Meet Andrea!
Who I Am:
Despite often being confused for a spunky middle school student, I am actually a 21-year-old college senior. I study Psychology at a little coastal college called Endicott. Due to my small stature, I am often referred to as “Nugget,” “Baby Nugget,” “Lil’ Bits,” “Munchkin,” and the affectionate title “Nugget of Fun.” (Sometimes my feet don’t touch the ground when I sit on benches, or I can’t see over counters at stores. It’s just a fact of life.) Despite being in denial about most things that involve getting older, I made a huge push toward adulthood this fall by moving from Boston to Florida to intern for TWLOHA.
Stuff I Like:
I love New England. I think palm trees are strange, and every time I walk outside here in Florida, I feel like I am in a Dr. Seuss book. I miss my “normal” trees, overpopulation of Dunkin Donuts, unpredictable weather patterns, hills, thick Boston accents, and especially the lighthouses on the coastline. However, I take comfort in the lizards that are constantly scurrying around your feet in Florida. I am in love with the art of dance and have built much of my identity around being a dancer. I have always said that dancing was the only thing I was ever good at, since I failed at every single sport I have ever tried, and I am thankful for the opportunities to create art in a way that makes sense to me. My most celebrated moves come out in the backseat of packed cars when a good song is on the radio. I love music and generally sway toward alternative rock as my favorite genre. My tastes have changed slightly over the years (especially since pretending to like hardcore music to look cool on MySpace in 2007). My current favorites include: Manchester Orchestra, Saves the Day, Tallhart, and Say Anything, thanks to the brilliant vocabulary of Max Bemis.
Most of my childhood nostalgia is wrapped up in Winnie the Pooh. As I grow older, I find that the simplicity of that “silly old bear” has taught me more about my philosophy on life than most other things. I guess that speaks to my constant desire to never grow up. Although I know growing old is inevitable, I don’t believe I will ever completely grow up. I will never miss an opportunity to laugh, even if that means making myself the brunt of a joke, which happens quite often. I believe there is innate humor and beauty in everything that happens to me. It’s all about perspective.
Also, I am a passionate cat person—but I’ll admit that hedgehogs probably became my favorite animal when I learned that they float when you put them in water.
Why I’m Here:
For me, TWLOHA started out as a place that made the cool shirts my favorite bands would wear on Vans Warped Tour. Over the years, as life became a much bigger and scarier place for me, I realized more and more what it all meant. I have seen so many people in my life push through their darkest hours and emerge stronger. I have felt tremendous power in that transformation. When I heard about this program, I knew it was my opportunity to experience this on a much grander scale. TWLOHA has given me that chance every day, and I will forever be thankful that I mustered the gumption to take it.
