New Chapter in Life

Wow...it has certainly been a LONG time since I wrote a blog, hasn't it? Don't worry I can explain though! Things became pretty hectic leading up to graduation, but you know what? It was all worth it! I am so proud to say that as of May 15, 2010, I am a college graduate! I would have to say that May 15, 2010 will be one of those days (like many others) that is etched into my memory. As I was getting ready for my big day, I had a sense of the jitters both good and bad. I was more nervous about falling or tripping as I walked across the stage than anything else! The good thing was, I was proud to look at myself in the mirror and say, "Look at you...you finally made it! It was a challenge, but you made it!" I was all smiles the entire day...that was until I got in the car to leave and a thunderstorm warning of ALL things came across the radio.

I swear that since my dream is to become a meteorologist, it ALWAYS rains the day of graduation, sometimes really bad! When I graduated from high school, it stormed. Graduation from community college...stormed AND had hail! Southeastern graduation...you guessed it...blinding rain, deadly lightning, and a tornado touchdown in LaPlace during the ceremony! It must be a sign LOL! Anyways, I put on my cap and gown and kissed my boyfriend goodbye before going to meet with my college. All types of energy was flowing through my veins when I looked out and saw all of the famiiles and friends being seated. I saw Dr. Narro, one of my professors, before the big event, and she hugged me and awarded me with a Journalism ribbon and said, "Congratulations...you're a journalist now!" Not only did I think the pin I received at the colloquim was a pretty big deal, but a ribbon for my hard work?! That was AMAZING! After that, the band started to play "Pomp and Circumstance," and it was almost time to walk out with my fellow classmates and graduates. The second I stepped into the University Center, all I could do was hold my head up and smile. I did get misty-eyed because I started thinking about all I overcame to get to where I needed to be as well as those that I lost who pushed me to the max and believed in me every step of the way. It took everything in me not to cry, but I was overjoyed with my accomplishments, and having my family there to see it made it all the more better! Once I received the degree cover, I held it high at the end of the ceremony and screamed with joy to show that I made it and was darn proud of it.

So as you can see, despite the stormy weather, things turned out to be bittersweet but enjoyable nonetheless. As for now, I have been trying to work full-time and study up on my weather because Mississippi State may be adding another graduate to their meteorology program. I haven't a doubt in my mind that I will be somebody, I will be able to do for those that I couldn't do for before, and that I will ALWAYS keep the dream alive. The dream is no longer just something I want to do. It is a sacred promise. A promise to my grandfather and aunts that no matter what, I won't give up. I miss them so much, more than words can say, but by taking pride in the thing I love most, I always have them close to my heart. I also wouldn't have made it without the help of those who are still here that have helped: my mom, my sister, my boyfriend, and his family. I definitely couldn't do it without the help of my teachers and professors because without them, what was the purpose of an education?! Last but not least, I have my true friends to thank, even those I may have lost touch with. No matter how different I may be from other people or what I'm passionate about, I have never been seen as weird or anything at all. Hopefully in due time, the dream will come alive, but for now, I will have to get used to not being in school until next year and working harder and harder to reach my goals in life. Also, I will try my hardest to write a little bit more :-D! God Bless!

Mission: Graduation

Well...I'm happy to say that I have survived writing my first ever thesis! I just can't believe I was able to pull it off! The entire semester has been stressful because of a lack of instruction to write a great paper, but at the same time, learning new techniques and gaining a sense of confidence when it comes time for the colloquium made it all the better. Once I turned that paper in Tuesday, I felt like the clouds just separated and the sun came down full blast! I was so excited to say, "Hey...I wrote this! This is my finished thesis and my hard work." I've been on a high all week even before submitting the paper. I did have a tough time after I lost a really good friend of mine towards the finishing process, but I'm sure that even though we can't communicate right now (for really stupid reasons), she's still supporting me from where she is.

The colloquium is coming up in 11 days, and I don't know whether to be excited or nervous. I know no details on who will be asking me questions and providing me with feedback after the presentation, and I don't know if I'm going to have a small audience or a really big one. A good bit of my classmates are coming to support me and I'm hoping one of my really awesome teachers can come as well. I'd really like for my family to be there if they can, but I know that they have hectic schedules with graduation coming up and school ending. Words just can't describe how estatic I feel about everything. I am truly blessed to have the opportunity of a lifetime to make history and be proud of what I've done throughout my school career. I know for sure Grandpa, Aunt Doris, Aunt Theresa, and all of my other family members are smiling down from heaven saying how proud they are of me and letting me know that they love me. For once, things feel more right than ever. I just wish I was able to share more of it with the ones that mean the most to me....

Mid-Semester

Well...shockingly I have survived half of my final semester, and now feels more critical than ever. I'm actually halfway through working on my thesis (which has been stressful ALL semester long) and managed to nail two mid-terms back to back in one day. Hopefully I did well on them! There's 57 more days left before I actually walk across that stage to receive my degree. Reality hasn't even hit me just yet that I'm actually graduating, but it probably will when the colloquium rolls around. I'll be so relieved once I finish that paper...it will be as if the universe was risen off of my shoulders at that point. I decided to turn the tide and do my study on why people find hurricane coverage funny rather than informative, so hopefully I can manage and win the crowd over plus graduate :-). For now, I just have to hang in there and keep pushing and doing my best. I pray that this semester will be another C-free one which would land me on the Presidents List yet again for the 2nd time in my college career! I just find it amazing how both my sister who is almost 11 years older than me and myself will be graduating the same semester. It truly is a blessing to even see that happen and to be able to share this time with her and my family, friends, peers, teachers, and everyone who isn't here to physically see it happening. I know they're all proud of the two of us and that makes me feel like I'm getting closer and closer to my dream.

