New Year, New Adventures, New Challenges

Well, to really sum up 2011, I'd have to say it was probably the craziest roller coaster I've ever been on. It was filled with many more downs than ups, but I am confident that 2012 will be great. Also, I think 2012 kind of owes my family so that's why I'm so confident. The first part of 2012 will definitely be a little stressful as I await the notifications from my graduate schools. I applied to four, and I'm hoping I have the opportunity to interview with all of them. As I finished up 2011 with graduate school applications and finding ways to professionally develop, I have come to realize that it is time I go abroad again. I spent a good majority of my time the week of Christmas researching language schools in Argentina and Costa Rica. My goal is to finally be able to speak spanish more fluently. I can read, write and understand anyone that speaks Spanish to me but speaking back is quite the challenge. I know this is a major skill I need to develop as I head into the international programs aspect of Student Affairs. As of right now it looks like Costa Rica may be the spot as one the Programs Specialist in the CLU Study Abroad Center utilized the school. I'll know for sure if I can for the 10 weeks I want to once I hear back from schools and do interviews for assistantships, but really won't know until April.

That's one adventure I'll be having in 2012 hopefully! The next will hopefully be moving to a new place and going to graduate school. I say hopefully because at the end of the day Colorado State is where I want to be and if it doesn't happen this year, I may just wait it out and apply again the next year...we'll cross the bridge if and when it gets here though. I'm looking forward to the idea of moving to somewhere new, OUTSIDE of California. The five weeks I have left to wait is absolutely killing me! I don't know how I'll wait again after interviews!

The final challenge that will seem like the bandwagon challenge is working on my fitness. I'm not concerned with losing weight however. I've done that, and I'm very proud of what I have accomplished. I'm down an entire size in both bottoms and top and I've never worn these sizes in my entire life! Personally, I just need to get back on track with toning and building muscle. I'd love to get a handle on my abs, as even when you lose weight your abs just don't make you feel like you've really done anything if you don't work on tightening. So here are just a few of my goals for fitness in 2012:
1) Work out five days a week (doesn't have to be necessarily intense and at the gym)
2) Buy a new pair of skates and start skating again.
3) Become a runner
4) Run a 10K
5) Run a Half
6) Drink the daily recommended amount of water
7) SPINACH and VEGGIE smoothies!

Well that sums it up! I'm hoping to fork up the money to join CrossFit because I think I could benefit from something like that but it's a little steep! It would make go at least three times a week though! That makes it completely worth the price!

Well, happy new year and hopefully 2012 will be good to all of us!

Happy...Applications, I Mean Holidays

So it has been a while again since I've written. Mostly because immediately after attending NASPA Western Regional in San Diego like became a little more hectic. Something is constantly changing in my life so, shocker, my graduate schools have changed again. I've actually removed Rutgers from my list. This leaves me with four applications to work on. For the last two weeks I've been working hard on my Colorado State application. As I began to look more in depth and discover new things about the program, I have found that this is the program I want to be in. It is my top choice, and I am so nervous as I put together everything. The letters of recommendation are flowing in. My statement of purpose is done (just need it to be reviewed with the edits now). I also have finished my resume. The only things left to do are to finish the program applications, send transcripts, and alter my statement for each school. 

This week has been emotionally draining for me and the application process. I've become emotionally attached to my goals and dreams (always have been but even more) and it has definitely had an affect on my attitude. The positivity and support from others is great. They believe that I will get into anywhere I want to go. It is a wonderful feeling when people hold you in such high regard; however, it also adds tons of pressure. I already put tons of pressure on  myself so it's worse when I feel it from others unintentionally. On top of that, the new SOCs have been chosen and I couldn't be happier for them. I am so proud of each and every one of them. At the same time, it brought a mixed feeling of emotions. I'm done with a program that has meant so much to me and been so much a part of the reason I'm going into this field. It is very hard to realize I'm done forever, but I was definitely also ready to be done. Mixed emotions are never good for the emotional type. 

My goal is to be done, mail out, and submit everything by the 19th. I do not want to have applications over my head during the holidays. Needless to say, I'll be restricting a lot of my free time to the process and letting go and letting God. I'm going to Colorado at the end of the month, which is slightly torture but I really want to see my friends. Anyways, wish me luck as I finished up everything in the next 9 days! 

