Personal Bio

 -Birth Date and Place-

I was born in San Diego, CA. Alvarado Hospital, room 273 on August 21^st, 1995. I'm kidding about the room number, but the rest is true.

-Family Members-

My psrents are Jeff and Joanne Downing. They are just your average people. My mother, born and raised in Connecticut and a Psychology major graduate from University of Denver, Colorado is just like me, too stubborn for her own good and a fair cook. My father, born and raised in Oakland, California, a Calpoly and SDSU graduate with a business degree and his own

 business, is a very successful man and one of the kindest, most admirable people I know. I also have two younger sisters. Tori, a freshman at West Hills this year, plays volleyball and always has perfect hair. The youngest, Grace, is a soon-to-be supermodel/mental patient. Absolutely gorgeous, positively insane. Can't spend more than an hour at a time with them but I love them to pieces.

-Childhood and School Life-

My childhood was outrageously normal. I grew up a tomboy, playing with the neighbor boys. School was normal, I went to Pepper Drive elementary and middle from pre-k to 8^th grade. In elementary school I loved everything about the school. My teachers, my friends, everything was fantastic. By the time I got to middle school, I was so tired of the place and ready for a change. I hated my friends, I hated the homework, I hated the teachers that gave it. This new adoration for academics continued into high school. My freshman year wasn't bad, I still got good grades and did all of my work. It wasn't till sophomore year that everything started to go downhill. I became okay with getting c's instead of b's and homework came second to friends. By junior year however, I can't even consider school as a second place, more like last place about to give up. Here I am in senior year and I will admit, school has lost the race in my book.

-Hobbies, Interests and Activities-

When I was younger I never played sports, organized or other. I never went to summer camp or did anything related to church. The majority of my time was spent with my friends, who have always been a huge part of my life no matter who they were at the time. The only time spent with my family was on vacations, which were often enough for that to be enough.

Today I still don't play any sports, or know how to play an instrument. I still spend the majority of the time with my friends. About two years ago I found Bikram Yoga, the hot yoga for crazy people. I loved it. I loved the way you felt when the class was over

and how peaceful your mind was after just one class, and how strong it made you both physically and mentally with what seemed like so little effort. I stopped going a couple months ago because it was too expensive and started going to the gym instead. Otherwise, I'm hobby-less. The only difference between me then and now is I shop, eat and drive a lot more.

-Anecdotes-

One morning a couple summers ago I was eating breakfast at Rudy's diner which I did almost every day when I was in San Francisco. When i'm there I bring my camera everywhere I go, yes, even to breakfast. This particular day I had my ancient 35mm cannon my mom bought when she was in high school. While I was sitting at the breakfast bar, a guy and his daughter came up to me because he recognized me from
the night before. I had been shooting a concert venue that my uncle owned and he was at the show. A photographer himself, he asked to see some of my pictures and we ended up talking all through breakfast. I realize this would have been a very odd encounter had he not been a close friend of my uncle Jimmy. He and his daughter were visiting from Costa Rica (my dream destination!!) as an escape while he and his wife were going through a divorce. Hearing his feedback on my pictures and hearing his personal stories made me think a lot about my future. Up until that point I really had no hope in photography, I thought it was one of those hobbies that you love but no matter how much it means to you it will always remain that- a hobby. I still hear of him from uncle Jimmy and he's given us a forever-standing invitation to Costa Rica if someday we ever get the chance to go visit. I really really hope someday I do.

Every anecdote I have is something that makes me think about my future. When I was still doing yoga, I got a job at the studio. It was very expensive, especially because I did it at least four times a week. At $25 a class, I needed the extra job. One evening while I was at work I remember looking out the bay window and watching the sunset in the always too-warm lounge and thinking that this is where I want to be for the rest of my life. Maybe not always in that particular ripped leather arm chair but within that calm state of mind. The place where I loved my job and I loved my activities, I was comfortable in my own skin and with the way my life was going in general. I loved hearing the stories of the many people that came through, people visiting from other places, teachers on vacation teaching a class just to meet people. It was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. That night I had been writing a letter to my grandmother who had asked about any future plans I had. I'll admit that my letter was probably a bit idealistic but it made me happy. And just living the way I did and the thought of growing up in that way gave me so much hope. However, I woke up from

that dream really quick when I started working full time at my current job. I have two younger sisters that require
constant caring for and two parents who work more than they are home. I was thrown into the parent role for a while there while trying at the same time to get by feet back on the ground in school. Needless to say I had to quit my job at the studio and stop doing yoga altogether for months. Going back is very tough because it takes a strict diet and a full wallet to be able to reap the same benefits. Neither of which I had at the time. I've promised myself that someday I will get back into it, and a promise is a promise.

-Career-

I have never really planed put a career for myself. Since the third grade i've contemplated a few ideas; veterinarian, doctor, brain surgeon (that one was fun) and then to psychologist. I never strayed from the medical path, just from animals, to humans, to the human mind. When I was in yoga I was fascinated by the mental and physical connection between the mind and body. The practice itself also taught me that your body can accomplish so many feats if your mind allows it. I think that fascination was driven by a couple I met while there, Mina and her husband, whose name I cannot remember. She was a retired neurologist and he, a retired psychology professor. I remember hearing their stories and thinking about how great it would be to work someplace where I loved every aspect of my job like they did. Otherwise, I am currently focused on learning

rather than having a specific career. I think going through community college will lead me to whatever career path I may lead, and I am completely happy with having not made a decision yet.