Who Am I?

My name is Danielle, I'm currently a senior at Barrington High School and next year I'll be going to college at Colorado State University. The reason why I chose to go to Colorado was because I'm a huge outdoors person and I love the environment there. I've always liked mountain biking, hiking, river rafting, rock climbing, snowboarding, etc. and Colorado gives me that opportunity to do the things I enjoy.

I'm someone who absolutely hates drama so I do as best as I can to avoid it. I'm a friendly person and never judge someone off of their looks or what other people think of them. I can be shy at first, especially if I'm around people I don't know very well, but once I start warming up to I can be very outgoing. I'm a trustworthy person and am someone anyone can talk to about anything.

My parents filed for divorce in the beginning of my freshman year and it wasn't official till the end of first semester my junior year. I didn't do so well in school during that time because I was busy dealing with my parents issues so my younger siblings could have as much of a normal life as possible. Even though the past few years have been rough and overwhelming, my family still means everything to me. Without them and without going through what I went through, I wouldn't be where I am today. I believe everything happens for a reason, and what I dealt with the past few years has made me a stronger person today than I've ever been and helped me learn more about myself and who I am as an individual.

One of my goals in life is to graduate college and go backpacking around Europe or go to Australia for a year to take classes on marine biology. I hope to become a councilor at a rehabilitation center to help those who struggle with their addiction(s) and support their families throughout the process. Life is full of surprises and all I can do now is wait and see what my future has ahead of me.