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