Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The Journey Back Home
I am in a writing mood, so I'll do another much shorter post. Tomorrow I will go back to Houston for a visit. I have a cousin graduating college (one of three this year), and I haven't set foot in Texas since last August. I am very excited to see everyone once again and spend a little time with friends and family. After the Boston Marathon bombings, the trip as a whole will be that much sweeter. Since I've just finished my first year of grad school, I'll treat this as a mini vacation of sorts. Ready or not Houston, here I come!
Start Spreading the News....
About six weeks ago now, I went on a very exciting trip to New York City! I have yet to get my life together, so now I am sharing the wonderful details of this trip. I hope you enjoy :)
It all started in December when an email was sent out to Emerson grad students about this program that they do every year: Graduate Experience New York. Students from three of the ten grad programs have the opportunity to visit major companies in their field in one day. Registration was $25, and we were basically on our own as far as travel, lodging and other expenses. At first I wasn't too interested because I wanted to see more details, but by January I decided to take a leap of faith and register. I had my travel arrangements made, booked a hotel that set a block for Emerson students, packed my bag, and was ready to go when I received an email saying the trip was cancelled. I was sad, but the trip was the second Friday in February, and if anyone remembers that far, a blizzard was coming to New England with a vengeance.
Nemo came and went, and the trip was rescheduled for Good Friday. Thankfully, no major storms were headed our way. I took the bus down with a fellow classmate and stayed with another classmate of ours. We made a Target run, bought ice cream, and watched Scandal in HD. 'Twas a great night.
Friday morning started off with a slightly rushed pace trying to get to the commuter rail. It was pretty neat being dressed up heading down to Manhattan. It was the dream of many, I would suppose. After some confusion with some MTA trains, we made it to our first company very close to on time. It was a miracle.
Our first company was Random House. They are THE book publisher in North America, and maybe even the world. Some of the biggest classics have been published by this company. We met in the Dr. Seuss room in their building, which says more than enough. RH was definitely ready for us, since they had a presentation for us and a panel of employees including two Emerson alums that were able to answer questions. I was very enamored by the world of books though I would like focus more on magazines. The first hour went by too quickly.
Off we went afterward to Hearst, the obscurely-shaped diamond like building in NYC's skyline. Architecturally, the Hearst building was very impressive. We were brought into a dimmed conference room, the natural light of the gorgeous sunny day breaking through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Waiting for us were two employees: one from Seventeen and another from Esquire. They told us about their positions and how they got to where they are today. Though it was nice to hear about all that, I would have rather heard some more about Hearst as a company itself, seeing as how they are celebrating 125 years of publishing magazines and such. The visit was nice nonetheless.
After a stop at Starbucks, a group of us walked south, passing Broadway, The Late Show studio, and MoMA along the way. Company number three was HarperCollins, my favorite of them all. We were welcomed to free books on the table and a digital welcome sign. I'm not sure I remember what was being said because I was so impressed by the free books. I did learn the Zondervan, a major Christian publisher, is part of the HC family. Good to know.
Last but not least was the company I was most anticipating: Conde Nast. Conde Nast publishes Vogue, GQ, and Vanity Fair, among other great publications. I could not wait to see what they would tell us. I was slightly discouraged to learn that they try to reach out to their interns when it comes to hiring. Kinda hard to accomplish when you're already a graduate student hoping to work for them one day. They were very hospitable, though. The host wanted to answer as much as possible while we were there; I think we were there for two hours instead of one.
Thirty minutes and muddling through Times Square later, all of the participating students came together for a reception with a few Emerson alums. There weren't too many doing publishing, but I met one woman: Georgette Pierre *waves hi if you see this*. She really talked to everyone and gave out some great advice for how to make the most of our time right now. We may be graduate school, but we also have the chance to work on personal projects. That's you get your name out in this business, and this is why I'm going to try my best to create more posts.
The night ended with a trip to Turntable, a restaurant a block away from the Empire State Building. Three words: Korean fried chicken. You should go try it. It will change your life.
Ever since my trip, I have thought more about moving there to pursue some publishing opportunities. Most of the companies I would like to work for are in the Big Apple, so we shall see. In the meantime, I look forward to visiting the city again as a tourist-like person.
