senior, Burwell, Neb.
biology major
I'm a certified lifeguard and I've taught swimming for years, but I'm still terrified of diving!
If I could be anyone for a day, I'd pick Michelle Wie, because I'm just learning how to golf right now.
I want to be a pediatric dentist and have my own clinic somewhere in Colorado.
It's hard to believe that school is just around the corner! This summer I kept extremely busy and time definitely flew by. I had the opportunity to live in Denver again for my second summer and had an amazing time. I nannied for the same family that I nannied for last summer and it was neat to see how the boys changed and grew up. I watched a three and five year old boy four days a week and they kept me very busy.
I was also very lucky to have Sammy, my roommate since freshman year, come out to Denver and live with me. Two of my other friends that go to Wesleyan had internships out in Denver so it was fun to get to experience Denver with them. Back in June my older sister who lives in Denver got married up in Vail and that was also a blast!
Yesterday my parents came down to Lincoln and helped my and my younger sister who also attends NWU move in. We had a lot of stuff so it was so nice to have both of them helping. I am living in the same townhouse as I did last year so it's good to be coming back to a familiar room. I am slowly unpacking and getting things in order for the school year. I just got back from Denver last Tuesday night so I feel like all I have done this week is move. I am excited to finally be living out of a dresser instead of a suitcase! It is really good to be able to see old friends who I haven't seen since the end of May.
I am so excited for this school year!! I will be taking some tough classes but I am sure I will be able to get through them. It's weird to think that I have already completed three years of college and I only have three more semesters to go until I am done with my undergrad. I look forward to all of the excitement that this year will bring as well as everything I will learn. I have the feeling that it will be a great school year!!
Wow, this week got off to a very quick start! Before I realized I already had math problems due, made my first trip of the year to the library, bought all my books, and then had to start on another math assignment. A lot of people think that the first week is just a week to relax and get things in place, but for some reason I seemed to have taken all of the classes that actually had homework!
I am so excited for a four day weekend. I am going with my roommates and a few friends to Milford to go camping. On Saturday and Sunday we will also be doing a lot of boating and having some fun in the sun! It will be nice to go away and not have to worry about the internet, school, and work for a few days. I am bummed out that I have to miss the home football game but there will be plenty more to come.
After a week full of unpacking and classes I am so relieved that I have everything finally unpacked. School will start getting busier and busier from here on out but I am ready for it! The first week of school is officially over and now it's time to relax
Wow this week has been crazy! From the various group meetings to homework assignments I have had, it's been hard to find time just relax. Last weekend I went camping and I had so much fun. We went to this big lake in Kansas and spent lots of time in the water swimming and tubing. My roommate's parents were also camping at the same lake and so they cooked meals for us which was nice. I would have thought since we were camping that we would have just had hamburger's, chips, etc. but my roommates mom made us amazing food! It's funny that I had better meals while camping than I usually do in my townhouse. My skin definitely got the brunt of being in the sun all day last weekend and so I've spent my whole week sunburnt and peeling!
In a few hours I am going to be flying to Denver for the weekend. The parents of the boys I nannied for this summer are going to Vegas so they are flying me out there for the weekend to watch the boys. I am very excited to go back and see them and be in Denver for a few days. My sister and her husband also live in Denver so I will also get to spend a little time with them which will be nice.
I am looking forward to things hopefully slowing down a little next week. The first few weeks are always so busy with meetings, getting things organized, etc. and I think I will finally be able to take lay down and take my first nap of the semester! I am defiantly looking forward to that!
I am so ready for the weekend! This week has been a pretty slow and uneventful week for me and there is a lot going on in Lincoln this weekend. Tonight I am heading to the big metropolis of Sterling, Nebraska for my roommate’s little brother’s football game. Then tomorrow morning my younger sister has a cross country meet out at Pioneers Park in Lincoln. So my mom and dad are coming to town and I will get to hang out with them which will be fun. I am really excited to watch my fast little sister run! And finally afternoon/evening is the big Wesleyan vs. Doane football game at Abel stadium which is always a good game. Thank goodness I don’t have much to do on Sunday so I can rest up from a busy Saturday.
