years old we moved from Colombia to the Dominican Republic but adjusted very quickly since my parents both feel out of place anywhere else. We only lived there for three years but I learned everything about the country and learned to appreciate all sports. Always having sports after school taught me to set my priorities and more importantly it taught me how to win. I think that my love for competition and challenges helped me for academics even more than it did for athletics.
After our brief stay in the Dominican Republic we moved to my home in League City, TX. I think it was the best suited place for me to spend my high school years. By my senior year all the work I put into swimming and water polo had paid off. However, my state swimming championship ribbons and my state championship ring for water polo were shadowed by my failures in life. When time came to decide on a college I chose a school where I could focus on what matters and not make the same mistakes I made in high school. I chose Austin College and so far I believe that I’ve made the right decision and I’m very anxious to achieve my full potential.

 

Cassondra Evans

My name is Cassondra Evans and I am one of the many brand-new and clueless students at Austin College. As I am entering my freshman year I am well aware of the multitude of new experiences I will face, so it is of some comfort to me that I am in somewhat of a familiar setting; yes, it’s true, I’m one of the locals.
I was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado on March 19, 1987, and then moved, at the age of one, to be closer to my extended family in Sherman, Texas, where it seems I’ve been unable to leave since. I moved in with my grandparents at the age of ten and have resided with them for the past eight years until my recent move (a whole five minutes away) to the Austin College campus.
My grandmother, along with my sister and a few other select people, has been incredibly influential in shaping me into the woman I am today. I mention this because I cannot write about myself with out also mentioning the people who have led me to this point in my life; because of their guidance I am now here, ready to begin my future at Austin College.
My tentative plan right now is to double major in Religion and Sociology. As for the age-old question of “What are you going to do with that?” I’m not exactly sure right now. I’m a passionate about God and I’m passionate about people, and I trust that through my experiences at Austin College, the next step in life will reveal itself, hopefully tying together my passions and my majors.
I’m sarcastic, silly, passionate, driven, inquisitive, exhausting and exhausted. I’m constantly falling down, both literally and metaphorically, but I’ve nearly perfected the art of getting back up. I’m open to new things though I tend to hold onto the past, and I’m loyal to a fault. I am aware of the trials, but I am very excited about the upcoming growth and changes in my life I’ll find at Austin College.

 

Nathan Gibbs
 On the 15th of April in the year 1987 I happened to come into this world. Born in Sherman, Texas at Wilson and Jones Hospital to my parents Gayland and Jeana Gibbs. Luckily I was born into a loving family and still to this day, as I consider that to be an important part in the shaping of my personality and my believes.
My home currently resides north of Bonham, Texas around 10 minutes from the Texas Oklahoma border on highway 78, near Boyd Community. This has been my home for around 14 years as before this I lived in Bonham, and in Ivanhoe, Texas.
The childhood I experienced was that of most kids these days. I went to school, played sports when summer came around, and went back to school. This cycle was the basis of my life from kindergarten to my senior year with only a few changes during that time. My thoughts on my schooling has not really changed from the day I started school, the outlook of doing the work only to get done and that was it. Never going over what was needed, only doing the minimum which built upon the laid back personality I had already developed.
The summers were where I really thrived as a child, playing Little League baseball, pee wee football and adventuring throughout and just merely taking life easy. As I grew older I became more aware of the wildlife and nature around me and began to fish and hunt. I still currently hunt to this day, mainly bow hunting and fishing.
So far throughout my life I have developed many lasting friendships. These friendships I consider one of the most important things in my life, as my friends have inadvertently shaped me to who I am today. A few of these friendships and acquaintances pointed me to Austin College in the later part of my Senior year and that is where I have been the past few days, and for the next four years, hopefully.

 

