Chapter 59: Anna Shammas

Anna Shammas, a senior at PV, defines her life by travel, Target, and her Chihuahua, Remi. While these three things are important aspects of her life, she also spends her time focusing on her hobbies, volunteering and being with her family.

Shammas builds her class schedule in a way that allows her to focus on her hobbies. Since she loves to write, she took a creative writing class which helped her improve her craft. “I learned how to incorporate more emotion into my work which has made me become a stronger writer,” Shammas said.

Shammas has even more hobbies she would like to develop outside of the school day. She has taken a baking class at Scott Community College in order to expand her knowledge. Shammas enjoys to bake and eagerly latched on to the opportunity to become more skilled. This hobby holds a special place in her heart because she often bakes for her family.

Shammas’ family consists of her two older brothers, a chihuahua named Remi, and a rescued cat named Bourbon. She is a caring family member. One of her brothers is vegan, so she has taught herself how to bake snacks he can eat. Shammas also gives the same love and attention to her pets; one of her favorite memories is a photo shoot she had with her dog.

Shammas is close to her family. Her dad is from Lebanon, which impacted her experience growing up. Each year, her family has a massive gathering in Lebanon. This upcoming summer, Shammas has the honor of being a bridesmaid in a family wedding. She is looking forward to experiencing the important event from the perspective of another culture.

Her father’s heritage has impacted Shammas’ appreciation for the world. “He likes to travel with us to teach us about other cultures,” Shammas said. As of now, Shammas has been on a plethora of adventures. She has embarked on a road trip through Canada, travelled to Jamaica when she was not even a year old, and went on her dream vacation to London

While Shammas loves to travel internationally, she has also taken advantage of what the United States has to offer. Her favorite places she has visited so far are San Francisco and Colorado. Shammas wants to branch out even more; she is considering going to college in Arizona.

For her service-learning project, Shammas volunteered at the family museum. She enjoyed working with the kids. “They always put a smile on my face,” Shammas said. “It’s like having a bunch of younger siblings!” From this experience, Shammas discovered she was truly passionate about working with and inspiring kids.

After finishing her service hours, Shammas decided she still wanted to interact with children. Now, she has started a job at the YMCA daycare. Inspired by her service learning, Shammas is considering teaching children as her future career.

While teaching is one option, Shammas also loves to work with animals. She went on a job shadow at White Haven Veterinary Clinic and was able to experience the job firsthand. Shammas sat in on a few minor surgeries throughout the day which offered an up-close look at that field of study.

Due to her many interests, Shammas still has a lot to decide about her future. She may venture to Arizona Christian University; she is still waiting for her admission decision. After this winter in Iowa, she loves the idea of having warmer weather.