Audrey Shin is currently a junior at Canyon. Audrey is seen all around campus helping everyone in anyway she can, mainly through ASB. She is a well-rounded person in terms of education and extracurriculars and also, no matter what the circumstances may be, always puts in time for her family and friends.

Smoke Signals: How do you contribute to Canyon?

Shin: “After being at Canyon for almost 3 years, I find that my position on ASB has provided me with the best opportunity to reciprocate what Canyon has done for me. Through my role as Commissioner of Clubs, I can bring the students at Canyon together by their common interests. In general, ASB has allowed me to make a difference in my peers and faculty. This goes from coming to school at six in the morning to make posters to staying up until three in the morning planning club activities! Additionally, I also take part in several clubs on campus such as the National Honor Society and Key Club. Through these clubs, not only have I gotten to volunteer for my community in general, but I also get to help Canyon’s community in specific. This goes from service events to just representing Canyon as a whole to a broader community. Despite the arduous work of maintaining my academic career and extracurriculars, my passion will always be to help and support Canyon’s community in any way possible.”

Smoke Signals: What is your favorite quote and why?

Shin: ““Happiness is not by chance, but by choice” would be my favorite quote. This is because I have grown up to my mother telling me this multiple times. I’ve learned from this quote that no one can take away my happiness but myself. This has helped me through some of my darkest times as many people in this world have tried to take this right away from me. However, with these eight words, I learned that it’s something they can never control.”

Smoke Signals: Tell me about the best vacation you have ever been on.

Shin: “The time I traveled to Japan and Korea has been the best vacation by far. I have always loved traveling to Asia because the majority of my relatives are situated there. Also, not to mention the food there is amazing! Because I’m unable to visit my grandparents often, traveling to Korea is something I treasure dearly. I mention Japan as well because my family and I decided to take a quick detour to Tokyo on the way home from Korea one year. Although I’m not Japanese, I love watching travel vlogs on Youtube about Japan. Being able to physically see the new culture was an entirely different experience than seeing it through videos! This shock is something I’ll never forget.”

Smoke Signals: What mystery do you wish you had the answer to?

Shin: “I wish I knew the cure to cancer! It’s outrageous we haven’t found one yet. Because I have seen family members impacted by this horrendous illness, I hope to find the answer to this soon.”

Smoke Signals: What would you talk with  someone you want to meet if you had the chance?

Shin: “I would want to talk to my great grandparents from my father’s side of the family. Stories about them do not seem to do them justice. They seem like amazing and inspirational people. Because I have been unable to meet them, I wish more than anything to have a conversation with them. I would love to ask about how my grandfather and father were like as children. Furthermore, I’d love to hear how they reached their successes in their granite business.”

Smoke Signals: What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?

Shin: “Hm, this is kinda hard. From my perspective, I think people would find it surprising that in my free time I enjoy singing and playing my guitar. I think this might be surprising as I’ve played violin for so long that guitar may have seemed out of the question. Additionally, other than singing at the retirement home, I rarely perform in front of audiences.”

Smoke Signals: How do you relieve stress?

Shin: “This is a great question. To be honest, I still haven’t found the perfect method. I will say that I enjoy going for a run when I’m under pressure. It helps me take my mind off of whatever was stressing me out and just focus on me(and my breathing!). Additionally, venting plays a key role in relieving my stress. Oftentimes I write in my journal expressing my current feelings towards what’s pressuring me. Furthermore, if my older sister, Caitlin Shin, is free, a FaceTime call with her helps me immensely.”

Smoke Signals: What would you title a book that is written about you?

Shin: “Honestly, I would name it AUD. That sounds weird but my parents call me that because apparently “Audrey” is too long. Also, it sounds like “odd” which is suiting for me because I am quite weird at times!”

Smoke Signals: Who’s your biggest inspiration in life and why?

Shin: “This sounds cheesy, but my sister is my biggest inspiration. Not only is she an amazing role model for me to follow, but she’s just a kind and caring person overall. She’s someone that will answer your call at four in the morning if you’re crying. She’s someone that will take time to edit your essay when she has an organic chemistry final the next day. She’s someone that can make you laugh at just about anything. I think my level of respect for my sister has grown more since she has gone for college and I started my career as a high school student. Having to take almost the same route as her in school, I realize how much she truly did during her four years at Canyon. I complain almost every day about my workload however when I think about it, I had never heard her complain once during her high school career. This puts me in awe. I truly aspire to be my older sister, even if we fight every other day, hehe.”

Smoke Signals:  What are you looking forward to next year as a senior?

Shin: “I look forward to graduation. Although I’m parting from a huge part of my life, I’m super excited to move on to the next stage in my educational career. Going to college has been something I’ve been dreaming of since I was in elementary school and to think next year I’ll be so close is crazy!”

Smoke Signals: What’s some advice you would give to all the Comanches, regardless of their age?

Shin: “I think my advice would be to find your passion and just go with it. For me, I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was little so it was clear to me that helping my community and attending medical-related programs was my extracurricular path. If your passion is art, then I’d recommend entering in contests and applying for positions like publicity on club boards! The faster you find your passion, the easier things get!”