Hello! My name is Julianna Dooley and I am from Dallas, Texas (or at least I think I am). Growing up my family moved around a lot, leading me to live in six different states before graduating from high school. I spent the most crucial years of my childhood in Texas, which is why I consider it more of a home than anywhere else. That said, I actually graduated from a small private school in Manhattan, New York. A true culture shock to say the least!

Since coming to college, my biggest struggle has been answering the most common ice breaker in the book– where are you from? If I say Dallas, then I’m asked where I graduated high school from. I can’t lie, so I respond with New York, only to cause confusion. If I say New York, people assume I grew up there, but the reality is I spent my last two years of high school there and would never call the city home.

Through trial and error, I have come to discover the best answer is to say I am from a little bit of everywhere. Honestly, that is the truth!

Though at times the unstable childhood I had was difficult, I would not trade the experiences and knowledge I gained from moving so many times as a child. Moving has shaped me into the person I am today, and for that I am grateful.