I’m still alive.

July 15, 2009 at 7:17 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

party

I can’t believe it’s been this long since I’ve posted, especially with all of the exciting things happening right now. First and foremost, Ken and I got engaged on June 12! Even though we’d been dating for almost five years, it was a complete surprise. The date is November 1, 2009, and we couldn’t be more excited. We’ve chosen to take the nontraditional route, and will have the ceremony in the tiny village of Little Bay, Jamaica at Coral Cove Resort. Our parents and friends are over the moon (especially those who are going :) and it’s just been a really happy time in our lives.

After being unexpectedly laid off in December, Ken quickly found a new job with Ameripark and is very busy working and completing his last accounting class before he prepares to take the CPA exams. He is also training for his first half Ironman triathlon, which will be in September.

 Although it’s a challenging and demanding work environment, I’ve really enjoyed my job as a development staff member at GGC. Recently, I’ve been privileged to witness some huge milestones in the school’s short history. On May 29, Gen. David Petraeus (head of the U.S. Central Command) delivered the commencement speech at the third ceremony in GGC history, which went off without a hitch. I had the privilege of getting to know each of the 38 graduates through coordinating the Senior Gift Campaign, which also proved to be a huge success; 100% of the graduates contributed to the campaign!

GGC also received SACS accreditation on June 25, and is now a fully accredited institution of higher learning. Due to the hard work of all of the faculty, staff and many students, this accomplishment was completed in record time. We’re all thrilled, but bracing ourselves for the increased workload as enrollment is expected to increase exponentially.

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An update on grown-up life

February 9, 2009 at 5:10 pm · Filed under Career, Milestones

I’ve had very little time to write lately because I’ve been busy transitioning to the real world. Yes, I am finally moved out of my parents’ basement and busy establishing myself as a professional.

In this economy, I am blessed to now have a job in the development office at Georgia Gwinnett College, where I started my new position as Assistant Director of Annual Giving on Feb. 2. As the first public, 4-year liberal arts college opened in the 21st century, GGC has enormous growth potential and I’m anxious to see what happens in the coming months. One of the most exciting recent developments is the news that Gen. David Petraeus will be speaking at the May 2009 commencement ceremony.

On a separate note, I’ve just moved to a new apartment in Suwanee, GA, about 15 minutes away from my job in Lawrenceville. Although moving in (and decorating) has been a very slow process, I’ve really enjoyed living by myself and am sure Ken is relieved that I won’t be moving quite as frequently now that I’m done with college.

I’m still adjusting to both living in a new city and working, so if any of you reading have any tips to share on fun things to do in Gwinnett or fundraising, I would greatly appreciate it. I hope everyone is having a wonderful New Year so far!

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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times: UGA graduation 2008

December 26, 2008 at 12:36 pm · Filed under Career, Milestones, School

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It was the day I’ve eagerly anticipated for the past four years: my graduation from UGA. As I sat with my fellow students at the Grady commencement ceremony in Hodgson Hall on Dec. 18, there was a mixed sentiment in the air of excitement and uncertainty.  The speakers’ words of praise and encouragement were dotted with reminders that we were entering one of the toughest job markets in recent history. I wanted nothing more than to forget that fact, at least for a while, but they were right to discuss it: it was the truth.

Keynote speaker Carolyn Tieger, borrowing a phrase from Dickens, captured the moment perfectly: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” She added, “When you tell people that you graduated in 2008, you will certainly get their attention!” She went on to discuss the importance of perserverance in the job search, offering several useful tidbits of advice. She even reassured us that it’s okay to live with parents for a little while, which came as a relief to me since that is where I am right now.

If anything, my time at college has taught me perserverance and humility. I’ve received bad grades on projects and papers I’ve poured my heart into. I’ve been turned down for internships, jobs and other opportunities. I’ve made mistakes. But I’ve also learned to turn these failures into learning opportunities and, in fact, not to think of them as failures, but necessary experiences on the road to success. It’s that old cliche: “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.”

