Impersonally Personal Introduction
Trying to describe yourself online without sounding braggy, impersonal or uninteresting is a task. At least from my perspective. It's hard to know what to share without sharing too much or too little because to capture someone's true nature you need to actually encounter them. Nonetheless, maybe we are just getting better at communicating digitally rather than personally. So, with that being said, where to start...
My name is Brooke Holloway, I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and am currently a senior studying Public Relations. I wasn't really raised to be a Sooner like a few of my classmates, and shortly after people find out I go to OU they question my loyalty to Texas. As if the two really have anything in common?
I was as a raised a Longhorn fan, primarily for convenience, but ended up at the University of South Carolina my freshman year. I loved South Carolina and the people that made it a home, but no matter how settled I became I could not shake the feeling that I was not supposed to be a Gamecock.
*Queue the OU fight song* Around the spring break of my freshman year I decided that I wanted to be closer to home, but did not want to find myself at UT which was essentially an extension of my high school. So, I forced my mother and my UT loving father to indulge in my gut feeling by joining me on a campus tour. A few months and an acceptance later I found myself moving into Tri Delt my sophomore year and making some of my closest friends.
I have been lucky enough to meet such beautiful people throughout my life and from whom I have learned a great amount. I love to travel and had done a good amount before getting to college and during college.
Last summer I visited Bora Bora, Tahiti and Fiji, but chose quite a different route this summer. I spent 3 months working on Nantucket, a small island off the coast of Massachusettes, for a marketing and public relations internship with Nantucket Blackbook. That small rock 30 miles out to sea brought my family together each summer since the mid-1970's, so beginning my career there was a true passion project of mine.
Aside from the things you could learn from my Facebook profile, what really interests me is the environment, the people close to me and the never-ending option to learn from the smallest of encounters. I have experienced much more than some of my peers, which has made me really appreciative of the little things in life and just how quickly things can change.
My name is Brooke Holloway, I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and am currently a senior studying Public Relations. I wasn't really raised to be a Sooner like a few of my classmates, and shortly after people find out I go to OU they question my loyalty to Texas. As if the two really have anything in common?
I was as a raised a Longhorn fan, primarily for convenience, but ended up at the University of South Carolina my freshman year. I loved South Carolina and the people that made it a home, but no matter how settled I became I could not shake the feeling that I was not supposed to be a Gamecock.
*Queue the OU fight song* Around the spring break of my freshman year I decided that I wanted to be closer to home, but did not want to find myself at UT which was essentially an extension of my high school. So, I forced my mother and my UT loving father to indulge in my gut feeling by joining me on a campus tour. A few months and an acceptance later I found myself moving into Tri Delt my sophomore year and making some of my closest friends.
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| OU TX 2017: Year 2 of being an OU fan |
Last summer I visited Bora Bora, Tahiti and Fiji, but chose quite a different route this summer. I spent 3 months working on Nantucket, a small island off the coast of Massachusettes, for a marketing and public relations internship with Nantucket Blackbook. That small rock 30 miles out to sea brought my family together each summer since the mid-1970's, so beginning my career there was a true passion project of mine.
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| My mother and I in Nantucket |
Aside from the things you could learn from my Facebook profile, what really interests me is the environment, the people close to me and the never-ending option to learn from the smallest of encounters. I have experienced much more than some of my peers, which has made me really appreciative of the little things in life and just how quickly things can change.
I am glad you landed up at OU, Brooke! I did some switching around also, and it took me two years to figure out I needed to be a student at UC Berkeley, but once I got there, I knew it was the place (and I even ended up going back for graduate school years later too!). And that is so cool about your trip to Bora Bora, Tahiti, and Fiji. One of my friends in college was from Fiji, and he inspired me to visit there sometime if I ever possibly get the chance. I hope that I will someday! And if you are interested in the stories of Fiji, here is something online: Tales from Old Fiji ... that would be something you could explore in the Storybook brainstorming this week if you are thinking you want to reconnect with Fiji in this class!
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool that you've been to Bora Bora, Tahiti, and Fiji! Those are all places on my bucket list! My dream in life is to wind up living in a beach house on an island with very few bills. That doesn't mesh well with my husband's dream at all though, so who knows how that will turn out. Maybe we'll just vacation every year. I've also never been to Nantucket, but that sounds really cool also. What a contrast between Nantucket and the tropical islands. Very interesting story of how you came to be at OU. I didn't start out here either, I started at a small school in Missouri, but I always knew I was destined to be a Sooner.
ReplyDeleteHey Brooke! I'm glad that you love OU and found a home here! I was raised an LSU fan (Louisiana State University) because that's where my family went, but after I toured OU I just knew that it was the right place for me. I'm the first in my family to go to OU, so it's kind of fun to start my own legacy. Boomer sooner!
ReplyDeleteHey Brooke! First of all I love your page, the pictures are so pretty and it looks like you truly live life to the fullest. I'm sorry to hear you were raised a UT fan... kidding! But I am glad you found a home at OU. Your abroad experience sounds like an absolute blast and I am very jealous as I have never been out of the country. I hope one day to also love traveling and not just say I love it. Lastly I appreciate your outlook on life and it's constant change. Live freely and Boomer Sooner!
