Hometown: Columbus, GA
What's something on your bucket list?
I want to travel to Spain one day. I'm nearly good enough at Spanish to avoid making a fool of myself, and I think a trip to Spain could get me to the point at which I would feel comfortable speaking conversationally.
What actor would you cast to play yourself in a movie about yourself and why?
I would cast Meryll Streep to play me. I just think it would be cool to see her pull it off somehow.
What's your favorite place you've traveled to and why?
I would have to go with Manorola in Italy. The air was clear, the water was blue, and the views were unmatched. I loved hopping higher and higher into the mountains, trying to see as far into the horizon as I could. Plus, I once did a puzzle of the coast of Manorola long ago. When I realized I had traveled to the spot from the puzzle, I think I audibly gasped. My favorite photo from my trip to Italy is the one that perfectly recreates that puzzle I loved so much.
Favorite family tradition:
My family doesn't have many traditions, as we have moved around a lot, picking up and dropping traditions as we take in the influence of the people around us. Recently, however, my mother and I have created a few Christmas traditions of our own. When we put up the Christmas tree together, we listen to Sia's Christmas album, and when that album finishes, we switch to one of Bing Crosby's many albums. To our family, Bing Crosby is the voice of the holidays, and "Santa's Coming in a Whirlybird" is a cult classic song. You haven't lived until you've heard it!
What is your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment so far is making it through middle school and high school relatively unscathed. I struggled a lot with certain classmates (and teachers, for that matter), but I endured and managed to end high school as the valedictorian. If I had to choose a specific award, though, it would be winning Best Supporting Actor during the regional One Act play competition in my junior year of high school. Embodying the role of Choragos in Antigone was very challenging for me, and being recognized for my efforts really meant a lot.
What did you want to be when you were small?
I wanted to be a doctor, just like my father. As I grew up, however, I realized that my interests lay elsewhere. I also realized that medical school requires way more studying than I ever felt comfortable doing. It's worth enduring Legal Aspects of Business to avoid medical school in my opinion.
My latest book recommendation:
“We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” by Shirley Jackson. It's an odd, offbeat mystery novel about a family that may or not be responsible for a group of high-profile deaths in their neighborhood. It gives off an energy that very few novels do, and it's a short, charming read.
My life story in exactly one sentence:
This odyssey is only the prologue.
My favorite restaurant in Atlanta:
I am going to have to give this distinction to Momonoki. The food is simply great, and I have fun memories of hanging out there with my friends during the previous semester. The "Dragon's Egg" is a must-eat for anyone with an adventurous palette.
My favorite comfort food or family recipe:
My mother's banana pudding, of course! Though many fancy desserts have come and gone over the years, from peppermint bark to dulce de leche cookies and gingerbread sweaters, no dessert can disable my Leptin receptors for banana pudding. If you give the vanilla wafers time to soften, there is no better dessert than that. I will have to beg my mom to make some more before this vacation is over.
