"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things." - Albert Einstein
Showing posts with label PCC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PCC. Show all posts
Monday, January 25, 2010
"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination." - Fitzhugh Dodson
My Goals for the New Year... (I know I didn't aim high... but oh well!) I will most likely be adding on to this as the year goes on.
1) Drive on the highway. I know what you're thinking. Pick up that gaping mouth and accept the reality. I have been driving for a little over two years and have not driven on the highway yet. To me, it's not really that big of a deal. I haven't had the need to go anywhere far that would require me to go on the highway... except for now. Next year, I'll be able to bring a car to campus so I will certainly have to drive to school. Also, all my friends that are juniors in high school have driven on the highway before I have... If that is not enough motivation, then I don't know what is. I need to man up and do it (hmm, this calls for a good post in the future...)!!
2) Complete 'Jillian Michaels's 30-Day Shred'. One of my best friends just started this last week. Although it is quite entertaining to watch her sweat and cheer her on (and laugh when she gives up... oops), I also would like to see if I can complete the full thirty days. I plan on accomplishing this goal starting on Saturday, May 9th. You heard me. Jillian Michaels, you've got nothing on me!
3) Become a better proctor. Now that I have been shown the ropes on what proctoring is like, I am definitely looking forward to this summer and being a better worker and a better role model.
4) Earn at least a 3.5 GPA for the spring semester. My schedule for the spring semester isn't doing me any justice. History, human bio, Seeking Wisdom, calculus (!?!), AND American Judicial System? This semester is going to be quite the challenge for me, and I will be extremely happy if I'm able to accomplish this goal. Everyone and their mothers know that I am NOT the brightest person when it comes to any type of math... so please, wish me luck.
5) Visit two of my best friends in Washington D.C. It has almost been a year since I have been to D.C., and I miss it terribly! I keep saying that I will visit them, but I will for sure visit them sometime this year!
"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things." - Albert Einstein
"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things." - Albert Einstein
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
"Fall is gone... winter is here" - Chase Coy
Thanksgiving break was simply wonderful... and too short! I did a lot of reuniting with friends & family... and a lot of shopping. This was the first year that my mom and I did not wake up early to go shopping on Black Friday. In fact, we didn't even buy a lot this year, but it was still great to continue our tradition. I got to pick out my Christmas present... and my mom even bought me a new pair of Uggs for my belated birthday (I ended up returning the Vera bag that I received. I decided the colors were overwhelming and am currently waiting for the new prints to come out in a couple of months!).
Classic short Uggs in gray
Christmas present!! -- Return to Tiffany bead bracelet
(The charm matches my earrings that I received for graduation
and my necklace that I received last Christmas)
Friday night, I attended a party with all my co-workers. It was very fun to catch up, especially since I haven't seen most of them since the end of the summer!! I also got to hang out with my best friends from home a few times. It was like nothing has changed, even if we were separated for a few months. I could tell the parents loved seeing us together again, and of course we loved seeing the parents too!
Now backtracking a little... on Thanksgiving morning, I attended the football game in Abington against Whitman-Hanson. It was the 99th annual game between the two teams! Of course (sorry RER :)) we won, 20-0. At halftime, the baseball team received their state championship rings and they look awesome! It was really great to see everyone together. Later that afternoon, we had our Thanksgiving dinner. This year, my parents hosted the holiday dinner and we ended up having 25 people in our dining room, each with his or her own chinaware and utensils (my mom likes to go all out for these occasions). Good thing we renovated a few years ago! Thanksgiving dinner was so delicious, comprised of not one but two turkeys, ham, homemade mashed and roasted potatoes, and the usual... completed by a homemade cheesecake with berries on top. YUMMY.
And although I had such a wonderful break, there are no words to describe how excited I am that it is finally December! The Christmas decorations are up, the iTunes is blaring the Christmas playlist (on repeat), and the Secret Santa plans are underway! Tonight is the annual lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza.
YES!
