Procrastination

            Once again, it’s Sunday night. This is usually how the situation plays out for a typical high school student. The following scenario is not entirely from my personal experiences, but partly from sad stories my fellow classmates have told as well. You drearily drag your backpack from your car, and try to think what you did on Friday that needs to be done for Monday. If you use a planner, you’re probably in luck; otherwise you’re probably not in such a good situation if you don’t use one. You try so hard to think about what was written on the board, what your teacher said, and what you discussed with your classmates, all to improve your recall. None of it seems to work. So, you dig through your notebooks, binders, and folders hoping that you have found everything that needs to be done in less than 12 hours. At this point your day gets pretty stressful.

To keep myself organized and on top of school work, I write in my planner and then think back to each of my classes in case there was something I forgot to write down. So far, this system has worked pretty well for me, and if you're a junior or sophomore you probably have your own method to this madness. If you are new to high school this year (ahem, freshmen), maybe this will work well for you too!

            Thankfully I didn’t have much homework this weekend, so the only thing I had left today was blogs! I don't know about the rest of you, but I love blogging so far. Free writing has become easier and more enjoyable now that I have done four weeks of it already. I can’t believe it is already midterm! Although I wish I would go back to my routine of doing blogs during the week, and not having to do them on the weekend, I feel like this will take some time to get back into the routine. Even though leaving my blogging to Sunday feels a little like (must I say it?).....procrastination, it actually feels like I make more progress because I have the whole week to reflect on, and I know I have to get them done. Definitely don’t take this post that procrastination is a positive thing, generally I would say it is bad. Since I have informally designated blogging to Sundays however, I am able to get all of my other homework done the rest of the week, and I know that Sundays are “blog days” to get the posts completed.  (429)

A supportive family that loves football

            Every family has their own way to bond and find things to do together. Mine seems to be football centered on my Dad’s side of the family. My grandpa, grandma, aunt, uncle, cousins, dad, and I are all football fans of many different teams. These include the Iowa Hawkeyes, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Packers, Vikings, Chiefs, and many more including high school teams.

            I was quite bummed that I could not go to the homecoming game. Two of my best friends were up for homecoming queen, and I felt terrible that I couldn’t go because of work. When I told them I wouldn’t be at the game to cheer with them in the student section, they were very understandable. I knew they were totally ok with me not being there, but I didn’t feel like a very good friend because I wasn’t there to see them, regardless if they won or not. I mean, there’s only one winner, so both of them can’t win. Plus, along with not seeing my friends, as a football fan I was disappointed I couldn’t see the team get their first win of the season, I’m sure they were ecstatic about their performance. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for an even bigger opportunity in the future. Because I have a job, I will have extra money for something important in the future, I know that for sure.

            My family and I have a simple routine every game-day Saturday afternoon. We leave in the morning, tailgate with simple food before the game with some cards thrown in there, and then finally it is game time! I’m only superstitious when it comes to the seating arrangement in the stadium. To me, if you sit in a different order, your cheering and yelling might be thrown off. Yesterday was game-day Saturday, and I couldn’t go. However even though I couldn’t go this time, I was able to do something even more fun instead. Because I could either work the afternoon or the evening, I chose to work the afternoon so I could still go to Homecoming. There’s only one Homecoming dance left and there’s tons of game-days left in my lifetime. With a busy schedule, I have learned to prioritize and make important decisions.

            My family members understood completely and were glad that I could go to Homecoming. Without family I don’t know what I would do. They give me incredible advice and encouragement, along with immense support thus far. Even if you have a bad day, they will always love you no matter what, even if you don’t think so. That is exactly what family should be for. (441)

School Dances

            Homecoming was on Saturday, and that means the majority of the school dressed up, took pictures, went to dinner, and then the dance at school. Everyone has their own interpretation of homecoming. Dictionary.com defines homecoming as an annual event held by a college, university, or high school for visiting alumni.  Times have changed in many ways, and now it seems like homecoming is a decision on how much to spend, what to do, and where to go.

