My boss thankfully allowed me to finish work during dead week so I didn’t have to work during finals week. (That’s one of the perks to a work-study position.) With only two finals, I thought I would spend my days napping and watching TV, but that’s not exactly how it worked out.

I spent a lot of my time planning and attending several dinner parties with the people who have meant a lot to me during the past four years. I’m not sure how long it will be until I see them again, so I wanted to spend some time with them and thank them for everything they’ve done.

The rest of my time was spent getting ready for graduation (a.k.a. cleaning the apartment and making graduation gifts). But it wasn’t all fun and games. I did manage to spend a few hours studying, which helped me secure an A in each of my classes. Yay!

By Wednesday, I had finished all my finals and the only thing standing between me and my college degree was the graduation ceremony on Saturday.

Not everyone attends their graduation ceremony, but the actual ceremony was extremely important to me. Not only did I need some closure, but also after four years of hard work, it was nice to be recognized with the rest of my class for all our achievements.

Looking back, the day is a bit of a blur. My roommate and I went a little early so we could find our friends and get in line for the march to Gallagher-Iba Arena.

We took what seemed like endless pictures, but before I knew it, we were sitting on the court looking through the crowd to find our families. We spotted them just before the ceremony began. I don’t remember much of what the speakers said that day because I was preoccupied with everything going on around me.

As they began calling out names, I realized we were sitting toward the back, which wasn’t the most brilliant decision. It seemed like forever before it was my turn to walk across the stage, but when I finally did, it was wonderful.

Completing college is one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. I know I’ll face many more challenges in the years to come, but my time at OSU has taught me that anything is possible.

I didn’t think college was an option for me until I received the generous support of my family and scholarship donors. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have been given, and I hope to begin returning the favor when I enter the workforce in about 22 days.

I have such wonderful memories of OSU, and I’m glad I got to share some of them with you. Thank you for reading my blog. I hope it benefited you in as many ways as it has benefited me.

	My PRSSA officers are wonderful! We’ve had a great year and it was good to see everyone before they left for the summer. This was one of many dinner parties I told you about.
	These are the girls I sat with during graduation. We had some much fun! (Left to Right: Brittney, Krissi, me and Kim)
	Here we go! This is a picture of Kim and me marching to Gallagher-Iba.
	This will give you an idea of how many people were in front of me. It took FOREVER!
	Here I am just after getting my diploma. I was really excited.
	Here I am after graduation with my family. I’m so glad they were there to support me!

I am lucky this semester because I have only two tests on finals week. For my other two classes, I turned in a final project, which will count as my final in the class.

I had been working on these projects since the semester began and it felt great to finally put everything together and present it to the class. A lot of students don’t like presentations, but I love sharing my projects with other people and hearing what everyone else in the class has been working on.

It was great to see all we had accomplished, but it did make me a little sad because I know the end of my college career is just around the corner. I will miss being on campus every day and seeing all my professors and the wonderful friends I have here.

I was thinking about all of this as I prepared to give a speech on Saturday to the Heritage Society. The Heritage Society is a group of donors who have chosen to give part of their estates to OSU.  The Foundation asked me to speak with them about what my time at OSU has meant to me and how my scholarships have helped me achieve my dreams.

I was so honored to get to share my story with some of the wonderful people who support this university. It allowed me to say thank you and let them know how their contributions help change the lives of students.

Before I came to OSU, I didn’t know how much college would change me. Now, as I approach graduation, I realize how much I have grown in the past four years.

I have really enjoyed college. There are parts of it I didn’t particularly enjoy at the time (like staying up until 3 a.m. to study for my media law tests), but now that I look back, it has all been well worth it.

This year has been extra special because of all the friendships I’ve made and all the experiences I’ve had. My involvement with the Public Relations Student Society of America and the OSU Student Foundation has given me memories that will last a lifetime. It will be very hard to say goodbye.

What is ironic about the situation is that I will be saying goodbye to college as my youngest brother says hello. In the fall, he will start his college career at OSU. I guess from now on, I will just have to live through his experiences!

Next week, I will be taking a break from my blog to prepare for my finals. So in two weeks, when I post my next and final blog, I will be a college graduate!! 

	This is a picture of the big picnic on Library Lawn on Monday. Doesn’t it look fun?
	This past Tuesday was the last general meeting of the Student Foundation. We had a banquet to celebrate a good year.
	Here I am with my committee members. We had such a great time this year. I love them all, and I will miss them so much!
	For Zach’s birthday, I bought him his very first OSU shirt. I get the feeling he’ll be using it a lot next year.

It all started on Monday. I volunteered to help with a College of Education event as part of my OSU Student Foundation duties, and on my way to the Student Union, I forgot my bag in the car. When I went back to get it, I tripped on a step causing me to fall to the ground, scrape my knee, ruin my shoe and rip my pants from the knee down! I looked like a mess when I finally arrived at the event. Luckily, they allowed me to work registration, so no one could see my bottom half.

