Here's to Another Good Year

Here's to another year in this wonderful world! 

2012 was a year of immense learning and growing as a women and as a leader. It was also one of great heartache and great joy.  This is definitely not a year I am going to forget anytime soon and I look forward to what the next year will bring.

This is 2012 for Grace in pictures.

January:

 Welcomed some wonderful women into our sisterhood.
  

My Alphie became a hit sensation!
  

February:

Attended DLC in our own District V and got to know some
 great women from Alpha Gamma Chapter at Mizzou!

Also, this little baby kitten joined my life.

March:

Initiated my first group of women as President
(sorry no photo) and volunteered with our new Deltas at
Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City

April:

Gamma Nu Chapter hosted RMH week and Change a Child's Life.

Also, I got to sing on stage with Graham Colton!  Best April ever!

May:

Attended Black Diamond with my lovely sisters!

Then I got to see some pretty great women graduate.

June:

Celebrated a great 21st birthday.

And I started Human Physiology as my summer course which was my favorite class yet!

July:

July: Marked another off my bucket list.
Read about it here: Glow Run 5k

Most importantly, I attended Leadership Seminar on behalf of my chapter.

I met and was able to dine with a wonderful past 

International Grand Council President: Mrs. Goddard!
A very humbling experience.

August:

 Had to say goodbye to Miss Wall as she
headed off to her adventure in the cold North.

Served on the greatest Orientation Team ever.

September:

Planned and implemented the Gala Silent Auction for the
Harriman-Jewell Series with the help of these wonderful women.

In the same week I also served on Homecoming Court for William Jewell.

October:

Attended Mallard Ball with this man and celebrated our 2 and a half year!

Then Celebrated Halloween with ice cream and my dear friend AuBree.

November:

Gamma Nu Chapter hosted RMH week with a
Powderpuff Tournament and Pop Tab Poker.

FINALLY got to meet my dear Long Distance Diamond Sister (second from the left) and spent some time with my dear friend, Taylor, who moved to Wyoming.
Oh, and not mention my favorite Mr. Graham Colton!

Ended the month of November with Lighting of the Quad, my favorite tradition!

December:

 LOVE Christmas and this large Santa in Semple Hall!

Ended the year with a bang by a trip to Florida for Christmas!

The year of 2012 was a great year but I believe 2013 will be even greater!

Check another off

Over the summer, one of the most influential female leaders in my life encouraged me to run a 5k with her.  Since this was on my bucket list, I signed right up and got to training.

We decided to take on the Glow Run Kansas City and it was an absolute blast!

We even received glow in the dark medals!

There is nothing better than running with a sister beside you.

I am grateful for Miss Robin and I look forward to a lifelong friendship with her because it's not for four years, it's for life. 

You live and you learn

A week or so ago at my internship I finished with about 80+ letters to be sent to all different companies and organizations.  I had been able to copy and paste the letter and change only a couple of the words to fit the organization.  Unfortunately, I could not really do this for all of the addresses that needed to go at the top of the letters so I entered 80+ addresses manual (not an exaggeration either) for a good 10 hours (again not an exaggeration).  After this was finished and the margins were all perfected and the letters were finally printed, I showed them to people in the office because I was clearly very proud of all of my hard work and time invested.  

Logically, the next step would be to print envelops for all of the letters but I was unsure how to go about this portion.  I asked for help on how to print on envelops and it was in that moment I learned about the greatness of a mail merger. 

We created a new document for the mail merger in about 5 minutes and merged the envelopes with this document in less time.  The 10 hours I had spent on the before mentioned letters would have taken about 30 minutes (tops) to do with this new little trick I learned. 

At the time I only felt silly for not knowing about something so simple but then my boss told me a story about her time as an intern.  She was asked to make 50 copies of a packet with about 50 pages in it, so she went to the copy machine and placed the first paper in and made 50 copies.  She then did this for the rest of the packet and started putting the packets together like we did in elementary school: one by one.  Her boss came along and taught her how to collate in a rather harsh manner and that day she too learned a lesson. 

I have learned and will have that skill set for the future.  Now it just makes a funny story when people ask me what I do at my internship!

Found this note my father wrote and at the bottom it says
"If it doesn't challenge you.  It will never change you."  #lovethatquote

Life: it goes on.

