Old Soul, Young Heart

Last week was my last week at ISU and my first week back at Heartland. I had been doing half days at each place. It was fine, but it made for long days, since I was at Heartland until 7:00 pm. I am glad to be done at ISU, but also a little sad to leave. I have enjoyed my graduate assistantship--getting to know the students who use the office and my colleagues there, as well as doing the logistical work, coming up with new ideas, and learning more about disabilities... all of it... has been fun. I'll miss that office, but it's time to move on. :) On Tuesday the department had a little going away get-together for me with Einstein's bagels and cream cheese; they all know it's my fav. They gave me a gift, as well, which was a professional portfolio with my name engraved on it--perfect for job interviews and whatnot. It was very nice, especially since I wasn't expecting anything. So starting this week, I'll be at Heartland full-time. I feel sort of nervous abou...

Well, I found out for sure today that my supervisor at the Accommodations Office is not leaving. I'm not gonna lie... I'm pretty bummed about it. I had sort of decided that being here for the next few years would be perfect for me. I wasn't banking on the fact that he'd leave (after all, it wasn't a fact), but I just spent a lot of time thinking about what it would be like if he did and now that he's not... well... yeah, I'm just bummed. I'm glad that I asked, though, because now I can take my job search more seriously. Not that I wasn't taking it seriously before, but now I know that being at ISU in that capacity isn't an option anymore and I can put all of my energy into other things. There isn't much happening on the job front here, though. I've only applied for one job in the area; all of the others I've applied for are in Las Vegas and Denver. I think it would be cool to move away for a few years, but it's not ideal. I...

I've known for awhile that my supervisor (Brady) in the Accommodations Office might be leaving soon. He has randomly mentioned it several times, but has never said anything is for sure. He's still not sure what his plan is, but today he said that I would be the first pick to replace him if it happened. This is good news and makes me feel slightly better about the job search (since, if he left, I wouldn't have a job search). I would definitely take it if nothing else pertinent in the area came up. I like it here--I feel comfortable, everyone in this office is great, and I like the work. I'd be able to stay in the area and do more school for free if I wanted. I'd already work internally if something more student affairs related came up within a few years and I think there would be a lot of opportunities to get involved. Overall, it would be a really good thing, I think. I don't want to get too excited about it because it might not happen, but I can't help...

Yesterday morning I had a great opportunity to watch the film Shooting Beauty . Disability Concerns co-sponsored the screening with Diversity Advocacy, so it was suggested that I attend. I must say that I was blown away by this documentary. Basically this woman (a professional photographer) volunteered at a center for folks with cerebral palsy and rigged cameras to their chairs so that they could take photos of their lives. Their pictures were eventually featured in a gallery in Boston. The woman/photographer and the director (a cute, married couple) were there to talk about their experience afterwards. I thought the movie was just really well done. The content was so inspirational and it made me think a lot about working with students with disabilities. Though there are only a few students that I come into contact with that have severe disabilities, I feel in some way that I have a heart for it. So I'll keep that feeling and chew on it for awhile. In contrast, yesterday afte...

Incredible news! When I met with Cecilia on Friday, she let me know that I would get paid for the work I'm doing at Heartland. I am officially a "graduate intern" in academic advising and can work up to 15 hours a week. I'm so excited about it because I was going to do the work anyway for the experience and this way I won't have to get a second job to make ends meet. So, yes... awesome news! Essentially I'm there to shadow the current advisers, learn more about the programs and classes, work on a couple of projects (an advising lab and a transfer day), and eventually advise students. I'll be there for the entire academic year and I can do my practicum there in the spring. The other fantastic part is that I'll be able to work there 30 hours over the summer if I need to--for example, if I'm unable to find a job right away. I'm so lucky to have this opportunity and I'm glad that I got in touch with Cecilia when I did. The mug is my f...

Well, I've officially begun my graduate assistantship. I was so excited to get this name tag! It represents me being a second-year grad student AND being full-time... things that I've been so ready for. I've been looking forward to feeling as though I'm a part of my cohort group for a long time, and I'm closer to that now. I've had three days of learning the ins and outs of the Accommodations Office so far. It seems fairly easy, but right at the beginning when everything is new, it's always overwhelming. My supervisor, Brady, seems really nice and easygoing. I've been so lucky to have the best supervisors and I think Brady will be no different. I got an email back from Cecilia at Heartland. I'm going to try to intern a little in the advisement center there over the next year and do a practicum there in the spring; I'm just trying to get as much experience as possible. Hopefully I'll be able to actually do some advising since that...

Relief. (Big breath in, deep sigh out.) I got offered the GA position with Disability Concerns. It feels so good to say that and know it in my head. I'm so glad that it worked out and I'm really excited about what I'll be doing there. And I get paid for it and tuition is waived. Truly fantastic. I am blessed. And now I have to finish that god-forsaken research project. T-minus 5 weeks til England. Eeeee!