#SAGradHunt & New Opportunities

Hello --

Happy almost turkey day, or for those of us in the Western Region of NASPA...happy almost #naspawr11 in San Diego! So there have definitely been some changes since I last spoke about my graduate school list. Shortly after creating that list I became engaged in conversation on Twitter with other Student Affairs hopefuls like myself, on the search for the perfect program for them. Utilizing the hash tag #SAGradHunt we are able to communicate about the processes and steps we are taking. It's been really great to have NASPA hold these conversations, as it introduces you to others who may one day be in your cohort. My graduate schools have only changed slightly since I last gave you list, first of all I had left one off, and secondly, I now have removed one. Basically, I'm still at five schools.

Officially I present to you to the programs that have made the Ashley cut:
1) New York University
2) Colorado State University
3) University of Vermont
4) Rutgers University
5) Michigan State University

I have also finally asked for my letters of recommendation, but still have one more to ask for since NYU needs two from a faculty and I just found that piece of information last night on the website.

I also have great news! The job hunt has finally ended after a two-month stint of applying constantly everyday. I have moved to Simi Valley, CA just outside my undergrad institution of CLU and I actually work at CLU. Great little resume builder in line with higher education if you ask me. I'm now the Administrative Assistant for Grants & Special Projects in the Graduate School of Education. Basically it's a really fancy name for helping develop all what the School of Ed stated when they applied for the grant money. Definitely a big girl job, mind you I base that on the following: my business cards, office name tag, set of keys, phone extension, and the huge 23' mac desktop I have. Oh and my OWN printer. What up!! (joke, I don't think I'm that cool). Anyways, it is definitely going to be a great learning experience to work with other supervisors outside of Student Life, especially since I was spoiled and worked with the same person and people for four years (minus my Semester at Sea staff). Well, I promise I'll get to blogging more!

I'm sure I'll have a handful of things to talk about while I'm at NASPA Western Regional 2011 in San Diego, CA starting Thursday. I'm so excited to meet with lots of people and a tad nervous! More importantly I'm excited to reunite with one of our NODA interns, Steven Wong from this summer. He is finishing his second year in Oregon State's program. He's flying in to LAX so he can come see the Transfer PAs he worked with all summer and the SOCs of course! I'm so excited, seriously though, I am! I love San Diego, and I love Student Affairs, talk about putting two great things together!

Last but not least -- the SOC applications came out yesterday, can't believe it is already time for somone to take over my job, tear! Either way, I wish them all the best of luck! Follow me on Twitter, as that has a lot more updates and conversation on Student Affairs from the future professional prospective. Especially one who comes from a small liberal arts school and is looking at larger universities. Watch the change!

Much Love
A-Ram.

Words to the Undergrads

So below is what I wrote on Facebook to my friends still in school at CLU or any university for that matter it applies to. Just some words of encouragement to get through the hard times that we face in college. 

Stressed. Overwhelmed. Confused. Ahhh!!!

So lately I've heard a lot of above from you. Let me tell you a secret -- if someone isn't feeling that way, they are probably lying to themselves or just extremely optimistic to the point that they forget about these feelings. For those of you who know me really well; you know that I am constantly ALL of those things. It's probably good that I'm not longer in college then right? WRONG. Oh man, taking a year off is definitely challenging for someone like me with a futuristic mindset who always has everything figured out.

So lets get to my words of encouragement that I tried to tell myself in school all the time. I'm sure many of you are overwhelmed with midterms, papers, extracurriculars, and future plans. Right? Right. So here are my 5 nuggets of wisdom for you:

1) What you are doing now, is a very SMALL piece of the bigger goal you have in life. Don't let yourself get bogged down by the homework, papers, and responsibilities of your extracurriculars.. You are on the current path for a reason.

2) No one said life was easy (cliche right?). But seriously, how boring would life be if everything in life was easy and you never had a challenge? I don't know about you but as much as I hate the stress, I really enjoy the feeling of accomplishment; even the accomplishment of procrastination.

3) Your grades on homework, tests, papers, and the overall semester grade are not a representation of who you are as a person. I'll tell you right now that as much as I would have loved to graduate with honors, I didn't and I'm okay with that. Why? Well, I graduated with two degrees, a 3.4 GPA, a kick-ass resume, a year of study abroad experience, and TONS more memories from CLU. That is way more important to me as it helped build the person I became -- classes and graduating were honestly just a stop on my way to my bigger future.

4) I DARE YOU, to blow off being productive for one night and do something for yourself. Hang out with your friends. Play video games. Watch movies. Heck, go out to Hollywood or the beach for a night. Guess what, you'll be okay the next day and you'll be 100x more productive because you took some time for yourself.

