In her own words...
Hello! I was
recently informed that I was “Parishioner of the Month”, and
though I was shocked when I first heard the news, I find it to
be pretty exciting as well. I am supposed to tell a little about
myself, but I am not quite sure where to start, so I think I am
going to begin with the basics.
My name is
Ashley Benz. I am the typical girl who knows how to talk. A lot.
And as my mom likes to say, I can even talk someone into a
headache. I come from a pretty big family, the Herman gang to be
more specific. I have two sisters, one older and one younger.
They completely annoy me 90% of the time, but I still love them
and can not imagine my life without them, or their closets! I am
an animal lover and my house is a zoo completed with six cats
and two dogs.
I am the
type of person that needs to keep busy. I go completely insane
if I do not have anything to do. It was easy in school, because
if I was not sticking my nose in books, I was occupying myself
in different clubs and after school activities such as tutoring,
cheerleading, NHS, the science club or musical theater just to
name a few. However, I just graduated from Hallahan, as the
Valedictorian, and am now heading off to college!
Over my
years at Hallahan, I have grown deeper in my faith. With a group
of friends, I would go to the chapel everyday before lunch and
pray the rosary. With a different group of friends, I have even
experienced mass at different catholic churches. Though I was an
altar server for St. Mary’s, I was able to become involved in
many more clubs that also fostered my catholic faith such as the
Respect Life Club, FACE: Fostering Awareness for Catholic
Education, the liturgical ensemble, and even had the opportunity
to go on the Kairos retreat which was a once in a life time
changing experience.
But now that
I completed my four years of high school, I am looking at 5
years at college. I have always wanted to help children with
special needs and have volunteered many hours during high
school, to help them. This is why I am going to Misericordia University for Occupational Therapy
specializing in pediatrics. In the meantime, until the end of
August I pretty much do what any other teenager does with their
summer. I am working two jobs, at Rose’s Water Ice Stand and as
a counselor for St. Mary’s summer camp for the 6 and 7 year
olds. However, I love spending time with my friends and trying
new things. Over the course of my life, I learned to use
laughter to help me get through both good and bad days. I find
life to be so much better with it and for it to be contagious.
Also, over the past couple of years, I have grown a knack for
scrap booking and enjoy creating scrapbooks for my friends and
family.
Contrary to
most people’s opinion of it, I could listen to country music all
day. I am not the typical girlie girl that is obsessed with
pink. I am more a fan of lime green and other bright colors that
match my loud, positive and outgoing personality. I love to eat.
It’s a hobby of mine. The weirdest fact about me, that most
people already know is that I am completely obsessed with
ketchup. I put it on almost everything I eat and I don’t leave
my house without it. (Literally. I carry a mini bottle of it in
my pocketbook).
That's it for now. Thanks for reading my little bio. Say a
prayer for all of us who graduated this year that we may
discover God's calling in our lives. Peace!
