Other Interests
I’m never bored… I like to do things. I like to be creative, invent, draw, build, play sports, play music, solve puzzles, cook, write stories, and read… I really love to read! See below for some of my favorite extracurricular activities and the things I love to do!
Archery
I have practiced archery with my dad since I was 9. We even set up our own archery range in the backyard! My bow is the first thing I ever bought with my own money I earned from pet sitting. I was asked to compete for a Junior Olympic Competition team… but for now I’m going to stick with volleyball and just shoot for fun!
Engineering / Robotics
I love robotics and engineering and would love to study those subjects in college. Here is a robotic car I built for a science fair project in middle school. I custom built it using Lego Mindstorm parts and programed it to stay between guidelines and stop before running into obstacles. I even created a video (which over 8,500 people have watched) showing what it can do!
Watch my robotic car in action!
I really enjoyed my Intro to Engineering class in high school this year. While at home, sheltering in place, I created a Rube Goldberg contraption. I’m really proud of how it turned out.
Female Athlete Volunteers (F.A.V)
I joined F.A.V. (Female Athlete Volunteers) in 5th grade. This organization is made up of female athletes from ages 12 – 18. We do various forms of charity work in our local San Diego community. It is a great way for those of us who are blessed with so much to give back to people who are less fortunate and need our help.
FAV Website
Ukulele
I really enjoy playing the ukulele and even started an all ukulele band with my volleyball teammates! Check out da_ukies on instagram!!! Or listen to a couple songs I’ve recorded.
Reading and Narrative Writing
I love to read. I enjoy many genres and types of stories. Some of my favorite authors include Agatha Christie, Roald Dahl, J. K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, Rachel Caine, Veronica Roth, and Suzanne Collins. I also love to write my own narratives. Creative writing is one of my favorite pastimes. I love creating my own worlds or adding to those that I’ve already discovered in my favorite books.
My “Book of Break”
I missed volleyball SO MUCH while sheltering in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. But I took advantage of my extra time to pursue my other favorite hobbies, interests, and learn a few new ones. I learned how to use video editing tools and made a quick video that showed what I was up to other than my home volleyball workouts and school work. I captured all these experiences in a scrapbook I call “The Book of Break”.
VIDEO: Nikki’s home activities during our “shelter in place”