Friday Five: Personal Growth

Over the last two weeks working at camp I have learned a few things about myself. Some of them I knew, I just never took the time to really acknowledge it. So because it's been so long since my last Friday Five post, I thought it was an appropriate topic to cover.

I've learned that:

1.  I am an organize freak. Now you're probably thinking, duh you already knew that! And you would be correct, I know how much I love organization and rely on it.  However I learned this week that I don't just rely on organization, I thrive off of it.  It keeps me sane, it helps me be productive, it relaxes me, and it helps me remain stress free.  I've noticed myself this week using organization as a tool to relieve stress, instead of expressing unnecessary emotions to my staff or campers.  I've always known this about myself, but I never really gave it any thought.  The more I think about it though, I realize that over the last few years organizing/cleaning has become a very therapeutic tool for me.  Whenever I have a bad day, am stressed out, or just frustrated I clean.  It seems to always cool me down making me feel much better afterwords.  However, I've also learned that it goes the other way. When things are unorganized or dirty, it makes me anxious beyond belief.  In my mind it's very simple to keep a space clean and organized, but to others it's not as easy.  That frustrates me.  And while I know it shouldn't, because I can't expect everyone to see things as I do, I still find myself flustered when I walk into a space that is not kept up to par (my par).  I have learned this week that I need to be more patient and understanding with those who do not see organization the way I do.  While I still don't believe there is any excuse to have spaces look chaotic or messy, I am learning to realize that my shiny, fresh, everything in it's place outlook is not realistic at camp.  While I will always hold our staff and campers accountable for putting things where they belong, and protecting our belongings, at the end of  the day if the games in the game cabinet, or the balls in the equipment room are not how I would choose to place them, I have learned to simply be pleased that they are put away and not destroyed.  Baby steps. I'm working on it!

2. I need to be more intentional in my efforts to praise, before judging.  This is a lesson I've realized needs to be applied to every aspect of my life, not just camp.  The other day I found myself  looking around in one of the rooms for things out of place or someone misbehaving.  Then I caught myself, and thought why on Earth am I doing this??  I should be looking for kids to praise or encourage.  I should look for the people doing what I've asked and take pride in those who are doing great.  I don't know if it was just a bad day, or if I've always done this, but I had a huge reality check with myself right then and there.  What a terrible attitude I create in myself when I intentionally look for the bad over the good. That is not a characteristic I want people to relate with me. I have tried very hard  since then to make sure I'm praising our staff, giving encouragement, and loving the kids rather than showing unnecessary judgement.  While part of my job still requires me to handle the more difficult or extreme disciplinary situations, I am trying to make an intentional effort to love, listen, and care even when I have to discipline. I think Cassie said it best:  "For every time you have to discipline someone, make sure you go out of your way to praise them twice later that day.  That way the child (or whomever I'm having to get on) feels love and encouragement from me twice as much as anything negative."  I wish I could take that moment back from the other day, but boy was it a much needed wake up call to myself!

3. I don't like criticism.  Ok, I've honestly known this about myself for a long time, I've just noticed it a lot this week.  Criticism makes me highly uncomfortable.  While it is easier for me to dish it out, than receive it, even having to give direct criticism is difficult for me.  I can easily point out faults when they are obvious, or potentially harmful to others or the camp.  However, when I have to really address bigger issues, I get uncomfortable.  I don't like making people feel bad about themselves, nor do I like to appear as if I'm judging them. This also goes the same way when the tables are turned.  I have a hard time taking criticism.  Not in the sense that I become overtly defensive or deny it, I just become very sensitive to the situation and begin questioning myself.  I will admit that I always try to defend myself when criticism arises, but it's more of a front I put on to protect myself and how I think others view me.  There is always a much larger internal battle happening than what I show externally. While I know constructive criticism is good and necessary, I simply do not enjoy it at all.   I don't like being the one to give harsh criticism, nor do I like to receive it.  I'm having to learn at camp how to balance all of this, and handle criticism correctly. I think it'd be safe to say we all struggle with this one a little bit!

