September 15, 2010
I've obviously been really bad about keeping up with this, but instead of dwelling on my lack of blogging skills I'll just jump right in where I left off!
As I had mentioned before, I really enjoy my job and where I work. One of the main reasons for this is because it allows me to be involved in my community. Back in September I got to particpate in a program called Challenge Day at a local high school. Some of you may be familiar with it because MTV made a show about this program titled "If You Really Knew Me."
But for those of you who aren't familiar, Challenge Day's mission is to provide youth and their communities with experiential workshops and programs that demonstrate the possibility of love and connection through the celebration of diversity, truth and full expression. It is the spark that ignites a movement of compassion and positive change, known as the Be The Change movement.
I have to be honest in that I was a little skeptical going in to this. I was told it was a day where freshmen students were encouraged to show their true selves, and just thinking back to when I was in high school, I couldn't really fathom that kids would do this. But man was I wrong. It truly is hard to describe the impact this day had on all of the students. It shocked me to hear the things some of them have been through. We started out with ice breakers as a large group but later broke up into groups of 5-6 and this was who you really beared your soul to.
The most memorable parts were the If You Really Knew Me activity, where you went around the circle sharing secrets most people don't know about you, and the Cross The Line activity where the Challenge Day leaders would call out certain scenarios that required you to cross over a line if it applied. "Cross the line if you or someone you know: has ever been discriminated because of their color of skin, has ever tried to committ suicide, is afraid to go home, has ever lost a family member, has ever had an abortion..." And the list went on and on. There really wasn't a dry eye by the end of this activity. The kids were so honest with their homelife and emotions and it completely took me by surprise. This program put the effects of negative judgements, thoughtless jokes, rumors, and violence in perspective for these students.
Their 3 step formula really sums up the whole day and this post:
NOTICE - Wake up! Notice what is happening.
CHOOSE - Dream it! Create a vision for what you want your life to look like.
ACT - Do something! Have the courage and committment it takes to be the change.
To learn more about Challenge Day: http://www.challengeday.org/challenge-day-program.php
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Oklahoma Blood Institute
Saturday August 14th, 2010I decided to coordinate a public blood drive at my place of work in conjuntion with another community event we had. This endeavor was definitely inspired by my younger sister and I can't think of a better way of explaining my desire to do this than by sharing her speech she gave at the Oklahoma Blood Institute's Blood Thanks & Giving Day:
“In all things it is better to hope than to despair.”-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. On May 21, 2008, one week before I turned 16, I was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare adolescent bone cancer. Before this occurrence, this quote would not have meant much to me. Now, as a cancer survivor, I cannot think of more perfect words to encompass what I went through. Over a period of 14 months, I received 14 rounds of chemotherapy, ranging from 3-to-5 day stays in the hospital, and 10 weeks of radiation. I had 19 blood transfusions, 11 platelet transfusions, and had two additional hospital visits for a week each time, once due to a fever spike and once for shingles. My treatment was by no means easy, and there were many times I honestly believed I could not continue. Although it was a long, rough road to recovery, with the support of my loved ones and every ounce of inner strength I have, I completed my treatment. Then, on July 22, 2009, I was told I was cancer-free and just recently celebrated my first year of being a cancer survivor.
The regimen I went through saved my life, but it was also very hard on my body. The combination of the chemotherapy and radiation severely affected my blood counts, causing me to need 19 blood transfusions and 11 platelet transfusions. These transfusions were vital to my recovery. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to continue with my treatment which could’ve easily changed the outcome.
My blood transfusions saved my life, and it is all thanks to generous donors like yourselves. As a donor, you may not be able to comprehend the effects of your donation. I’m here today as representation of the outcome of your donations. I finished my senior year of high school including my senior prom and accepted academic scholarship to Westminster College. I now look forward to attending college in the fall and ultimately pursuing a law degree. I, along with many other blood recipients, want to thank all donors from the bottom of my heart. You saved my life, and I am forever grateful.
