Leadership Connection

This weekend, I was a participant in the Catalyst Student Leader Retreat.

Workshop participants competing in teams to build the tallest tower of balloons and tape.

Forty of IU's campus leaders gathered for a seven-hour workshop built to inspire students to set and reach for goals. We were challenged to run against societal norms and do what makes us happy and is best for society.

Watching a clip of a video called, "The Journey."

We watched a video, talked in groups about our goals and the challenges we face to achieve these goals, and competed as teams to build the largest tower possible of balloons and tape in an attempt to learn how to work with different leadership types.


It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with campus leaders from a wide variety of groups!

Some kids dream of Disneyland...

This weekend, I was able to represent Indiana University at the Public Relations Student Society of America National Conference in Washington, D.C.

On the south lawn of the White House for a tour.

I've found that being involved in college organizations has provided as many learning opportunities as in the classroom. Being a part of professional organizations and fraternities like PRSSA provides students with educational and professional development education, practice and networking opportunities.

The Capitol and Grant Monument.

The convention held a networking night, sessions in skill development and career advice, keynote addresses and a career fair. I have been able to make connections with students from across the country, while promoting our chapter and the upcoming regional event our chapter will host for PR professionals and students in the spring.

The Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool by night.

As a journalism and political science major, I've made a point of making time to see all the sights during my first trip to our nation's capital. I've been able to go on a tour of the East Wing of the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, all the monuments at night, Georgetown and a garden tour of the White House. It's been a long weekend but a great trip!

Me outside the White House-a dream come true!

'Tis the Seasons

My roommates love to celebrate holidays.


“They don’t just wish everyone "Merry..." or "Happy..." the day of. They don’t simply create a costume for Halloween or get deli meat turkey for Thanksgiving. Oh, no. My roommates love to go ALL OUT.


With Halloween only 20 days away, two of my roommates, Jes and Neely, had gone home for the weekend and both brought back things to decorate for the first holiday of the extended holiday season that runs from October through January 1.


My mom would always decorate our house for every holiday growing up, so having two roommates who love to put up kiddo window clings, use festive pot holders and make seasonal desserts, makes it feel a little more like home.


Places like Walmart and the Dollar store sell lots of inexpensive seasonal things, and picking up two or three can convert a dorm room from drab to festive in five minutes or less! Not only will it make your place feel a little more like home, but it gives you and your roommates something fun to laugh about, like why on Earth do they make ghost-shaped pot holders or battery-light-up jack-o-lanterns?

My New Obsession

My two favorite things about living in the on-campus Willkie apartments are the close proximity to the heart of campus, as I've mentioned before, and my kitchen. I absolutely love having a kitchen.


Let's be clear, I've never been one to bake, cook, or grill, so I'm not really sure where my new-found love for recipes.com has come from. Maybe it's the fear of the Pizza X delivery guy knowing my name and the Freshman Fifteen finally catching up with me? Or maybe it's that I've never had a kitchen of my own to try cooking where no one has to know if I fail or succeed. Whatever the reason, I've discovered that I genuinely enjoy cooking and I'm actually pretty good at it.


So Saturdays have become my baking days: a two hour break from homework, work and any kind of stress to just be in my kitchen and cooking something delicious. This past Saturday, with three bananas sitting on our counter-top starting to get mushy, one of my roommates, Jes, and I decided to make her mom's banana nut bread.


After some mashing of bananas, mixing of ingredients and more than an hour of baking, our bread was finished and it was absolutely delicious. My only suggestion, make sure you move the top rack high enough that your bread won't rise and cook around it.