Assignment 11: Do you know you neighbor?--Amir Abou-Jaoude

Every week in English, we have a vocabulary quiz. We "trade-and-grade" and the person charged with marking up my paper is my seat partner, Mia Alexander. When I do well on the quiz, she usually writes "Great Job!" "Fantastic!" or doesn't use any words at all, but draws a big smiley face.

I admire Mia's positivity. She's a person who has a myriad of things to worry about--this year, she's taking challenging courses, like chemistry, physics, and calculus among others. This workload has caused her to become a "workaholic." On top of her rigorous schedule, Mia works two jobs outside school for a paycheck. She's haunted by her perpetual procrastination--and she's trying to work on improving this fault.

However, Mia does ensure that she has time to unwind and forget her hectic routine for a while. Pandora provides her with a way to relax, and she enjoys listening to all types of music on the online radio station, but she has a passion for the band The Roots. Netflix is another entertainment for Mia--she devours television shows like Gossip Girl, The Walking Dead, Scandal, and Once Upon a Time, and loves to watch Jimmy Fallon's late night broadcasts. In addition to Pandora and Netflix, Mia enjoys reading--currently, her favorite novel is Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief. She spends some time on social media sites, but likes to daydream too. An athlete, Mia plays basketball and tennis frequently.

Mia also has a passion for food. When I talked to her to generate some ideas for this post, she told me again and again to mention her love of food. In fact, her favorite holiday is Thanksgiving because of the cuisine that accompanies the day. Her favorite food group is at the top of the pyramid, and she has a notorious sweet tooth.

Despite her heavy workload and her chaotic schedule, Mia walks into class every morning with a smile on her face. She is an an optimist, and she transmits some of her positivity to me when I receive a smiley face on my vocabulary quiz.