KNOWLEDGE!

There are many things that life throws at us that remember for nearly the rest of our lives. This class will be on that list for some of us, for others, maybe not. However, I feel like it taught each of us a little something or other, and that much we will remember for years to come, no matter what the topic or idea that we retain.

I for one have grown to appreciate what has been given to me. I realized that my future would be much harder without the Hixson award. On top of that, I realized that I knew almost nothing of the resources that this university offers us, and the places we can go because of those resources. I know for a fact I would never have taken the willing step to learn more about some of the things we were talked to about, whether it be NSE or just places on campus.

Mainly, I feel I have slightly matured as a college student. I know more of what I am getting into, and ways to do all I can to make it the best. Without this course, I would still be clueless on many different aspects of the college life. So overall, I guess this class did much more for us that I previously thought it was doing. It just took a little reflection to see what I couldn't see at first glance.

We Are Hixsons Because We Are the Best

Not many people can be nearly as lucky as any of us are. Hardly anyone has the opportunity that we have all been given. Think about it. Most people live college with twice as much debt as any of us will most likely have, and that is a life-long effect. The Hixson award, to me, isn't just a simple $15,000 towards my education. It also represents my future.

Without this award, tuition can be quite overwhelming for most people, especially coming from my economic background. But, thanks to the program, I have much less to worry about. My future won't be bogged down for 20 years, paying for a four year time period long in my past. I will have moved on and be able to focus on more important things like my family and my job. Simply put, I have much less to think about when it comes to being able to pay things off in my future.

This award also gives me one more thing. It gives me the drive to stay and finish my higher education. Coming into the college life, I was dead-set on dropping out after my first year. However, when I received this award, I realized I will never have this big of a chance again in my life. Even if I later wanted to come to a college institution, I wouldn't have half of it payed for for me. That was the biggest motivation to come to this school, and it will remain to be my drive to stay here.

The Hixson award is so much more than just money in the bank. It's an opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and a guiding light. It will continue to be apparent in all of our lives, much longer then the four or so years we will be here. I think all of us will forever remember this program, the people in it with us, and most of all, Christina Hixson, for everything they've all done for us, and the amount of faith they have in us all.

Social Media: Reaching My Goals

Sticking with the topic of goals, you will find there are many, many different ways of accomplishing things. My main focus will be on getting a job, as that will lead to being able to have a nice home and family, so inadvertently, me getting a job is the only goal I have. Getting a job requires work, patience, and it's often all about who you know and where they are.

The first thing social media helps with is networking. Social media can be huge when it comes to getting to know someone, or getting someone on the inside to help you out with what you're trying to do. One big website that almost everyone knows, Facebook, is perfect for this. If you can find someone who works in a company, owns it, or manages it, and add them on Facebook and begin talking to them about the job, odds are you have a better chance at getting where you want to go within that company.

Another popular thing to do is create a website for yourself. This website should contain your resume, past experiences, and maybe even stories of work from your past. One person, Toby Turner, is a YouTube "star," who does funny advertisement videos for various different companies, from video-games to movies to institutions. His website breaks down everything he is able to do, how much it will cost, how to get a hold of him, and all of his qualifications.

A third way social media helps with getting a job is by advertising your service. If you can throw up advertisements about what you do, are willing to do, or can do, in places you know companies will see (such as Google+, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube), you may have a greater chance of being contacted by these hiring companies, or at least be getting your name out there. Often times, getting your name heard about is the most important step to accomplishing what you want or need to do.

This may have been focused solely on getting a job, but as I said, that is my primary (and sort of my only) goal. However, social media can accomplish just about anything as the internet becomes more and more complex and websites continue to spring up. No matter what your goals are, odds are that social media can play a key role in helping you accomplish them, and should always be used to its full potential.

Learning Who I Am

Many different little surveys or self evaluation tests can be taken to find out random things about yourself you never knew, payed attention to, or even knew existed. One such survey was the MBTI that we all had to take. The results from this told us many different things about us that previously, I never thought of trying to figure out.

First of all, it showed me just how much I focus on schedules and data. Now that I think back, I've always been one to focus on the concrete facts of things, reasons for being the way they are, and what they truly mean. Also, I always have my things to do sorted and timed out so I know exactly when and what I have to do.

This is a huge help in accomplishing goals, especially school related ones. We all have the goal of a certain GPA, and knowing how we manage time and look at information will greatly help us in our class work and achieving said GPA. I know it'll help me because I can continue to make efficient calendars and schedules to stick to and make sure I am doing what I need to be doing on time.

It doesn't really matter what the MBTI told you about yourself. All you need to know is that you should learn more about yourself to focus on how you manage information and time. If we want to accomplish the goals we set for ourselves, and that others have for us, we need to use this information, and more importantly, understand it completely. That's exactly what the MBTI helped me do. How about you?

