derek pope

On September 11th, 1993 I was born in the early hours of the day in cook county, Illinois. Despite being over a month pre-mature, my twin and I both came into this world as healthy children and were welcomed by our loving family that consisted of my older sister and parents. My parents decided to only raise us in Chicago for a short period of time; consequently resulting in my family relocating to the south. My dad was offered a job as a software engineer at a medical pump facility in Forsyth County and it was a rather appealing offer. Between the beautiful amber forest that surrounded our area and the welcoming people that Georgia can so easily boast about, it was hardly a decision to make to escape from the cold dreaded north. As a child I was a very active individual, playing both football and baseball throughout the years, until eventually substituting lacrosse in for baseball. I excelled at football in my younger days and it was a point of pride for me, and especially my father, that I started both ways on offense and defense. While I did give up playing sports quite some time ago, I still manage to keep active today. I regularly visit the botanical gardens and walk the trails with my companions who share my interest with nature.
I am very proud of the fact that I am now an undergraduate at the University of Georgia. I consider it to be one of my greatest accomplishments at this point in my life. College has always been something that I have not looked at lightly, as I believe education is essential for self-improvement. Due to this reason, I have attempted to do everything in my power to make sure that I can continue going to college without amassing too much debt. I work 25+ hours a week in the kitchen at Mellow Mushroom in an effort to be able to pay off my rent, food, and books as I go. Between working, classes, studying, and occasionally relaxing with friends, I have quite the schedule that could only be replicated by a fellow ambitious and hardworking student. I am currently pursuing a bachelor science degree in agricultural engineering with an emphasis on natural resource management. All my life I have aspired to be like my father, and become an engineer; however, I have taken into account my interests and have differed a bit from my father’s choice of software engineering.
Besides school, I believe that family is a very important part of my life. After I graduate, I plan on trying to move out to San Diego to help take care