Melissa, San Diego asked Liz-Hasbleydi G., Tech + Desing AddedThursday, December 4, 2014 at 3:00 PM How to balance school and extracurricular activities Hi Liz! Your bio stood out to me because I too, am a fashion model! I am pursuing an engineering degree and am of Panamanian descent. Your profile speaks volumes to me, especially because I find it hard to meet people with as many varied interests as myself. I like to call myself a Renaissance woman :) I'm always struggling with how to merge or fuse all my passions together, because engineering and the arts are seemingly not related. I wanted to know if you modeled while going to school? And if so, how did you manage your time? That seems to be my struggle at the moment. Would you recommend to me any tips on how to go about pursing my passions and how to balance school and extracurricular activities? Thank you!! Reset Sort By Default Liz-Hasbleydi G. , Tech + Desing Answered Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 3:00 PM Hello Melissa, :) Thank you for your kind words and interest in me. I am a Renaissance woman. That means I have many talents as well as focus and results. In Colombia our education has a very European influence (Spain, England, France, Germany and Italy), and they taught us to develop our talents to the maximum. We studied from 7 am to 4 pm every day, and after that we might do homework or complimentary research or studies. Our classes had strong academic, sports, humanitarian, spiritual and philosophical influences. We read a lot. I learned at a young age that engineering and art are related. In my opinion, the beauty of nature can be expressed by numbers and science in mathematical and practical ways. Everything that you see around is in harmony, and that is art. For some reason in United States they force you to follow only one specialty in education. They consider it a sign of focus, but I disagree. I believe that we can be multi-focused and also be productive. That is my theory. Everything that I have done has required a lot of time, dedication, passion and sacrifices. About your questions: -I wanted to know if you modeled while going to school? And if so, how did you manage your time? I was offered a modeling job at the start of my engineering studies, but I decided to focus on school full-time to be the best that I could. I studied during vacation as well, and I never had weekends off or vacation or family time, because engineering in Colombia is highly competitive and very male dominated. I needed to work harder to be noticed in a professional way. I did some modeling jobs and choreographies part-time during my school, and I took up modeling again full time at the end of my degree. To stay focused I practice meditation to organize my mind, exercise to keep in shape, and I eat a healthy diet. -Would you recommend to me any tips on how to go about pursuing my passions and how to balance school and extracurricular activities? Pursuing your passions always come from following your heart. Be proud of being a woman and of your femininity. Be a classy lady. Prioritize your interests. Analyze the pros and cons of any situation. Be nice to others and be sincere about it. We can make this world better. Sincerely, Liz :)