4. I need to work on my patience.  This again is one of those things I've always known about myself, and something that I'm constantly working on.  This week I've just noticed a large testing of my patience.  While I can say I handled some situations with grace, I must also admit that there were others that I did not handle so well.  I was quick to respond harshly, rather than listen and respond appropriately.  I apologized in both situations, but that did not make my actions justified.  I've really been pushing myself to remain patient this week.  I haven't been feeling well, and had to deal with some difficult situations, but I tried to not let either of those become an excuse for a lack of patience on my part.  Camp is really testing what I've learned in this area, and I think God is trying to show me that while I've gotten better, there is still a large area for improvement.  I think changing my attitude how I mentioned in #2 will be a huge step in this process for me. Not only do I need to work on my patience when it comes to interacting with people, but I need to work on it in every area of my life.  My relationship with God, waiting on His timing not my own, while searching for jobs, etc.  This is a characteristic that I need to get down and keep!

5. Facebook is nothing more than a procrastination tool.  Yes I know this one is not nearly as profound or inspirational as the others, but a lesson I've learned this week nonetheless. I've noticed that I spent drastically less time on the computer, Facebook specifically, during the summer than I did while in school.  At school, my day at times would revolve around Facebook.  Updating, posting pics, etc.  However, now that I'm home I find myself checking it maybe once a day if that, and when I do there's nothing exciting going on.  I honestly think it was nothing more than a time filler and procrastination method for myself while I was at school.  I hope to keep the short Facebook visits going.  I don't need to spend nearly the amount of time I did in school on that website.

It's been a great two weeks, challenging, but great.  Maybe there are some lessons you learned?  I'd love to hear about them.  I'll try to keep you updated on how I do on each of these things.  I've learned some very important things about myself this week, and I intend to make it a priority to work on every single one.

Good night everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful Friday!

Friday Five: Must Have Etsy Items (part 2)

If you remember from this post, I told you about my five favorite Etsy finds.  After scouring Etsy and the Fabulous Fun Finds Blog Peppermint Giveaways  I've found five more must have Etsy items.  (These would make great Christmas presents for all you family reading :D along with the other list of 5).  These are in no particular order.

5.  This necklace with an A charm.  This Etsy shop owner made the necklaces we are giving to Dorothy's staff when we go to Haiti.  They are adorable and affordable!  I'd want an 18in chain but they're great.

4. This necklace. I found this necklace on the fabulous fun finds blog during their giveaway.  I love the color and uniqueness of this necklace.

3. This Pillow.  I've noticed lately that I have a bit of an obsession love for pillows.  This is currently top on my must buy list, although there are a LOT of others I can't afford want.

2. This necklace. I also saw this necklace on a fabulous fun find giveaway.  I think it is so beautiful.

1.  This one is a little more tricky because I'm not exactly sure when or if I'll be able to get it. While looking through one of my favorite Etsy shops (pillows :D) I saw one of her pillows laying on top of this blanket.  I fell in love with it and have been looking everywhere for one since. I emailed the shop owner and come to find out, she made this blanket but apparently with the amount of labor and time it took, it's not profitable. Darn.  She is going to try to figure out a way, after the holidays, to make it more successfully (and profitably) and then will let me know.  I'm REALLY hoping she can figure out a way because I'm in love with it! So this is definitely a must have Etsy find, but clearly not a good Christmas present.  Maybe birthday :)

Friday Five (on Saturday again): Holiday Favorites

On this chilly Saturday night while everyone is out celebrating Halloween, I'm curled up on the sofa in my blanket, enjoying a bowl of ice cream, and watching my favorite Halloween movies. I've never really been a big fan of dressing up in costumes.  A lot of people love it because it lets them be someone they're not for a night and dress in extremely revealing outfits.  That's just not really my style.  I'd much rather stay inside where it's warm and enjoy some good movies.  Here are a few of my favorites, in case you're looking for an excuse to stay inside and not dress in a crazy outfit.