Clinton Hubanks My name is Clint Hubanks, and I was born on September 30, 1986 in Denison, TX. I attended school in Bells all through my life until this point, and now I?m going just twenty miles away from home. I am currently living with my Aunt and Uncle since I don?t make quite enough money to have my own apartment and all of my friends would be too much of a distraction to my schoolwork if I split rent with them. Now it?s time to get into the boring part of the biography and talk about the family and past experiences.
My dad is Colin Hubanks, a safety manager for the Kohler Co. in Brownwood, Texas, and my mom is Debbie Hubanks a transcriptionist for the various doctor?s offices in the area. I also have one brother Cody who is 16 and a junior at Goldthwaite High School. My dad has been working in Brownwood for about a year driving the five hours back and forth from Sherman every week until recently when my family got a house down there. So now I live with my Aunt Linda and Uncle Allen which is kind of weird just as a change of environment. They are fifty or sixty something and their kids are moved out already so it?s a little boring and quiet in this house most of the time. If it wasn?t for my girlfriend, who I?ve been dating for a little over a year now, I think I would have gone crazy from boredom. Her name is Kellie and you?ll probably see her around since I take her with me almost everywhere I go. Prior to coming to school here I played football, basketball, and ran track at my high school, and I would still be playing football here if I hadn?t broken my arm last year. I?ve got a plate and a few screws in my arm that give me some trouble every now and then, but I?m really starting to miss football and I?m going to try to play next year. I was on varsity everything since my sophomore year, and I really enjoyed my time there. I?m not a very outgoing person so I?m not really used to all these new people, but every day that I come up to the school I enjoy the experience a little more.

 

Ann Huston Hi, I’m Ann Huston, and I am excited to attend AC. I have lived in Oak Ridge, Tennessee for all of my life, up until three weeks ago when my family moved to San Marcos. I am interested in Environmental Studies, but enjoy French and English as well. I am in the Leadership Institute here at AC, which will be demanding, but fun. I ride horses, but left mine in TN; I hope to continue riding while in school.
I enjoy being here so far, and hope to study abroad in France. I enjoy writing poetry and reading, hanging out with my friends, swimming, volunteering, and other activities. I was very involved in the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee, as well as my home parish. I enjoy helping at youth retreats, and worked at a church camp in Kingston, TN, called Grace Point. I attended the Episcopal Youth Event this summer, in Berea, KY, which was an amazing experience.
In high school, I was President of the Interact Club, sponsored by Rotary International, captain of the Environthon team for my school, attended the Tennessee Student Congress on Policies in Education, was part of the swim team, and a member in the French Club. I also was a student representative to the Oak Ridge City Environmental Quality Advisory Board, and as part of that, took field trips to the National Lab, radioactive waste sites, and other interesting places. I also helped put on the America Recycles week for Oak Ridge.
After college, I plan on going to graduate school somewhere for some type of Environmental Science. Eventually, I would love to go to Haiti or somewhere else as a sort of missionary with plants. By bringing nutritious, native seeds suited for that climate, and teaching people there drip irrigation, and other environmentally sound agricultural techniques (through the program, ECHO), I could help both people and the earth.

 

Mark Langston Hey, I’m Mark Langston. I’m 18 and was born in Houston, TX. I then moved around a lot because my Dad’s an engineer. He is from Midland, TX, and that his how I heard about Austin College. Throughout my life I’ve lived in California, Australia, Nigeria and England. They were all great places to live but I miss Nigeria the most. England was where I went for all four years of high school, but unfortunately it was in a boarding school. I’ve got two sisters, one who went to UT and another that attends the Merchant Marine Academy. I’m the first of my family to go Austin College. I decided to go to Austin College because I wanted to go to a small liberal arts school in Texas where I could play baseball. I haven’t decided on a major yet. I’m just kind of taking a couple of random classes that I think might be interesting. I enjoy almost anything but I’m big on sports, movies, parties and just hanging out. I just took it easy this summer as it was my last summer to do nothing; just played a lot of golf and went on a couple of fly fishing trips with my Dad around New Mexico. I’m thinking about going on a Jan-Term to Canada eventually, but that’s the only thing I’ve planned to definitely do before I graduate. This CI seems interesting so far and I can’t wait to get to know everyone. Hopefully, it should be a good year.

 

Hillary Luckett Hello! My name is Hillary Luckett. I graduated Sherman High School, but I was born in Garland, Texas and lived in Richardson until I was ten years old. I plan on pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in either Psychology or Communications. After Austin College, I hope to attend law school at either Southern Methodist University or Baylor University. Most people would automatically assume that I chose AC because it was close to home, I didn’t want to leave my parents, or I was too lazy to do my own laundry; however, none of these factors were present in my final decision. I simply chose AC because of its excellent academic reputation. I repeatedly told myself throughout my senior year that I would never stay in Sherman, but as a local, I had already spent a considerable amount of time on the campus through my high school swim team, luncheons in the WCC, and studying in Abell Library with my AP classes. I love the feel of the campus and the size. I love being able to see my professors around campus and talking to them casually after class. Even though I am living at home, I have still have the opportunity to meet so many of my amazing and intelligent peers, and I have become an adoptive member of the Caruth third floor.
I spent two weeks of this summer in Italy with one of my high school teachers and a group of girls, and I cannot wait to go back to re-experience the wonderful culture. I also worked my fourth year as a lifeguard and taught swim lessons at a local public pool. I have my SCUBA license, and my prime obsession is scrap booking. During my four years at AC, I hope to swim for the AC swimming and diving team, get involved with Circle K, and likely rush with a service-oriented sorority. I would also love to experience study abroad and become a member of the Student Assembly. I look forward to my four years at AC with optimism and anticipation.

