It’s official.  I’ve finished my third year in college. 

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about my experiences thus far, perhaps because most of my friends will be graduating in just two days from now.  I came to Fontbonne leery of the thought of taking on a major as challenging as biology, and, I’ll admit it, I’ve really considered changing majors many times ever since (although oddly, I’ve never quite made it over to the registrar to pick up the correct form for that- call me lazy).  Just three years ago, I was staring wide-eyed at my first general biology I assignment, which was on mimicry in the snake world.  I didn’t understand the words.  I was put into a group with seniors who, for some strange reasons, needed to retake general biology and who had already taken crazy 300- and 400-level biology courses.  I had no idea what I was doing in that class.

And look at me now.  I’ve finished my chemistry minor.  I’m practically finished with my biotechnology concentration, and I already finished the physiology concentration.  I’ve even taken an additional independent study human anatomy class (neuroanatomy) for fun.  I technically only need to take one more biology class, immunology, and then I will have finished all of the departmental requirements for my degree.

So what have I learned in three years?  Mostly, I’ve learned to never quit, even though I say “I quit” on what’s practically a daily basis.  I’m scared about what lies ahead as far as GREs and internships and jobs and graduate admissions go, but I think that’s what’s the most exciting thing of all. 

But, with school having just ended, I’d like to take some time to just reflect on the memories.  The memories of Wednesday Cinema, our rather-new tradition of sitting in the biology seminar room and watching movies while doing homework all day.  The memories of taking Molecular Techniques with Dillon and Tim all semester and telling each other to not tell Dr. Paine-Saunders that we spilled buffer all over or that we dropped our Western blot membranes in the sink.  The memories of sleepless nights before organic chem tests and of waking up at 2 in the morning before a biochem test only to lie in bed and go through equations and problems over and over again in my head until it was time to get up and ready to go at 5:30am.  These and countless other memories will continue to haunt me as I realize that many of my friends will not be back on campus in class with me next fall.  But those memories, those bittersweet memories, will in time turn out to be some of the best I’ve ever had.

~ With Two of the Best Friends I’ll Ever Have ~

I could get used to beautiful sunny weather.

As unpredictable as Midwest weather can be, I appreciate those beautiful sunny days that bring people out of the darkness to the bright outdoors.

As far as recent events go, this weekend has been delightful due to the great weather and fun outdoor events that I have been able to be a part of.

One recent event was a tailgate that we had on campus in order to pump Students up for the Men’s Lacrosse game (which we won by the way).

The tailgate featured personalized pennants that people could get.

Pennant-makers hard at work.

Fontbonne Staff Members Lisa Clanton and Janelle Densberger representing Griffin Nation.

It was fun watching the pennant-making process.

Fontbonne Students enjoying the weather and waiting for pennants.

Another recent event was the GO! St Louis Marathon. My Fontbonne Friends Marcy and Isabella, and I went last year.

Here's a picture of us cheering on runners at the event last year.

Even though I’m not a morning person, the GO! St. Louis marathon has been an event that has been worth waking up for. We post up on the Delmar Loop usually, which is around mile 20, near the end of the marathon. It’s fun interacting with the runners and rooting them on as they get closer to the finish line.

Here is Marcy, Me, and Isabella in our cheer gear this year! We're wearing black, red, and green to support our friend who dedicated his marathon partially to the people of Kenya. (Michael and I went to Kenya this past Summer with Fontbonne.)

We went to Fozzie's Sandwich Emporium near school to get some delicious food and shakes after the race.

Lovin' everyone taking advantage of the beautiful weather and the hammocks on campus in Medaille Meadow.

It’s just a shame that schoolwork has to put a damper on things, and my time enjoying the outdoor activities has to be limited. Last home stretch though…less than 40 days until I’m on Summer break and graduated!!!

Peace, Love, & Spirit!

