Top Five Strengths

We took a Strengths Finder Test to find our Top Five Strengths. Here are mine:

BELIEF: People strong in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.
-Family-oriented, altruistic, spiritual, and value responsibility and high ethics in yourself and others
- Core values are unchanging—Beliefs give you motivation, drive, and determination
- Provides you with direction, guiding you through temptations and distractions of life- foundation for all relationships
- Makes you easy to trust
The Belief talent is found in the tremendous power of your foundational values. They are sources of powerful drive and direction.

I have a strong belief in Jesus Christ. My beliefs and values determine the way I live. I know that my purpose in life is to follow God and live each day glorifying Him. I believe that everyone has potential; I believe in friendship, family and opportunity. Because people know I stand strong in my beliefs, they trust in my motives and know that my values and words are true.

EMPATHY: People strong in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations.
-You are able to see the world through others’ eyes and share their perspective
-You hear the unvoiced questions and anticipate the needs of others—you can pick up on the pain and joy of others
-Other people are drawn to you—but you may become overwhelmed with all the emotions you can pick up in a day
Empathy talent lies in the emotional depth of the relationships you’re able to form with others. People feel understood by you and seek your company.

When my friends are hurting, I hurt too. Building strong relationships has always been a priority to me, and with that comes an emotional bond. My friends feel a comfort in being honest and vulnerable with me, knowing that they can truly tell me how they are feeling and I will understand. But even before they come to me, I can sense that they are struggling. Even though I may not always know the best advice to give, I am a good listener and observer, making it easier for me to really feel their joys and sorrows.

HARMONY: People strong in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.
-You look for areas of agreement-- little to be gained from conflict, try to find a common ground
-When others strike out in a direction, you will willingly, in the service of harmony, modify your own objectives to merge with theirs (as long as their basic values do not clash with yours)
-You want peace; seek to help individuals, families, and organizations work together
Harmony talent is in your natural practicality and preference for emotional efficiency. By reducing friction, you enhance collaboration.

I hate conflict. I do whatever is in my power to avoid it. I don't like drama and I don't like it when people fight. Although making harmony sometimes means my voice does not get heard, I tend to overlook my own needs for others'. It is a sacrifice that I have been willing to make because I see greater benefit and growth in relationships when there is peace rather than when I have to get my own way.

MAXIMIZER: People strong in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.
-Excellence, not average, is your measure—you feel compelled to nurture, refine, and stretch your strengths toward excellence
-Transforming something strong into something superb
-You choose to spend time with people who appreciate your particular strengths
-You want to capitalize on the gifts with which you are blessed
-You see talents and strengths in others, sometimes before they do
-Love to help others
-You have capacity to see what people will do best
-Some people may see you as picky or plodding because they don’t understand your exceptional commitment to excellence
Maximizer talents is in your natural discrimination toward better and your preference for working with and toward the best.

If I am going to do something, I want to do it well. This is most evident in my committment to sports and friendships. I have played sports my entire life. I strive to become a better player through hard work and determination. God has blessed me with an athletic talent that I try to use to glorify Him. My senior year, I had a core group of friends. Although the numbers were few, we had amazingly strong relationships. I tried to be an encouraging and loving friend, creating a stronger bond in each friendship.

RESPONSIBILITY: People strong in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
-You take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion
-If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person—apologies are not enough, excuses and rationalizations- unacceptable, necessary to make restitution
-Near obsession for doing things right and impeccable ethics combine to create your reputation that is utterly dependable
-You don’t want to let people down
-With the responsibility you feel to the people who come to you and with the demands that each of them brings, you might feel overwhelmed and under pressure to perform
Responsibility talents stems from the deep commitments you make to others and the ownership you feel. Because you are a person of your word, people trust you and count on you.

