Emily Farris
Emily Farris of Sallisaw is a rare young lady who may be small in stature but has a big heart and big plans for her future as well as for the future of others.
Emily Farris of Sallisaw is a rare young lady who may be small in stature but has a big heart and big plans for her future as well as for the future of others.
Farris, 21, just completed her associates degree in Psychology from Carl Albert State College in Sallisaw and will be attending NSU in Tahlequah this fall to further her studies in Psychology and Neuroscience.
“I want to learn as much as I can about the brain and focus mostly on what causes dementia, Alzheimers and other brain illness and issues,” Farris said.
“It’s just something I believe is really needed and most young people who go into college are not focused on finding the answers and cures, or ways to tend to the needs of individuals with brain-related issues.”
Farris also enjoys reading and literature, which are the reasons why she volunteers two days a week at the Stanley Tubbs Memorial Library in Sallisaw.
“I enjoy working there because I’ve always spent a lot of time at the library whether I was in high school or any other opportunity I had. In high school, my teachers called me an overachiever but literature is a passion of mine and I like to write,” she said.
Farris was the winner of this year’s annual poetry contest sponsored by CASC. Her poem will be published by the college in “Rune Stone Articles,” she said.
Of all the jobs she has at the library Farris enjoys story time, which is held on Tuesdays.
“It’s a year-round activity the library provides and seems to be a popular program for the children,” she said.
Farris was born with a rare bone disease, Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), which she inherited from her father and has affected her size, but she has not let her own health get in the way of setting her goals on helping others.
She also calls herself an “introvert.”
“Oh, I can be social,” she said, “but according to one of 16 personality types I’ve learned from my studies, I’m included in the two percent population of people who are rated INFJ (Introverted Intuitive Feeling and Judging). I took the test to rate my personality in high school and got the same results in college. I’m an INFJ, I’ve learned, which is rare.”
Since one of her favorite activities is reading, Farris said she and her best friend from high school, Kayla, enjoy getting together to play video games or hang out at the coffee shops and catch up on some reading because “we both like reading and I like coffee,” she said, smiling.
Farris said her friend is also an introvert and an INFJ “so it’s no wonder we became best friends,” she said.
Farris lived in Marble City when she was younger before her parents moved to Sallisaw 12 years ago.
“I enjoy living in Sequoyah County. I think it can use more growth and people but I’m sure that will happen,” she said.
“My parents both work hard at their jobs and like to take trips. They always take me to the beach in the summer. This year we have plans to go to Florida,” she said. Farris said she and her parents have visited such places as the Grand Canyon and Alaska to visit her aunt and uncle, in addition to visiting nearly every state in the U.S.
“My parents are kind of like me. They also like to read, so on our trips we visit bookstores and coffee shops. They are in the portable building business so they always look forward to getting away,” she said.
Farris said she hopes to obtain her PHD and further her studies with plans to conduct research and hands-on lab work to determine the causes of brain illnesses and why it happens to only certain individuals.
“I don’t think age is completely responsible. There’s been cases of children being diagnosed with dementia so age is not the full cause. It can also be hereditary but these are just some of the factors which make me want to learn all I can about it,” she said.
After she completes all her plans in college, Farris said she wants to travel and get her “restart” button pushed before she goes to work.
“I also hope to get a degree in literature. The main thing I want to do is save the brain,” she said.
Just Folks. Just Folks is Your TIMES way of honoring the regular people of Sequoyah County, recognizing their unique talents, personalities, jobs, abilities, etc. Your TIMES appreciates the cooperation of each Just Folks and the public’s nominations for this feature. If you know of someone you think might be a good story, contact Amie Remer or Lynn McCulley at 918-775-4433.
