Collage Essay Reflection
“Collage de... Me?”
Who is Karen Staskin? Does anyone really know? Doubtful, considering the subject hasn’t the slightest idea herself. Her life has been sculpted by family, faith, and sports that have led her to begin to piece together the puzzle of who she is. But once the last piece is found and ready to be put into place, she becomes lost and confused as the puzzle sadly remains incomplete.
Perhaps the biggest influence on my life is my family. Consisting of two younger sisters and two happily married parents, my life seems perfect. We have dinner together every night at our lightly furnished dining room table, and discuss the day’s events and what is to come. My parents are extremely supportive and are constantly rushing between sports fields and dance stages to make every event they possibly can. My extended family isn’t much different. With eight cousins from my mom’s side, and five from my dad’s, we have a bond like no other. Specifically last summer, my mom’s side of the family took a cruise out of New York. As seen by the picture in my collage, we posed on Ellis Island, a day trip we adventured on before sailing out to sea. Also, my dad’s side of the family rents a condo in Atlantic Beach and have for almost 50 years. The sea shells represent the beautiful wonders the sea can unearth from its mysterious depths. Any time I spend with my family, it is as if we are all so perfectly placed in each other’s lives and it is just meant to be. The dependency and trust I have with them all is so strong, I’d trust them with anything.
Every since I was a wild and curious five year old, I have fallen in love with sports. From windsurfing, gymnastics, and ballet, to soccer, volleyball and softball, I am known to express my athletic abilities. By the time I turned eight, I was growing tired of advanced soccer and need something new. I was introduced to softball, and I knew I had found my passion. The sense of closeness among my teammates and coaches was incredible and the first three seasons on the Great Neck White Soxs was amazing. But, like most things in life, good things don’t last long, and the team broke apart; leaving me stranded in search of another team. After three long and brutal middle school seasons with a cranky coach and stuck up teammates, I joined a travel team called Synergy. It took one week and I knew this was the team for me. I quickly climbed the ladder of ranks until I was the constant leadoff batter, as seen in the picture in the upper right hand corner of my collage. I also made the Varsity team at my high school and things seemed perfect. I became the starting catcher as a sophomore and found a leadership side to myself unknown to me beforehand. My “sister” Megan, gave me a roll of cowboy boot ribbon before our first game and tied it into my hair just as we were taking the field. That game, I played the best I ever had in my life, essentially dubbing the ribbon as my “lucky ribbon”. I have worn it for every game since and have yet to have a disastrous performance. Near the top of the collage is a worn and tattered glove pocket of my very first softball mitt. It still has the fresh leathery smell it did eight years ago when I pulled it off the shelves and slid my tiny hand into it. Although it is caked in dirt, mud, sweat, and blood, it symbolizes the beginning of my amazing career in the softball world. I have found my place in this sport as an experienced
player and look forward to each game. Softball was where I found my ability to lead and form part of the individual I am today.
In the top left hand corner of the collage is a faded pink bandana, speckled with paint splotches and crinkled with dirt. This past summer, I traveled to Vacherie, Louisiana for the most inspirational mission week of my life. It was here I discovered my love for my Catholic faith and my passion for helping people. Over the course of the week I went to a job site and fixed up around the house in any way that I could, including repainting the entire exterior. Being the typical girl that I am, I was very worried that the paint would drip onto my tightly braided hair. One of my fellow workers annoyingly suggested me wearing a bandana and I was delighted to have an alternative of painting my hair. I wore the bandana every single sweltering and humid day in Vacherie and refused to wash it when I returned home in order to preserve the memories and adventures experienced throughout that week. On top of the bandana is a picture of myself and two other men. While we were painting the house, professional workers were putting in a new floor for an extension on the house. They were so conscious of the group of teen workers around them that they took extra care with their tools. I struck up a conversation with them one afternoon and was amazed at the lives they had lived as they told me tales of their childhood. The bracelet labeled “Faith” was given to me by one of the workers in order to preserve their impact on my life and to continue with my growth in my faith. The rosary to the right of the bracelet was also given to me on the trip by one of my chaperones, on which we prayed every day on our work site. The cross below it, although not from Vacherie, holds the same message. It was given to me by my grandparents from Europe when I was a small child and I became attached. It hung over my bed as I slept, symbolizing the significant impact God has always had on my life. The picture directly below it is the group of missioners that I worked with. I built a connection with them over the span of one week that I hadn’t developed with my best friend over the span of twelve years. The picture diagonally to the right of it is the Virginia Beach crowd that traveled to Vacherie and whom I stay extremely close with to this day. This trip taught me how much I needed God in my life, and that once he was, I felt amazing. I was, and still am anxious to help and serve others, especially those less fortunate than I, and will do so in any opportunity that passes by. I also discovered my group of friends I wanted in my life, that hadn’t been present beforehand. These people were so genuine and caring, they didn’t judge what kind of clothes you wore, or how good you looked. But instead they focused on your personality and the authenticity of your actions.