 

Megan Malone Hi. My name is Megan Malone. I am eighteen years old and a freshman at Austin College. I plan to graduate with a major in Biology and a minor in Southwestern and Mexican Studies. In the fall of 2009, I plan to enter graduate school and earn my Master’s degree in Education, ultimately fulfilling my goal to become a high school biology teacher or a biology professor at a local junior college.
During the summer of 2004, I participated in the Southwestern and Mexican Studies Program for Talented High School Students. I learned Spanish under the direction of Dr. Patrick Duffey and learned Texas History from Dr. Light Cummins. That summer semester solidified my decision to attend Austin College upon my high school graduation.
I grew up in Savoy, a very small town about fifteen miles east of Sherman. Since I graduated from a senior class consisting of twenty students, I knew I would feel comfortable at a small school like AC. Attending a small high school provided my classmates and I with a smaller student to teacher ratio, which is another likeable characteristic that AC shares with my high school. Because I am a local student, I know my way around the Texoma area, which is very beneficial for me as well as the many friends I have recently made.
Outside of the academic arena, I enjoy many athletic events. During high school, I was an active participant in volleyball, basketball, softball, track, and cheerleading. This year I have decided to take a break from athletics and focus on my academic studies at Austin College. Along with playing sports, I also enjoy spending time with my friends and boyfriend.
To enhance my learning experience at Austin College, I plan to study abroad. My dream is to travel to the Tropical Rain Forest and submerse myself in a setting with endless learning opportunities and some of the world’s most precious and beautiful scenery. During the next four years, I hope to grow intellectually as well as spiritually.

 

Zachary (Zaq) Mamot My name is Zachary Mamot and I am from Richardson Texas. I have a sister named Monica who is fifteen years old and my parents are Pat and Sandy Mamot. I started elementary school at Pershing Elementary in Dallas, the same school that my mom just so happened to teach, so that came in handy numerous times. I then transferred to Apollo Junior in Richardson and played my first season of football in seventh grade. I attended L.V. Berkner High school in Richardson and continued to be involved in athletics and various groups such as Key club, Berkner Asian Student Association and Future Business Leaders of America. I was elected captain of the football team for the 2004 season and was awarded all-academic team, all-district nominations and the Leadership award.
Outside of class I am a loud disruptive child who screams at the top of his lungs at any given opportunity. I love music and listen to bands like Matchbook Romance, AFI, Fall Out boy, Fair to Midland and any bands that fit that genre. I used to hang out with my friends and play video games all day long but that is turning out to be hard to do because of this school thing I have to do.
While I am here at Austin College, I am continuing to play football while I try to juggle my class. As for a major, I don’t know what I am interested in therefore I can’t decide on a field and in turn I am COMPLETELY undecided.

 

Stephen McCormick Hello, my name is Stephen McCormick and this is my first year at Austin College. I was born in The Hague, Netherlands in the March of 1987, a town that I lived in for about a year or so. Also within this time of two years my parents traveled with me all around the place, all over Europe and Asia. Eventually my father’s job with an oil company took us from the Netherlands to the city of Dubai in the UAE. During this time my brother was born in the town of Sharjah nearby, and for whatever reason we moved shortly again, this time to the town of Wilmington, Delaware. Just as I was ready to go into first grade we moved again to the town of Katy, TX. Once we got to Katy we really stayed in one place for once, for about 13 years in fact. I participated in the Band program, Boy scouts, NHS, and a few other small clubs at my school at other times. Finally I reached senior year, which was the best year of high school for me. It also was a very busy year for me as well between my job at a bubble teashop, studying for school, hanging out with good friends, and dealing with things going on at home. Around the spring of my senior year I finally decided that I would like to attend Austin College. Finally after being in school in Katy 12 years, dealing with senioritis, planning for prom, and working on choosing which college to attend, I graduated in a class of around 800 people. Summer was great and tough at the same time because even though I was having lots of fun, I had to say goodbye to many family and friends. I moved in a few days ago into “Dean 3 West”, a great cluster of a bunch of awesome guys. I plan to have a great year, and try and find new interests, and potential majors.

