50% done- WHAT?!

I'm halfway done with grad school. It hasn't quite sunk in yet, and likely won't until I return back in the fall to welcome a new cohort of students. Suddenly I will be the expert on things and will be helping the 'younglings' find their way. Seems like yesterday that was me.

I haven't had the chance to blog this semester, but don't want to get any further behind, so here is my sophomore semester in review!

 In January I attended my first TEDx event, which was awesome! If you are unfamiliar with TEDx, you can check it out here: https://www.ted.com/tedx

Also in January, my brother Dan and sister-in-law Alex came for a visit! It was SO great to spend some time with them and explore a bit of Georgia and South Carolina. The photo above is us standing in front of the Angel Oak tree, the oldest living thing on this side of the Rocky Mountains!

In Columbia with my sister Alex

Masquerade Party 

In February, the second years who opted to take the cumulative graduation exam, finished their exam and came running out of the College of Education building, Wardlaw, to find lots of excited friends and co-workers ready to celebrate with them. The photo above is with my friend Chika, who I signed up to encourage anonymously the few weeks leading up to the exam. The "COMPS buddies" were not revealed until the day of the exam. Go Chika!

Celebrating with my spuddy Dillon (red jacket) after he finished the COMPS exam.

Later in February, it was time for GARP, the HESA graduate assistant recruitment process. This is what prospective HESA grad students attended in order to interview for assistantships and learn more about the program. Hard to believe just one year prior, that was me arriving in South Carolina, unaware that I would soon be moving down to join the program!

#IPledgeAllegianceToTheSwag sharing some LOVE at GARP

Next up was the Color Run! This was my first 5k, and was a BLAST! You can see the before and after photos above- we were covered in color by the end of it. Definitely a memorable first 5k!

My good friend Lydia came back down for a visit in March, and we inevitably had to reunite our ladies for a girls night! Lydia and Joanna (above) were the first two gals I met when I moved down to Columbia-- I am beyond thankful for them!

Birthday fun! I have some awesome friends who made me feel pretty darn loved on my birthday.

My family away from home!

Right after my birthday, I had two special visitors from Iowa: Alexa and Tess! They came down for a visit over Easter and it was a blast! We had a lovely trip to Charleston and enjoyed lots of down time to just catch up on life.

Enjoying a day at the Columbia zoo/gardens with Tess and Alexa

In April, the 6 gals who have opted to write a thesis for graduation went to one of our professors', Dr. Rotholz, cabin up in North Carolina for a weekend. It was our "writing weekend" to get into the mountains and find some inspiration for our big milestone paper. I think everyone who went would agree that it was one AMAZING weekend that we cannot wait to relive in the fall for round two. The photo above are the six of us who will be writing theses together over these next 9 months.

The thesis writers, "Paradigms in Paradise", posing for our band photo. Watch for our debut single coming in August 2013!

In March, I was honored to be elected as Vice President of Chi Sigma Alpha, the Student Affairs honors society at USC. This photo is the Chi Sigma Alpha executive team with the SPA (Student Personnel Association) executive team during a collaborating brunch. This is a terrific bunch of fellow students that I am thrilled to work with over this next year.

 The grad and RM staff of Family & Graduate Housing that I have had the privilege of working with this past year. Each one of them has taught me so much!

My lovely cohort of classmates at the end of the year banquet! We are halfway done!

  

End of the year banquet with good friends

My co-worker Lori and I in our "Sunday Best" at the Housing end of the year banquet.

So where does that leave me now? Well, in 6 days, I will be flying to Alaska where I will be working as a summer intern at the University of Alaska-Anchorage with summer conferences. I cannot wait for this next adventure in my grad school experience, and have created a blog I will be using while there, which I will post in the near future. Upon returning to USC in August, I will be starting my new graduate assistantship in International Student Services. I will be back in my "element" working with international students and am absolutely STOKED to see what this next year will bring.

Looking back at year one, it has been a year of growth, blessings, and refinement. I've made unforgettable relationships, been challenged in fruitful ways, and have learned more than I thought possible.  I've changed and grown in ways that words cannot describe, yet provide my feeble attempt to explain. So now as I sit here and write this, I count my blessings. I realize how good I have it. I am grateful for an amazingly supportive family who I have missed immensely these past 9 months. I am grateful for friends who love me despite my flaws, despite my imperfections. I am thankful for the opportunity to live in a country where I can pursue a Master's degree and get one step closer to my career aspirations. I am thankful for professors who show me that I have potential- that I have something to give to this world, and who continually show me how. I am thankful for coworkers who push me to be my best, and who encourage me to build on my strengths instead of dwell on my weaknesses. And above all, I am thankful for a God who loves me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (yes, even 366 days during leap years)!

Don't forget to count your own blessings- it is a powerful and empowering thing to do. Lets kick off our summers being thankful for how good we all have it. Sending some love your way!