It’s January 3, 2001, the true millennium year, and I will be graduating from high school in less than six months.

I am the second of four children so I learned about competition, independence and sharing at an early age. These characteristics make up part of what I am today and my passions fall in-between them all. My interests, most of which were instilled in me by my parents are dance, music, art and helping people. Dance and music have always been a part of my life and creativity comes naturally to me. I see myself as a real people person. I enjoy inspiring, communicating and befriending those around me. Whether it is family, friends or a stranger, I get a great deal of pleasure from giving support to others.

During my search for the right college, very few offered me the ability to achieve my academic goal, obtaining a Masters in Psychology and pursuing my life long love of dance, while still keeping within my ideal guidelines; small student enrollment, excellent student to teacher ratio, campus location and more importantly, my major and minor academic interests. I feel that this criterion is an important part of my excelling academically.

As with most college students, I’m not one hundred percent certain about what I want to do in life but I’ve got a fairly good idea. To start, I will be striving for a Masters in Psychology. My last summer job sparked an interest in investigative work (Loss and Prevention Department at Neiman Marcus) so a career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation sounds intriguing. But perhaps, I may decide to continue my education, receive my Doctoral Degree and concentrate on Child or Criminal Psychology. My choice will come from one important factor, liking what I do.

Arietta Elizabeth Thorne