Until words meet a screen again,
Drika
It all started in December when an email was sent out to Emerson grad students about this program that they do every year: Graduate Experience New York. Students from three of the ten grad programs have the opportunity to visit major companies in their field in one day. Registration was $25, and we were basically on our own as far as travel, lodging and other expenses. At first I wasn't too interested because I wanted to see more details, but by January I decided to take a leap of faith and register. I had my travel arrangements made, booked a hotel that set a block for Emerson students, packed my bag, and was ready to go when I received an email saying the trip was cancelled. I was sad, but the trip was the second Friday in February, and if anyone remembers that far, a blizzard was coming to New England with a vengeance.
Nemo came and went, and the trip was rescheduled for Good Friday. Thankfully, no major storms were headed our way. I took the bus down with a fellow classmate and stayed with another classmate of ours. We made a Target run, bought ice cream, and watched Scandal in HD. 'Twas a great night.
Friday morning started off with a slightly rushed pace trying to get to the commuter rail. It was pretty neat being dressed up heading down to Manhattan. It was the dream of many, I would suppose. After some confusion with some MTA trains, we made it to our first company very close to on time. It was a miracle.
Our first company was Random House. They are THE book publisher in North America, and maybe even the world. Some of the biggest classics have been published by this company. We met in the Dr. Seuss room in their building, which says more than enough. RH was definitely ready for us, since they had a presentation for us and a panel of employees including two Emerson alums that were able to answer questions. I was very enamored by the world of books though I would like focus more on magazines. The first hour went by too quickly.
Off we went afterward to Hearst, the obscurely-shaped diamond like building in NYC's skyline. Architecturally, the Hearst building was very impressive. We were brought into a dimmed conference room, the natural light of the gorgeous sunny day breaking through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Waiting for us were two employees: one from Seventeen and another from Esquire. They told us about their positions and how they got to where they are today. Though it was nice to hear about all that, I would have rather heard some more about Hearst as a company itself, seeing as how they are celebrating 125 years of publishing magazines and such. The visit was nice nonetheless.
After a stop at Starbucks, a group of us walked south, passing Broadway, The Late Show studio, and MoMA along the way. Company number three was HarperCollins, my favorite of them all. We were welcomed to free books on the table and a digital welcome sign. I'm not sure I remember what was being said because I was so impressed by the free books. I did learn the Zondervan, a major Christian publisher, is part of the HC family. Good to know.
Last but not least was the company I was most anticipating: Conde Nast. Conde Nast publishes Vogue, GQ, and Vanity Fair, among other great publications. I could not wait to see what they would tell us. I was slightly discouraged to learn that they try to reach out to their interns when it comes to hiring. Kinda hard to accomplish when you're already a graduate student hoping to work for them one day. They were very hospitable, though. The host wanted to answer as much as possible while we were there; I think we were there for two hours instead of one.
Thirty minutes and muddling through Times Square later, all of the participating students came together for a reception with a few Emerson alums. There weren't too many doing publishing, but I met one woman: Georgette Pierre *waves hi if you see this*. She really talked to everyone and gave out some great advice for how to make the most of our time right now. We may be graduate school, but we also have the chance to work on personal projects. That's you get your name out in this business, and this is why I'm going to try my best to create more posts.
The night ended with a trip to Turntable, a restaurant a block away from the Empire State Building. Three words: Korean fried chicken. You should go try it. It will change your life.
Ever since my trip, I have thought more about moving there to pursue some publishing opportunities. Most of the companies I would like to work for are in the Big Apple, so we shall see. In the meantime, I look forward to visiting the city again as a tourist-like person.
Until words meet a screen again,
Drika
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Establishing My Voice: Re-entering the Blogosphere
This blog post is an attempt to
start writing again and have others read it. It's the only way to improve my
love/hate relationship with writing. To celebrate this milestone, I will
publish something I wrote and originally intended to post in January. I still
think the idea holds true two months later. Enjoy.
January 22, 2013
Today I learned a very valuable lesson, and I learned it in two different ways. It was one of those things I was pondering about, and then later on I heard something about it, almost like a response to an unasked question.
