Reflecting...

Senior Week starts this week and I'm excited to start the festivities! At the same time it's bittersweet- this is the last week I'll be spending with a lot of my friends for I don't know how long.  My good friend Emily, who I've become most close with this semester, lives in Oklahoma and I truly don't know the next time I will see her after she leaves.  I also have many friends who live in New York.  It's hard and kind of upsetting to think about this so I just want to spend as much time with them as I can this last week together.  Thinking about the last four years, I realized how much I have changed and grown.  Freshman year, I joined SGA and I went along with it thinking that it was just something fun to do and to get involved.  I met some great people and continued to do it for the time I have been here.  This past year, I decided to be an RA in order to continue to live on campus, but not only that, I wanted to become more of a leader, develop more, and learn how to confront difficult issues (considering I'm not a confrontational person.)  Along the way I have gained some friends, and lost some friends.  Some friends have remained the same the entire friendship and some have changed and due to that, I am no longer friends with them. 

1. I have never really thought of myself as a leader until this past year.  I took a step back and realized just how much  involved I really am.  I truly do not know how I don't go crazy.  Between

• RA
• SGA
• Tennis
• Tour guide
• Student Blogger
• 5 year MBA program
• Student Orientation Counselor
• Student Alumni Association 

I'd say I really am involved!  Due to this, I was nominated as a potential candidate for Student Leader of the Year and Resident Assistant of the Year!  It was a great honor to just be nominated.  I was nominated by advisers, however, students voted for who they wanted to win.  To my shock, I won both Student Leader of the Year and Resident Assistant of the Year! I was so so so shocked, that I cried! I just could not get over the fact that I had won and that my advisers and peers think of me that way.  It was so nice to see that my hard work and dedication the past 4 years is noticed.
It makes me sad to know that I'm graduating.  I feel like everyone else is so excited about graduation and I'm excited as well, however I'm sad at the same time.  I just feel like I'm so involved in school that after I graduate, what am I going to do with my life?!  My MBA classes do start 10 tens after graduation so I will still be pursuing my masters, but I just don't know what I will do with all of my time.  I didn't receive the position I applied for so I feel that I am in a fork in the road and do not know what direction to go in.  For someone who always know what they have to do and always sets plans, you can see why this is difficult for me.  I know everything happens for a reason, so when an opportunity arises (and I hope soon!) I hope to take it.  In the mean time, I will embrace my last week here as an undergrad here at Albertus and make the best of it.

Here are some pictures from the Annual Student Services Awards Nights:

Kaitlyn Dyleski and Erin Morrell, Assistant Dean for Campus Activities & Orientation & I w/ my awards

SGA board and volunteers

Resident Assistants for the 2012-2013 school year

Me, Maritza, Emily, & AHD & former RA Pedro- we have all won RA of the year the past 4 years!

Erin Morrell & I

After receiving a certificate for participating as a Student Orientation Counselor

Justin Cirisoli, Director of Residential Life & I with my plaque for RA of the Year

Justin Cirisoli, Kim Martinez, Director of Student Life & I

Spring Jam- May 5th 2013

 

I'm sorry I haven't been blogging much lately, I have been so busy working, my birthday weekend got me side tracked, prepping students for move out and SGA events!  One of the last events that we hold every year is Spring Jam which was held on May 5th, 2013 (and it also just so happens to be my birthday! 22)  We met up at 10 am to eat breakfast and began set up at around 10:45.  My job was to fill up the water balloons for the water balloon toss, but others set up tables and helped Fun Enterprises set up with their novelties.  Each year we have a different theme; last year it was Olympics (in honor of the Summer Olympics being held in London) but this year it was pirates.  For lunch for residents, we had our annual barbeque outside with burgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, potato salad, chips and soda.  We also had a mechanical shark, for students to ride on, henna tattoos, airbrush bandanas, and photo scope key chains!  It was a beautiful 75 degrees in New Haven that day and many students as well as family members of students came to enjoy the fun.  We also had fun events and contests going on during the day on the former softball field.  We had a water balloon toss, bobbing for apples contest, three-legged race, and a wheelbarrow contest!

Here's some photos from throughout the day:

Novelties and mechanical shark in the Tiers Parking Lot

BBQ in front of Aquinas Hall

Activities on the field

Fellow RA Sharinna and I- each student received a Spring Jam shirt but SGA members received bandanas to wear

Getting a "Big Girl" Job

I had my first job interview last Thursday, and honestly it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be!  Of course I dressed professional and brought my resume, cover letter and padfolio (if you don't have one, you should get one!)  The two women who interviewed me were very nice and I was asked some tough questions but I was able to answer them.  I feel that they knew I was a bit nervous, and this kind of helped me because right when I came in they told me that I didn't have to be nervous because it would be a bit informal.  I was called Friday afternoon for a second interview and went yesterday (Monday) for the second interview with the president of the company and the vice president of finance.  I was so nervous but we did the interview and I received a tour around the office.  It was cool getting to see everyone's little cubicle because I had never seen something like that before.  The company is very small, and I feel as  if this would be a good transition for me, considering that Albertus is so small.  Going from a small school to a small company would help me ease into the job better.  They are still interviewing other applicants, so I'll find out soon what the end results will be.  I know regardless of what happens, I will find a job where I can learn and grow and gain experience.  I think being involved so much on campus has definitely helped me as well.  I was actually nominated for Student Leader of the Year and RA of the year, so I will find out if I won those next Monday at the Student Services Awards Ceremony.