Later that day, I locked my keys in my car. Normally, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but on this day, I had to leave from work immediately to make dinner announcements at the Greek houses. To make a long story short, my roommate was able to bring a spare key and after changing in my car and using a paperclip to disguise the rip in my pants, I made it to the Theta house only 10 minutes late.

Tuesday wasn’t much better. On my way to class, I spilled pop all over my jeans. Then, I was expecting to turn in my final project for my design class, but when I printed out the brochure, I found that the margins weren’t correct. To fix the problem, I had to re-size the entire thing! It didn’t take long, but it caused me to be late to work a booth for the Student Foundation. Thank goodness I had two members who were willing to stay late and cover part of my shift.

Wednesday was better, but the torrential rains made it difficult to get around campus. After completely soaking my jacket, I realized that my umbrella had been in my bag the whole time and not in the car like I thought. Go figure.

Thursday was good. My boss changed my schedule this week, so I had a break before lab. I enjoyed it thoroughly, which is good because it was the last break I had until 4 a.m. Friday morning. I was up late grading rough drafts and finishing up homework for a group meeting the next day.

Friday was Whiteout, which was the scholarship campaign the Student Foundation has been working on since the beginning of the school year. We sold T-shirts to raise money for a student-endowed scholarship fund that will one day provide thousands of dollars for deserving OSU students.  

I spent most of the day working the booth, which went rather well. I thought I had broken the cycle. That is until I tried to leave town and return to Hennessey. I took the “shortcut,” which ended up adding about 20 minutes to my drive time. Because of all the rain, the roads were closed, and I had to totally redirect my route and go back through town to finally make it to highway 51. I was late for dinner, but my mom had food waiting for me, so I didn’t go hungry.

Weeks like this past week can be very exhausting, but they do make me realize I have some pretty wonderful people in my life. In every situation, I had someone there to bail me out. My roommate delivered my keys, my professor helped me fix the brochure and my friends covered for me every time I was late.

College life can be crazy sometimes, but I am lucky to have a support system that allows me to have an off week and still end up OK.

	This is me at the College of Education event. Thank goodness for the table that coved my unfortunate wardrobe!
	Tuesday night, we thought there would be a break in the rain, so Caroline and I chalked for Whiteout. Surprise! It rained all day Wednesday, so all of our lovely work was washed away.
	Caroline and I worked the booth together on Tuesday. We had so much fun!
	One good thing did come out of the rain. The stable by Kyle’s apartment was flooded, so one of the horses was standing by the fence all day. Kyle spent about 30 minutes with it, and he fell in love. Now, he has to pet the horse every time we go outside.

My plan for graduating college is just one of the many plans I’ve made. I think planning things makes life much easier and less hectic. Because of this philosophy, I have always tried to keep myself from making spontaneous decisions. However, this week, I had an eye-opening experience.

I guess it all started on Wednesday when one of the girls in my speech class gave a speech about purchasing flood insurance. She told us about how a flood had damaged her home, leaving her family homeless until repairs could be made. Luckily, they had friends and family in the area who offered to help them through the hard time, but she said without their support, she doesn’t know what would have happened.

There are plenty of times in speech class when I don’t really care about the topic that’s being presented. In fact, most of time, I have very little interest in what is discussed. However, this speech really caught my attention. When she finished, the next person presented and before I knew it, the class was over.

I grabbed some lunch and headed across Library Lawn to report to work. However, my usual route was blocked by 21 shacks. Some were made of cardboard, others were made of plastic bottles, but they all had students living inside them.

Library Lawn changes almost everyday and there is always something different going on, but I had never seen this before. I was intrigued, so I asked one of the workers what the students were doing.

She explained that the event was a fundraiser for Stillwater Habitat for Humanity. The “Shack-a-Thon” was also intended to raise awareness about the growing homeless population in the United States. Students had four hours to build a shack with materials found in a dumpster, and they then spend the rest of the day living in the shack and trying to raise money for the organization.

After the speech I had just heard, I thought this would be a great opportunity to help someone in need. I hadn’t planned on making a donation, and I wasn’t even sure if I had money in my wallet, but I found $10 and decided to help the cause. Ten dollars isn’t a lot of money and giving it doesn’t make me a better person than those who didn’t donate, but the experience taught me that not all spontaneous decisions are bad.

Add that to the list of all the things I’ve learned in college.

	This is a picture of the shacks on Library Lawn on Wednesday.
	Last weekend, we took Kyle’s sister out for her 21st birthday. We had so much fun! (Left to right: Me, Jerilyn and Stacie)
	This past week was Greek Week at OSU. This is a picture of the Student Union atrium … so colorful!
	I went wedding dress shopping this weekend! Jessica, one of my bridesmaids, and my mom helped me try on TONS of dresses. It was hard to make a decision, and I am so glad they were there!

