WHO YOU ARE MATTERS ASSIGNMENT - Aiden Zarrinnam

 Where do I come from?

• I was born on April 2nd, 2002 in Hollywood California where I've lived my whole life. 

Where am I going?

• I hope to go where I know I'm safe, loved, and fulfilled with what I'm doing. I tend to direct myself to simple things and build my life on a simple foundation. 

How do I plan to get there?

• I like to say that wherever life takes me but in reality probably by car or foot, I just have to find the place first.

How am I like my parents?

• How I'm like my dad is that we are both tech-savvy, patient, considerate in every situation, blunt, and overall have the same love for food. As for how I'm similar to my mom we both take styling very seriously meaning how the style of things is whether be, how a specific design looks on clothing or art looks. When something doesn't look good to our standards we tend to find a way to make it better in our subjective way. 

How am I unlike my parents?

• How I'm unlike my dad is how he loves everything about boats. Any and everything about boats he will know. How I'm not like my mom in that more social than I am.

Have you developed your own expectations for yourself?

• This is a very interesting question and is a mix of both. I have my expectations when it comes to education, health, mind, and overall well-being but some of the expectations are shifted to accommodate my family values and expectations as well. I love finance and only wanted to focus my studies on that but my family comes from generations of accountants so there was this expectation that I would do accounting in college. Yes, they are in the same field but there's a joint major in both accounting and finance, and jumped at the opportunity. Looking forward to adding expectations for myself to evolve into the best person I can become. 

Who, other than a relative serves as a role model for you of someone who lives life with great passion and personal responsibility?

• To this day I have lots of role models ranging from people in TV shows, movies, politicians, etc. My biggest role model in life would have to be my grandmother. The reason is what she had to go through and sacrifice for the people she loved. Coming to the US when she was 21, surviving World War 2 in Germany running from bunker to bunker at the age of 9 while protecting my great aunt in the process in one of the most bombed cities in Germany is only one of the reasons she is a role model in my eyes. Her life is full of hardship and triumph and I don't think I could admire someone more for the sacrifice and strength she shows every day.

Connecting with the animal world: what wild animal do you feel a special connection with and why?

• I would have to choose a panda. They are huge gentle giants that could seem intimidating but are lovable animals. The reason I chose pandas is because a lot of people have told me that my personality is like a panda. Still up for interpretation.

Connecting with the nature kingdoms: describe a significant childhood encounter with a tree or plant.

• A childhood encounter that comes to mind is when I would always to go my uncle's house where he had huge grapefruit trees and my brother and I would climb the trees to pick and sell them at the local farmers market.

• Sun Sign: Leo

• Moon Sign: Aries

• Rising Sign: Sagitarrius