            I think that it is important to have at least one formal dance, especially for the underclassmen, since they cannot go to prom. I know that I definitely enjoy getting dressed up and going out with friends for a night. But to me, the formality that comes with Homecoming has become a bit too extravagant and overdone. If you feel that it is important to go all out on Homecoming, that's totally ok with me, but it is not a priority for me. I guess you have to think to yourself.... is it really worth $250 for a new dress, shoes, getting your hair done, and a mani-pedi for one night? Personally, I believe that you can accomplish the same look with a lot less paper or plastic involved. When you think back to high school and look through old photographs twenty years from now, we will all probably be nearing the big four zero. Will it really mater to you if you bought a designer dress and shoes, and spent hours on your makeup? By 2032, your kids will probably think everyone looked hideous, so why worry now?

            My Saturday plans were originally to go to the Iowa game in the afternoon (I am a dedicated fan), which would still leave me enough time to get ready for Homecoming once I got home. However, because I have a part-time job, that means that sometimes I can’t do everything that I want, when I want. Fortunately, my boss and I were able to work something out. I worked in the afternoon until five and had the evening off so I could still go to the dance. My friend Amanda is a swimmer and they had an away meet until 4:40pm and did not get back into town until 5:40. If any of you were complaining about not having enough time to get ready, try getting ready in less than 30 minutes!

            I think that WPA (Women Pay All) should be informal. It would be so much more fun if we actually had a theme for our dance like a “rave,” and everyone wore a white t-shirt with jeans, or whatever neon they wanted. It would probably be ten times more comfortable while you are dancing or grinding, whatever you prefer, and student government would finally have a reason to create a theme. Another high school in our area does that, and it seems so fun just from looking at their pictures. If the administration still wanted WPA to be formal because they are afraid girls would complain because they buy their dresses in advance, they should add another dance like Toga (dress in costumes) or a Dance Marathon (to raise money) that is specifically meant to be for fun, not who has the cutest dress.  (543)

Shakira

            Everyone has an artist they look up to. One of my favorite artists is Shakira (Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll). She is a Colombian singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, record producer, and model. She is a native Spanish speaker, speaks fluent English and Portuguese, and also knows Italian, Catalan, and Arabic. If you are not an avid fan yet, I would definitely recommend her music because it’s very versatile and her songs encompass many different genres. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Shakira says, "My music, I think, is a fusion of many different elements. And I'm always experimenting. So I try not to limit myself, or put myself in a category, or... be the architect of my own jail".

            Not only do I love her music, but she is inspirational to many people because of her individualism and strong persona. She is also very confident, which is noticeable in her singing voice and music videos. You can recognize her twist on belly-dancing in many of her music videos as well. She has produced twelve impressive albums, made guest appearances on TV shows, and it was recently announced that she will be a judge on the fourth season of The Voice, replacing Christina Aguilera (LA Times). Also, Shakira is expecting her first child with Gerard Piqué, a Spanish soccer player and her boyfriend (The Washington Post).  (228)

(photo courtesy of simplyfabulouss.com)

Random Acts of Kindness

            My part-time job involves working with the public. This means that you get to work with a lot of different people from many different walks of life. It seems like the people that make a lasting impact are generally jerks or very hard to please. However on Friday night, two people were the opposite of mean, and were incredibly kind with their random acts of kindness.

            While I was working in the concession stand, I was helping a customer with his order and a little boy, maybe ten years old, poked him on the back and said, “I just wanted to tell you I really liked your shirt!” The man I was helping smiled and said, “Well thank you, how kind of you!” After his order was complete, the little boy said to him, “I hope you have a great night sir!” This same boy walked up to my counter with the cutest outfit on and a big smile on his face. The only thing I was thinking was, “this kid is something else!” He ordered, asking for a medium popcorn and a medium drink. I got him his concessions, and asked him if he wanted anything else. He said “Nope, I think that’s it!” I told him his total, which was, $6.50, and he gave me a ten-dollar bill. As I was getting his change he said, “Oh, you can keep that!” I asked him, “Are you sure? It’s $3.50.” He said, “Oh yeah, don’t worry about it, I got $5.00 right here, see? I want you to have it; you deserve it more than me!” The best part of this wasn’t because he gave me $3.50, but just because he cared about others and was so nice at such a young age.

