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My name is Milena and I am currently a senior at the Ozark High School. I have lived in Missouri for ten years. My family consists of my mom, dad, two older sisters, a  brother-in-law, two nieces, a nephew, grandparents, an aunt, six uncles and  two Shih-tzu dogs,named Skippy and Shy-Shy. I love to laugh and I love those who make me laugh. An interesting fact about me is that I am Russian, making English my second language.

I love to take my dog on a walk and listen to music. My hobbies consist of making cards, cat sitting, volunteering at the Dickerson Park Zoo and working out at the gym. Flowers make me smile and pastries are delicious. One day I would like to visit Paris, Italy and Greece. One thing that life has taught me is that you will never know where it will take you.

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Sandara (sister),Kyle (brother-in-law), Hazel & Tessirae (nieces)

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Sandara (sister),Kyle (brother-in-law), Hazel & Tessirae (nieces)

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I was born on December 26, 1998 in Petropovlask, Kazackstan. I am the youngest in my family and I was also the fattest. I do not remember much about my child hood but my sister told me  that I was a quiet baby that liked to eat a lot.  My name is derived from a Slavik origin meaning "gracious", "pleasant" or "dear".  When I was little, I remember hearing about how great it is to live in the United States of America.  When I was nine years old me and my sister got adopted. Shortly after we moved to Arizona and than Missouri.

Back  home, I still remember how the streets were lined with markets. Items such as  fruits, vegetables, meats,  clothing and other fun things  were sold here.When it the days got closer to Christmas, I would always receive a box of candies. I would eat all of it by myself and for some reason I really liked Mrs. Clause. My one special memory during childhood, was a friend named Angel. She was my first friend and she had the sweetest and softest heart. She had red cheeks and we did everything together.

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Me & Angle (two girls in the pink shirts)

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Me & Angle (two girls in the pink shirts)

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symbols:
sun-wealth, plenitude, source of energy & life
rays: nation's abundance & prosperity
eagle: power, freedom & the future of the nation
ornamental pattern: ethnic & cultural unity among the people of the nation

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While living in Missouri I  moved to six different houses. Three in Ozark, one in Rogersville,  and two in Springfield. My favorite house was in Springfield. The house was three stories and it  surrounded  trees and birds. We lived here  for four and a half- years. During the summer owls howled  at night. My house in Rogersville was surrounded by fields and cows. It was a ranch  house with a huge yard. Every night we would watch the sunset and the fireflies roaming around. I loved seeing the cows every day and hear them talking. My other four houses were very similar to each other. There were sidewalks and the houses were all close together. In my current house I live in now, we have a community pool, which is really awesome and a hiking trail.

The decor styles in my bedrooms have definitely  changed over the years. One of my rooms had an African theme. The tone color was brown and black. I had real feathers from peacocks , a zebra and lion painting, with a leopard print bed spred. With a twist I added a disco ball in the middle. My current room now is city themed with planets. I have paintings of Paris and New York , with glow in the dark stars and planets hanging down from the ceiling.

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Dauphnie, was my first friend in Missouri. She wore glasses  like me and had curly hair.  We lived next door to each other and went together to Ozark East Elementary. I met Gabby at Ozark East Elementary as well and she only lived a couple neighborhoods away from me. One time she invited me to her birthday party and we played tag all day. Back in Arizona, I had a really good friend, named Anna. She was actually there when I first  landed in America at the airport. We both loved to go swimming and watch Disney Channel.

I met Tiana during band camp my sophomore year. We were both  part of the color guard team. She made me laugh like no other person. In the fall of 2018,  while visiting a new church I met Hannah. Little did I know that I would be attending Ozark High School with her three day later. We clicked instantly and  ended up working together at the Vineyard Market. Here at the high school as well I met Kaylee. Our personalities are quite opposite, which is funny because we ended up friends quite fast. Our favorite thing to do is play 20 questions.

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During Spring break in the March of 2015, me, my mom and dad drove to Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. We started our trip off  driving into a blizzard. Not best timing, but the scenery was beautiful. Everything looked like a winter wonderland. During stops, my mom would always get coffee, while I got hot chocolate.   When we finally reached Pennsylvania, I remember seeing small candles in the windows of each house. It was special and something I have never seen before. There we visited family from my dad's side. My favorite memory was seeing the Amish community. One night all of the girls got together and we watched the Bachelor finale in our pajamas. We somehow managed my dad to watch the show with us and he did.

After leaving Pennsylvania, we spent a day in Baltimore,  Maryland. I had the best beer battered fish ever and we visited their National Aquarium. We saw sharks, sting rays, jellyfish. I loved watching the dolphins play in the water. Then we traveled to Washing D.C.  I remember along the way, we sat in traffic for hours. There we visited my grandma and grandpa for three days.  We saw the National  Spy museum, Washington and Jefferson Memorial, National Archive Museum, the United States Holocaust Museum, the white house and the Smithsonian museums. My favorite place we visited was the Holocaust museum seeing all of the displayed dresses from the first ladies. They as well had Jackie Kennedy's dress displayed from the day of John F. Kennedy's assassination.