In the earlier part of my day, I ran into an issue at work. I was hoping my shift was going to be covered by a kind soul, but my written plea on the bulletin board was virtually bypassed. I went into work to see what I could do in light of the conflict-- I was willing to work the hours surrounding my class-- but instead, I was reprimanded and asked why I didn't say anything sooner. Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me to notify a manager in advance of the situation, that way they would have had ample time to help me out. Instead, I came off as a letdown. They were expecting me to be there for my late 8-hour shift, and to suddenly bring to their attention that I couldn't work was just not a good look. I felt horrible and was fearful of losing my job. The only relief I felt was in the fact that next week's schedule is relative to my class schedule. It was a very hard lesson to learn in speaking up and letting my voice be heard. My lesson: using my voice can really turn a situation around.
With my work debacle still on the brain, I headed to my first Tuesday night class of the semester: Book Publishing Overview. I primarily want to do magazines in the long run, but I am a bookworm first, so I was looking forward to it. I was pleasantly surprised! Sitting in class and intently listening to my professor made me think of the interests I have. I'm really getting into fashion now, but growing up, I loved puzzles and reading and building things with K'NEX. It was the building part of architecture that made me giddy. I love putting things together. I find joy in working with my hands, whether it’s with a crafty project or following a Paula Deen recipe.
We made introductions in class, and my professor talked to us about one thing he took out of it, a point of interest, you could say. For one girl, it was entering the editorial side of the magazine industry. He suggested she start a blog to establish her voice. The phrase jumped out at me, so I wrote it down for myself. I knew that I had a blog of my own that has been abandoned, and what better chance to re-enter the blogosphere than with this post?
For those who know me well, they know that I am a quiet individual at my core. Sure, I can be animated and opinionated, and maybe a little funny, but for the most part, I'm used to keeping my mouth shut. I'd like to say now, in retrospect, that was because I had no one to really talk to growing up, and the concept of being around people outside of school was extremely foreign. I oftentimes felt that I was tensely quiet at school, but when I got home, the true essence of myself would come out and relax in the comfort of my own home...with no one to really see it. I didn't really appreciate having a voice until college, when I met all kinds of people and developed new friendship. I was finally being heard by others, and people liked being around me. It was very an eye-opening and pleasant experience. Great college memories were made from it.
Unfortunately, I still struggle with establishing my voice. Since becoming a Christian, I have developed a level of transparency with other believers, but I still hold my tongue when I should really speak up. Today served as a reality check. I was shown the consequences of my lack of action, and it was hard to bear. I was even tongue-tied as I became flustered at work. The world is not going to be gracious to me if I continue to hold my tongue at the wrong time. If I want to be known for how I see myself, I must speak-- and write-- of what's going on in my world. It's the only way I can escape being inside of my head all of the time.
As an aspiring editor, I gain such valuable wisdom. I have a vision to share and a story to tell, so I must tell it. Otherwise, it will stay in my head, only to later vanish, and the world will never hear me. But I have a dream. My dream...is to be heard.
Drika
Friday, September 21, 2012
Beantown, Thy Name is Shondrika
Greetings from Boston!
This past Wednesday made three weeks since I have been in Massachusetts. It still amazes me that I made it here after almost not making it here. It was no one but God that allowed me to travel this far and start on a new journey.
My first week was filled with exploration of the city and adjustments. I didn't have class until September 10, so I attended orientation, met some people in my department, and realized how many staff members knew I was. I did not think that they were paying attention to my various posts in the Facebook group of accepted students, but I was recognized right off the bat. I felt a little famous!
I started to get settled into my new home on Newbury St. Since I didn't bring all of the crazy amounts of stuff with me, I was fully unpacked my first day in. Now that a few weeks have passed, I miss some of my little knick-knacks. I also discovered that I left my belt, along with a few other little things, all the way back in Houston. I might have some things sent to me, mainly my craft box and posters. Those truly had me feel at home. My magazines would be great too.