This week we had Visions and Ventures which meant that we didn’t have any classes yesterday and there were various speakers throughout the day. I wasn’t required by professors to go to any speakers but I went to a couple just to hear what they had to say. So I spent my whole day finishing Pre-Calc. and Physics homework! Fun fun!! I also managed to get some much needed errands ran.
Monday I have my first test of the year so I am being forced to get in the study mood! I will also have a test on Tuesday and then from there on out it looks like I will be having about a test a week, which I am not too thrilled about. So I am hoping that apart from my busy weekend I will be able to find some time to take a nap and then start preparing myself for my upcoming tests!
I am so glad that I finally had a week with not much going on. It was so nice outside so I had lots of time to go on walks, etc. Even though I love the warm weather I am anticipating the fall. Fall is one of my favorite seasons on campus because of the pretty colors that the leaves turn. I also enjoy the football games and the brisk evenings are soon approaching.
This coming week will be exciting because it is homecoming week! There will be a lot of different activities going on not to mention a lot of alumni on campus. I am actively involved in Wesleyan’s Student Alumni Association (WASA) and we help out with a lot of the different homecoming activities. Friday night I am helping out with an Alum class party and then Saturday morning I am assisting in the tailgate before the game.
My older brother is going to be coming back to Nebraska this week for a wedding so I am really looking forward to seeing him. He lives in Colorado and I don’t get to see him too much so I am really excited. Currently my parents are in California watching my sister run in a cross country meet. Even though I would love to be in California, I am really glad to have a free weekend! I am just getting ready to go cheer on the NWU volleyball team at the Weary Center!
It just dawned on me the other day that we are getting closer and closer to Fall Break which means we are almost half way through the semester! That is so hard to believe. Last week was homecoming which was a lot of fun. I volunteered with the Wesleyan Student Alumni Association to help out during homecoming events. I was able to help at a reunion party as well as the tailgate before the football game on Saturday. Both events were so much fun!
My brother was also in town so Sunday night my sister, brother and I went to see the movie Super Bad at the Grand Theatre downtown. It was really nice to spend time with my siblings. Even though my sister goes to school at Wesleyan also, it is hard to find time to spend together.
I am anticipating fall break more and more every day. I plan on just going home and hanging out with my parents. It sounds pretty boring but I am very excited to go considering I have not been home all semester. Once I get back from break I am going to have a lot of tests and projects coming up so I am hoping to get some good rest and relaxation back home. Well, I should probably get back to doing homework!
A much needed fall break is finally here. I just officially turned in my last assignment for the day and am now free from any type of homework until Wednesday. I will probably end up studying some so I can stay on top of my studies for the rest of the semester. For fall break I am not doing anything exciting. I plan on going home to the booming metropolis of Burwell and relaxing with my family. I haven’t been home in so long that I am not sure I will remember how to get home, but hopefully that is not the case.
This week was a really bad week for me. My grandma was admitted to the hospital on Sunday and then got a lot worse on Monday morning. So my sister and I headed to Omaha right away to be with my grandpa. We didn’t think she would make it, but she is starting to pull out of it. I had a big test on Tuesday and this all happened on Monday so I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. After talking to my professor before I left for the hospital, I found one more reason why I am glad to be attending Wesleyan. My professor was extremely flexible and willing to work with me. Not a lot of institutions are like that….!
I am going to start packing all my stuff so I can head home! I am excited for relaxation, lots of rest, and some home cooked meals!
Fall break has come and gone, and now I just need to stay focused for the remainder of the semester, which I am finding might be difficult. My break was everything I wanted it to be. I usually didn’t get up until 11 or noon. I lounged around the house quite a bit and of course had some good home cooked meals. My grandma is also improving beyond expectations so that made break even better.
Over break I started looking into some Dental Schools. I am getting a little nervous to start applying because it will be a lot of work, but in the end it will be worth it. I am planning on going a visiting a few schools in the next couple of weeks to see what I think. I also realized how fast my time at Wesleyan has gone. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in Olin B for general chemistry freshman year. Where has the time gone?!?
This weekend I am hoping to get a lot of studying in. My next few weeks look really busy with school, work, intramurals, and other various activities. Last night was my team’s first coed volleyball game and we came away with the win! Next week we start our broomball season which is my absolute favorite intramural ever. I am also going to go and cheer for the cross country team at conference in Crete. My sister will be running and hopefully she will be able to make it to regionals. I have faith in her! I should probably get back to doing a little homework….
