It's About Connecting

It's been one busy week. And I think it's really just the start of several busy weeks as my senior year of college will kick off TOMORROW! Tomorrow, seriously? It's hard to believe that it has been three years since I moved out on my own and became a student at Utah State University. Now in just one year's time, I will be able to call Utah State University my Alma Mater. I recently learned that Alma Mater is Latin for "nourishing mother". I can honestly say with the utmost respect, that I feel this way about my University. She is indeed my nourishing mother. I came to this school as a naive, immature eighteen year old child who thought I ruled the world. Now, three years later, I would like to believe I am a greater person. A person, though flawed as I am, who wants to give back to humanity in some way with all that I am and know. Education is such a powerful thing. All that I've learned here at Utah State, both in and out of the classroom, has made me discover myself more and has pushed me to appreciate all around me that much more. In the last three years, I have changed for the better. I hope that change for the better continues throughout my life.

This last week, I had the chance to reflect on the time I came to Utah State University as just a babe, really, during my first year, as I spent time surrounded by incoming freshmen. We offer a class to all incoming freshmen called Connections. They come to Connections the week before actual classes start in order to get connected to campus, to resources, and to other people like them. This was my second year serving as a peer mentor for a group of 32 students. It was wonderful to watch them come the first day, a bit shy, not knowing anyone, and then see them transform. By the end of the week, they were friends and I had an idea of what all their personalities and interests are. I am so excited for each of the 32 of them and I know they are capable of such good things. They are in for a treat. Being with them made me remember moving up to Logan and the anxiety and excitement that came with it. Many of them will experience their first crazy dance, their first real relationship, their first time living on their own, their first true love for learning, their first heartbreak, their first failure here at USU. And all of those things will teach them and help them grow into the people they will be in three years time. . .just like me. It's so bittersweet, knowing I'm entering my last year of school.

I am excited, but I realized today that I'm not at all ready. I haven't even bought a new notebook yet. I was so busy this last week helping these incoming students get ready that I forgot to get myself ready. I'm not too worried, all will work out. 

So here we go USU. You've served me well the last three years. Let's go out with a bang.


Below are some pictures I took during a day in Connections. We went bowling and ate pizza. Can you believe I got paid to go bowling? How lucky am I?