What do I bring? Love, Care, and Forgiveness

What did I take a picture of? My dogs

What does it represent?

In my first-year seminar class, I was asked to take the via assessment quiz. The via

assessment is used to find your strong traits as an individual. Three out of my top five were love,

care, and forgiveness.

When I was experimenting with angles and perspective I came up with a bunch of ideas

for what my image would look like. Then I decided to use my dogs as my models. From my

perspective dogs have all of those qualities. They love with their whole heart. As I like to say “we

do not deserve dogs.” Not only do they love with their whole heart, but they are protective. They

care so much for their people that they will do anything to keep them safe. They will run back to

you no matter how much trouble they get into. They are so forgiving.

I have had three dogs throughout my life. All of them have been great danes. They are big

gentle giants. All of my babies are females. My first dane was all black with white on her chest,

and her name was Velvet. Sadly she was diagnosed with bone cancer and passed at the age of

three. Then Majesti came along and trust me when I say she fits that name perfectly. She is a

mantle, black and white, she has white on one side of her face and black on the other. It is split

almost straight down the middle. Then there is the baby, Athena. She is a European dane. Her

coat is the exact same as Velvets. Not only do they have so much love for me, but it is

reciprocated to them by me as well. Throughout my childhood, my best friend’s mom bred great

danes. So I was always surrounded by them. That is actually where we got our first two.

With all of that being said I decided to get more emotional with my picture. As I was

trying to figure out how I was going to get my crazy pups to corporate for the camera, I thought

to myself why don't I make a memorial piece? So that is exactly what I did. My first dog, my best

friend, the one that I did everything with. She was the most loyal dog you could ever meet. There

was one time my dad and I took her to the dog park and she would only go a few feet away from

us and then turn around. She was quiet, but had no problem with mouthing her opinion when it

came to someone she did not trust. As I stated above she passed at three years old from bone

cancer. So to memorate Velvet and show how loving, caring, and forgiving dogs are, I

incorporated her collar, a box of her ashes, a painting of her, and my personal favorite a blown

glass ornament that has her ashes inside.

I believe that my character traits will bring a positive impact to York College. I love very

hard. I am also very forgiving, which sometimes gets me into trouble because there are some

people that do not deserve another chance. I also consider myself and have been told by many

others that I am an empath. I tend to feel the emotions of others. I care about people so much that

I will drop whatever I am doing to be there for them.