My final experience I chose to represent in this collage, was the impact Virginia Tech has had on my life. I was a cradle Hokie because my parents had both graduated from the university and were diehard fans. Consequently, I grew to love and support Tech through the wins and losses of their sports specifically football. My family and their college roommates annually take a trip to a football game at Lane Stadium, one that I look forward to all year long. It is here that we tailgate with the college students and I can day dream about myself strolling through the beautiful campus as I make my way to class. Like many people, my family was hit especially hard after the shoot of April 16, 2007. I recall my mother unable to restrain herself from crying and my father silent, unable to speak words. Because I was at a young age and not completel aware of the entire situation, I was frightened by the emotions my parents were expressing and knew that whatever had happened could not be good. The first time we traveled to a game after the shooting, we walked along the memorial and I found myself quietly wiping away tears as we slowly made our way through it. Everyone around us was hugging and crying and desperately attempting to comfort one another whether they knew them or not. The sense of community was amazing and for an event so tragic, to have such a positive effect as to bring people together, completely blew my mind. That was the moment I felt the true desire inside of me to attend the university. People ask me, “but aren’t you afraid you’ll be shot?” and I can comfortably answer, “no.” I yearn to be a part of that community so badly and that yearning grows ever stronger every time we make a trip there.
So, who is Karen Staskin? After pondering this question, I can finally answer with a confidence I have never felt before. I am an athletic, faithful,
leading, determined, and family centered individual. It is truly amazing how events in one’s life, shapes who they become, for better or for worse. In my case, they have been nothing but for the better, and I cannot wait to experience more of them.
Who is Karen Staskin? Does anyone really know? Doubtful, considering the subject hasn’t the slightest idea herself. Her life has been sculpted by family, faith, and sports that have led her to begin to piece together the puzzle of who she is. But once the last piece is found and ready to be put into place, she becomes lost and confused as the puzzle sadly remains incomplete.
Perhaps the biggest influence on my life is my family. Consisting of two younger sisters and two happily married parents, my life seems perfect. We have dinner together every night at our lightly furnished dining room table, and discuss the day’s events and what is to come. My parents are extremely supportive and are constantly rushing between sports fields and dance stages to make every event they possibly can. My extended family isn’t much different. With eight cousins from my mom’s side, and five from my dad’s, we have a bond like no other. Specifically last summer, my mom’s side of the family took a cruise out of New York. As seen by the picture in my collage, we posed on Ellis Island, a day trip we adventured on before sailing out to sea. Also, my dad’s side of the family rents a condo in Atlantic Beach and have for almost 50 years. The sea shells represent the beautiful wonders the sea can unearth from its mysterious depths. Any time I spend with my family, it is as if we are all so perfectly placed in each other’s lives and it is just meant to be. The dependency and trust I have with them all is so strong, I’d trust them with anything.
Every since I was a wild and curious five year old, I have fallen in love with sports. From windsurfing, gymnastics, and ballet, to soccer, volleyball and softball, I am known to express my athletic abilities. By the time I turned eight, I was growing tired of advanced soccer and need something new. I was introduced to softball, and I knew I had found my passion. The sense of closeness among my teammates and coaches was incredible and the first three seasons on the Great Neck White Soxs was amazing. But, like most things in life, good things don’t last long, and the team broke apart; leaving me stranded in search of another team. After three long and brutal middle school seasons with a cranky coach and stuck up teammates, I joined a travel team called Synergy. It took one week and I knew this was the team for me. I quickly climbed the ladder of ranks until I was the constant leadoff batter, as seen in the picture in the upper right hand corner of my collage. I also made the Varsity team at my high school and things seemed perfect. I became the starting catcher as a sophomore and found a leadership side to myself unknown to me beforehand. My “sister” Megan, gave me a roll of cowboy boot ribbon before our first game and tied it into my hair just as we were taking the field. That game, I played the best I ever had in my life, essentially dubbing the ribbon as my “lucky ribbon”. I have worn it for every game since and have yet to have a disastrous performance. Near the top of the collage is a worn and tattered glove pocket of my very first softball mitt. It still has the fresh leathery smell it did eight years ago when I pulled it off the shelves and slid my tiny hand into it. Although it is caked in dirt, mud, sweat, and blood, it symbolizes the beginning of my amazing career in the softball world. I have found my place in this sport as an experienced
player and look forward to each game. Softball was where I found my ability to lead and form part of the individual I am today.
