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Music is what really keeps me going.I sing all the time, and i really does help me cope with emotion. If I am happy, tired, sad, or scared; I will sing. It is just my unique way of responding. I don't know where I would be without music.

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Freedom is a choice, so choose.

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Reading is and always has been a crucial part of who I am. When I was a kid I would read nonstop and loved to spend my time that way. However, as I got older I had to focus more on school than on reading for pleasure. For a long time throughout high school I felt lost because of it. After graduating I finally came back to what I love and have never been happier. I love picking up a book without knowing anything about it and falling in love.

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I know this sounds like a weird title but it is an important part of my life. I discuss many things with my parents as equals. I truly respect them for allowing me to have a voice even when I push the line. They taught to stand up for myself and always share my opinions. Because of them I am never afraid to speak up for what is right, and I am never afraid to "stick it to the man". (A picture of my family and I on the Eiffel Tower. I just got back from France yesterday.)

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My parents are very strict that my brother and I have to finish our schooling. My parents were first generation to go to college and pressure us to go as well. My parents never received financial help from their parents and feel that it is important for us to get some help. I admire my parents for carving their own way through the world even though they give me a hard time about it. (The picture below is my graduation from high school).

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Since we are speaking about cultural i should mention my heritage. I am of Irish decent. So my grandparents came over from Ireland on a boat before World War II. A lot of my Irish family stayed in Brooklyn where all the immigrants moved to. We all have the same stubbornness you would expect from a true Irish person. I love my family for being unique but also wish they were so brash.

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My grandmother is a phenomenal cook with her own style. My grandfather calls her "Chef Lea" as a nickname. One special quality about her is she cooks everything with butter. She is like most southern grandmothers who spoil their grandchildren and also give them stomach aches. I remember being a little girl and watching her stir mixtures and blow flour around. It was like she was dancing to a beautiful rhythm and at the end something delicious would appear. (Cupcakes I made for a family bake-off event).

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My family has always lived by the water and I never want to leave. I grew up fishing, crabbing, clamming, etc. My family spends a lot of our free time out on the water. This is how my family can all come together and share memories. Water also gives me a lot of peace. I love the rain because it is beyond beautiful and has a calming effect on me. (This is the view from my house onto the Susquehanna River).