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All of my life the  Red Rose has always captured my taste. It portrays delicacy and gracefulness.Some day I wish to express that as well.  Classical music is my number one style I listen to. Mozart, Chopin and Tchaikovsky are phenomenal composers. The one song I cherish is "Spring Waltz" by Chopin. The melody and its intricate work is beautiful. When I need to exercise, there is nothing better than dancing. It's a ton of fun and dancing releases my stress.

My favorite food to eat is a Russian dish named,  Chebureki. It is  a deep-fried turnover with a filling of ground or minced meat and onions. I am definitely a history geek. I love to study anything from the Roman Empire all the way to WW2 . Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love the caroling, lights, decorations, gatherings and gifts. I enjoy watching shows such as Little House on the Prairie and the Bachelor. If I could pick one person in the industry that still leaves a memory in my mind, it would be Michael Jackson. His talent of work ethic,  dancing, fashion and the creation of music is indescribable. My favorite song by Michael Jackson is " Rock with You."

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My Grandma Gerrie was born on April 3,  1936. She was a child during the era of World War 2.  Grandma  remember hiding downstairs in the dark with her family,  while sirens were going off. The sirens was a way to warn America that nuclear weapons might hit. I can't even begin to comprehend what it would be like to experience this.

While visiting Washington D.C for the first time, me and my mom  thought that we were looking at the White House. While taking pictures the gates of the house opened. We were quite astonished and excited. My mom ended up calling my Grandpa and telling him that we were on the lawn of the White House. Grandpa called us lucky, because this never happens. After hanging up, the phone, my mom realized the building  said National Treasury of Department. We than realized that the White House was next to the Treasury of Department Building. For a funny fact, we never ended up telling our Grandpa the true story. To this day, he still thinks, we stood on the lawn of the White House.:)

When I was eleven years old, my parents asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I responded saying, " I would like a dog." My dad said owning a dog is a huge responsibility that I might not be able to fulfill. The next day, I am taking a walk with my family, and a little grey Shit-zu comes out of someones garage. She kept following us all the way home. My sister said if we keep her, we should name her Skppy, because it looked she was skipping. We put up signs and ended up keeping her for two weeks. Finally an elderly couple called us back. They noticed the bond between Skippy and I and kindly let me keep her. As it turns our the owner ended up being my sixth grade library teacher:)

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"If I could Live My Life All Over Again, I Would"

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"If I could Live My Life All Over Again, I Would"

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Step out of my comfort zone and try new experiences.  Instead of thinking about a  doing something , I would have liked to have done it.  I would look forward to each day and fill my mind with positive thoughts.  I would have not taken anything for granted but only counted everything as a blessing. I would have followed my heart and stopped worrying about what others think of me.

I would have forgiven myself and would have given myself more patience.Instead of making quick judgments , I would have though about choices. I would have made an effort to say hello to others. I would have not let the actions of others affect me and my entire day. I would have cared to set time aside for my spiritual life and thank Jesus for everything he has done in my life.

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It is crazy to believe that I am almost finished with high school and it is time the real world. Looking back, so many memories evolve. I always wondered what it would feel like to be a senior. Those feeling are actually quite simple, happiness and sadness. Our entire lives have revolved around school and peers our age. We get used to seeing them everyday and exploring the same topics in life. It's crazy to think that we may never see our peers again because everyone takes different paths in life.

As time is drawing near, I am realizing that you can't take anyone or any circumstance for granted. There is a time and a season for everything. It has not been an easy ride but for the experience of my senior year I wouldn't change  anything for the world.  This year was quiet special to me because it was one that I never dreamed of. I improved my-self educationally and accomplished goals I have dreamed of for years. I learned new traits about myself and stepped out of my comfort zone. Unbelievably time has flown by quite fast. A whole world of opportunities is awaiting us and we must take the step of the unknown. I am beyond excited to receive my diploma and can not wait to feel the feeling of proudness.

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Ten years from now, I think I would be traveling the world with the love of my life. After getting married, we would visit  exotic locations, eat cultural food and live life adventurously. If not that, I would be traveling the world by myself:). My occupation would be a party/wedding planner and I would live in an apartment or a house. My house would either be here in Missouri or maybe in Pennsylvania.  My home would be elegant with a flower garden and a fountain in the backyard.  Maybe along the way I would have my own family.

As time passes by, I believe  my personality will stay exactly the same as it is now. I will be  more wiser and would have built up my self-esteem and confidence. Looking from a wider perspective, my definition of the world will be formed differently than it is now. I as well would have stepped  out of my comfort zone and tried things differently than what I am used to. Overall, I think my days will be filled with laughter, smiles and the gift of giving to others.