April 19: It's over, wow. It seems like it was just getting started. I'm proud that I made it this far. Finals week is officially over, well for me it is. Incoming students be prepared for a new journey in life. HU is no joke so pay attention to everything that your professors tell you. Get ready for a fun new adventure. The transition isn't as bad as you think. It is actually pretty easy. All the professors are nice and flexible and they will make you feel welcomed. You will find a lot of people to help you when needed so don't be afraid to ask anyone anything. Put yourself out there and make yourself known. Show them how much you can actually do, but also be sure not to joke around too much. There is time for play and a time for work. On a personal level try and connect with any students that you can. It's good to make new friends because you learn many things. Now let's get to the awesome part of this topic FOOD! There are so many places to eat down here. The newest installment is TACO BELL! Yeah, I had to put it all in caps, but really this is a great experience for you. The city is even beautiful. You can have beautiful walks to anywhere around Harrisburg and there are even places to go shopping a few feet away from HU. Come one, come all to this journey for a lifetime. Trust me; it's a pretty good experience. Now onto next semester!

April 12: Once you get to your second semester or second year of HU, you're going to get the pleasure of taking a class called Stepping Stone. This class is used to prepare you for business like places and the future of how you should dress, act, and present yourself and your resume. It is a training class for you to get yourself out there in the real world. In this class you will also have to do a Civic Engagement Assignment. I had two choices this year of what I wanted to do with this assignment. So I decided to do the soup kitchen. I had done it in 12th grade for my end of the year project and I enjoyed it a lot. You get to meet different people, even though some of the people that were helping out had no choice because of what choices they made in life. I first found out about this place from my friend who had done it a couple of times. It is important to gain the skill of being a people person because without that you will not get far in life. This activity made me more aware of the problems that we have in our neighborhood regarding the homeless and people who can't afford food. I was happy to be helping out and even though I haven't been back in a while, I do plan on going back someday when I have a free open schedule. I helped set up chairs and help serve people food. I'm interested in going back to soon because you get to talk to different people and make new friends. You are also helping to make a difference in their life. I also think it's a good idea to do something in the environment, neighborhood or etc. because you are making a difference.

April 5th: I enjoyed the career shadowing assignment for SEM 200. It was fun and interesting. My first choice didn't work out as well, but in the end I came through with two job shadowing careers. I decided to choose my uncle and his fiance because their jobs interested me. He is a licensed dog owner, breeder, and business owner. His fiance is a paral legal. Both of these jobs are similar in a way because they both have to deal with laws. There are so many laws that go into being a dog breeder/owner/business manager that I didn't think were involved. I found out about this opportunity because I contacted my uncle who set up both the job shadowing opportunity. I gained knowledge about both of these that I will hopefully always remember. A paral legal is closest to my field. I was really almost convinced to change my major to criminal justice because of all the information. Having your own business is hard work and takes a lot of patience when you are dealing with dogs. I enjoy all of my time shadowing the two of them.

March 29th: It seems like my first year of college went is going by so fast. This summer I plan on attending an outing with my group. I am a part of the 4H Exchange Club. This year our exchange friends are coming up from Tennessee so we get to show them different places and parts of Harrisburg. Other than that I am going to be working and enjoying hanging with my friends and family more before I have to get back to school work. I am excited for my friends to come up here and get to know where I live a little bit. I am also excited about whatever else surprises this summer brings me. From HU I have learned how to be more outspoken because of speech. I have also learned a lot of calculations that I could actually use to prove science majors wrong if I wanted to. I have gained a lot of information and friends and different skills that I can take with me for the near future. I am so looking forward to next year. I already have my classes preregistered. I am really looking forward to this Entomology class. This class will help me out in the long term relating to my Forensic Science major.

March 22: Seems like this semester as well as last semester went by quickly. I wasn't expecting that. It's getting close to that week and a half where we get to pick/register for our classes for next semester or even the fall semester. It seems as if college life goes by pretty quick even when you are struggling somewhat. It's time I have that one on one talk with my advisor once again. I can't wait because I like figuring out what classes are in store for me or what classes I can double up on. Yeah, I am a nerd, but I can't help talking about classes especially if they interest me. This time around I have to meet my new advisor. I got close with my first advisor, but she had left so I have a new one, that I have yet to meet. I wonder what information they are going to offer me now. It's always good to talk to your advisor. They offer good advice about what classes you should take next and they can set up any meetings with professors or tutors. They are the go to people when you are having an issue relating to your education of course. I would advise you to talk to them about anything really. You can ask them about what classes you should take or how many classes you should take each semester. That's what they are there for. They are there to ensured that you succeed and for any questions that you may have. Don't be afraid to ask them even about life questions, they have some good suggestions too. Until next week, stay beautiful.