5. Wallace & Gromit the Curse of the Were-Rabbit

4. Casper

3. Halloween Town II: Kalabar's Revenge

2. Hocus Pocus

1. Halloween Town

My all time favorite is HalloweenTown.  It takes me back to when I was a young girl at my grandmother's house laying on her bed watching TV on Halloween.  I love reminiscing during the holidays.  Happy (almost) Halloween!

Friday Five: Favorite TV Shows

One of the things during my hectic schedule that I do to relax is enjoy some of my favorite television shows. It's one of my guilty pleasures.  I love having time to sit back, relax, and dive into a great story.  There are probably too many shows I love watching but there are some that I will always make time in my week to enjoy. Those shows are:

5. Person Of Interest.  This is a new show on CBS and I've really started enjoying it.  It's about this guy who created a program for the government to identify terrorist threats.  The problem was, it also ended up identifying everyone with a killer's mentality or those who are in risk of being killed.  He takes those people, and has his guy track them down to prevent them from being harmed or doing harm.  It's a different type of crime show which is very refreshing, and it's actually quite good.

4. Unforgettable. This is another new show on CBS. (Go CBS for creating two great new shows this season!!)  Unforgettable tells the story of a woman who literally cannot forget anything. She can go back in her memory and remember anything she saw.  She uses her skills as a cop to solve crimes, while trying to solve her sister's murder from when she was a child.  It's really cool to watch, and another great twist on the classic crime show.

3. Alphas.   I typically don't enjoy Sci-fi movies or shows, but this one is really good.  It tells the story of a group of people called Alphas. They all have special skills like mind control, super strength, extra sensitive senses, etc.  They use these skills as a task force for the police to track down other Alphas who are harming people.  It's kind of a twist on the typical superhero shows, but different.  Its really good.  I really enjoy the character Gary, his character is witty and hilarious without trying to be.

2. Dancing With The Stars.  I know, I know a lot of you hate this show but it is actually REALLY good! I love to watch all the dances, especially the pro dancers.  Its fun to watch, and dream about doing one day.  I also love to watch the different personalities interact and see what new choreography the pro dancers can come up with.  My favorite dancer was Julieanne Hough but unfortunately she is not on the show anymore. My favorite now is Derek, her brother.  The choreography they come up with is incredible and always fun to watch.

1. Criminal Minds.  This is my all time FAVORITE show.  I love to watch the stories and see how they catch the serial killers.  The characters are always a joy to watch and I love to see their personalities unfold.  I have seen every episode and can tell you what will happen in almost any of them.  I have also gotten everyone I've ever shown this show to addicted.  That would be my entire family, my roommates, and when they show people their friends get hooked too.  The show is simply a.m.a.z.i.n.g.  Just watch one episode, you'll be hooked forever.  If you need a recap of the last 6 seasons just let me know.  Love it! I will never miss this show! And come on, who doesn't love watching Shemar Moore??

Speaking of favorite shows, my true 2nd favorite was taken off the air last year.  I loved the show Lie to Me.  It was about a guy who read facial expressions to tell when people were lying.  I got hooked on this show from Jenn Hambrick last year. It makes you feel like you can tell when anyone is lying to you giving you a new power you've never had before.  It also had great characters and wonderful stories.  I would love for it to come back on the air, but I don't think that will happen.  Until then, I'll keep enjoying these shows. You should give them all a watch. They're really good! But be warned: you WILL get hooked!

Friday Five (on saturday yet again): Fall Break

Fall break calls for lots of sleeping in, hanging out with family, enjoying home cooked meals, and relaxing, but I have a few other plans as well.  I can't waste away a full week by doing absolutely nothing, but I can enjoy it by doing things I otherwise wouldn't normally have time to do.  So what's on the list of to do's you may wonder?  Well...