 

Preston Pettit My name is Preston Pettit. I was born in Dallas, Texas on September 19, 1986. I lived in Dallas all of my life except for summers spent in West Virginia on my great Grandfathers farm. I went to Preston Hollow Elementary School for kindergarten, and later attended Kramer Elementary School for grades one through six. After elementary school I attended Benjamin Franklin Middle School for the seventh and eighth grade. After middle school I attended the Science and Engineering Magnet School at Townview for grades nine through eleven, that didn’t go so well. So I then transferred to Hillcrest High School for my senior year and graduated twentieth out of three hundred and sixty four seniors along with distinguished honors.
I am currently Attending Austin College in Sherman, Texas. I scored a three on the AP environmental science as well as the AP English four test. I also achieved a four on the AP European history test. I also have college credit for one semester of U.S. government, so my prospects for a major so far include environmental science, history, English, and art. But I am currently undecided.
I have been described as the only happy Goth and I’ve been told that I should do many different things in life, thus the undecided major at Austin College. My interests include working on my car, listening to music, singing to music, playing the guitar, gardening, and swimming.
So in conclusion, I’m a Goth from Dallas, Texas who attends Austin College in Sherman, Texas with an undecided major.

Steven Rodgers My life has been pretty good, I have been lucky enough to have a great life. I have always been interested in sciences and sports. I went to elementary school in Garland until the end of third grade and then I moved to Rockwall. I attended Rockwall High School and worked at the local YMCA for a couple of years as a day camp counselor. I am laid back and enjoy “living in the moment.” I have played football since I was born and have enjoyed every minute of it. I play football now for Austin College and I am having more fun than ever. Growing up in Rockwall was fun, I made some of the best friends of my life there. I took some AP science courses there and my teachers were great. I found out about Austin College through a family friend. When I came up here to visit I have wanted to come here ever since. I also enjoy playing other sports for fun. I like to play pick0up basketball, baseball, volleyball, and ping-pong. Hanging out with my friends is one of my top hobbies and I do it all of the time. I am also interested in the sciences, they have always been my best subjects in school. I am sure I will enjoy my career here at Austin College. Sent via Austin College Student Email, Sherman TX

 

Nicole Sciortino Biography- n. 1.the histories of individual lives, considered as a branch of literature 2. Pl- an account of a person’s life. When someone tells you to write a biography it is usually of someone established and renowned, it is when you come to a point which your asked to write about yourself that you realize how much more difficult it is than it seems.
My name is Nicole Sciortino and I am from Sherman, the home of the Sherman Bearcats. My family, John, Elizabeth, Anna and John Jr. are very closely held to my heart and are very involved in all aspects of my life. My family and I reside in Pottsboro Texas on a ranch that my mother runs as a horse trainer, while my father practices podiatry in Sherman. My brother, John, is a sophomore at Sherman High school and my sister attends Texoma Christian School as an eighth grader. Along with spending time with my family I also enjoy playing sports such as basketball, track, lacrosse and equestrian riding. In playing sports I have received recognitions such as the Presidents Freedom Scholarship through student athlete volunteer work at the Boys and Girls club and MVP of tournaments and All Texomaland teams. In high school I was involved in student council, Junior Classical League (Latin Club), and other organizations that promote involvement with the school along with the community.
Along with all of these things that play roles in the story of my life I also immensely enjoy having fun with my closest friends along with being self driven to accomplish my goals. I plan on furthering these plans as an AC Roo.

 

Sebastian Silen              Hey my name is Sebastian Silen and I am originally from Trelleborg, Sweden and moved to the wonderful city of Sherman, Texas at the age of twelve.  Not knowing what to expect moving to a different continent, I was rather excited to see what new experiences I would barge into.  In the beginning school was rather difficult, not knowing the language fluently nor did I know who my classmates were, which made the situation harder.  After meeting my English teacher, Mrs. Ross, she helped me get involved in school activities which in turn alleviated the language barrier.
             I am now a Freshman at Austin College; studying International Economics and Finance and Business Administration.  I graduated from Sherman High School in the Spring of 2005.  While attending AC, I wish to be challenged and engaged in my academic courses in order to prepare me in my field of study, while meeting many new interesting people.  So far I m excited about getting involved with Lacrosse, and I hope to find out more about several other organizations and clubs at AC.
            I have a wide range of interests, while attending AC, I hope I will be able to expand on several of them.  I m definitely  planning to travel abroad (still trying to figure out where), and I hope to study many different subjects with out losing my interest in business.  I ve always been interested in starting my own business/company, in fact I hope to start a restaurant with one of my friends who is attending a Culinary college in Florida after I graduate from AC.

