I was ready to return to Stillwater as spring break came to an end, but it seems that any free time flies by too quickly. The week promised to be a busy one and I knew I needed to get my mind back into a studious mode.

Monday came with a deadline for a major drawing assignment that had occupied a majority of my time over the duration of the break. That evening after class, OSU Student Foundation execs met to grade the new member applications for those that will be joining the organization in the fall. I feel that this activity, although somewhat monotonous, is beneficial to me. I observe numerous applications and resumes, which provides a variety of different styles and layouts to how each applicant showcases themself. Also, I enjoyed a nice lunch with a friend at Eskimo Joe's in celebration of the end to my teenage years, haha.

An exciting meeting of role playing and learning took place on Wednesday afternoon! A fellow StuFu member, Kourtney Childers, and I met at the Foundation to plan for the upcoming Thank-a-thon. This semester, the night of gratitude will be focused on planned-gift donors, specifically from the Heritage Society, instead of the annual donors. We met with Melinda McAfee, the senior director of gift planning, and Heather Briggs, the gift planning program coordinator. As we participated in mock phone conversations with donors, we were able to work through possible scenarios that may arise with this specific type of donor. It was a lot of fun, I'm ready for the Thank-a-thon! That evening after class, I attended a very important and informational AIGA meeting. Sophomore review was being discussed, as well as giving anyone the opportunity to have his/her work reviewed by their peers. It's hard to believe that I will be in that position this time next year, but the information was extremely helpful and gave me a decent idea of what to expect. Viewing others' work whom are about to go through the process was also very beneficial.

Thursday, March 25^th, was a significant day for me. I can't begin to express the honor and joy I felt by being selected as a nominee for the Student Philanthropist of the Year Award and scholarship, given by the Women for OSU. That afternoon, I had my interview at the Foundation. Regardless of the outcome, this type of award which truly encompasses my passions is so meaningful, and I am wholeheartedly honored by the nomination. Directly following there was an OSU Student Foundation exec meeting that centered around upcoming events, including our next meeting, which will be the Thank-a-thon! CKI convened at 7 p.m. with the OSU Foundation's senior director of marketing and communications, Becky Endicott, as the guest speaker. About the time StuFu was exposed even to a portion of the Branding Success campaign, prior to the launch, I was overwhelmed with excitement for this awesome endeavor. It made my orange pride shine even brighter to know I was a part of a university who is seeking to provide any student their right to an education and is doing what it takes to make that and many other audacious goals a reality. I wanted to ensure more people heard about this wonderful campaign, so I asked Becky if she would discuss the subject at CKI. She happily agreed, and delivered an inspiring and informative program! Not to mention, she brought lots of free Branding Success items! Here's a picture from the meeting.

Sunday was here before I knew it and I arrived at the Murphy House to help conduct interviews for those applicants that did well in the grading portion of the new member selection. Although having done this activity earlier this year with the freshman members, it's always fun and beneficial. Similar to grading applications, witnessing numerous interviews also aids in providing a variety of interview techniques and allows me to asses my own behavior during an interview. I'm looking forward to getting to know and working with some outstanding new people!

GO POKES!