Again, without blood donors, I would not have lived to graduate, have fun summer adventures as a teenager nor to see this special day. I want to recognize each group of loyal donors…those of you who take the time regularly to donate blood for people like me. I want to thank each of you for the time and blood you donated that has helped me in my battle. I thank you for saving my life and giving me a future to look forward to.
The regimen I went through saved my life, but it was also very hard on my body. The combination of the chemotherapy and radiation severely affected my blood counts, causing me to need 19 blood transfusions and 11 platelet transfusions. These transfusions were vital to my recovery. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to continue with my treatment which could’ve easily changed the outcome.
My blood transfusions saved my life, and it is all thanks to generous donors like yourselves. As a donor, you may not be able to comprehend the effects of your donation. I’m here today as representation of the outcome of your donations. I finished my senior year of high school including my senior prom and accepted academic scholarship to Westminster College. I now look forward to attending college in the fall and ultimately pursuing a law degree. I, along with many other blood recipients, want to thank all donors from the bottom of my heart. You saved my life, and I am forever grateful.
Again, without blood donors, I would not have lived to graduate, have fun summer adventures as a teenager nor to see this special day. I want to recognize each group of loyal donors…those of you who take the time regularly to donate blood for people like me. I want to thank each of you for the time and blood you donated that has helped me in my battle. I thank you for saving my life and giving me a future to look forward to.
My sister is alive thanks to 48 local blood donors, and while most of us will never meet the people’s lives we save, I hope that this sticks with you and that you realize what a difference you can make. You don’t have to look far to find people’s lives who have been changed by the generosity of blood donors. They are our family, coworkers, neighbors, and friends.
I encourage everyone who is eligible to donate to do so. You never know when it'll be somebody you love.
U R Special
Friday August 13th, 2010
So it's been a while since I decided to start this project and now it's officially underway! I am a member of the Edmond Young Professionals and they chose to serve U R Special as one of their service projects for the year so I jumped on the opportunity to help out. I spent 3 hours helping little girls find shoes for the new school year.
U R Special exists to foster self-esteem and healthy lifestyles in needy and at-risk children. They do so by providing new, one-of-a-kind outfits of clothing for the children of Edmond, Oklahoma, and distributing it to them in ways that are celebratory, interactive, and affirming.
I helped close to 20 little girls pick out a new pair of shoes and it was such a worthwhile experience. It was definitely a lot harder than it sounds though! We were in a very hot, small space and some girls went through 10 or more pairs before making up their minds. But I guess that's girls for ya : )
U R Special has only one paid employee, a part-time director, so volunteers are the backbone of the organization. To learn more about U R Special check out their website here: http://urspecialedmond.org/index.php
So it's been a while since I decided to start this project and now it's officially underway! I am a member of the Edmond Young Professionals and they chose to serve U R Special as one of their service projects for the year so I jumped on the opportunity to help out. I spent 3 hours helping little girls find shoes for the new school year.
U R Special exists to foster self-esteem and healthy lifestyles in needy and at-risk children. They do so by providing new, one-of-a-kind outfits of clothing for the children of Edmond, Oklahoma, and distributing it to them in ways that are celebratory, interactive, and affirming.
I helped close to 20 little girls pick out a new pair of shoes and it was such a worthwhile experience. It was definitely a lot harder than it sounds though! We were in a very hot, small space and some girls went through 10 or more pairs before making up their minds. But I guess that's girls for ya : )
U R Special has only one paid employee, a part-time director, so volunteers are the backbone of the organization. To learn more about U R Special check out their website here: http://urspecialedmond.org/index.php
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Why this? Why now?
Why this?
As long as I can remember I am happiest when helping others. From age 12-18 I was extremely involved in my church youth group and I thrived on community service events. We did several things locally throughout the year and took a 1-2 week mission trip every summer. I grew up with high hopes of changing the world someday. While others wanted to be lawyers, doctors, and teachers, I wanted to join the Peace Corps or work for a non-profit organization fighting world poverty.
Once high school ended I went to college, and like a lot of young adults became less involved in things outside of school. I was a college athlete working part-time so free time was genuinely hard to come by, but most importantly it was easy to make excuses. I still attended two mission trips while in college, one of which was to New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina clean up, and to this day it still leaves a lasting impression on me.