Because I graduated almost four years ago, I don’t know most of the students anymore. That’s so surreal! With few exceptions, I used to know everyone. It’s as if things changed over night and now my school functions smoothly without me.

Well, I had that same feeling last week when a group of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) members and I went to Oklahoma City to visit the firm I interned for this past summer.

One of the things I love about OSU is that I’m able to be involved in whatever interests me. I’m very passionate about PRSSA because I am extremely interested in public relations, and the organization has been a great tool for learning about the industry and networking with professionals across the state.

This year many of our members said they would like to visit a public relations firm to get a better idea of what working for a firm would be like. It didn’t take long for me to decide where we should go.

As an intern for Saxum Strategic Communications this summer, I learned volumes about the field of public relations and what it was like to work in a firm. So I e-mailed my intern supervisor and asked if we could stop by.

The team at Saxum welcomed us with open arms and invited us to its weekly brainstorming meeting so we could see how everything works. As we walked through the office, memories from my time there flooded back to me. It was wonderful to see everyone again, and when the meeting started, I found myself fighting the urge to take notes (recording the minutes was one of my jobs as an intern).

When the meeting was over, everyone started their day. Phone calls were made, papers were read and work began – all without me.

That’s a good thing, of course. I mean what kind of company can no longer function after losing a lowly intern? Since the time I left, Saxum has not only survived but it has also grown. It was good to meet the new employees and hear the results of projects that were in only their planning stages when I left.

Looking back, I’d have to say that the experience was humbling. Knowing that the world doesn’t revolve around you is something I think we all need to be reminded of from time to time. This realization has given me a new perspective, which I think will ease the shock of graduation.

It will be strange to no longer be an OSU student, but I am convinced that my professors will keep teaching, my organizations will keep functioning and thousands of students will keep learning. And that’s a very comforting thought.

	Here I am with Allison and Megan, part of the group that went to Saxum on Thursday.
	Kyle’s friend just bought a house so on Thursday night, we helped him work on it. By midnight, I had become a pro at priming the walls.
	My allergies bothered me all week, and I think these blooming trees were part of my problem. How can something so pretty be so troublesome?
	The OSU Student Foundation is gearing up for our scholarship campaign, which involves selling T-shirts and putting the money we make into an endowed scholarship fund for deserving OSU students. I worked the booth on Friday with Caroline and Lyle to help promote the campaign.

Some students go skiing or to the beach every year, but my friends and I decided to go to Las Vegas. Kimberly, my roommate; Aleisha, one of our friends; and I spent three nights in Vegas, and we had such a good time! None of us had ever been there, so we didn’t know exactly what to expect.

I’ve heard about Vegas from my relatives who go about once a year, but it was much better in person. The casinos were huge and things never seemed to slow down. Even at 2 a.m., the lobby was filled with people.

Since we only had two days in Las Vegas, we spent most of the time walking around and looking at all of the beautiful buildings on The Strip. It was amazing to see how many people were staying there. We even ran into several of our friends from OSU! It was nice to see some familiar faces.

At night, we played slot machines and even went to Cirque du Soleil, which was a very impressive show. None of us got rich, but we managed to leave Vegas without losing all of our money.

The thing that surprised me most about Las Vegas was how helpful everyone was. Because it gets so many visitors, I thought most people would be annoyed when three girls from Oklahoma asked questions that seemed obvious to everyone else. But as the week went on, we were very impressed with how kind everyone was.

I guess that goes to show you that Oklahoma isn’t the only state with wonderful people!

This was not only the first spring break trip I’ve taken, but it was also the first time I’ve ridden on a plane. I thought I would like it because I love roller coasters and heights don’t bother me. As it turns out, I really enjoyed flying. However, I found out on the way home that sleeping in a small plane is next to impossible.

We flew back from Vegas on Thursday, giving us plenty of time to get back to our families before Easter.

Overall, it was a great trip, and I’m so glad we got to go before graduation. This was the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with my friends before we go our separate ways.

	Here’s my first time using a slot machine!
	We are such good OSU fans; even a trip to Vegas can’t keep us away from our Cowboys. Kim, Aleisha and I went to the ESPN Zone to watch the basketball game. Our booth came with our own TV!
	At the Paris Hotel and Casino, they have a replica of the Eiffel Tower. This is the view from the top. So beautiful!
	This is a picture of Kim, me and Aleisha waiting for the show to begin!

My week of surprises started on my birthday as I woke up early to run some errands before class. My roommate had decorated the apartment for my birthday, and it was so thoughtful! I woke up in kind of a bad mood because I didn’t get much sleep the night before, but this made a wonderful start to my day. It’s so nice to have such a wonderful friend!

The next surprise came after work that day when I went to get into my car. I reached in my pocket for the keys, but they were no where to be found. As I frantically searched my bag, I noticed a slip of paper under my windshield. It said, “I have what you’re missing, call this number.” At first the message scared me a little bit, and then I realized someone had found my keys on the ground and taken the effort to pick them up and leave me a note.