Last Monday night was my first class of grad school! I was a little nervous because of the impending workload upping the ante on my little educational journey. I went from scattered classes throughout the week to Monday and Tuesday evenings only. Oh, but don't let that fool you. I have reading on top of reading, on top of editing, on top of future research, a presentation, and some papers. What stood out to me was the fact that no time was wasted. The classes within the program are practices that occur in the present day in the publishing industry. Core classes in undergrad always annoyed me because they didn't seem to fit into what I was going to learn later. Not here, though. I spend my week reading and learning, and during class we discuss/work on exercises. This is what I have been waiting for!
Under the excitement of school and my not one, but TWO jobs at Emerson, I am learning to be an adult. I am finding out what works for me as far as food and travel. No one from my close circle is here to make sure I'm okay, but I have been seeking others in different ways.
I found a church I really like, Charles River Church, south of town. The small congregation was very welcoming to me, and the sermons are very penetrating to my spirit. Though I am new in town, I want to be able to impact my sphere of influence, somehow, someway, and reflect Christ as much as I possibly can. It's weird how I tend to come off as a woman of quiet strength and courage among believers. I visited the church after four days of being in Boston and shared my testimony! God had done so much for me and through me over the summer that I had to share and praise Him actively for his work.
I would say I am about half-culture shocked from being here. I live close to downtown, so many visitors flock to this area to shop, eat, and do business. There are also a multitude of students from across the country and across the world. It's exciting to see and slightly off-putting at the same time. I like to explore the true essence of a city, in its regular neighborhoods with regular people. It is my hope to explore the different areas of Boston further during my time here, including less expensive eateries :)
I am amazed at myself for getting quite a bit accomplished in such a short period of time, and I'm only just beginning. October is just around the corner, and so is fall, and I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me during this new busy season of my life.
Dwelling in a foreign land,
Shondrika
P.S. Football is not a very big deal here. I don't know how I feel about it.
This past Wednesday made three weeks since I have been in Massachusetts. It still amazes me that I made it here after almost not making it here. It was no one but God that allowed me to travel this far and start on a new journey.
My first week was filled with exploration of the city and adjustments. I didn't have class until September 10, so I attended orientation, met some people in my department, and realized how many staff members knew I was. I did not think that they were paying attention to my various posts in the Facebook group of accepted students, but I was recognized right off the bat. I felt a little famous!
I started to get settled into my new home on Newbury St. Since I didn't bring all of the crazy amounts of stuff with me, I was fully unpacked my first day in. Now that a few weeks have passed, I miss some of my little knick-knacks. I also discovered that I left my belt, along with a few other little things, all the way back in Houston. I might have some things sent to me, mainly my craft box and posters. Those truly had me feel at home. My magazines would be great too.
Last Monday night was my first class of grad school! I was a little nervous because of the impending workload upping the ante on my little educational journey. I went from scattered classes throughout the week to Monday and Tuesday evenings only. Oh, but don't let that fool you. I have reading on top of reading, on top of editing, on top of future research, a presentation, and some papers. What stood out to me was the fact that no time was wasted. The classes within the program are practices that occur in the present day in the publishing industry. Core classes in undergrad always annoyed me because they didn't seem to fit into what I was going to learn later. Not here, though. I spend my week reading and learning, and during class we discuss/work on exercises. This is what I have been waiting for!
Under the excitement of school and my not one, but TWO jobs at Emerson, I am learning to be an adult. I am finding out what works for me as far as food and travel. No one from my close circle is here to make sure I'm okay, but I have been seeking others in different ways.
I found a church I really like, Charles River Church, south of town. The small congregation was very welcoming to me, and the sermons are very penetrating to my spirit. Though I am new in town, I want to be able to impact my sphere of influence, somehow, someway, and reflect Christ as much as I possibly can. It's weird how I tend to come off as a woman of quiet strength and courage among believers. I visited the church after four days of being in Boston and shared my testimony! God had done so much for me and through me over the summer that I had to share and praise Him actively for his work.
I would say I am about half-culture shocked from being here. I live close to downtown, so many visitors flock to this area to shop, eat, and do business. There are also a multitude of students from across the country and across the world. It's exciting to see and slightly off-putting at the same time. I like to explore the true essence of a city, in its regular neighborhoods with regular people. It is my hope to explore the different areas of Boston further during my time here, including less expensive eateries :)
I am amazed at myself for getting quite a bit accomplished in such a short period of time, and I'm only just beginning. October is just around the corner, and so is fall, and I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me during this new busy season of my life.