March 15: Sometimes it's easy for me to make friends and other times it can be complicated. What I mean by complicated is that sometimes you want to be friends with people who do not want to be friends with you. In my cases though, it has been quite easy to make friends, especially when I first started attending HU. Even though I came here with some of my friends, I made new friends on the first day. The only thing that stops me from making new friends is that I am somewhat shy. All the friends that I've made in lost affect my life in some way or form. I even consider some of my professors to be friends because they will sit there and have a personal conversation with you, which is enjoyable and interesting. There is not a lot of professors who would just sit there to talk about anything other than the normal educational things. In my first week, I had made two new friends that made class a little bit interesting. They are still my friends till this day. I've learned that anyone can be your friend as long as you put fourth the effort to talk to them. Just step up and start off with a joke if that makes you comfortable. In the future I hope to make more friends can get more connected with the environment.

March 8: Where do you go when you're stressed out, have things on your mind that you need to escape, you just want to be alone and read a good book? Good questions huh? One of my favorite places in Harrisburg is not only a beautiful sight, but it is also relaxing and welcoming. My favorite place in Harrisburg is the river front, but not just anywhere on the river front, but near the dam that comes before the bridge. I am not sure what the exact location is called, but I ensure you that this place is in my eyes wonderful. It is peaceful and relaxing. Imagine sitting on the bench listening to the flow of water hitting the dam, the beautiful sight of the sky with the sun piercing through the clouds, the settle sound of moving traffic across the bridge, and while that is all going on your taking it all in, reading, writing, just enjoying life. I found this place by accident. Everyone has a special place where they like to go just to relax or they enjoy life. Everybody is different so, so is every place. It's nice to find a place like that once in a while because it's time to yourself or to just be you. I will continue to find different places on my many walks because it's fun. You never know where you're going to end up.

March 1: This week was pretty good. It actually went by quicker than I imagined. Spring break is right the corner. Hope everyone has a great break. I have to prepare for a speech over my break. "Work never stops", something my mother taught me. My mother is my mentor. She is a hardworking, determinate, courageous, fun loving person. She raised me from birth wither it was by herself or with someone's help. She has just always been there for me. She has been working since she was 15 years old and even while she was in high school. Soon she will be going back to college to get her bachelor degree in Nursing. She is so excited about that. Her hardworking status teaches me to never get up and that if I keep pushing forward that I can do anything that I put my mind to. Her courage increases my courage. There were some bad time back in the day, but she hardly ever showed worry or fear. She stands up for what she believes in and doesn't back down from a fight. That is why my mother is my mentor. She has taught me to be a hard worker, never give up and to enjoy every bit of life. Those qualities that have been passed onto me from her will follow me where ever I go. Let's just say my mother helped make me the person that I am today. Everyone have a good break!

February 23: It's a little ironic. I don't enjoy public speaking but my favorite class this semester is Speech. It is always fun never a dull moment. It's not one of the classes I look forward to attending. At first I thought that this class was going to be one of the hardest but instead it turned out to be my favorite. So far, I am learning how to compose speeches, give good eye contact, not to be so nervous and just have fun with it. I'm getting to the point where I can give a speech on the spot and be as confident as ever. I used to be really shy when it came to public speaking, but now, with my new upcoming speech, I am ready. Of course I'm going to be still nervous, but that will continue to change even in the near future.

February 15th. This week was a pretty good week. I had an opportunity to learn about the different types of trail "blood splatter" with members of the Forensic Club. Learning about the different types and characteristics of blood splatters is important to forensics and crime scene investigations. I've been learning a lot through the Forensic Club meetings and I can't wait for our next outing. After taking my first exam for my SM class, I learned that there are still a lot of things that I don't know even with a good amount of studying. Hoping I succeed and got a good grade any way. My first speech for the semester went really well. Thanks to all the preparation, I wasn't nervous. Most people make mistakes during presentations, but I thought all of these went very well. Thanks to the professor for all thehelpful hints. One thing I've learned is there are so many different ways to get to that "one" answer. In the future I hope to take this knowledge to a higher level and broaden my field of interest. So far, serology (which includes analyzing/solving and critical thinking) is looking like my top choice.

February 10th. Ever since I was young, I knew what kind of field I wanted to study. Figuring out my major was simple, but I'm still working on what exactly I want to focus my studies because forensics offers many career paths. Thanks to the guidance I receive daily, I have it narrowed down to three possibilities and I will soon make my final decision. During this past week, I've learned that it's really good to be challenged by the courses. You never want to do something that is too easy for you. Even though this semester is just starting, I feel less shy when speaking in class. The professors make presentating projects a comfortable experience which helps me gain confidence. The confidence I gain from my classes in turn helps me become more outgoing in the community and that will help make my future goals a reality. So far, I have made new friends in and out of HU and I have become closer with my professors. This shy little girl isn't so shy anymore.