5.  Look up furniture and finishes for my Wrenn Project.  When I'm at school, my time is spent finalizing plans.  Soon I'll be focusing on drawing perspectives, rendering, drawing elevations, and finalizing everything for the project.  It's hard to find time to look up furniture and finishes, even though its the best part.  So I plan to enjoy some time wading through my favorite furniture websites and finding the perfect pieces and finishes for my project.

4. Get ahead on my history of architecture assignments.  I am going to TRY to write my final paper for this section of the class and start studying for our test.  I'm hoping he'll post the other assignments soon so I can possibly get ahead on those too.  When finals start rolling around, my projects will go into overdrive and his papers will inevitably be pushed to the back burner.

3.Go shopping.  This fall weather is starting to get pretty chilly and my warm wardrobe is rather sparse.  Since I'm dressing up 3-4 times a week, and market starts after break, I need to restock my warm professional wardrobe.  I also need to get some new jeans.  So Old Navy and Gap Outlet here I come!

2.  Finish Erin's pillows and make a before and after post out of it.  When Erin and Stephen bought their new sofa, it came with some hideous tangerine back pillows.  So because I love her so very much (and she knows how good my sewing skills are) I so willingly sewed her some new pillows (ha!).  Or maybe she begged me to sew them and I hesitantly said ok.  Regardless, I have almost finished her throw pillows and I have to say they look pretty good.  Pictures coming soon!

1.  Finish decorating Erin and Stephen's apartment.  When they moved in, I helped choose paint colors, and set up a few of the rooms.  Now that all the furniture is in place, I need to work on accessorizing the walls.  They are all fairly (or completely) bare at the moment, so I need to get on that.  Hopefully, I can come up with some ideas and get working on it this break.  Oh the things I do for them :)


Those are my goals for this break...we shall see how many I get completed!


On another note:  Happy Birthday to one of my best friends Jodi Chesko!! I love you, hope you're enjoying your time in Florida!

Friday Five (on Saturday again): Norton Necessities

In honor of how I'm spending my weekend (aka in Norton Every. Single. Day.) I thought I'd give you a little glimpse into my 2nd home, Norton, and what is required to survive an extended stay in the CAD labs.  So for my Friday five, here are the 5 Norton Necessities for a long work session:

5.  A drink.  It does not have to be alcoholic, although plenty of people have opted for that option multiple times.  I have to have something to sip on when I'm sitting here for 5+ hours so I like to bring sweet tea or water to keep me hydrated.

4. Snacks. When you sit at the CAD table long enough, everyone gets the munchies.  We rarely want to take a break to get actual food because that's an hour of work time we must give up.  So our solution is to bring snacks.  Meghan McCloskey is a snack pro and is always fully stocked in case one of us forgets :).

3. Comfortable clothes. If you're going to sit here this long you might as well get comfy.  Sweat pants are usually my clothing of choice.

2. A blanket. The CAD labs are always freezing so a blanket or sweatshirt is a MUST have.  I've been opting for a blanket lately because it's more comfortable than a heavy sweatshirt.

1.Amazing Friends. It is absolutely impossible to make it through a long work session without your best friends sitting beside you.  My crew right now is Jodi, Jessica, Megan, and Meghan.  Jodi is known for her comic relief and singing/dancing abilities. Jessica has the amazing time management skills we all envy and knows everything about CAD and sketchup.  Megan is my work twin because we tend to have the same work methods and time management skills. Meghan is CAD queen and is patient enough to answer our questions for us while still staying 3 steps ahead.  I couldn't do it without these ladies.  They have gotten me through this program and I love them all dearly.

Here is my supply pile today (minus my clothes and friends)

Now back to work :)

Friday Five (on Monday): Random Thoughts

Sorry I missed my Friday Five again.  I left for Boone this weekend to visit Cassie and forgot all about it.  So for a new blog post and my missed friday five here are the 5 things on my mind at this given moment.  These will be in no particular order of importance.  Warning:  It's midnight and I'm about to go to bed so sorry if I ramble.

