My name is Marina Winona Drakulic and I’m a first generation American in my family. My mother being Dutch and Turkish, and my dad Croatian. I also have a younger sister who just turned 18 named Mathea, who just ended her first semester of college at Pittsburgh University. I am currently ending my first semester of my 2nd year at the City College of New York (CCNY) as an English major. However, I’m leaning towards changing my major to Communications and keeping English as a minor. Previously, I’ve been expected to graduate in 2028, but switching my major and rebuilding some requirements will defiantly take me longer than that. I really enjoy reading books (on my own time) as well as doodling during class (it helps me focus) and listening to podcasts. Something I find pretty cool about myself is my name, which I like to translate to Firstborn Sea Dragon. Marina means the sea, Winona means first born daughter in the Dakota tribe, and Drakulic means dragon, just a little interesting thing! My favorite podcaster has to be Bailey Sarian, who discusses murder mysteries. I used to not be able to tolerate horror movies while being immune to true crime, however recently I’ve become fond of gory films, especially fishing out the actors who can’t even pretend to look in pain while having a major traumatic injury. I love cats, I have 3 named Bella Forest and Ashy who I love very much! Coincidentally my lucky number is also 3! I got Ashy (Ash Tito Megatron Junior) summer of 2024 without telling my parents at 3 weeks old just because she was so cute. Now my whole family understands her to be my cat. Bella is 14, and we got her while I was in elementary school, she’s a sweet old lady. But Forest (9 years old) is a menace, I can’t hold eye contact with him without him swinging at me. I’m spending more time with him though so he’s calming down. I’d like to switch my major from English to Communications and Journalism since my dad pushed me into the subject as a way to learn how to write properly (not saying I couldn’t before), but now that it’s been a year and a half in college, I’d like to take my own route. I really love animals, (sad story warning) I gave 2 funerals so far. A black kitten hit by a car on the coast of croatia that we buried under a pine tree. We named her Olive since the town name we were in was called Maslinica, translating to little olive in croatian. |As well as a bird in Southern Italy already dead on the side of the road, but I provided it flowers and a resting spot in the grass during sunset. I want to own so many animals in the future, potentially set up a rescue center. In highschool I was having a lot of problems mentally that lead me to eating disorders (all good now), as well as depression and anxiety (still there). Because of my mental state I let my parents choose my college for me, so I didn’t come in here with much of a plan. In fact I only found out it was the first day of school the day PRIOR. I’m grateful for how much I’ve learned here and glad I’ve found a passion and liking for certain topics.