I'm one of those people who is pretty much silent until you get to know them, and then I won't shut up.  Because of this I figured I'd start out with a really simple username and, if I want to later, I'll change it. I've lived in Pennsylvania my whole life. For the last 15 years I have lived in a small agricultural town called Unionville.  There are many farms all over and a few years ago one of the fields near my house was full of sunflowers.  I am really interested in nature photography and I went to take some pictures when I found this birdhouse on which  someone had drawn a heart. I love Unionville and felt that the birdhouse summed up my feelings for my quirky home town perfectly.  Of all the pictures I took that day this is, by far, my favorite.

As my friends love to point out, I talk about my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, well, a lot. It was especially intense when I first arrived at Bryn Mawr as a frosh last year, but I was honestly taken aback when this was first pointed out. You see, I spent most of my time in high school working with the express purpose of getting out of "this place", so the idea that I might actually miss it catapulted me into a sort of mini-identity crisis (no matter how melodramatic that sounds). I had never felt at home in Arizona, differing greatly from the majority of my friends on ideological issues, and I thought of going to a liberal-minded college as my ticket out of what sometimes seems like the breeding ground for unstable racist bigots. Once I realized this foreign longing, however, I began to see my state in a new light. I had held so much resentment toward what are merely ideas, and now I am starting to realize that I can love Arizona for its parts, not necessarily as a whole. This picture highlights that idea: I care deeply for and about components of Arizona, and am trying to focus on them. I don’t mean to suggest that I am ignoring the pieces that infuriate me (which is still a good chunk), but this newfound acceptance actually motivates me to fight back for my state, instead of running away.

Hi everyone! The image I've chosen to be my Avatar is the rose from The Beauty and the Beast. Originally I meant this to illustrate the 'Rose' in my username, and what better image to use then one from my favorite Disney movie? When I was little I used to look up to Belle because, to me, she was the most relatable Disney princess. I admired her because she is intelligent, kind-hearted, loves reading, and had such a close, loving relationship with her father. And she doesn't let her first impression of Beast overshadow their relationship; with an open mind she takes the time to see him for who is truly is. These traits are a part of the person am I today thanks to a feminine hero of my past. 

Neither of my grandmothers bakes. Instead, one takes me to see paintings of pies. When I visit her in California, we often see the painting that I've made into my avatar, and, when we're apart, she sends me letters on stationary with it printed on the front. Neither of us really understands this painting, but we still look at it. We talk about food and family, and who won last night's dominoes game, but not, of course, the piece of art right in front of us. The conversation swirls on because of the painting but not about it, both in person and on paper, just as I inherited my grandmother's handwriting by explicitly copying it, but also, silently, the idea of what my role in society is.

I'll be the first to point out that, yes, I am overly pregnant in my avatar. But don't worry, I don't actually have a child stowed away in my dorm room. This picture is of me trying on a costume for the one act play that I directed and acted in in the spring of my senior year. Though it may not be the most accurate picture of me (or how I would proportionally look if I was actually pregant), it is one of my favorites. Every time I see it, I'm reminded of how absolutely happy I was for those few months.

My username is not as interesting-- it's just the nickname those closest to me use with my last name added on. (I had to have my last name because, to most people from my high school, I'm a "two name person". Almost never would you hear me being referred to as simply 'Natalie'. It was 'Natalie Schall', or I would think they were talking to a different Natalie.)

The picture I chose is one single brick that reads "Be Extraordinary" from a walkway full of memorials and inspirational messages at a camp I volunteer at. It is called Camp Sunshine and it is a place for terminally ill childrean and their families to come. Working at this camp was the first time I ever fully realized that there was so much more in this world than the near fantasy I grew up in. I was so humbled and grateful to have the experience of it and Bryn Mawr has only furthered these feelings in my life. Being here makes me want to learn so much about all kinds of people's life experiences, I feel so honored to be a part of such a special place, just as I feel about Camp Sunshine. In both of these places people are filled with so much generosity and light and knowledge, there is so much hope and gratitude for the world around us and that is something that I can only hope to embody and pay forward in the future. 

Choosing my avatar took me slightly longer than I anticipated, for considering all the misrepresentation a single, stand alone image can present.  What I ultimately came up with is a picture my friend and I took while studying abroad last fall.  I have unquestionably learned a tremendous amount during my time at Bryn Mawr, from a combination of courses, people, and experiences.  I often look back on study abroad, though, as the first time I really began to build a more concrete concept of how I wanted to play out my academic interests in the world.  In addition, my distance from Bryn Mawr and the people I knew there gave me a new perspective to consider the nature of the assumptions and knowledge I held - both of myself and the world around me.  My time away was in many ways transformative, even if that process and its results are not always obvious. 

I have always been a straightforward and to the point kind of person, so I felt that using my full name as my username was appropriate. Besides this straightforward nature, I also believe that pictures, and that the images that people choose are able to give an insight into who that person is, and what resonates with them as a person. I had the privilege of growing up in Santa Cruz, California, which I believe to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is known for its beautiful beaches, hippies, and being one of the top spots on the California coast for surfing. All of these aspects of Santa Cruz are true, and I appreciate all of them, but the part of Santa Cruz that resonates with me most are the thousands of magnanimous Redwood trees that tower hundreds of feet above you. Their history and size have always given me a sense of serenity and comfort, and one of my favorite past-times laying down in the giant forests and looking up through their leaves and branches to the sun and sky. This photo taken through the trees gives me a sense of peace, and reminds me where I'm from and the beauty it holds.  I am so excited for this new journey at Bryn Mawr, but Santa Cruz will always be my first home.

I didn’t put an extreme amount of thought into choosing my avatar. Not because I don’t care, but because I don’t believe that a picture can fully capture a person.  A picture can only show what is on the exterior of the body and the emotions at the specific time the photo is taken. For example, my avatar is a picture that was taken in high school for the local newspaper. The photo only shows a cute puppy and a dorky smile, it does not show that I was grumpy prior to the photo or that Lane, my dog, was parched from playing fetch.  I also just really love my dog and like showing her off. From the photo you can assume a lot of things such as my gender, sexual orientation, age or that I like dogs. Those are only assumptions based on predisposed theories of what gender, sexual orientation and age look like. This photo only allows people on the internet to assume who I am by my appearance and by the props that are in the photo.  I could have easily dressed up as a ballet dancer and based on the picture no one would be able to accurately assume that I am not anything but a ballet dancer.  

I am from a small town on Long Isalnd called Sayville.  One of my favorite parts of my town is the bay and the docks.  It is my place to go to think and relax.  Home and family are very important in my life and this picture reminds me of where I am from and my family.  I also believe that home and family play a very important role in shaping how you think and who you are.  I know personally that my family and my town have played a role in shaping how I view gender and sexuality.  This is why I choose this picture to represent me.