Back to the begining.
I was born June 13, 1977, in wonderful Portland, Oregon, where I have lived pretty much all my life. There I atteneded 3 schools in the Reynolds School District, Glenfair Elementry, H.B. Lee Middle School, and Reynolds Highschool. I was a TAG (Talented and Gifted) student, and was involved in lots of after school programs but what I remember most besides chess club was the fact that I've been involved with music ever since elementry school. I began in choir in 4th grade, and in 5th grade I started playing clarinet, I added the alto saxaphone in 7th grade, and my junior year of highschool I added barri saxophone, and guitar. My senior year our wind ensemble went to state and took 5th place which I was very proud to be a part of, and happy I gained a star for my Band letter. I was also on our school's track team which I had a lot of fun on the throwing team, and gained a track letter as well. During my Freshman and Sophmore year I was also a student ambassador to Russia or at the time was known as the Common Wealth of Independant States through the People to People program, which was a pet project of President Eisenhower.
After Graduating from Reynolds I attended Mt. Hood Community College where I continued my music of course I picked up the piano and oboe while I was there, but I moved into a new realm Student Government. While at Mt. Hood I was a student Senator, Vice President for Legislation and my final year at Mt. Hood I was Student Body President. By the time I left I was given the highest award bestowed by the ASMHCC Honorary Member for life, which I am very proud of. I sat on the CCOSAC(Community Colloges of Oregon Student Associations and Commisions) Board of Presidents, and was a member of the NWSLC (Northwest Student Leadership Conference) It might of taken me 3 years to get my Associates Of Arts Degree, but I had fun, and made a difference while I was there. While I was at Mt Hood I also volunteered at the Oregon Zoo which when I started in the Zoo Guide program there it was known as Metro Washington Park Zoo, though since I have transfered to Oregon State I have been away from my volunteer posistion at the zoo.
After my 3 years at Mt. Hood, I transfered down to Oregon State University fall of 1998. I plunged in to activities on Campus. My first year on Campus I was a member of Wilson Hall's Residential Staff, got a job at West Dining Hall, and continued to stay active with some of my previous activities through Mt. Hood CC. Things seemed to be going well, untill I started to get sick, and was diagnosed with a Thyroid Desease. It affected everything. By the week before fall term finals I couldn't stay away for more than an hour or so before I had to sleep again, and due to the short term memory lose (a symtom of the Tyroid Desease) I couldn't make it through my finals. I had to medicaly withdraw from my classes, and petition to stay in school. They couldn't get me on the right dosage of medication, and I continued to experience the symptoms throughout my entire first year at OSU, just bearly getting through most classes, and almost failing out. I had to give up my Job as Hall Staff at the end of Winter Term because I couldn't keep a full enough course load.