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July & August

Disclaimer: This was written in August, but is being posted now because work is the real deal. 

Officially got back home from Jamaica at 3:45AM Friday morning and now all of a sudden I go back to school in four days. To say this summer flew by would be the understatement of this speedy summer. I remember backing up my Wheeler room vividly, so to think I’ll be moving into Figge as a senior seems surreal.

As promised, here is the recap of July and August I will probably tell all of my friends when I see them in a few weeks (and days).

JULY

July consisted of summer camp and getting ready for our upcoming trip. I’ve always loved working with children, as I’ve always been able to put myself back in the mindset of those younger than myself. In other words, I understand the importance of the newest TV musical or the fun in making group pool dances. What I love most about being a counselor is having the opportunity to invest and influence the minds of all of my campers. I have strong memories of my own summer camp experiences, so I hold myself accountable as a counselor.

AUGUST

August consisted mainly of one thing: Jamaica. Whether it was planning for the school opening or for stuffing last minute clothes into our suitcases, we had Jamaica on our mind this entire month. What made this trip so special was that a bunch of our friends and family traveled with us down to the island; my family-friends, church members, and of course my immediate family joined us for an unforgettable trip.

The school we have been dreaming of building for the past seven years is finally open! The ribbon cutting ceremony was beautiful and sweet, a gathering of people determined to sow seeds into the lives of the young children of my mom’s hometown.

We also had a chance to explore the ever beautiful island more than we ever had before. We found the most beautiful beaches and even went bamboo rafting, celebrating a successful foundation. So much love.

Here are some pictures below:

The one room school the 60 children used to go to school in.

 

 

The new multiple-room school with indoor plumbing, a cafeteria, and a principal’s office.

 

 

Bamboo rafting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me, one of my longest childhood friends, and my sister’s friend from high school.

 

 

 

Cousin love!

 

 

 

Clear, clear water! So beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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May & June

Because the last semester runs to into the summer, May is included in these summer stories. May is the month of both “ugh, final exams” and “ah, it’s finally summer!” This past May was one of the most stressful months of my life and collegiate career, but it was also one of the most eventful. As soon as I got home, my sister reminded me that we had booked a flight to Atlanta…for the next day.

A couple of my friends, my sister, and I went down to Georgia to visit family friends who had moved away. That first night back home, after having unpacked my entire Wheeler dorm for the last time, the last thing I wanted to do was start packing once again. Needless to say, I was not the happiest waking up for that early morning flight.

However, this trip was beyond amazing. Not only did I get to de-stress from quite a grilling and hard semester, but I also got to catch up with my friends from home and explore the beautiful Atlanta. We went to a bunch of different restaurants, reminisced about our childhoods, and even rode bikes at night (I fell a total of three times). It was the trip I didn’t know I needed.

 

My sister and I with our friends in Atlanta. <3

About two weeks after that, my sister, mother and I traveled down to Jamaica to visit the elementary school we had adopted over five years ago. We have been raising money for the Cove Basic School since my sophomore year of high school and this summer a brand new school building is being made! The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place in August and we are beyond excited for the children to starting learning and growing in their new school! You can follow our efforts on by clicking on the picture of the students below!

 

The kids of the Cove Basic School in Clarendon Jamaica
We also visited family during the trip. It was wonderful to see my aunt!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, in July, I am working at the summer camp I have worked at for the past two years. I work with 8-12 year old girls and our goal this summer is to encourage female empowerment. Both my counselor and I realize these are the ages where bullying, negative self-image, and other adolescent problems arise. We want to do our best to give them the most enjoyable and empowering summer of 2017. It’s already a packed summer, but that just means more memories.
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Foolsapalooza 2017

This is my third year being in “Fools on the Hill” and each year being in the group just gets better. We had our annual big campus event Foolsapalooza last Saturday and it was so beautiful. Our group selected some songs we did this semester and other groups (The Delilahs, Off the Record, and WPI’s Technichords) performed a collection of their songs as well. Every year, we also vote on a specific charity we want to send our donations to and this year I recommended a charity my sister and I began about five years ago. The charity raises money for the Cove Basic School in Clarendon, Jamaica. This was actually the elementary school my mother attended as a little girl and we have been in the process of rebuilding the two-room school. Each year we go down to Jamaica and bring them school supplies, Christmas gifts, games, and the funds to start renovation.