I hate letting people down. I want to be seen as a loyal person true to my word. To the best of my abilities, I try to follow through on every committment I make- whether it is telling a friend I will call them tomorrow or fulfilling my role as a teammate on the court or field. I have practiced responsibility through my leadership class, as a captain of my sports teams, and in my everyday life as a friend, student, daughter, and in my walk with God.

Who am I?

My name is Bekah Weisser. I am 18 years old and I am from Alamo [-- Northern California -- East Bay -- 45 minutes from San Francisco -- the "YAY AREA" :D --] SF Giants and 49ers are my favorite teams to watch! NorCal is HECKA tight! I love Peanut Butter, Green Apples, Diet Coke, GOLDEN SPOON, Puffins, Green Grapes, Popcorn, Veggies... Awkward Turtles, Smiling, Laughing, Making Clothes, Crafts, Scrapbooking, Sports...Making Memories, Disneyland, Stargazing, Shoes, Roxy, Reading, Guitar Hero, Taking Pictures...Swings, Concerts, Board Games, Cards, Shopping, Dressing Up, CHALKING, and 24!!! GOD, FAMILY and FRIENDS are the most important things in my life!! I live by this verse: "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!" Philippians 4:13
My favorite movies are Elf, The Sandlot, Stick It, TMNT, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, Emperor's New Groove, and John Tucker Must Die. I love listening to music and finding new bands! Some of my favorites: Matt Wertz, John Mayer, Acceptance, Quietdrive, Colbie Caillat, Jeremy Camp, The Rocket Summer, Jimmy Eat World, Shawn McDonald, Dave Barnes, Justin McRoberts, Rascal Flatts, Jars of Clay, all kinds of 80s and 90s music and much, much more! :)
My heroes and role models are my three sisters - Rachel, Jessica, and Bethany- and my parents! They live Godly lives full of love, compassion, and selflessness! I want to live a life like theirs, glorifying God and making a positve impact on other peoples' lives! 
 I recently graduated from San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, Ca. I played 1 year of soccer, 4 years of Volleyball, and 4 years of Varsity Softball. I played DS and Lebero for 2 years on the varisty volleyball ("That was X-TREME!" :D) and catcher for 4 years on the softball team. Sports helped me to make some great friendships, learn to be a leader when it sometimes wasnt easy, become involved in my school, and make amazing memories of great come-backs, total dominations, and other unforgettable moments on and off the court/field. My favorite parts about high school were being spirited at the games- painting ourselves and cheering as loud as we could, meeting and building relationships with my best friends, making hilarious memories of all the random, but such fun, things my friends and I did, being involved on sports teams, Dressing up- for school events and sometimes just because, Leadership, Great teachers like Mr. Csider, Senora Herron, and Mr. Horvath, TAing with my best friend, making posters for all the games, growing out of my shell to become more energetic and confident -not caring what others thought of me, and the overall feeling of community as my classmates and I grew to become the SRV WOLFPACK!
 I am at APU because I love God. I initially started looking at APU because I made a personal decision that I wanted to go to a Christian school after going to a private school from K-8th and a public high school. Although I loved the environment of my high school, I knew that I would be able to better thrive in my relationship with God and life in general in a place where everyone else loves God as well. The next reason- Softball! After 14 years of hard work and practice, and months of communication with the coach, I got recruited to play on the APU softball team. I am very excited and anxious to move into the next collegiate step of my softball career and embrace the new challenges and experiences playing the game that I love.
I have always been told to DREAM BIG and to never let anyone tell me that I can't achieve the goals that I set for myself. Throughout life I have had my family and friends to aid and support me in all my decisions. But most importantly, it is necessary that I first turn to God to guide me through each of the choices I make in my life. God has a plan for me and I want to be ready for all of the blessings He has for my life! I DREAM OF making my own T-shirt company with my sisters, Traveling to Africa, Greece, and Armenia, Learning to speak Armenian, Making a positive impact on people around me, Being a "Stand Up Person in a Bow Down World", and Living life to my full potential, pleasing God and doing His will!