I believe in communication. A smile, a word, a greeting, a gesture. I have always strived to learn to say hello in as many languages as I can possibly learn, as I feel it is a small effort that goes a long way. I have studied several languages formally and informally throughout my life, as detailed below.

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• Spanish - I have studied Spanish from my junior year in high school, through my first two years of college. I was a Spanish major, and studied this language intensively at International Teams outside of Chicago, Ill. I have travelled to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Spain. I am moderately proficient at reading, writing and speaking.

• Jamaican Patois - I have briefly lived in Jamaica, and have travelled there over 70 times. I have lost count. Through these stays on this island, I have learned to speak, read and write Jamaican Patois fluently. This language is a mixture of English, African, and Carib indian words.

• Korean - Through close relationships that I have forged, and through activities in my life, I have learned several words and phrases in this language.

• ​Kiswahili - A language of East Africa, predominant from Kenya, through Uganda and Tanzania, Kiswahili is a Bantu language mixed with some Arabic, a result of sea-faring Arabs and Persians who settled along the East African coast. I have learned bits and pieces of this language through the time that I have spent in Kenya, totalling about 6 months.