How I've Grown

        These last couple of months have been somewhat of a blur. I feel like time has just flown by. It seems like only a couple days ago I arrived at Iowa State and the first semester is almost over. Throughout my first semester at college, I have learned a lot. I have learned a lot academically and about myself personally.
        Academically I have been challenged. High school came very easily to me, so I was not very good at studying. After one semester I think I have already studied more than all of high school combined. I am very proud of myself for how quickly I adjusted. It helped that I had a  GPA goal set for myself; it made me strive that much harder. I now know how hard I have to work if I expect to do as well as I did in high school.
       As much as I have learned scholastically, I have learned so much more about myself. I learned that I count on my family being there more than I thought. I also learned that I am much closer to my family than most people. An important thing I learned is that I can be independent and handle situations on my own. This was one of my biggest struggles. I have always been able to handle things on my own, but before my parents were always there to assist me just in case. Now everything I do is based off of my judgement and morals. I feel as if coming to college has helped me grow as a person.
       Now, that I am at college I appreciate little things so much more. I took for granted the fact that I had my own room at home. Having to share my space with someone else was a little weird at first. I took for granted the fact that my mom made supper every night. This is not as big of a change because  people are still cooking fro me every day, but it is still something that I had to adjust to. I also took for granted that all my friends were around whenever I needed them. Now most of them are hours away and I barely  get to see them. I also took for granted my siblings. My siblings are the ones who could always keep me smiling. They were a big part of my motivation to succeed. I have always treasured the fact that I get to be a role model for them. I am just as much as a role model now as I was then, the difference is now I only get to talk to them on the phone.
       All in all I like college. It gets better every day. I know that I will keep learning and developing as a person. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

What does the Hixson award mean to me?

             It is hard to describe what the Hixson award means to me. It is an award that has broadened my horizons. It has allowed me to study at the university I have wanted to study at my whole life. It has given me opportunities to meet new people and to make new friends. It is crazy to think of how many people I never would have known if I had not been part of this program.

            It has also helped me adjust to college life. When I first came to Iowa State I did not know many people, nor did I know the school that well. The people in the Hixson program assisted me by answering all of my questions, no matter how silly. They were very welcoming and helped me to make Iowa State more like home.

            The most important thing that the Hixson award has done is helped me to grow as a person. It has challenged me to make goals for myself and to achieve them. It has shown me how to organize my life better and how to handle everything. It has opened my eyes to new experiences offered to me, such as student exchange and traveling abroad. It has also shown me how important it is to give to others. If the Hixson award had not been given to me, I’m not sure what my college experience would have been like. I feel like the whole Hixson Program has been very prevalent in my first semester of college.  It has helped me along so much. I now understand why there are so many people who are so devoted and passionate about this program.

Social Media

Social media can be a huge part of our everyday lives. It allows us to be in constant communication with family members, co-workers, employers, friends, and anyone else we may need to keep in contact with. The different forms of media all affect our lives in different ways. Some of these ways can be good and some can be harmful.

                I chose to use Facebook as my media adventure for the week. I am pretty familiar with Facebook so it seemed like the best idea. I learned that there are many opportunities on Facebook that I was unaware of. Prior to this assignment I used Facebook as a means to connect with friends, now I am able to use it as a means to get in touch with different businesses. This also means that businesses can see what I post on Facebook. So, I also learned that it is important to watch what I put on Facebook and to keep it professional.

                All other mediums are also very accessible by companies. This is why it is important to make sure you are only putting things on the internet that you want people to see.  The internet can give us a lot of information but it can also get us into trouble.

What I learned about myself (MBTI)

            The MBTI lesson taught me a lot about myself and how I learn. I’m hoping to use this knowledge to the best of my ability. Using what I learned I’m hoping that I can find better ways to study and to succeed.

            The first thing I learned was that I am an extravert. This means that I get my energy from outside sources. This makes it easy for me to socialize but hard for me to study and learn on my own. It often helps for me to be in a quiet room alone to get something accomplished.

