Amy was born in Tallahassee, Florida, and raised in Crawfordville, a small town just south of the state capitol. While she enjoyed the close-knit community life early on, by the time she was in high school she struggled with the cliqueish nature of her surroundings. She participated in many clubs & activities, and enjoyed her position as captain of the marching band's flag corps, but still preferred to stay on the outskirts of the inner circles. Amy signed up for the Army Reserves before she graduated high school, figuring that it was her chance to get out of her stifling hometown and still please her parents, who insisted that she "do something" with her life. From there, her life took a whirlwind course that led her to South Carolina, Ohio, and British Columbia, among other places. The tornado eventually dumped her in Madison, Wisconsin, where she devotes her time to taking care of her austistic son, Brandon, and youngest child, Alex. She also works part-time as a web designer.

Amy enjoys singing, writing, and "cooking anything, with or without a recipe." Her birthday is August 15.

Application Essay

When I think of Okinawa, Karate Kid II screams out at me. I think I rewound the movie a thousand times just to try and learn the traditional dance that Kumiko tried to teach Daniel. I probably looked about as graceful as Daniel did, swinging my arms around foolishly in the middle of my living room floor.

I no longer attempt to perform Japanese traditional dance... not even in the privacy of my own home.

Let's settle in to the real question, shall we? You want to know why I'm a good fit for this cast. You might even want to know why I'll win. I'd rather tell you why I'm a good fit for the cast and let you draw your own conclusions from there. It really only boils down to two main points:

1. I'm a mother. I'm an inventive cook, a brilliant problem-solver, and my kisses have magical healing powers. And I'm sure no one needs reminding on how well most mothers have done in the previous seasons. Jenna Lewis, jury member. Theresa Cooper, who got screwed by fate moreso than her skills. And that one woman... I can't remember her name... oh, right.

Tina Wesson.

2. I do not have previous Survivor experience to lull me into a false sense of security. Because of this, I will be playing this game from Day One. I have a strategy, and it will be implemented from the moment I begin the game. That strategy is simply to play a solid game and let others make the mistakes. I will be there to capitalize on said mistakes. Manipulation is how a smart woman gets what she wants from a group of strangers, after all.

From a writer's perspective, I feel a certain duty to give you at least one interesting character in the game. I'll work hard to keep my confessionals quotable and expressive, my story arc intriguing, and my endgame complicated.

And I will win.

In the meantime, I'll be preparing for the mental torture of the game by trying to banish "Glory Of Love" by Peter Cetera from my head. Stupid love themes.

Finalist Essay

Anything I could say at this point may be taken as cocky. I'd hate to go against the cardinal rule of gaming. :) Good luck with the selection process.

Post-Game Links (spoilers)

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