Autobiography - Manchester University



Autobiography

Danielle Cancelli

Educ 111

September 22, 2008

Abstract

Over the years, I have moved from state to state and school to school. I have experienced many great times and a few hard times. I have met new people who have impacted my life in many ways, and I have lost loved ones that I will always greatly miss. All of the experiences that I have gone through have taught me many life lessons. All of which have been with the biggest part of my life, my family. I have two beautiful, younger sisters and two amazing, loving parents. I have always been an active part of my schools, playing sports and attending the school-spirited functions. Besides staying active, my favorite hobbies have always included camping and anything outdoors. I have lived my life to the fullest and have been thankful every step of the way.

Autobiography

Throughout my life I have gone through many experiences and learned many lessons, which has made me the person I am today. I was born in Illinois and have lived in two other states since then. I have a huge family that means absolutely everything to me. Throughout my life I was very involved in school, loved playing sports and being outdoors, and most of all loved being with the ones I loved.

Twenty years ago, on June 8th, 1988, I was born in Edwardsville, Illinois to my parents Michael and Laureen Cancelli. We lived there for a while until we resided in Mundelein, Illinois. There, I made some neighborhood friends that I always played outside with. We loved climbing the huge, green trees in my backyard and on my playground. Every once in a while we would have a lemonade stand at the end of our driveways and make a few dollars.

Four years after I came along, my little curly, brown-haired sister Giavanna was born. Four years after that, my littlest, blonde-hair, blue-eyed sister Abriana was born. I loved being the oldest child and taking care of my little sisters. I loved teaching them new things and being the big sister role model. Not only were they my little sisters, they were also my best friends.

The best part about living in the small town of Mundelein, was that most of my cousins and relatives lived within ten minutes of us. Just in that town I had about 16 cousins, my aunts and uncles, and all my grandparents near me. It was perfect. We spent every holiday, party, and every other fun events together.

My grandparents, who were the main glue to the family, moved to Arizona for a change of pace. At the age of 8, my parents decided to follow and move to the Grand Canyon State. This was hard on me because I knew I would be far away from my cousins and relatives. So we packed up the moving truck and said our goodbyes. My mom and two sisters flew to Arizona. My dad, my papa, and I drove the moving truck. It took us two nights and three days to reach Arizona.

The first town in Arizona that we moved to was called Surprise. It was so different from what I was used to. Most of the houses had rocks in their yards instead of grass, and I didn’t like that too much. I also noticed that most of the houses were really close to each other and had fences that closed them in. I was used to living in a house with no fence and a bunch of room between our house and the neighbors. It was very different in Arizona.

We moved from Surprise, Arizona, to Peoria, Arizona, where we remained and currently live. Population in my town started to skyrocket and the demand for schools did as well. It forced me, along with all the children in my neighborhood, to change elementary schools three times. I graduated 8th grade at Coyote Hills Elementary, where I played softball and basketball. I was also president of National Junior Honor Society. After graduating, I went to Sunrise Mountain High School, where I also played softball and basketball. I studied and worked hard to do well with my schoolwork. I enjoyed being active and a part of the school. I went to all the football games and participated in all the school-spirited events.

During senior year of high school, I experienced something that I never wanted to experience. My friend Jason passed away from alcohol poisoning. My friends and I were torn to pieces. We didn’t understand how such a wonderful, warm-hearted boy could be taken from us like that. It was a hard lesson to learn, but we stuck together and pulled through it.

Outside of school, my family and I loved to camp. We found several places that we would visit often. It was our getaway from the world when things got rough. There was just something about the outdoors and the beautiful mountains that made everything seem okay. Life felt perfect when we were camping. The best part was just spending time with the ones I loved.

Once I graduated high school I knew it was time to find a college that would best suit me. I am a very family-oriented person, so I didn’t want to be too far from home. Yet, I wanted to have the whole college experience. So, I decided on Arizona State University. I lived in the dorms, but it was only a 45-minute drive from home. That way I was still close enough to go home if I was sick or wanted to spend some time with my family and friends. My roommate was my cousin from Illinois, which ended up being a horrible idea. We didn’t get along as well as we thought we would have. I ended up moving out and commuting all the way to school every day for another year or so. After two years at Arizona State University, I decided that I wanted a change. I wanted to try and see if I could live on my own. I talked to my cousin, who lived in Indiana, and she told me about Manchester. She told me that it was a wonderful school and would probably suit me very well. I went on a campus visit in the summer of 2008 and loved it. I was accepted and moved to Indiana a couple months later. It was such a wonderful place, but I was also devastated living so far away from my parents, sisters and friends. I cried many times when I thought about everyone back home, but I tried to stay as busy as I could. It got easier as I met new people and got involved.

I’m now playing softball for Manchester and loving every minute of it. I still get very homesick, but I talk to my family everyday, which helps a lot. I also make sure to keep busy with school, softball and friends to keep my mind off of being away from home. Eventually, when I am done with school, I plan on moving back to Arizona with my family and friends. For now, I will make the best of what I have here in Indiana.

I am the person I am today because of the experiences and lessons that I have learned throughout my life. I moved from state to state and school to school over the years. I enjoyed all of the good times and got through all the hard times with my loving family. They are my rock and the best part of my life. I am so thankful for the life and love that God has given me.

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