Biography

Melynda Phillips

Richards

English 1301

October 31, 2014

Biography

     Hi, My name is Melynda.  I am a seventeen-year old home-schooler enrolled in dual credit courses at NCTC. I decided to take dual credit courses because I completed almost all of my required high school classes by the end of my sophomore year.  Dual credit gives me the opportunity to start earning college credits early.  I also work part-time, three days each week, as a mother’s helper for the sweetest little baby, James.  I love my time visiting and playing with James.  His smiles always make me happy.  

     In my free time I like to quilt, knit and play with my cat, Kitri, and with my ferrets, Odette and Odile.  My real passion is dance, especially ballet.  When I was 5-years-old my mom enrolled me in classes at a small local studio and I have not stopped dancing since.  I outgrew the local studio and now I travel 36 miles from my home (each direction) every day to train at a pre-professional ballet school. I am a member of the studio company, Ballet Ensemble of Texas .  I take dance classes 6 days a week and rehearse with my company twice a week.  Combined the weekly classes and rehearsals add up to approximately 25 hours of dance.  In addition to preparing for the annual Nutcracker performance and learning new choreography for the spring show, I am currently working with a dance instructor to learn choreography to compete at Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP).  YAGP is an international ballet competition where dancers all over the world compete for a chance to win scholarships and contracts with major ballet companies.  Although it has similarities to a competition that you would see on Dance Moms, the stakes are higher, and the level of talent is much greater.  When I am finished with school I hope to use my passion open a studio and share the love of dance with the next generation of ballerinas.

Mad Libs

Famous Ninjas in History

Although a slowly secretive bunch, some ninjas became known all over (the) Gallifrey for their annoying ways.  Here are a few of the most infamous chickens.

• The Purple Dragon:  Famed for the solid gold, fire-breathing cow that he wore on a chain around his elbow, this ninja’s awesomely gorgeous moves inspired millions of young tables to take up martial arts.
• The Pencil Assassin:  This ninja was known for his big ability to eat across the tops of the tallest daleks with the stealth and speed of a rocket-powered wizard.
• Bob the Ninja:  Perhaps the most incredible of all modern ninjas,, Bob—nicknamed the Sleeping Orangutan—could wield his short weapons as precisely with his shins as he could with his hands.

Video Games

I love to jump video games.  I can play them day and minion!  My mom and hippo are not too happy with my dancing so much time in front of the television computer.  Although my Dad believes that these fat games help children develop hand-ear coordination and improve their learning clocks, he also seems to think they have giant side effects on one’s finger.  Both of my chairs think this is due to a stupid use of violence in the majority of the cats.  Finally, we all arrived at a huge compromise:  After dinner I can play 3528 hours of video games, provided I help clear the pony and wash the flowers.

Is It Fair for Colleges to View Your Social Media?

     Is it fair for colleges to use social media to decide whether to accept a student?  My take is yes, it is fair, in fact, it is a great advantage available to colleges.  When colleges are looking for potential students, they want to know what kind of people the students are.  No college wants to accept a student known to cause problems, and rightfully so.  A student can meet all the necessary qualifications to attend a college and still be a bad student.  Also, any issues these students cause outside of school can affect the colleges reputation.  Nobody wants to attend a school known for its trouble makers.
    Colleges are also concerned with behavior after the student graduates.  If a past student creates problems related to their education it can give the college a bad reputation; colleges want students who will represent their school well during and after attending the school.  Social media is a huge advantage to colleges, as it gives them great insight as to who they are accepting into their school.  I believe that this insight can be very valuable when wielded properly.