            A little bit later, a man probably in his late fifties came up to my counter. He ordered a large popcorn and a large drink. When I asked him what he wanted for his drink, he asked if we had something like fruit punch. I said yes, and then he said, “Sorry for coming back up here so suddenly, this time it’s not for me though.” “We were sitting in there and there was a family in front of us, and the kids really wanted popcorn. Their parents told them no because they couldn’t afford it. When I was little my dad would do everything so we could have those kinds of treats, even if it meant taking the train (illegally of course). I just feel like every kid should have that chance too.” As I spoke with him more, I was impressed by his generosity and overall care for others around him. I told him how nice it was of him to do that for that family. He said, “They’re good kids.” I thought that what he did was very simple, but completely admirable.

            Whenever I have a bad day at work or when I have to deal with unpleasant customers, I think about those two individuals, and it brings joy to me because I know that there are great people in this world.  (520)

Denying students lunch

            School lunches are great until you cannot get one. Not only is it humiliating to have it taken away, but it is a waste of food, and completely wrong because the lunch ladies do not tell you when you are getting low on money.

            If some of you are unfamiliar with the lunch accounts in high schools, you cannot go in the hole at all. It is believed that you should have enough responsibility by now to remember money, and if you don’t, you must suffer the consequences of not eating. To me, that is a bit harsh. The problem at hand is that the lunch ladies do not tell you when you only have $1.65 left, for example. Thus, you cannot get a full lunch, and probably would only have enough to get a bag of chips for $.85. To me, that doesn’t seem nutritious compared to 2 servings of fruits and vegetables. Because the world is advancing technologically quickly, it would be a good idea to have an email and phone system in place. That way you or your parent/guardian would automatically get a message saying when you have less than $5.00 in your account and you need money as soon as possible. Although they have a system where you can deposit money electronically, not everyone has computer access at home. It is not right to deny someone food one day simply because they don’t have the capability of checking their balance.

I am in Cougar Advisory Council at school, which is a group of students from every grade and multiple extracurricular activities. We meet with our principal and discuss things we feel need to be fixed as students. Lunches came up in discussion one day, and our principal stated that the lunch ladies are supposed to tell you when you’re low, but it is possible they forget. Our principal said that if she ever hears or sees a student’s lunch taken away while she is supervising the lunchroom, she pays for it out of her personal lunch account.

Once you touch the food, plate, utensils, etc. no one else can eat it, for sanitary and health code reasons. It is very wasteful to throw food away that could go into someone’s hungry stomach. I do not see much harm in letting a student go in the hole $2.00. Sure, a friend can pay for you, but it costs more to get two lunches at the same time. Often, you don’t know anyone in the line that could pay for you. If the government wants us to eat healthier, I don’t think denying someone fruits or a vegetable is helping very much.

While babysitting a few days ago, I noticed a news bulletin from the elementary school the kids I babysit go to. As I was skimming through the pages, I noticed that it said you could go $10.00 in the hole. In middle school I believe you can go $1.00-$2.00 in the hole, and after that they give you a cheese or sun-butter sandwich. If the school district will not allow high school students to go in the hole because they believe they have enough responsibility, at least give them a cheese sandwich that probably costs little to nothing to make.

This is a big topic at my school, but was recently on our local news and has been discussed more since changes to lunches.  (569)

Taylor Townsend rises above USTA

            The 2012 US Open concluded on Monday night, September 10, when Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic (7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2) for his first Grand Slam title ever. Not only did he make history for himself, but he made history for his country. He is the first British man to win a major since 1936. Serena Williams also made history when she won the US Open singles title Sunday night, defeating Victoria Azarenka (6-2, 2-6, 7-5), and setting her record to 15-4 in major titles. This matchup between Williams and Azarenka was one of the Open’s most thrilling matches in history; it was heart-stopping until Championship point.

Most people don’t even know that there is a Junior US Open going on at the same time as the professionals. I am unsure if they televise it, so it’s very likely only tennis followers would know about it. Sixteen year old Taylor Townsend, the world’s top-ranked girl (USA), was under fire these past couple weeks. The Wall Street Journal first reported that USTA would withhold funding her tournament appearance while she focused on her health and fitness.

Serena Williams commented on these reports and says she is alarmed of USTA’s decision. She follows saying, “If that happened, that’s obviously a tragedy, because everyone deserves to play.” "She's so sweet and she works so hard," she added. "For a female, particularly, in the United States, in particular, and African-American, to have to deal with that is unnecessary.... Women athletes come in all different sizes and shapes and colors and everything. I think you can see that more than anywhere on the tennis tour." "She's still No. 1," Williams said. "That's saying something."

