It’s all really happening. As I count down the days till graduation, I have so many different things running through my mind. It feels like only yesterday, I was walking to my first class of my first semester at Keystone College. I came to Keystone having no clue what my major should be or what I even wanted to do with my life. The start of my college career was not typical; I came to Keystone as a transfer sophomore, knowing no one. Like most, I was very nervous and a little scared to step out of my box. The truth is that the last three years have honestly been amazing. My years at Keystone College have helped me to discover who I am and what I want to be. Let’s start with the big one, my major. I am graduating with a bachelor’s of science in social science. I love my major and owe a lot of that to the wonderful professors that I have had. Two professors, in particular are Nancy Merryman, Anthropology and Janet Wrightnour, History/Political Sciences. What makes these professors so great is their passion and charisma in the classroom. Both have an amazing ability to make students want to learn and want to question things. These questions are what lead me to figure out what I want to do with my life. I have recently been accepted to graduate school and hopefully will one day be a college history professor.
Another opportunity that really helped me develop into the person that I am today was having a work-study position in the Admissions office of Keystone College. Not only was I lucky to simply have a job at college, but this job came with a wonderful staff that helped me to develop my professional skills in all kinds of areas, from communication to organization. It was great to have a job where I enjoyed going to work and learned so much at the same time. The academics and work experiences have played a major role my development, but one other aspect that really got me through all the ups and down over the past three years was the warmth and care that the faculty & staff showed me. My supervisor, Ashlee has helped me so much. Her guidance and genuine care for all her work studies has made my Keystone experience so much more than just getting an education. I wouldn’t have gotten through it all without her.
The time at Keystone College has flown by! With all the great opportunities that are ahead of me, I am still kind of sad to leave. Once you come to Keystone College, you really become part of the Keystone family. A family that is so welcoming and truly strives to have all its students get so much more than an education, a home. This is the closing to a great chapter in my life and the beginning to a whole new one that I am very excited to start!
~Genova
May 10th, 2013
Who loves Holiday Breaks? Every single one of us! It’s always nice to get away from a little bit of school work and relax for a long weekend, whether it be at home, in your dorm room, on a bit of a road trip, etc.! My long weekend was spent with my family, as well as my roommate, just having fun.
I love going home to visit my parents, and also my sisters! This weekend, with it being Easter and all, was especially fun-filled! Sure we are in college, and we are supposed to be “big” boys and girls, but it’s always a nice little change to get a little something from the Easter Bunny! As for my sisters, my roommate, and myself? We got to wake up Easter morning to my mom all excited and bubbly saying, “Time to get up and find your baskets!” Yes, my mom still hides my Easter basket, and yes, I love trying to find it. No matter what, she ALWAYS finds somewhere different to hide it every year!
The rest of the day was very eventful! My whole family, extended and immediate, was there along with tons of great food. We also had a little Easter egg hunt for my cousins! To end the day, we had a crazy game of PIGGY! Being a competitive family, it got extremely intense and loud, but at the end of it all, we still love each other no matter who won! (It was down to my aunt I, and my aunt ended up winning, in case you were wondering!
I hope everyone’s weekend was as fun and eventful as mine!
April 3rd, 2013
Before I came to Keystone College, I knew that I wanted to make a difference in a student’s life. At first, I decided to take the secondary education route and yes I did enjoy teaching the students about the French Revolution, but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. Eventually I was told about the Leadership Program here at Keystone and right away I knew it was for me. Today I am currently doing what I love and that is spreading the word of bullying and how students and adult can prevent bullying. I presented my first motivational speech here at Keystone College on February 20. About 70 people were in attendance including my parents and sister via the web. I was nervous, but I knew if I could make an impact on one person, I would be happy. The presentation was a great hit and was a building block towards my career. Now I’m looking to travel to local schools to tell my story and create the M.A.K. (Motivate. Achieve. Kreate.) Foundation. At the end of the day, I am trying to be a voice that can save a child’s life and hopefully make a difference across the world.
Check out my video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8_kHV4sp_4
March 8th, 2013
Boy was this weekend packed with activities! There was a fan bus to Cabrini College for the Men’s Basketball CSAC Playoffs on Friday, a free trip to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins hockey game on Saturday with Intramurals, but Sunday was the best day for me!
Student Activities hosted a free snow tubing trip to Snö Mountain in Scranton on Sunday. I had never been snow tubing before so I was super excited to try something new! I’m not typically one for the cold but I thought I would give it a try. I bundled up in layers upon layers and even borrowed a pair of snow pants; I did not want to freeze!
There were 11 of us who signed up for the trip. Once we got to the mountain, we got our gloves and hats on and headed for the hill… but we saw some surprise people on the way! What do you know? The Admissions staff ! We all huddled up for a quick picture with Bre because we were too excited to sit and chat and the counselors- I’m sure- wanted to get back on the slopes! With all set and ready to go, we finally made our way up to the snow tubing hill.
The hill, or mountain as I saw it, seemed a lot smaller from the bottom. It wasn’t until I made it half way up the cool conveyer belt that carried us up the hill that I realized how high we actually were! There I was, standing at the top of what seemed like a mountain, about to slide head-first on an inflatable tube to my death. Did I mention I’m a little dramatic? The feeling of anxiousness, nervousness, and fear were coursing through my body but I was still excited to make my way down. It got to be my turn and I was not ready. I let several people ahead of me in line before I realized “it’s now or never, there’s only one way down.” And so I went.
