So, a little bit about me:
Educational History (starting in High School)~
- St. Petersburg High School: 2002-2004 *Did one year in IB
- St. Petersburg Collegiate High School: 2004-2006
- St. Petersburg College (Gibbs): 2004-2006
- 関西外国語大学 (Kansai Gaikokugo Daigaku): 2007-2008
- University of South Florida: 2006-2009
Growing Up:
I was born in Upstate New York, in the Triple Cities Area (Endicott, Johnson City, and Binghamton). We lived in Main Endwell for a majority of my childhood. My parents separated and between 3rd and 4th grade, I moved to Binghamton with my Mom and younger brother.
In 2000, we moved to the St. Petersburg area, and I’ve lived there since. During high school I was allowed to be one of the first members of a trial program, the Collegiate High School. Here, I went to St. Petersburg College instead of a traditional school. When I graduated high school in 2006, I had earned a total of 71 credits and an Associate’s Degree in Arts. From there, I transfered to USF.
University of South Florida:
I’m a double major with senior standing. My majors are Business Management and Business Marketing. I also have a minor in International business.
Because I’ve had a special interest in Japan for a long time, I’ve delayed my graduation by a year in order to do a year exchange with Kansai Gaidai ( 関西外国語大学). After completing this semester, I’ll have a total of 29 credits in Japanese language. Unfortunately, USF doesn’t offer even a minor in Asian Studies, let along Japanese language.
Activities:
As a kid, I did just about everything. My Mom’s idea was for us to get as much experience as possible so that we could find the things we really enjoy. I found I really enjoyed martial arts, and started Shotokan Karate-Do in 1997. Moving to Florida made it difficult to continue at first, and I’ve studied it off and on ever since. My last rank is 3kyu.
Sakurai-ha Kogen Itto-ryu: a style of kenjutsu reaching back to the shinsengumi. What you really need to know about this is that it encompasses all areas of martial arts, especially focusing on three core areas. First is Iaido, which is the practice of drawing and cutting. Second is Keiko, better known as Kendo. Third, is Taihoujutsu, which is essentially Aikido with more emphasis on “arresting” your opponent.
Please don’t think that makes me scary. m(_ _)m
I’ve also grown up with music, and am comfortable with many different genres. It’s hard for me to choose a favorite song, artist, or genre, because I’m able to recognize that each song is it’s own. I do, however, have a special place for the violin, as that was my instrument throughout primary school. Unfortunately, budget cuts didn’t allow me to continue with the instrument in middle school. And, for a brief stint in high school, I played drums for my best friend’s band.
Other interests include SCUBA (I’m PADI certified), dance, cooking, business, fashion, and education. I’m also extremely interested in understanding life around me, and love the opportunity to experience new idea’s and ways of thinking.
Books:
I love to read and I love books. I believe this stemmed largely from the fact that I was unable to read until the third grade. I’m pretty much blind without corrective lenses, so I was unable to follow the lessons in class. Normally, teachers would notice such a thing long before the end of second grade. However, I had the ability to memorize books word for word and page for page after hearing it read only once. Essentially, my head was a library as a kid.
After I was able to see, I caught up rather quickly. Books quickly became my preferred source of entertainment, and I used them to experience many worlds that I couldn’t reach in real life. To this day I love to read. If you want to see my thoughts on different books that I’ve read, check out that section of my page. I’ll update it as often as I can.
To sum this all up, I’m a dynamic person that can get along in most situations. I hope your interested enough to stick around and see what goes on. 
