Hi I’m Natalie Zachariou and this is my first year at USD. I was born in Walnut Creek and now live in Tiburon, which is in the Bay Area (close to San Francisco). Growing up I lived in Melbourne, Australia for seven years, and came back to the United States because my dad got a job in the Bay Area. My family still lives in Australia, however, most of my relatives live in Greece. I have an older sister who recently graduated from School of Visual Arts in New York for cinematography, and is now living in Manhattan. We have a cat named Slash (my sister named him after the guitarist from Guns n’ Roses), but for some reason he only responds to the name Boy. I am planning on majoring in Chemistry/Biochemistry and either taking the Pre-Med track or work in a research position, however, I am still unsure as to what I want to do as a career. I love swimming, hiking, traveling, trying new foods, spending time with friends, and dancing. Throughout Middle School and High School I danced mostly contemporary and ballet, and hopefully I can join a club here at USD for dance this semester. I do not like cold rainy weather, which is a big part of why I love San Diego. Having the beaches being relatively close to campus always gives me something to do and motivates me to learn how to surf. I am excited to continue exploring San Diego, meeting new people, and learning new things this semester.