Thanks to my wonderful family and friends, I had a great graduation week. My parents came up and took us to a wonderful dinner at Last Resort. My 12-year-old brother (and equally antsy boyfriend) sat patiently through the graduation ceremony. My friend Becky and I had a joint graduation party in our hometown, and were showered with gifts and kind words from our amazing family friends. Each time I was asked if I had a job lined up, I was able to smile and simply say, “Nope!” They believe in me, and that’s all that matters right now. (Click here for some more pictures from graduation).

Congratulations to all other recent graduates, and thank you to all of my wonderful supervisors, professors and colleagues who have encouraged me along the way.

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The kittens are alright

November 24, 2008 at 7:18 pm · Filed under Observations ·Tagged ,

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For two reasons: 1) More kitties get adopted during the holiday season, and 2) Great folks like the volunteers at RescueCats, Inc. are there to rescue the homeless cats in the community. I had the opportunity to volunteer there this afternoon, and have a feeling I may be going back in a few weeks for a companion when I finally have my own place :)

Talking with the volunteers at RescueCats was an eye-opening experience. Although many times humane societies and dog rescue agencies have a surplus of volunteers, cat rescues have a harder time recruiting and keeping volunteers and soliciting donations. Cat lovers: it’s time to step it up! I can tell you right now that cleaning out the cages wasn’t all that bad.

RescueCats volunteers also stressed the need for stricter statewide spay and neuter requirements. A female cat reaches sexual maturity as early as 6 months of age and give birth to several litters during her lifetime; males, well, you know. If you need even more reasons to spay/ neuter your pet, click here. RescueCats has current photos of all their adorable kitties up for adoption, so if you’re thinking about bringing one home this holiday season, be sure to check out the link above.

The service project was part of the Companion Animal Care class I’m taking as an elective. It’s been very interesting, and I’ll be a little sad when it’s over. Here are some of the interesting tidbits I’ve learned this semester:

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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UGA vs. Auburn: a house divided

November 18, 2008 at 11:15 pm · Filed under Fun times, Observations, Travel

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This past Saturday, I was able to experience something I’ve been waiting for the whole time I’ve been in college: an Auburn/ GA football game with my dad, an Auburn graduate. My family finally made the journey to his old stomping ground, where my dad enjoyed reminiscing about the toilet paper tree, eating at Guthries, his old college apartment and, of course, how much he can’t stand Georgia fans (no offense taken, old man).

My mom enjoyed cheering for BOTH teams (well, whatever team was losing at the time). Robby, who wore red just so I wouldn’t be the only one, enjoyed the funnel cake, popcorn, Dip-n-Dots and pretzels from the concession stand. And I enjoyed viewing the game from row 13 of the Auburn alumni section. Who knew they actually sit down for some of the game in the alumni section!?

Now I know the Bulldogs were “supposed” to murder Auburn rather than play barely well enough to win, but I have to say it was much more exciting than watching a runaway game. I was pleasantly suprised at how pleasant the Auburn fans were – they were even good sports about it after they lost. In fact, UGA fans could definitely take some tips from them (there’s a reason for our bad reputation).

Maybe next year I can drag pops up to Athens for the game. Then he can listen to my stories about “back in the day, when I was in college…” Weird.

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my two cents

November 5, 2008 at 4:17 pm · Filed under in my humble opinion

Opinionated as I can be, I’ve done a pretty good job  of keeping my mouth shut about this whole election business for the past few months, at least in public and online (unlike some people on Facebook, who’ve suddenly reverted back to the McCarthy era…) Truthfully, I was never crazy about either candidate and don’t feel the need to elaborate now who I sided with and why. But there were a few things about this campaign, and the media’s handling of it, that were extremely troubling to me. Here are a few:

  • Throughout their campaigns, BOTH candidates remained focused on society’s “victims” in their speeches. Whether it was “victims” of the economy and mortgage crisis or “victims” of our health care system, it was always victims! If either Obama or McCain spoke of a single successful man or woman who beat the odds, rose to the top and, say, started a business and created jobs, I didn’t see it. The more our leaders keep speaking of the American people as victims, the more people are going to believe it. Obviously, that’s not the type of attitude this country needs right now.
  • When are the media and its audiences going to realize that polls don’t mean squat? Especially months and months before the election, when they first started bombarding us with their nonsense predictions. I saw a lot more media coverage on who’s trailing who than what the actual issues were, and that’s a big problem.
  • I know they have freedom of speech rights too, but for ethical reasons, the vast majority of celebrities should just keep their mouths shut. Period. I don’t even want to know how many teens’ votes were influenced by some random pop/rap/ “reality” star who got on MTV, YouTube or MySpace and went on a power trip just because they felt like it. I’m willing to bet that most of them have never read an economics or political science book. Or any book.

All in all, I feel privileged to have witnessed such a historic milestone. Let’s pray that the good kind of change is coming soon.

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Adventures in Wally, er, Disneyworld

October 20, 2008 at 6:06 pm · Filed under Fun times, Observations, Travel

The last time I was at Disneyworld, I was too small to ride Space Mountain. All it took to assuage the crying that ensued was a Mickey-shaped ice cream bar. When my little sister and I asked my dad what his favorite ride had been, he said it was the monorail that took us back to the hotel. His answer explains why I haven’t been there in a while.
Luckily, I have a friend that completed Disney’s internship program and now works as a campus recruiter, so I was able to visit the parks this past weekend for free with her family! I had a fabulous time running from ride to ride, watching the shows and parades and sleeping like a baby at the end of the day. Not much seems to have changed over at Disneyworld, and this is both a good and bad thing. Here are some of my humble observations from the weekend:
  • I think it’s great that Disney has always tried to incorporate different cultures into their attractions; a few of my favorites from the recent trip were Epcot’s Food & Wine festival (selling tapas and wine samples for each of the “countries” at Epcot) and the Lion King show at the Animal Kingdom park. But maybe it’s time to update “It’s a Small World,” which neatly places each race of robot child into their respective continents.
  • I love that Captain Jack Sparrow (a hilariously much more realistic robot than the originals) is now incorporated into the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. However, adding Iago (annoying parrot from Aladdin) to the Tiki Room was clearly a mistake.
  • Unless you’re a corn dog enthusiast, there aren’t a lot of dining options in the park. This is especially true for people like me who try to eat somewhat healthy. The lack of nutritional options was very surprising considering Disney’s extremely family-friendly culture. Even walking around the parks for days couldn’t counteract the amount of fat in oneof their $6 hamburgers! But I have to give them some credit — you can now bring your own foods into the park, which is definitely a plus.
  • Interns at Disney take classes on Disney corporate culture, and how I would love to sit in on one! How they get their employees (and most customers) to stay so chipper is mind boggling!
  • Though most of the newer attractions are chock full of shameless advertisements, many of them have educational value. Definitely something to remember when I’m one of those ”uncool” moms :)

Now, as for the strange picture above: the ride “Spaceship Earth” (inside the Epcot ball) takes your picture during the ride (judging by my mugshot, I didn’t see it coming). The coolest thing, though, is after the ride is over you’re led into an interactive room where you can e-mail these postcards to yourself. How cool is that?

 

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Top 10 Rainy Day Songs

October 10, 2008 at 3:53 pm · Filed under Observations, Uncategorized ·Tagged

I am a music addict, and yes, I’ll admit I am one of those kids who may be at risk for hearing loss due to having the ipod earbuds permanently attached. My friends often tease me for having a playlist for every occasion, from “Hwy 316 Mix” to “Tailgating.”

It is another cloudy day in Athens, and has been raining for most of the week. Besides yesterday when I had to  hoof it through mudpuddles in heels to go to my client meeting (which went great, besides that!), I generally love the rain. Athens really needs it right now because of the lingering drought, and sometimes it’s just nice to sit inside, enjoy the sound of the rain and listen to some mighty moody tunes.