ReplyDeleteHi Brooke, that’s really cool how you tried a few other schools before coming here. I went to two different votechs, a community college, and then the military before I ended up here at OU. That sounds like a really fun internship, I hope I can get to experience some outside of Oklahoma before I graduate! I also am really interested in the environment. While going in as a microbiology major I assumed I would want to work on diseases, but I find myself wanting to go into the field of marine microbiology and applying my degree towards helping our oceans.
ReplyDeleteHey Brooke!
ReplyDeleteIt's very interesting that you switched around so much. I could say we were kinda in the same boat, before coming to OU I had applied to 22 schools. I had no idea what would feel like home. I am very happy for you in that you felt accepted at OU, as I feel the same way about my experience. I am also a fan of seeing how life can just throw things at you that you never saw coming! I am very excited to get to know more about you through your stories!
Hello Brooke! I am glad that you ended up here at OU, Boomer Sooner! It's really cool that you were able to travel to not 1 but 3 different places last summer! Fiji is such a cool place and I would love to travel there someday. I hope this semester is going well so far and I am excited to see all the fun stories that you will tell!
ReplyDeleteHi Brooke,
ReplyDeleteIt was really interesting to read about your personal journey and finally finding a place to call a second home at the University of Oklahoma. I also love to travel, although I have not been to the places you have been to, they sound really fun and tropical. This past summer I studied abroad in France for one month, and this coming summer I will be interning in the Czech Republic. Have a great rest of your semester!
Hi Brooke!
ReplyDeleteI struggled for years before settling into OU. Like you, the college I first attended was pretty much an extension of my hometown, and I found that the space and distance provided by a new place was just the fit. I love the thrill of a new place, and Oklahoma is a welcoming (and affordable!) state.
I'm quite jealous of your travels! I went to Cancun (my first trip outside of the US) earlier this year with some girlfriends, and I am hooked. The next few years already have vacation plans penciled in, and I found it much easier than I expected to start budgeting.
Nice to meet you! Also, again, I LOVED the story of Cassie and her Gluten-Free Lifestyle.
Hey Brooke! I see what you mean. For me personally, I could never live too far away from home. South Carolina is way down there. Even you being from Dallas, that'd still be too far for me. I miss home even though it's less than 2 hours away. I'm glad that you found a home here at OU though! That's cool that this summer you took a different approach. I bet that's very refreshing.
ReplyDeleteHi Brooke!
ReplyDeleteThat’s awesome that you’ve gotten to travel so much already! Bora Bora, Tahiti, and Fiji are all places I hope to visit someday. Coming from a part of Oklahoma that is 90% OSU fans, I can relate to having people question your choice about coming to OU. I’m glad you stuck to your gut instinct and found your home here!
Hi Brooke! I think you’ve done a great job of writing enough without writing too much for your introduction post! I’m happy you ended up at OU; it’s a great school! I would love to know what you want to do with your public relations major. Your internship sounded fun! What were some of the projects that you did? I’m a psychology major with an emphasis in medicine so it’s interesting to learn more about other majors.
ReplyDeletehey brooke!!!!!!!!!!!!! so glad i made your blog picture!! i knew most of this about you but wow oh wow you just showed me another side of yourself. but for real your blog is pretty cute and i like how you used pictures to show your personality. your love for life, traveling and the environment is pretty dang cool. anyway love ya, ill probably see you soon:)
ReplyDeleteHey Brooke. I think its super cool that you went from the University of South Carolina then all the way to OU but it's even more cool since you came from Dallas. I totally get when you say that going to UT would've been an extension of going to high school because that means you would know most of the people that go there already.
ReplyDeleteHi Brooke! I am glad you found the University that made you happy! I also transferred in my sophomore year, so I know the transition is not always easy. I actually have not heard of Nantucket, so I will have to check that out because you and your mom look like you are having so much fun! It is kind of funny that people question your loyalty to Texas because I feel like a lot of people at the University are from Texas.
ReplyDeleteHi Brooke! You did a great job at making your introduction feel very humble and personal despite what you may have originally feared. I wonder how your parents feel today after they have had some time to get used to having a Sooner in the family? Also, I love how you queued in the OU fight song, hahah.
ReplyDeleteHope your semester is going great,
Anna Margret
Hey Brooke! I don't often admit it, but I also grew up a UT fan when I was younger. Probably the biggest reason I didn't end up at UT was how much farther away from home it was than OU. I think I still have my Colt McCoy jersey hiding in a closet somewhere (don't tell anyone I said that though). Your travel adventures sound like they were a lot of fun, a lot of places I'd like to visit sometime in my life! Good luck with your senior year!
ReplyDeleteHi brooke!
ReplyDeleteIt is so cool that you came to OU after being raised a longhorn fan. I cannot imagine doing that since my entire family had always loved OU. I think they might have disowned me if I went to UT because the hate is that deep. It is nice that you went your own way and enjoy OU though!