I called the number and spoke to a wonderful man named Andrew. He said he found my keys in the parking lot and thought I might need them. He offered to bring the keys to me, but I insisted on picking them up. My roommate let me borrow her car, and after thanking him profusely, I left thinking how considerate his actions were. While most people would have kept walking, he decided to take a few extra minutes to help someone whom he’d never even met. I don’t know what your definition of generosity is, but his actions have to come close to it.

Those events made my birthday week even more special, and as I left for vacation on Thursday afternoon, I was thinking about what a wonderful week I’d had.

I don’t normally take vacations in the middle of the semester, but Kyle’s family was planning its first family vacation to Branson, Mo., and he invited me to come. I was a little nervous because even though Kyle and I have been dating for almost 3 ½ years, I’ve never been on a trip with his entire family.

It ended up being the most wonderful weekend of my life!

On Friday night, Kyle took me to a beautiful place outside of town that had the prettiest log cabins I’ve ever seen. After looking at a few of them, we came to a bridge that was decorated with white lights. Kyle suggested we get out of the car and walk across it. As we walked and talked he said all kinds of sweet things to me and then he said he had a surprise. Before I knew it, he was down on his knee proposing to me!

I couldn’t believe it was happening, but I was so happy! After asking if he was serious, I said yes and he slipped the ring on my finger. It was a perfect moment, and I loved every bit of it. We spent the rest of the night telling both of our families all about the proposal and taking countless pictures. You would think I’d be tired of the story by now, but I love re-living it!

We haven’t decided when our wedding will be, but I’ll keep you posted!

	Isn’t Kimberly sweet?! This is a picture of me with my birthday decorations.
	As soon as we got back to the cabin on Friday night, Kyle’s sister took this picture of us. Don’t we make a cute couple?!
	Isn’t it beautiful! I told Kyle it was too much, but he said I was worth it.
	The only bad part about a surprise proposal is I didn’t have a camera. So the next night, we went back to take some pictures. This is totally staged, but I think it’s probably how I looked when he proposed. I was so surprised!

I suppose the reason for this observation is that my great grandmother passed away last week. At the funeral, I thought about how quickly life progresses. My great grandmother was 96 and while that might sound old, 96 years is nothing in the grand scheme of things. America is considered a very young country and it has been around for more than 200 years! 

That got me thinking about my own life. I will turn 22 on Wednesday. I can’t believe my birthday is here again. It seems like I turned 21 just yesterday. So what have I been doing for the past year?

After careful consideration, I decided that without realizing it, I have taken some pretty big steps toward becoming an adult in just 365 days.

For starters, I finally found out what I want to do after graduation. Before my internship at the OSU Foundation this past spring, I had no idea. I now know not only what area of PR I want to work in, but also what organization I want to work for. That was a huge development.

I also realized that it has been more than a year since I lived at home. Usually I go back to Hennessey to live with my parents during the summer, but because of my job last summer at the PR agency, Saxum Communications, I lived in Edmond during the break. It was a hard transition, but I learned a lot about myself in the process.

When school started, my best friend and I moved to an apartment off campus. This gave me a sense of independence that I didn’t have while living in the dorms. Don’t get me wrong, I liked living on campus and would recommend it to everyone, but after three years of microwavable meals, I was ready for a change.

Being back at OSU this year has completely changed certain aspects of my life. Before, I would have classified myself as a follower who could be a leader if she had to. Now, the reverse of that statement is true.

Thanks to the support of my family and generous scholarship donors, I have been able to experience leadership like never before. I love it because it’s made a better, more responsible person. Whether volunteering as team leader for the MS Walk or organizing a Donor Thank-A-Thon for the Student Foundation, I now feel confident that I can tackle any challenge that comes my way.

At the funeral, the pastor described my great grandma’s life in three words: loving, giving and serving. I don’t know about you, but I would be more than satisfied if people remembered me for loving what I do and the people who surround me, giving my time and effort to causes I believe in, and serving God and others to the best of my ability.

I think my goal for next year will be trying to live up to my great grandma’s example while enjoying all the twists and turns life brings.

	Thank-A-Thon On Friday, the Student Foundation had its first Donor Thank-A-Thon. Here are some of the wonderful StuFu members calling donors to say thank you!
	Thank-A-Thon2 We spent most of the evening calling donors, but we also took some time to eat and get to know one another better. (Left to Right: Layne, Abby, Jared, Devin, Lindsey)
	Birthday Happy birthday to me! Because I won’t see my family on Wednesday, we celebrated my birthday this weekend. (I got an iPod!)
	Weather: This week was absolutely beautiful. On Thursday, I decided to eat my lunch on library lawn. In between dodging Frisbees, I managed to snap a picture of everyone enjoying the day.

