Charlotte Parker Dulany. A New York City native and youngest child to a pair of creative and free-spirited parents, I was raised with a head full of questions and a love for learning. My family is a big part of who I am, as well as my upbringing in East Village, Manhattan. My father, a musician-turned-English teacher based in Brooklyn, NY, named me after Charlotte Bronte —an early attempt to make me a writer. I inherited his passion for music, and once dreamed of becoming a famous lead singer in a rock band like he was. My mother is a photo director in the magazine industry, so I have many childhood memories of being on-set —so much so that my siblings and I became child models from young ages (partially out of convenience that we were always hanging around). My brother is an illustrator and filmmaker, and my sister is an aspiring photographer. Though I am now 19 years old, I am still considered the baby of the family —and continue to be guided by not only my parents, but my siblings, to be originative. I have always been known to disappear in my room for days at a time with my nose in good book or pen in hand, scribbling in one of many journals. I explored various interests as a child by participating in many clubs —knitting, cooking, ballroom dance, theater and performance, yearbook, endangered species study and rescue coalition, and others. In 2016, I graduated from the prestigious New York City “Fame” school, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts with a degree in vocal performance. I currently attend the University of Maryland as a multi-platform journalism major at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. A variety of journalism platforms and professions interest me — including writing, directing, editing and design for newspapers, magazines, books and online publications. I hope to have the flexibility to incorporate my creativity and various interests into my journalistic work. I have published works in both the campus newspaper and campus magazine, focusing on different trends and topics. I enjoy the fast-paced and consistent work in a bustling newsroom to publish article after article —while I also relish the deep and detailed work of a thorough magazine feature piece. Although I do not know exactly which career path to head down, I do know that I have a passion and love for the field of journalism.