Quote- It s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.

Transcription

1 HELLO!!! My name is Stephanie Campise. Born and raised in St. Louis, I have come to love my city and never want to leave. I love my family and friends very much! They truly mean more to me than anything else in the world! I love to read! (I truly am the biggest book worm.) I love vacations, eating fantastic food, engaging in meaningful conversation, talking about nothing at all, and just having fun! After changing my major about seven times, I finally went back to my original decision to be a teacher. I truly am passionate about teaching! I want to impact a life! Even if I only impact one student, I will have done my job! Quote- It s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.

2 Stephanie Fun Loving, Creative, Dancer Whose most vivid childhood memory is my Memaw(grandma) watching me every day while my mom worked and having so much fun coloring, playing with playdoh, and playing dress up! Whose greatest fear was not having a dress to wear! Who loved to read and dance Who wanted to travel to any and every place in the world Here lies Stephanie; a lover, not a fighter. Campise He s Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt and Liz Tucillo All my life I have been boy crazy. When I was a little girl my mom would grab my knee and tickle me. I would giggle and she would always say, That means you re boy crazy Steph! I would be horrified; my mom knows I am boy crazy? Everyone I know has had the tickle test on the knee to see if you are boy or girl crazy. I have always loved to be around boys. I would love to watch them play on the playground and just observe them in the classroom. I do admit to being a little dumb when it comes to boys and relationships. I have never known when to give up on them. Maybe, he just wasn t that into me. I never learned until I was in high school. When I entered grade school, I had a boy named Jason who would write me love notes and chase me around on the playground. I myself only had eyes for a boy named Chris. Ah, were we in love. We would give each other a smile across the classroom, then glowing in the fact that we had noticed

3 each other. I went away to another school and I was heartbroken. I would never see Chris again until high school. In my new school I didn t find too many cute boys, except for Jimmy E. Wow was he a romancer. He would write me love notes and love poems. (At this time I was in the fifth grade) One day, Jimmy finally asked me out. I was so excited that he had finally worked up the courage to do it. Jimmy and I went out for a whole month. We would talk on the phone for about 15 minutes every other day and maybe see each other at a mixer on Friday nights. One day at school, Jimmy was acting strange. He didn t really say hi to me all day long at school. It was the talk of the class. I felt as if I could hear people whispering about Jimmy and me all day long. When I got home from school that night, Jimmy called. He actually broke up with me. What a jerk! I could not believe that the guy who had chatted me up for weeks on end was breaking up with me. I was heartbroken. I guess he just wasn t that into me. I made the big return to public school my freshman year of high school. It was so scary. I was petrified when I walked through the door that day. I knew a few girls from poms practice and camp from over the summer. I had my locker by who else? Chris, my love from the third grade. I was so excited that I walked right up to him and said hello. I think he was shocked by the look on his face, Whoa, hey Steph, was all that he could mutter. As the first and second month of freshman year passed, Chris and I had hung out together many times. We had reconnected and realized we liked each other again. Homecoming was right around the corner and Chris asked me to be his date for the homecoming dance. I was thrilled. The night of the dance arrived and I was all ready. I had the group come over and take pictures at my house. It was 5:30 and Chris had not arrived yet. (He was supposed to be there at 5:15) He finally showed up at about 5:40 and pictures had started. It looked like the paparazzi had shown up at my house. Chris and I shuffled into line and smiled like we were movie stars. The next week, Chris and I were distant. We didn t talk all too much and I was wondering why. I was

4 trying to figure out what I had done wrong? The next week, Chris broke it off with me. I guess he too was just not that into me. Do you remember that one guy (or girl) that made your knees weak? I had Jesse. Oh boy was Jesse THE man. All of the girls in school seemed jealous when I started dating Jesse. He was the James Dean of my high school. He wore great clothes, he was a rebel, and he was just gorgeous. Jesse and I started dating right before a dance. I figured we would look perfect together. We both had dark hair, dark skin, dark eyes, and were just perfect together. My birthday was just around the corner and I was pumped. Jesse and I were dating for my birthday. I couldn t wait to see what he was going to get me! (His dad owned many different companies) As my birthday day came up, Jesse didn t even acknowledge that I even existed that day. No happy birthday, not even a hello. I was mad. I couldn t believe the cutest guy in school was ignoring me. I was embarrassed. My reputation was over! I called Jesse that evening and was so angry. I told him that I no longer wanted to go to the dance with him and that I would find someone else to go with. I had grown a little smarter; Jesse was just not that into me. I went off to college single. It was great! I had no one to tell me what to do or when to do it. I was pumped! I never thought I would meet the love of my life there. I met Steve at a friend s house. We clicked immediately. Steve was totally into me. He remembered my birthday, he would write me little notes on my dry erase board on my door, and he would call me all the time to merely say hello. I too was into him. We would hang out all of the time at school, out to dinner, out to have a few drinks, to just have fun. I have found that person who I can be into and he be into me. Steve and I have been together for four and a half years now. When I look back on my past relationships, I see I was not too smart. I didn t know when to say no. I was blinded by love. I couldn t see when a guy had checked out mentally. I needed to realize that men, even though they are complex, are really simple. Men seem to be into women they love. If a

