Aerie InternationaL - Missoula County Public Schools

achel cin, 18: With English my second language, I often
have a hard time describing myself. By taking photography I
can describe my feelings without having to say a word. I am
usually shy and Ms. Perkins, my art teacher, calls me the quiet
creator, because I have difficulty writing or speaking my ideas.
Since last year, I have gained a lot of confidence and now talk to
people who I would never have talked to before.
annie chang, 18: Both of my parents are from Taiwan, but my brother and I were born
here in the United States. As a result, my personality and character
have been strongly shaped by the Chinese and Taiwanese cultures.
It is interesting to be an Asian-American living in central Oklahoma,
where just five minutes from my home are real cattle farms and horse
ranches. The two cultures seem to contradict each other, but I have an
amazing life that can only come from the welding of two such different
places. I speak Mandarin at home and I love country music. I teach
Chinese folk dancing lessons, and I am also a member of the Norman
Ballet Company.
kelsie corriston, 17: I live in Ho-Ho-Kus, the only town in America to have two hyphens.
I have a twin sister. Sometimes I hate her, but she’s my best friend.
Every weekend during the summer we go to my grandparent’s
house at the Jersey shore. The house is right on the beach of the
Matedaconk River. Often we go tubing or crabbing. Mostly I
just read on the deck that overlooks the beach, an iced glass of a
Stewart Root Beer on the floor next to me. In the evenings we sit
outside and have appetizers. Perhaps the best taste in the world
is a fresh crab dipped in mustard and mayonnaise sauce.
michele corriston, 17: My name is Michele Corriston. That’s M-i-c-h-e-l-e. One “L.” A
few weeks ago, someone told me he “didn’t know if I could rock the one “L.” I told him I
try. And I do. I try to meet the expectations I set for myself. I try to make myself known in a
school where anonymity is heresy and new people approach me everyday, calling me by my
twin sister’s name. I try to break out of my shell, crack by crack, line by line.
olivia dykes, 16: I’m the daughter of parents with rhyming names and the older sister
of a set of twins. Make that two sets of twins if you count the dogs. My grandparents
have to be the cutest couple I have ever seen and when I get older, I would kill to have a
relationship like that. Not to mention, go parasailing off the coast of Bermuda and visit the
moon someday. Sometimes I can be too concerned with my image and I can be indecisive.
I’m really quiet when you first meet me, but if you get to know me, that will change very
quickly.
97