Before T.A.S
Hi, I'm Chiqo - short for Chiquita - and I come from Daylesford secondary College, about 6 hours away from the Alpine School. I was born in Melbourne on the 28th of October 2001. My background is mainly Prussian, but I also have family that made tea in India.
After I was born we moved to Adelaide, Ballarat, then Creswick; a small mining town 2 hours away from Melbourne. I live in a small cottage with my Mum who is a disability support worker, Dad who is a horticulturist, and younger sisters Freya and Shamanii. We also have a pet dog named Sniff, and a cat named Lucy. My name is Spanish and it means 'little girl', 'Freya' is Norwegian, and 'Shamanii' is Indian. When I was little I spent a lot of time camping and doing road trips around Australia with my family. My dad also taught my sisters and I how to swim when I was 2, and I've never stopped since. My favorite place I've been was Tasmania last year. My biggest memory from when I was little was my parents us 'Genie lanterns'. They would fill it with lollies on our birthdays and write us letters pretending to be the genies, telling us to be patient, work hard and be kind (which are two values I hold close to me today). |
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In my spare time I draw, dance, play guitar, read, I participate in debating at school, learn Italian and compete in long distance swimming. My biggest achievement is getting 2nd place in a 1km swim with my swimming team. My most difficult time was in 2013 when I was in grade 6. I mostly didn't attend school because I was either too sick to get out of bed or in hospital. I couldn't walk because it took to much of a toll on my energy, so after being mostly bound to a bed it took me a while to build up my strength to walk. Swimming was one of the only things I could do while I was sick, which is why I like it so much. Although it was a horrible year, it has taught me the most about being patient, and working hard to overcome challenges.
I also go to and help out at a support group in Ballarat. It's for people who have a syndrome or condition that is incurable, slow, or too expensive. A lot of people there do 'distance education' and are stuck in hospital or at home, so this support group is their only way of seeing other people their age. At school my closest friends are Antigone, Angie, Alkira, and Holly. I met them in year 7 and they're some of the funniest and kindest people I know. Antigone attended the China program in term 2 2016, and was the person that convinced me to apply for TAS so I could improve my confidence. My definition of a belief is something you think is true. I believe it's relative to situations and places but it can be influenced by experiences. My beliefs include that in a perfect world, everyone should have equal opportunity. I also believe that morals and truth are relative, or for some don't exist at all; and this should be respected. This was influenced by a philosophy class I took at my home school. I learnt that I fall somewhere between a moral nihilist and a relativist. On extension I also think that no one should be judged for their choices because what may be right for one person, won't be for the other. My definition of a value is either something that is emotionally connected/sentimental to you, or valuable - such as a car. In saying this I also think something can be both valuable, and also hold a sentimental value to you. Some things that are valuable to me include my family. They provide me with opportunities even if it might be tough on them. They also provide me with somewhere to sleep at night and are always working hard to support everyone. I also value drawing, because it's something I can do without much concentration. Values and beliefs come from experiences and challenges everyone faces in life. Experiences can shape your outlook on life, whether it's for better or for worse. I think of it like a lens - we all have different lenses (which are shaped by upbringing and experiences) so we all see everything differently. In the future I want to travel around Asia, and study Paramedicine or Robotic engineering, however I would like to focus on using machines to help those in need. I eventually want to become a M.I.C.A paramedic. I think the reason I'm so interested in these areas is because both my parents have a background in hospitals, and I love helping people. |