One step closer to the real world!!!!

I hope that everyone is having a great day! So far I have had a busy morning, and I have a busy night ahead of me as well! I spent much of my morning working on my resume and cover letter for my organizational and business communication class. Working on my resume has made me realize how quickly my senior year is going by already! I am going to be sending my resume out very soon to prospective employers and I can''t even begin to wrap my brain around it! I'm nervous but at the same time I know that I have been well prepared by my professors and classes here at Ripon. I worked very hard to make resume nice and attractive to employers, so now I just have to wait and see if it is effective! Wish me luck!

P.S. This is a picture with one of my best friends Patti Ann!

Hello! Hope everyone is having a great day. Yesterday I went to Madison with two of my friends to go see my dad who came from Minnesota to show his documentary at the University of Madison. It was such a treat to see him again, especially since I had just seen him over the weekend. During our visit, I also got the chance to meet up with two of my friends who studied abroad with me and are students at Madison. It was really exciting to see them because we had not seen each other since we parted ways in France. I love the Madison campus, so going to seeing what a large campus is always fun for me. Making comparisons between Ripon and Madison is impossible and fun to do because both places are so different. Visiting such a big school like Madison makes me appreciate so many things about Ripon. For example being able to go to class, know everyone in it, and being able to ask the professor questions without having to wait for there office hours, or going through a TA My friend was telling me about one of her classes were the professor just posts all his lecture notes online! How crazy, how could that even give you the incentive to want to go to class? I would never go if I could just get my notes online! Being on such a small campus makes you accountable for going to class, and you also realize that being in class will make you a more successful student! Not that I haven't been tempted to skip my 9am class and sleep in! Its almost the weekend! Have a wonderful Thursday :-)

Leila

P.S. that is a picture of my friend Alexa from study abroad on the Mediterranean Sea in Palavas, France.

Let me fill you in!

Let me fill you in on what has been going on in my life. I've been busy as usual, but last weekend was a nice time to relax and have fun because my dad came from Minnesota with my brother and sister. It was family weekend among many other things going on on the Ripon campus, so having them come was great! I kept them very busy that Saturday. We did an early breakfast in the Commons, then they came and watched me speak on the study abroad panel. Afterwards I took them to the AXO family picnic that my sorority was hosting so that they got the chance to meet some of my sisters and the their parents. My dad, being the big talker he is, had a great time meeting my closest friends parents. And for me it was a treat for my friends to finally meet my family. My mom and little sister were not able to make it, but hopefully they'll get the chance to come visit again so that my little sister can wreck a little havoc on my sorority sisters! After the picnic and giving my family an extensive tour of Ripon's new campus additions, I then took my family to a fundraiser that my applied communication class was hosting downtown Ripon at "Septemberfest." Our fundraiser was for the Huntington's Disease Society of America, and with my group members, and my siblings that I put to work, we made balloon animals and handed out candy to the youngest members of the Ripon community. We made a total of $186, that we will be donating to the organization. I think that my brother and sister enjoyed themselves, even though I made them volunteer! Later that night, I had my family experience my favorite Ripon restaurant, ROADHOUSE! We went with my best friends, Trish ( and her dad, who was also visiting), and Sarah. I had to show them the place where so many of my dollars are spent! The weekend went by quickly and before I knew it, they were leaving for home. Having a fun weekend is always a great way to start of the week, and having so much fun with my family was just what I needed! Hope everyone is having a fabulous hump day!

A Good Weekend is the Key to a Good Week!