            Next I discovered that I acquire most of my information using my senses and focusing on the present versus looking at the big picture. This helps me to get things done in a fashionable manner but it inhibits me from focusing on a lot of long term goals. It is easier for me to take things as they come instead of planning ahead.

            I also make a lot of decisions based on feeling. I make decisions based on my morals and beliefs. I would rather go against everyone else and stand up for what I believe in rather than doing what I feel is wrong.

            I like to be very organized in all that I do. I judge things rather than perceiving them. It is easier for me know all of the possible outcomes instead of being flexible and going with the flow. Sometimes I wish I was more flexible and other times I wish other people would be more organized.

            All of these qualities help me to understand the best ways for me to go about doing things. It may not always be the way other people see fit but as long as it works for me it is what I will do.

SMART Goal Setting

Most of my goals are goals I have just always had and don’t really critique anymore. The SMART Goal Setting instrument helped me to look at my goals and see if they needed to be more refined or not.

            My goal of becoming a veterinarian is pretty specific. One way to make it more specific would be to say that I want to be a large animal veterinarian. It is also very measurable. I know if I devote myself to something I can achieve it. I have always been a very hard worker and I will continue to do so. My goal is also attainable. It is possible for me to become a veterinarian. There is nothing keeping me from achieving this goal. It is also very realistic. It is not a goal that is out of my reach. I have always been good in school and I have the potential to excess in vet school. There is also a deadline for this goal. If I want to be a vet I have to get into vet school and graduate in four years.

            One of my other main goals is to get a 4.0 grade point average. This is a very specific goal because it is an exact number. It is also very measureable because I can keep track of all of my grades and make sure I try my hardest on each assignment. It is also attainable because it is a goal that many people have and attain. It is also realistic because I have the ability to work hard in school and the mental ability to attain a 4.0. The time bound for a goal like this is every semester.

My Bucket List

            There are many things I want to do before I die. Some of these things are for my own benefit and others are in the interest of those around me. These are not things that I have to get done every week like most of my lists but rather a list of goals. They are meant to inspire me and drive me to my full potential.

            Some things on my bucket list are just general goals for my life. These include becoming a veterinarian, getting married, having children, and being a kind person. Other goals I have are more specific, such as get a 4.0 in college, challenge myself, be a respected student, be well known, make an impression, and be a remodel.

            I also have a list of things I want to do for my own sake. These things are more inspiring, and fulfilling, in my opinion. Things such as climb a mountain, build an orphanage in Honduras, change someone’s life, master a different language, visit our family farm in Germany, go horseback riding on the beach, swim with a dolphin, ride a motorcycle, be in two places at once, see a shooting star, learn to play the guitar, find a cure for a disease and run my own veterinary clinic.

            These goals may be more far off but I figure if I don’t accomplish them who will?

Remember that one time?

            We all have a time in our life that shaped us and helped us become who we are today. That moment when we felt like we were in the right place at the right time.  Do you remember that one time? The time you knew you had done your best.
            Looking back on my life, there have been many times where I knew I had done all I could. Some of those times things panned out for the best, some of those times they didn’t. There is one instance in my life where I know I made a difference. I know that through all my hard work I finally got my message across to people.

            My senior year I held a prayer service for my entire school that was meant to commemorate all of the children killed since the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize abortion in 1973. In order to emphasize the reality of abortion I asked one person born every year since 1973 to symbolize every person born that year. That person then walked up the aisle carrying a rose. The rose symbolized all of the children that had been killed that year due to the legalization of abortion.

            I wanted everyone to realize what a big deal abortion was. I wanted them to be able to picture their life without one of the people who walked down the aisle. The people I chose as representatives to walk down the aisle were people from the community; people who the kids at my school knew and had seen on a daily basis. They were fortunate enough to be born. Not everyone has that chance.

            From that moment on I knew that I could make a difference. Abortion has always been an important issue in my life. I see myself as a voice for the voiceless. I continue to be strong in my opinions at college. I know that not everyone is strong enough to stand up for what they believe in. I also know that it is easier to stand up for what you believe in when you aren’t standing alone. At that moment in my life, standing in front of everyone at that prayer service, I knew I had done my best. I use that feeling to push myself to do my best in everything I do.