Hobbies
Gymnastics
I grew up doing gymnastics for the majority of my life. I started at age 2 and a half, and stopped before coming to college at 19. I have done both traditional artistic, which has the four events vault, bars, beam and floor, and acrobatic, which has static, dynamic, and combined routines in partnerships. In art, my favorite event to train fluctuates. My favorite growing up to train was vault, and beam when I got older. My favorite event to perform has always been floor since we get to choose our own music and choreography. In acrobatic gymnastics, I was a middle and base because I am short but strong, but I did hand-balancing top work on wooden blocks. I was in a trio of 2 other girls.
I love that the sport continued to challenge me and involved my entire body. It built great mental and physical endurance and strength. I had two main injuries in the sport: a back fracture and a severe double ankle sprain. Both set me back about a year each, but I was able to bounce back with muscle memory and perseverance. I received the Most Coachable and Perseverance Awards at our Banquet. My best skill was my back-tuck connection on beam and hand-balancing one-arm croc on beam. I also sometimes do a one-arm handstand on beam.
Exploring Museums
Another hobby of mine is exploring museums. My favorite exhibit I have ever been to is the Yayoi Kusama Infinity Room Exhibits. I saw 12 of her rooms in Toronto, Canada, and 2 in San Francisco. They are incredibly immersive and mesmerizing. She is known for her use of polka dots. My favorite museum overall is the Hungtingotn. I absolutely adore their gardens, especially the Japanese garden.
Coffee Shop Scouting
One of my favorite breaks is coffee shop scouting in LA. I love all the creative niche spots. They help me romanticize college and make me more inspired and productive to work. The one I’ve been to the most is called the Alchemist, where I always get the TiraMisu coffee. I also had some good Citrus Cold Brew. I enjoy seeing each shop’s respective aesthetic and creativity with their drinks. It helps me get outside the bubble of campus
Sewing
My final hobby is sewing. I began taking sewing lessons when I was in middle school and made several projects, from Alzheimer's Activity Blankets to actual clothing. I now work in the Costume Shop in the School of Dramatic Arts at USC doing various alterations for the student shows. I am also taking a Corset Construction class, which I absolutely love. The piece above is a textile titled “Painted Eclipse.” It was inspired by the total Solar Eclipse I saw over Painted Hills, Oregon.
Scouting out Cats
I absolutely love all animals, especially cats. I would consider cat-scouting a hobby of mine. My eyes are always peeled for cats, and I will visit the cats at Petco even though I cannot adopt another. My first cats were named Treacle and Licorice. Treacle was an incredibly sweet orange Tabby cat. Licorice was an evil black cat. We had them when I was pretty young. My brother and I used to play doctor with Treacle - she was a very tolerant cat.(
My current cats are named Ginger and Snickers. Snickers is mine and Ginger belongs to my brother, but I named them both. They are part Bengal Savannah and are sweet but also mischievous and absolutely love food. Ginger looks like a little leopard and has lighter brown coloring, and Snickers is more marbled with a swirl on her side with darker coloring. I miss them lots when I am away at college, but I am excited to see them over spring break!
My family has a tradition of unintentionally naming our cats after foods. Others my parents had before I was born were Shortbread and Marmalade. The cat in the image is the cohort cat, Meonji. She loves people and exploring.