Appearance and body size have nothing to do with how well you will be able to perform and play. I know this because I play tennis, and I’m sure other people who play sports in general can back me up. If you think you’re better than someone because they look different than you, you’re in for a shocker. If that’s not stereotyping, then I don’t know what is. I have never heard of an association not funding someone because they were “concerned with her health.” This girl is not even close to being overweight! Some people are just born with different bodies or have something called muscle. Some have big bones, some are heavier set, and some people are super skinny; everyone’s different. Whether the United States Tennis Association was afraid she’d get sick or they were embarrassed to have her play, they are not justified in saying so publicly. No matter what you think, you need to keep it to yourself. Taylor is an excellent player and has earned her spot as the No. 1 player in the junior tennis world. Taylor rose above the situation and made it to the quarterfinals in singles, and won the junior doubles title with her partner, Gabrielle Andrews. Her practice and hard work paid off, and I’m sure she will continue to make history in tennis.

The United States Tennis Association is a respectable tennis association, but their decision regarding Taylor Townsend was extremely wrong. It was unfortunate and unnecessary for Taylor to have to deal with this. As Serena Williams says, “She’s still No.1.” On and off the court.  (567)

Serena and Taylor smile with their trophies

Huffington Post: Serena Williams, Taylor Townsend

Official Site of the US Open

Technology and Cell Phone Comfort

            Most people know someone who is “technologically-challenged.” Whether it’s a family member or friend, sometimes it’s funny to hear and watch the situations and problems that arise from a tech-savvy perspective. For most I would assume the challenged would be grandparents and the elderly.  However that does not mean youth do not have difficulties with technology. I can say for myself that I don’t understand video games (besides Super Mario Bros. Wii and MarioKart Wii), how to fax a paper, digital TV channels, and other miscellaneous tasks. In the past few days I have seen three specific examples in all dealing with cell phones. This evening while eating dinner, the following three examples came up in discussion, and I thought it would be interesting to share levels of comfort with technology and how technology makes an impact on lives.

We ate at a local Panera Bread for dinner tonight. There was a family behind us; a granddaughter, daughter, and grandfather. All three generations were present, and all had different thoughts. The grandfather didn’t understand the benefit of having a cell phone on and with you at all times. The daughter and granddaughter explained to him that if something were to happen, such as getting lost, falling, a car accident, or any other emergency situation, a cell phone would act as a tracker. They told him it’s almost like a dog chip. It was also explained that it doesn’t do you any good if it’s sitting in your car, while someone is trying to reach you, and if it’s always off, it defeats the purpose of having a mobile device. Another thing I wish I could have added to the conversation was that it helps to answer your phone when it rings! More than often I have called someone and they never call me back until I see them in person and let them know.

            My Grandma, (my mom’s mother), is not opposed to technology, but definitely isn’t comfortable with it. She does not have a computer, simply because she feels there is no need for one. The only thing she knows and likes to do on a computer is play Solitaire. We then bought her a hand-held Solitaire game for Mother’s Day, and she returned it because she wasn’t completely comfortable using it. She has a cell phone and knows how to call people, answer incoming calls, and just recently, my mom taught her how to check voicemail messages. She has no idea how to send and receive text messages however. I think she receives about one text message every year so it is not of great importance. I am glad that she leaves her phone on a lot so we can reach her on the go.

            My Grandma, (my dad’s mother), has a computer, checks email regularly, and is fairly comfortable with technology. The problem is that she has a hard time with her phone because the letters and numbers are so small, and she doesn’t have quick fingers for texting. The screen goes dark before she can get the next letter in, and then she gets frustrated with the lack of efficiency. My Grandpa was thinking about getting her a touch screen phone, but realized that an iPhone would be way too complicated for her with all of the extra features. I like talking to her when her phone is on, however her phone seems like it is always off. She turns it on when she wants to use it, but when finished she’ll turn it off. When people reply to her text messages or leave her a voicemail, it takes the phone a couple minutes for them to show up once she has turned it back on. This confuses her even more when she her phone starts beeping at her. I am not quite sure why she turns it off, but I think one reason is to save the battery.

