Personal Introduction
While I gave some basic information about myself on the Welcome Page, I would like to fully introduce myself, providing details about my passions, interests, hobbies, and aspirations. My name is Erik Vega, and I am a dual-enrolled high school student through Union County Early College and South Piedmont Community College. I've always been that student who takes learning seriously, no matter the subject or difficulty level. The feat of obtaining two separate degrees at the same time has been a real academic challenge, I can confidently say that it has taught me the value of being a student. Also in the process, I have pinpointed my desired learning style and how to apply such knowledge into my daily life. I wholeheartedly can say I learn the best visually, which specifically ties into my character. Physically seeing information on a page, diagram, or graph makes things impossible to forget, similar to how I've very much been an observer of the people around me. I try my best to look out for others, especially my friends, even when I am busy with my own affairs.
​
But while I've been laser-focused on absorbing enough information to be successful in future university and career efforts, my life has not been void of personal experience either. My father and his side of the family are from Puerto Rico, while my mother's side of the family is scattered throughout North and South Carolina. Both of these have taken me on many vacations and travel destinations, which sparked my passion for traveling. I try to visit somewhere new at least once a year, but I do plan on studying abroad and traveling for work after I complete my education. In addition, to traveling, I enjoy music a ton. I collect cassette tapes, vinyls, and CDs of my favorite albums. I also love to randomly buy stuffed animals and Lego sets. I spend a lot of my time hanging out with my friends as well, as interpersonal relationships mean a lot to me. While it may be obscure, my favorite thing to do is visit an aquarium. I have spent entire days mesmerized by the sheer amount of life contained in a couple of aquariums across the East Coast.
I have been a North Carolina inhabitant for all eighteen years of my life. Specifically, I have lived in Monroe for that same duration. One may believe that I've been looking at the exact same places and people my entire life, making me closed off to change. However, I argue the opposite. Because I have stuck around for so long, I have been able to understand what growth truly is simply by using my eyes, which is most definitely the reason why I am a visual learner. Seeing restaurants come and go, stores undergo renovations, roads change, and weather patterns change each year makes one realize just how inevitable change really is, even in the most obscure and small communities. However, getting to see my siblings and friends change, leave, and go off to achieve greater things than what such a small community could ever offer was what inspired me the most. As humans, we are expected and encouraged to grow our interests, goals, and personalities. That pursuit will inevitably take us to new places, people, and lifestyles. As such, I now fully embrace the fulfilling journey that character growth brings, instead of being resistant to it. And while I am excited to continue to change and grow as a person even more than I already have, there is one thing I'm certain of. I will never forget what I have learned from my high school experience.
​
Upon entering both Union County Early College and South Piedmont Community College I had no clue what I wanted to pursue or what kind of person I wanted to be. I hopped between different career paths in the medical field, such as surgery and pharmaceuticals, but it was like I had to force myself to fit into a cookie cutter that didn't reflect my personality at all. I was taking every elective class I could to get a better understanding of what I wanted to study at a four-year institution after my time at South Piedmont, but I was having no luck, and the time until graduation was approaching nearer and nearer. However, upon realizing just how much growth is a part of the human experience described in the previous paragraph, around late junior year, I wanted to take part in such change firsthand, as my future career. What better choice than biology, the study of how life on Earth grows, changes, and interacts with each other? Also in the process, I was reminded of my love for marine science, stemming all the way from early middle school. Why had I given up on something I still loved so much? This was the primary reason I am now pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and eventually a graduate school degree in the same major. From there, I have a plethora of options to choose from, but I hope to work for a marine research station off the coast, where I regularly participate in field work such as sampling and collection for further study.
