Hello, my name is Mary Rose Macaranas.  Born and raised in Clayton County, I graduated from Forest Park High School as co-salutatorian in 2006 and am a graduate now from Georgia State University. My major was Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations and and minor in Marketing.  Throughout the school year, I juggled two jobs on campus and balanced studying with extracurricular activities.  During the school year, I worked part-time in the Office of Undergraduate studies and part-time as a swim instructor throughout the week to children and adults at our Aquatics Center. 

As a full-time student, I not only studied and worked, but I was also involved with several organizations on campus.  I was named the treasurer of the Public Relations Student Society of America at our Georgia State chapter.  I also participated in several events and monthly meetings.  As an ambassador for the 1913 Society, I assisted in several annual university events with officials, donars, and other distinguished guests.  On the lighter side of things, I was also an ambassador for the Rialto Ambassadors where we assisted in cultural and musical events as sponsored by the Rialto Center for the Arts as well as community service.  In the international side, I was involved with the Filipino Student Association (FSA) where we promoted awareness and hosted several annual events as well as the vice president for the International Student Association Council (ISAC) that oversees and funds many of the international student organizations' activities.

As a young child, I was not the best swimming student.  I could not hold my breath very long, I did not want to jump off the side of the pool, and was a quiet and timid child.  When I was about 7 yrs old, I took Jennifer Hill's class at the Bonanza pool where I can still recall several vivid memories of the summer swim classes.  During the swim classes and free time, my comfort level and skills improved.  Despite my growing love for the water and my parents' desires for me to continue through the levels, I was unable to pass Level 2 the first time but passed with flying colors the second time.  Although I could perform some of the necessary skills during my first attempt in Level 2, it was obvious I had not mastered the skills.  After this incident, my parents passed down the knowledge that one cannot force a child to do something he/she is not yet ready for, but instead offer words of encouragement and support. I then went on to swim for a brief period with the Tara Tarpons and continued swimming competitively while at Forest Park High School where Jennifer Hill was once again my coach.

In my free time, I like to stay in shape by either running or swimming at the park, the rec center, or even the gym.  I enjoy hanging out with family and friends, traveling to new places, and trying different restaurants, diners, and dives. To wind down, I love listening to and playing music.  I play the piano, cello, guitar, and bass guitar and hope to either learn more instruments or refine my skills before I am completely overwhelmed with a career.