Hello. My name is Devon Marisa and I am currently a high school senior in the Silicon Valley. Next year, I hope to go to Northwestern University to study Journalism and Neuroscience. After I graduate, I'd like to continue onto medical school and study developmental pediatrics. However, as I'm only seventeen, I'm more than open to changing that plan. I'm also very interested in studying law, history, biology, Spanish, German, political science, design... the list goes on and on. So clearly, my plan is very likely to change in some way.
My greatest influence is my brother, Jeffrey, who was born with Cerebral Palsy. Since then, his diagnosis has undergone a plethora of changes (which I'm not going to go into now because I could write a novel about them).
I speak, read, and write Spanish more or less fluently, although not perfectly; if anybody is looking for a translator, I'd be more than happy to help.
I'm a grammar and style freak. If anybody is looking for copy editor, pleaseeeee let me help. Nothing makes me more crazy than awkward sentence structure and a bland, dry voice. Even though I wish I weren't.
Although I have no formal training in special education, I would consider myself quite knowledgeable about behavioral, occupational, and speech therapies due to my broad experience with Jeffrey and his friends and playing a large role in my brother's IEPs.
In middle school, I was obsessed with the history of King Henry VIII of England and the monarchs directly after him (excluding Jane Grey), his children Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth. I consumed as many textbooks, historical fiction novels, and television documentaries as I could get a hold of. Again, while I have no formal teaching on the era, I have a fairly large body of knowledge about it.
I play jazz, classical, and folk guitar, sing, and play the baritone/euphonium.
I have basic-intermediate skills in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, AfterEffects, Flash Catalyst, and InDesign.
My dog, Savannah, is a while-yellow lab. She is a Guide Dog "flunkie" because she is allergic to humans and every type of plant imaginable. My family is currently in the application process of training a Guide Dog puppy, and we'll hopefully be getting him/her in the next few months.
