Age: 18
Hometown: York, Pennsylvania
College: Elizabethtown College
Major: Biochemistry major, Business minor
Favorite food: Greek Yogurt
Favorite TV show: Big Bang Theory
Favorite movie: “The Notebook”
Favorite Olympic sport: Equestrian
Favorite quote: “All glory comes from daring to begin.”
Favorite time of year: Fall
Plan ahead OR procrastinate: Plan ahead...as long as I don’t procrastinate on that too!
Paper OR plastic: Plastic
Glass half-full OR glass half-empty: Half-full, optimism can take you places!
Introvert OR extrovert: Extrovert
Cats OR Dogs: Dogs. They are man’s (and woman’s!) best friend, after all.
Morning person OR night person: Morning!
What is your most embarrassing moment?
My most embarrassing moment happened a little less than a year ago on my high school’s stage. I had decided to give a musical a try, and ended up with the part of Amber von Tussle in “Hairspray”. Amber and Link have an onstage kiss near the beginning of the show. Now, of course Link Larkin was played by the cutest, sweetest guy, which made the whole kiss thing that much harder. During the first run through of lines, I was so nervous about that part that I freaked out and just went in for a smooch. Unfortunately, he wasn’t planning on it. So, while the entire cast sat watching in the audience, I ungracefully planted one right on his unsuspecting lips. He stood there in shock, and I stood there turning beet red. The run through continued through the awkward tension in the air. It wasn’t all bad though. Eventually he and I were able to work through this so very uncomfortable part and turned it into a bit of a joke. The funniest part of it all, is that a few months later, Link Larkin and Amber von Tussle became a couple in real life! So, this is proof that no matter how embarrassing a moment may be, there is always a silver lining to even the most awkward of clouds.
What would I find in your refrigerator right now (if you have one)?
My refrigerator in college is a mish mash of all kinds of odds and ends! There is a ton of greek yogurt on the bottom shelf, my roommates iced tea in the door, and some frozen Reece’s cups in the freezer part. The weirdest thing, though, is my eye cream! I read somewhere that to de-puff tired eyes, store eye cream in the fridge so that the cold reduces the swelling. It actually works too!
What is the one thing you wish someone had told you about college life that you had to find out on your own?
I wish someone had told me that the water tastes horrible! Dorm water is very far from the well water that comes out of my faucet at home. It didn’t take long for me to start using my Brita pitcher!
Sum yourself up in three words.
Talkative. Nerdy. Optimistic.
What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
When I grow up, I want to be a doctor. People always ask me what kind of doctor, but at this point I haven’t decided. As long as I get to heal people and make them feel better from head to toe, I don’t care which specialty I choose. I want to give my patients a gift every day, and the greatest gift you can give is the gift of good health.
Describe your single-most favorite moment from your Distinguished Young Women experience.
How can I pick one moment from my year with Distinguished Young Women? From the local to national level I had nothing but a positive experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. The one moment that stood out in my mind, though, was handing over my title at the state program this past summer. After that show, I would officially be a has been. It was a bitter moment, but it was definitely very sweet too. After my farewell speech I realized that as a has been I held even more influence. Now, girls from across the country could look up to me and follow my example. The Distinguished Young Women program will travel with me for the rest of my life. Becoming a has been wasn’t the end of the journey, it was just the beginning.
