Brooklyn Patterson isn’t just your average teenager. By day she’s practicing and leading her volleyball team to victory. By night she’s perfecting her nail skills or caring for her relatives as a trusted babysitter. Her ability to balance out these hobbies so well is definitely remarkable, with school, volleyball, and nails, is a hard thing to do. Though she loves every part about it!
“When I first tried volleyball, I honestly didn’t like it. I mean, I did, but I didn’t, more of a love and hate sport. I just didn’t like when the balls would come flying towards me, but as I got older and practiced more, I got the hang of it, I started in 8th grade so of course I didn’t have the full grasp of it yet, but everything takes time,’’ Patterson stated.
Patterson’s journey into her different interests began during covid, where most teens discovered different interests or hobbies. She didn’t really take it serious until 7th grade when school was still online but she couldn’t join so she found a team that wasn’t connected to her school, which was the volleyball academy. It was definitely a step up from just practicing with her friends or mom, it was a real team with real practices. After months of practicing and getting to know the team, Patterson knew she wanted to be part of that team spirit.
“My first day at the training was tough, getting to know new people, coaches, and practice. It was overwhelming but not to the point where I couldn’t handle it because I knew it was something I wanted to do. The practices were actually fun though, I get so much adrenaline from it! My new teammates that I made are more than just that, they’re friends now,” Patterson said.
Patterson found herself needing to do something during her downtime, other than just volleyball training. Patterson had a creative eye, drawing, and coloring,around age 11, though she never took it seriously. Once her friends started to do hair, it kind of inspired her to see what else she was good at, so she practiced nails. She sometimes practiced on herself but mostly on cousins or friends. As she looked at videos and practiced over time, she eventually bought a mannequin hand to give her better guidance.
“I got interested in nails once my friends started doing hair, they got so good at it by just practicing, so I just wanted to test my limits. Since I used to draw when I was younger, I thought that maybe I could draw this on a nail or at least put it to use. I literally just bought a kit from amazon and practiced on myself and friends. It’s such a fun hobby, kind of easy too though I’m not a pro yet. It does come with the hard parts but it’s all about the learning experience,” Patterson stated.
As Patterson got better at doing nails she thought she could maybe start her own nail business. Businesses come with a lot of hardships though like getting a space started to do nails, or even promoting your work. Patterson is already working on her space and her plans with promoting her work, with her friends and family she knows that she has a lot of support.
“I don’t think I would want to go to school for nails or anything like that right now, but I can see myself doing this throughout my school years. I think it would be good having interactions with different clients and just connecting with each other through girl things. Starting my business actually has been easy, well so far. My family and friends have been very supportive, especially my family. They’ve been giving me ideas and making space for me to pursue those ideas,” said Patterson.
Along with her other interests, her main one is babysitting! It started when she was young helping out with her cousin, most teens dislike babysitting but she actually loved it. She really fell in love with it after her niece came along, she would always babysit her until she got older of course. Patterson’s nephew was born a year ago, she was so excited because that meant she could babysit him all the time and it was even better because it was her first nephew!
“I really love babysitting, I think kids are honestly so adorable! Especially when they’re tiny, they have my heart. It’s crazy because I don’t even get forced to do it like other teens, I choose to do it. You really get a nurturing feeling the more you do it. I sometimes even get paid for it! Over the summer I actually worked with kids from ages kindergarten through third grade at a summer camp. They did have a daycare inside of it but I didn’t get assigned to that group. I will be working there again this summer so maybe I will get a chance to work at the daycare,’’ said Patterson.
Overall, Patterson’s journey through all of her different interests really shows you that if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. Whether she is creating beautiful nail designs, spiking a ball, or working and caring for children, her dedication and determination shines through. Each of these experiences has shaped her into a great individual.
“Within all of my different experiences, I find comfort in all of them. They are all just so enjoyable and fun in different ways, I like what I do now. Maybe I will try out a different sport or try something new instead of nails. It’s all about experience and learning,” said Patterson.
Whether she is doing sports, nails, or caring for others. Patterson is very passionate about putting smiles on peoples faces. Life is all about trying new things and finding out more about yourself and your interests. Try out new things and learn about yourself, it helps you discover hidden talents and passions. It keeps life exciting and fulfilling!