 

Zachary (Zach) Stalnaker My name is Zach Stalnaker, and I am obviously an entering freshman.  I entered Austin College not knowing a single person.  I come from a one exit town by the name of Pflugerville, which is right north of Austin.  Austin is by far one of the largest cultural melting pots in America, and I love to frequent the Drag and 6th street. I love music, and am beginning to pick up my ukulele playing again.  I am a huge film nerd, and will be taking classes in Media Studies in hopes of advancing my knowledge and skills in the cinematographic side of film making.  I hope to continue these studies throughout college, and hopefully build a portfolio for possible graduate work in film at NYU or UT.  I also plan to double major in Spanish, and hope to study abroad in Spain for at least a semester.  I feel the only way to internalize the language and the culture is to immerse one’s self in the very place it originated.  I’m looking forward to the possibility of the beginning of the Austin College Film Club.  Also, I intend on beginning the first stages of a spoof teen drama called “The AC” shortly.  I’ve made a few short films which can be found at http://www.foggleflicks.com, but they are mostly just amateur work.  I am currently in a semi-long distance relationship with my beautiful girlfriend, Carrie, who attends Baylor, enrolled in the BiC classes with the intent of a future law degree.  I miss home and the securities offered there, but look forward to the endless possibilities that I’ve found at Austin College. 

 

Adam Thies Hi, my name is Adam Thies. I am from Plano, Texas and am currently a freshman at Austin College. I plan to major in Political Science and Philosophy via the Pre-Law Program. While I am unsure of what facet of law I want to enter, I have aspired to earn a JD since elementary school. I am drawn to the legal field because of its qualitative aspects that value interpretation as much as fact. While I am attending the school for Pre-Profession training, I am also here to discover more about myself and others through a strong liberal arts foundation. During my time at Austin College I intend to actively participate in many student organizations including the Pre-Law Society and perhaps fraternity.
I went to a small private high school called Lucas Christian Academy where my graduating class was a staggering 23! This is one of the reasons that I chose to attend a small college rather than a massive state university. During middle school and high school, I took drum lessons from a former studio drummer that worked with The Beatles. I have suspended drumming while attending AC, however, it will always be a part of my life. Some of my other hobbies include spending time at “the lake.” “The lake” is Lake Cypress Springs in Mt. Vernon, TX. Almost every weekend my family and friends would travel there. It is home to our lake house where activities often include jet skiing, wakeboarding, and large dinners with lively conversation and games.
So far at AC I have really enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends during the orientation weekend. The dorm experience has proven to be fun and I believe the next four years will be both challenging and enjoyable.

Joel Torres Hola, my name is Joel Torres and I am a freshman at Austin College. I graduated from Hereford High School in Hereford, Texas. I come from a large Hispanic family, which explains my greeting. My immediate family consists of my father, my mother, and my sister. One might consider that a small family, but my father has twelve siblings and my mother has twenty-one. My grandmother gave birth to two sets of twins, one set of triplets, and fourteen single births. Not only were my grandparents getting busy, but I was pretty busy myself.
In high school I was involved in numerous activities, ranging from athletics to speech and debate. I was on the football team, basketball team, and track team. The highlight of my athletic career was leading our basketball team to the district championship tournament, where we unfortunately lost by two points in the finals. My success continued when I joined the speech team my sophomore year. I went to the U.I.L State meet for 3 consecutive years and then to the National Forensics League Nationals tournament during my junior and senior years. Although my schedule was filled by these activities, I still made time for involvement in my church. I led worship for my youth group and played the guitar in Sunday morning worship. As an involved student, I searched for a college that would allow me to continue developing my multi-faceted talents.
Now, at Austin College, I plan to be involved in the theater program as well as the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. While remaining involved in activities, I am going to study to become a business administration major. I look forward to the coming years at AC and hope my experience here is as fruitful as my high school years were.