Today’s weather was gorgeous. As in, practically eighty degrees, a nice amount of sunshine, and very low humidity. And what did I do today? Homework, as usual. And as I was looking at my planner, I realized that I misunderstood my friend and fellow blogger Carly when she said that we have five weeks of school left after spring break. Yes, technically we do, if you don’t count exam weeks. I love school, don’t get me wrong- but as the weather gets nicer and nicer, it just gets harder and harder to stay inside and study.

I’ve actually already started my summer internship. I’m interning in a microbiology lab halfway between my house and campus, and, if you’ve read any of my blogs thus far, you should be inferring that I’m enjoying the experiences there. And that inference is correct. I’m learning a lot of new lab techniques, and everyone is so nice that I’ve already made some new friends.

So I guess what I’m saying is that I’m excited for summer. But, then again, I’ll be sad when this school year ends. As I said before, most of my friends are seniors, so they’ll be graduating and moving on to bigger and better things come this May, which will make for a strange school year for me next year. I have a feeling we will all be getting pretty sentimental in these coming weeks.

This weekend, my high school presented their annual spring musical. This year, the show was “White Christmas.” As I sat there in the audience watching eagerly as the cast members tap danced to songs like “I Love a Piano” and acted out some pretty powerful romantic scenes, I started thinking about how fast life goes. I graduated from high school just three years ago, yet I only knew the seniors in the show. It seems like a lifetime ago that I was on that stage playing twelve-year-old Agnes in my last high school musical, “Meet Me in St. Louis.”

So if my rambling here means anything to you, then great. If not, I’ll try to sum it up here: even though these last few weeks may seem daunting and difficult, and even though motivating yourself to do your homework amidst the glorious preview of summer weather may seem nearly impossible, college truly will be over before we know if, so we need to savor every sweet moment we have.

The blog prompt about the for the week of March 18th was about summer plans and such.  I am graduating on May 18th and am going to spend the summer in St. Louis.  I am going to be Assistant Directing a show called The Cherry Sisters with R-S Theatrics.  I am also taking a play writing workshop through Fontbonne’s on campus theatre company Mustard Seed Theatre.

I don’t know what life will be like after graduation. My fiance’s job got transferred to Dallas, TX. I guess that means I will eventually go as well.  I love St. Louis and have lived here all my life. Change is hard. But it will definitely be a new adventure!

Ahhhhhh! How are we already passed the midpoint of my last semester of undergraduate school?

How am I a Senior already?!?

For those who are still in high school or aren’t quite Seniors in college yet, just know that the time will fly by! Don’t take that time for granted!

If you’re a Senior like me and some of my other classmates, you’re most likely freaking out quite a bit about “what’s next” after graduation in May. Therefore, I suggest to those who still have time to think more deeply about this to at least put some thought into where you see yourself after graduation. Thinking about this can also help guide your college career, because ultimately, your college experiences help to shape the person you are when you graduate.

I would also like to say that this is the time of year where the big projects (i.e. a Research Paper and Senior Capstone Project) start to make themselves known. This is not a good time to do things like procrastinate, get sick, fall to the weaknesses of your own limitations, etc. Therefore, let’s just say that I’m struggling right now. However, knowing that there’s less than 70 days until graduation helps me to be at ease, because I know that one of my major goals (graduating from College) is getting nearer and nearer each day.

And now some random pictures from some of my current life events:

Searching for books for my Research Paper. I like that you can get the book location texted to your phone. Thanks, technology!

Getting to know the library books at the Fontbonne Library...

Sometimes, you have to reward yourself for good behavior. Positive reinforcement!

Visiting a Graduate Program at Columbia College Chicago!

The Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling Department at Columbia College Chicago, where I'll hopefully be next year!

One of the Graduate Classrooms at Columbia College Chicago.

A dance studio area for Graduate Students at Columbia College Chicago.

The building across the street from where I had my Graduate Admissions Interview.

Green mashed potatoes with garlic and kale that I made in my Southwest Hall apartment in honor of March and St. Patrick's Day coming up!

Some closing thoughts on time management…time management is a great skill to have and is much needed in the current fast-paced life of modern society. Either that, or I recommend becoming a part of a society that is slower-paced if time management is not your thing. I’m still trying to learn how to properly balance everything.

