https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm 5/4/2022 en-us 2022-05-04 15:52:05 UTC 2022-05-06 02:56:18 UTC hello@padlet.com jenna_mcnamara https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2171648656 I was born on January 10, 2005, which makes me a Capricorn. Being a Capricorn comes with being ambitious, hardworking, and extremely driven. I put all of these characteristics to use everyday and I never let a day pass by that I regret. I make everyday worth living. ]]> 2022-05-05 15:40:54 UTC https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2171648656 jenna_mcnamara https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2171673466 I'd like to think that dance was my first love. I started dance when I was two and I haven't stopped since. Being a part of a competitive team has gave me the best experiences and the worst experiences of my life. Being at the studio for 4-6 hours everyday of the week can be draining. The connection I have made with my team for the past 15 years has grown into a family. We don't know what life is like without each other. Knowing that I have a group of people by my side at all times helps me find comfort through my dancing. Falling in and out of love constantly has taken a toll on me. Being a competitive dancer comes with a lot of strength, physically and mentally. Constantly being compared to others made me leave the studio contemplating if I was good enough. Looking at yourself in the mirror for hours on end at the studio, comparing yourself to others, being hard on yourself for things that you can't fix about yourself, is not a good feeling. Instead of giving up, I went back everyday, working hard, realizing that everyone gets corrections and that my teachers aren't trying to criticize me, they are trying to help me. I realized that I shouldn't care how I look compared to everyone else because if I like the way I look and I like the way I feel, then I will keep doing what makes me happy, instead of caring what others think. I will always love dance, even when I decide that my time as a dancer has come to an end. The memories I have made and the family that we have created will always stay with me. ]]> 2022-05-05 15:56:13 UTC https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2171673466 jenna_mcnamara https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2171692227 I met my best friends at dance. They're four of us, including me; Hannah, Angie, Lauren, and myself. We have been inseparable ever since we started dance. We were the original four from our group, so we call ourselves the OG's. We have created such great memories and spend so much time together. We know everything about each other and we have created such a connection that could never be broken. We have been with each other through the best and worst of times. One day, we all decided to just go for a drive, we didn't know where we were going, but we would know when we go there. We spent this drive talking and talking for hours about everything, from the weirdest things, to the most serious things. There is nothing that could ever pull us apart. ]]> 2022-05-05 16:08:19 UTC https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2171692227 jenna_mcnamara https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293343 In 2013, My family tree got a lot smaller. My dad abandoned my family and left my mom to live this life on her own. With this, I have taught myself to become independent and determined to get things done by myself, to take the weight off of my mom's shoulders. ]]> 2022-05-06 01:58:06 UTC https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293343 jenna_mcnamara https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293400 I tried out for the Brewster High School Dance Team, Which is separate than the team I was already a part of. I wasn't sure if I would make the team because of the amazing and talented people that were there. But I pushed myself to be the best version of myself and worked so hard at that audition that I made the team. ]]> 2022-05-06 01:58:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293400 jenna_mcnamara https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293446 I got the amazing opputinity to travel to Germany to compete in the World Tap championships, representing USA, against many other countries. I prepared for months to compete there and made so many new friends on my team, and from other counties as well. ]]> 2022-05-06 01:58:14 UTC https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293446 jenna_mcnamara https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293481 Corona Virus took everyone by surprise. I didn't know how intense it would be. Lockdown definitely made me realize the love I have for the people around me in everyday life because I didn't get to see them anymore. You don't realize how much you have until it's gone and being in isolation really helped me understand the reality of that saying. ]]> 2022-05-06 01:58:17 UTC https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293481 jenna_mcnamara https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293529 During the pandemic, I had a lot of free time on my hands. I decided that it would be beneficial to be up and moving all day instead of just laying in bed. I decided I wanted to feel better in my own skin and live a healthier lifestyle. Everyday was the same; I woke up, did school, went on a walk/run, came inside and did online dance. Some days, I would do a little bit of weight training. I researched on what I should be fueling my body with and became very invested in exercise. In doing this, by the end of quarantine, I lost 35 pounds, while improving my lifestyle. ]]> 2022-05-06 01:58:20 UTC https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293529 jenna_mcnamara https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293560 Growing up, I always was in my sisters shadow. I was very overlooked in my family and at dance as well. My sister is very well known in the dance industry, which also means that all attention is on her at home as well. I hid behind her identity because thats all everyone ever asked me about. I had traced my life around hers. It had been building up for a while, but I realized that I didn't need to hide and I could be my absolute complete self and that the people that stayed in my life, were my true friends. ]]> 2022-05-06 01:58:23 UTC https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293560 jenna_mcnamara https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293623 Being a part of the Dance Team has been an amazing opputinity to experience. This past month, we had our annual dance team dinner. Here, they announced the captains. I got chosen as one of the captain positions. This proved my hard work and dedication pays off and that I can be a leader. ]]> 2022-05-06 01:58:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jenna_mcnamara/rxnfn7lxk6oe5vkm/wish/2172293623