5) Finally, enjoy the time. With what? Everything. Trust me when I tell you, it is really different once you leave college. Remember this is a time of discovery. You don't have to know every step and do it correctly every time. We won't talk about how many times I took the same steps over and over again and still did it wrong. Don't rush the process. Sure, pull all-nighters working on homework, studying, or whatever else academically, but don't forget about pulling an all-nighter with your friends and classmates.

Remember -- you are what you choose to be. You choose how you define yourself, not the things you do or don't do. Confused? Be confused. Explore everything and realize that you have the opportunity of a lifetime right now. At this age, we can travel, study, intern, work, and do a million other things that allow us to grow. Don't grow UP...just grow. Good luck with papers, midterms, and anything else going in your life right now. Let's just say, I actually miss this feeling you all have currently!


Love A-Ram

Update: Jobs & Grad School

Sorry for being gone for so long, being unemployed for some reason is still quite busy. I've had a number of job interviews recently, but alas still no job. Part of the problem is a majority of them are part-time jobs and since I'm graduated they view it as I'm just taking anything till I find something better. In this case, they don't realize that something better is just graduate school 11 months from now. Anyways, on to more exciting news. I recently had a job interview with International Studies Abroad (ISA). I am hoping I get a second interview because this is the job opportunity of a lifetime especially for me and my confused mind. If everything works out, which I am not really sure if it will --trying to stay positive though, I would move to Austin, TX. It would be perfect since UT-Austin has a higher education program. Again, everyone keep your fingers crossed for me. 

I have finally narrowed my graduate school list to the six schools I plan on applying to for admission in Fall 2012. Here is the list for your personal viewing along with the why. Mind you, it is early October so chances that one or two can change is highly likely, but I'm hoping that is not the case. These are also ranked in order for me as well:

1. New York University - M.A in Higher Education & Student Affairs. 

• This is my number one choice for a number reasons: it's a completely different experience than my undergraduate experience. I would have the opportunity to live in a major city with lots to do all the time. The school is 15x the size of my university, and I have the opportunity to get experience at several types of schools. 
• Unfortunately, if I get into the program, the only way I'll be able to attend is if I can manage to land an assistantship in residence life and have a very good package put together. 

2. Colorado State University - M.S in Student Affairs & Higher Education

• Number two simply because it is a great program and the cohort is larger than most other well-known programs. I don't think a relatively small cohort like 8-12 people is for me. The woo in me really needs to have some options (joke). I also really like this program because there is opportunity to gain experience in Greek Life without having been a part of it. It's something that I know I won't have the opportunity to learn or gain experience in unless I had personal experience. This opportunity is huge to me. Also it's Colorado...duh. 
• Not really a down side to this program..I just hope I get in!

3. Penn State University - M.Ed in College Student Affairs

• The bonus and reason here is that they have a dual-title degree program with International & Comparative Education. This is a huge plus for me given my professional goals and aspirations as a Student Affairs & International Education professional...see how I combined those two. YUP, you'll see me soon being famous for something.
• I don't know how much University Park, PA is a place I'll be able to enjoy, we'll have to wait and see. The other down side, is the one requires the GRE and I don't know that my score will be good enough. Also, my friend's cohort is currently 6 people, it's a little small for me.

4. Michigan State University - M.A in Student Affairs Administration

• This school just kind of happened by accident on my list. It has a really interesting program, it's a large school with the D1 atmosphere I've never had. The location isn't major city, but it's a great city nonetheless. Also, the flights to Minneapolis aren't so bad. 
• Downside: It will be miserably cold -- but I mean where isn't it going to be cold that I'm applying. Also, green, is just not a color I like to wear -- then again that's how I felt about purple. We'll see!!!

5. Rutgers University - M.Ed in College Student Affairs

• This is an up and coming program at a major university. The program is already well-known after being only a few years old! It's not that far away from New York City, in the event that I can't go there. The package is not that bad financially, I wouldn't have to pay a dime the first year and the second year I wouldn't have to if I become a resident (ooh..resident of New Jersey, what up Sn00ki and JWoww)
• Downside: New Brunswick, is not the best place to be by yourself at night. I don't know how much of a problem this would be if I am trying to go out to NYC some nights!

Well, there it is, the completed list. Obviously, I'm going to need a back up plan if none of these work out but let's not think about that. My one back up school will definitely be University of Kansas though. It has a program, financial aid, and it's KU, my favorite basketball team ever!! Anyway...here's to my application process. The next step for me is ask for my letters of recommendation. This will be fun! 