Those of you who know me personally, know that after college I did not go on to serve in the Peace Corps or work for an organization that fights world poverty. I am now one year out of school and have been working in marketing for a local credit union. And to be perfectly honest, I really enjoy it. It is not where I thought life would take me, but I am thankful for it, the people I've met, and the experience I am gaining.
While I may not have taken the career path I had originally planned, who says I can't still change the world in my own little way? I have come to the realization lately that I don't have to look far to find someone who needs a helping hand.
So why now?
"Intention without action is useless." - Caroline Myss
I saw this quote in a presentation given by a coworker of mine and it has a lot to do with the "why now?" part. She teaches through her life story that life is short and there may not always be a tomorrow. She is beyond inspiring and I always think to myself that I want to have that motivation/fire/gumption that she has in her life. While she is an amazing speaker, and I leave feeling ready to conquer the world after hearing her story, it took me THREE times of sitting through it before I finally decided to take action! I am embarrassed to even admit that, but it's the truth. All that being said, I figure it's better now than never.
Why blog?
When I was younger I used to do whatever I could anonymously because I felt like if I told anyone, I was doing it for the wrong reasons. When I finally decided that I wanted to make a change in my life I had originally planned on doing this secretively for fear of people thinking it was all for show. After doing a lot of thinking though I came to the following conclusions: (1) there probably won't be a whole lot of people reading this and (2) two sets of hands are better than one. If I could drag just one reader along just one time then it would all be worth it.
The point of this blog is to hold myself accountable and stop wishing I could make a difference. I am going to follow my heart and stop waiting til tomorrow.
And if along the way someone wants to join me... well I couldn't ask for more.
As long as I can remember I am happiest when helping others. From age 12-18 I was extremely involved in my church youth group and I thrived on community service events. We did several things locally throughout the year and took a 1-2 week mission trip every summer. I grew up with high hopes of changing the world someday. While others wanted to be lawyers, doctors, and teachers, I wanted to join the Peace Corps or work for a non-profit organization fighting world poverty.
Once high school ended I went to college, and like a lot of young adults became less involved in things outside of school. I was a college athlete working part-time so free time was genuinely hard to come by, but most importantly it was easy to make excuses. I still attended two mission trips while in college, one of which was to New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina clean up, and to this day it still leaves a lasting impression on me.
Those of you who know me personally, know that after college I did not go on to serve in the Peace Corps or work for an organization that fights world poverty. I am now one year out of school and have been working in marketing for a local credit union. And to be perfectly honest, I really enjoy it. It is not where I thought life would take me, but I am thankful for it, the people I've met, and the experience I am gaining.
While I may not have taken the career path I had originally planned, who says I can't still change the world in my own little way? I have come to the realization lately that I don't have to look far to find someone who needs a helping hand.
So why now?
"Intention without action is useless." - Caroline Myss
I saw this quote in a presentation given by a coworker of mine and it has a lot to do with the "why now?" part. She teaches through her life story that life is short and there may not always be a tomorrow. She is beyond inspiring and I always think to myself that I want to have that motivation/fire/gumption that she has in her life. While she is an amazing speaker, and I leave feeling ready to conquer the world after hearing her story, it took me THREE times of sitting through it before I finally decided to take action! I am embarrassed to even admit that, but it's the truth. All that being said, I figure it's better now than never.
Why blog?
When I was younger I used to do whatever I could anonymously because I felt like if I told anyone, I was doing it for the wrong reasons. When I finally decided that I wanted to make a change in my life I had originally planned on doing this secretively for fear of people thinking it was all for show. After doing a lot of thinking though I came to the following conclusions: (1) there probably won't be a whole lot of people reading this and (2) two sets of hands are better than one. If I could drag just one reader along just one time then it would all be worth it.
The point of this blog is to hold myself accountable and stop wishing I could make a difference. I am going to follow my heart and stop waiting til tomorrow.
And if along the way someone wants to join me... well I couldn't ask for more.
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