 

Clayton Travis Growing up in the Carrollton, a medium sized suburb of Dallas, was much like that of a lot of my peers. I did well in school like any child excited and curious for knowledge and played with friends, riding bikes and creating new games. My brother came along when I was three and ever since has been one of the closest persons to me, even though we don’t like to admit it. Due to reasons not exactly clear to me still my parents broke apart and divorced during my 1st grade year. That marked a drastic lifestyle change for everyone in my family and strained our relationships with each other. But life went on.
I soon entered middle school with only one “B” on my record, but with much anxiety of the years to come. Rightfully so, since during the three years at Arbor Creek I wouldn’t exactly call enjoyable. As high school came along I found myself with a closer knit group of friends who I could share experiences and have fun with. Many of these friends I found came from The Nor’Kirk Presbyterian , in which I am still a member today. My academics were decent, but dropping due to the many distractions I faced. However I always found myself in all the Pre-Advanced Placement and AP classes that were offered for my grade level all throughout my academic career at Hebron High School. Whether it was avoiding ignorant and careless people or having the drive to learn, that effort landed me into a very prestigious college where I am attending today. The prospects of all the different career paths haunt me as I try to discover which school of learning I enjoy the most, but will also land me a respectable place in the work force, so that I may, sooner or later, have a family of my own.
Throughout my life I have had many opportunities to be apart of many activities. One of the greatest accomplishments I have experienced so far is the highest rank offered in Boy Scouts. I achieved the rank of eagle scout the summer before attending Austin College and I know I will reap the benefits for the rest of my life. I also have been involved in my youth group at church and have always played soccer with a passion no matter what the level.

Kyle Tunnell My name is Kyle Tunnell, and I?m a long-haired, local born kid from a place known as Heath, Texas. I decided on Austin College based on its outstanding reputation for graduate school acceptance, and the general lack of complaints about anything concerning life on campus. I?m eighteen years old, left handed, and I detest shoes, though I tend to wear them for health and safety?s sake. It is my intention to make known what I plan to study as soon as I know what that will be myself. At the moment I?m following a Pre-Medicine or at least Biological course route, but that could change at any time.
One of my most involved interests is the enjoyment of, and participation in many things musical. I have a deep appreciation for good music, be it live or recorded (hopefully not to too great annoyance for my neighbors); I also compose and perform when it comes to piano. I hope to spend some time, at the very least, continuing lessons further here in Sherman; twelve years of classical training has left me feeling like I need a teacher who can show me the other side of the musical fence.
One of my favorite hobbies is photojournalism; over the past few years I developed as a photographer through high school resources and the shared interests of my father. I spend a lot of my time reading, whether that concerns Tolkien or some school assignment. I love to travel, especially when it lets me get new perspective and experience with the interests I?ve mentioned.
My real hope is that through the incredible variety of coursework available here at Austin College I?ll be able to find a something that truly appeals to me; I also hope that wherever my coursework takes me, it isn?t into complete destitution.

 

Rebecca (Becca) Wunderlick The pool, the church, the school, the field. All my life I have lived in Dallas, and where I spend my time tells the story of my life. I first went to school at St. Monica along with my brothers and sister. There, my favorite place to be was the gym. I loved P.E.—running around with the other one-hundred kids in my class playing different games. In middle school, my favorite place became the football field, where I became the school mascot in eighth grade and would goof off in costume.
In high school my home became Ursuline Academy, where I spent over twelve hours a day. Arriving at seven in the morning, I would not leave until volleyball practice finished around eight. In addition, I spent time in the biology room, where our Student Council meetings were held. When I was a part of Peer Ministry my Junior and Senior, the school chapel also became one of my favorite spots. Last but not least, I would go to the football stadium at the boys’ high school where my uncle coached. I rarely missed a game.
For twelve years I played on the same soccer team. Same name, same coach, and most of the same girls. Although the fields changed, some of the best moments of my life were spent on the soccer field.
Above all, my favorite place to be has been “the pool.” Down the street from my house, the pool is where I met my best friend. My siblings and I would spend every day of the summer at the pool. There, I swam on the swim team for thirteen years and became a lifeguard four summers ago. Last summer was the first summer I did not spend at the pool. Sadly, the pool was shut down due to a large amount of debt.
Since the closing of my pool and the move to Austin College, I have come to understand the importance of the places I have been.

 



All text and images on this page copyright 2005, George M. Diggs, Jr.