RSO Involvement

They say to go out and try new things your freshman year because eventually you will stick with something and make friends, grow, and have an adventure. I certainly did try to do this my freshman year. As a busy student at CMU I am frantically trying to balance my social life with my school work life. Unfortunately, my school work life consumes me more than it needs to. When I was in high school I was a well rounded individual who kept an evenly balanced appearance at everything and got a really high GPA. The cost however was my health. I wasn’t getting all the sleep that I needed I was lacking nutrients that kept my mental state stable. I was a wreck. However, the upside to this was I didn’t need to be so involved next year in college. I could give myself a break and relax and do some school work at my own leisure. However, I did have to fulfill a requirement for my scholarship that involved me being in at least one RSO. Therefore, I chose two that weren’t necessarily difficult.

As a member of Environmental Studies and Geography Club I was one of the first 6 to show up at its meeting. Last year, the geography club disbanded due to a lack of membership so this year 2 members formed this new group to include both geography and environmental studies students. I was very pleased at this for I could help this group get off to a good start. That is what I did, for the first 4 months of this club I was always there on almost every Wednesday of the month to get ideas going on fundraiser ideas, trip ideas, and games we could do. I was thrilled that this was happening. We made plans to go on a hike to island park, we played jeopardy, and we did a small booth in the library to educate people on rocks and environmental impacts we have in the world. Everything was great.

I was also a member of Rotaract club this year. It was a small branch that associated itself with Rotary Club. My friend Nicole got me into the club because they had food at their first event. I met some international students and made friends with one. He went by the name Bob and that is what we called him. Eventually, they went to a pumpkin farm and I went with them and got free cider and donuts. I also got a few gourds and a pumpkin. I loved it. Everything was looking up and I was thrilled to be apart of the community.

However, during my second semester I had to change up my attendance at events. I was starting to slack off in my studies. It wasn’t a good time with myself so I had to go every month at least once to make an appearance. I was upset that this happened, but not everything can be relaxing at CMU. I came here for an education and that was my plan. Luckily, I am still in good conditions with both groups. Next year, I hope that I may attend more because I was able to work out a few things with my studies.  I feel happy again. I cannot wait to go back to my routine. It was amazing and I don’t want it to stop.

What I plan on doing next fall is looking into more clubs. This year as I was told was completely different for they had to cancel main stage which was a big event for all the clubs to encourage people to join. I can’t wait for it next year. I believe that I am more relaxed than I was in high school. I don’t feel as much pressure as I had before. I am looking forward to the future of my sophomore year.

LDR 200L Reflection

During my second semester of my freshman year I was enrolled in the next level of a leadership class. Compared to LDR 100, this course had more rigor to it. The professor Jessi Ekonen was very keen to teaching the class. You would imagine that learning leadership would be a piece of cake, but there is more too it then actions. There are theories that also tie into a leadership position. I didn’t think of how much of an influence these theories would have. However, after taking this class I know now that they greatly impact leadership.

The beginning weeks I was nervous because Jessi Ekonen said that not everyone would get straight A’s unless they work hard. I knew that I couldn’t easily breeze through this class, but take it seriously as best as possible. Between all my other classes though this was definitely the easiest so long as I would keep focus and do assignments. As the semester moved forward a few events came up abruptly like the LAS competition. We were all required to be there, for this was about the next class of LAS leaders coming to CMU. We had to work a few things out and make sure we were able to guide and educate the parents and students about what CMU had to offer. It was simple, but I felt like I had to step it up for as mentioned this was about them and not me. I did my best to lead and educate the competitors. It all worked out and that weekend I had a blast.

The next assignment was to do initiatives and that was a group project that consisted of designing a facilitator model. The goal was to guide and teach several class members through a game exercise and then debrief on why we did this type of game. I was very nervous, for two days before we were to present we had to turn in a page report by midnight and we barely had anything down.  Luckily, we were able to complete it with time to spare. Then during presentation day I felt like I wasn’t contributing enough so I took small steps and piped up a bit. I was able to get a perfect score on it and I was satisfied.

