I participated in 4-H and later on FFA for many years, competing in livestock shows, national agriscience projects, state fair projects, and public speaking. Although each event benefited me in some way, public speaking was the one that has made the biggest impact on my life. Growing up, I was very shy and quiet. I would not speak unless spoken to and I would never dream of speaking in front of a crowd. That changed, however when I began speaking through 4-H. Even though my speeches were as simple as “How to Bake Cookies,” it helped form me into the confident and profound speaker I am today. As I entered FFA in high school, the speeches I wrote were much more complex, covering anything from the production of crops like cotton, to the benefits of buying organic products. Those speeches had to be a minimum of three pages, and it had to be fully memorized and performed perfectly. When preparing the speech, three printed and bound manuscripts were required; one for each judge. They must be typed in a certain font, with certain margins, and a cover letter. As I enter the room to give my speech, I pass one out to each judge, shake their hand firmly, ask their name, and smile brightly. I then back away, fold my hands politely in front of me and begin speaking, just like I had rehearsed a million times. There is a different type of speaking when involved in FFA, it is called your “speech voice.” The speech voice is loud, steady, slow and emphasized. This sounds easy but it actually takes a lot of practice to master, trust me. Today I still catch myself doing my “speech voice” when talking to anyone professionally. At the end of the three to four minute speech, I ask the judges if they have any questions. They can ask anything they chose, which means I have to not only memorize my speech, but also memorize every little fact and detail about my subject to ensure that I will be able to answer any questions that are given. 
    These speeches may seem silly to some, but because of my many years of experience, I know that I am prepared for any speaking event that may come my way. I enjoy talking to people; it does not bother me to make phone calls or talk in front of large audiences, and I know that I am one step ahead because I have had the practice that many have not yet received. Because of my FFA background, I know that I will be able to excel in the career path I choose. ​

John 8:12 states, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” As people, we are often drawn to all forms of light. Whether it is the warmth of the bright sun, or the safety and comfort of a campfire, light is something that we do not want to live without. Naturally, living in pure darkness can cause pain that can often lead to greater issues, such as depression and sadness. Just like the sun can cure abundance of problems, so can the light of God. The light of the Lord shines unconditionally, His light reaches to anyone who is in need, providing encouragement and protection. Without Jesus’s light, we can grow cold and weary; we stubble and become lost in our own flaws. It is as if we are walking through a dark tunnel, without a candle to guide us. Although accepting Jesus’s light is what He wants from us, we often shield ourselves from His warmth and comfort. Maybe it is because we cannot stand the circle of sin we see ourselves living in when we accept the light He provides, or maybe we just do not take the time to soak in His grace and mercy. Either way, God provides an everlasting light to keep us shining when we have grown cold and bitter and to give us hope when we are feeling lost and alone. Allowing life to be covered in darkness is not what Jesus planned. He encourages everyone to fulfill their hearts with his wonderful grace, and to let his light shine through each individual for the world see. Jesus wants to a set fire in our souls, so we never have to see darkness again. Even though there will be darker and harder times, and it may feel as though his light is dimming, it will never die. Accepting the Lord in every situation, and trusting in His plan, will allow the light to gleam through any problem. By shining the Lord’s light, it will bring others to shine His light as well. 1 Peter 2:9 states, “You can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.” When you are feeling lost and afraid, call out to the Lord’s light, for it is the light of life and it will always provide. ​