Diversity Is the Flavor of the Day

Have you ever heard the saying "No two are the same"? Odds are that you have, but it was about some stupid little subject like rocks, or snowflakes. However, this statement can be held true to life just the same. Nowhere in the world has exactly the same culture. Some might be close, but there will always be differences. These differences are vastly apparent between your own culture and cultures completely foreign to you. This is how I felt when listening to a monk from Tibet talk about art.

Upon listening to his "lecture," many things were going through my mind. First of all, "I wish I could understand him." (haha) But that's beside the point. I was completely baffled by the completely different view of life that he (and I'm sure the other monks do as well) has than mine. Everything in life can be related to simple things such as negative emotions (like greed) or elements (like earth, fire, water, and wind).

On top of that, I was astonished at how these monks were able to put their view of life into such beautiful works of art. The colors each represented different aspects, as well as the shapes and orientation. The fact that they think that much more in depth about life and the universe than I think about anything was amazing. I couldn't believe how much work these people put into these works of art or how much the art meant to them. And just think, it ends by being completed and thrown into the wind. That is one thing I'll never understand, how they can just throw their intense and insanely hard work away like that.

Sitting through that lecture, I wasn't just thinking about what he was saying, I was thinking about life, my own views, and where I stand. I think that is what is most important about diversity: having a differentiation to look at and experience. They call the United States a "cultural crockpot" because we have so many different cultures around us. I think it's time to start learning more and more about these cultures. In my opinion, it would probably make us all see life a little differently, probably for the better.

All I Want

No matter what anyone says, they have a list of things they want to do before they die. This list can contain anything from starting a family to skydiving. Often times, this "bucket list" is a guidance to how to live life. My list is no different. From school, to family, to work, to fun, I've got a road-map to my future just like everyone else.

First of all, I obviously have to get through college. Within the first five days of class, I had already changed my major. Now, just a few weeks further in, I think I may want to change it again. Getting through college is definitely going to be a challenge if I can't find out how I want to do it, so it is obviously the first thing I'm focused on. And all this trouble is just so I can find the job I want.

My life at Iowa State is just a preparation for my future, for my profession, for the rest of my life. All I do here is to ensure that I get into the job I want and am able to make a decent amount of money. As soon as I have that secured, that's when I want to focus on having a family. Family has always been one of the most important parts of my life, as I'm sure it is for almost everyone else. So, naturally, starting a family of my own is something I am very much looking forward to.

Once I've come to settle down and am finally happy with the way my life is, I plan on focusing the majority of my free-time on my biggest hobbies, whether it be music, video games, or anything else, even spending time with my kids. Other than that, my list doesn't get much longer, and I'm totally okay with that.

So no, my "bucket list" isn't full of crazy, intense stuff like bungee jumping or robbing banks (haha), but it is what I want with my life, and what I know will make me happy. I'm okay with a "lame" lifestyle, when my lifestyle is making me happier than most other people out there. So whether your list is lame like mine, or crazy and thrilling, chase after it. Life is too short to not follow your dreams.

That Day, 5 Years Ago

All of us have a defining moment that truly changes who we are, whether it be subtle changes or completely life altering. Some of us handle these changes better than others, some of us simply cannot cope. Often times, this even draws out the best in who we are and all we can be. For me, that happened when I lost my mother five years ago. Nothing stayed the same.

Growing up through a childhood without a father was hard enough, and the worst things could ever get, or so I thought. He was an abusive alcoholic, and was hardly ever home. As bad of a father he was, he was an even worse husband. Most of his time was spent with some other woman, and some other kid. So in a way, him leaving when I was six years old was a good thing, but the fact remained that I no longer had a father, that inspiring role every boy should have while growing up.

Then, when I was thirteen and finishing the last week of school, my life changed even more than I could have imagined before. I walked home from school that day because my mom never came to pick me up, nor would she answer the phone. I got more and more mad the closer I got to home, upset that I had to walk the not-actually-terrible distance from school back to my house. Then when I got closer, I came to the conclusion something worse might be going on. Sure enough, walking through the front door, I saw her in her chair, in front of the t.v., not moving or breathing. I was the first home, the first to find her, so I had the job of calling 9-1-1, followed by each of my brothers and sisters. As if that wasn't enough, I had to watch as each one walked through the front door, collapsing in tears and anguish, like it was a repeating movie I was being forced to watch. Each one tore me apart more and more, but I couldn't get away, I couldn't leave. I was the one who kept it together. I was the one who was strong, who talked, who kept things from being darker than they could have been.

That day changed my life more than everything else I've experienced put together. It is also when I had to be more than I knew I could be. I have never been as strong as I was that day. It taught me lessons I'll never forget and can apply to any situation in life, even college. I learned that you have to be resilient. If you aren't, life will eat you alive. You have to stay strong, you have to always look forward, and you have to do all you can to never let anything tear you down.

It may have been the most devastating day of my life, but it also taught me things I never knew before. It was the single day I was at my best. We all need to look at the worst things we've been through and take from them life's greatest lessons. Some of the most troubling times teach the most meaningful lessons we could ever learn. Whether we let them consume us, or learn from them, is our choice.