MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
@misterjwarren

Intellectual Exemplar

Well I was thinking about what I could write about and when I was looking through my pictures on my laptop I came across this picture of my dog. His name is Butch (no I did not give him that name) and my family adopted him from a shelter in New York the summer before my freshman year in high school. It's funny because at that time period, Butch and I were both about to embark on important transitions in our lives. This is where the story of how we came to adopt him comes about.
During August of the summer of 2005, my family decided to make a trip to Pennsylvania to celebrate my mother's birthday. On our way up there we ended up stopping in New York to visit my mom's sister. Keep in mind that my aunt has known that I had wanted a dog since I came out of the womb. Therefore, she took the initiative to search the animal shelters in her area to find a dog for me. The day before we were to leave Pennsylvania, she called my mom and told her that we had to stop in New York before we left. She had found this dog that she knew would be exactly what I wanted. When we got there, I saw this depressed looking half-Pitbull half-Labrador mix that I could just tell had been through a lot. It turns out that his previous owners were sort of mentally challenged and basically paid the cable guy $500 to bring him, his brother Cassidy (Yes, pun intended..Butch Cassidy..knee slapper) and a few cats to the shelter because they no longer wanted them. Just imagine being taken from the place you are used to and dropped in a shelter?
All in all, it seems as if Butch and I were destined to be united because coincidentally, he was scheduled to be moved to another shelter in New York City, but the van broke down before he could be transported. Then, as we finished signing the adoption papers, a lady who had recently visited the shelter walked through the door saying that she had changed her mind and wanted to adopt him. These occurrences solidified in my mind that Butch was meant to be mine. Through the years, he has come to be more than a pet to me. He has so many human characteristics that it isn't even funny. For instance, when he is sleeping, if there is a light shining above him, he will take his paw and cover his face and groan until it is turned off. Also, whenever my mom says my name to him when I am not around, she tells me that he begins pacing and "looking" for me. I know this post was supposed to be about someone academic who had influenced me, but I felt that showing how my pet has had a great influence on my life would suffice.

International IQ

The country I chose to research is Costa Rica. It is a Spanish-speaking country in Central America that is bordered by Nicaragua, Panama, and the Pacific and Caribbean seas. Although at first glance, many would question whether or not the country itself has noticeable black occupants, Afro-Latino culture in Costa Rica Is quite prevalent. Being from the country myself, I can tell you first hand that there is one "province" of Costa Rica called 'Limon' that is primarily occupied by Jamaicans. This makes it hard to explain to others what my heritage is. On one hand, people question how I am from Costa Rica having the dark complexion that I do, as they assume I would have a fairer skin tone. Then when I explain them that I have Jamaican blood in me they ask me what part of Jamaica my family was and I typically have to reply "see what happened is, my Jamaican ancestors moved to Central America to help build the Panama Canal and along the way, some of them ended up staying in Costa Rica." Some people try to say I am really not Jamaican then, but I have no clue on how else to describe my ethnicity. So to put it simply, I have Costa Rican, Nicaraguan, Jamaican, and some other mix of West Indian blood running through my veins. But that wasn't the point at hand, my job is to describe my country. It is a beautiful country with an easy way of life. One example to show you how peaceful it is is the fact that Costa Rica does not even have an army! Due to some legal/international treaty, the country is protected by the armed forces of the United States, and therefore does not train or maintain any form of military. But more on what the assets of Costa Rica are. There are many beautiful beaches situated throughout the country. Although countries like the Dominican Republic boast of having the best tourism, tourism in Costa Rica is actually quite lucrative as well. Another thing that most people don't know is that there is a pretty good chance that every time you grab that cup of coffee from Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks, the brew that you have just savored received its top notch flavor from the perfect climate of Costa Rica. One of our biggest exports is in fact coffee. The tropical weather in certain parts of the country prove to be the best breeding grounds for some of the best coffee beans in the world. Costa Rica is also known for its extensive assortment of plants and animals. For such a small country, it is astounding to know that almost ¼ of the country is protected under a national park system. All in all, Costa Rica is a great country, it ranks high on the list of the "Happiest Countries" amongst other things. I am proud to say I hail from such a wonderful place.

Curriculum Vitae(prospective)

Jason Warren

511 Gresham Pl NW Washington, D.C. 20059 (202)-612-4619 [Jason.warren10@gmail.com]

 

 

Objective    [Successful matriculation into a rigorous summer research opportunity]

 

Experience    [Usher]

[4.22.09] [AMC Theatres], [Methuen, MA]

[provide a comfortable experience for guests]

[maintain theatres at a clean and comfortable standard]

[ensure that theatres are cleaned on time for next film showing]

 

 

[Rent collector]

[5.1.2002-6.25.2009] [Young Rentals], [Methuen, MA]

[Collect rent from tenants]

[Issue delinquency notices]

[create flow chart of income/expense]

 

 

[Landscaper]

[5.6.2006-5.1.08] [Crowley Property Maintenance], [Salem, NH]

[clear leaves/snow]

[feed/water plants, shrubs, and lawn]

 

Education    [Howard University], [Washington, D.C.]

