Full Name: Patrick Nobrega
Academic Year: Senior
Hometown: Mattapoisett, MA
Relationship Status: Arguable (A work in progress)
Biggest Turn on with a girl?:
The biggest turn on for me is confidence- not to be confused with cockiness (which is a big turn off). More specifically, a girl who has the confidence to be herself. Not all guys are looking for bimbos…those are a dime-a-dozen. I think it’s awesome when I meet a girl who can hold her own in a conversation no matter where they are. Also, it’s nice when a girl can keep a guy’s attention without feeling they have to dress a certain way. To me, nothing is more attractive than that girl with high self-esteem who gives off that vibe that says “I don’t need you, but I want you”.
Biggest Turn off: For me, the biggest turn off is a girl who makes herself seem less smart because she thinks that guys find it attractive. I mean, okay- the ditsy thing can be cute once in a while, but it gets old real fast. If I try to hold a somewhat meaningful conversation with you and your eyes glaze over, I’m not impressed. Also, those Snookie-esque girls with the super short skirts who get on tables at the bar and take shots. I mean don’t get me wrong its great to have fun with your girls, but sometimes it’s like, “Really? this place has dollar drafts…”
Favorite movie and why?: So my favorite movie (well, actually movies) has to be the Lord of the Rings series. They’re just epic. I used to read the books as a kid, and then around 8th grade or so the first movie came out. I thought they did an awesome job incorporating so much of the book into the movies which is really hard to do with such a dense story. Also, the scenery is awesome having been filmed all around the world in places like New Zealand. Oh, and lastly, I have to give a shout out to Jurassic Park- that was a childhood favorite of mine. It’s the quintessential movie for any seven-year-old kid going through that “ I’m obsessed with dinosaurs” phase that they all go through. Regardless, I still watch it when it comes on AMC.
Celebrity Crush and why: Definitely Natalie Portman. I like her because she’s got that “girl next door” look but can still be a badass in roles like V for Vendetta or Star Wars. Not only is she cute, but she’s versatile too; starring in a range of movies from No Strings Attached to Black Swan to The Other Boelyn Girl. The girl’s got talent. Also, she seems to be pretty classy off stage, and someone I’d actually enjoy hanging out with.
Future Career Goals/Ambitions: Currently, I’m looking to involve my passion for languages, culture and travel into a career. I am an English and Spanish double major and, after graduation, I look to apply those skills to a program teaching English in a Spanish-speaking country for a year or so. When I come back, I’d like to continue the spread of cross-cultural awareness by tapping into the International Education industry and focusing on Language and Study Abroad programs for young people. Eventually I’d like to design my own exchange programs and begin integrating new technology to the spread of global awareness of cultural differences. In the interim, I also plan to focus on practicing my Translation and Interpretation at the local level.
Hobbies/Interests: I love being outside. While the city of Boston has a special place in my heart, I really feel at home outdoors and especially by the beach. When in my hometown, I like to take my kayak out on the bay or bring my Black Lab, Oliver, to the beach (not for nothing, but he is also such a chick magnet. I swear, he gets more attention than me…). I also enjoy hiking with friends, running, bike riding, and reading a good book.
Most embarrassing moment: Anytime I get asked this question, one event always pops into my head. While I’m sure many embarrassing moments have happened since then, I can’t help think about the time I walked into a girl’s bathroom in 8th grade. It was during Math Class, and, bored, I got up to go to the bathroom. We were temporarily in the High School seeing as how the Jr. High was under construction and I got a little disoriented. I was about half in when I realized there were no urinals and there was a yellow flip-flop tapping away underneath a stall. Naturally I bumped into three older girls on the way out who had a good laugh. I never skipped Math class after that.
Best date you’ve ever been on?: The best date I’ve ever been on probably took place when I studied abroad in Madrid. After desperately trying to get a European female to talk to me, I finally met this Spanish girl at a club. Her name was Marta and she was obsessed with New York, so naturally I had a jump-off point as an American. A week or so after we met, we met up at a coffee place and talked, then walked around the park. Marta was extremely sweet, intelligent and open minded. She was also good at English and so wanted to practicing speaking to me. I, on the other hand, wanted to practice my Spanish. So, effortlessly, the two of us kept on talking, her in English and me in Spanish. I thought it was great because, intuitively, we both just accommodated each other. Although we’ve been long since separated, I still consider her a friend and we still chat on Facebook sometimes.
3 things you would bring with you to a deserted island? Okay, so besides the whole “survival kit” thing that first comes to mind, I’d have to bring 1. Oliver (that dog I told you about) because I feel like it’d get pretty lonely out there…and he’s actually someone I wouldn’t get sick of. 2. A kindle (with a solar panel charger) so I could have unlimited reading material and, let’s see…3. Chapstick, just because a day I leave the house without it is a day I miss it.
Best part about your Suffolk experience so far? The best part about my experience at Suffolk so far is all the travel I’ve been able to do and the people I’ve been able to meet because of it. Being from a small town, I always knew I wanted to get out there and see more of the world, but being at Suffolk has allowed me to expand so much. Not only have I learned so much and met so many amazing people in Boston, but I’ve had the opportunity to travel to Madrid, Rome, London, Prague, Dublin…the list goes on. And its all thanks to the amazing international programs at this school. I’ve also loved meeting so many people from different countries and backgrounds at Suffolk.
Whats an interesting fact about you most people don’t know? An interesting fact about me that most people probably don’t know is that I’m a twin. Yes, that’s right, a twin, but no, not identical. My brother and I are fraternal which means that we were born at the same time, but don’t look exactly alike. It’s not like I don’t talk about my bro, but he doesn’t go to Suffolk, and a lot of times I’ve known someone for quite a while before I casually drop a story that happens to be about my twin brother. When that happens they just look at me wide-eyed and say “You have a twin?! Why didn’t I know?!” and it’s kind of like, oh woops, you didn’t know?
Most romantic thing you’ve done for a girl/women? So probably the most romantic thing I’ve ever done involved me channeling my inner-English major. It took a lot of guts, but I asked an ex-girlfriend to Winter Ball through an old fashioned love poem. She was an Art History major and really appreciated that kind of stuff, and I made it look really old by using the technique that they show you in like the third grade when you take a tea bag and dip it on the paper, you know what I’m talking about? Anyways, she really appreciated it. Needless to say we are no longer together, but we had a great time. And if I ever needed to submit a poem for class, I feel I could definitely get an A on it…