Recently I sent my chapter advisors an update about everything occurring in the chapter and one of their responses really struck me because it not only explained my past month but explained my entire semester.  She said, "Sounds like the month was difficult but very rewarding." It has been a very difficult month personally, professionally, emotionally, and physically but I have grown as a result.  This very same thing can be said for the entire semester.

Yesterday marks the  day of my last final and therefore the last of my academic classes this semester.  Essentially, the semester is over even though I am still partaking in some extracurricular activities.  

My friend AuBree and I.
We traveled to my favorite spot on campus to  say goodbye to the semester.

This semester has been one, full of struggles, pain, tribulations, and constant conflict.  Every week there seemed to be a new ordeal to fix or manage and often times these ordeals overlapped.  Having a moment to breath or be alone seemed to be a thing of the past.  I enjoy taking on responsibility but it can be difficult to lead groups of your peers, especially very passionate ones.  This semester has been one of ever learning and growing.  I strongly believe that when one stops learning and growing one stops being an effective leader.  If it doesn't challenge you then it does not change you. 

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." - J.F. Kennedy

Regardless of the trials and tribulations, this semester has been rewarding for me.  

I have grown as a person, as a leader, and as a follower.  

Life: it goes on.

three down, one to go

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

Three years at Jewell are almost over.  The best three years of my life thus far.  My final year at this beautiful place is planned out to the credit hour, extracurricular activities, and when to apply for future endeavors.  

It's surreal, this feeling of organization and plan because I am one of the few that loves and braces change.  As one of my very good friends said to me recently, "You're all about change!"   While I do not know exactly what I will be doing after graduation, I do know that I'm taking a year off to explore the world around me.  This has been a difficult decision for me to make because my fellow pre-med Jewellians will all be heading to Medical School in Fall 2013 while I will be ever learning.  Seemingly, left behind.

With my year off, I want to travel, be pushed outside of my comfort zone every day.  I want to partake in scientific research.  I want to watch some surgeries.  I want to love on the people around me.  I want to "study abroad" if you will.    Throughout my college years I have always been slightly jealous of my peers who have had the opportunity to study abroad but I know in my heart of hearts my place has always been at Jewell.  There has always been work for me on this campus and I know I made the right decision by staying in the states.  

More than anything, I am excited for the opportunities on the road ahead.  

Here's to the last month of my third year at Jewell and summer waiting soon after.

Inspiration of the week

This week I was blessed enough to have three great inspirational events happen to me.

First off, a delightful sister from Northwest was at Jewell to interview for the nursing program and learn more about Jewell.  She is considering transferring to Jewell in the Fall because we have Alpha Delta Pi, her home.  She did not care that we were not the chapter she had signed a bid card with, she did not care she might be in a house full of women she had never bonded with.  All she said was it is going to be different but it is all ADPi right? Her love and devotion to our organization made my day and week.  She reminded me that regardless of everything occurring within the chapter, we are working for something much larger than ourselves.  

Second, I had two people in the same day tell me they think I am doing a good job in my office.  This was the first time I had heard this from someone other than my roommate or suite mates.  It was nice to have the affirmation from two women I respect a lot, a recent Alpha Delta Pi alumna and our Greek Advisor on campus.

Third, at my Career Mentorship on Thursday I picked up a magazine while waiting and read the letter from the Editor.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that even though she was the Editor of a women's magazine, she spoke of empowering the woman.  She spoke about her trials and tribulations and how they have shaped her into the woman she is today.  Her struggles pushed her to do a man's job and encouraged other women to do the same until there is no longer a job designated as a "man's job".  

There is inspiration to be found in the littlest of things in the world... it is only a matter of finding them.  

No one said it would be easy... they only said it would be worth it

there are two very important things I have learned about life this semester:

1.       people are crazy and they come in all forms

some people are a little crazy and some are a whole lot of crazy… plus a little more

2.      the best leader is the one who does not feel they deserve the position

however, they feel obligated to fulfill the responsibilities for the betterment of others

I know that following the path that is right is how I am to lead, even though it is difficult most of the time

Also, I am considering putting on my resume the main concept I have learned is that people are crazy #kiddingbutnotkidding

life can be difficult and frustrating at times when there is conflict surrounding us

“We must all make the choice between what is right and what is easy.”  Albus Dumbledore