Welp, I did it - I am officially an alum of Illinois State University. On Friday, May 9, 2014, I graduated with my B.A. in Spanish Education with a minor in TESOL. It still hasn't really sunk in that I worked my way through four years of my undergraduate career! These past four years have been the greatest four years I could have ever asked for. I "grew up" and experienced the life that every college kid deserves - which DOES include a roller coaster of emotions and opportunities that I will likely never have again.
From meeting my randomly assigned roommate the very first day, I knew that my college experience was going to be special. What are the odds that Annie and I would end up living together almost every year at ISU and become the best of friends? I wonder what the statistics are of people who actually enjoy living with their randomly assigned roommate(s) from freshman year so much that they stick together until the end - probably not very high. It is really interesting being able to share my four years alongside the same person and notice each other's highs and lows, emotional, physical, mental growths, and spill our guts to one another. Love you Annie!!
Being involved with the university is something that really made me fall in love with ISU. I met so many amazing friends, colleagues, and faculty mentors who I learned so much from. All of my interactions with these people inspired me to become the best person that I can be, and to enjoy these four years because there will never be another time in my life quite like them. The ISU Spanish Club, Spanish Honor Society (Sigma Delta Pi), Honors Program, study abroad semester, as well as random campus-related events and off-campus events allowed me to meet individuals from diverse backgrounds. I would not have made it through these four years without all of the wonderful friends I made these past four years. I never thought I could build such strong connections with so many people in such a short amount of time - and manage to keep in touch with each other!! To my friends at ISU who are also graduating: I wish you the best, best, best of luck in all of your endeavors! Live your lives to the fullest and always, always, always stay optimistic. Pursue whatever makes you happy and you will find your true passions in life!
Working at the Athletic Study Center helped to prepare me as an educator because I gained valuable insight into the complex lives of student-athletes and the many responsibilities they hold. I learned to be flexible in my teaching methods as well as build personal relationships with a different student-group that was unfamiliar to me. Working as an ESL Tutor at Heartland Community College with the adult program was insightful in that I worked with students from all over the world - Ghana, Egypt, Mexico, Guatemala, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Turkey, India, among others. I loved sharing my American lifestyle with the students while also learning about their lifestyles and cultures. Essentially, what I love about teaching is that I often learn just as much as I do the teaching!
My love of languages and cultures originally developed from my experiences with the Spanish-language and Hispanic cultures throughout junior high and high school. Coming to ISU, my mind was opened even further, and I was exposed to languages and cultures from all over the world, which piqued my interest and passion to pursue the opportunity to travel abroad. Ultimately, my decision to teach English abroad in South Korea was heavily influenced by my interactions with others and my growing enthusiasm for ESL and teaching in general.
My friends from home could never be forgotten, either - I didn't come to college with a huge amount of close friends in the first place. My BFFs back home - you know who you are - I love you all to pieces and I would not be in the position I am in today if it were not for all of your love and support. I have loved growing even closer to you all even when we are all on our own paths. Our reunions when we were all back home made our time together even more special, and every summer I was always ready to recover all of our lost time together from the school year!
And finally, my family!!! My mom, dad, and older brother are the best support group I could ever ask for. They have truly inspired me and supported me throughout my four years at ISU. They encouraged me to try new things and really discover who I am while at ISU. Even though we weren't too far from each other, it was the perfect distance. They gave me my independence but were readily waiting with open arms when I needed some home-cooked meal or a shoulder to cry on. Thank you for everything, mom, dad, and Wes - I couldn't have done it without you!
OK -- enough sappiness. As many of you know, I leave to teach English in South Korea on July 4th (ironic?). I will be gone for about 13 months, but can choose to renew my contract for an additional 1-2 years, should I desire to do so - we will just have to see! Being awarded as a Fulbright Grantee, some of the local news organizations reached out to me and asked to conduct some interviews. I feel really lucky and overwhelmed at times about receiving this attention, but I aspire to be a positive role model and cultural ambassador for ISU and our country. The amount of support I have received from everyone is so amazing - I cannot thank you all enough. I feel so blessed and humbled by this opportunity, and I am excited to share my experiences with you all, right here on this blog - through words, photos, videos, and beyond! Below are links to the articles that I had the pleasure of being interviewed for.
The Vidette (ISU's School Newspaper)
Fulbright Award recipients to teach abroad
The Pantagraph (Bloomington-Normal and surrounding area local newspaper)
Global graduate - Unlikely path leads ISU student to Korea
WJBC (Central Illinois local radio station)
ISU's Fulbright Scholars look ahead to big trips
The News Gazette (Champaign area newspaper)
Mahomet globetrotter bound for South Korea
Thanks for reading, everyone - talk to you soon!