The next program we had was going to Detroit. It was pretty neat! We went to Jalen Rose Academy and we facilitated a group of students. They were very nice and respectful to us. Afterwards, we went to quicken loans and got a tour of the place. It was cool. FInally, that night we slept at the Outdoor Adventure Arena. That place made me feel like a kid, because it was designed for kids. However, we got 30 minutes to run and goof off. We then went to bed, but except for me because I had to read a book. It was exhausting. Lastly, we went to building that was designed to feed the homeless, shelter them, and give them a new opportunity. My team made mats for them to sell. We went home that afternoon and I slept the rest of the day. I had another great weekend.

Finally, as a class we had to do workshops and we were given a theory to explore. It was neat to hear about all sorts of theories. I like some and I found some confusing. Nevertheless, I was excelling when it came to test us on what we knew. I studied and memorized our study guides. I am assuming I got a 100% on it. This class was great I am going to miss seeing all the LAS students together, for they are my family and I love them. I look forward though for the next 3 years for I signed my leadership minor not too long ago and I can’t wait to dive deeper into leadership.

Freshman Year: A Year in Review

This isn’t the end, nor will it be for a while. However, I am bone dead tired after this academic year! I can’t believe how long its been, yet it feels like I just unpacked my suitcases just 3 months ago. I am thankful to have spent my time here at Central Michigan University. I am though in need of some tender love and care. My mind has been frazzled, but the long complexity of these two semesters. It’s also hard to believe that I am a quarter of the way done with college! I am most likely going to finish with a bachelors, for I don’t have time to do a doctorates or a masters. It would seem like a lot of fun, but unnecessary.

Things that I am proud of this year is signing my major and minors. I didn’t even have to switch! I don’t plan on it either, for that would take away time and money. These two things are limited, so I better to have hoped that by choosing Environmental Studies as my major and Geographic Information Science/Leadership for my minor was a well thought out plan in the beginning. I am not about to change anything that I already put my mind to. Another few things that were accomplished was getting an adequate GPA, meeting friends, and making good relationships with my professors. I know though I can do better in all three of those categories, for I want to make stronger friendships, a higher GPA, and meet more fascinating professors.

A few things outside of college that I have done was spending many volunteer hours with my Order of the Arrow group. We have put in at least 1100 hours together so far for this new year. Last year, we had a group 6,000-15,000 hours all together. As for myself I would say I put in 50 hours with them. What we did was we did projects throughout camp, got new leaders appointed to positions, and we also awarded people for their contributions. I was one of the individuals who earned an award. I have continued my interest in the OA and I am now serving Elangomat chairman and Chapter Chief for my lodge and chapter. As for Boy Scouts, I keep in touch with them and make sure to come to the troop meetings when I can. I recently was also initiated into the freemasons. This past April, I accomplished the Master Mason degree which makes me free to visit other lodges and make strong bonds with my fellow brothers.

This summer, I am going to D-Bar-A scout ranch which is a summer camp for Boy Scouts. I am the director of Eco-Con which is the nature arena. I hope to give back to scouting more than it gave me. I am very particular about giving and receiving. It makes me feel better and it allows campers to get a better experience than I had. Even though, it was great for me I truly care about the next generation of scouts. Also, over the summer I will be mentoring an OA member to take over as me a leader for my time as a youth is drawing near. I rather see someone bloom than to see my lodge doomed.