Appreciation.

We all long for the feeling of appreciation. In fact, sometimes we need it to continue our passions in life...or do we. While I am not yet anywhere near and expert on Student Affairs, I am an expert in my myriad of leadership and student life experiences that have taught me something early on. We cannot expect appreciation, we cannot let it be the source of our energy, especially when appreciation isn't always shown in the most obvious ways. Something that a Peer Advisor struggles with, as I'm sure many in the profession do at one point or another, is not feeling appreciated. But why? Why do we need the verbal or visual respect of appreciation? Maybe it is just me, but sometimes, you just will not be and other times you will not know you are. Humans are hilarious. We have no problem fist-pumping, dancing like no one is watching, or become completely intoxicated in public...but to show how much you care and appreciate someone is a complete challenge. Showing our emotions is a problem. Opening up...well, it can sometimes take a professional to do that.

What I have lived by in my experiences is that you just can't allow yourself to be bogged down by the way someone shows lack of respect and appreciation. Most of the time, we forget the simple "thank you" or don't realize how body language of actions can lead others to believe you are unappreciative. As a student leader or professional, we really go out of our way for our students more than they will ever understand. If you understand that going into it, or you help them understand -- you will become less bothered by a lack of appreciation. You have to remember that you never did the job to be appreciated. You did the job because you care, and because you want to make a difference. Just know that you made a difference and don't expect to see that difference. Focus on the ones who do let you know how much you have done for them, and focus on those ones. Do not focus on the negative, focus on the positive. That's my biggest piece of advice to anyone who feels under appreciated.

Remember why you do what you do, and stay positive on the ones who energize you. When you focus on the negative you are asking for trouble and unhappiness.

A-Ram

Currently Missing...

*This is Nancy, Myself, & Matt -- Student Orientation Coordinators 2011*

I miss seeing them every day, I got used to it and now it's just gone. Now they 

are off doing big bad things in as Undergraduate Admissions Interns. 

Can't wait to be in the field with them, they are going to do great things!

*These are the 2011-2012 Peer Advisors of California Lutheran University*

These are the guys I was talking about below. The ones who are 

the reason I know exactly what I should be doing with my life!

I wouldn't have spent the last three months of my life any other way than 

preparing for their arrival to CLU to train to be the best PAs everrrr! LOVE <3

Next Move, Big Move

I have now officially had my first week off since the end of Orientation. My job as an SOC is over in employment terms, but will be continuous into the fall. To be perfectly honest, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into back in December 2010 with the SOC position, but now that it's over, I am really taking the time to process all that happened. February for an SOC is extremely busy, hard, and overwhelming. You are in interviews or reading applications pretty much every day, and you still have homework, clubs, jobs, and anything else you have going on...like Peer Advising duties. While the most stressful month, it's one of the best. Then you get to summer, you're sitting at a computer day-in and day-out. Hardly anyone is on campus, and you get bored real easily. Three months of work, turns into Peer Advisor Training and New Student Orientation. The moment August 19, 2011 rolled around, I was extremely excited. I was so pumped for the Peer Advisors to arrive I couldn't sleep the night before. I was also nervous of what the final product of Prep Week would look like, but more importantly, I was worried about how it would all be ending soon. The 8 days of prep week were probably the best 8 days out of my whole summer. I'm so proud of how well the peer advisors worked together, meshed together, and most of all supported and loved each other by the end of day two. I remember thinking back to all their pictures on the wall during selection and not really comprehending what it would all look like, but oh man, did they really show me. These peer advisors, were a product of the hard work myself and my staff put in. They were the product of the blood, sweat, and tears that all came before they got there. They worked hard, giving up a weeks worth of pay from jobs, leaving families early, and being disconnected for a week from anyone...all because they cared about the new students. It takes a lot to be a Peer Advisor. There's no financial reward, just pure satisfaction of knowing you are making a difference. They have no idea how they impacted my life. I went from not having a clue of what the next step would be after summer ended, to knowing exactly, without a doubt what I should be doing with my life. They gave me purpose and a sense of direction and proved to me that no matter the pay, at the end of the day, I loved every 16 hour day I put in with them. If you are a Peer Advisor from 2011, and you stumbled on my blog, thank you for making me realize what it is I should be doing with my life. Thank you for being so amazing, that I want nothing more than to go to grad school next year. If I ever get to work with students that are half of what you are, my job is exactly what I want it to be.

