About Me

How's it going everybody! My name is Sam Spoden and I am a Junior here at San Diego State University. I need to start off by saying that I am very excited to be taking this class. It seems as though every writing class I have ever taken has followed an incredibly formal, rigid format that solely involves research and/or following instructions. I much prefer the creative, expressive side of writing and strongly enjoy conveying my thoughts in a more open way.

Just a little background on me, I was born and raised in Concord, California which is about 45 minutes east of San Francisco. I normally just say I'm from Walnut Creek because more people seem to know where that is. I love the East Bay and will always call it my home (go Warriors, sorry haters) but San Diego has proven to be an excellent place to live as well. Throughout my entire childhood I was extremely shy and rarely spoke to somebody unless I knew them very well, prompting my extended family to refer to me as the mute child. However, as I progressed through high school and into my first two years at state I began to come out of my shell a bit. The transition into college wasn't the easiest for me, but I realized that if I just loosened up and stepped out of my comfort zone I could create a truly memorable experience. I was able to do this, and have found life-long friends that have helped make these last two years an absolute blast. I like to think of myself as a pretty funny guy, although many beg to differ. Enough on that matter though, I'll let you guys be the judge after reading my blogs throughout the semester. And lastly, as you just witnessed, I think anybody who can't make fun of themselves a little is taking life too seriously.

Sports have always played a huge role in my life. Like many kids, I started off by playing all three of the classic entry-level sports that practically every mom signs their son up for: Basketball, baseball, and soccer. Given my tall, slender frame I was most drawn to basketball and dreamed of being an elite NBA small forward with a smooth outside stroke. This never came to fruition, as my coach forced me to play down in the post because of my height. I was too skinny to compete with these gigantic guys who usually had about 60-70 pounds on me, so I ended up giving volleyball a shot. I never went back. I had found my sport. I was on varsity sophomore through senior year and ended up being part of a team that made it to the NorCal Division II championship game. I also played for a traveling club for a couple seasons, but an ongoing back injury forced me to stop competing and focus on my academics. My current major is accounting (boring, I know) but I'm still figuring everything out and would not be surprised if I switched at some point. Although there is some uncertainty in my future, I know that everything will fall into place if I work hard and continue to stay motivated.

One way I can do this is through the ongoing support of my family. Nobody is more important to me than them. The amount of overwhelming love and support I have received from them over the course of my life is unbelievable, and I will forever be grateful for them. My dad is a high school social studies teacher who utilizes open discussion and free response to facilitate his curriculum, rather than lectures and multiple choice. To the astonishment of many, I actually took his class both Junior and Senior year. There are always three questions that people ask, most often in this order: 1. Wasn't it weird having your dad? 2. Did you get an A? and 3. Did you guys discuss class material/homework at home? It's amazing how consistently these questions arose, which isn't to say I don't believe they're understandable inquiries. So, 1. It was a little weird for the first couple weeks or so, but we got used to it pretty quickly. 2. I did get an A, but he was harder on me that other students, if anything! 3. Discussing history with my dad in my free time? How lame do you think I am??? Jokes aside, we tried to keep school stuff and home stuff separate. As for my mom, she is a psychotherapist who runs a private practice and works at a program in Berkeley once a week. Anytime I'm feeling down or have a problem I can talk to her and get everything off my chest. She is able to help clear my mind like nobody else. I am thankful to have also been very close with my sister throughout the years, despite the standard nature of sibling argument. We share similar senses of humor and can crack each other up with absolute ease. There is nobody on Earth I love more than those three people, and I would be nowhere without them.

When I first read the prompt for this assignment, I was hesitant to instantly open up and share information with, essentially, a bunch of strangers. But, like the transition I made from a quiet kid who never talked to a confident guy who is eager to meet new people, I gradually become more comfortable with the concept as I continued to write. I hope you guys enjoyed learning a bit about me, and I'm excited to learn more about all of you.