Welp, back to schoolwork for me!

Peace, Love, & Relaxation (Eventually).

As you may know, or may not know, this is my last semester as a college student. I have been looking forward to graduating a semester early from the beginning, but now that it is here, I want to rewind/take-it-back/say re-do. I want another semester to explore, another semester after that to have fun and another one after that… just because. I have learned so much about myself as a person, as a friend, as a girlfriend, as an ex, as a daughter, and as a student just in the last 3 months. It is crazzyy. I feel like I am just beginning, not ending this chapter in my life. . . Everything seems so backwards and I am not a fan.

I find myself quite unsure of things that were so concrete  in my life. How did those tangible ideas literally crumble? Don’t ask me, I would love to know the answer if you can find it.

I thought I wanted to go back home and enjoy life in Kentucky, with friends in Kentucky, but I am just so unsure. I want to stay another semester with the friends I love and the people I adore. I made the decision to graduate early in hopes of pushing fast-forward on life. I was over school, over the distance, over this Fontbonne life. I don’t think I could have been more wrong. One thing I have learned; nothing is certain, no matter how adamant you are or how permanent something feels. I love this Fontbonne life, I love this city.

So, what to do? Think. Think about myself. Be selfish. This is MY life after all, I am in control here. Not my prospective job, not my vision of my “perfect life,” not the “what if’s.” I will not restrict myself. I owe that to myself, and to be honest, that is exciting for me.

Ok, enough with the negative. I am excited to experience an actual “big girl job.” I hope I get that opportunity sooner rather than later, but I am not too concerned. Taking it one day at a time.

I have learned to:

Replace yes with no

Work hard and enjoy the results

Let people help me

Think of myself

Take a rest day, or 20…

Stay up late, and I mean late. It is always an adventure even if you stay in your room

Appreciate friends and to tell them they are loved

Make my own wooden frames

Balance fun with work

Be assertive

Be a free spirit

&

To trust yet always be unconvinced

__________

Side Note:

Usually when I arrive to St.Louis and I see the arch, I cry. I get sad, I get angry. The arch is a sign that I am leaving family, friends, a love, for an extended amount of time. This last time, driving back from thanksgiving break, I saw the arch and I smiled. I got butterflies, I was excited I was happy. I am ready to be present in my st. louis life, with no regrets. A great feeling to have. Even if I only have a week left.

Thanks for reading!

Kelia

Hello world!!!

First and foremost I’d like to say that I am a full time wife (8 months)…a full time mother (7 months) a full time career woman, and a full time student since August. This leads me to my next point—-I AM FULL TIME EXHAUSTED. I started my Communications endeavors straight out of high school in 2004 at SEMO University. Through life’s trials and bumps in the road I am finally at this wonderful institution with just a little over a year left.

I am looking forward to walking across the stage ,preferably with honors, among my family and friends. I have been in St. Louis my entire life, so hopefully once I graduate I can find a great job and relocate to see something new. I look forward to walking this path here at Fontbonne.

–Melanie

So… this is it. I’m done with classes. I have one more brief paper to write and hand off, and I’m done. Less than two weeks from now, I’ll walk the stage, dressed in a gown I’ll wear one time ever.

Frankly? It’s anti-climactic. There’s not some big banner I run through at the finish line. Confetti doesn’t drop from the ceiling when I walk out the door. Of course, I guess that all goes with the graduation ceremony, but… I’m done now. Why doesn’t it feel like it?

Here’s why: Because life keeps going on. For three and a half years, Fontbonne University has been my job. Not just “school,” but work – I treat it like a duty, something to be invested in because it will pay off. And now, this job is suddenly done… but really, it was never just some “task” to be completed, in spite of what I may have told myself. Fontbonne University has been a process. It’s been a process of learning, of coming to terms with the world around me and my fluid place in that world.

