Get to Know Alessa Strelecki - Distinguished Young Woman of Iowa for 2011

Hey everyone! My name is Alessa Strelecki and I am 18 years old. I am from West Des Moines, IA and right now I am attending Drake University where I am studying secondary education and mathematics (that may change though, who knows!).


I am filling out this questionnaire so you all can get to know me a little bit better!

My favorite food is anything Italian. Pasta, pizza, you name it. I am sure I will love it!
My favorite Olympic sport to watch is figure skating, especially doubles. Can you imagine being thrown in the air like that and landing perfectly?!
My favorite quote is by Dr. Suess. “Be who you are because those who matter, don’t mind. And those who mind, don’t matter.”
My most hated household chore is cleaning the bathroom. Yuck!
My favorite time of the year is Christmas time. Even if you do not celebrate the holiday, I think the time brings out a true spirit of giving and love, which we can all appreciate.

If I had to pick one…

Plan ahead OR procrastinate
Paper OR plastic
Glass half-full OR glass half-empty
Introvert OR extrovert
Cats OR Dogs
Morning person OR night person

If you could be any color crayon, what would you be and why?
I would be yellow. It is my favorite color. I love it because it is bright and happy!

What is your biggest fear?
Definitely heights. My knees start to tremble and I get light headed. I just cannot handle them. However, I don’t really like blood or snakes too much either!

What is the one thing you wish someone had told you about college life that you had to find out on your own?
There isn’t anything that I wish someone would have told me. I think that college is a fantastic learning experience. By discovering things on your own, you are able to learn so much about yourself. That’s something that I have really enjoyed doing.

Sum yourself up in three words:
Hmmm…This is a tough one. Blessed. Silly. Determined.

What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
This is actually one of my least favorite questions, but I’ll answer it anyway. For me, this has changed a million times since the thought first popped into my mind. In fourth grade, I wrote a paper about how I wanted to be an actress. In middle school I thought I wanted to be a psychologist. In high school, the thought of a being a pediatric dentist intrigued me. Now, after my first semester of college, I have stumbled upon education. If you couldn’t tell, I am a little bit indecisive.   One thing I do know, I want to find something I absolutely love to do and most importantly be happy.

The last thing I want to share with you all is my favorite memory from my Distinguished Young Women experience A.K.A. the hardest question of them all! One of the memories that sticks out in my head would be after the national finals were over and all 50 of us shared a group hug on stage. There were tears flying, laughter, literally every emotion I could have imagined. It was in that moment that I realized how near and dear to my heart this program truly is. Distinguished Young Women is more that just a title, it is a sisterhood and a family. The girls that I met throughout my entire journey are all extremely special to me. They have helped me become who I truly want to be and for that I will always be thankful!