Not Abandoning Y'all...

I promise!

I'm currently at the Republican National Convention working for CNN and reporting for BSU...no posting until it's over!

The Grad School Chronicles: Part I {The Applications}

The time has come. I'm applying to grad school for my masters in higher education and student affairs. Finally. 

For the past year or so, I have poured over graduate program databases, talked with people from different institutions, sought advice from mentors at my own institution, researched the type of degree/program/assistantship hiring process, studied for the GRE, and looked up ideal locations (including nearby ultimate frisbee leagues) in order to find the right fits for me. My ideal schools took up one Google spreadsheet and I had a complex ranking system in place to help me decide which schools are the best to apply to.     

My year's worth of research led me to my final three (in no particular order)...drum roll, please: 

1. University of Maryland - College Park
2. Arizona State University
3. University of Arizona

Now that I know where I'm applying, I can put the majority of my energy into writing my personal statements, updating my resume/CV, and taking the GRE. 

Be on the lookout for more tales from my Grad School Chronicles (GSC) as the process unfolds! 

The Beginning of the End

September will mark the beginning of my final year at Bridgewater State. Honestly, it's weird to type out those words and see them on my computer screen. I can't believe how fast four years flew by! Not only does September mark the beginning of the end of some really great things, it also marks the beginning of some even greater things.

The End of:

• My research. Yesterday marked the one year mark for my thesis project on rhetoric and immigration, and come May it will be all over. I've put a very large part of myself into this project and am excited to finally see the end result. 
• My time with the Social Justice League. I joined SJL the second week of my freshman year and never looked back. It's going to be sad to leave an organization that has helped me grow so much, but I'm excited to end my time with SJL as the chief point person. 
• My job at the RCC. I've been truly blessed by my tenure at the RCC. I've been given so many opportunities, worked with and for some of the best people on campus, and found a real passion for the Student Affairs Field. 

The Beginning of:

• My journey to grad school . I've put tons of energy into researching the right type of program, location, school, and studying for the GRE for over a year. Now, I finally get to put all of that energy into applying to my "final four" (schools to be revealed at a later date). 
• Living on my own. I'm moving into the guest room of two of my really great friends' house to be closer to school and take my long overdue crack at true independence. This is good practice for my big relocation to wherever I'm going for grad school next summer.  
• An adventure with someone I really care about. I've recently entered a relationship with a pretty awesome guy, and I'm really happy. Right now we're separated by a pretty steep distance, but I'm excited to see how we grow, both in our relationship and as individuals, over the course of the next few months. 

The stories on this blog are going to get more exciting as time goes on, so be sure to stick around!