Hi! My name is Ruthann Cooper.  I recently moved to Tallahassee from Jacksonville, Florida. Allow me to share a fun fact.  Jacksonville is the largest continental city in the United States. As a result, I always had something to do growing up and got to meet lots of different people from different backgrounds. I grew up in the San Marco area but my parents are from Macclenny, a small, country town 30 minutes west of Jacksonville. As a kid, spent a lot of time there. Even now, I still visit family and friends on my way home. I would say I had a unique childhood being exposed to the culture of a big city and the contrasting ways of life on a farm.  My grandparents and great uncle share a ten-acre property with cows, pig, and a garden. To this day, I am still amazed that some of my friends have never seen a cow close and in person. I have so many memories of my cousins and I chasing them around the fields on our four-wheelers. Overall, I learned a lot about living in a rural community and greatly appreciated Jacksonville and its many, city conveniences. However, one day, I would love to live out there and grow my own food.

 

My family is a little dysfunctional, but I love them more than anything. I have a brother who is seven, one very old cat, and we got a puppy last Christmas. One of the most devastating things to happen to me last year before we got her was putting down my childhood dog in December. As Winnie the pooh says, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard”. I would never wish that pain on anyone. However, our new puppy was what we needed. She is super playful and full of energy but when tired or super excited she has a tendency to go a little crazy to say the least. 

 

Some interests I have are cooking, watching crime TV on Netflix, late night snacks, playing with animals, getting messy with crafts, playing Uno, and anything outdoors.

 

Something else dear to my heart is Younglife club here at FSU. If you are ever free on Wednesday nights around 8, come to Maple Street. Other than that, I am an aspiring nurse practitioner and am a nursing major. After graduating, I want to move up north for school. I’ve never seen snow or been up north for long so I think it would be an adventure. Speaking of school, I’ve never been the kid that knew all the answers. I work really hard for my grades and try to be the best student I can be. The high school I attended is one of the top schools in the nation and had a rigorous course load. The AP classes I completed hopefully prepared me for college. I graduated with honors and hopefully, I’ll do that at FSU too. So far, I love my classes. Biology and statistics make me the most nervous. I also started a part time job this semester with Tallahassee Orthopedic Center in their workman’s compensation area.

 

So, this is me! I look forward to this class and getting to know all of you better through our blogs.  

 

About Me: Revised as Personal Narrative

Hi! My name is Ruthann Cooper. I grew up in the San Marco area of Jacksonville, Florida. My family is a little dysfunctional, but I love them more than anything. I am an aspiring nurse practitioner and am a nursing major. The most recent recession had a profound effect on the development of my character, and I would like to share it with you. Just like the economy, my dad’s construction business tanked; then my mom lost her full-time job. She became pregnant (something thought medically impossible). We had to go on Medicaid, unemployment benefits, and the WIC program. We nearly lost the only home I have ever known. These events robbed me of my sense of identity.

 

As the economy continued to tumble, times were stressful in our house. I now had a baby brother, my dad had returned to college, and mom was again working a full-time job, as well as doing freelance work. To keep things running smoothly, it took all of us, including me. At 10 years old, I began taking on more responsibility around the house. I helped with my family’s busy schedule by cooking dinner, doing the dishes, folding laundry, and babysitting. Not only did this make a huge difference in getting things done, but it also taught me important life skills: time management, hard work, and teamwork.

 

To help ease the ongoing financial burden that weighed on my family, I started baby-sitting and pet sitting around the neighborhood. In high school I had a job as a children’s caretaker. Over holidays I work at a local restaurant. Here in Tallahassee I recently started working at the Tallahassee Orthopedic Center. These jobs have made me realize the importance of teamwork because without my coworkers I would never get anything done. I continue to pay for many things, including my clothes, food, supplies, half of my living expenses, and activities with friends. As a result, I understand the value of a dollar, am experienced at budgeting money, and equally important, I can budget my time.

 

Watching my dad deal with the consequences of decisions he made about college in earlier years, I learned the importance of going to college right after high school. Entering middle school, I developed one of the most crucial aspects of my schooling: discipline. As I moved forward in grade level so did my ability to do quality work in a timely manner. I started to make lists of things that needed to get done and I made sure I understood an objective before moving forward. Refining my study habits and time management skills early in my education assisted me with my AP classes during high-school and has also been helpful in balancing family, volunteering, and my social life. Here at FSU as a full-time student with a social life, and a job it’s very important for me to stay on top of everything. Biology and Statistics make me the most nervous this semester but I know that I can accomplish anything put in front of me.

 

Struggles come and go, but today, I stand firm. If I could change the past, I wouldn’t. I am grateful for the hardships especially the recession of 2008. It has prepared me for what lies ahead.