This goes hand in hand with my leadership theory of power & leadership. I admire this theory for it is relatable to what I want to do and be. The power of a leader is broken down into 6 traits that they can be. A leader can be referent which is someone who people like and are willing to be lead by, a leader can be an expert which is how people view that leader by their accomplishments and skills, a leader can be coercive which means they give punishments for everything wrong followers do, but they can also be rewarding to everything a follower does right for them, a leader can be legitimate and have an authoritative status, and finally leaders can be informative which means they have information that people want or need. I want to possess all these abilities equally. I would love to however be more informative than any other trait. I believe if I hold information people want or need they will come to me more often and listen to me. Thus, this allows me to give rewards/punishments to follows. Followers will also view me as legitimate and an expert in my fields of knowledge. I look forward to using these traits. I believe I am still a novice, but I am sure I can work this out.

I can’t wait for next semester to roll out though. After I have rested and let myself breathe the summer air I will be ready to tackle the new year as a sophomore. I am grateful for this year. My hopes and dreams to come to a university have come true. Now I just have to keep this status for another 3 more years as long as finances are in check. Peace and Love to my faith, family, and all the friends I have made throughout my life thus far!

LEAD team

My LEAD team was amazing this year. We put on some great events for the LAS community. The official title of my team is Special Events. What we did was we put on minute to win it, LAS on Ice, and the Detroit Tigers game in the summer. Our leader was Kaitlyn Cox. She was the head chairmen for our group. Her work helped put together our program. Our meetings were held on Monday nights usually around 8:00pm down in the conference room of Barnes.

Minute to win it was our first event that we all helped with. Every Monday in the fall we would brainstorm ideas of what games ad activates we wanted to put on for the event. Then when we got all that done we would make flyers and a promotional video. I was apart of that video and it was awesome. Finally, we made sure to pay for all the materials and make sure to promote to the entire LAS group. Unfortunately, on the day of the competition another event at the Towers trumped our event and a majority of people went to the event. I believe it was a magician who did illusions. Anyway, the remaining people who could come had a blast and everything was worth while.

The next event was LAS on Ice which is a tradition ice skate event. However, new to this year is that we promoted to leadership safari participates. Again, we made sure to book the ice rank, make flyers and a video, and we also promoted to everyone involved in any type of leadership activity. On the day of we had a line from the beginning to the entrance. We were able to raise a ton of money from this event. Also, we had money left over which goes directly into our funding for future programs. I had a lot of fun and skated with my friends.

Finally, we wrapped up the year with making the Detroit Tigers game event. I believe Kaitlyn Cox had organized it and all, for we didn’t meet after February. I think it will be awesome and it will be a great way to get people pumped for next year at CMU. What I took away from this was that it takes a lot of hard work to get events planned. It doesn’t take just one person, but it takes a whole group to make events possible. What I wanted our of this experience was a chance to make an event people would appreciate and which they did. What I plan to do now is I will still keep being involved with attending events, and I will be able to make future events later in my life. I loved being on this LEAD team and I hope future LAS students will too!

History Reflection

American history was not at all my strongest subject during my sophomore year of High school. However, Mr. Windt was the most qualified teacher at Central High School to educate the students. Not only was he qualified, but he was the best teacher you can have. I wasn’t exactly the best at remembering historical information/account. I believe overall I got an A- in the class though, and I was thankful that I didn’t have to worry about reading about American history. Oh boy, was I wrong. I wish to discredit myself for ever thinking that I couldn’t understand any thing of it, for perhaps after that sophomore year in class I was more tangible to learn about history in America. I just wish it came sooner in that year.

My second semester of college I thought was going to be difficult, because I assumed that since my AP test in sophomore class said 2 I was going to get a C+ overall.  Again, was I ever wrong. Catherine Tobin my history professor was compassionate about American history. She didn’t trail off or show as much as a one sided thought. On my first day in class after reviewing the syllabus I thought that her tests were going to be hard since everyone was taking it credit/no credit. I couldn’t because I needed the grade for my GPA. I was a goner. I studied though, and I studied every day with Crash Course, flash cards, and reviewed my notes from class. Then came the big day to take the first test. I thought to myself I am going to get a C+ I know it. However, because I studied and read the book all the questions were easier than I thought they would be. I was the 1st one to finish. THAT WAS A FIRST TIME FOR ME.  I felt so proud of myself, but what if I messed up? What if they were trick questions? Luckily, I aced the exam. Not only that exam, but all of them that we had. I got 100% in the exam field. I was so happy. Now all I can think about is how easy it is to remember big events and how little events triggered them. I was amazed.