5.  I miss my sweet Coconut.  It's hard being away from home when I'm at school for so long, and he is one of the things that always makes me miss home even more.  He's such a sweet puppy and mys misses him very much.  Mys would like to hold hims and give hims a kiss. (if you don't know my coconut voice this probably made no sense to you).  Here's a picture of my sweet coconut.

4.  Haiti plans are well underway and things are beginning to move.  I spent my 3 hours at work today sitting addressing and stuffing envelopes to send out.  I can't pay for the trip alone, so I will be sending out fundraising letters shortly and they require a lot of hand written work.  Here's a picture of my desk today.

3.  I'm trying to come up with a gift idea to take to Dorothy's staff when we go to Haiti.  We'll be staying with her and we want to give a small gift to the ladies that work there to show our appreciation for them and to let them know we are thinking of them.  Right now I'm looking at jewelry as a possibility, because what woman doesn't appreciate jewelry?  I'm scouring Etsy right now to find some beautiful yet affordable options.  These are some I've found so far.  If you know of anything or have a better idea please let me know, we're open to options and could use some ideas!

     Cross Necklace
     Basic Silver Necklace
     Simple Initial or Cross Necklace
     Silver Leaf with Pearl
     Linked Hearts Silver Bracelet
     White Pearl and Silver Bracelet

2.  In the back of my mind this project keeps creeping up on me.   All day I've been trying to ignore that little voice so I don't stress myself out.  I'll worry about that in class tomorrow....oh school, why do you have to be so stressful??

1.  Relationships have also been on my mind a lot today.  I'm surrounded by people in serious and wonderful relationships with their significant other and I'll be honest, its hard at times.  I know God has the right man chosen for me, and I will meet him when God wants me to....but I still get lonely.  It's hard to watch and listen to all the stories and such while sitting and dreaming it was me.  But regardless, I go to bed each night and try my very best to be patient and hopeful as I wait on God's timing.  Some nights are just harder than others...

Friday Five: Fridays!

I absolutely love fridays!!!  For some reason, today I have seemed to notice even more how great they really are. Why you may ask?  Well....


5. Friday's are the last day of the week I work at Baker and they are very relaxed.

4. Friday is the day we either get to go home or have guests come to visit.  Last weekend I got to go see my family, and this Friday Jessica's boyfriend is coming! There's nothing better than seeing family and having people from home come visit.

3.  I don't have class on Fridays!  That means I can stay up and hang out with my roommates Thursday night guilt-free and enjoy our new tradition of playing Wii games!

2. I get to sleep in! Everyone that knows me, knows how much I love to sleep in.  I have always been a sleeper (ask my grandma!).  There is nothing more refreshing than getting 10+ hours of sleep and not having to wake up to an alarm.  I love it!

1.  Fridays are the official end of the week which means no classes for 2 days!  This means I get to relax, catch up on work, and enjoy stress-free time with my friends.


Happy Friday!!

Tuesday Thoughts

Sorry it's been so long since my last post.  Things have been really crazy around here.  I got to go home last weekend which was wonderful! There is nothing more refreshing than sleeping in your own bed, the scent of home, and getting to see family (and coconut).  It was definitely a MUCH needed break from school.  This year seems to be flying by.  The days appear endless but when I go to bed I feel like it was all a blur.  I'm currently working on three large projects:  Wrenn Admissions Building Redesign,  Phillips Hall Stair Redesign, and Creating/Designing my own furniture store.  ugh.  Lets just say everyone is a little stressed around here.  30 some days until fall break...aka when all projects are due.   I keep asking myself why I chose this major.  I'm hoping the answer will come soon (probably not until I get a job and the paychecks roll in).