So Far, So Good

Hello hello!

A late and pleasant Happy New Year to all! So far, 2010 has been off to a good start. I began the semester on January 19, and boy it felt pretty good to be back in school. It still hasn't hit me that I'm in my final semester and on my way to my undergraduate degree in a couple of months, but I am definitely enjoying the semester, even though it's partially stressful! I've made some friends with some familiar faces, and so far I've been doing great in my classes. Comm 498 is my biggest challenge of them all, but hey, if I can survive that, anything is possible!

Again, I'd like to say thanks first and foremost to God for everything, big and small. Without Him, none of this would even be possible. I couldn't be thankful enough to be given blessings and opportunities that a person could only dream of. I also want to thank my family, my friends that have stuck by me through just about everything, my role models for paving the way for me and others, my boyfriend who I make two whole years with on the 21st, and my awesome professors throughout college. Everyone has been such a big help in making my dream come true, and I hope that continues even after college.

I almost forgot....the Saints won their first NFC title AND Super Bowl!!! I'm still super excited that I actually got to experience that in my lifetime, and I want to say congratulations to the team once more...WHO DAT!! Today was a snow day and it was definitely a treat to have more snow in our forecast. For once, it is actually like winter in Louisiana! I have to run for now, but hopefully I'll be back with a full report around midterms. If all else fails, there's always graduation :-). God Bless!

This Is It!!!

Well...school is officially OVER for the semester, and I couldn't be more excited! I had a pretty good semester this year shockingly. After a brief "vacation" from school this past spring, I made a promise to come back and do my absolute best. I ended up finishing with a 3.6 GPA, receiving a grant for my academic success (not going to disclose how much the grant was), received an opportunity to work on The Southeastern Channel next semester, and have earned a place on the President's List for the first time in my college career. On December 3, I even received my Southeastern college ring as a physical reminder of how hard I've worked throughout school.

I don't think I could've done it without God first and foremost because without Him, I wouldn't be where I am today. I also thank my family, my true friends, my wonderful boyfriend, and all of the wonderful teachers that allowed me to absorb their materials and sharing their knowledge with me.Lastly, I'd like to thank the ones that I've lost that are with me in spirit always. Aunt Doris: thank you for helping me to learn my weather symbols as well as give forecasts to you. Grandpa: Thanks for all of the fishing trips and all of the summers I spent watching The Weather Channel. Aunt Theresa: Thank you for all of the love and support you gave to me as I grew up and for the great time I had in California. The list is long for the ones I've lost, but I miss them and love them always, and I know they're smiling down and are proud as ever of me.

Looks like the next step is graduation, and I'm pretty nervous about it. While it is definitely a milestone for me, the thesis paper scares me the most of all. I want to go where no Communication major has gone before with research as well as the paper topic itself. I know for sure that I will make the best of it and succeed, and with God and everyone else on my side, I absolutely can't fail. For now, I'm going to enjoy my semester break, and hopefully I'll have something new and exciting for you guys in the upcoming semester. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Posted by: Amber Narro

Putting it All Together

As this semester progressed, I had no idea what my Writing for Public Interest class would bring. I am glad to say that I learned a great deal by taking the course, and I also felt that I was able to have a chance to show my creativity with each and every one of my stories. I was never really good at writing news-type stories, but once I took this, I learned a general idea of the structure of how the stories should be done. I even had to sign up for a great deal of things such as Blogger, Flickr, Twitter (which I already had since the summer), and an online chat in which our entire class participated in.

For the most part, it took a great deal of ideas in order for me to keep the stories interesting and flowing together every time I wrote one. I also wanted to bring in the emotional appeal of the stories as well as educate my audience for a better understanding of our climate which varies every day. The wording also had to make a lot of sense because if I was to throw a term out there that no one knew, it would confuse several people.

In order to put these blogs together, I had to get used to the idea of even using one for the class. While sometimes technology was a pain and very strenuous to use, it was definitely worth learning it to educate students to expand their horizons and learn to use different ways of communication and showing off their finished products in terms of stories. I made several attempts to chat with professional meteorologists on the local and national level, but due to their busy work schedules, they were unable to get back with me on my stories. However, I was able to speak with real-life storm spotters and storm chasers who work alongside the National Weather Service for a great deal of information and their experiences with severe weather.

If I was to do the media package a different way, I probably would get a head start on most of my stories. I had a time trying to get a hold of reliable sources for each and every one. Also, I would've probably joined these blog websites a lot sooner than this semester so that I would have some exposure on how to use it. I would also have a larger variety of photos to use being that I am a photographer in my spare time. I could even try expanding my topic from more of an informative standpoint rather than just from aspects of experiences and then some.