My name is Natasha Wadhwa. I am an 18 year old senior at Lake Forest High School. I am currently wrapped up in the college process and am waiting to hear back from many schools. I have many interests in school as well as outside of school. In school I am part of the swim team, where I had the role of captain this year, as well as a part of the track team where I am a distance runner. I am also a part of a few clubs within the school. Outside of the school I am heavily involved with skiing. In the winter I work as a ski instructor, traveling to various resorts locally in the Wisconsin area. I teach kids ages 8-15 how ski.
Besides teaching kids to ski I am also involved with skiing in other ways. As the founder of the junior chapter of the “American Blind Skier Foundation”, I am very active in helping the visually impaired ski. I have helped to sell bracelets to help fund the charity as well as serve as a guide for the visually impaired on the snow. Since skiing is something that is very close to my heart and one of my passions in life, I have found this to be very rewarding.
It is scary to think that in less than a year I will be in college. Such a huge stepping stone in my life but I believe I am ready for it. At this point it seems as though it is all any of us seniors care about at the moment since we are all ready to be starting new chapters in our lives
Below is a piece I wrote this year about myself. I figured it was relevant since this is the section of my blog is all “About Me”. J
I walk into class and my teacher hands me a white paper with lots of writing on it. I take it, walk to my seat and put my bag down. I grab a pencil and examine the sheet. The first thing I do with every paper that I am ever given in school, fill out the easiest of all questions that is usually located in the top right corner: Name: Natasha Wadhwa. My name; the most important possession that I have, what sets me apart from every other person in the world (except people with the same name as me of course, but I have yet to even meet anyone with the same first name). My name is what makes me my multiple personality self. I am many people all in one. Each of me has their own names and personalities that set them apart from the others.
“Natasha!!!” I hear a yell from my mother coming from downstairs. Nine out of ten times when I am talking to her, my name is yelled to me. “Yeah...” I mutter a response knowing she is going to make me do some kind of chore for her that I really do not want to do. This part of me doesn’t like to do her chores when asked the first time.
“Hey, Tash. Whats up?” I get on a daily basis walking through the halls of school. I usually respond with an exhausted, “Not much… really tired…” That seems to be the generic response from every high school student drifting through the hallways. The me that never sleeps and is up all night doing homework is the same me that struggles to wake up and get to school in time in the mornings.
“Natasha Waddddd… uhhh?” “Here.” I respond with a sarcastic tone during attendance. Most teachers don’t know how to say my last name. This part of me has a new name everyday; usually what other people struggle to pass by as a way of saying my name.
“Missy!, Tickle Tickle.” My sister’s name, yet I respond to it. There are only so many times you can correct a person and tell them, “I’m Natasha…” Apparently we look like identical twins. Feeling bad for the poor person that confused us and tried to tickle a random person and is now embarrassed, I turn and half smile until they realize the foolish mistake they have made. This part of me is also half my sister. Neither of us can be bothered to correct people, there is no use.
“Tashi, come sit with me.” My grandma says. I am the first grandchild so I hold a special place with her that nobody else can. Smiling, I go and sit with her. This is the me that loves to sit and listen to her stories and be spoiled with cookies and candy.
“Tater-tot!”. I can almost guarantee to be called this with a little snicker from some of my best friends. Even though it’s a weird name, I still respond. This is the silly side of me that I’m not afraid to show off. I can laugh at this part of myself without any problem.
“Tashi, Pashi, pudding and pie” greets me as I answer the phone. I always respond back giggling, “Hi Grandpa!” This part of me can sit on the phone for hours talking to my grandpa and never get board.
“Tasha…Can you help me with this math problem.” my sister questions. Being so close in age, she often asks me for help with homework. She seems to be the only one who really uses that form of my name every day. This part of me has the patience to help my sister succeed while other parts of me would not.
Natasha Nicole Wadhwa. The name sounds so right, like I was born to be a Natasha. No other name would have been as sufficient. But with that one perfect beautiful name, comes all of the other “me’s” and the strong personalities that they carry. They all have different names and different purposes that they serve. Without all of these “me’s” I would just be a boring, plain, one sided person who is exactly the same all of the time. But I’m not. I am hundreds of “me’s” that get frustrated, silly, happy, sleepy, and every other emotion and state of mind that exists. So it’s the “me’s” entire put together that make me into ONE fantastic person!