Comedian/ Magician John Cassidy

Last night we had our first magician of the year come to school and entertain the students!  John Cassidy is a world known magician, comedian, and balloon artist who provided lots of excitement to our student body.  We had a great turn out, and that was due to lots of advertising.  For bigger events, we use chalk to write on sidewalks so students can see it when entering buildings, as well as hand out flyers, write on sandwich boards and white boards.  We had about 40-50 students attend the event and I was happy to see that everyone enjoyed themselves.  It gets hard towards the end of the year, especially when spring is here because finals are coming up and the students get restless.  John asked for volunteers throughout the show and performed magic tricks with them.  He also made amazing balloon animals like nothing I've ever seen!  He actually holds the world record of creating the fastest balloon animal and is even in the Guiness Book of World Records!  He made Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, flowers, giraffs, a zebra, a turtle, a monkey on a tree, a butterfly, a huge dog, and so much more! John even blew up a huge balloon with a blower that is used to blow leaves and actually fit himself into it to find a card while doing a magic trick.  He had an empty bag that had a zippor and showed us the inside of it which was empty.  He then pulled out a dove, which is his bird named Steve.  Overall, it was a great event and many students enjoyed it, especially because they got to take home huge balloon animals.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any pictures because at John's request, he did not want any video or pictures taken, but I was able to find some online:



  He actually performed for Michelle Obama!

Internship Opportunities

Have you looked around for an internship with no luck?  Well that's me lately and it's discouraging!  For every job that I have been applying to after I graduate, it says that you need 1-2 years experience.  How am I supposed to find experience when no one will hire me?!  It's so frustrating, however I decided to use connections.  By using people you know, you never know what door will open for you.  I went from having zero options to having three!  I contacted a friend that I knew when I was a freshman at Albertus.  She was a senior and on SGA and I was close with her.  I haven't talked to her since freshman year, however she did an internship at Bill Miller's Castle located in Branford right after she graduated.  I know I want to go into event coordinating, so I figured I would give her a call and see if she could find me an internship opportunity.  It turned out that she was able to and also gave me some advice.  The next day, I received a call from the owner of Bill Miller's Castle and set up an interview for the next day!  I went to the interview, which was pretty casual and she showed me around the place.  It was cool to see what the castle looked like inside- it is typically used for weddings and other banquets.  I was offered the position, however I probably won't start until the summer.  I also heard about another internship opportunity through my advisor at school, Tim Raynor.  He sends out emails weekly about internship or job opportunities that have recently opened.  The third internship opportunity was sent to me through Stefanie Seslar who works in the alumni office.  Being on Student Alumni Association, Stefanie sent me the link to the internship via email.  The internship would allow me to work in the alumni office and learn about marketing and alumni relations.  It would be 100 hours to complete and it would be a paid internship which would be awesome to save up money for graduate school.  I feel like whatever decision I make, it will be for the bettering of myself.  Ultimately, I need to realize that I need to make myself happy.  Sometimes I feel as if I push myself too far, or do things just to please other people even if it is at the expense of my happiness.  I'm only 21 and I want to ensure that after graduation, I have something set up for myself. 

Cherry Blossom Festival

 

Today was such a beautiful spring day!  I finally feel like spring is here- let's just hope that it is here to stay!  Every semester, the honors club picks an outing to go to so we can all bond and have fun together.  This semester, we decided to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival which is held every year in downtown New Haven near Wooster Square.  We plan on going this Sunday April 14th.  If you live in the area and want a fun outing to attend, you should go!  There will be a variety of food booths, art-related events, activities for children and pets, and lots more!  There will be live entertainment as well as going to see the cherry blossom trees which are so pretty.  Wooster Square park is about a 5-10 minute walk from the New Haven Green.  You can park anywhere on the street and just pay the meter for as long as you think you'll be there.  Along with the festival, there are many shops and restaurants to stop into.  You truly can find anything in Downtown New Haven as long as you look!  There are so many hole-in-the-wall places that you really have to keep your eyes open otherwise you will miss it.  Hopefully you can attend and have a great time!  For more information you can visit their website here

Are you "LinkedIn" ?

This week, I created a LinkedIn account on www.linkedin.com.  This is a great website to show potential employers what you've got!  Signing up was free and you create your own page.  It's almost like creating a online resume that everyone can look at.  You can connect with people and explain how you know them through networks you have worked at or organizations you have both participated in.  You can list your job experience, what you want to get out of having your LinkedIn page (summary), organizations or experience that you have earned,  awards or honors you have received, skills and interests, or even courses you have taken.  Once you've "connected" with people, these individuals can endorse on your page your skills that you have.  So, for example, if you connect with your manager, they can endorse you for having customer service skills.  This shows to potential employers that someone has noticed you have these type of skills.  You can even see company officials and view their LinkedIn accounts.  I checked in on my LinkedIn account today and it said that the Senior Vice President for Diversity at Abercrombie and Fitch looked at my page- pretty cool!
I really would suggest creating a LinkedIn page, especially if you are graduating in the near future.  Not only does it put your name out there, but you could connect with others and find some job opportunities.