I had so much fun researching the brochure, because I got to read about students who have been changed by their experiences in other countries. Last week, I had three friends traveling overseas. Two of them are studying abroad and one of them was in Thailand on a mission trip.

Hearing about the wonderful time they were having made me extremely envious of them. Although my family takes a vacation almost every year, I’ve never been to another country.

I am usually very satisfied with my life, but last week was a little depressing. My friends have exciting lives, and I basically do the same thing every day. How do I not die of boredom?

That’s what I was thinking on Tuesday when my boss gave me an assignment. I had to make a delivery. This is nothing out of the ordinary, in fact, I usually run some sort of errand about every other day. However, this time was different because my boss asked me to deliver a package to the Bartlett Center.

As I began the walk across campus, it dawned on me that although I pass by the Bartlett Center almost every day, I’ve never been inside the building. How on earth was that possible? After three and a half years, I thought I’d been in every building on campus.

Because Tuesday was such a wonderful day, I decided to take a tour of all the buildings on campus I hadn’t been to before after getting off work. What I discovered was something interesting in almost every building I walked into.

Engineering South has this cool, unexplained compass on the floor and Thatcher Hall, the ROTC building, has an airplane outside of it that is much bigger than I realized. Although I found something interesting about each building, I have to say that the Bartlett Center was my favorite.

From the art gallery on the first floor, to the spiral fire escapes on both sides of the building, it was extremely interesting to discover all of the little surprises the building had to offer.

The people I met there were wonderful, too. One student was obviously on a mission to deliver something, but he saw me looking around and took the time to ask if I was lost. I explained to him that I was just exploring, and he shared with me some of the interesting things about the building and pointed me toward the gallery.

His willingness to help a stranger took me off guard, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. OSU has more than its fair share of friendly people, and I am so thankful to be a part of such a wonderful university!

After my campus tour, I decided life wasn’t as boring as I had thought. I don’t have to be in another country to experience new things. I can find adventure everywhere, even in a place I thought I knew like the back of my hand.

Someday I hope to travel overseas, but until then, I’m perfectly content discovering the adventures in my own backyard. 

	This is a picture of the Gardiner Art Gallery in the Bartlett Center. Helen O’Leary was the artist whose work is on display.
	This is the airplane outside of Thatcher Hall. I can’t believe how big it is compared to those cars!
	This was the compass I mentioned in Engineering South. It’s totally random, but I like random.
	I have been in Life Sciences West a lot this year, and I can remember being totally shocked the day I realized there were live snakes in the hallway!

That is crazy to me because it seems like the semester just started. I am trying to savor every second of college, but time is flying by so fast lately. I guess part of the reason is because I’m a lot busier this semester. Take last week for example.

The more I think about last week, the more I realize how much of life is a balancing act. Like most people, I’m constantly trying to find a way to get everything done at school and work while still finding the time to have a life of my own. Some weeks I am better at it than others.

Last week was Valentine’s Day, and after spending little time with Kyle the week before, I knew I had to set aside some time for us to celebrate. This was hard for me because I had a long list of things that needed to be done before the weekend (the Student Foundation had planned a trip to Baylor on Saturday and Sunday). My list included grading a huge project for my Media Style and Structure class, planning two events for my student organizations and studying for a test and two projects.

Unlike some of my friends, I am not a very fast worker, so getting everything finished was difficult. I am good at school, but it usually takes me more than a couple of hours to finish a project or study for a test. I can’t really explain why, but I’ve always been this way. That’s the reason I hated time tests in math class as a child and didn’t do so well on the ACT (I could never finish the reading section in time).

However, within the past three years, I’ve learned to accept the pace at which I work and to manage my time efficiently. So I tackled one project after another until I somehow got it all accomplished. Kyle and I even got to go out to dinner and a movie on Valentine’s Day. (We saw “Definitely, Maybe,” which was very good, in case you were wondering.)

As it turns out, weather prevented me from going on my weekend trip to Baylor.

I could have been upset because I rushed around to finish everything for no reason, but I’m thankful it happened. I am positive that busy weeks like these are good training for life after graduation. If I’m exhausted by just the thought of working and raising a family, I can’t imagine how crazy life will be when I actually start doing it!

I was hoping to take a lot of pictures at Baylor, but because we didn’t get to go, here are some older pictures that didn’t make the blog:

	Kyle and I spent New Year’s Eve in Ponca City. Here we are with his dog, Zoey, he misses her so much!
	This is me and my dorky friends. I was trying to take a normal picture, but they wouldn’t quit doing goofy things!
	I know I already have snow pictures on here, but I couldn’t help myself. This tree is so pretty.
	That cake as 23 candles on it! Kyle is getting so old.

In the midst of all this studying, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA, a student organization of which I am the president) had a resume and portfolio workshop for its members. This was a huge undertaking, and with everything going on with school and work, I knew I could not handle it by myself. Lucky for me, one of the officers was more than willing to take on the challenge of organizing the entire event.

