I have lived in the bustling city Chicago Illinois, the small town life of Siren Wisconsin, and the suburbs of Bloomington Minnesota. I have attended 3 different public schools, was home-schooled for 3 other years, then attended two different types of private Christian schools, with the second being much more conservative than the first. For my last two years of high school I applied, and got into, a very liberal art school that focuses on the major 6 art areas. I was in the Visual Art department, but also had classes with others from different areas.

I grew up in a Christian home, my dad being a pastor, and my mom born and raised in a Christian home as well. I have an older sister and a younger brother, and family was very significant to everyone in our house. My parents were involved with foster care back when I was younger, and then again when we lived in Minnesota. Each child that came through our doors tended to stay for a while, becoming apart of our family. Also I was an active parishioner of 13 churches over my 23 years, I was used to making friends and the idea of settling down again. I graduated high school in 2011 and took the year off, nannying a family of three loud, outspoken, (and known for their not so good behavior in town) children.

Then I started college. After my first semester I went to Norway to study for the spring semester. After all this I can now, with certainty, state what I believe and why I believe it. I am able to listen and understand where others are coming from. So many people don't fully understand why they believe or think what they do. Most people that I meet haven't ever discussed an opposing idea with an open mind. When you test and truly think through what and why you believe what you do, some amazing ideas can be born that may open your whole world. The "hot topics" in todays news tells you "what is wrong, because it's bad for this reason and that reason" but they are not fully discussing the issue and, are not coming at it from all different angles. They only tell the side of what they want you to think, and therefore most uneducated people believe it without a second thought.

Maybe you agree with them, but coming up with that final answer yourself will always help in fully understanding a new or different idea. Be able to grow from that. Don't be someone who fights just to fight, follows just to follow. Instead use your past experiences to grow and firlmly believe what you do as a result.