School and More School

Hey everyone!!!!

So as you know I am a full time master's student at SUNY Brockport, studying Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. While I would love to tell you how much fun it is, which there is plenty of fun stuff. It is a lot of work, more then I thought when signing up. However I am finally getting use to it and starting to get into the swing of it.

I am very sad to report I was not able to go on my hike due to weather :( But I was able to work on a paper that was due, so that is always good. I also starting at my AmeriCorps placement!!!

I signed my new contract and started officially on October 1st. I will be completing 900 hours over the course of the next year. For my service I will receive a stipend and an educational award at the end of my term which will go towards my student loan.

During my year I will be able to take part and help in a number of programs, including Reality Check, Youth Court, and Legal Advocacy for youth program. I will also be working on creating and helping to put together community service projects for other AmeriCorps members. I will also be driving into grant writing and sending out a month newsletter.

I am looking forward to the new challenges and making myself grow and stretch more through this.

I have found that AmeriCorps is rewarding way to spend my time and also feel like I have made some impact on the community I live in. I have also learned more about the work of government in my community and how important it is to get youth involved at a young age. I'm work with AmeriCorps had a huge influence in my platform issue for pageants and also focusing on what I really want to be able to do in my life. It has inspired and pushed me to greater.

Please check out the link below. I will be taking part in this amazing fund raiser for the American Cancer Society. Please Support this cause during October which is National Breast Cancer Awkwardness Month

Please Donate

Hot and Cold

So I started back at the gym today. And I am so out of shape it makes me sad, I go back tonight for my second work out and for tanning. I also have a new person to help. First of all my new friend Jeremy is a athletic trainer for SUNY Geneseo (no he doesn't have magic spray, and he has been given me some great advice about my diet lately.)

I am also very lucky to have the amazing staff at Planet Fitness for helping me get back into winning shape. I am sure with there help I will regain the confidence and in amazing shape once again.

What have i been up to lately? While i had a great time at the Little Miss Finger Lakes Pageant at the begin of the month, as much as I love being on the stage I am starting to love being the support behind the stage also.

School has been crazy and amazing!!!!! It has been a new but great challenge and can not wait to be able to start apply everything I am learning. Which brings me to some new great news...As many of you know last year Congress signed into law the Edward M Kennedy Serve America Act into law. This allowed for a number of great things, including allowing AmeriCorps Members to serve more then 2 terms. Which means that beginning next month I will once again be allowed to serve in AmeriCorps. I am very excited about being able to use all my new skills in this way. Look for a blog soon about AmeriCorps and keep up with me during my year of service through this blog.

What else do I have going on?
-this weekend I am going on a half day hike/retreat at Chris the King Seminary
-Next weekend I will be walking at the Second Annual Kidney Walk and I have book club :)
-October has a lot of amazing events, I am off to see Stacey in the Miss New York International Pageant, I have my friend Kyle and Katie's wedding!!!!! I also will be at good old SUNY Brockport for AmeriCorps presentation. I will be working at a Just Friends event and have my second Annual Pumpkin Carving Night at my apartment :)Finally I am off to Jersey!!!!!!! to Mary Kay's Go Give Advance and to see my Cousin.

There is a ton of stuff going on

Call to Service

A quote from the “West Wing” episode 20 Hours in America-
President Josiah Bartlet: More than any time in recent history, America's destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek nor did we provoke an assault on our freedom and our way of life. We did not expect nor did we invite a confrontation with evil. Yet the true measure of a people's strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive. 44 people were killed a couple of hours ago at Kennison State University. Three swimmers from the men's team were killed and two others are in critical condition. When, after having heard the explosion from their practice facility, they ran into the fire to help get people out. Ran in to the fire. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight. They're our students and our teachers and our parents and our friends. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels, but every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless. This is a time for American heroes. We will do what is hard. We will achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars. God bless their memory, God bless you and God bless the United States of America. Thank you.

This is one of my favorite quotes from the show, today was a lazy today and I spent most of it watching West Wing with my Mommy. I love the ending of this speech mostly because it show the average American and how they truly make the biggest impacts on our county and possibly are world.

