Artifact 1: Personal Culture

Abigail Childers
Who Am I?
My name is Abigail Childers.I am strong,thoughtful,
stubborn, open-minded, loud, petite, observant, and
opinionated.

These words all describe me because growing up I have always

been looked at a certain way.I am small, so I must be quite
and need protecting, Because I had blonde hair I must just
be white, however to combat both these I am loud and strong,
and I am also Cuban.Yet people do not know these things
simply by looking.

Growing up in the military I had to learn to stand up for

myself or I would get walked all over.I was also taught to
be kind and thoughtful thanks to my Disney teachings.
Cultural Belonging:
There are many things that influence a person.
Three different Cultures play a major part in who I am and
who I am becoming.Each part of my culture contributes to who
I am in a different way.While I am Cuban my father chose not
raise me in the culture,and then passed away, yet it still
contributes to who I am, though not as largely as these
three:
1.Military: 2. Catholic 3. Disney
❏
Cultural Belonging:Military
Growing up my step-father was in the Military
and I learning to love traveling.
❏ These places do not included everywhere I have
visited.Traveling so often for the military
gave me a bad case of wanderlust.
❏ Traveling so much has shown me that many I lived in Alaska for 4
cultures differ from ours and to respect that, Years
just because it is different does not make it
wrong. I have lived in Nevada for
a total of 12 years.
❏ It has also taught me that I cannot let people
walk all over me and to speak up for myself.
❏ Contrary to that it also taught me to respect
my superiors.
❏ I know that at 4:30 on most military
installations you must stop your car, or
whatever you are doing outside and freeze for
the national anthem.
I lived in Seattle
Washington for 3 years. I Lived in Arizona
for 6 months.
Cultural Belonging:Catholic
❏ Growing up a Catholic was one of the few things my mom and biological dad agreed on.
❏ These were some of the only times I saw my grandmother on his side was during church
events, and even then she only spoke spanish my father, not speaking to me.
❏ Being so devoted to my faith,my son received his Baptism as well.
❏ I attend Church every Sunday with my family.
❏ This is the Yin to my military Yang, in terms that being
catholic has taught what times are appropriate to speak up
and be loud and when it is time to quiet down and listen.
❏ We celebrate Christmas, Easter, Baptisms, and Lent. When my
family all gets together they are are usually 30 plus
family members in attendance.

This is a picture of me
and 4 of my cousins My son Anders, and his cousin
after church about 4 Easton the day they got Baptised
years ago. with their Godparents.
Cultural Belonging:Disney
I know this sounds like a stretch however Disney has contributed to who I am in everyday
life.

❏ I listen to Disney music every morning on the way to work to get in a good mindset for
working with the youth
❏ Most of my clothing has some Disney character or Disney design on it.
❏ Disneyland is a trip on most holidays, and summer days.
❏ Disney movies and characters taught me to be kind to people, you never know what they
are going through.
❏ Disney taught me to love animals, Growing up I had many cats and dogs, all of them
were strays.

The Disneyland castle

all decorated for
christmas this past
One of the many trips my family
December.
and I took to Disneyland
Life Experiences:
So many things happen during a life time it is hard to narrow
down exactly what changed you, and what influenced your hobbies.
For me it was many things, yet I can narrow it down to my
favorite trip, my favorite sport, and where we lived whenever we
moved. When my family Whether it on purpose or accident, we
and I went to always lived on the West coast and in a
Mexico it rural area. This gave me the love of hiking
really opened and swimming. Growing up though I missed
my eyes that seeing people around, and that has
people do not contributed to how I love being around
just vacation people now.
at places like
Ensenada, they
call it home.

Playing softball was different in

The difference in language and even in how we
react to situations differently.The Spanish
was slightly different than that of what my
grandmother spoke.Males are also very handsy
and not afraid to say exactly what they are
thinking.
every are we lived. In Alaska It was
not very competitive, but in
Washington it is very Cut-throat,
even for 12 year olds. Softball
brought my competitiveness and my
determination. I had a scholarship
to the University of Washington
until I tore my ACL and lost it.

My
Worldview:
My worldview is complex and not complete.
I think there is more to the world than
most people see.When I was 12 I took a
trip to Costa Rica with my school. I met
kids there who walked 6 miles to a bus
stop, to have to cross a river, then catch
another bus just to get to school.It gave
me a new appreciation of my 15 minute
drive to school. I saw kids living in huts
with no electricity yet they looked so
happy.
❏ Values: High on my list is my family, then
comes freedom, next is keeping people safe.
❏ Standards to live by: That everyone has a right
to be themselves with no shame.
❏ Religious Beliefs: I am a Catholic, however I
do not agree wholeheartedly with the church on
everything,without question.For example on the
topic of abortion.I am Pro-life however I
believe in Pro-choice.Each woman should be able
to make the choice.
❏ Biases:my(now EX)Stepfather was prejudice
against hispanic people,he thought that they
were all rude to women and selfish. Obviously
he never got to know any of them. Needless to
say him and my father never got along.
❏ Goals Long term: My long term goal is to teach
the youth that there is more to this world than
what is in their bedroom or classroom, I want
to expand their minds.It is also to raise my
son to be kind and respectful to people.
❏ Goals Short term: To graduate college and get a
job as a teacher.
❏ Principles important to me: That family always
comes first. To treat people the way you want
to be treated. And to Never give up hope.
 This award connects
to my worldview of
I won Volunteer of the continually try to
year when I was 16. I
CUltural Artifacts:
make a difference,
as little as it
had over 400 hours of seems to me.

community services.
Throughout this presentation I
have photos spread out and most
of them have been taken on my This candle was important
phone throughout the years. to me because I knew a 15 The first time I
moved away
Each photo shows an important birthday was important to a
woman. I had seen pictures
time in my life. However there
are artifacts that are
from my grandmothers my father gave
quinceanera. However before
important to me that I do not the day could come my me a candle
have pictures of. father passed away and it
felt wrong to celebrate
that counted
The key was my first
tattoo. Mother has
without him. towards my
the lock. This 15th birthday.
artifact helps define
me. It has a hidden
mickey and the love
my mother and I have
for eachother.