            From these examples, you can see that there is a wide variety of comfort levels in technology. Maybe you never knew that not every single person in the world has a computer and access to internet. It seems like our world today relies on the internet and media so much, that “normal” is based on the majority. For example, businesses may advertise “for more information visit, www.____.com.” What if someone without a computer wanted more information, how would they find out? It’s unfortunate that some people have to suffer without knowledge of information simply because they haven’t progressed as fast as the majority.  (757)

Eating Healthier

Recently Michelle Obama, the United States’ First Lady, set new regulations for school lunches that stands beside, “Let’s Move!” and her role as honorary chair of the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA). PHA is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that “is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation's youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis.” (www.ahealthieramerica.org)

To high school students this means one thing only: no dessert! Michelle Obama’s vision is to have lunch trays that consist mostly of fruits and vegetables. In our school system you can take two fruits and two vegetables now, whereas in previous years you could only take one of each. Now the school district is advertising that the featured menus include whole grains and are lower in fat. Also, you have to take at least one fruit or vegetable, or the price of the meal sky-rockets up. A nice lunch lady informed me of this fact the first week of school.

The kids I babysit eat a snack every day after school. Their mom told me whatever they could find to eat in the cupboard was ok with her within reason. She said she preferred they eat carrots, string cheese, crackers, juice or something healthier along those lines. Basically, try to avoid chocolate and Gushers that are there, but not intended for after school snacks. I completely understand and agree with her, and I think healthier foods are more filling anyway.

A couple things I was warned of before I started: one really likes chocolate and the other really likes fruity candy, especially Skittles. Luckily, she doesn’t keep Skittles lying around the house, which really… who does? Chocolate, however, is a harder thing to avoid. Everything has chocolate in it! Chocolate covered pretzels, 100 calorie mini brownies, peanut-butter chocolate crackers, Yo-Crunch (yogurt with miniature M&M’s), chocolate milk, chocolate-dipped granola bars, etc. All could be classified as candy or “junk food.” The hard part about these snacks is that yes, technically yogurt is good for you, but the M&M’s are not. How do you tell a little kid that they should probably choose something else when they know yogurt is a healthy choice?

From my experience, I have learned that you have to compromise and meet them halfway. For example, Yo-Crunch is ok with the parents, the child, and me, so everyone is happy. You get a little healthy in them, and they get their fix of chocolate. A win/win situation. I also noticed that if you offer them healthy foods like carrots and ranch, they will choose it by themselves some other time. Think of healthier foods you liked when you were a child, and go from there. Your ultimate goal is to keep kids happy and healthy.  (463)

Conversation Starters

                I babysit my neighbor's children every day after school until their parents get home from work. I love my job because the kids are fun to play with, get along with each other, and are good for me when I watch them. The two things I struggle with daily are 1) getting them to tell me about their day without the response of, “I don’t know,” and 2) eating a healthy snack, rather than chocolate or fruit snacks.

            I learned about child development last year in AP Psychology. I am interested in the subject because I feel like it is applicable to teaching elementary aged kids. Obviously every child is different when it comes to opening up sociably or what they know at their age, but at certain ages they learn how to do the same things. For example, how to walk or ride a bike.

            The two kids I babysit are both in elementary school. The age, gender, and grade isn’t important to this post, there is no need to be scientific. From what I have learned so far, it's that you have to encourage them to talk. If you simply ask, “What did you do today?” That is way too broad for someone that young to formulate a response. You either need to be more specific and ask each one about something you know they like, or ask in general an easy topic they’ll remember from their day. For example, “What did you eat for lunch today?” This leaves the air open for anything they possibly could have eaten so far. It doesn’t really matter what their response is, as long as you get them talking. It is important for kids to talk about their day so you understand their progress in school and keep them liking school as well. Another question I have found that works is asking about their “special” of the day. Either: art, gym, or music. Then I simply follow up with, “What are a couple things you did in that class today?”

            Kids will answer to "How was math today?" With, “It was ok.” This doesn’t mean kids do not like to learn, it is simply not something they are thrilled to talk about because they have been doing it all day. If you give them something playful to talk about, they will be more open. We will tackle eating healthy at a later date....  (403)

I'm a Panther!