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OU is a big place. Every corner of campus is filled with people and buildings and really just a whole lot of clutter. Sometimes finding a place to be comfortable seems impossible, but I found my favorite place during my first semester here. It is not a special place and it is not even a private place. My space is right in the middle of Gaylord Hall, sitting on one of those big couches. They are very comfy. I think the reason I find this space so relaxing because it allows me to lean back and work without being rushed or under pressure. I can sit there all day and not feel like someone is waiting for me to leave. Not that I would sit there all day though, that would be weird.  I also enjoy the people that come and go through the building. Because it is in the lobby area, there is plenty of traffic moving through. It’s not loud traffic so it’s not distracting, but it allows for people watching, and that my friend is quality entertainment. It’s the perfect spot because I can study all I want, but if i get bored I can just look up and bam: someone’s brought in their larping gear. 
Some people find the library to be the best place on campus, others find a coffee shop or a place in the Union. To me, I want a place where I will not feel bad if I make a little noise, but also a place that is quiet enough to focus. The lobby area of Gaylord creates that space for me. There’s also multiple perks to this spot, like the computer lab which is about five feet from the couch, and the vending machine room, which is more than five feet but totally worth the walk. Little things like this make that big cushy couch the best place to study, do homework, or even catch up on Netflix while waiting for class to start. I’m not saying I do that, but if I did it would be good place for it. 
In a area that is big, crowed, and extremely diverse, it is hard finding those comfortable spots where everything feels familiar. I am definitely a creature of habit and I dislike change, so I’m happy to have that couch, it’s the closest thing to home I’ve found on campus and it’s one I’ll stick to until I graduate.

I have always had an act for anything fun and crafty. My grandfather was an artist so I guess you can say it runs in the blood. Any type of designing, creating, or styling was something that has been a hobby of mine ever since I was young. My other hobby was keeping everything in order and being in control by choosing my own path for everything I did. I wasn’t sure when I was younger what these specific attributes would do to benefit my career, but once I entered Student Council in high school, it all became more clear. I was in charge everything public relations related for my school, which meant planning events and fundraisers, getting the word out about games, activities, and other important news, and making sure that everything student council did remained positive and held in good light. I enjoyed my participation in the public relations department of student council so much, that I decided to go a little deeper and choose it as my major. I wasn’t sure at the time what PR officially was, but as I continued taking classes and learning more about the field, I never doubted that it was the right choice for me. Today, I am close to graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations with a Minor in Enterprise Studies from the University of Oklahoma. With that, I plan to become an event planner for weddings, parties, and other activities. I know my characteristics that I have had since I was young will allow me to accomplish great things in the future. For now, I am taking interest in small events, helping with local event planners in Norman, Oklahoma. I know the more experience I receive now, the better off I will be after I graduate. Out of my experiences so far, my ideal choice of an event is a wedding. The elegant designs, beautiful scenes and joyful people help create such a positive atmosphere for everyone involved. My assistance with weddings has mostly involved set up and clean up, designing some of the decorations, and escorting people to the appropriate seat. Although weddings are preferred, any event I participate in is satisfying because I know that I can help turn an average night into something memorable for anyone who is present. I know my consistent motivation, strong work ethic, and steady support system will push me to succeed in the path I have once again made for myself. ​

As my previous blog post discusses, I was blessed enough to receive a scholarship to Rose state College for soccer during my first two years of college. Once again, it was one crazy ride.
     All my life, I had been a good player, I was able to stand out on every team I played on. I knew this team would be different, but I wasn’t expecting what was coming for me. My life was almost like a series of unfortunate events for the first few months, going something like this…
Day 1 of pre-season:
6 a.m – run until you are throwing up, and then go run some more. 
10 a.m  – very hard and confusing drills that make you look like you have never touched a ball before.
7 p.m – a pick up game with teammates you have never met, creating nothing but frustration and a clear failure in the “team chemistry” area. 
By the end of the day I was tired, sore, and most definitely ready for bed, too bad I had homework. The next day was a lot like the first and it just kept going after that, but it did get better. I made friends and my team and I began to bond and build great relationships. By the second week of preseason everything I did revolved around soccer, even my dreams. By the third week I was so physically exhausted that I started contemplating my decision to play, and basically every decision leading up to that point. I was ready for a break. Luckily we got one, well kinda. My coach gave us a weekend off before we started the actual season (such the vacation, right?) Our first game is one that I will remember for the rest of my life, it was pretty much one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. My coach had never coached a women’s team before, wasn’t married and didn’t have kids, so he actually had no idea how to handle women what so ever. Most days felt like we had just entered military boot camp with his constant cussing, condescending attitude and vigorous workouts. By the time our first game came along, my coach decided to put the fear of God into us by screaming and wishing we would get beat up by the other team, that is not a joke. He also used the “F” word like it was the only thing he knew how to say. Mix the constant negative yelling and the foul language and the only outcome was a terrible game and many, many tears. After that game came many more that were not too different. That first season was brutal, but I will say it got much better. I had the love and support of my teammates and my coach finally came to the realization that being mean to us will not make us tougher, it will just make us cry. 
    When my second year of soccer began, I enjoyed almost every minute of it. Like anything, it had it’s days, but when we started games everything played out more smoothly than it had in the past. My coach had changed into a more kind hearted person; if you ask me I think he just finally adjusted to being around 23 girls 7 days a week. At the end of that season everyone of us had a special bond and it got very emotional. My coach even cried. Yes, my evil, bipolar, yet some how sweet and protecting coach cried. In that moment everything became worth it and my junior college adventure became one of my favorite experiences I have ever had. ​