Classic short Uggs in gray
Christmas present!! -- Return to Tiffany bead bracelet
(The charm matches my earrings that I received for graduation
and my necklace that I received last Christmas)
Friday night, I attended a party with all my co-workers. It was very fun to catch up, especially since I haven't seen most of them since the end of the summer!! I also got to hang out with my best friends from home a few times. It was like nothing has changed, even if we were separated for a few months. I could tell the parents loved seeing us together again, and of course we loved seeing the parents too!
Now backtracking a little... on Thanksgiving morning, I attended the football game in Abington against Whitman-Hanson. It was the 99th annual game between the two teams! Of course (sorry RER :)) we won, 20-0. At halftime, the baseball team received their state championship rings and they look awesome! It was really great to see everyone together. Later that afternoon, we had our Thanksgiving dinner. This year, my parents hosted the holiday dinner and we ended up having 25 people in our dining room, each with his or her own chinaware and utensils (my mom likes to go all out for these occasions). Good thing we renovated a few years ago! Thanksgiving dinner was so delicious, comprised of not one but two turkeys, ham, homemade mashed and roasted potatoes, and the usual... completed by a homemade cheesecake with berries on top. YUMMY.
And although I had such a wonderful break, there are no words to describe how excited I am that it is finally December! The Christmas decorations are up, the iTunes is blaring the Christmas playlist (on repeat), and the Secret Santa plans are underway! Tonight is the annual lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza.
YES!
Monday, October 19, 2009
"Sometimes our only way is jumping. I hope you're not afraid of heights" - Gavin DeGraw
Wow, this post is three weeks overdue, but better late than never, right? Here's a recap of what has happened since October began...
The Celtics scrimmage (3rd) was excellent, even if it was only for 30 minutes. It was great to see all my favorite players and literally be yards away from them!
My parents sent down a birthday package for me and inside that package were:
Ralph Lauren perfume
Nate is 6'6"... enough said.
PCC!
The Celtics scrimmage (3rd) was excellent, even if it was only for 30 minutes. It was great to see all my favorite players and literally be yards away from them!
My 19th birthday (7th)! My birthday was during "fifth-week evaluation" so I had many, many tests to study for but thankfully, I was still able to enjoy my birthday and pass my tests with flying colors! That night, my friends and I went to Panera Bread (my favorite!) and we came back and had ice cream cake from Coldstone (also another favorite). Looooove my friends.
My parents sent down a birthday package for me and inside that package were:
Ralph Lauren perfume
a "Morgan" Vera Bradley bag -- the print is Symphony in Hue
a matching Euro wallet... and
three Sephora lip glosses
The best present, however, was that both of my classes were canceled on Friday, which meant I got to go home one day earlier than everyone else! I came home on Thursday (8th) afternoon and my mom took me to the Derby Street shoppes (which is like my second home). Friday, I went to the high school football game where I got to meet up with all my friends, especially those who went off to schools far away. It was so great to be reunited with everyone.
Saturday (10th), I went out to lunch with my PCC loves for my birthday. I had an excellent time with them all! :) That night, with a few of my very favorite co-workers, I attended a little reunion that they like to call "The Shootout". I have heard stories about these "shootouts" for the past three years, and I was glad to have been invited to my first one. Conveniently, it was at UNH this year so we got there in no time. My first time at UNH was fantastic and I absolutely loved the fact that I had a fun PCC-filled day. Nothing can go wrong when you're having a PCC day! :)
PCC!
Last Saturday (17th), I went to a retreat for Salve SGA at the Y and it was so much fun! We had to do a ropes course and I (kind of, sort of, maybe) overcame my fear of heights! First, I was hooked onto a harness and had to climb up a 60-ft "telephone pole" (with staples, of course). Another telephone pole was connected, lying horizontally in the air, and I had to walk across it like a plank. I was terrified and shaking like crazy, but I successfully made it across! Once I had two feet safely planted on the ground, I looked back on my experience and realized how much fun it was. I would probably do it again, but it honestly was so scary! The next course was a "vertical playpen". Yeah, I kindly declined...
This is the vertical playpen... and you can see the obstacle that I did in the background
...so even though October is already halfway over, it can only mean that Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I cannot wait at all!!
