Wednesday, September 12, 2007

It’s only the fourth week of school and I’ve already missed the bus, walked to class in the rain, studied until 3 a.m. and accidentally killed two of my fish. With all of that, you would think this has been a pretty bad month, but I have truly loved every minute of it!

Let me explain. I cherish every moment of college (even the not-so glamorous ones) because I would not be here if it weren’t for the support I’ve received from my family and the many donors who have invested in me through university scholarships. So many people have sacrificed to make my life better, and by taking advantage of every opportunity I’ve been given, I feel I can pay them back in some small way. I am astounded by the generosity of others, and when the OSU Foundation asked me to write a blog about the daily life of a scholar, I was more than happy to do so. I hope this blog will give you insight into what life is really like for students at OSU, why higher education is so important and the impact scholarship dollars can have on shaping tomorrow’s leaders.

So let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am a public relations senior who’s trying to balance school, work and community and campus involvement as best I can; like so many other students I know. You would think that my light load of only 12 hours would make this easy, but I’m finding it harder and harder as things keep piling up.

My schedule consists of:
- Crisis Communications
- American Studies
- Government in the Middle East
- Internet Communication

I am pretty fortunate this year because I find all of these topics interesting, and for the most part, I enjoy class. I also enjoy my job. I’m a teaching assistant for Media Style and Structure, a journalism course that is designed to teach underclassmen proper grammar. It is strange to be the one if front of the classroom, but after a bumpy start, I think I’m adjusting to it.

My biggest adjustment this year has been my involvement in several organizations on campus. I’ve been involved in organizations before, but this year I am taking on bigger roles within those organizations. This demands a lot of time, and I find myself longing for the days of little homework and lots of free time. Oh how wonderful it was to be a freshman! 

As my best friend and I moved into our apartment, we spent hours unpacking and reliving all of our great memories from freshman year. Kimberly and I have been friends since we were kids. So when we both decided to go to OSU, it was only natural that we room together despite the horror stories and warnings that we would end up hating each other. As it turns out, living together on the third floor of Drummond made our friendship even stronger. I don’t have time to discuss all of our great adventures that first year, but I’m sure those memories will creep into my future blogs.

I consider Kim another sister, which would bring my sibling total up to 4. I am a middle child, and although I complain about getting mistreated, I have it pretty good. My older sister (the only biological one I have) has been married for a little over a year and teaches kindergarten in Enid. My youngest brother is a senior in high school and is obsessed with baseball — he’s playing it, watching it or talking about it 24-7. I guess that brings us to my oldest brother who I have a hard time talking about because he’s made some bad decisions over the past two years. That’s right; he’s a sophomore at OU! Don’t even get me started on that. I guess it’s my dad’s fault, considering he got his master’s there after attending a community college in Kansas where he met my mother. They fell in love and have been married for 26 years.

So that’s my family. We are very close and I feel blessed to have grown up in the kind of environment I did. My parents have always been strong role models for me, and the lessons they’ve taught me about helping others and giving back to the community will stick with me forever. I suppose this is one of the reasons why I want to work for a nonprofit once I graduate. I love helping people, and I want to dedicate my life to improving the lives of others. That’s a pretty big goal, but I think I’m up to the challenge.

I hope by now you have a pretty good idea of who I am, and that you’ll continue to read about my life here at OSU. I have a feeling this year is going to be even better than I could ever anticipate!

The worst thing about apartment life: no elevators. Thank goodness  I had my dad and youngest brother, Zach, to carry all of my stuff up three flights of  stairs.	This is my room before I started unpacking.  Scary, isn’t it?
This is my boyfriend, Kyle, with our three fish.  Unfortunately Melvin (the smallest black one) and Marti (the orange one) didn’t make it.	Just so you don’t think I’m a complete slob, a picture of my room after the move.