This week has been not the greatest. Last week I had three tests on one day which was a nightmare. I went and explained the situation to one of my professors and thankfully she pushed one back a few hours so I would have more time to study. Earlier this week I got all of my tests back and actually did really well on all of them. I was really excited about that!
On Wednesday I found out that my grandma passed away. I was very close to her and so it has been rather difficult for me to deal with. I now know however that she is no longer in pain and is in a better place. It is hard to deal with the death of someone close to you, but with the help of my good friends and roommates I will get through it.
The bright side to all of this is I get to spend a lot of time with my family. My older sister from Denver flew out here on Wednesday night and spent all day Thursday with me. Later this afternoon I will go and stay at my grandpa’s with her. Tomorrow my brother and brother-in law will fly into Omaha. All of my cousins will be coming so although we will all be mourning the loss of my grandmother, we will get to spend time with one another.
Tuesday starts the much anticipated Thanksgiving break. It will be good to get home and enjoy some down time before the craziness of the last few weeks of school begins. I am excited to see my parents and some good friends that I haven’t seen for awhile. I might also have some time to start preparing for some of my finals and the last few tests for the semester. It is so hard to believe how fast semester has flown by and I know the end will go just as fast!
This week has flown by! I feel like I haven’t even been able to catch my breath between all of the various activities I have had going on. I missed a few days before Thanksgiving break which put me really far behind in my math class. So this week my sleep has been very limited as well as personal free time. I have been going to the math tutors on campus in the evening trying to get all caught up. Unfortunately I don’t think it will get much slower until after my last final! Next week I have three tests, along with other busy work for all my classes.
This week my roommates and I decorated for Christmas one evening. I didn’t take too long which is good since I didn’t have a lot of time to spare. I absolutely love Christmas decorating, but this year I am limiting my spending budget so that I can afford to spend more money on my family. While decorating we listened to Mariah Carey’s Christmas CD, which is my favorite!
On Saturday I am teaching a CPR certification course on campus to students. I really enjoy teaching the class because it is fun as well as something that everyone should know! Other than that I will probably be spending much of my time punching numbers into my calculator, trying to get caught up. Right now I am off to pick up the two girls I babysitt for from school! I love the weekend…!
Christmas break has come and gone along with the first week of classes. I had a perfect break full of relaxation, a little travel, and lots of sleep!! My Christmas also went really well. I got to spend a lot of time with all of my family. Unfortunately my brother was in the process of moving and was not able to come home, but I was able to make a trip out to Denver to see him and my sister. Other than that I was able to make some money while taking a much needed break from classes. Now it’s back to the books though!
It was so nice to come back to campus and see everyone again. I only made it back to Lincoln once over break and so I was beginning to miss my roommates, neighbors, and other friends. On Monday we didn’t have school so I went to lunch with my old roommate Jenny and got a chance to catch up. After that two of my roommates and my neighbors and I went and saw the movie 27 Dresses. Following the movie we ate at Spaghetti Works and proceeded to go home and play Scatagories. It was a fun filled day of lots of girl time, catching up, and being lazy one last day before starting back up.
This semester is going to fly by. I am graduating in December of next year but for many of my close friends this is their last semester. I am not taking as many hours to prepare myself for the dreaded DAT test, so I am anticipating more free time. Also I started training for my second half marathon so that will take up a lot of my time. Not to mention cheering on my studly sister in track meets on the weekends. I am excited for new classes and a fresh start on the semester!
This has been such a good week for me. I haven’t had a lot of things going on, so I was able to get lots of small projects done, which is a good feeling! Last weekend my parents came down to watch my sister run and I got to spend some time with them which was really nice. I also picked up a new hobby last weekend—knitting! I have always wanted to learn how to knit and I was at Barnes and Noble looking around and I ended up stumbling into a “How to Knit” book. I haven’t really learned much yet, but I am trying. I can’t wait until the day I can make neat scarfs for my friends and me.
Also this week I officially became a volunteer and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital here in Lincoln. I have not started yet, but I met with the coordinator and figured out what times I will be volunteering. I get to be in the Neo-natal intensive care unit. I love little babies so it might be hard to see them sick but I am really excited to help out in any way possible.