Monday, September 28, 2009
"It's October again. Leaves are coming down. One more year's come and gone" - Bethany Joy Lenz
It's the beginning of another week here and I'm very excited because October is literally around the corner! October is my other favorite month (besides April) because there are so many birthdays (including mine -- the 7th!) and I always have things to look forward to. The most important day in the month is always the 15th = my best friend's birthday. Usually I start thinking of what I'm going to get him weeks in advance, but October seriously crept up on me. I am not prepared at all and I only have two weeks left... oh boy.
October is going to start off pretty well though... because the Boston Celtics are at Salve the entire week for training camp! I love the Celtics so much and I was very happy to hear that they were going to be on campus. The best part was the fact that students would have an opportunity to attend their scrimmage at the end of the week... but of course, there's a catch. We had to submit our names into the lottery system, and 175 people would randomly be picked. I WAS ONE OF THEM! I absolutely cannot wait. It's going to make this week go by so much faster!
This previous weekend was Salve's annual Fall Festival, the time when parents & alumni come visit the campus. My family and I didn't participate in these activities (in fact I went home), but I still had a wonderful weekend anyway :)
On Friday night, RER and I were reunited with the best girls ever. I was so happy to see them, but the best moment of the night was seeing their reactions when they saw us. Most of them did not know that we were coming up to see them, so they were genuinely surprised and grateful, I think. The expressions on their faces made me feel thankful that I was able to leave a lasting impression on them, while they have made their own lasting impressions on me. Those girls are truly some of the world's best people, and I am already looking forward to the next time that I can see all of them at once.
I woke up early on Saturday morning so my family and I could drive back down to Newport. We attended an awards ceremony on campus, where I got to see everyone who was receiving a scholarship or an award. My favorite part was seeing the alumni receive their awards. So many people have graduated from Salve and went on to make a name for themselves. Their stories were so inspiring that it put me in the mood to set big goals for myself. I am not a big "long-term goal-making" person, but there's no better time to start doing that than now. After the awards ceremony, my family and I went to downtown Newport where we spent most of the day. We haven't been to Newport in three or four years so my parents really enjoyed themselves. That made me really happy. We returned to Massachusetts to go out to dinner for my brother's & dad's birthday at Bugaboo Creek (my brother's choice). Afterwards, my brother hung out with a lot of his PCC friends while I just relaxed at home.
While at home, I ended up video chatting with a few people and somewhere in the midst of the conversation, a certain someone in the background said "Tell her I love her. TELL HER I LOVE HER". That brought me back on memory lane to one of the last times that I had heard that... It's funny how the only times I get to hear that is when he's intoxicated. He also told me that he can't come down for the Celtics scrimmage with me this weekend, even though he went out the other night. I don't think I'll ever understand him during times like these, but I think it's time I stop trying to understand... for both of our sakes.
Despite all the rain on Sunday, my mom and I spent some quality time together and went shopping. I hardly bought anything for myself but I was still glad that I got to go. Then RER drove me back to school that night.
Anyway, elections for on-campus and off-campus senators are next week, and I am SO nervous. I don't think that I am going to be completely devastated if I lose, but I will certainly be disappointed. I really want to be involved and I know this is the perfect thing for me. I just hope everyone else knows that too!
:)
October is going to start off pretty well though... because the Boston Celtics are at Salve the entire week for training camp! I love the Celtics so much and I was very happy to hear that they were going to be on campus. The best part was the fact that students would have an opportunity to attend their scrimmage at the end of the week... but of course, there's a catch. We had to submit our names into the lottery system, and 175 people would randomly be picked. I WAS ONE OF THEM! I absolutely cannot wait. It's going to make this week go by so much faster!
This previous weekend was Salve's annual Fall Festival, the time when parents & alumni come visit the campus. My family and I didn't participate in these activities (in fact I went home), but I still had a wonderful weekend anyway :)
On Friday night, RER and I were reunited with the best girls ever. I was so happy to see them, but the best moment of the night was seeing their reactions when they saw us. Most of them did not know that we were coming up to see them, so they were genuinely surprised and grateful, I think. The expressions on their faces made me feel thankful that I was able to leave a lasting impression on them, while they have made their own lasting impressions on me. Those girls are truly some of the world's best people, and I am already looking forward to the next time that I can see all of them at once.
