Saturday, May 2, 2009

It's almost over...?


I don't know how it happened. I really don't. But here I am, 2 weeks away from my own graduation, and the end of my academic career at Rockhurst.
Well, my big news stands: I will be attending the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry this fall in pursuit of a Master's of Theological Studies! I ended up getting accepted into 5 of the 6 schools I applied to (including Notre Dame, which was a complete shock to me), and the final decision process was arduous...but eventually everything just clicked in my head, and I'm moving to Boston with no backward glances. Sometimes the right path just shows itself, and I know this was the best choice for me academically and socially.
Until then, though, I still need to graduate! The picture is of me re-presenting a nonfiction piece at the Festival of Student Achievement--I presented it initially at the Sigma Tau Delta National conference in Minneapolis. Most of my large projects are done (including an hour-long lecture my advisor let me deliver to his junior-level Theology class!) and after two finals...I'll have a degree!
This summer's plans worked out exactly as I hoped they would--I'm spending my third and final rotation as a Conference Assistant, a job that I've truly enjoyed the past two years. I also get to keep working in Admissions--yay! My hope is to move sometime in August, but as I'm waiting for housing information to come through, I'm still not sure when exactly.
I'm just happy that I get the extra time to say goodbye to Rockhurst! I don't even know if I'd recognize myself four years ago...this school has given me more opportunities to grow as a student and a person than I would have thought possible in a university. Think it's a coincidence that I'm doing my grad work at another Jesuit school? Think again :-)

Bahamas: Better late than...


Well, it has been awhile...but I wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to share my experience in January!
Just before the beginning of second semester, I was able to go on my 2nd international service trip with Rockhurst. The first was to Honduras. This time, I was selected for the group going to the Bahamas. It was a little difficult sometimes trying to convince people we were going there for *service,* but I knew at the first informational meeting that that was the trip I wanted to be on.
We had a week out of the country, and we split our time between two islands--Nassau, the main tourist spot, and Andros, the largest island of the Bahamas. While Nassau was an interesting visit, it was impossible not to fall completely in love with Andros. I'm not an outdoorsy person, generally...but with consistent weather and an apparent immunity to all the allergens of the islands, I was more than happy to enjoy nature to its fullest.
Of our days on Andros, we spent two pulling up an invasive plant species (scaevola! evil!) and one cutting a new trail to a blue hole, a natural phenomenon that can be found in the Bahamas more numerously than anywhere else on the planet. It was tough work, but our group bonded like I didn't believe possible in the course of one week.
Coming back, what have I learned? I learned that it's never too late to make 9 new best friends. I truly saw and understood, for the first time, how environmental damage affects everything and everyone. And I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that no tourist resort, anywhere in the world, could possibly rival what no person built.
If I ever have the chance in my lifetime to return to Andros...I'm going. It and the people there are representative of the best in existence.