I am the kind of person who likes to do things for herself. While this is a good quality, I am learning that it is sometimes better to ask others for a helping hand.

This subject always reminds me of a person I knew growing up. He was an extremely nice person and always said yes when people asked him to lead projects or help with events. Eventually, he was spread so thin that none of his endeavors were successful. They functioned, but none of them flourished because he wasn’t able to devote the time that each required.

I decided a long time ago that I didn’t want to live my life that way. I want to devote my time and effort in a way that enhances each opportunity I take on. So when I approached the PRSSA workshop, I was so thankful to have someone who was willing to not only help me out but also manage the entire event!

I wasn’t expecting all of that help, but I was extremely happy to receive it. The generosity of others always amazes me, and the older I get, the more I appreciate it.

Four PR professionals gave up their Tuesday evening to review the resumes and portfolios of our members. They had no obligation to do this, and after a long day of work, I’m sure they were eager to get home to their families, but instead, they came to help and to offer excellent advice.

I hope when I am in the field, I will have the same attitude toward students that people have shown me over the years. During the internships I’ve had, people have always been eager to offer help and advice whenever I’ve asked for it. This has been a wonderful blessing in my life, and I am so fortunate to have had all the support I’ve been given.

Although I sometimes have a hard time asking for it, it is a wonderful thing to receive help from others. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such helpful people!

	This is a picture of Marie Kadavy, the officer who planned the entire PRSSA workshop, working away. She did a wonderful job!
	This is Bonnie Cain, a wonderful PR professional, helping one of our members with his resume.
	For Kyle’s birthday on Saturday, we went to Kyoto’s with two of his friends from Ponca City. We had a great time.
	If you’ve never been to Kyoto’s, you don’t know what you’re missing. It is a Stillwater treasure. Not only is the food delicious, but it’s so much fun watching the chefs cook in front of you!

I think I heard somewhere that the average person changes his or her major five times before graduating. I’m not sure if I believe that, but if it’s true I’m definitely not average. I have had the same major my entire college career. This is remarkable because I knew next to nothing about my major before arriving at OSU.

Public relations (PR) isn’t a career that I had a lot of exposure to growing up in Hennessey. In fact, the only career I knew a lot about was teaching. My mom and sister are teachers so I seriously considered becoming one myself.  However, after spending a semester in high school as an aide for a pre-K class, I decided it wasn’t for me.  

So what now? I went through an OSU course catalog looking for majors that sounded interesting. I found public relations and it seemed like a perfect fit because I like people. Little did I know that public relations involves so much more.

I’ll never forget one of my PR professors telling my class that communicating with the public is only a fraction of a PR practitioner’s job. She explained that public relations is more about researching, planning and developing communication strategies to reach specific target audiences. What a bummer.

As soon as I heard that, I decided to go on a hunt for a new major. I looked into hotel and restaurant administration, but as I described the things I might like to do, my advisor said, “It sounds like you would enjoy doing public relations for a hotel.”

I definitely wasn’t going to switch my major if I would end up doing public relations anyway. So I told myself my degree would be versatile and decided to stick it out. That’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Once I got more involved in public relations, I found that I really enjoy it. The basic principles I’ve learned about communication have not only aided me professionally, but also personally. I can apply what I’m learning in class to almost every situation. It’s so wonderful!

I am so lucky to have found a career that I’m not only good at, but that I also enjoy. It’s hard to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life when you’re 18. That’s probably why people switch majors and careers so often. As for me, I think public relations is a perfect fit, and I can’t wait to graduate.

Part of the reason I can’t wait for graduation is because I have a job! After I graduate in May, I will begin my career working for the OSU Foundation, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! I came to OSU to get an education, but in the process, I have found a lifelong passion. I am so fortunate to be able to use my knowledge and talent to support an organization that means so much to me.

	My group for my PR Research and Campaigns class met in the Union on Wednesday to discuss what type of research we should conduct for our nonprofit organization. I love those girls! (Left to Right: Phuong, Kayla, me and Abi)
	A lot of people don’t like cold weather, but when the campus is this beautiful how could you not fall in love with it?!
	We ate at Eskimo Joe’s Friday night with Jessica and Lexi. They stayed with us because they are from out-of-town and had to take a test early Saturday morning. (Left to Right: Jessica, me, Lexi and Kim)
	When we got home, we played Mystery date. It was SO much fun!

We were honored to welcome Louis Blair, former executive secretary of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, to OSU. Our organization has been preparing for this visit for months, and it couldn’t have worked out better.

I had never met Louis before we ate dinner with him on Thursday night so I was a little nervous. It’s always that way for me before I meet donors, professors or anyone who has had a remarkable life. I still have so much to learn, and I’m always afraid I’ll say or do something stupid. (That rarely happens, but I still worry.)

