My name is Kate. I am seventeen years old and am a high school senior from River Falls, Wisconsin. I am currently employed at the River Falls School District's Central Office where I do miscellaneous office work (mostly filing). I will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the fall of 2004. My intended major is in the field of psychology (so far). After completing school, I would like to join a hospital or group practice as an adolescent/young adult clinical psychologist.
      In high school, I am currently studying Japanese and I will be soon completing the fifth and highest level of high school study. The study of both Japanese culture and language greatly interest me and I am extremely glad that I have so far had the opportunity to learn so much about a culture and language so different from my own. I am in an advanced placement psychology class, a precalculus mathematics class, and a photography class. I thoroughly enjoy all four classes, although I am not as proficient in the math department. I will be graduating, finally, in May of 2004.
      I love to write. Biographies, historical essays, stories of fantastic fiction, poetry. I love both to read and write it. I can generally more easily express myself on paper than in speech (not that I am anything but charming in person). I am also enthralled with politics and international communications. I especially love to debate on this type of topic. I stand-up for my beliefs and opinions, but always try to keep an open mind to all sides of every argument or discussion. I try to keep this mindset throughout my life and all areas therein.
      I love animals. We have six pets and that often doesn't seem like enough. With all of my interests in human relations, however, it seems almost impossible for me to have any time for an interest with animal and human-animal relations. But, with my family's extensive background in working with animals, somehow it all events out.
      Since I was eight years old, I have been a volunteer for the Raptor Center of the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus. This world-renowned animal hospital/research facility manages the care of sick and injured birds of prey (eagles, owls, hawks, and falcons) from across the country and around the world. For almost ten years now, I have helped with and done education programs with these birds for groups of people of all ages. I have traveled across the country from Washington D.C. to California to do these programs. My experiences with the Raptor Center have broadened my horizons as I have had the awesome opportunity to meet all kinds of people with all different backgrounds from all over the world. I have made connections across the country as well as around the world. Many of the veterinarians that have studied at the University of Minnesota are from other countries including Japan, Wales, Malaysia, Germany, Venezuela, Belgium, and Chile. I have gained so much valuable experience in the workplace and working with other people and animals.
      Over the summer, I plan to work for the River Falls Parks and Recreation Center working with children in a summer camp called "Adventures" and coaching a T-Ball team. I need to save up for spending money for college where I will also have to get a job to support myself. I look forward to working with these kids and giving them something to do to get them active early and help keep them out of trouble. I also always welcome the opportunity to spend time with others and make new friends.
      I love to spend time with my family. They are very important to me. In fact, many, if not most, of my favorite memories are of times I have spent with my family. I live with my entire family including my mom, dad, and younger sister and have lived with them in River Falls for seventeen years. We enjoy going on walks together and going to the beach at night and having campfires. We are very close to our neighbors and spend just about as much time with them as we do each other.
      My mom, Nell, began our family's interest in the Raptor Center by becoming a volunteer there ten years ago. She is forty-three years old and was born in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. She works at both the Raptor Center and at Lighthouse Coffee Shop in River Falls. She leads an active lifestyle and loves the outdoors and nature.
      My dad, Jim "Jeep," is forty-five and was born in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. He is the fifth of nine children. He now works at Traveler's Express/Moneygram○R, a company involved in money transaction all over the world. With his job, he and my mom just returned from a trip to Rome, Italy for a business trip. He enjoys lifting weights; he has competed in weight-lifting competitions. He also volunteers at the Raptor Center, but on a much more limited basis.
      My sister, Alexandria "Allie," is almost fifteen years old. She is on the River Falls High School varsity gymnastics team. As a freshman, she went on to compete at the Wisconsin State gymnastics meet, which the team won for the third year in a row. She is just beginning to work at the coffee shop with my mom as a part time job. She also helps with the programs at the Raptor Center.
      Also included in my family are our two dogs Morgan and Louie. Morgan, a one-year-old golden retriever, has many nicknames including: Honeybear, Sunshine, Max, and Pickles (that last one was my sister's invention). Honeybear is very cute and sweet but is a little lacking in the brains department. Even though he is close to eighty pounds, he still thinks he is a lap dog. Louie, on the other hand, our four-year-old Brittany, is very intelligent and has even learned how to open our kitchen door to both enter and exit at his own free will. We have two eight-year-old cockatiels that don't have names but are a very noisy part of our household. We also have two mice—Pricilla and Penelope. My mom keeps a harris' hawk named Senydara for falconry, the sport of hunting with a hawk.
      River Falls as a whole is a pretty quiet town with a total population of around twelve thousand people. The pinnacle of our excitement is River Falls Days—a citywide event when there are outdoor concerts, a carnival, and sidewalk sales. River Falls is also home to a Wisconsin University, which is a highly respected school especially in the field of elementary education.
      I am very lucky. To have been born into such a great family and to have so many great friends is a blessing. I am so glad that I have had the opportunities that I have including studying Japanese. It has opened my eyes to an entirely different world as well as possibilities.