After a wonderful weekend, I'm ready to start another week of classes. This weekend, my friend Trish and I went home with our friend Sarah who lives in Denmark, WI. She had invited us home with her to volunteer at the Congressional Medal of Honor Breakfast on the Farm breakfast. This year, Green Bay played host to the Congressional Medal of Honor Conference. This is were over 100 of the last surviving medal recipients go to a U.S. city to visit, and share there stories and experiences. It is an amazing event that brings together some of our bravest Americans. At the Breakfast on the Farm, Trish and I served an array of Wisconsin's finest breakfast foods, such as, every Wisconsin cheese possible, veil patties, bagels, scrambled eggs, and so much more. Lets just say we were sent back with enough yummy cheese to last a year! At the farm there was a petting zoo, with horses, chickens, donkeys, goats, calf's, and many other farm animals. I felt like a little kid, getting giddy every time I got to see one of the animals. Who said petting zoo's are just for kids!? Not only did we get to play with the farm animals, we also got the opportunity to meet some of the amazing medal recipients. Their stories were so touching that they brought tears to my eyes. One of the men we met saved the lives of eight other men by taking his helmet and laying both his body and helmet over a live grenade! If that's not bravery I don't know what is! That weekend, Trish and I got to do one of our favorite things when visiting Sarah, and that's playing with all her cows! We've both been given namesakes, so whenever we go to the farm we have to visit our cow versions of ourselves! Not only did we get to play on the farm, but we also got to go four-wheeling, one of my favorite things to do! Last but not least, the weekend would not be complete without one of Sarah's mom's amazing home cooked meals! While I love the Commons, nothing beats a home cooked meal! I had such a great weekend, that when Sunday rolled around I was wishing it was three day weekend! Sunday Afternoon, the Senior Communication Majors and I participated in a "Surviving Comm" workshop, were we taught the newly declared communication majors the In's and Outs of our department. Giving them tips on how to survive difficult classes and different study techniques as well. It was a great way to share our expertise and to meet the new majors. After our workshop, we were treated to an amazing meal by Jody Roy our department chair and my advisor and mentor. Overall I can't complain about my weekend, it was great and now I'm ready to kick of my week as well! Have a happy Monday and an even happier Tuesday!

Root Beer Floats and Greys Anatomy!!

Root Beer Floats and Greys Anatomy, can you think of anything better? Well I can't and tonight my sorority sisters and I will be doing just that. We have an activity in our residence hall where we will be having Root Beer Floats and catching up on everyone's favorite hospital drama Grey's anatomy. I'm looking forward to taking a break from homework and hanging out with my sisters (and watching Dr. McDreamy and Dr. McSteamy!)! This morning I had to get up nice and early (8am! I love my sleep!) for a meeting with a man that I am doing an internship with. I am really really excited about this internship. Essentially my best friend Tricia and I are to create a marketing plan for his leather refinishing company first semester, and then put it into effect second semester. He has given us total free range to create a plan for him that will get his company name out there and make him some money. He even told us that if we need to fly somewhere he would pay for our travel! Crazy! I am so excited to get the ball rolling on this project and see where Tricia and I can take it! Not only is this going to be a great oppertunity to learn about marketing, but it will be an amazing thing to share when I start my job search. I can't believe it's already Wednesday, it's almost the weekend! Hope you are having a wonderful hump day!

Happy Happy Monday!

Hello! I hope you are all having a wonderful Monday and that you have a great week! So far, my week is starting off busy as usual. I have all sorts of things going on today. Today in my Organizational and Business Communication ( a class that focuses on the career world and how to be a productive worker) we spoke about how to write the perfect resume. This is something that I really had to pay extra attention to because I will be hopefully starting my own job search come second semester (SCARY!!!). The class is taught by one of my favorite professors here at Ripon, Deano Pape, so having him be the one giving me advice about how to prepare myself for the real world is extra special for me.
Later today, I will be attending a luncheon hosted by our registrars office, were all students who studied abroad last spring will be coming and sharing there stories. I am really excited to hear what other people with have to say about the experiences aboard. I know that hearing all there fun stories with make me miss France some more!
This afternoon, I have a formal presentation to give in my Applied Communication class concerning two fundraisers that we will be creating for the Huntington's Disease Society of America. This is a class were we apply all our communication and group working skills and put them to the test, actually working on a real project such as as fundraiser. Today we will be presenting our goals for the semester. I am looking forward to seeing my group succeed because of all our hard work!
Later tonight I will be attending a barbeque hosted by Ripon's Greek council, I love barbeque's so this should be a fun event. I'm hoping to get all my homework done early tonight so that I am in bed by the latest, midnight, but who am I kidding, I always say that and then get sucked into watching a movie with my friends!

Leila

P.S. My picture is of me and my friends from my study abroad program in London!!! It's one of my favorite pictures because of all the different landmarks in the background and because we all look so pretty. I tried to find a picture of London in sunshine but that will never happen!