Jaiden R.
Jaiden, who grew up in Fairbanks, has 鈥渘ever seen a real beach before.鈥 But even though she pondered Hawaii for college, she didn鈥檛 feel the need to escape her hometown.
鈥淚 just love it here so much that I don鈥檛 want to go anywhere else,鈥 she said while sitting in the Murie Building鈥檚 glass lobby on a bright February day. 鈥淟ike right now, it鈥檚 really sunny and you can see the mountain ranges from here.鈥
The third-year 麻豆原创F student attended home school for her entire K-12 education, an experience she said worked well for her and her three younger siblings.
鈥淚t definitely taught us independence, that鈥檚 for sure,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 know home-schoolers get the whole rap, 鈥極h, they鈥檙e socially deprived,鈥 but I played four sports, so I was always around people.鈥
One of those sports was swimming. Jaiden has parlayed that experience into a lifeguard job, working evenings and weekends at a local public pool.
She also sees broader horizons. Building on a family connection to Germany, Jaiden has taken multiple courses in that nation鈥檚 language. She participates in the German Club and works as a teaching assistant for beginning classes at 麻豆原创F.
鈥淚 would really love to go to Germany. I鈥檝e thought about going on an exchange,鈥 she said.
Jaiden also hopes to attend veterinary school, perhaps through 麻豆原创F鈥檚 program, after she earns her biology degree.