I was born in Southern California in the early 1980s. I went to various elementary schools in Los Angeles Unified School District, but went to Casimir Middle School in Torrance.

Skipping ahead, I graduated from North Torrance High School. I am currently a 3rd year at University of California, Irvine, majoring in History. I am also an Academic Peer Advisor for School of Humanities.

"Who is An?"

Written by: Javier Gallardo

"Who is An precisely? Is she nice? Is she scary? Is she humble? Or is she evil? Is she even from this planet? LOL. That's for sure I know she is. But many have often wondered.

An is a kind person and caring person that has a lot of hopes and ambitions. She is very dedicated to her studies, but once in a while takes a break from her academics to chill out with her friends, proving that indeed she is human. She is goal oriented, but often wonders where those goals will lead her to. She loves movies and this is often the way that she chooses to relax. She enjoys books and appears to love poetry. She loves and often tries to portray the cultures of Italy and England. Meaning she loves to act Italian or English. She is strong willed and will not often back-out of an argument or debate. She knows were she stands but at the same time insecure about what she is saying. Meaning sometimes she’s not fully sure she believes what she is saying. But that is understandable; after all, it is human nature is it not? But because she is human she also has faults. She is absent-minded at times and tends to misplace things a lot. She sometimes can't control her feelings in stressful situations. She is often one-track-minded, meaning she doesn’t see multiple paths or solutions towards problems or situations. But eventually she ends up finding that fork in the road that allows her to do so, making her a stronger person by learning from her mistakes. Her physical characteristics are what add even more to her persona. When she is looked upon, she often looked down on. Not for shame, but rather for height (5'3). She’s not the tallest person in the world, unless for some reason a miracle growth formula is invented and she takes multiple quantities of it. But she is also not the shortest person I’ve ever seen. Due to her size she looks as though she can be picked on, but there is an aura of unfamiliarity that can cause one not to. Perhaps it is doing to her strong dedication to getting things done when they have to be done, closing herself off from the world around her. The way she walks can sometimes seem as though she is under the influence of some type of alcohol (inside joke). But do not be fooled. She has a hearing impairment that kind of disorients her balance. She enjoys working out and learning martial arts. Like the goes, “Big things come in small packages” so don’t be surprised if her punches actually hurt.

Overall An is everything I have described and more. She is passionate, loving, dedicated, responsible, and a great person that one should get to know. She is what I would call “beyond normal.” She is here and there at the same time. She is from here but sometimes seems to be from there. So back to my question: who precisely is An? Only she will ever know." Note: Longest testimonial ever about me, haha! Thanks, Javi! :)