My name is Courtney Wheeler. I am from Long Island. I have lived there my entire life with my family. I have an older sister named Kayla and a younger brother named Ryan. My mother is one of seven children so I come from a large family. We are all very close and they are an important part of my life. My friends are like family to me. I have had the same four best friends for as long as I can remember. We are all very different, but somehow it works. We have done everything from camping, to skiing, to traveling to different countries together. They have shaped me into the person that I am.
I love to travel and learn about different cultures. So far, I have visited Florence, Rome, Paris, Canada, and Costa Rica and I hope to explore even more places. I think it is beautiful seeing how different all of these cultures are and yet, how many similarities they have. I also love getting to practice using a different language with native speakers. I took Italian in school for six years and I took a year of Spanish in order to prepare for Costa Rica. It is really amazing getting to apply what you have learned.
Dance is also a passion of mine. I have danced for eleven years. I do tap, jazz, and kick line, as well as Zumba on occasion. Tap is my favorite form of dance. When I went to Costa Rica, I learned a creole swing dance and how to salsa dance. It was one of my favorite activities we did on the trip.
Another thing I like to do is read. My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Mr. Darcy is literally perfection and I love how independent and witty Elizabeth Bennet is. Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors, along with John Green. I really enjoyed his book, The Fault in Our Stars. I also enjoy watching movies. I find it so impressive that they can convey an entire story in just a few hours. My favorite movie is Breakfast at Tiffany’s starring Audrey Hepburn. She is my idol and I love when she sings “Moon River” in the movie. It’s one of the songs I listen to when I am upset. Music is an additional interest of mine. I like to listen to Kodaline, Young the Giant, and Beyoncé. I also played the clarinet for nine years.
