Who You Are Matters

Where am I from?

I've moved around a lot throughout my life, so answering the question "where are you from?" is quite complicated. My short answer is usually either Boston - the city that I was born in and will always love - or Cape Cod - where my family now has a permanent home. Between Boston and Mashpee, I lived in Tokyo, Singapore, and four different towns in Massachusetts.

Where am I going?

My biggest long term goal is to become a fashion editor at Vogue. This has been a dream of mine for quite some time and my desire grows stronger each and every day. I’ve put a lot of thought into what I can do to get there, and I have a fairly solid short term plan. Currently, I’m on the executive board for Haute Magazine, a student-run art, fashion, and culture publication. I love creating spreads for the magazine and I’ve been able to put together a fairly extensive portfolio. After I graduate, I hope to move to London to pursue a master’s degree in fashion communication at the Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design. Since Vogue is published by Condé Nast, I’m hoping that attending their college will help me build connections within the company and set me on the right path to achieve my goal.

How am I like my parents?

My parents have played a huge role in shaping who I am as a person. I take after my dad quite a bit. Throughout my life, he’s taught me how to set goals and how to achieve them. I’d say we’re both dreamers; we reach for the stars and don’t let obstacles keep us from getting there. I also inherited his incredibly goofy nature and his random urges to bust out a dance move. I get a lot of my pickiness and organizational skills from my mom. We’re both perfectionists and won’t stop working on something until it’s the best it can be. We also share the same love for travel and the same goal of visiting all seven continents.

How am I unlike my parents?

As much as I may have thought I wasn’t like my parents growing up, I’m basically a perfect combination of the two of them. I can’t think of many qualities that I see in myself that I don’t see in them. I would say the biggest thing that sets me apart from them is what I want to do for work. My dad works in investment management and my mom also worked in finance before I was born, but I’m hoping to take a completely different path in pursuing a career in fashion.

Who else serves as a role model for me?

Along with my parents, my friends inspire me in a variety of ways and help me work toward becoming the best, most authentic version of myself. My boyfriend, in particular, has been a huge influence and truly embodies what it means to be passionate, hard-working, and generous. He has such a big heart and he’ll do anything for the people he cares about, even if it means putting what he wants aside for a moment. He also works harder than anyone I’ve ever met — aside from my parents. His passion and determination inspire me to put everything I have into pursuing my own dreams.

How have I developed expectations for myself?

Most of the general expectations I have for myself have been shaped by the expectations my parents have always had for me — putting my full effort into everything I do, acknowledging my mistakes and weaknesses using them as a tool for growth, and being polite, caring, and compassionate. I don’t really mind operating under the expectations they’ve set for me, because I think they are completely reasonable and also vital to living a happy, successful live.

What wild animal do I have a special connection with?

When I think of a wild animal I have a special connection with, I think about a fox. Foxes are incredibly intelligent, crafty, and independent; I like to think I’m the same way. I became very independent at a young age, and I’ve always been able to take care of myself and do things on my own. I’ve also become very clever consider my wit to be one of my better qualities. Foxes are also very fussy eaters, apparently, which is something I can definitely relate to.

My birth horoscope:

According to Astrolabe, my signs are as follows.

- Sun sign: 07 degrees Virgo

- Moon sign: 06 degrees Taurus

- Rising sign: 16 degrees Libra