marissa kress
My Story
I am Marissa Kress. I was born in March, 1996. I graduated from Heritage Hills high school in 2014 with a Core 40 degree and Magna Cum Laude (3.5-3.7) grade point average. I was in National Honors Society and the co-head of the High-Way Clean-Up Committee. I was on the yearbook staff my junior year to learn more about designing. My senior year I earned "Most Artistic Senior Female". But my entire middle and high school career was revolved around band.
I began flute in sixth grade and have never left it. I did break off to piccolo and piano. I have made it to State Solo and Ensemble for three years. Also: All-Regional and All-District Honor band, UE Wesley Shepard Honor band, 4-H Band at Purdue, and IMEA Honor band in Fort Wayne. Not only am I musically inclined, but I am artistic. I have made drawings (of a Tarsier), paintings, and sculptures in my art classes. In 4-H, I excelled in fine arts and photography. I've made State 4-H four times receiving all blues and one red.
Outside of school, I am involved in Relay for Life and volunteer with local projects. While growing up I volunteered at a local food pantry with my mom for years. I have donated 5 total shoeboxes to boys and girls for Operation Christmas Child filling the boxes, with winter, school, and toy items. I asked my sorority, Phi Sigma Sigma to collect donations to a local mental health facility. We collected toiletry items; such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, ponytails, socks, etc. I informed the IUS Panhellenic groups of a Post Flood Clean-Up day the IUS Sustainability Club was hosting. I went in attendance for Phi Sigma Sigma. I helped pick up trash at the park from the March '18 Ohio River Flood.
Image from ivytech.edu
I first went/commuted to college at Ivy Tech Community College in Evansville for 3 semesters to take my general education classes and the art classes that would transfer to my current school, Indiana University Southeast (IUS). I have worked hard to make sure that I have taken all the classes I could at Ivy Tech to reduce my school bill and to all transfer successfully. I took two half summer classes at IUS to get a feel for the school I will be transferring to, and I loved it! I had only 3 classes left to take at Ivy, but the schedule did not work out for the Evansville campus or Sellersburg campus...so my final option was to transfer, and it was about time!
I finally transferred to IUS in the spring of 2016. I used IUS Metroversity to take 2 semesters of American Sign Language at Jefferson Community Technical College (JCTC) in Downtown Louisville. I learned so much about the deaf culture in that class and I now have a new respect for their culture.
Image from kyhrc.org
Since I transferred to IUS, I joined Phi Sigma Sigma in the spring of 2016 and held the positions of Tribune and Scribe. I also was accepted into The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) in the fall of 2016. I was later accepted into the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program at IUS in the spring of 2017. That summer, I got an internship back home at a local wholesale grocery distribution in their advertising department and was lucky to have that internship count for academic credits. In the fall, I joined the Marketing and Advertising Club on campus. In the early spring of 2019 I was a graphic design intern for ArtSeed as apart of senior seminar requirements. After the spring semester, I got an internship with a local leather company for the next 9 months. I finished my last college class in the spring of 2020. A long time coming!
Image from Google Dictionary
Image from Pinterest
my personal favorite glyphs
create
Create is one of my favorite glyphs because of my artistic side...of course. My father's side is very musically inclined, so I'm assuming that's where I got that from. In elementary school I never did well in any classes other than music and art. And I knew music or art is what I would stick with my whole life. I feel the emotions when playing flute or piano. I feel so empowered when I create art.
challenge
Challenge is one of my favorite glyphs because I like a challenge; whether it's academically or artistically. Challenges guide you to grow as an individual in this crazy world.
express
Express is one of my favorite glyphs because it has a personal meaning to me. In high school, I was a shy student, but with friends I was my true self. After I lost all my friends in high school, I had a lot of time to reflect on who I was as a person that summer before starting college. You know how you act differently with your friends compared to strangers? I told myself to just be me no matter who it is. After starting college I pushed myself to be more myself...I remember telling my mother, "I am much more happy with myself".