On another thought........Cassie and I are going to Haiti!  Yep, you read it right.  Haiti.  Kind of crazy how everything has played out, but I can definitely say 100% that this is where God is calling me. The way everything is falling together is simply proof of that.  We are going to be staying with Dorothy, a missionary we worked with last time I went, and helping her do pretty much anything she needs.  She takes in children with AIDS, TB, and anything else that deems them "unwanted" in Haiti, gives them a home, an education, and hopefully finds a permanent home for them if they are orphaned.  I am SO excited about this trip.  I'll have more details soon, and will start on this journey as soon as possible.  We're going to Haiti!!!!

So basically I just summed up my life into two short paragraphs.  Design and planning our trip to Haiti.  If you ever wonder what I'm doing or thinking, there's your answer.  Kind of sad...but true.

On an even more random note:
    Etsy has become my new favorite procrastination method.  Here are some of the items I've got on my "must buy when I have money" list. (This will make up for last week's Friday Five, because I missed it.  Sorry about that)

Pleated Purse with Flower
Yellow Ruffle Pillow
Dandelion Earrings
Branch/Bird Necklace
Ruffle Rose Pillow



Happy Tuesday!

I'm gonna go to bed and stop rambling now!

Friday Five: Color Schemes

Being a design major, I clearly have a love for everything design.  My favorite part however, is picking out the color scheme for a space.  With out color, everything is plain, boring, and lifeless.  Without color, all you have is texture and patterns.  Now don't get me wrong, texture and patterns are great and are highly necessary for any successful design, but lets get real.  Patterns and textures are SO much better and come to life when they've got some color behind them.  So for today's Friday Five, here are my five favorite color schemes right now. Maybe you'll get inspired to redo one of your spaces!

5. Grey and Green.   There is something so serene about every room I see in this color scheme.  The two colors don't over power one another, but compliment each other just enough.  The contrast doesn't distract your eye, instead it tends to move your eye around the room.  Just don't get too crazy with your green choice.  A soft green is perfect, lets please avoid the crazy ones!

4.  Earth tones. You can almost never go wrong here.  Earth tones are timeless and always elegant. I love when a room is composed of neutral pieces with pops of dark browns and greens.  It makes you feel like you're with nature which is very freeing and relaxing.  Plus, if you get bored with it, all of your main pieces are neutral allowing you to change it up whenever you like.  Throw a few different accent pillows in there, change the artwork, and voila! you have a new space.

3. Turquoise and Orange. I know...this one sounds a little crazy, but trust me its beautiful!  For all of you out there that love a pop of color and want more than just plain neutrals every where, this one is for you!  The complimentary colors work beautifully.  A light turquoise wall with some great orange accent pieces = a room to die for. (I also love the addition of a white sofa or bedding to help calm the space down giving a more peaceful look!)  Its stunning.  Have a look for yourself.

2. Coral. I love love LOVE coral right now.  Last year it began making an appearance, but now its everywhere you look!  There is something so beautiful about this color.  Its great to wear, use as an accent, or make the focal point.  It pairs great with white, cream, grey, brown, gold, etc.  Its a great way to add a splash of color and add interest.  (We actually made our apartment living room grey, coral, and white! Pictures to come later).

1. Grey and Yellow. This is my absolute favorite color scheme right now.  I have always loved everything yellow. There are actually very few applications of yellow that I don't like (like neon or bright yellows).  But when I saw it paired with grey, I fell in love.  There is something so sophisticated and beautiful that happens when these colors are put together.  Its soft but makes an impact.  Its cheery but not so bright that its in your face.  It adds interest without being obvious.  I just love it! (hence my room at home! Pictures to come on that eventually.)

SIDENOTE:  I've decided that Grey is officially my favorite neutral.  Clearly as seen above, almost every picture uses it.  However, it has not won over my love for yellow.