                Ahhhh! I am so excited! On Wednesday, September 5, 2012 I received an email from the University of Northern Iowa in regards to my application. In the subject line it said: “You’re a Panther!” I was beyond happy…. I called my mom at work and told her the news, when my dad got home, I told him, and my grandparents came on Friday night; they were all so proud of me! It wasn’t like we doubted I would get in, but just knowing I have the decision and acceptance made is relieving. That same week, on Friday, September 7, 2012 I received a letter in the mail. It was the “official acceptance letter” from the office of admissions along with a nice congratulation. This is what everyone considers the piece of paper you frame for your graduation party.

Now that I am officially a Panther, I want to apply for housing, find a roommate, figure out who else is going to UNI, buy new apparel, go on another visit, register, find classes, etc. Although it is a year away, I am ready to think about college.

            I think I mentioned in a previous post about my major interest. If you didn’t read it, I want to major in Elementary Education (see below for reason). When I visited UNI on Panther Peek day, I talked to some professors from the College of Education. At the time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to major in Chemistry or Elementary education. I basically wanted to know their advice on where they think I should start. They told me that both fields are in demand, but if I had any interest in Elementary education, I should start there, because they have specific courses you need to take, and if you start  later in the program you would be behind. My whole experience on the visit just felt right, and I knew this was where I wanted to go to school. Especially after the conversations with the professors, I knew if teachers were that helpful one-on-one, I would be successful in the classroom as well.  (351)

"Make it work!"

            How do you prioritize? Do you put school before friends, friends before family, family and friends before school? Life is full of so many decisions, and even the simplest could make an impact on your life. Decisions have consequences, and how you handle those shows what you have learned for the future.

I could have done several things this evening; gone to the game, wasted my life away on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, cleaned my room, etc. What won? Project Runway, Heidi Klum, and of course the beloved Tim Gunn. No worries teachers, I powered through my homework due Friday and even worked ahead in AP Chemistry. It feels so good not to be behind! As Sarah mentioned in her post regarding procrastination…. It really does stink!

If you are not familiar with Project Runway, it is a competition show on every Thursday night at 9/8c. Heidi Klum, the head judge, is accompanied by Nina Garcia and Michael Kors. Depending on the challenge, there is usually a guest judge as well. Twelve designers are selected for the show, and each week there is a new challenge to compete against each other with hopes to make it to the final three. The top 3 get to go to Fashion Week and design a cohesive collection. It takes a lot of perseverance to make it this far. Once the designers know the challenge, they sketch, go shopping at Mood Designer Fabrics, and have one day (usually) to make their design. Then on “Runway Day,” the designers have two hours to make finishing touches, send their models to hair and makeup, and pick accessories and shoes from the Lord and Taylor wall. Two hours seems like a lot of time to someone sitting on the couch, but I can imagine that it goes by way too fast for them. The models (who are in competition for a modeling job) work the runway. This is the point where the judges critique the designs, and Heidi gets pretty clever with her comments. When all is said and done, they pick a winner and a loser (the best and worst look). You wouldn’t believe the things they come up with… both good and bad.

Winning design by Anya Ayong-Chee, Season 9:

Losing Design by Buffi Jashanmal, Season 10:

           

           Even though Project Runway is a TV show, it has some values and skills that are applicable to life. For example, tonight’s episode was a group challenge in three’s. Groups generally work if you like or can at least stand the people you’re working with. This was not the case with Elena and Dmitry. They did not get along so well, and Alicia was stuck in the middle of it all. The team learned the hard way because their looks were not cohesive and the judges said you could feel the struggle and tension in the clothes. It turned out that Alicia was eliminated even though the other two were nasty to each other. If they would have prioritized completion of a look before personal problems, the probably would have found more success, and less stress tonight.

Project Runway is not only a fun show to watch, but it teaches people about working in a team, being kind to others, and working for a win. No matter what life hands to you, use Tim Gunn’s advice: “Make it work!”  (562)

                                     

About Me

                My name is Lindsey and this is my first blog. I am looking forward to sharing my “Spin” on different topics in the next year or so. You will learn later what the other meaning of “Spin” is….. Stay tuned!

            One of my favorite things to do in my free time is play tennis. I have played for seven years and have improved every year. I took lessons through the city when I was little, played middle school tennis, and currently play for the high school women’s tennis team. I take lessons in the offseason (summer, fall, winter) so my skills stay fresh for the spring. I also really like to watch tennis, especially Rafael Nadal. “Vamos Rafa!” The US Open is currently on TV and I am following the Williams’ sisters, Azarenka, Tsonga, and Federer. Rafa is currently not able to play because of tendonitis, so I am forced to cheer for someone else.