Flying down the hill at what felt like 50 miles per hour, I had the biggest rush of adrenaline. The fear I had felt earlier turned into excitement and I couldn’t wait to get back up top and slide down again! I went down several more times before calling it quits- it was too cold for me- but I had a blast. I was happy I went because I got to scratch it off of my bucket list and try something new. I hung out with a great group of people and it was totally free! Oh and I forgot to mention: Free hot chocolate for the ride home! SCORE.
February 26th, 2013
There are times when people either doubt us or don’t give us a chance. In high school I was a below average cross country runner where I ran 20:30-21 minute 5k races. College coaches wouldn’t even consider looking at me because I couldn’t even break 20 or 19 minutes. There was one coach however who did consider me and gave me a chance and that is Coach Mike Badway here at Keystone College. When I first spoke to during the summer leading up to my first year of college, I told him my times and stated that I knew that they weren’t the best but I promised that I would work hard and give it my all. He took a chance on me and I knew I had a lot of work to do.
This past weekend my track and field team had a race at Susquehanna University and I ran my first 5k race since high school. The whole day I was focused and excited to compete. My race didn’t start until about 9:45 pm but it didn’t matter because the moment I stepped on the line, I was ready to go. As I was inching closer to the end of the race, I started to realize that not only was I going to break 20 minutes, but I was going to shatter it. As I was finishing up my last lap I crossed the finish line and I saw 18:24. I went into a corner by myself and started to cry because I finally was able to accomplish a goal I wanted to achieve since high school. After I collected myself, I went to find Coach Badway to thank him for giving me a chance when no other coach did.
I’m not one to glorify my times, but that night was something special. That night showed that hard work does pay off and that everyone deserves a chance. Never give up on your goals in life because there is someone out there who is willing to give you a chance!
February 19th, 2013
It is that time of year again where couples are going on an expensive date and those who are single are wondering if they will ever find the right one. If you haven’t guessed already, Valentine’s Day is here. Since many of us have questions about relationships, Keystone decided to bring in the ‘Dating Doctor’.
David Coleman, a relationship counselor, came to the college and presented a humorous, yet informal presentation about relationships. He presented ideas that can make a relationship last and figure out if someone is attractive to you. It was an honor having dinner and being able to speak with David about his career and how he has managed to help others rebuild their relationships. So if you are looking for some guidance, or you just want to find out which pick up line works best, I would highly recommend checking out Mr. Coleman.
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
February 14th, 2013
As we enter our fourth week of classes I am starting to feel the pressure of my final semester. While I have my normal workload with classes and try to squeeze in extra time for my calculus class, I am constantly working on my senior project as well. To top of the school work load I also have my on campus job in the admissions office and trying to keep up with meetings with my mentor on my senior project. Phew! That’s a lot! I think the weather feels the pressure as well with all of these snow days and delays we have been having, which are good and bad for me. Good, as in I have more time to work, but bad when it infringes on my weekly mentor meetings. But that is life and we have to work with what we are given! As long as I keep up with my studies and work I know I can make it through the storm! After all I only have just about 3 more months till it is all said and done and I’m officially an ‘adult!’
February 13th, 2013
And just like that we are back to the books! Our winter vacation is over and it is back to the grind in what should ideally be my last semester of my undergraduate career! This time around I have a diverse group of classes ranging from 8am Calculus to a class on Leadership. Usually by the end of your senior year you have taken most if not all of your required classes, you find time to dive into other subjects that you are not required to take. The great thing about that is you get to learn about new things and maybe even find a new passion. I have had numerous friends tell me how random classes they got to take have opened their eyes about things they never thought would interest them. To me, that is one of the most exciting things about college is the opportunity to adventure out of your comfort zone. When else are you going to have the chance to pick what you think you want to do, change your mind, and start all over again?
February 1st, 2013
Last night Keystone College had one of the busiest nights of the year. To kick off the night, we had our annual Pink Game! All the fans and basketball players were decked out in their pink to support the cause against breast cancer. Both the mens and womens games were fun to watch– especially when they beat one of our rivals in the conference. It was also President Boehm’s Birthday! At halftime, the cheerleaders had a cake for him and the fundraising totals were announced with a check presented to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for $1,200. After the game, everyone headed over to one of the biggest dances at Keystone, The Winter Luau. There were games, prizes, and of course a lot of dancing. I even attempted to do the wobble! Below are some pictures of the night at Keystone. What a great night!
January 31st, 2013
Tis the season to work on projects, finalize papers, and study. If you haven’t guessed already, it’s finals week. Students are working hard to achieve the grade they want, but are also having fun as well. The men’s and women’s basketball team had their home opener this past week, and they both opened up with a win. There are many programs going on throughout campus including stress free nights, and a bonfire with Christmas music. Some of us here at Keystone may be stressing out during finals week, but the Keystone Staff are doing their best to keep the stress at a minimum. I wish everyone a great break and happy holiday! Before you know it, I’ll be writing more blogs for the spring semester.
December 11th, 2012
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