What I need you to understand, before I can leave this place in peace, is that I should not be congratulated as though I have accomplished some great feat. Many before me have graduated, and many will graduate after me. Admittedly I think my experience and accomplishments are unique, but certainly every experience at any school should be a unique one. What I need to make clear is that if I have accomplished anything worth congratulating, it is the people who have guided and inspired me to achieve such accomplishments who deserve congratulations.

In an initial draft of this blog, I was writing an individual note of thanks to each person… except there were simply too many names and too many things to say individually. So, so many people have made this an incredible experience. Their compassion, their demands for excellence, their words and their listening and their efforts have made such a difference.

I will leave Fontbonne with a set of skills derived from an education like no other. I will leave here with a trust in myself unlike anything I have ever had; I trust not only my mind, but also my spirit. I have grown here in so many ways. I have become more than I ever thought I’d be.

I almost hate to say this, just because I find it horribly cliché to wrap up this way… but it’s true, so I will say it all the same. Truly, Fontbonne has kept the promised offered to me when I came here: “Learn More, Be More.”

Thanks for reading. It’s been wonderful writing here. Good luck on finals, students; have a wonderful holiday season, everyone.

I recognize the recurring theme of graduation in my posts. Bear with me, here – the reality of the situation hasn’t completely set in, so I think about it often.

As I get closer to graduation, I’m starting to think about what I’m going to miss. Odds are, I’ll move away from St. Louis. But… I really like this city! I’m really glad I took a chance and moved out here. I thought, when I first decided to come to St. Louis from Rochester, NY, that there was just so much to do and see (and eat!!) here… and really, I was right. I’ve really come to enjoy this city.

And what about the people? There are a good number of friends I made that I realistically don’t know if I’ll ever see them again after I walk the stage. I’d like to stay in touch with so many of them – there are so many people here I’ve met who I’ve just come to know and appreciate so much. (Don’t get me wrong – I’m totally planning on unfriending a lot of people on Facebook after graduation, too! Hahaha.) How many of these people will I really be able to stay in touch with?

The future is still pretty scary. I’m happy to say I have a great sense of direction by now – I think I know where I’ll be in the next six months, which is really all I’m asking for right now! But there are still a lot of unanswered questions. All the same, I’m going to walk the stage in a month (as of Thursday!) with a lot of confidence and a firm sense of potential. Everything is going to work out one way or another, and I’m ready to make it happen.

The more I think about my future, the more I realize I’m clueless. My response to this state of cluelessness is to seek out other people to talk to; current and former professors, close friends and significant others, parents, randomly trustworthy strangers… why not?

The thing is, I want to do SO MANY things. I’d love to work a bunch of different jobs for a while, and not even particularly glamorous or well paying jobs. I’d like to work in a loud, noisy, dangerous factory for a while, for the experience. I’d like to work as a waiter for a while for the practice in interpersonal skills. I’d like to work at a printing company to learn more about the printing process and see what goes into the process we so often take for granted in our packaging. I’d like to work as an electrician because wiring things up is just cool, and I’d love to get the skills and know-how to fix up my own house – for the same reasons, I’d like to work as a plumber and an auto mechanic and a carpenter, so I can do so many things myself. I’d like to work as a landscaper and a construction worker to get outside and do things with my hands and sweat. I’d like to be a salesperson, both door-to-door and in a store. So many things! It’d be so cool!

On top of that, of course, there’s the “real” jobs, the jobs where my college-earned credentials are important. I’d love to work in advertising, of course, as an account executive, but also maybe as a planner, a media buyer, a research analyst… And more recently, I realized how much I’d enjoy being a professor, teaching advertising and sociology.

The cool part is when I think about all this, I’m not scared at all. Right now I don’t know where I’ll be in three months, six months, a year, three years… No clue! But I’m not scared. I’m realizing how much I’ve learned at Fontbonne during my time here that isn’t just random skills and useless facts. I’ve learned so much about critical thinking and problem solving. I’ve learned how to learn new things, if that makes sense. So I know that wherever I end up and whatever I end up doing, I’ll be okay.

And that, that’s pretty exciting. So… where are you headed?

(Fifty-two days ‘til graduation!!)