I woke up early on Saturday morning so my family and I could drive back down to Newport. We attended an awards ceremony on campus, where I got to see everyone who was receiving a scholarship or an award. My favorite part was seeing the alumni receive their awards. So many people have graduated from Salve and went on to make a name for themselves. Their stories were so inspiring that it put me in the mood to set big goals for myself. I am not a big "long-term goal-making" person, but there's no better time to start doing that than now. After the awards ceremony, my family and I went to downtown Newport where we spent most of the day. We haven't been to Newport in three or four years so my parents really enjoyed themselves. That made me really happy. We returned to Massachusetts to go out to dinner for my brother's & dad's birthday at Bugaboo Creek (my brother's choice). Afterwards, my brother hung out with a lot of his PCC friends while I just relaxed at home.
While at home, I ended up video chatting with a few people and somewhere in the midst of the conversation, a certain someone in the background said "Tell her I love her. TELL HER I LOVE HER". That brought me back on memory lane to one of the last times that I had heard that... It's funny how the only times I get to hear that is when he's intoxicated. He also told me that he can't come down for the Celtics scrimmage with me this weekend, even though he went out the other night. I don't think I'll ever understand him during times like these, but I think it's time I stop trying to understand... for both of our sakes.
Despite all the rain on Sunday, my mom and I spent some quality time together and went shopping. I hardly bought anything for myself but I was still glad that I got to go. Then RER drove me back to school that night.
Anyway, elections for on-campus and off-campus senators are next week, and I am SO nervous. I don't think that I am going to be completely devastated if I lose, but I will certainly be disappointed. I really want to be involved and I know this is the perfect thing for me. I just hope everyone else knows that too!
:)
Monday, September 21, 2009
"So I play the numbers game to find a way to say that life has just begun" - John Mayer
So it's Week 3, Day 2... of college. I spent my first weekend at school this previous weekend, and to my surprise, it wasn't so bad. On Friday, Salve's new president was inaugurated, so there was this big ceremony for her. That night, the friends and I ventured to downtown Newport, where we had dinner and saw 'Love Happens'. On Saturday, the same friends and I took the RIPTA to Providence Place... what an adventure that was. I was able to buy a Lacoste polo for my dad's birthday on Thursday. We also met up with our JWU friend since we hadn't seen her in so long! It was so nice to see her :)
(I realized I was being Negative Nancy in the previous post. I think I really needed to spend a whole weekend here to convince myself that this isn't all so bad. The toughest thing to believe is that this isn't just for a month now. This is for the next four-five years, so the only thing I can really do is to just get used to it. It doesn't mean that I've been completely oblivious to the fact that the Stonehill application is up already... but we'll see. I just need to be more hopeful and more patient with myself!)
Speaking of weekends, I am so excited for this upcoming weekend! RER and I are coming home on Friday to see some PCC students! It certainly has been too long since we both have seen them. We have been planning this for a month now, so no wonder why Friday seems so far away! I absolutely cannot wait :) My parents and I are going to go back to Salve on Saturday morning for an awards ceremony since it's Parents' Weekend. Apparently I am going to be recognized for receiving the William Hearst scholarship... that will be cool. My mom agreed to take me shopping around Newport afterwards so naturally, I am looking forward to that and just spending quality time with my parents and brother. Afterwards, we'll probably go out to dinner for my dad's and brother's birthday and I'll get to sleep in my own bed. :)
I am running for an on-campus senator position for the student government association. I am really nervous and don't really know what to expect, but I'm sure it will be interesting. I really hope I get elected because I am looking forward to getting back on the horse and be involved again. I'm also on the fence of running women's track. I already signed my life away to the NCAA last week, but I'm having second thoughts about it... oh well. C'est la vie. Such is life. I'll take it one day at a time. It's the only thing I can do.