When you think of your favorite place in the whole world what do you think of? Perhaps you think of Disney World or Greece or even Spain. When I think of my favorite place what immediately comes to mind is the country Zambia. Many of you are thinking where even is that? Well let me explain Zambia is a country located in southeast Africa and 3 years ago is when I first heard of this place. 
My friend Meredith had been doing mission work there for over 5 years with the nonprofit organization Family Legacy which I mentioned in my last blog post. She is the one who introduced me to this magnificent country and it will always hold a special place in my heart. 
Zambia is a country of poverty where most people live on less than a dollar a day. This country also has the highest youth dependency ratio of any country in the world at 91.8%. That means more than half of the population is under the age of 16. In this country there are millions of orphaned children. In a country with such poverty I thought once I got there I would be surrounded by sadness and darkness but it was quite the opposite. The people in this country have such hope and love for the people around them. These people who have so little are happier than people I know in the United States. 
​familylegacy.com/

This past week was my first week back from Christmas break. I went into the class PR Pubs with no idea what to expect or even what PR Publications was. I was excited to see what this class was all about and get a feel for how the rest of the semester would go.

​My first day of class my teacher, Croom had everyone go around the room and introduce themselves and if they had any experience with Adobe applications. I soon learned many of my classmates had little experience with anything Adobe and that we would all be jumping into this class with little prior knowledge or skills. I liked that we introduced ourselves and the level of experience we had with Adobe because it helped me feel more comfortable with my little experience. Croom told us that this class was going to help us become familiar and work with Adobe applications and that he was invested in helping us create our best work. Croom then instructed the class to write about their favorite spot on campus. I thought this was a fun way to get some practice in on blogging and get to learn more about everyone in the class. Our only homework assignment was to watch the movie “Inside Out” if we hadn’t seen it which sounded interesting and easy enough. 

The second day of class I came in having watched the the movie “Inside Out,” and we then watched a video about how the story and plot was created. All of the class wrote down anything they thought contributed to creating the story during the video. After watching the video, we split up into groups of four and did and activity where you divided sticky notes (with key points on how the story was created from video) and put them into five categories. The five categories were empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. These 5 categories will be used throughout the entire semester when we are creating and brainstorming our projects/assignments. Croom taught us that these five categories when brainstorming and creating are almost never used in a linear order, but more of a circle and that you can jump from category to category, For example, you could have a prototype ready on what you think is a good project but then jump back to the empathize category because your project could be lacking something. 

Overall, this week was interesting and a smooth way to ease back into school after the long break. The video we watched and activity we did helped make learning about the five categories for creating more interesting and applicable. I think using these 5 categories when I am creating a project will help me tremendously and a great tool to look back on. I am excited to see what the rest of the semester will be like!