Last night a bunch of my friends and I went bowling. It was really fun. I haven’t been bowling for a long time and it’s so nice because there are two nice bowling alleys within 5 minutes of campus. It was good just to hang out and catch up with everyone. Now my bowling game definitely wasn’t the best last night but it was all fun and games!
Now I am off to get some more stuff done. I am teaching two CPR classes this weekend so I need to get some school work done before Monday rolls around!
I am finding it hard to believe how fast this semester is already going. Pretty soon and it will be Spring Break, and then before we know it will be graduation! I am really excited for Spring Break this year because I am actually going to go somewhere. A bunch of my close friends and I just book our tickets and hotel rooms for Las Vegas! I have never been there and I am sure it will be full of fun. It was slightly difficult booking our hotel room as we all had different ideas, but sure enough we figured one out. I am really excited!
Before Spring Break I have a lot going on though! I am trying to keep focused on school and work to ensure that I have a good semester. Next week I have two quizzes and two tests! It won’t be too much fun. On top of that I am a Student Manager for the Phonathon here on campus, so that takes up some of my nights.
This weekend I am going to take it easy. I went and rented a few movies and plan to stay in and get some homework done so that I can keep my stress levels down for this next week! I can’t believe it’s already time for tests to begin. In the meantime I am going to go for a quick run outside since it is so nice!
This week was such an easy week for me. I had a bunch of tests the previous week so this week was very light with school work. However, from today until next Tuesday I have a lot going on! No more slacking for me this weekend. I am taking a DAT prep course which was supposed to be Tuesday and Thursday nights, but was switched to 6 hours on Sundays, which starts this Sunday. Also tomorrow morning I have to take a practice DAT, which I am really nervous about! Even though all of this isn’t going to be much fun, they are steps that I have to take in order to reach my ultimate goal—being a dentist.
Winter formal was last weekend and it was a blast! One of my friend’s birthday was on Sunday, so we rented a limo to take us to the formal to celebrate her birthday and arrive in style! It was a lot of fun when we finally got there. I love dressing up and I was also able to get another wear out of my beautiful bridesmaid dress from my sister’s wedding! My parents were also here last weekend and it was fun to see them and spend time with them. They took my roommate Sammy, my sister and her boyfriend, and I out to eat in York at Chances “R”. It was so good!
Today I am getting ready to go and visit Creighton Dental School. I am going to meet my parents soon and head to Omaha for the visit. I am really excited to go look at the school and see what they have to offer. Then tonight it will be study time for me in order to prepare myself for the next wave of tests next week!
There is not too many weekends where I have ample time to prepare myself for the week, and lucky for me I will be able to do just that this weekend! I am watching two girls all weekend while their parents go to Chicago for a conference. It turns out that one is sick, and so we will just get to hang out and watch movies, etc. This will give me some time to start studying for my test next Friday.
This next week brings a lot of exciting events! First of all my little sister is going to be turning 20 on Tuesday! It’s hard to believe. It feels like just yesterday we were playing Barbie’s and playing dress up. I am so proud of her for all of her amazing accomplishments and am so thankful to have such a wonderful little sister! My parents will be in town for an annual Lumber Convention so we are all planning to go out to dinner and possibly do some shopping to celebrate.
Also, Next Saturday I will be heading to Denver with three of my closest friends. We are going to stay with my sister and her husband in their new house (which I am very excited to see). My brother is having a Birthday next Saturday so we will have some sort of celebration for him. Early Sunday morning, my friends and I will be heading out to the airport to fly to Las Vegas for spring break! I am so excited.
As for this weekend and upcoming week, I have to stay concentrated and not let my brain get in spring break mode before Friday!
Getting back in the swing of things from spring break was really hard! I had such a great time in both Las Vegas and Denver that studying was the last thing on my mind. I am so glad that we had a four-day week so I could slowly get back in the hang of things.
Las Vegas was amazing. We met so many fun people and got to see tons of amazing sights. Probably one of the highlights of the trip was St. Patrick's Day. It was so fun to people watch and see all of the interesting green outfits. We ended up meeting lots of fun people!! Also on the last night we were at the same place as Mike Tyson so I was able to get my picture taken with him!