            My family and I also go to football games on Saturdays in the fall. It’s something we’ve been doing since I was in elementary school. My Grandpa and Grandma have season tickets, so my Dad and I usually go with them. We leave a little early so we can get a parking spot, tailgate, and play cards. I love college football and it is one of my favorite ways to bond with my family.

            When I have down time, I enjoy free-reading and watching movies. Some of my favorite books are, To Kill a Mockingbird, My Sister’s Keeper, Dear John, Tallgrass, and Because of Winn-Dixie (a childhood favorite). I wouldn’t say I have a specific genre I regularly read, but I’m definitely not into the typical “teen” book. Free-reading is tough sometimes because as many other students know, it is difficult to get a free moment during the school year! Some of my favorite movies are, Hairspray, Dear John, The Help, Spiderman, The Hunger Games, War Horse, Puss in Boots, The Twilight Saga, and Snow White and the Huntsman. Whether I rent one or go to the theatre, I think movies are a leisurely activity whether I’m with friends and family, or by myself.

            I also attend youth group on Wednesday nights and go to church regularly on Sunday morning. One of the best things about youth group is my youth leader. She is awesome and I feel like I can tell her anything. Youth group is ten times more fun because she encourages people to come and comes up with enriching activities. In the summer we usually go on a mission trip, and a couple years ago we went to the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans.

            Finally, I really like making beaded bracelets and necklaces. It’s a hobby I learned and picked up from one of my friends. She does it a little differently, but I made it my own with a different style. Although I have made a couple necklaces in my “career,” bracelets are definitely my expertise. I buy all of my materials at Michael’s and have created dozens of different designs thus far.   (514)

Applying for College: September 1, 2012

            College seems unreal right now as a senior in high school. Not only do we have to finish classes that are just beginning, prom will soon arrive before we know it, tennis season will come, and then graduation on May 24^th. Although we’re still in high school and most of us are still under eighteen, and not “adults” yet, we are starting to make life choices and growing up.

College visits: This past spring, I visited two different colleges. I really liked the first one I visited because everything just felt right when I was there. I liked the second one as well, but it was so big that it was overwhelming. I felt like I was another fish in the sea and none of my professors would know who I am. Step one complete.

Taking the ACT: I took the ACT in June…. this would be the “scary” test everyone worries about. I learned that it’s not something to worry about because it’s like any other standardized test taken in high school. The good thing about it is that you can retake it as many times as you want, and you’ll most likely improve every time! Don’t worry about it; I think students in the future will find that you do better than anticipated. Step two complete.

Applying: Last night I applied and submitted my first application online. It was so exciting and I wanted to know the answer right away! Unfortunately that was a little unrealistic, and I will have to wait and be patient since its Labor Day weekend and it was a Saturday night. Although the application was pretty straight forward, I am proud of myself for completing this step towards college. I think this is one of the biggest steps there is to take, because either you’re admitted or you’re not. Step three complete.

Applying for housing, meal plans, scholarships, financial aid, finding a roommate, registering for classes, going to the incoming freshman visit, and finding an on-campus job are all to come at some point, but I feel like I am making progress in the right direction, and it will all work out one step at a time.

I have always been interested in elementary education, but wasn’t sure if it was exactly right for me. I really like working with kids and school, so I thought what could be better? My mom recommended that I ask the school counselor about a job shadow opportunity, and until this summer I was highly considering it. Instead, I went on a mission trip this past summer to Omaha with my youth group. We went to a lot of different non-profit organizations and some that stuck out to me were: The Hope Center, Douglas County Youth Detention Center (DCYC), and Victory Boxing Club. Basically they were all places kids could go to do their homework, have fun, and to get them off the street and out of gangs. After listening to the leaders and statistics of these centers, I realized that I want to teach kids so I can make a positive impact in their life, and help them learn new things. If a child has an education and is passionate about succeeding in school, it is less likely they will follow their other family members in the wrong direction. Through the mission trip, I found that I am confident I want to major in Elementary Education and even up to eighth grade if it’s possible to get certified that way. My major could very well change, but for now that’s what I’m starting with.

I am looking forward to my senior year, college, and seeing where my life leads me.  (615)