Dwelling in a foreign land,
Shondrika
P.S. Football is not a very big deal here. I don't know how I feel about it.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Last Day in the Bayou City
After learning some hard lessons and crying out to God, I am on my way to Boston!!!!!
Realistically, getting a job a month before leaving the city is not ideal. Barely working part-time is even worse, but that is what I did. I was hired as a hostess at an organic grille and bar. Mind you, I have never hosted a day in my life beforehand, but I have worked with people, and I know what it's like to be to first person you see. I would like to say that working was a divine blessing. I finally got to spend some time out of the house, and I actually bonded with my co-workers. I love being a hostess, to be honest. My feet hurt from standing so much, but I got to meet different people and learn how to kinda read them.
Something in me kept from freaking out when different obstacles came up. I tend to stay calm when plans start to fall apart. Though I did not get to earn everything I wanted over the entire course of the summer, I was able to see God working through the situation and through my own mishaps. When God has a plan for you, He won't let anything get in the way of it come to pass, including ourselves. Or, I should say, He'll never take that purpose away from you, know matter how sidetracked you get. Once you realized His purpose, things just go a whole lot smoother.
Now that reality is setting in, I am becoming sad. I will miss my hometown, my family, and my friends. I'll be a good 1800 miles away from home, but I know that this will be the start of a brand new journey. I am making a fresh start. I was talking to one of my best friends recently, and I described Emerson as my second undergrad. And it shall be my second undergrad, but with the next level of learning. For the last few years, I had felt that I was smart just to be smart. I had no clear path to follow with my knowledge. I was discouraged from learning fully, and I was wasting time running away from writing. When I stopped running, learning became fun again.
I received an email from one of my professors. We'll get to argue about our grammar pet peeves. I cannot describe how excited I am for this class and for the other classes in my degree plan.
But for the next day, I shall enjoy being in Houston among loved ones. Then, I will start my transition.
Last note: I'm flying Southwest. They are my favorite airline! Bags fly free! My next post shall be from the east coast.....
Drika the writer
Realistically, getting a job a month before leaving the city is not ideal. Barely working part-time is even worse, but that is what I did. I was hired as a hostess at an organic grille and bar. Mind you, I have never hosted a day in my life beforehand, but I have worked with people, and I know what it's like to be to first person you see. I would like to say that working was a divine blessing. I finally got to spend some time out of the house, and I actually bonded with my co-workers. I love being a hostess, to be honest. My feet hurt from standing so much, but I got to meet different people and learn how to kinda read them.
Something in me kept from freaking out when different obstacles came up. I tend to stay calm when plans start to fall apart. Though I did not get to earn everything I wanted over the entire course of the summer, I was able to see God working through the situation and through my own mishaps. When God has a plan for you, He won't let anything get in the way of it come to pass, including ourselves. Or, I should say, He'll never take that purpose away from you, know matter how sidetracked you get. Once you realized His purpose, things just go a whole lot smoother.
Now that reality is setting in, I am becoming sad. I will miss my hometown, my family, and my friends. I'll be a good 1800 miles away from home, but I know that this will be the start of a brand new journey. I am making a fresh start. I was talking to one of my best friends recently, and I described Emerson as my second undergrad. And it shall be my second undergrad, but with the next level of learning. For the last few years, I had felt that I was smart just to be smart. I had no clear path to follow with my knowledge. I was discouraged from learning fully, and I was wasting time running away from writing. When I stopped running, learning became fun again.
I received an email from one of my professors. We'll get to argue about our grammar pet peeves. I cannot describe how excited I am for this class and for the other classes in my degree plan.
But for the next day, I shall enjoy being in Houston among loved ones. Then, I will start my transition.
Last note: I'm flying Southwest. They are my favorite airline! Bags fly free! My next post shall be from the east coast.....