Setting the Tone -- A Glimpse Into the Past, Pt. II

So, I last left you with my positions as a Peer Advisor and Student Leadership & Programs intern at CLU. Prior to walking into my senior year, I was an assistant manage for Vector Marketing, selling Cutco Cutlery. I had been with them for the previous two years and was well on my way into a management position post-graduation. As I entered Peer Advisor training and the fall semester I was also moving forward with the idea of managing my own office post-graduation, until I figured out the graduate school thing. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. I was excited about my management opportunity all the way until after I went on the company trip to Niagra Falls. The following weekend was the First-Year Retreat, a program designed to help first-year students find their niche at CLU. This was something I planned with KP and another intern that I was extremely excited about. This also ended up being the beginning of the hardest month of my life. While attending the first-year retreat I became completely unsure about what I wanted. I wanted to attend grad school, I wanted to go into student affairs but I also felt obligated to management opportunity. I didn't know what to do. Needless to say, I wasn't the most active during the retreat because of the emotional roller coaster I was on.

The end of November was nearing and I rushed to sign up for the GRE, began picking schools to apply to extremely fast...and then applications for Student Orientation Coordinator (SOC) came out. Suddenly, I was going back and forth on grad school, SOC, management opportunity, and the study abroad field. I finally spoke with an alum of CLU who was my student body president and was in her first year of the SAHE program at Colorado State University. She encouraged me to really think about what I wanted, and that it was okay to not go to grad school yet and figure it out. She also encouraged me to apply for the SOC position as it would give me great insight into the field if I was selected. Low and behold, I applied, not expecting to get the position as a graduating senior but thought I would just go for the experience. I knew I had to go into the interview with a decision on grad school, so I decided the minute I went into my interview that I was not attending grad school. I didn't want any possibility of hurting my chances at getting the position because of my uncertainty. I interviewed, in what I thought was my worst interview other, later I found out it was apparently my best. In the end, I was selected as SOC with two others, and suddenly all my stress went away. I backed down from my opportunity with Vector Marketing & Cutco, and moved forward with my life. Still unsure about where graduate school would come into my life, I began the spring semester of my senior year, excited and ready to take on this position. 

A-Ram

Setting The Tone -- A Glimpse Into The Past, Pt. I

First off, I'd like to welcome you to my blog. While this is mostly a streamline of my thoughts and ideas as I begin my application processes for grad school, I hope those of you who stumble upon my blog can learn something as well. Recently, I graduated from California Lutheran University (CLU) with a B.A in Political Science & B.S in Criminal Justice. Yay, for two degrees! Four years ago, I was set about what I was doing with my life...these two degrees were my way to prepare for law school and becoming a District Attorney. It wasn't until I returned from my two consecutive semesters away/abroad in Washington, D.C and Semester at Sea did anything begin to change.

Prior to leaving CLU for two semesters, I had not had the best of experiences. I came into CLU with the intention to transfer but my peer advisor advised me to stay through the whole year. By the end of the spring semester, I waited to see if I was selected as peer advisor as my last hope for a chance to find myself at my school. Once I was selected, and and re-elected for student government the following year, things were starting to fall into place...or so I thought. By the time I reached Peer Advisor training two weeks before the start of school, my life started to take a slow, but sure, turn for the worst. I was forced to resign from my position on student government after an obsessive commitment and effort throughout the previous year and training with the Peer Advisors wasn't exactly what I was expecting. My friends suddenly changed at the start of the year, and I didn't know where I belonged. I unfortunately turned to negative habits in the first semester of my sophomore year and was extremely unhappy, I felt I had nothing left but to run. So I ran all the way to study abroad office. Little did I know, that the first run to the study abroad office would change my life forever, but it would take just a little more than year.

During the spring semester of my junior year, my first semester back to CLU after being gone for a year, I began to see that law school just wasn't the right option for me. I needed something more fulfilling but wasn't quite sure what that was. I felt lost again, with no solid friends and nothing attached as far as CLU went. I reapplied to be a peer advisor for my senior year and again received the position. I also applied to be a Student Leadership & Programs intern, as while I attended Semester at Sea I had a similar position on the ship. A light bulb finally went off that maybe, I could get into this field that my mentor and boss Kristin Price (KP) was in. Let it be known, that obtaining these two positions, was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. This is part one of my story...and this is the extremely shortened version of it. Part two will go deeply into where I am today as by the end of junior year, I was still extremely confused. Part two consists of my entire senior year to present day.

A-Ram