"All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible." - Orison Swett Marden
I think this will be the quote I live by for my time here at Salve...
(I realized I was being Negative Nancy in the previous post. I think I really needed to spend a whole weekend here to convince myself that this isn't all so bad. The toughest thing to believe is that this isn't just for a month now. This is for the next four-five years, so the only thing I can really do is to just get used to it. It doesn't mean that I've been completely oblivious to the fact that the Stonehill application is up already... but we'll see. I just need to be more hopeful and more patient with myself!)
Speaking of weekends, I am so excited for this upcoming weekend! RER and I are coming home on Friday to see some PCC students! It certainly has been too long since we both have seen them. We have been planning this for a month now, so no wonder why Friday seems so far away! I absolutely cannot wait :) My parents and I are going to go back to Salve on Saturday morning for an awards ceremony since it's Parents' Weekend. Apparently I am going to be recognized for receiving the William Hearst scholarship... that will be cool. My mom agreed to take me shopping around Newport afterwards so naturally, I am looking forward to that and just spending quality time with my parents and brother. Afterwards, we'll probably go out to dinner for my dad's and brother's birthday and I'll get to sleep in my own bed. :)
I am running for an on-campus senator position for the student government association. I am really nervous and don't really know what to expect, but I'm sure it will be interesting. I really hope I get elected because I am looking forward to getting back on the horse and be involved again. I'm also on the fence of running women's track. I already signed my life away to the NCAA last week, but I'm having second thoughts about it... oh well. C'est la vie. Such is life. I'll take it one day at a time. It's the only thing I can do.
"All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible." - Orison Swett Marden
I think this will be the quote I live by for my time here at Salve...
Friday, September 4, 2009
"And as we lie here and let the world fade away, the sunrise tries to end it while we try to stay" - Joshua Radin
TWO days until I leave for Salve! I'm so excited, but the nerves are definitely starting to kick in. I haven't even packed yet... that may be a problem, but oh well. I'll make it work.
Today, I'm going out for ice cream with some of my PCC loves before I leave, and I'm very excited to see them. I have been so lucky to have had the opportunity to work at PCC this summer. Project Contemporary Competitiveness is a six-week overnight advanced studies program for incoming freshmen and sophomores from southeastern Massachusetts. I attended the program as a student in the summers of 2005 and 2006. I worked as a desk proctor in 2008, and I was a proctor in 2009. For six weeks, I listened to their stories, played childhood games with them on the REC field, witnessed their talents on stage and in class, danced to "Single Ladies" with them every Thursday night, and by the end of the program, I sobbed with five hundred people. It was so difficult for me to say goodbye to those people who I got to know over the six weeks, students and co-workers alike. The students were always so enthusiastic and a lot of them didn't have a care in the world (it made me miss the times when I didn't know any better and just wanted to have fun). I looked forward to every day that I got to spend with them. My co-workers, on the other hand, are the craziest, most entertaining people I have ever met. Being one of the two youngest staff members, they definitely taught me a lot about being a leader and an authorative figure. I gained more confidence this summer, not only to discipline children, but to have fun also. I got to go on stage and teach kids how to pee ("Oh my, oh me, this is how you pee!") and I got "caked" in the face by my boss. It honestly has been the best experience I've ever had. PCC taught me so much about myself while I was there as a student and I only wanted to give back to the program that gave me so much. There is no better feeling than hearing a kid tell you that you made an impact on them and that their summer would not have been the same without you. That, I believe, is so rewarding, and I only hope that I can experience this same feeling again for many summers to come.