Drika the writer
Monday, July 9, 2012
Crossing The Summer Bridge
I love summer. Tis a wonderful time of vacation, relaxation, and enjoying the sun, food, and loved ones. However, I also like to think of summer break as a bridge to cross between school years. I never took summer school classes while in college, so I was free to do different things. And I did! I traveled for three of my summers and stayed home for one. I just really really like school and staying busy! That being said, this is how my cross has been so far.
The sheer chaos and grandeur of graduating and receiving my Bachelor's degree has come and gone, and I have been spending my days in Houston, just like I was desperately waiting for while I was in Lubbock. However, something is missing from my dream stay at home: employment. As the weeks have passed (about six so far), I watched my plans start to slowly unravel and circumstances change.
Here is what I had in mind: I would graduate from Tech, come back and get a job, start working over the summer, and midway at some point, I would visit Boston and secure my apartment. After that, I would continue to prepare for my big move (book a one-way flight, sort through what I want to bring with me and have sent up yonder, finally purchase a new suitcase) and be on my merry way come August. This is what has happened: I got home and began my job hunt, only to realize not so many places have applications available on hand, like I originally thought, and had to play the waiting game to hear back from different places. I also realized that I would need to follow-up with prospective jobs so they know that I want to work there.
The main lesson here: I needed to line up a job before I even left Lubbock, just like I had been advised, that way I would have gone to work and get to saving. Because of my delay, some places never called or even rejected me. I have found myself staying at home day after day, some days sleeping it away because I have found myself going a little crazy. I even had a breakdown one night because I was having a really bad day. The realization that my stubbornness and lack of pro-activity has landed me here was very heavy on me, leaving me to spend my days in great regret.
What pulled me out of my slump was talking to friends. I have no friends that live immediately close to me, so I've been texting away, talking on the phone, and even an little video chatting. The more I talked, the more I was pointed to God in one way or another. I've had some moments when I had to be real with God and ask for a job. I am a firm believer that He provides very well, but I wasn't doing my part. I wasn't applying for different jobs, following up, and applying some more. My slump was really getting to me when I talked to a friend who said something to snap me out. I had to realize (and remember) why I want a job in the first place. It's more than just keeping myself busy and staying away from home. I want a job so I can get to Boston. Boston and Emerson College is my ultimate goal.
I've been spending some more time with God, little by little, and He's been revealing some things to me. I'm now reassured that He will do His part as long as I do mine and I don't give up. Right now, my prayer is that He provides me with a means to get to Boston so I can become a great communicator. Instead of being discouraged by my current circumstances, I am encouraged by my hope in God to honor my effort.
I am hoping to start working soon so crossing the second half of this bridge will become a little easier.
The sheer chaos and grandeur of graduating and receiving my Bachelor's degree has come and gone, and I have been spending my days in Houston, just like I was desperately waiting for while I was in Lubbock. However, something is missing from my dream stay at home: employment. As the weeks have passed (about six so far), I watched my plans start to slowly unravel and circumstances change.
Here is what I had in mind: I would graduate from Tech, come back and get a job, start working over the summer, and midway at some point, I would visit Boston and secure my apartment. After that, I would continue to prepare for my big move (book a one-way flight, sort through what I want to bring with me and have sent up yonder, finally purchase a new suitcase) and be on my merry way come August. This is what has happened: I got home and began my job hunt, only to realize not so many places have applications available on hand, like I originally thought, and had to play the waiting game to hear back from different places. I also realized that I would need to follow-up with prospective jobs so they know that I want to work there.
The main lesson here: I needed to line up a job before I even left Lubbock, just like I had been advised, that way I would have gone to work and get to saving. Because of my delay, some places never called or even rejected me. I have found myself staying at home day after day, some days sleeping it away because I have found myself going a little crazy. I even had a breakdown one night because I was having a really bad day. The realization that my stubbornness and lack of pro-activity has landed me here was very heavy on me, leaving me to spend my days in great regret.
