Introduction

Hi! I'm Paige Baldrick. Attached to that name comes a myriad of identifiers: twenty-one years old, Special Education major, workaholic, bibliophile, pescetarian, and bleeding heart animal lover (honestly, bleeding heart for anyone who needs a proponent).

I'm a Special Education major for a plethora of reasons but the most prominent of those reasons would probably be my brother, Ryan. Ryan has Asperger's syndrome and severe verbal apraxia. Asperger's syndrome is on the autism spectrum and verbal apraxia describes a condition in which the speech articulators do not have muscle memory. Both conditions make interacting and communicating a greater struggle for Ryan than for his peers. Perhaps that is why my mother decided to homeschool us through our primary and middle school years. She too had a plethora of reasons for venturing in that field of special education. As a Special Education major, I hope to help the people who could slip through the cracks of public education. Not every child has the advantage of a highly involved, somewhat eccentric mother willing to take on such a time commitment but I hope to give each one of my students the advantage of a highly committed (and admitted eccentric) teacher willing to give them her them her best time and effort.

I do have a tendency to work relentlessly. Last semester, I took 18 credit hours, worked three jobs, led weekly Girl Scout meetings and earned a 3.94 GPA. While that previous sentence does stroke my ego a little, it also reveals my inability to stop or take a break. Even during these precious summer months, I am taking 15 credit hours and working 50+ hours a week. I work as Teacher's Aide in the Clippard YMCA Preschool and as a popcorn aficionado at the Danbarry Dollar Saver Cinemas in Cincinnati Mills. Accordingly, I may refer to myself as Miss Paige or smell like butter.

When I do find myself outside of school or work, I am with my family, friends or a good book (or dazed, confused and worried why I am taking a break). I'm an avid reader. Currently some of my favorites are... The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, and The Handmaiden's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I also consider myself a reverent Shakespeare and John Green fan. My Danbarry cohorts and I have a permanent, never-ending book exchange and my goodreads.com account is continually updated.

I also consider myself an avid animal lover. I've been red meat-free since I was seven. Now at twenty-one, I am a pescetarian, partially due to my appetite for shrimp and partially due to some mild anemia. As a semi-vegetarian, I am constantly asked why I made such a choice. Like many of the identifiers I subscribe to, I find that I have a variety of reasons. Mostly, I think it stems from my inability to separate the feelings of a cow or pig from the feelings of a dog. I have a dog (Hazel) and a kitten (Smaug the terrible) and some cultures eat the animals we consider pets. Looking into my puppy's eyes with pork in my stomach seems unconscionable to me. This may be due in part to my excessive conscious and empathy toward animals. I am the type to tear up at roadkill (especially when sleep-deprived).

In conclusion, I'll leave some pictures of me with friends and family since I glossed over them a bit. They mean the world to me and I love whatever little time I get to spend with them.