5 guy is into you, he will book the next date or call just to say hi. I have found that one person that is into me, and I love him. Moment in Time Stephanie, may I see you in the office please? Miss Ludmila called out after my weekly ballet class at the Ballet Center of St. Louis was over. I was scared. Miss Ludmila seemed like the Wicked Witch of the West. She snarled at people with her big teeth and she pounded her cane - which reminded me of the Wicked Witch s broom - into the floor whenever someone was not in time with the music. Miss Ludmila had dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin. She had a large nose with a bump in the middle of it. A Russian native, she seemed almost out of place here in St. Louis. She speaks perfect English but somehow she always seems to have the wrath of the Russians in her. Whenever Miss Ludimila looked at you with her dark black eyes, they seemed to bore a hole through your body so that at least some light can shine on you while you re in her class. She always wore tights with a leotard - even though she was not the skinniest person - and her black shoes with a small heel. In dance, we call these character shoes. They are character shoes all right; they seemed to fit her persona of the Wicked Witch. All Miss Ludmila had to do was put green paint on her face and she would be the spitting image of the Wicked Witch of the West. I stepped into Miss Ludmila s office which was filled with pictures of ballerina s of old and young and pictures of recital photos over the years. I was the youngest person in my class; I was eight in a class full of 10 and 11 year old girls. I was dreading the office visit because I was afraid that Miss Ludmila was going to tell me I had to go back to the younger girl s classes. She appeared in the doorway. When she stepped into the room, Miss Ludmila seemed to float. She didn t pound her feet into the ground as she does in class. She didn t have her stick with her nor have her snarling face on. In my state of shock, I saw some pictures on her desk of this beautiful girl who looked about 16. Do you

6 know who that is? She asked me quietly. That was me when I was 16 as the lead in The Nutcracker. Wow, I responded hoping to not show the surprise on my face; as I was feeling it. Stephanie, I am pleased to offer you an invitation to be a mouse in this year s production of the Nutcracker, Miss Ludmila said with a wide smile on her face. I was in awe. I was not expecting this at all. Um sure, I replied in a meek, small voice. I left Miss Ludmila s office that day feeling a little bigger than when I walked in. As I left the office and turned the corner to go into the dressing room, I saw mom. I ran up to her and yelled, I got a part mom! Mom had both a look of surprise and confusion on her face, What are you talking about Stepher? I get to be a mouse in The Nutcracker! I replied so excited. She scooped me up and gave me a very big hug. We both had tears in our eyes when she put me back down. We gathered my belongings and I left The Ballet Center of St. Louis as a mouse. On Monday, I entered the front doors of Green Pines Elementary school as if I were a normal student. Even though I knew I was someone special, I kept it to myself. I went to class that day as a normal student, getting in line when asked, raising my hand to answer one of the tough math questions, and wait in line to get lunch. I received the always dreaded call to the principal s office around lunchtime. Stephanie, Dr. Scatizzi wants to see you. Great, I thought in my head, What did I do? I was really nervous, as I had never been to the principal s office before. I trudged down to the office. The halls seemed never ending and all of the pictures on the walls seemed to mock me in my walk of shame. The students in the classrooms seemed to turn and look at me with disgust as I walked to the office. I was nervous; mom was going to kill me! I rounded the corner to Dr Scatizzi s office and slunk through the door hoping to be unnoticed. Well hello Stephanie, Congratulations, the office secretary said cheerfully to me. Um, thank you I said back, confused as to how she knew who I was and what the heck she was talking about?

7 Come on in Stephanie, Dr Scatizzi said as he poked his head out the door. I sat in his office feeling as small as an ant does in the world. I looked around at all of the pictures, awards, and his desk which seemed to be growing larger and larger by the second. I felt small and helpless. Stephanie, we at Green Pines feel that you deserve an award for your great accomplishment of being in The Nutcracker, Dr. Scatizzi said. As he was saying those words, everything in his office that seemed so huge shrunk back down to the original size in an instant. I was speechless, I was getting an award! Dr. Scatizzi told me it was called an Ark Award. This is an award given to me by the Board of Education in the school district for an outstanding achievement I have done outside of school. I was pumped! I smiled and thanked him graciously. He told me not to tell me classmates, that he will make an announcement over the intercom that very next day during our morning announcements. I left his office feeling strange. I am feeling an emotion I have never had before, what is this? I got to school a little late the next day. When I entered my classroom, I was met by cheers and music playing in the background. Everyone had written me a letter saying how proud they were of me by being in such a prestigious show. I listened to the soothing music and realized that it was music from The Nutcracker. The class went on cheering Dance for us Dance for us! I turned on some music and danced what I could remember from rehearsal that past Sunday. When I had finished I was met by smiles and clapping from everyone. The hooting and hollering went on for another few minutes. Everyone in the class seemed to relish in my success. I had been noticed as a successful ballerina. Proud. That is the emotion which I could not identify. I knew that I could never feel more proud of myself than I did in this moment. My class too seemed so proud of me. Days and weeks went by. I had finished touring with the St. Louis Ballet School as a mouse. My family had turned out to see me. Even my father, uncles, and little brother came to see me in my role. I didn t think life could get any better. I continued to go to school as a normal girl who loved to dance. I

8 had framed my award from the board and hung up my medal they had given me. I knew I would never be the same from this great life experience. As I walked into the dance studio the very next day, I saw the roster for who was dancing in A Midsummer Night s Dream. My name was on it.