“Look you guys, don’t you think clothes I bought the girl of our adopt-a-family are cute?” Ms.Renn mentioned, “I have to say the doll she asked for kind of freaks me out.” Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), even though the named seemed extremely boring, was a club I enjoy in various ways. I never thought that in a club I had avoided all my freshmen year would become not only part of my daily schedule, but also part of me. It is that section of my day that complements my interconnected parts of nerdy-ness and love for business. A moment and place where analyzing current events is not looked down but actually enjoyed by all group members. FBLA allowed me to become and grow with a community, satisfy my daily dose of business, and give back to the community that has seen me grow.
As I stepped into room 440 I didn’t see what I related to as a club meeting, I saw students from every possible school clique talking about the same things and helping each other with various task. What I saw was a community, a community that slowly enabled me to put my defensive wall down and really allowed me to know people. I was able to talk to students I would never imagined I would talk to. Slowly, I began to see how much in common I had with students I once thought were snobby and hard to get along with. Through the diversity of the group but also the cohesiveness I was not only introduced to a wide variety of perspective, but also got to understand the difference in thought of each individual. Together, as a whole, we set common goals and did everything to obtain them. On our way to that very satisfying line of completion I was able to grow, but also see how others grew with me. By something as simple as selling poinsettias during Christmas for our adopt-a-family I gained the confidence to step in front of a complete stranger and communicate smoothly and assertively what the group was doing and what for. On the other hand I saw how group member put their defensive barriers down, gained self-esteem, gained patience, and began to except rejection.
Analyzing current events to my friends and classmates was something really weird and very nerdy, but it was what interested me. It was something I enjoyed and at times found very relaxing. Unlike the classroom, home, or my friend FBLA provided me with the academic atmosphere specialized in business I couldn’t find anywhere else. It was a place where I knew I could talk about the current APR rate or how inflation affected banks and not get looked at funny. Not only did I enjoy sharing my intriguing findings of articles in the business section of the news paper, but so did everyone else. It was that section in my day where I shared, but also gain knowledge and expanded my business literacy. Soon being in FBLA became a need like a daily drug, a drug that satisfied my hunger to know more. My daily dose of business was greatly fulfilled.
Even though FBLA was a community of business nerds working and developing relationships with each other, it expanded beyond those boundaries. Stepping out of the APR rates and current events provided an even wider spectrum of business. We did work together within the school to raise money to go to the State Leadership Conference, but we stepped out of the box as we began to sell poinsettias to our community to adopt a family in need during the Christmas season. Only worrying about getting the money to cross everything off on the Santa list, allowed us to explore a macroeconomics environment. It also allowed us to give back to the community; the community that had seen me grow. Smiles formed in every group members face as we saw what we had accomplished to buy our adopted family. A family in need that had no control over their economic status, a family that could easily have been one of ours.
As my junior year came to an end and my senior year is a approaching I began to analyze my rigid curriculum and the time I will be able to work with. I easily realized that the amount of time I will have to waste is at a minimum, which is why I decided to focus on what I found the most important to me. Being part of FBLA the past years has let me grow on my business literacy and interactions but also personally. That is why on my list being not only part of FBLA but also of the executive board was highly ranked. My ultimate goal is to provide all members with the positive and constructive experience I was offered. I want every members daily dose of business as well as new experience satisfied just like mine where. I know that every step to achieve my goal will be challenging but allowing students to become part of the community and environment I was introduced to is all worthwhile.
My Hero
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What makes someone a hero? In modern society heroes are portrayed in an extreme ways. We can easily label the handsome, strong, tall man who stops a train before it crashes on a television show as a hero, but what happens to our "Average Joe" heroes. Magnified examples tend to make us lose the image and take for granted the heroes we encounter on a daily basis. The person I admire has an immense impact on my life and can easily be labeled my hero. She may not be perfect but she has taught me everything I know, always been there, and at times believed in me more than I do. That wonderful woman with straight structure, black short hair, and glowing eyes is not only my hero but also my Madre (mom).
As we all know this world has a vast amount of knowledge to learn, analyze, and understand. Once I step back and begin to analyze the knowledge I’ve gained it is easy to acknowledge how I gained it. Whether it has been directly or indirectly I can truly say that everything I have learned is because of my mom. Through the hard life my mom has lived I have not only learned life lessons but also to appreciate everything I have and even the things I may not have in my life at this moment. She has inflicted life morals, values, and goals that have given me tremendous learning opportunities. Whether it has been telling me her life stories, yelling at me, getting me to understand, encouraging me to do better, pushing me, or simply waking me up in the morning to go to school I always have and always will learn something thanks to her.
