What has been your proudest moment?
My proudest moment happened in summer of 2018 when my travel softball team was playing in Columbus, Ohio for a softball tournament. There were only 10 teams left out of the 120. In order to continue to play we had to keep winning. There was only 10 minutes left in the game when the other team was up to bat. A girl had hit a fly ball into right field when I made the biggest mistake of not catching it. They had then scored and were up by 1 run due to my error. I felt like I had let my whole team down. It was finally my turn up to bat and there were girls on third and second. All I had to do was get a single to drive the girl on third to home. I ended up hitting a triple all the way to the fence and two girls from my team scored, leading us to victory. In that moment I had never been so happy, I didn’t let my mistake ruin the rest of the game.
What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness?
My greatest strength would be how driven I am in work and school. I strive to do well even when I don’t think I can do it but I continue to push myself. It was instilled in me at a young age from my parent's to challenge myself to reach my goals and achieve my dreams. I’ve experienced many good outcomes from this culture that motivates me daily. One specific example of this is when I raised my GPA from a 3.2 to a 3.4 in my Junior year by taking classes that I did not think I could succeed in. On the other hand, my greatest weakness is second guessing my decisions to challenge myself which in reality helped me to succeed. I feel better having someone else’s validation on my work. For example, when I am doing assignments in school I always ask a teacher or classmate if I am on the right track even though it is likely I am. I will continue to work on my confidence and have a better attitude on my opinions. I do believe if you push yourself towards greatness it will lead to success down the road.
How would you handle an irate customer?
I work at a Kroger in my hometown and there is never a day where I don’t interact with an unsatisfied customer. For example, there are times when a customer has multiple coupons that they want to use towards their purchase. Typically, one or more may not be applicable for their purchase. If the customer is very upset about it, I have the ability to type in a store coupon and give them a discount anyway. When customers are coming into the store each week to buy hundreds of dollars worth of groceries, they have the right to leave satisfied. My goal when I work is to bring the best customer service.
What was the last gift you gave someone?
I am very fortunate for the unconditional love of my parents, that love and thoughtfulness for my sister and I are undeniable. Their holistic traits has influenced my actions that which have inspired me throughout my life. On their Birthday's or any other special holiday, I like to get them something special. This past Mother's Day, I went out and bought a bouquet of flowers so it could be placed on our kitchen island. The reason why I got my mom flowers is because I wanted it to be placed somewhere where she could see it each day, like a reflection of my love.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years from I hope to have a steady salary with a job that I love. 10 years from now I want to be able to wake up each morning excited about going to work. To add, I hope to have a husband who is my biggest supporter. I want to move out West by that time and maybe be ready to start a family. It’s always been a goal to live in Colorado, my favorite part about that state is the beautiful landscape. I love hiking and outdoor activities, so that is the place I want to end up at.
Tell us about your most challenging experience? What obstacles did you encounter and what did you do to overcome them?
In August of 2018, my cousin Dylan passed away from a drug overdose which really took a turn on my entire family. No one was expecting this to happen. Dylan had recently been sent to a halfway house in California for help with his addiction, so I had not seen him for months before the tragedy. For a while, it was hard to wake up everyday knowing I would never be able to see Dylan again. My family is what made things easier, they understood exactly how I was feeling. They have always been my biggest supporters. These experiences have made me realize how fragile life is and to make everything with meaning. Never take anything for granted because life is full of surprises.