 

happy. friends. smiles. hugs. laughter. love.

 

 

me, my mother, and my older sister

 

It was amazing having my family come up to see me perform with the a cappella group that has helped me grow so much at Holy Cross. It was even more amazing having such lovely support from the Fools, who are so immensely talented and brilliant. Each year I feel that we grow closer and closer, though each year I do shed real tears when the seniors graduate. However, next year I’ll be one of those graduating…

That’s for another post.

 

 

a group picture we took at the end!

 

So, the blog take-away is: Holy Cross has some awesome organizations and some awesome people in those organizations. I can definitely find a group that I feel comfortable in if I come to Holy Cross, a group that both challenges and excites me. 
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Family

Hello, again!

I have been absent for too long, so my greatest apologies. My schedule has been super packed this Holiday Break, but I regret not having posted more during my break. I mean, what’s not to post about family, friends, and food?

This break has reminded me two things: 1) Why I LOVE my family and 2) Why I LOVE Holy Cross.

1) My family has always been so supportive and each and every member is so important to me. They inspire me to do good and every day I hope to make them proud. Seeing my  parents and my siblings made me so happy. Seeing my little cousins, er, who are actually not so little anymore, caused my heart to swell (really, it’s like they’ve grown five inches since I left).

Their support and their perennial love makes me want to succeed in anything and everything I do, not just for me, but for all of them. They almost drowned me with questions about how I felt and how I was doing, but they were concerned mainly with how much I missed Holy Cross.

The answer: a lot. Though college brings work (and work on top of that work — see my post about that here), it also brings such fun and laughter and learning and friends. My friends and I stayed in touch over break, sending “memes” or funny quotes to each other and even exchanging Christmas gifts.

It has been the best experience of my life, as many often say, and though I am not eager to leave my wonderful family back home, I can’t wait to join my family back onthe Hill.

So, the blog take-away is: I love my family, both families – the one I grew up with and the one I grow to love more and more each day on the Hill. 
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My Week back from Break

Hi, again!

So the first week back from break is officially over. In translation, the work begins again. I have an extremely immense amount of work to do, not because of procrastination, but just because I have quite the busy schedule.

I won’t bore you with personal dilemmas, though. Instead, I’ll give a little synopsis of my week back from break.

I returned on Sunday sometime in the evening and minutes later went to my CASA Members Meeting. Joining an organization (or a sports team) here on campus is a huge commitment; you will have events on weekdays/nights, so make sure you manage your time wisely. Monday strolled around and I had classes, my a cappella rehearsal in the evening, and Campion House cookies (below: a picture of my gorgeous friends and Campion House cookies)!

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The rest of the week went by quickly. Midterms were returned, tears were shed.

Just kidding, no tears. Midterms were returned and I was pleasantly surprised with my grades. Utilizing the Office Hours of my professors truly helped and they are always eager to see you succeed.

Finally, Friday dawned, as did Holy Cross Family Weekend! This weekend was jam-packed with cool events for families and friends. Fools on the Hill (the a cappella group I’m in) sang multiple times for different events and it was really nice being supported by students and their families. Here is a picture of us singing for families at the a cappella concert in costumes – I’m the nerd on the far right!

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Other cool events included festivities in the Hoval, the small lawn area in front of Hogan Center. My friends and I played some cool games, painted pumpkins, and listened to live music. It was so nice seeing everyone’s family come out and just have a great time. Below are some pictures of the Hoval festivities and a photo of a nice Fall walk with some friends.

photo 2photo 1 (2)photo 3

 

All in all, it was a good week back on the Hill.

So the blog take-away is: The first week back from Fall Break may seem brutal, but Holy Cross will always do a fantastic job of making you feel right at home again.