Priorities

Before coming to OU, I knew my priorities would be my faith, my grades, and then campus involvement since all these things were most important to me in high school.  Since coming here, grades are still very important to me and my sorority is means much more to me than I ever thought it would.  And at my small high school, I already knew knew who I wanted to be friends with and who I liked to stay away from.  But being in college, there are so many new people to meet, so relationships/socialization has become a larger priority in my life than I thought it would have.  I have also joined two Bible studies, so faith is still important to me, not as much as I thought it would.  Campus involvement is also a priority, but much more difficult to attain than I thought it would, which is disappointing.  

My three goals for the semester are to make a 4.0, join an organization that I love to be apart of, and be satisfied with the new relationships I have made.  To attain my campus involvement goal, before I turn in the application, I am going to consult with someone who has been apart of the program, and I am going to seek advice from him or her as to how best receive the position.  

Influences

Growing up, there have been many influences in my life, but I am just going to touch on the ones that have had the biggest impact on my life.  It is safe to start with my family.  I am a 50/50 combination of my mom and my dad who have had very large influences on how I think, socialize, and view life.  I take after my mom in that I am very positive and love people, while my dad is very intellectual.  I approach life logically, and I hope to be a lawyer like him one day.  My four siblings have also greatly shaped me.  I am the epitome of a middle child who is easy going and close with all my siblings in different ways.  
My faith has also greatly influenced me through various organizations such as Kanakuk or the Catholic Church.  And other Christians have encouraged me along this journey, allowing me to develop the world view, relationship with Christ, and wisdom I have today.  Such people include Bekah Blume, Mariah Ballweber, Adele Edmonds, and Rachel Mustain.  
And of course I have my best friends in the entire world who have shaped who I am as a person.  My three best friends from grade school, Mallory Grossman, Skylar Singer, and Natalie Elliott, have been some of my longest friends who I know will never leave my side.  They have taught me to be confident in who I am, and I can easily say that without them I would be a completely different person.  In high school my friends Katie Doan, Sydney Foster, and Mary Kate Morrissey also helped me come out of my shell even more.  They love me for who I truly am, and that is why they have influenced me so much.
Since college, I have made many new friends, but it's hard to say who has had a considerable influence on me, considering I have only been here for a month.  Most of my friends have been made in my sorority, and I have found so much joy through that.  And this joy affects how I act and treat others, thus creating an influence.  

U-Zoo Review

Hello my name is Carla Clark, and I am from Oklahoma City.  I love Jesus, running, and people.  That's about all I need right there.  I took the U-Zoo Review as a junior at the High School Leadership Conference at the University of Oklahoma.  There, I scored 33 for the eagle characteristics.  This was my favorite activity of the entire conference because it changed the way I looked at myself and others.  I instantly began picking out details of people and figuring out what animal they would be (how eagle of me, right?).   But I have changed a lot since junior year, so my U-Zoo is slightly different.  My highest animal was still an eagle, but I only scored a 31, and my porpoise was much higher scoring at a 30 this time (the poor lion in me is still small as ever).  Although as KP read the description of each animal, I felt that I identified with the porpoise more.  In everyday life, I lead by talking to others and making people feel good about themselves.  I have never met a stranger, and when I do meet someone I do not know, it gives me a thrill.  Yet, my inner eagle helps me with my people skills.  I am very good at remembering details of people's lives, and it makes for great conversation and connections.  The inner eagle in me desires completion and perfections, so I strive to make every relationship as intimate and personal as possible.  I hope to work with new people when I am older, for that brings me the most joy.