Naturally, I have a playlist dedicated to rainy days. Now, my taste in music isn’t the most original, but I like to think it’s decent :) Here are my top rainy day 10 songs:

  1. Navy Taxi by Kate Nash
  2. Grace by Jeff Buckley
  3. Sparks by Coldplay
  4. Angel from Montgomery by Bonnie Rait
  5. Sail Away by David Gray
  6. Everybody Knows by Ryan Adams
  7. Holiday in Spain by Counting Crows
  8. No Other Way by Jack Johnson
  9. The Story by Brandy Carlile
  10. The Drugs Don’t Work by Radiohead

Know any other good ones?

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September Highlights

September 10, 2008 at 5:57 pm · Filed under Career, Milestones, School

The past few weeks I’ve been very busy, but it has definitely paid off! First, I’m happy to annouce I will be one of the students attending UGA Connect on Sept. 19-20. Apparently blogging my entrance essay (in the post below) earned me a few brownie points :)  I am excited to learn all I can about social media from some very important names in PR that will be speaking at the conference. Along with three other students, I will also be helping to cover the event via Twitter, podcasts, the blog and more. Follow me on Twitter for updates!

The goal is that all of the new social media knowledge will come in handy during the job search early next year, but also as I continue to promote Jeannette Rankin Foundation and their new book, Daring to Dream. More about the book and ordering information can be found here.

On a different note, I have now officially mastered the surprise b-day party! Ken turned 26 on Sept. 7, and on Friday more than 20 of his friends and family showed up at the Cheesecake Factory at Perimeter Mall for a surprise b-day dinner. Judging by his face as he walked in (seen above), he had no clue what he was walking into! He said later it was one of the best nights he had every had :)  I have to give the staff at the Cheesecake Factory kudos for attempting to piece together the cake, which fell apart during the ride down to Atlanta. To see more pictures, check out my Google album.

In other news, I am volunteering at Tri For Tourettes (at the Concourse in Atl) on Sunday, and am excited about seeing all the kiddies do their thing! It’s amazing how young they are starting now. It is also the last season I’ll be able to watch the Dawgs from the student section, so the next few home games are sure to be fun, and possibly slightly emotional.

Stay tuned for UGA Connect recap and more!

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Democracy’s Next Generation…

August 27, 2008 at 10:46 am · Filed under Career, School ·Tagged ,

To hack or to flack? That is the question I struggled with when I first enrolled in Grady College my junior year. While I knew the PR industry had a bad rap, the “rapidly-changing” (or, perhaps diminishing) world of print media made me hesitant to join the army of notebook-wielding hacks. I chose PR, secretly fearing that the “real” journalism students would turn up their noses at me.

The class lectures on the blogosphere and social media were intimidating at first. The fact that social media was changing everything in the PR industry was scary, but even worse was the constant warning from my professors: employers will expect you to know all of this! I dreaded the chore of learning how to tag, tweet, widget, Wiki and everything in between, but once I started blogging myself and following other people’s blogs, I changed my mind about this whole social media thing.

The future of journalism, PR and Democracy itself (as the words on Grady College’s front door proclaim) isn’t something to be feared; in fact, the newer mass communication strategies are even more fun! Social media adds new voices to the conversation and, in this new realm, even flacks like me are free to be published to their heart’s content. And, hey, if bloggers are now receiving credentials at the Democratic National Convention, they must be on to something.

But social media is still uncharted territory, which means that to truly understand it (and its uses in PR) one must hear from today’s social media pioneers. After all, one false move in today’s world can land a well-intentioned PR pro on The Bad Pitch Blog! I want to meet the professionals whose blogs I have followed, fellow social media beginners and everyone in between. I want to share what I’ve learned with others, using my newly-found tools. And, of course, I really want to be chosen to attend UGA Connect.

UPDATE: I will be one of the 10 students attending UGA Connect on Sept. 19-20! Besides attending the conference, I will be helping out with coverage of the event, through social media outlets of course! Follow me, ChristiePat, on Twitter, or visit the UGA Connect Blog for updates.

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