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Birth
I was born weighing 7lbs 6oz. My mom was in labor for 24 hours when I decided to make my debut. Most babies are born head first, but I wanted to be unique so I decided to emerge arm first. I was supposed to be named Alice, after my Grandma, but she hated the name so much that she convinced my mom to change it to Alecia. -
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The Life and Times of Alecia Tsermengas
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First Words
According to my mom, at 6 months I was saying basic words like mom and dad. I was a little advanced considering most children don't say their first recognizable words until 12 months. -
First Steps
I began walking with the help of my toy lawn mower. -
Potty Training
At 2 years old I was potty trained. -
Baby Sister
Hayley was born when I was 3 years old. I wanted to do everything for my sister - feed her, change her, hold her - she was my real life baby doll. My mom couldn't do anything for Hayley, without hearing my critiques. -
Moving
My parents divorced. My mom, my sister, and I moved to Livonia. -
Spelling Bee Champ
My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Post, offered pizza lunches once a month to the student who won the in class spelling bee. I was the reigning champion for four months. I was very proud. The fifth month I lost and the whole class cheered. I was upset that I lost, but I was more upset that everyone seemed so happy about it. -
Lessons in Bullying
Luckily I wasn't bullied as a kid, but I did experience isolated incidents of other kids teasing or being mean. -
Running for President
In sixth grade I decided to campaign for student council president. I made posters, I prepared a speech, and I practiced for weeks. Unfortunately, I lost and I had to deal with those feelings of failure. -
The Fab Five
In middle school I had four best friends, we called ourselves the Fab Five, which I love and find embarrassing at the same time. I would say that we were socially competent and happy, but as the picture reveals we all wanted to fit in and be accepted - like most adolescents. -
Freshmen Year
The transition to high school can be scary, but I found my niche with the pom team. Throughout high school, pom was the constant in my life, it gave me a lot of confidence; it also allowed me to cultivate skills in leadership, dedication, and cooperation. Most of my best friends were girls from the team. -
Making Captain
My sophomore year, I was named captain of the Varsity Pom team. It was nice to be recognized and I was committing to doing what was best for the team that I loved. -
Smile*Sparkle*Shine
Every summer the pom team went to camp for skill building and team bonding. My senior year, I won the only individual award - the Smile, Sparkle, Shine award - for leadership, positivity, and work ethic. It was such a proud moment for my family, my team, and of course for me! -
Graduation
I loved high school, but I wasn't sad on graduation day. Some people cried, but I was just excited about the next venture: college. -
Linked Lives No More
My mom decided to move to Seattle, Washington for a work opportunity. My sister was only 15 at the time so she had to go too. I decided not to go away to Central Michigan University, because my support system was going to be so far away. -
Ouarter Life Crisis
I was only 19 years old, but I felt like a failure. I was unsure of what I wanted to pursue for my career. I was unhappy in my relationship. I felt lonely with my best friends being away at school and my family across the country. I was lost. -
Love
I went on my first date with Conor. I knew early on that he was special. We had great conversation and the same sense of humor. Now I can't imagine a future that didn't include him. -
Cohabiting
Conor and I waited a little over a year before we moved in together. There are certain risks associated with cohabiting, but we discussed it carefully and I feel we made the decision for the right reasons. We moved in together with the intention of getting married once we finish school. -
Wedding Day
Conor and I plan to have a small ceremony with family and close friends. -
Graduation from Wayne State's College of Nursing
I will graduate with a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing. I plan to work as an RN for a few years, before going back to specialize. -
First Child
I'd like to be established in my career and starting a family around the age of 30. -
Second Child
I hope to have one boy and one girl to experience the similarities and differences in raising each gender. -
Master's Degree
After working for a few years as an RN I want to go back to school to specialize. As of now I'm considering anesthesia or nurse practitioner. Going back to school and working will be extremely difficult with two kids, but I'm hopeful that I'll succeed with help from Conor and others. -
Coast Hopping
Conor and I have considered the possiblity of moving to Seattle to be close to my family. I think as a specialized nurse I'll have job oppotunities, and with the kids being young, the transition wouldn't be bad. Unfortunately, bringing me closer to my family would move Conor away from his. -
Vacationing
I was lucky as a child that my mom was able to afford to take us on vacation every year. We have so many great memories and experiences, because of vacationing. That is something I want to continue with my family. -
Giving Back
I decided to pursue nursing to care for people when they are most vulnerable. I think it would be so rewarding to use my skills to improve the lives of people in the U.S. and around the world. I'd like to volunteer for Nurses Without Borders. -
College Kids
I hope that both of my kids will attend college. I'm confident that Conor and I will have the means to send them where ever they choose to go. -
Aging Parents
My mom will turn 80 years old. I don't expect her to slow down or take it easy in the slightest, but at this point I hope that she'll be living near or with me, to spend time with me and with her grandchildren. -
Keeping love alive
I'm going to do everything in my power to keep my relationship strong and happy, because watching my mom work through the disappointment of divorce definitely had an impact on me. -
Travel
My goal is to visit every U.S. state and every continent before I die. Growing up, my grandma was always traveling; She always made it clear that the world was meant to be explored. I want to honor my grandma, and satisfy my wanderlust, by traveling every few years. -
Dealing with loss
It's extremely difficult to think about losing loved ones, but the reality is that no one lives forever. It's important to accept the inevitability of death, and to maintain a postive outlook, otherwise the grief be overwhelming. -
Retirement - Maybe
I want to work as long as possible. Nursing is a field that will allow me to pursue additional opportunities if I choose not to work full-time. I think that I would enjoy teaching, because it would be flexible and I could pass on my knowledge and experience. I hope that Conor and I will retire together. -
Death
I'm not going to try to predict the manner in which I will die. Ideally, I'll go peacefully in my sleep at 100+ years old. But no matter when or how, I'll face death with the same determination and positivity that led me to accomplish so many goals and experience so much love and joy.
