Hi, I'm Naomi, and welcome to my CAS experiences website!
-What are your talents?
My talents are drawing and reading. Most individuals draw as a child, which is where I got my start. However, in the 5th grade, I began taking my art more seriously as I and my teachers recognized my talent. I took a brief break from art in the 6th grade to pursue band, however I realized then that art is my true passion and I have not stopped doing it since. I enjoy creating both art for myself as well as family and friends. I am also a very talented reader. As far back as I can remember, reading has always been a joy in my life. It has always been an escape for me, and I find comfort in characters I love. Since I was young, I have always been a very veracious and quick reader, and have been reading beyond my age level for several years. It is not something I think of as a skill, but rather a hobby.
-What do you enjoy doing?
I enjoy baking, going on walks outdoors, and spending time with my family and friends. Baking is a hobby I recently picked up about a year ago. Since then, I have absolutely fallen in love with it! I enjoy the process of baking very much, and I love giving my creations to my family so we can enjoy them together. Nature has always been something that I have been able to turn to for peace. As a kid, a majority of my time was spent playing outside with my friends. This is where I developed my deep love for the outdoors
- What skill or talent would you like to improve?
A skill that I would like to improve is my bike riding skills. I am able to ride my bike, but I do not do so very frequently. In middle school, however, I used to bike very often with friends, and could withstand longer endurances. It is something I miss doing, and I definitely want to become more involved in it again.
- What are you already doing that could be apart of your CAS programme?
I have been a volunteer at the Detroit Zoo since May of 2022. At the zoo, we focus on developing special projects during the slower wintertime months. I am hoping to be able to create an education program there, potentially about the importance of art and how it impacts nature and our surroundings.
- What would you like to be involved in?
I would like to be more involved in the sports community here at ROHS and elsewhere. Last year, with Covid, I wasn't able to be as involved with the ROHS community as I would have liked to be. However, this year, I am focusing more on being involved in clubs, and volunteering at school events as well. I am also planning on joining sports both inside and outside of ROHS!
- Describe a time when you helped someone or helped with a cause
In June of 2022, my mother became afflicted with a very serious illness that required her to go to the hospital for several days. At home, the only people there were me, my sister, and my mothers close friend who she trusted to watch and support us. At the time, we were all scared. I did not feel like myself, and I was finding it difficult to deal with this new reality. However, I saw that my family members were struggling, so I rose up. I took charge of more of the family matters, and tried to keep the house clean for when my mom got back so she had less to worry about. When I look back at this time now, I see it not as helping, but instead as being a part of my family and being there for my loved ones. However, I know that this extra help was greatly appreciated.
- Describe a time when someone helped you
I am a person that has a very difficult time accepting help. I am very prideful in my work, and do not like to show that I am struggling. I am the type of person who would rather work through a problem myself, instead of asking for help. My freshman year, I struggled a lot with school and motivation, as most did. I was a very good student in school prior to covid, and all of a sudden my grades were dropping and I was spiraling towards doom. My parents noticed this, and were very concerned about it. I had a talk with them both, and explained to them my reasons, and my plan for change. We all knew that I was struggling, but we needed a plan to fix it. I tried my hardest to dig myself out of the pit I had created for myself. And while my grades were nowhere near perfect, they were good enough for my family and I to be able to grow and move forward from the situation. By the time sophomore year came around, I was on the up and out, and I finished out the year with only 2 B’s the whole year, and my semester 2 GPA was a 4.0 .
- What issues do you have concern or feel most passionate about?
The issue that I think is plaguing most people today is being closed-minded. This issue is not one I think people consciously seek out, however it is a very large one. I often will see very dramatized videos of people arguing in public, with passerbys shocked at one person's point of view/apparent ignorance. These typed of videos are always extremely popular, due to the sheer shock of the polarization of the issue at hand. This issue is not something that is limited to any one group of people, and is often perpetuated by everyone. People often seek comfort, and that comfort comes in the form of like-minded people who will not challenge their opinions or provoke change. This type of living is extremely damaging, however. In a society where most people are only focused on themselves and their appearance, people have stopped focusing on the true root causes of issues, but instead ‘clickbait’ and things to temporarily challenge their ideas with immediate backlash. This ignorance is extremely detrimental, and I hope to be able to foster more of a sense of community, understanding, and shared experiences among people from all walks of life.
- What would you like to learn more about?
A topic that has always fascinated me is the development of language, and how once rudimentary forms of language that I assume to be similar to that of some modern animals have developed into hundreds of languages and lexics all over the world. My mom, for example, is French and speaks the language fluently; I do not. However, the language fascinates me. The fact that we are of the same species, but have somehow evolved to have mastery of these different aspects of the human language baffles me.
- What have you always wanted to try but haven't?
Something that I have always wanted to try is skiing! While we do have a lot of snow in Michigan, we do not have a lot of skiable mountains, and there are even less that I have access to. However, I hope sometime in my life I will be able to experience skiing!