As it turns out, there was nothing to worry about. From the time Louis took a seat at the table, I could tell it was going to be a delightful evening. He asked us questions about the organization and what it had accomplished in its first year, as well as what we had planned for the future. Then, he shared with us some of his traveling adventures (he has seen many different countries on horseback). It was a wonderful evening.

The next afternoon, he spoke to many OSU students about the importance of having passion, cultivating constructive curiosity and becoming investors. I thought about his words that evening as I was dining with Ann Halligan, former first lady of OSU and another wonderful, interesting person.

I realized that neither Louis Blair nor Ann Halligan attended OSU. Yet, their actions over the years have shown how much passion they have for this university. So what’s so special about OSU? Louis said he loves OSU because of its values and integrity. I have to agree with him. We are blessed to have some of the world’s best students, faculty and supporters.     

I always think I’ll support OSU once I graduate, but the truth is, I already do. Philanthropy isn’t just about giving money; it’s about supporting something you believe in. The Student Foundation has enabled me to give back to OSU in a way that is so rewarding. I get to thank donors for all the wonderful opportunities they’ve helped create and educate students about philanthropy all at the same time! I can’t think of a better combination. 

	The Student Foundation’s executive team had a wonderful time dining with Louis Blair at the Rancher’s Club restaurant. (Left to right: Michal, Omar, Caroline, Louis, Josh, Dennis, me and David)
	Caroline, Melissa, Bailey and I passed out nametags for the Student Foundation reception honoring Louis Blair.
	On Saturday, we took Louis to an OSU basketball game. We got to sit on the second row. It was amazing.
	Kyle and I went to Red Lobster to celebrate! (He looks goofy in this picture, but that’s what he gets for not letting me take another one.)

I guess this story really starts over a year ago when someone handed me a flier about giving blood. If you were or are a student at OSU, you probably know that the Oklahoma Blood Institute visits campus often. It seems like there is always a blood drive going on.

During one of these blood drives, I decided to give blood for the first time. Although I had never given, I am not a stranger to the process. (My mother gives blood every time OBI is in Hennessey.)

I went to the fourth floor of the Student Union and was surprised to see how many people were there. After waiting for my turn, I filled out what seemed like endless paperwork, and then the process began. The lady who was helping me was perfectly nice and she asked me questions about how my day was going and what my plans were for the upcoming weekend. As she talked, she told me she was going to test my iron. I thought, “OK, no big deal.”

I was wrong. As soon as she pricked my finger, I could feel myself getting a little dizzy. I have fainted multiple times in my life (once in front of my entire youth group – people still make fun of me for that) so I know what it feels like. I glanced over to see what was taking so long, and that was not a good decision. I started to get pale, and she asked if I was all right. I said, “Yes, but I feel a little dizzy.”

Immediately, she yelled, “We’re having a reaction.” She told me to lie on the ground and two people brought me Gatorade and a cool washcloth. When I felt well enough to stand back up, I left feeling so stupid. Who almost faints before they even start giving blood?

The lady that had helped me told me to come back and try again someday. I wasn’t sure if I would, but this week, when my roommate and I saw the blood mobile on library lawn, I decided it was time.

After class on Friday, I went to the Student Union to give it another try. The line wasn’t as long this time, and I got to answer questions on the computer instead of on paper. It was going so well. Then, the process started and I could feel myself getting nervous. I tried to think about something else, but it was no use. When I started seeing black spots, I told the lady I couldn’t do this. She looked at me kind of strangely, and asked if I was all right. I said yes, and after regaining my composure, I walked back to my car.

I was so disappointed. Giving blood is not only something that’s easy to do, but it can save someone’s life.  The average person doesn’t get the opportunity to save a life that often, and I wish I could have been able to donate. I am a perfectly healthy person and I’ve always wanted to give blood. However, my body doesn’t seem to agree with me. I’m so thankful for people like my mother, who are not only willing, but also able to give blood. Without them, who knows the lives that would be lost?

Maybe after a while, I’ll try again. After all, people always say the third time’s a charm.

	This week was the first Public Relations Student Society of America meeting of the semester. The officers gave presentations about their internships and this is a picture during mine.
	This is a picture of the blood mobile. I’m not sure if that’s the correct name, but that’s what my friends and I call it.
	I took this picture while I was waiting to give blood. I’m so jealous of those people.
	This is a picture of me after giving blood. Instead of one of those cool brightly colored arm wraps, all I got was a band-aid!

I have two new professors this semester. I hear they are both wonderful, and from what I can tell, I think I will really enjoy their classes. My jobs seem good too. My first lab section went wonderfully, and I loved the assignments my boss gave me last week.

In between my classes, I spent a lot of time in the Student Union. I usually walk through the union at least once a day to get to the journalism building, but because my car broke down the weekend before classes started, I was stranded on campus every day. I take full advantage of the university bus system, and I’m so glad to have it, but it’s not always ideal.

