To any of my friends or other readers: This lifeline is to introduce me to both my readers, and as an assignment for school. So... if you already know me very well, you can feel free to not read this. However, if you want to know some interesting facts about me, see some pictures, and maybe find something new about me, please read on!
Family & Location:
My name is Alyssa Therese (i won't put my last name out online, call me paranoid, I just won't do it). I am nineteen years old, and was born in January at St. Joseph of Mercy Hospital in Ypsilanti. For a few years, my family lived in Haslett, and then we moved to South Lyon. We lived in South Lyon until I was four years old, and then we moved to where we live now, in Ann Arbor. My parents, Ed and Val, have been married for 25 years. I have two younger siblings. Rebekah, my sister, is 13 and a wonderful girl. I wouldn't trade her for the world. My little brother, Josiah, is 9, and he is great. He is an endless source of amusement.
Schooling: (picture of my little brother doing school in our living room)
I went to a public school in Ann Arbor from kindergarten through 2nd grade, and then asked my parents if I could be homeschooled. Apparently (and I just found this out last week), I had some homeschoooler friends and I was jealous of how early they got out of school. My mother and father did some thinking, and they decided that they would teach me at home. I'm really grateful to them for that. We pursued homeschooling all the way through highschool (where I graduated a year early).
Specializations:
I specialized in science throughout high school, enjoying biology and anatomy&physiology the most. I was part of several dramas, and studied Shakespeare whenever I could. I have 5-6 years of training with American Sign Language (which I plan to continue in college to get the certification to be in ASL translator). After I graduated I went to Washtenaw Community College for a certification intensive, which was about a month of 9-5 class and a set of clinicals. It was intense, but I'm a CNA (certified nurse aide) now.
Sports/Competitions: (picture of me at a swim meet in 2002)
In elementary and middle school, I was more involved in organized sports that I was in high school or am now. I spent several years on a swim team. I was never the most competitive person on the team, but I had fun and am a good solid swimmer. The thing that I got really competitive about was Bible quizzing, which I did for four years as a part of my AWANA club. I placed highly each year. When I was in high school, I became involved in Tae Kwon Do, which is a South Korean form of martial arts. I did not make it to my black belt, but I was not too far from it.
Health Issues:
I have been prone to injuries for quite a while, and that is a litany that NO ONE needs to be subjected to. When I was 15, I went suddenly deaf in my left ear. The diagnosis was SHL (Sudden Hearing Loss). I remained that way for over 3 months, and there was little to no hope that I would recover my hearing at all. Just when I was starting to resign myself to being half-deaf, I was stunned by a miraculous healing. Please feel free to ask me for more detail if you really want it.
Overseas:
When I was 16, I was blessed to have the opportunity to go on a mission trip overseas. I went to Romania with a group called Global Expeditions (which is a part of Teen Mania Ministries). It was a month-long trip, and was absolutely spectacular. I have many stories from the trip. Please feel free to ask me about them.
Ministry/Leadership:
Also when I was 16 (after I got home from Romania), I was inducted to the TOHTTLES, which is the sub-leadership team of my youth group. It was a great ministry, and I got to help the kids of the YG in ways I probably wouldn't have otherwise. Also, I planned a great deal of things and liked to celebrate as many birthdays as I could. I just resigned from that position this summer.
Madonna (and why I'm here):
When I was looking for colleges, I already knew the major I was going to pursue, and had for a while. So, looking at schools was narrowed to schools that had good nursing programs. While that narrowed it down a bit, I kind of wanted to have a less competitive, more friendly, like a family, nice campus, sort of place. I wasn't really sure that I wanted to go to Madonna, but then I went to one of the open houses. I really loved how homey the campus seemed, and how when you were there you felt like part of the family. On top of that, the nursing program is great, there's ASL, and it's a Catholic college (no, I'm not catholic. i'm protestant, but by coming to a catholic college there are some things that i can avoid, and i appreciate that). So... really, I love the atmosphere of Madonna, and that's why I'm going to school there.
The Last Few Years:
Hmm... the last few years have been pretty intense for me. I'm going to go mostly with '09-'10, so let's try to get through it! I got a job last June as a CNA in Plymouth. It went pretty well, other than my first day my Mom got sick and had to go to the ER. That was nerve-wracking. Anyway, training went very well, and I worked Afternoon shift one day before moving onto Midnights (11pm-7am). I started to get sick at the end of August, and ended up in the ER. We were unable to figure out what was wrong with me, so they pumped a bag of fluids into me through IV, and sent me home. School started, and I kept working. Now, over the next month I ended up back in the ER three times. I was sent to a cardiologist and given medication to raise my blood pressure. In the midst of that, my Grandpa went in for a surgery that worsened his Alzheimer's, and made it so that he could no longer live on his own. He moved in with my Aunts, though he was not too thrilled about the change (at all). Everything seemed to be working together until October, when I started losing consciousness. I passed out once at home (alone), and hit my head on the corner of our kitchen table. I passed out once at school (alone), and hit my head on some tile. I passed out one at work (alone), and hit my head on the concrete floor in the stairwell. After the last fall, I was admitted to the hospital for 5 days. And really, much of the year after that is foggy. I have very few real memories of the last year. I know that a few days after Thanksgiving I started having pain all over my body that lasted for 4 or 5 months. I also know that if it weren't for a great friend, I would still have no answers for some serious health problems. She suggested that we look into Adrenal Fatigue. Mom started looking it up, and it really seemed to fit what I was going through. Eventually, at the beginning of the summer, we found a doctor who believed in the disorder, and was able to treat it. And there began the road to recovery, on which I am still traveling. This semester has been rather nice so far. Actually, the hardest part of this semester so far is that Grandpa died a week ago. God bless his soul, I'll miss him.
Silly facts:
-I love dogs
-I think that all socks should be interesting and fun, and I have days where I refuse to wear boring socks (even if it means I have to go barefoot)
-I love to write stories, particularly with my friends.
-I go to a Civil War Reenactment (in costume) every year [sadly, i missed it this year due to my health]
-I think Sharpies are great!
-I absolutely love music. I play the guitar (and have for 6 or 7 years), sing (since I was 3), and plunk occasionally on the piano (I can't play it, and can't read music). Someday, I would love to learn how to play piano, cello, violin, and the clarinet.
-I love going hiking in the mountains
-I really enjoy drawing (even though I'm not really good at it yet) and I hope to improve my skills over the next few years. Doodling and drawing helps me to think, so often I will end up drawing in my class notes. I'm still paying attention, though!!!
-I am a very loving and compassionate person
-My friends and family are extremely important to me
-My faith is also very important to me
-In Nursing, I would like to specialize in birth, pediatrics, and geriatrics.
Sometime in the near future, I will post more pictures of myself and things I enjoy.
This picture is from when my little brother was born. And yes, I know I look really silly.
Aww... what an adorable little dork! Oh, wait... that's me.....
badly.....)
fairly pretty pic.
This is from when I turned 16.
Below is a picture from last Christmas from while I was sick. The three of us kids made a ginger-bread house together. It was pretty intense, but awesome. It was the coolest one we've ever made. The next picture brings us to the present. Tada!