Easter with my family was great. My grandpa was out in Denver and we got to see my brother's country club that he works at. My sister and I had the privilege of bringing grandpa back to Nebraska with us so we got lots of quality time in the car with him.
I am happier than ever that it is the weekend. I need lots of rest and relaxation to get geared up to finish the semester off with a bang! I have a lot coming up so being will rested will help for sure!
This week was not the best week for me. Monday started out really busy with homework due, meeting, class, etc. I had a test on Tuesday that I was planning on studying all night Monday for which was interrupted with the flu. I somehow either got a touch of food poisoning or the flu and ending up in bed all day Tuesday and most of Wednesday. It was the first time I had really been sick away from home, so it was a little different but my roommates were all there helping me out! My professor let me reschedule the test to Wednesday so I was very happy about that.
To top the week off my computer ended up crashing. I took it into the Geek Squad at Best Buy and they told me it was toast. I am hoping that they can at least get my hard drive so I don't end up loosing all of my iTunes, documents, and pictures. On the bright side I will get a new computer, but it is such an inconvenience for me right now to not have one. Tomorrow I am heading to Omaha to go computer shopping and hopefully I will find one. I will let you all know next week how it turns out!
This week was so crazy! I didn't have much to do in terms of schoolwork but I did have a lot of little things to try to get done. First thing on my list was apartment shopping. My long time roommate Sammy and I are going to live together somewhere in Lincoln for the next school year. Sammy is going to Spain this summer however so my sister will actually end up living with me for a few months. It is a lot of fun to look at possible places to live, but it is also frustrating when you can't find what you want. I think though that we finally found "the one." Now we are just waiting to hear back from them to see if we got it.
Wednesday was my mom's birthday and my sister, grandpa and I decided to drive back to good ol' Burwell and surprise her. It was lots of fun and I think she was so excited and happy to have us there. It was such a quick trip though. We have to leave early in the morning so I could get back for my classes. It was not a fun drive at all since it was raining the whole way. I love the rain occasionally but I am getting a little sick of not seeing the sun and needing my umbrella all the time!
This weekend I am babysitting the whole weekend once again. The little girls parents are going to Colorado to spend the weekend so I am going to hang out with them and have some fun! I am hoping to also get some homework done so I won't be so busy next week. I can?t believe how fast this year has gone by! Not too much longer and finals will be here!
I am so glad it’s Friday! This is the first weekend in a long time where I don’t have much going on so I can just lounge around and hopefully enjoy some nice weather. Tonight, the Wesleyan Student Alumni Association (WASA), that I am involved in, is putting on a Senior Gala downtown. It is for all seniors and everyone is supposed to wear black and white formal attire. It is going to be so nice to hang out with all of my classmates who I will no longer see too much in a few weeks.
I am starting to feel some of the end-of-the-year stress. I am getting anxious to move into a different apartment and start getting things situated over there. I have lived in the same townhouse for the past two years and I am ready for something new! I look at my finals week schedule and things shouldn’t be as bad as I expected so I am really happy. I will have more time to enjoy the end of the year and the company of my friends!
I can’t believe this is my last diary entry! I am not sure where this semester has gone. I am excited about summer but yet a little sad that the school year is coming to an end. I have a lot of friends graduating who will be moving away. This summer should be exciting though. It is actually the first summer I have spent in Lincoln since I usually go to Denver so it will definitely be a change. I plan on working, taking a psychology and CNA class, as well as hopefully relaxing. I am also going to be taking the DAT and applying to dental schools so wish me luck!!
On Sunday I will be running in the Lincoln half-marathon again for the second year. I am really excited since I have been training all semester long. The race is during such a great weekend since it isn’t right before finals!
With the end of the school year come a lot of changes. I will be moving out of my townhouse of two years (tear) and into an apartment in Lincoln. I am also going to walk for graduation even though I won’t be completely finished until December. It’s been a great year and I hope all of you have enjoyed hearing about my crazy busy life!
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My sisters Sarah, Jackie and I at Jackie's high school graduation reception. |
| My intramural broomball team, the "Snaembonis", at the icebox in Lincoln. |  |
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Sammy, Jenny, and I hanging out after finishing finals last year. |
| Jackie and I after I finished running the Lincoln half marathon last May. |  |
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Me in the chapel basement waiting for my sister's wedding to start. |