What pulled me out of my slump was talking to friends. I have no friends that live immediately close to me, so I've been texting away, talking on the phone, and even an little video chatting. The more I talked, the more I was pointed to God in one way or another. I've had some moments when I had to be real with God and ask for a job. I am a firm believer that He provides very well, but I wasn't doing my part. I wasn't applying for different jobs, following up, and applying some more. My slump was really getting to me when I talked to a friend who said something to snap me out. I had to realize (and remember) why I want a job in the first place. It's more than just keeping myself busy and staying away from home. I want a job so I can get to Boston. Boston and Emerson College is my ultimate goal.
I've been spending some more time with God, little by little, and He's been revealing some things to me. I'm now reassured that He will do His part as long as I do mine and I don't give up. Right now, my prayer is that He provides me with a means to get to Boston so I can become a great communicator. Instead of being discouraged by my current circumstances, I am encouraged by my hope in God to honor my effort.
I am hoping to start working soon so crossing the second half of this bridge will become a little easier.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Commencements Galore
For the last two weekends, I have been catching various video streams, Facebook statuses, tweets, and pictures of my friends, near and far, graduating from college. I find it so wonderful seeing people cross over from students to alumni amongst their loved ones and dear friends. I have seen this as a precursor to the events that are to come this weekend when I got to join the ranks of the Class of 2012.
One (or two) commencement that really go to me was the Emerson College graduate commencement. I watched it for the heck of it yesterday (yes, they graduated on a Monday.) Though I wasn't filled with pride to see the graduates because I didn't know who they were, I really liked the offical commencement speeches from the designated speaker, student speaker, and president of the university (who is black, by the way :P). I fell in love with the school all over again. Dr. Pelton's speech almost made me cry. He mentioned something about communication, and I was sent into reflection of my personal journey.
I learned two summers ago that one of my spiritual gifts is creative communication. I have a creative way of sharing things and telling stories to people. After that moment, I got into crafts, a little dabble here and there. Now I have a special craft box with all of my happy supplies, including paints, glues, ribbons, and wooden letters. Craft time for me is a very happy time for me. I crank up my music, break out my materials and go to town. I just let my creative juices flow.
I may not be the best verbal communicator, but in other ways I thrive, and I have seen the fruits of sharing my gift with others. When Dr. Pelton mentioned how the graduates were communicators, I felt how true the statement was. Emerson College produces learned communicators in their field of choice. They are artsy people, storytellers, overlookers of those stories, reaching the masses with their craft. That is exactly what I aspire when I start in the fall. I want to become a learned communicator, willing to reach the masses with my story, or rather, bring information and inspiration about hair and fashion. Then I can become a fellow change agent in the great big world.
One last note: Bobbi Brown was honored by her alma mater (Emerson College!) and was awarded an honorary doctorate. I also discovered that she is on one of the boards at Emerson. Can you say possible connection?
One (or two) commencement that really go to me was the Emerson College graduate commencement. I watched it for the heck of it yesterday (yes, they graduated on a Monday.) Though I wasn't filled with pride to see the graduates because I didn't know who they were, I really liked the offical commencement speeches from the designated speaker, student speaker, and president of the university (who is black, by the way :P). I fell in love with the school all over again. Dr. Pelton's speech almost made me cry. He mentioned something about communication, and I was sent into reflection of my personal journey.
I learned two summers ago that one of my spiritual gifts is creative communication. I have a creative way of sharing things and telling stories to people. After that moment, I got into crafts, a little dabble here and there. Now I have a special craft box with all of my happy supplies, including paints, glues, ribbons, and wooden letters. Craft time for me is a very happy time for me. I crank up my music, break out my materials and go to town. I just let my creative juices flow.
I may not be the best verbal communicator, but in other ways I thrive, and I have seen the fruits of sharing my gift with others. When Dr. Pelton mentioned how the graduates were communicators, I felt how true the statement was. Emerson College produces learned communicators in their field of choice. They are artsy people, storytellers, overlookers of those stories, reaching the masses with their craft. That is exactly what I aspire when I start in the fall. I want to become a learned communicator, willing to reach the masses with my story, or rather, bring information and inspiration about hair and fashion. Then I can become a fellow change agent in the great big world.
One last note: Bobbi Brown was honored by her alma mater (Emerson College!) and was awarded an honorary doctorate. I also discovered that she is on one of the boards at Emerson. Can you say possible connection?
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