A fact that I know and will always remain intact is that my mom has always and will always be by my side. She has always been there for me even though I can get on her last nerve. Whether it is something thing as simple as cutting my hair or going through my guy drama, she has always been there. At times I know that she doesn’t agree with what I think or what I do but no matter what she always puts her barriers down to try to understand me. If anything goes wrong I know that she will be there to listen to me but also her shoulder for me to cry on. I know that she will be right next to me the day of my wedding even though she detests the guy that I am marrying.
Out of all the things she does to benefit me and my future way of life, the one thing that has the greatest impact is that at times she believes in me more than I do. It is great to know that even though I may not have the strength or power to push forward, I know that my mom still believes in me. Her believe in me is highly expressed and is the single thing that at times gives me the strength and power I need to do anything. Her push on me gives me the momentum to keep pushing because I know she believes in me and I can’t fail her. Being able to look into her glowing eyes and tell her that I did it is the most satisfying thing. All the things she has done for me that I will never be able to repay her for, are the believe and power behind all my achievements.
There is not a single thing I can say that I have accomplished without my mom. I may have done my homework by myself, but if it wasn’t for my mom pushing me to do it I might not have done it at all. When people see my transcript and congratulate me for my achievements what they don’t see in that piece of paper is the important story. People don’t get to see the great support and fountain of knowledge that my mom has provided me with. They don’t get to see the hardships and struggles and what it took from both of us to overcome it. All they get to see is the finish product.
**I know that life is hard and at times seems pointless but sometimes coming from the bottom makes the top much more satisfying and meaningful.
My First Week as a College Student
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As I look at the list of possible classes I began to analyze my possible choices. History, that is a no I hate lectures. English, a nice possibility I like to write. Native American Studies, sounds very interesting and different. Then I found my perfect match Speech 2410. I automatically disregarded the number and begin to think about the class. It seems easy, to me speech meant talking and who can't talk right. What I was yet to discover would not be as easy as talking.
College 101,a class with my fellow summer scholars, was over and it was time to be a real college classroom. What my teachers had been trying to transmit to me about how different college is since freshmen year was a few steps away. I slowly walked into the classroom analyzing the territory in new jungle waiting to encounter my predator, my professor. Yea, it was nothing like a jungle. There was nothing scary or exhilarating about my professor or my class. At first the atmosphere was bit hostile, the walls were extremely white and boring and I saw people that could be my parents. Nothing was how I had imagined to a certain point being in my seat was intimidating. The blank walls slowly pulled me in and drifted me into my own little world. Avoiding the walls I focus on the professor and the class syllabus. As class concluded I was notified that I had what seemed to me an eternity of homework with a quiz to go with it the next day. Analyzing my class syllabus, my professors introduction of the class, and the amount of homework reality hit me. This was not going to be how I planned, the idea of work and class were about to change.
Everything new I have encountered in my experience so far have made an impacted and helped me gain a more realistic vision of what a college class is going to be like. My professor is not going to be like my teacher, a babysitter waiting to see if I need help with my work or checking if I need make-up work for the days I missed. My grade is really going to depend on me and my responsibility to get things done. The classmates I met not only gave me a age difference but also a vast variety of experienced perspectives. In my first week as a college student I have developed a new more open, independent, and experienced perspective not only about college but also various aspects of life.
By the way, my teachers were right. Now I know that my teachers are right and that they are not just trying to scare me or make me nervous.
College 101,a class with my fellow summer scholars, was over and it was time to be a real college classroom. What my teachers had been trying to transmit to me about how different college is since freshmen year was a few steps away. I slowly walked into the classroom analyzing the territory in new jungle waiting to encounter my predator, my professor. Yea, it was nothing like a jungle. There was nothing scary or exhilarating about my professor or my class. At first the atmosphere was bit hostile, the walls were extremely white and boring and I saw people that could be my parents. Nothing was how I had imagined to a certain point being in my seat was intimidating. The blank walls slowly pulled me in and drifted me into my own little world. Avoiding the walls I focus on the professor and the class syllabus. As class concluded I was notified that I had what seemed to me an eternity of homework with a quiz to go with it the next day. Analyzing my class syllabus, my professors introduction of the class, and the amount of homework reality hit me. This was not going to be how I planned, the idea of work and class were about to change.
Everything new I have encountered in my experience so far have made an impacted and helped me gain a more realistic vision of what a college class is going to be like. My professor is not going to be like my teacher, a babysitter waiting to see if I need help with my work or checking if I need make-up work for the days I missed. My grade is really going to depend on me and my responsibility to get things done. The classmates I met not only gave me a age difference but also a vast variety of experienced perspectives. In my first week as a college student I have developed a new more open, independent, and experienced perspective not only about college but also various aspects of life.
By the way, my teachers were right. Now I know that my teachers are right and that they are not just trying to scare me or make me nervous.
