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I was born in Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Downers Grove, IL—the second eldest of 4 siblings with married parents.

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I am unsure of the exact date, but my parents divorced when I was three.

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My parents worried for me when I went selectively mute. I was upset as a result of the divorce. I was put in a “special” class in Pre-K; it was pretty fun!

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I went on a class field trip to the Mortum Arboretum. It created a pathway for my profound love of the outdoors and rocks.

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This was a time of a 4H event where we were stargazing and took turns viewing the night skies and sighting some constellations, and I saw Saturn. I held hands with my very good friend while falling asleep under a tree.

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I got my first dog from my uncle. The dog's name was Lucky, and he is mixed with a Rottweiler, German Shepard, Pitbull, and Doberman. He stayed with us for a few years, but unfortunately, we had to give him away after a year to my father because my cousin was allergic to dog hair. He is still alive and well.

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I got my second dog from a family friend. She is a Shih Tzu, and her name is Hazel. She is still alive and well.

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My father brought home a kitten. He is a brown, black, and grey tabby cat. He was very aggressive towards my father upon arrival. He was very young, so we had to give him cat formula. My mother was initially upset but still decided to keep him. His name is Chico.

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My family went to the Hinsdale Humane Society, and we were looking to get a cat later. That day the cats, ages three and up, were $32 or $36; what a deal! We encountered a black and white cat rubbing up on the cage when we approached her. We brought her out to see how she acted around us; she (almost) warmed up to us but seemed slightly cowardly as she sued to be a stray. That day, we adopted her as she fitted well with what we were looking for in a cat. Her name is River.

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I went to the farm with my father. We went to this farm before to pick up eggs and milk. This time we were going to take home a lamb for consumption. We prepared the lamb ourselves and with respect. It made me interested in farming and conscious of where my food comes from.

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We got our third cat from a family friend. He was 17 years old upon arrival; his previous owner had died, and he was left under the care of the family friends daughters boyfriend. He did not take gild care of him. We took him in and gave him lots of love and care that he missed out on in the few months he was not looked after well. He is a long hair cat and a mix of a Maine coon and another breed. He is very healthy and is now 18. His name is Mr. Whiskers.

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It was my first time being home alone for an extended period. My mother and stepfather went to Mexico for two weeks. I looked after the house and my one dog and three cats. It was pretty nice.