Wednesday, May 21, 2014

One More Year

As my cohort and I sat in the third internship meeting, Dr. Cellini reminded us how we will be graduating in one year and to reflect on the last 10 months of our experience here at USF. My thoughts went 100 miles per hour, and I know these next 359 days will only go faster. As I sat there, I thought about all of the different things I've accomplished so far, and all the memories I've made with friends.


In the top left picture, while working as the meet director for Stanford's women's gymnastics team, I was able to see two of my high school teammates that I trained with in Texas. At each meet this year, I was able to see old friends and coaches who shaped me into the person I am today. Although we've been away from each other for about four years now, it's always a good feeling being able to pick up with people right where you left off. Having good friends is always a plus, but I think having that ability to keep up with contacts makes it easier to connect and network with people. And as you know, networking is everything.

In the top right picture, I captured a memory I'll never forget and that was working the Pac-12 Men's Basketball Media Days during my second week at Pac-12 Networks. That was definitely a day where I was tested by being thrown in the mix without much direction. That day actually went really well and seeing everything behind the scenes was definitely the highlight of my day. This definitely taught me that when you're hired for a job, they expect you to be able to pull your own weight and your hand won't be held through the process. I went with my instincts that day and it taught me to go with my instincts no matter what the situation might be.

The picture below that is of Krystal Temkin (cohort 39), myself, and Desirae Burkley (cohort 39) wearing helmets from the Pac-12 Men's Basketball Media Days. We had a little down time, so why not pretend to be football players? Sometimes I can take work and myself a little too seriously, so this always reminds me it's okay to take a breather and to have fun.

To the left of that is a snapchat I sent way back on July 9th of my roommate, Alyssa Nakken (cohort 39) and I. This was on our way to orientation. I still get butterflies thinking about how nervous I was! I always smile looking back on that day mainly because it was the start of an experience I never imagined. I can guarantee I wouldn't believe it if you told me everything I had done in these last 10 months during that car ride to orientation. I had no need to be as nervous as I was.

The picture to the left of that was the most recent picture I took. It was taken May 18th, after Heather Vandevanter (cohort 39) and I ran the Bay To Breakers race. It was a 12k race which is 7.46 miles. It started by the Bay Bridge and finished by Ocean beach so we literally ran across San Francisco. I've always been a fan of races, so doing one that is so well known in the Bay Area has been a highlight for me.

The next picture to the left is of Nicole Loscavio (cohort 39) and I at the Texas Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics game. Although we're good friends, we were rivals that night as our favorite teams battled for a win. It's always fun when my favorite teams come to town, especially when I get to go with a friend rooting for the other.

The picture below that is of my father and I. Last fall, I worked with the Oakland Raiders as a member of the Premium Services Game Day Staff. Being so far away from my family is definitely hard, so when I knew what day the Kansas City Chiefs were coming to Oakland, I had to get my dad there. As an early Christmas present, I was able to get him a ticket and fly him out to visit and see his team. My dad and I have always been the sport fans of our family, so being able to work for a team and do this for him was something I'll always cherish.

The last photo to the right of my dad and I is when a few of us went to a USF Men's Basketball game where they were trying to set a world record of how many people could be in a room with fake mustaches. Mike Pacini, Thomas Sweeney, Nick Walsh, Austen Powers and I all went to this fun event (and even got Don's masks).

All these memories were made in just a short 10 months and those aren't even all of them.With each memory has a lesson, and those lessons I try to apply to my daily routine. Whether it's a professional or personal lesson, USF has been more than just a learning experience in the classroom. 

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