Friday Five: Favorite Blogs

Being a blogger myself, I have grown an appreciation for all the other bloggers out there.  I have specific ones that I follow on a daily basis.  So for all you blog readers/lovers out there check out my top 5 favorite blogs:

5. The Sweet Tooth. This is the blog of my sister's good friend Kelly.  She makes some beautiful and delicious cakes and she shares all about them on her blog.  She also has some great and highly entertaining stories of her life she shares too.

4. The Johnson Scoop.  This is the blog of our former Children's Pastor's wife Michaella Johnson.  She blogs all about her adorable girls, and things going on with her family/life.  She is also a great photographer and I love looking at all the great moments she captures.

3. Nancy Ray Photography. This is the blog of the photographer from Erin's wedding.  As the wedding planning began, Erin got me hooked on her blog.  She is absolutely one of my favorite photographers EVER! Her work is amazing and I love the creativity she brings to her shoots.  I can sit for hours looking through her work.  I'm following her blog even closer right now because Erin's wedding pictures should be posted any week now! I'll keep you posted!

2. Teaching to Learn.  This is my wonderful sister's blog.  Clearly I have to read her blog, but it is actually one of my favorites.  Being back at school, and her being married now, reading her blog lets me feel like I still get the inside scoop of her life.  She blogs about all sorts of things, work, funny students, marriage, friends, life, etc.  I enjoy not knowing what the next post will be.  She definitely keeps things fresh.  And, being a teacher, she has a knack for writing. 

1. The Hambrick Family. This is the blog of Jenn Hambrick, our college pastor's wife.  She blogs all about her adorable kids, the funny things they say/do, and does a lot of really great photography work.  Having babysat her kids for years now, I love reading all the crazy things they do.  My favorite thing about her blog is her honesty.  She shares what's going on that day, the good, bad, and everything in between. It's heartfelt and real.  Absolutely always guaranteed to be a good read. 

Friday Five: HPU

The five things I love most about High Point University:

5. Our design program is ranked as one of the Top 10 design programs in the US.  Being an Interior Design major, this is HUGE!  The main reason I chose HPU, was because their design program was accredited.  Now we are ranked as one of the best schools in the US!  It is incredible to be able to graduate from such an impressive program.

4. Our location opens up incredible opportunities for my major. Being right down the street from Furniture Market is an experience that very few other schools can offer their design students.  Getting to work hands-on in our industry as early as your freshman year is absolutely unheard of in most places. For those of us at HPU however, we get our feet in the door early and work our way up as much as possible.  After market is over, we are still surrounded by incredible internship opportunities in so many different fields.  I was lucky enough to get an internship with Baker, a high-end furniture company.  Those types of opportunities would not be available to me everywhere.

3. We have an AMAZING president.  I mean come on, how many students can say their president is one of the top speakers in the world?  We get the honor and privilege of taking a class with him, where we not only get to hear him speak, but learn some of his success techniques.  Those experiences are one of a kind, and only available at HPU.  Also, he is the reason our campus is as beautiful and extraordinary as it is.

2. We have the most beautiful campus I have ever seen. No matter where you are on campus, you are surrounded by lush beautiful landscaping, incredible Georgian architecture, flowing waterfalls, bright green grass, and an on-going serenity of classical music in the background.  Every thing on campus is always in tip-top shape and emits a sense of relaxation and peace.  We all love to sit outside and take it all in whenever possible.

and the thing I love most of all about High Point is...

1. All the incredible free gifts we get.  We get gifts when we move in. We get to watch a movie in our theatre (with popcorn, candy, and a drink) once a week. We have an arcade, a Five Star Steakhouse (which is absolutely A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!), occasionally we receive holiday gifts, free laundry, free printing, movie rentals, t-shirts, snacks and drinks on our way to class, etc.  I don't know of any other school that gets pampered the way we do here.  I know we may pay a lot to go to this school, but we definitely get our money's worth and are taken care of all the time.

Needless to say, I love my school!

(here is a picture of our move-in gift this year:)