From meeting my randomly assigned roommate the very first day, I knew that my college experience was going to be special. What are the odds that Annie and I would end up living together almost every year at ISU and become the best of friends? I wonder what the statistics are of people who actually enjoy living with their randomly assigned roommate(s) from freshman year so much that they stick together until the end - probably not very high. It is really interesting being able to share my four years alongside the same person and notice each other's highs and lows, emotional, physical, mental growths, and spill our guts to one another. Love you Annie!!
Being involved with the university is something that really made me fall in love with ISU. I met so many amazing friends, colleagues, and faculty mentors who I learned so much from. All of my interactions with these people inspired me to become the best person that I can be, and to enjoy these four years because there will never be another time in my life quite like them. The ISU Spanish Club, Spanish Honor Society (Sigma Delta Pi), Honors Program, study abroad semester, as well as random campus-related events and off-campus events allowed me to meet individuals from diverse backgrounds. I would not have made it through these four years without all of the wonderful friends I made these past four years. I never thought I could build such strong connections with so many people in such a short amount of time - and manage to keep in touch with each other!! To my friends at ISU who are also graduating: I wish you the best, best, best of luck in all of your endeavors! Live your lives to the fullest and always, always, always stay optimistic. Pursue whatever makes you happy and you will find your true passions in life!
Working at the Athletic Study Center helped to prepare me as an educator because I gained valuable insight into the complex lives of student-athletes and the many responsibilities they hold. I learned to be flexible in my teaching methods as well as build personal relationships with a different student-group that was unfamiliar to me. Working as an ESL Tutor at Heartland Community College with the adult program was insightful in that I worked with students from all over the world - Ghana, Egypt, Mexico, Guatemala, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Turkey, India, among others. I loved sharing my American lifestyle with the students while also learning about their lifestyles and cultures. Essentially, what I love about teaching is that I often learn just as much as I do the teaching!
My love of languages and cultures originally developed from my experiences with the Spanish-language and Hispanic cultures throughout junior high and high school. Coming to ISU, my mind was opened even further, and I was exposed to languages and cultures from all over the world, which piqued my interest and passion to pursue the opportunity to travel abroad. Ultimately, my decision to teach English abroad in South Korea was heavily influenced by my interactions with others and my growing enthusiasm for ESL and teaching in general.
My friends from home could never be forgotten, either - I didn't come to college with a huge amount of close friends in the first place. My BFFs back home - you know who you are - I love you all to pieces and I would not be in the position I am in today if it were not for all of your love and support. I have loved growing even closer to you all even when we are all on our own paths. Our reunions when we were all back home made our time together even more special, and every summer I was always ready to recover all of our lost time together from the school year!
And finally, my family!!! My mom, dad, and older brother are the best support group I could ever ask for. They have truly inspired me and supported me throughout my four years at ISU. They encouraged me to try new things and really discover who I am while at ISU. Even though we weren't too far from each other, it was the perfect distance. They gave me my independence but were readily waiting with open arms when I needed some home-cooked meal or a shoulder to cry on. Thank you for everything, mom, dad, and Wes - I couldn't have done it without you!
OK -- enough sappiness. As many of you know, I leave to teach English in South Korea on July 4th (ironic?). I will be gone for about 13 months, but can choose to renew my contract for an additional 1-2 years, should I desire to do so - we will just have to see! Being awarded as a Fulbright Grantee, some of the local news organizations reached out to me and asked to conduct some interviews. I feel really lucky and overwhelmed at times about receiving this attention, but I aspire to be a positive role model and cultural ambassador for ISU and our country. The amount of support I have received from everyone is so amazing - I cannot thank you all enough. I feel so blessed and humbled by this opportunity, and I am excited to share my experiences with you all, right here on this blog - through words, photos, videos, and beyond! Below are links to the articles that I had the pleasure of being interviewed for.
The Vidette (ISU's School Newspaper)
Fulbright Award recipients to teach abroad
The Pantagraph (Bloomington-Normal and surrounding area local newspaper)
Global graduate - Unlikely path leads ISU student to Korea
WJBC (Central Illinois local radio station)
ISU's Fulbright Scholars look ahead to big trips
The News Gazette (Champaign area newspaper)
Mahomet globetrotter bound for South Korea
Thanks for reading, everyone - talk to you soon!