Great Example

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

Today, I witnessed one of the best leadership acts from the head of facilities at my school.  He was in conversation with a woman working for the college and she asked if the back door could be unlocked during business hours so they could use it.  After this request, the head of facilities finds a nearby chair and makes the call right then and there to resolve the issue.  This struck me because he is a very busy man who took the time to listen and care.  More importantly, he resolved it right away rather than saying, "Oh, I'll take care of that later" which is a common response of busy leaders.  

He gets it.  

He has mastered the skill of taking the time when you have it and not pushing it to the back burner just because it's not an emergency.  

I am blessed to be surrounded by such strong leaders.  

Big News!

I am overjoyed and above all honored to announce (via blog anyway) that I will be serving as a 2013-2014 Leadership Consultant for Alpha Delta Pi!!  I found out two Wednesdays ago and was able to announce it Friday, March 8^th on Facebook and Twitter.  The outpouring of love and support from sisters across the nation served as a reminder of why I have chosen to dedicate so much of my collegiate career and now time after college to this organization.

A dear, sweet coworker and boss gave me a congratulatory gift full of the essentials for traveling!  

A card my Gamma Nu Sisters gave to me at Chapter Meeting the Monday after the announcement!

Congratulatory notes from two fellow Leadership Consultants (Thank you Anna Kate and Brittany!) and Ms. Pinkston! 

“I believe in Alpha Delta Pi.  

I believe that my sorority is more than a ritual or a symbol, that it is a way of life.” 

– Creed of Alpha Delta Pi written by Carlee Stock Standard

What is a Leadership Consultant (LC)? An LC is a recent college alumna who serves as a representative of the sorority by working with collegiate chapters throughout the academic year in areas of need such as officer training, recruitment, and leadership development.  For more information please visit this webpage. 

So for the next year after Graduation I will be traveling the nation with two suitcases and a carry-on to help make the First. Finest. Forever. even better.  This is an absolute dream job come true, and I still cannot believe it is reality.  One day I was a normal member of Alpha Delta Pi and the next I was a Leadership Consultant (well that escalated quickly).  Seriously, I am still in shock that I will be filling the position I have been revering for since my sophomore year when I was strongly impacted by LCs who visited by Chapter. 

In addition, today marks the two-weekaversary of being a vegan.  This is one new lifestyle I am more than willing to give up when I’m an LC!

I am beyond excited to represent Gamma Nu Chapter, District V, and Alpha Delta Pi over the next year!  Follow me on my adventures to graduation and while traveling for the First and Finest.  Boom Boom!

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.