What I plan to do now is I am going to see if I can get one more minor under my belt. I would love to see if I can get a small minor in American history. I feel accomplished and perhaps it is an ego-minded thought, but I feel so happy. I am truly thankful for Mr. Windt and Professor Tobin. They helped me greatly in the field of history. My overall in professor Tobin’s class will be hopefully an A-. It’s still hard for me to be a master of writing, but I knew the facts and info to help support my evidence, but structure could be better. American History is important, for if we learn to remember the past we can move forward and make good and better choices for todays modern America.

Mentor Reflection

At first I was afraid, but then I got by with a little help from my friend Hannah Bastian. She isn’t your typical student at Central Michigan University, for she was chosen to become part of a contingent for the Leadership Institutes LAS program. The Leadership Institute seeks out 50-60 new members each academic year out of 2,000 applicants who applied. The process involves filling out an application sheet that lists involvements and other extra curricular activates that a student has done along with two recommendation letters from one teacher and one outside source. The next step is being picked among the remaining 80 students who received an invitation for competition day. Here at this point interviews are made as well as measuring performance levels among competitors. Finally, the last step is waiting for the call. This happens a week later, and thus determining if you are in or not. Luckily, Hannah Bastian was chosen and I was too.

Hannah Bastian is from Clinton, Michigan, and she is currently a sophomore and soon to be a junior next academic year. Her time in LAS has given her an opportunity to grow and support all people. She went Greek in her Freshman year and was chosen to be in Alpha Chi Omega. Her sorority deals with women’s health and lifestyle. They raise money, promote fundraisers for women, and make a good name for their organization. She is also going to Central Michigan University to get a secondary education in English. At the end of her freshman year the mentee draft was in full swing. She wanted her mentee to have a better time, better relationship, and better opportunity in LAS than she did with her own. She told me that our family tree is blended and is beautiful, for she was adopted by everyone. I love this reasoning to why we got a big family tree. When it came time for her to choose she was happy with anyone and chose me. I love it.

Since then Hannah Bastian isn’t just my mentor, but is a friend whom I can look up to and get the chance to talk to. During our time at Eagle village I made it a goal to make sure that Hannah got what she deserved and that was to spend time on the high ropes course. She loved it and it made me really happy that we can work together and bring each other to a smile. Also, before the trip she got me coffee and a bag of goodies. I proudly display the painting she made me above where I sleep. It says “Carpe Diem”. I have no clue how she knew it was my favorite saying, but I say I am blessed. After the trip, we kept in touch and we went out to dinner at the café. It was neato to have someone to eat with. I made sure to always ask questions and listen to her stories. It is with proud honor to know that she is chief at Camp Timbers. This is a great honor for her and I am happy to have someone dedicated to helping kids. Whenever I need her she is always there. When I am having trouble she understands. The compassion and the lengths she goes for me are phenomenal. I want to say she deserves just the same.

Soon my mentor will be a “G” which is like a grandparent to my mentee. I know Hannah will love her. I know I will have an awesome time with her as I show her the ropes that mentor showed me. I hope that Hannah Bastian knows that I could never top her, but I will let her know that I will make her proud. What I am to do now is to keep a good smile on my face and get ready to mentor my own. This LAS program protocol to mentor a mentee during their freshman year sounds cool and looks cool. I am no skilled mentor, but I believe I will make my little mentee strive for greatness. It’s not about me anymore, but what I can do for them. I can go the distance, and I will carpe the heck out of my diem next year. THIS IS FOR YOU HANNAH BASTIAN! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!