America reaches for challenge and takes them on. This is the call to action that has been part of our history for long before I was born. It’s what John F. Kennedy tried to inspired with his “Ask Not” speech; it’s why we teach government in schools. Americans are call to be a higher people and to push the limits.

Why am I bringing this all up? We are in a great season where people start to give back and think about other. September 11th is a national day of service and we have another one coming up with MLK day. We are also starting in on the Christmas season which people spend a lot more time giving back. Look around your communities and see what really needs to be done and what groups need help. Stretch your neck and go above and beyond what you have done before.

We are in a tough time, economically but also within the spirit of our nation. It is time to truly be neighbors’ and communities. So get to goggling people!!!! In the coming month I hope to share more about my community service and also about upcoming events you can take part in.

“I look forward to a great future for America - a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.”- JFK

Jillian Michaels

For those of you who don’t know me that while, I am obsessed with Jillian Micheals. I most likely to quotes lines from the Biggest Loser in my sleep and try to talk my roommate into sending in a video so we could be on Losing It.

Why am I bringing her? As part of my whole, creating a better me inside and out campaign (yes that is what I call it) I signed up for daily emails (FREE) from Jillian. They included a little bit of everything, from diet meal ideas to workout ideas to stories to inspire you. Today email talked about creating a support network and finding people to help you on your road to weight lose…or in my case weight loss/ toning/ healthier me.

This reminded me of something that we talk about in Mary Kay a lot, which is that you become like the five people you spend the most time with. That might seem a little nutty but really thing about the people you spend the most time with, do you really want to become like them?

I found that when I did bring more positive people around me, that I became more positive. When I spend more time with motivated people, guess what I stop letting myself make excesses for why I am not moving forward and started to make the changes I needed to so I would. This is also true because of energy, when you are around negative energy is really can have a harming effect on you. I have read even some cases of it causing physical problems.

Your attitude is truly everything. Many people are shocked by how I got through so much negative damaging things as a young person to become who I am today. Truly it was my attitude, I believe that I was meant to take everything and truly learn from it to be a better person. And ultimately I hope someday what I have been through will positively impact the lives of others, and help them.

Things I have found to make a better attitude in myself
1) Really look at the people I spend the most time with, I surround myself with supportive, positive people
2) Listen to and read positive books, I try to put knowledge and positivity into myself everyday
3) I have notes around on mirror, which helps to change the negative self talk I use to tell myself.

Time to Work

So I am official back in school, not that I really left it at all. I am now a Master’s student at SUNY Brockport getting a degree in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. That’s right, look out world they are giving me a license to boss other people around.

So far I am enjoying the classes, not that I have had that many. I am in relatively smaller classes with a large variety of people. That always makes for better classes. My classes range from introduction to Nonprofits, to finical management (aka letting me work with the money) to an overview of the Medicare and Medicaid systems and finally how to read and put together research. In other words I am sadly not ready YET to take over the world but just you wait.

In other news Miss Buffalo was a great time this past weekend. And even better then the pageant was…Eating Chicken Wings after. Yummy, I was able to try wings from all over the United States. Big congrats to Desiree this year’s Miss Buffalo. ALSO Big Congrats to “the black widow” for being once again the National Chicken Wing Contest Winner!!!! She ate over 4 pounds of chicken wings in 12 minutes!!!!!!!! I think she desires a crown for that.

Also I have two very special birthday wishes to share with your all. First to my Daddy, who turned 79 on Friday!!!! Happy birthday, he is as healthy as a horse and a great man. I am lucky to have such a caring, wonderful, protective and loving Daddy.

Next to Miss Shelley, the best boss/ Mary Kay director anyone could have. I will not post her age because we do not talk about that in Mary Kay. But happy birthday!!!!!!! You are a great role model and hero in my life.

So what is next up for me? First I get a little break from pageant…competing that is. But don’t worry I have plenty to keep you up to date with. This upcoming weekend I am off to help out at the Miss Little Finger Lakes Pageant in Corning, NY, where the beautiful and talented Amy Valenti will be the MC. I also have a retreat hick at the end of the month, it will be so much fun.