Residential Life
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Time was slowly being consumed and everything I had been working for as well as the whole UNO Multi-Cultural Affairs office was finally coming together and to life. As I prepared myself to take part of the true college experience questions arose. Doubts of the many possibilities of what could happen began to fill and over flow my confused brain. One of those components of experiencing college was living on campus. Even though we were only going to live on campus a short period of time this section of the program was the one that first came to mind and sparked the greatest variation and quantity of questions and doubts. What would happen if I went to the bathroom while someone else wanted too? Worse yet, what would happen in the toilet over flowed? Questions began to pop like cooking popcorn. I was so excited to meet my roommates but most importantly to get away from home, but yet I was nervous about the same things.
As I walked into my comfortable but yet rather blank suite I realized some of my roommates had already arrived but did not really get to meet them as we were all rushing to take part of the exciting Camp Carol Joy Holling. As we unloaded the bus I became “Super Fly”, my team name, and encountered not only my group members but also forty-five new summer scholar faces. During the intense hours spent at the camp I was not only able to meet new people but also see how everyone at different paces stepped out of their comfort zone and not only grew individually but also as a “Super Fly” group. As I committed to the team fifty-foot challenge course I slowly stripped out of my “diva” face into another member of the group working to obtain the ultimate prize of going down the zip line. I began to acknowledge how members who were once scared began to encourage and support those who still were. After satisfaction over flowed our sweaty and tired bodies our fifty-foot challenge no longer matter, the only thing that came to mine was FOOD. I was able to bond with my fellow summer scholars in various ways whether it was fifty feet in the air, on a rock-climbing wall, at the lunch benches, or simply on the grass.
During camp I was able to get to know some but not all of my roommates but it was only a matter of time. Stretching out of my comfort zone did not only take place in the challenge courses but also getting to know and exploring the various perspectives that my roommates allowed me to experience. At first I was a little scared about upsetting one of my roommates as I tend to not think before I speak. I always wondered how they were going to be like. I also did not want anything to go absolutely wrong or embarrassing, like breaking the toilet. The RTA’s did a fabulous job of making sure we did not know each other putting me in a different environment. An environment that made me not only think but to a certain point stress about all the possibilities of what could go wrong, as I also tend to be a little negative.
Of course, I did not break of overflow the toilet. All the stress and worries began to diminish as I began to know all my nice and awesome roommates. I noticed that all I had to worry about was basically common sense things like flushing the toilet. Even though we did share things in common every one of us did have our own different world that made things interesting. During the six days in Scott Hall I got to know all my roommates personalities but also understand and encounter different points of views that broadened my spectrum. All of those different views helped me grow and expand. From this positive experience I am able to have a sense of what it will be like when my freshmen year in college.This whole experience helped me get a feel of what the real “mojo” means.
As I walked into my comfortable but yet rather blank suite I realized some of my roommates had already arrived but did not really get to meet them as we were all rushing to take part of the exciting Camp Carol Joy Holling. As we unloaded the bus I became “Super Fly”, my team name, and encountered not only my group members but also forty-five new summer scholar faces. During the intense hours spent at the camp I was not only able to meet new people but also see how everyone at different paces stepped out of their comfort zone and not only grew individually but also as a “Super Fly” group. As I committed to the team fifty-foot challenge course I slowly stripped out of my “diva” face into another member of the group working to obtain the ultimate prize of going down the zip line. I began to acknowledge how members who were once scared began to encourage and support those who still were. After satisfaction over flowed our sweaty and tired bodies our fifty-foot challenge no longer matter, the only thing that came to mine was FOOD. I was able to bond with my fellow summer scholars in various ways whether it was fifty feet in the air, on a rock-climbing wall, at the lunch benches, or simply on the grass.
During camp I was able to get to know some but not all of my roommates but it was only a matter of time. Stretching out of my comfort zone did not only take place in the challenge courses but also getting to know and exploring the various perspectives that my roommates allowed me to experience. At first I was a little scared about upsetting one of my roommates as I tend to not think before I speak. I always wondered how they were going to be like. I also did not want anything to go absolutely wrong or embarrassing, like breaking the toilet. The RTA’s did a fabulous job of making sure we did not know each other putting me in a different environment. An environment that made me not only think but to a certain point stress about all the possibilities of what could go wrong, as I also tend to be a little negative.
Of course, I did not break of overflow the toilet. All the stress and worries began to diminish as I began to know all my nice and awesome roommates. I noticed that all I had to worry about was basically common sense things like flushing the toilet. Even though we did share things in common every one of us did have our own different world that made things interesting. During the six days in Scott Hall I got to know all my roommates personalities but also understand and encounter different points of views that broadened my spectrum. All of those different views helped me grow and expand. From this positive experience I am able to have a sense of what it will be like when my freshmen year in college.This whole experience helped me get a feel of what the real “mojo” means.
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