Hi everyone! I’m Chynelle and I will learn all your names… eventually. I’m from New Jersey, those cute quiet little suburbs with lots of greenery and squirrels. My (so far) favorite part of the city is Central Park. It encapsulates me in this vibrant green oasis with lakes like my hometown, but I can still see the tall towers of the city in the background so I never forget that the entire world is just within reach.

It’s rather poetic and I love words, literature, and language. That type of art captivates me in a way I can’t really explain. I’m taking a literature course which means you might catch me reading thick philosophical or historical novels in a thrilling torture of my own design.

I mentioned in class that I did gymnastics in high school. It’s a small world because the sport is intense so very few stick with it long. But it offered me a new perspective on everything. If you can’t do a skill, you train your muscles to be able to exert enough force to do it. You get used to being judged and getting points deducted from a perfect score because of something you can’t fix or change. You always have to work harder and aim higher because perfection may be a fantasy but you see yourself improving every step of the way.

I hope to take that mindset into college with a willingness to try new things and always put in that extra effort to get closer to being the person I want to be. I’m not sure what that person is doing (aka I don’t know what I want to do yet), but I know that person will have no regrets of being passive when she should have acted. So if you’re going to a museum or taking a walk around the city, invite me to join you because I probably won’t say no. It might also help me learn your name. 🙂