Speaking of goodbyes earlier, I have to say goodbye to my very best friend tomorrow night. My best friend and I share the most complicated, confusing relationship out of any two best friends, but it's also one of the best relationships I have. He and I have been friends for six years now and physically, we are complete opposites. He's tall, I'm short, He has light brown hair and blue eyes, while I have black hair and dark brown eyes. We look so funny when we're together, but I love it. Disregarding our physical features, however, we are the same person. It only takes one look to know what the other is thinking. We think the same and we feel the same. We have the same fears and dislike the same people (as bad as that is). We are connected through music, and that connection is unbreakable. It's definitely going to be difficult for me to be away from him this year, considering everything that we have been through: the passing of his father, my father's temporary lay-off, breakups, makeups, our wonderful trip to Disney World, concerts, etc. We have had so many conflicts and times of struggle between the two of us (one so difficult that it almost ended our friendship completely). But I am so grateful, still to this day, that we were able to resolve our differences over and over again to be the best friends that we are today.
I wish I could be there to see his progress in school and with the college application process. I wish I could cheer him on in his sporting events, to see him lead as president of the NHS, and to see if he will get accepted into his dream school, Boston College. I am constantly proud of him and I want to see all that he can do this year while I'm gone. It's going to be hard to say goodbye to him, because a part of me feels like our friendship is ending... but I know we'll make it through this year. We have to.
But anyway, here are some pictures.
My favorite student & me at semi
My two girls and me on the last day
My co-workers on 5Shea
Today, I'm going out for ice cream with some of my PCC loves before I leave, and I'm very excited to see them. I have been so lucky to have had the opportunity to work at PCC this summer. Project Contemporary Competitiveness is a six-week overnight advanced studies program for incoming freshmen and sophomores from southeastern Massachusetts. I attended the program as a student in the summers of 2005 and 2006. I worked as a desk proctor in 2008, and I was a proctor in 2009. For six weeks, I listened to their stories, played childhood games with them on the REC field, witnessed their talents on stage and in class, danced to "Single Ladies" with them every Thursday night, and by the end of the program, I sobbed with five hundred people. It was so difficult for me to say goodbye to those people who I got to know over the six weeks, students and co-workers alike. The students were always so enthusiastic and a lot of them didn't have a care in the world (it made me miss the times when I didn't know any better and just wanted to have fun). I looked forward to every day that I got to spend with them. My co-workers, on the other hand, are the craziest, most entertaining people I have ever met. Being one of the two youngest staff members, they definitely taught me a lot about being a leader and an authorative figure. I gained more confidence this summer, not only to discipline children, but to have fun also. I got to go on stage and teach kids how to pee ("Oh my, oh me, this is how you pee!") and I got "caked" in the face by my boss. It honestly has been the best experience I've ever had. PCC taught me so much about myself while I was there as a student and I only wanted to give back to the program that gave me so much. There is no better feeling than hearing a kid tell you that you made an impact on them and that their summer would not have been the same without you. That, I believe, is so rewarding, and I only hope that I can experience this same feeling again for many summers to come.
Speaking of goodbyes earlier, I have to say goodbye to my very best friend tomorrow night. My best friend and I share the most complicated, confusing relationship out of any two best friends, but it's also one of the best relationships I have. He and I have been friends for six years now and physically, we are complete opposites. He's tall, I'm short, He has light brown hair and blue eyes, while I have black hair and dark brown eyes. We look so funny when we're together, but I love it. Disregarding our physical features, however, we are the same person. It only takes one look to know what the other is thinking. We think the same and we feel the same. We have the same fears and dislike the same people (as bad as that is). We are connected through music, and that connection is unbreakable. It's definitely going to be difficult for me to be away from him this year, considering everything that we have been through: the passing of his father, my father's temporary lay-off, breakups, makeups, our wonderful trip to Disney World, concerts, etc. We have had so many conflicts and times of struggle between the two of us (one so difficult that it almost ended our friendship completely). But I am so grateful, still to this day, that we were able to resolve our differences over and over again to be the best friends that we are today.
I wish I could be there to see his progress in school and with the college application process. I wish I could cheer him on in his sporting events, to see him lead as president of the NHS, and to see if he will get accepted into his dream school, Boston College. I am constantly proud of him and I want to see all that he can do this year while I'm gone. It's going to be hard to say goodbye to him, because a part of me feels like our friendship is ending... but I know we'll make it through this year. We have to.
But anyway, here are some pictures.
My favorite student & me at semi
My two girls and me on the last day
My co-workers on 5Shea
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