Gotta Get Involved!

Yesterday was the Student Activities Fair, or the "Free Stuff Fair" as us students call it because of all the free stuff you get from the people promoting their organizations.  This year there were tons of great stuff - sunglasses, snowcones and milkshakes, candy, tennis ball key chains, tote bags and lots and lots of cups!  Students Senate also had their free BBQ at the fair.  I was totally lovin' the coleslaw and Caesar salad.  Everyone looked like they were having a great time, mingling around the tables.  I hung out at my sorority's table and talked to girls about going through recruitment.  I also spent some time trying to get the full set of Sigma Alpha Epsilon purple/white/black cups for my little sister, Andrea.  Mission accomplished.

My sorority's table at the Free Stuff Fair.

After the fair, Student Senate and Student Development sponsored a self-defense speaker, Steve Kardian, who gave a talk called "Reduce the Odds."  Kardian, who appears regularly on CNN and Inside Edition, was really interesting and informative on how to prevent yourself from being a victim of violence.  He had a lot of background experience and first-hand stories to share with us.

Last night I finished off my evening by sitting outside on my front porch, doing my economics homework and unwinding after a long, busy, but fun day.

Learning, Leadership and Service in the Jesuit Tradition

Little did I know - coming from a little all-girls high school in Omaha, Nebraska - how much my life at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri would change my life.  To a freshman, college might seem big and scary - it definitely did for me - but looking back now I realize that I had nothing to worry about!  Rockhurst has given me the tools to succeed and shape me into the student I am today.  Even though I'm beginning my fourth and final year of college, I know I still have a lot more to learn and experience at Rockhurst!

Rockhurst bases it's mission upon three main pillars: learning, leadership and service.  At my time at Rockhurst, I've been able to grow and develop in all three of these areas.

I've learned how to become a better student and foster a genuine love for learning.  Through Rockhurst's liberal education I have been able to take classes in a vast variety of subjects.  I've gotten to know my professors and benefited from their expertise.

Aside from the things I have learned in the classroom, I've also learned a lot of valuable skills through the leadership opportunities that Rockhurst has provided for me.  I have helped with leading and coordinating the Freshman retreat through campus ministry, and I have gained invaluable real-world skills through my involvement in my sorority. My number one advice to incoming Freshman is to get involved!

Finally, learning and leadership culminate into the ultimate service experience!  Several of my classes have included a service-learning aspect to the course curriculum and much of my reason for going to Rockhurst was based on the fact that I received a scholarship for the service I had done in high school.

I'm looking forward to reflecting on my Rockhurst experience through this blog and having the opportunity to share it with the world outside of Rockhurst so that they can see just how amazing it is!