On Tuesday, one of my classes got out early, giving me two hours for lunch. There was no way I could take the bus home because by the time I waited on it to get there and then rode it back and forth, I wouldn’t have had enough time to eat lunch. So instead, I decided to eat in the union and start some of the reading I needed to do for Wednesday.

There’s nothing quite like the union at the beginning of the semester. It is incredibly crowded! After waiting in line for what seemed like forever, I finally sat down on the floor to enjoy my meal (all the tables were taken). I started looking around, and I noticed so many familiar faces. I saw students who were in my lab last semester, people I went to high school with and classmates I hadn’t seen since my freshman at OSU. It was wonderful!

The best part was when a student came up to me and asked me for some help. She had just transferred from TCC, and she recognized me because I am the TA for one of her classes. She asked me to help her with D2L (Desire to Learn – it’s the online classroom professors use to post assignments and course materials). She apologized for bothering me, but I’m so glad she did. I love helping people out, and now that I’m a senior, it seems like more and more people ask me for help and advice.

I know when some people are asked to do a favor for someone else it can bother them, but I like to share what I’ve learned. Whether it’s a student calling me on my cell phone to ask about an assignment or a friend sending me his cover letters to look over (both of which happened last week), it’s a pleasure to be able to help out.

I think part of the reason why I like it so much is because I am usually the person asking for a favor. It’s nice to finally be on the other side of that and to have the ability to make someone else’s life a little easier.

	Here’s the scene at the union on Tuesday. Look at all the people!
	My professors thankfully excused me from class on Friday so I could go with some of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) officers to visit Anglin Public Relations, a public relations firm in Oklahoma City. This is Maggie Kierl and I driving back to Stillwater. We had such a great time.
	Check it out! With some of my extra time in the union, I finally got a new ID. The old one was so worn that you couldn’t even see my picture on it anymore.
	Who goes out on Friday night? Last weekend, Kim and I stayed home, ate funnel cakes and watched The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Talk about a great evening!

It’s not that I don’t like school. Part of me enjoys it very much. It is rewarding to put in a semester’s worth of effort and be rewarded in the end with a grade that reflects that effort and determination. But no matter how much I like school, I always welcome a break with open arms.

So let me fill you in on what you missed. Finals week went wonderfully. I had some really late nights, but they paid off in the end. I made A’s in all my classes except Government of the Middle East, which I made a B. Overall, I was pleased with the way the semester ended, but ready to get my break started.

My vacation didn’t officially begin until I moved back to Hennessey, Okla. and into my old room, which has been converted into my mother’s scrapbooking room. There is less space, but my parents thankfully left a bed in there for me, so it still does the trick.

My arrival was especially welcomed by my youngest brother who is the only kid left in the house with mom and dad. The past year and a half has been quite an adjustment for him because he’s used to having three siblings around, and unlike my parents, he doesn’t consider reading for hours on end to be good entertainment.

My break was relaxing, but busy at the same time. It seems like I had something scheduled for every day. Between seeing old friends and catching up on all my six month doctor appointments, I barely had time to enjoy all the Christmas festivities.

We have a lot of traditions at my house, so there’s a lot to do at Christmas time. It can get busy, but I’ve always appreciated the effort my parents put into the holidays. It makes them even more special.

For example, each year we string popcorn and cranberries for the tree while watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” (my dad is obsessed with that movie and can pretty much quote every line). I know it sounds really corny, but that’s just how we are. Our other holiday tradition is Christmas Eve Game Night. My mom sets up a tournament of really simple games, and at the end, everyone gets to open a present. It’s a lot of fun, and I always look forward to it.

Before I knew it, Christmas was here. We were in Oklahoma for Christmas day this year, so we left the day after to celebrate with our family in Kansas. When we got back, Kyle and I celebrated our Christmas (he took me ice skating in Bricktown, which is located in downtown Oklahoma City) and then it was New Year’s Eve.
 
Before I knew it, I was headed back to Stillwater to get ready for classes and my new job. This semester, I’m enrolled in 12 hours and on top of my TA position, I’ll be a secretary/public relations intern for the College of Arts and Sciences. It will be busy, but it’s nice to be back in Stillwater, and I’m ready for the challenge.

It’s hard to believe this break my have been my last long vacation before joining the working world. Time flies by so fast, but instead of trying to slow it down, I’ve decided to embrace it and live in the moment. After all, what other choice do I have?

	Every Christmas my family and I visit Kingfisher In Lights, which is absolutely beautiful. We always get out and walk the bridge, but this year it was even better because the couple in the background was getting engaged! I don’t know who they were, but it was still exciting.
	This is a picture of the family playing game night. Kyle usually wins, but this year he got last place, which explains the lack of a smile.
	We took this right after we finished opening presents. Look at all that wrapping paper!
	This is me and Kyle in front of the Braum’s Ice Skating Rink in Bricktown. Kyle was WAY better than me, but we had a lot of fun.