In the top left hand corner of the collage is a faded pink bandana, speckled with paint splotches and crinkled with dirt. This past summer, I traveled to Vacherie, Louisiana for the most inspirational mission week of my life. It was here I discovered my love for my Catholic faith and my passion for helping people. Over the course of the week I went to a job site and fixed up around the house in any way that I could, including repainting the entire exterior. Being the typical girl that I am, I was very worried that the paint would drip onto my tightly braided hair. One of my fellow workers annoyingly suggested me wearing a bandana and I was delighted to have an alternative of painting my hair. I wore the bandana every single sweltering and humid day in Vacherie and refused to wash it when I returned home in order to preserve the memories and adventures experienced throughout that week. On top of the bandana is a picture of myself and two other men. While we were painting the house, professional workers were putting in a new floor for an extension on the house. They were so conscious of the group of teen workers around them that they took extra care with their tools. I struck up a conversation with them one afternoon and was amazed at the lives they had lived as they told me tales of their childhood. The bracelet labeled “Faith” was given to me by one of the workers in order to preserve their impact on my life and to continue with my growth in my faith. The rosary to the right of the bracelet was also given to me on the trip by one of my chaperones, on which we prayed every day on our work site. The cross below it, although not from Vacherie, holds the same message. It was given to me by my grandparents from Europe when I was a small child and I became attached. It hung over my bed as I slept, symbolizing the significant impact God has always had on my life. The picture directly below it is the group of missioners that I worked with. I built a connection with them over the span of one week that I hadn’t developed with my best friend over the span of twelve years. The picture diagonally to the right of it is the Virginia Beach crowd that traveled to Vacherie and whom I stay extremely close with to this day. This trip taught me how much I needed God in my life, and that once he was, I felt amazing. I was, and still am anxious to help and serve others, especially those less fortunate than I, and will do so in any opportunity that passes by. I also discovered my group of friends I wanted in my life, that hadn’t been present beforehand. These people were so genuine and caring, they didn’t judge what kind of clothes you wore, or how good you looked. But instead they focused on your personality and the authenticity of your actions.
My final experience I chose to represent in this collage, was the impact Virginia Tech has had on my life. I was a cradle Hokie because my parents had both graduated from the university and were diehard fans. Consequently, I grew to love and support Tech through the wins and losses of their sports specifically football. My family and their college roommates annually take a trip to a football game at Lane Stadium, one that I look forward to all year long. It is here that we tailgate with the college students and I can day dream about myself strolling through the beautiful campus as I make my way to class. Like many people, my family was hit especially hard after the shoot of April 16, 2007. I recall my mother unable to restrain herself from crying and my father silent, unable to speak words. Because I was at a young age and not completel aware of the entire situation, I was frightened by the emotions my parents were expressing and knew that whatever had happened could not be good. The first time we traveled to a game after the shooting, we walked along the memorial and I found myself quietly wiping away tears as we slowly made our way through it. Everyone around us was hugging and crying and desperately attempting to comfort one another whether they knew them or not. The sense of community was amazing and for an event so tragic, to have such a positive effect as to bring people together, completely blew my mind. That was the moment I felt the true desire inside of me to attend the university. People ask me, “but aren’t you afraid you’ll be shot?” and I can comfortably answer, “no.” I yearn to be a part of that community so badly and that yearning grows ever stronger every time we make a trip there.
So, who is Karen Staskin? After pondering this question, I can finally answer with a confidence I have never felt before. I am an athletic, faithful,
leading, determined, and family centered individual. It is truly amazing how events in one’s life, shapes who they become, for better or for worse. In my case, they have been nothing but for the better, and I cannot wait to experience more of them.