“The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” -Chris McCandless

 

Please join The Faces of Cincinnati as we honor and show appreciation for our graduating class of 2020. Today we point the spotlight to high school graduating senior, Carol Rice!  Carol gave us her favorite quote, above and we asked for some fun facts as follows.

 

Q: What would you say you are most proud of about yourself?
A: I would say my optimism is what I am most proud of about myself. I like to always have hope that things will turn out for the best even in challenging situations, and I never dwell on past regrets or mistakes; I like to learn and move on so that I can focus on making the most of the present and the future. Even during this pandemic, I know my senior year of high school got cut short along with my last swim season ever and college in the fall might be affected as well, but I am using it as an opportunity to get outside and make the most of some time off.

Q: Please tell us about your current plans after high school. What inspired you to choose this path?
A: I will be attending Oregon State University in the fall studying Biology. I have always had a passion for animals and wildlife growing, and the natural sciences have always been my favorite classes, so I knew that Biology was something I wanted to pursue career-wise. I was able to volunteer at the Cincinnati Zoo this past summer and fall and was so inspired by all the various jobs held by people there and the overall atmosphere of the zoo made me realize that it was the kind of work environment I want to be in one day.

Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
A: I am the daughter of Kevin Rice and Kim Bonar. I have three older sisters named Savannah, Nevie, and McKenzie who are 24, 22, and 19 respectively. We were all born and raised in the Greater Cincinnati area, living here our whole lives. My two oldest sisters have moved out, with Savannah living in Kansas and Nevie living in North Carolina while McKenzie attends the University of Akron currently.

Q: Who is the most interesting person you have met in our community. Why?
A: Sabrina Calhoun is by far the most interesting person I have met. She is the manager of the Volunteer and Intern Department at the Cincinnati Zoo, and she is the head supervisor for the ZooTeen program which I was a part of last summer and fall. I remember one of my first interactions with her, she talked about how she baked chocolate chip cookies with cricket flour, making them into a protein filled yet delicious snack, and I just knew she was someone cool. I have gotten to have many more conversations with her (ones that are not about crickets) and have just heard some of the coolest and funniest stories from her and received so many new and positive insights on life that make me really look up to her.

Q: What is your favorite movie or TV show?
A: The Great British Baking Show

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world (no restrictions) right now, where would it be and why?
A: New Zealand. I have always wanted to travel here and just spend weeks exploring the diverse landscapes and wildlife of the the two islands. I just know that here my sense of adventure will run wild with possibilities.

Q: If you could go back, what advice would you give to yourself as a freshman?
A: Take it slow. I thought going into freshman that high school was going to be the four longest years of my life, but when I look back on it, it all seems to have gone by so fast.

Q; What is the best advice you received from a teacher? Who was it?
A; Mary Mahoney from Lakota West High School had given me plenty of useful life advice during the time I had her sophomore year, but the most memorable piece of advice I got from her was just to live life to the fullest. She constantly encouraged us to do something different, to live our lives freely, and she even told us she would give us a pack of skittles if we did something rebellious later on as juniors and seniors. That last bit may not sound like wise advice, but she knew the kind of students we were, and it is something that has stuck with me for the past two years; that sometimes it is ok to take your own path and see where it leads even if there are consequences with it.

Q; What is your go to band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
A: The Lumineers

Q: If you could choose anyone alive today or passed, with whom would you like to have lunch? What would you want to know?
A: Steve Irwin. He was my idol growing up and the reason why I am so passionate about wildlife to this day. I would just want to listen to his stories and be able to see first-hand the passion, positivity and commitment to wildlife that he has.

Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
A: I just love the symbols that have come to represent the true nature of Cincinnati. From being named after Cincinnatus to being well-known for Fiona the Hippo, I think Cincinnati has created many long-lasting and defining stories that have shaped our community into what it is today.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
A: I see myself out on a boat doing some form of research on ocean life. I know that I move out west for college, I will become attached to the coast and I hope that allows me to find success there as well.

Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: I sing in the car really loud when I am driving by myself. I typically am quiet when hanging around people, even with my friends and my family, and that’s just because I like to listen to what everyone else is saying. But, when I’m in my car alone, I can’t help but to sing along to my favorite songs and make up small dances; neither the singing or dancing is good but the music is.

Q: What is your favorite month, holiday or season of the year? and best single day on the calendar?
A: My favorite month is April. I love the springtime, and my favorite thing is to see the trees bloom once again- I swear they always seem to do it instantaneously overnight. April has also always been my time to relax, with my swim season ending and school winding down, so I finally get some to try new things or just get outside. The best day of the year is August 3rd. It’s the summer, so it’s guaranteed to be warm. I am also always in the best mood towards the end of summer break as I have had enough time away from school to recuperate and I just know that even if it storms, it will be a good day.

Q: Who inspires you to be better?
A: Bob Hiller inspires me to be the best person I can be. He has been one of my swim coaches for the past 4 years, and I just really admire how he lives his life. I appreciate how he wants the best for me and my teammates and can see how genuine he is, which just gives me a little extra motivation to keep chasing my goals and achieving new things.

Q: What is the first thing you want to do when this quarantine is completely over?
A: Go on a road trip with my closest friends. I have been itching to do a national park road trip out west, and while I may hold off on that for some time, I do want to at least go to one national park nearby for a weekend or so with my good friends and just hang out.

Q: Who or what do you miss the most right now?
A: I miss my lunch table friends Linda, Molly, Katie, and Nayeli. Our conversations were the highlight of my days, and lunch time always passes by way to fast when I’m with them

Q: Any parting thoughts?
A: I just hope everyone is staying happy and healthy during these times

The high school seniors of today are the leaders of tomorrow.
Please join the Faces of Cincinnati as we celebrate our graduates of 2020.