October I am blowing off NY for NJ for the annual Mary Kay Go Give Event and also see my Olivia and Dylan!!!!!!!!! And here is the best part…I will be there for Olivia’s birthday party. And I will also be cheering on a Pageant Sister, Stacey, at the Miss New York International Pageant.

And in November I will be off to Maryland to judge and see some great pageant friends, so stay tuned

***sorry no pictures I have to find my cord again :)

Bittersweet

Today was one of those bitter sweet days. Sweet because I will be starting my masters’ as of Monday, also bitter for the same reason. But it was bitter for a much larger reason. Today was my last day at my law internship and Muldoon and Getz.

I have been able to spend the summer with an amazing group of people to help me understand and learn about the legal field and what it is really like. I learn how much you really do as a lawyer and how much work you put in sometimes (a hundred hours) just to have everything change in a case in a couple days. But I also so how truly scary and difficult the legal process can be, and why having a lawyer is always smart. And for goodness sake keep your mouth shut until they show up ;)

I was very lucky where I was able to learn all these very important lessons, and great teachers to. First I will start with the most important person, Venita. Venita is the receptionist and if you doubt her importance you haven’t seen inside a law firm before. She deals with ever client and all the members of the staff….that is no easy task at times.

There are also the beautiful and talents Lisa and Karen, who know how to put together documents and what is needed in every type of case better than most. Plus Karen always has a way of making you laugh.

There is Gary, who knowledge of the written word is unbelievable. And can recall facts on cases from years ago at the drop of the hat. Beyond that he literally wrote the book on handling a criminal case in New York…look it up I am for real.

Then there is Jon, who is the reason I was able to intern at this amazing place this summer. Jon was one of my professors at SUNY Brockport, and sadly helped to nurture this crazy idea of mind to be a lawyer. And still encouraged it after he saw I really wasn’t as smart as he thought I was. Beyond being a great teacher (my grades are closed so you know it’s true) he can survey facts and package then in briefs and into cases. Oddly enough a student who was in a class I had with him asked me if he was as nice as he seemed in class, I can honestly say he is nicer. Plus after a week he doesn’t seem as scary.

Finally there is Marty, who despite is attempts to show me how being a lawyer is a terrible idea, with little luck, still let me pal around with him. He also took me on my down town Rochester culinary tour, I can find all the best places to eat blind folded. He also had the best special guest who showed me different areas of law. I am much more prepared for law school thanks to his guidance.

Just Wing It

I had an amazing time in Boonville and big big congrats to Allison on representing the area at Miss New York this year. After the parade on Saturday I had to run home for a wedding. Anyone who knows me will tell you how I seem to always have 4 things going on at one time with out fail.

Best part of being so busy, busy people will always be busy and are able to get things done. Also I have learn to schedule, plan and weight what is important. The wedding for such a fun time and i work off the amazing food by dancing the night away.

In other news I am very sad to say the fashion show i been working on had to be postponed till a later date. Due to stuff beyond the YWCA control, at least we have a lot of ground work done for next time.

Last night I went out to support my friends band the poverty rat, I was very happy I was able to support the band and Corey. It was a great time had by all.

So as of late it has been crazy and I have been also getting ready for school!!!! I start back on Aug 30th...that is right monday!!!! I am looking forward to my masters and can't wait to start working on it. For those of you who do not know I am completed my masters in Public Administration and Non Profit Management.

So keeping with my west wing them....What's Next?

While I am very excited about Miss Buffalo at the....wait for it....BUFFALO CHICKEN WING FEST!!!!!!!!!! Yes i love my wings :)I am also taking part in the .5 K (yes a half of a K) run on the first day of the fest. I am even more excited to say that the wing fest donates over 100,000 dollars every years to a number of charities in the western new york area, these year one of the charities is Western New York AmeriCorps.

As an Alumni of the AmeriCorps program, I am very excited about this partnership. Those of you who do not know AmeriCorps was also the official volunteer require for the Extreme Home Makeover that was done in Buffalo. I am very proud of the over One thousand hours of volunteer work I have done with AmeriCorps. And I have been lucky enough to be able to pay off a large part of my student loans because of the work i did with AmeriCorps.