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My Place Under the Sun:
A Biography
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
I grew up in a small town located in the north-central part of Connecticut, not far from the University of Connecticut. It is joked that the highlight of my town's history over the past five years was the introduction of the Subway sandwich restaurant. While it isn't difficult to know too much about everyone else's business, I enjoyed growing up in the place I called home since I was two.Though you wouldn't guess it by looking at this picture, I was a bit of a tomboy growing up. With two older brothers, I was the baby of the family, who learned early on to rough and tumble for fun (and to fuss when things weren't going my way.) Whether I was playing soccer or doing gymnastics, making up stories or singing improvised songs, I was a highly energetic child, always looking for something to do. These early ventures into creativity led me into musical theater through high school, school choruses and a cappella choirs, and writing for school newspapers, as well as writing fictional stories-a habit that has survived into adulthood. With a musical background fostered early on by my parents, it's no wonder that I felt the need to begin writing my own songs, singing my own words and melodies.
Another childhood pastime that continues to bloom is my desire to travel. Some of my fondest memories growing up involve family trips, whether it was the yearly trek to North Carolina to visit extended family or the special cross-country trek to California we made when I was eleven. From the backseat of the car, I would see the countryside pass me by, I would see the stars in the night sky, and I would feel the rush of anticipation for finding new places to explore. These childhood trips sparked a desire to travel that continues to this day. My yearning to see the world has only increased with each new place I discover.
So far, I've been fortunate enough to make trips to Europe twice. As a student ambassador through People to People and separately on a family trip, I have explored parts of England, Switzerland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland, and Austria. And just last year, I made it to Asia for the first time when I took a study trek to Nepal with SFSU's Wildlands Studies program. For me, there's something magical about discovering a new culture, learning a new language, and exploring foreign terrain. I only hope that the future holds more journeys in store for me.
TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
My life's journey since high school has been an exciting, albeit confusing and often frustrating one. In the autumn after graduation, I made the trek to California where I would become the third child of my family to attend Stanford University. Though I knew California wasn't going to be all palm trees and sun, I wasn't as ready to be all the way across the country as I thought I'd be. Learning the new tricks of the trade from the natives was often frustrating or unfulfilling to me, so after one quarter of school, I made my way back home to Connecticut.After several months of soul-searching, doing a lot of fiction writing and learning how to really put my feelings and ideas into song, I finally decided to return to school the following summer. This time I tried University of Connecticut. Despite the basketball teams' successes, the winters were a rough commute, and I felt a sense of deja vu in the sea of frighteningly familiar faces. I'd left high school behind, but most of my classmates hadn't. It was time to move on.
FROM HERE ON OUT
After much hemming and hawing, I decided to give Stanford another chance after a year at UConn. Through several major changes and a quarter off to go to Nepal, I finally found my footing in the Communication department. Unfortunately, I had to give up my honor's thesis exploring the relationship between music and cultural identity as a Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity major. But as a communications major, I was still able to take a wide range of classes, including practical journalism classes and media technologies, which became my focus. I became a research assistant for the Social Responses to Communication Technology Project, under the guidance of Prof. Clifford Nass, where I aided interface design research studies to examine how people treat computers, televisions, and new media like real people and places. I also finally joined the school newspaper, The Stanford Daily, where I wrote some editorials but mostly worked on music and book reviews for the entertainment section.After what seemed like an endless senior year, I graduated in March 2000, and begin my new life as a career woman. In June, I proudly walked the Wacky Walk of graduation, leaving my undergrad years behind me.
And here's an update on what's new in my life.
You can write to me at:Renée
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timesLast updated 08/02/01
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