[enrolled in Fall 2009]

[Biology Major]

[Legacy Scholarship Recipient]

 

            [Central Catholic High School] [Lawrence, MA]

            [9.2005-5.2009]

High School Diploma

3.44 cumulative GPA            

 

Interests    [Intent to apply to medical school, interested in the functions of the cell/human body]

 

References    References are available on request.

Diary of my Life

My full name is Jason Warren; that's right, I have no middle name. I was born at South Shore Hospital in Norwell, MA and lived in Dorchester, MA until my parents were able to move out of that city (they refused to raise their children in such an unsafe environment). We moved twice more before reaching our final home in Methuen, MA. Ever since I was young, I knew what the future had in store for me. Not once did I ever contemplate not going to college, for I knew I had to attain my undergraduate degree before moving on to medical school. Another important factor that helped me decide that I wanted to become a doctor was witnessing my mother suffer a brain aneurysm when I was only three years old. That traumatic incident, and the fact that she made a complete recovery at the hands of the Lord and her surgeons solidified my urge to want to help others. As a child, I was goal-oriented, but often mischievous. There were many times during elementary school that I would be reprimanded for my actions, however I never considered myself a delinquent. What can I say, I liked to play practical jokes; it wasn't my fault that my teachers and peers didn't find them as funny as I did. Despite my tricky ways, I never lost sight of my real reason for being in school. I credit my focus towards my grades to my parents. During the school week, I was never allowed to watch TV. Therefore, I didn't have as many distractions as my classmates did. As I grew up, I found myself growing to like the sport of soccer and after beginning to play in the second grade, continued until junior high school. However, upon going to high school, I found that my size would be more conducive to being good in the sport of football. From the moment I stepped foot on the gridiron, I fell in love with the sport. Of course, I was at a disadvantage seeing as many of my teammates had already played the sport before during Pop Warner. I closed the gap sophomore year when I began lifting weights regularly and by junior year had earned a starting spot on the junior varsity team. Unfortunately, an ankle injury during the off season hampered by ability to lift weights and run as often as I was supposed to for my senior year season so when football started up again, I had a noticeable shortcoming. Therefore, I dropped in rank from starter to second string. Football was not the only sport I competed in during my high school career, though. I also joined the track team and threw the shot-put for two years and ran the 400 meter race for the other two. After my senior year of high school, I successfully matriculated into an institution of higher education, Howard University. I am currently pursuing my undergraduate degree in Biology.

Thanksgiving Break

As the time drew nearer for me to go back home for break, I was having bittersweet feelings. Of course I wanted to return home to see family and friends that I hadn't seen since August. However, I was finally settled into my atmosphere and loved where I was at. I mean, no matter how awful people portray dorm life to be, I was loving it. I mean, c'mon. What's better than having everything you need at your fingertips (food, entertainment, and of course school work) and not to mention friends that stay footsteps away from your dorm? It was a good break from the monotony that I called life at home. While many of my friends were overcome with homesickness, I was just taking it as it came. I think one of the reasons I wasn't overly excited to go home for break was the fact that I knew I had eighteen hours of combined travel just to go and come back from my home state of Massachusetts. Once we crossed the state border into MA, I felt an immediate sense of being close to home. Although I had acclimated to life in D.C., it was strange to see the at-home feeling I gained once seeing highway signs that were familiar. I have to say that the one thing I missed the most about being home was my mother's cooking, my dog, and my full-sized bed. It was also great going to the Thanksgiving football game at my high and reconnecting with former classmates. Not to mention, we won in a nail-biter! After the game, I got ready and set off to my aunt's house. Seeing all my family was amazing. It was wonderful to see all my younger cousins growing and maturing. This Thanksgiving I was thankful for the beauty of life, and most importantly for my family and friends. It was great to spend time with the people I cared about most and although the trip was short it was well worth it. I like short trips like this because it leaves me wanting for more, unlike summer vacation where I start longing for school to start again! Can't wait for Christmas! Live Update: The trip usually takes 9hrs. Due to traffic, we've been on the Jersey Turnpike for over 2 ½ hrs. We left at 3:30 and it's just about 11:30 now; you do the math.

Tilt: Worth It or Not?

Howard University has an online assessment system known as TILT that many English and/or Freshman Seminar professors require for their classes. TILT is a program that provides the user with advice and information on how to access legitimate sources of research for education purposes. After reading the information that is provided, the user is required to complete a series of quizzes to test their comprehension of the data just reviewed. Overall, I felt as if the material was a bit unnecessary. I mean, for those who might have never been assigned a research project before, TILT gave sound advice on how and how not to access info. However, as someone who has completed several research projects, the information was boring. I mean, I was taught how to do extensive research in high school because it was assumed that I should already know the information before I got to college. But what can I say, I guess many students who are new to college still don't know how to conduct proper research. I'm not going to say I learned nothing from the experience, however. As the saying goes, you learn something new every day. ….