Internships and the Real World

One of the exciting things that happens during the spring is the search for summer jobs.  Some people may keep the jobs they had last summer, and others (like myself) might be on the look for a new opportunity to work and gain experience.  That is where I am at right now, sending out resumes and cover letters in hopes that someone thinks I am the perfect fit. 
What's great about St. Mikes is that we have the Career Development office.  Career Development helps you find internships, works with you on your resume and cover letter, and helps you find an adult job when you graduate or even after.  They're an amazing resource and it's so helpful to go in and talk with them.
Last year, I was lucky enough to get an internship right on campus with our Marketing Department.  Along with my fellow blogger, Dom Wood, we worked on multiple projects and went on many field trips.  One of my favorites was our adventure video to areas outside of Burlington that you can go to.  It was a part of our First Year Fridays video series for incoming students to show them what campus was like and what to be prepared for when they got to campus.
I was also really happy that one of the photos I took over the summer was used for the St. Mikes instagram account!  How cool is that? 

The photo I took!

Dom and I eating a creemee on a warm summer day

And don't forget to heck out the video too:

First Year Friday's: Vermont Adventures
I absolutely loved being on campus, I got 10 meals a week and the rest of the time I was either cooking for myself or getting food at the farmers market every Saturday.  It's fairly quiet on campus since there are significantly less people, but I made a bunch of new friends and had a blast enjoying the warm summer in Burlington.
It's great that they have so many opportunities on campus and so many connections all across the US, so no matter where you are, you're bound to find something that works!

Long Weekend Travels and Exploration

This weekend, St. Mikes had Friday off, so students had the option of either going home or enjoying a class free day on campus.  With my friends, it was split half way, some were going home and some were staying.  I decided to head to Southern Vermont (White River Junction) for the weekend!
What I think is so great about going to a school where a good chunk are from the Vermont/New England area is that you have so many options to go home with different people for holidays and weekends.  So even though I am far from home, someone always offers their house for breaks, that's just how St. Mikes is!
This was the first time I had been to Southern Vermont, other than just driving through to get to Boston (where I've spent my past two Thanksgivings).  One of the highlights of the weekend was going snow shoeing, which I had never tried before!

The gear

Gracefully climbing over fences

Paul leading the way

And after a day of exploring, we went  to the Dartmouth v Yale Hockey game.  it was such a good game, ending in a 3-3 tie.

After such a relaxing weekend, I'm excited to get back to St. Mikes and jump right in with Bella rehearsal.



Why I love St. Mikes: My Classes

To this, some of you may be thinking, wait a second, you like your classes in college?
The answer is HECK YEAH!
There are requirements to take Liberal Arts classes, such as History, English, Science, etc.  And these classes can actually help you figure out your major if you don't know exactly what you want to major in.  That's how I was my first year at St. Mikes.  I knew I wanted to continue Spanish, but I was pretty far ahead in class requirements, so either a double major or some minors had to be added.  But I wasn't sure in what.  After taking some requirement classes just for the school, I found the Media Studies, Journalism, and Digital Arts major and everything clicked!  Finding your major is one of the most amazing feelings because you've found something you love to study and learn more about.
Which brings me to this semester.  If you look at my class schedule, I am taking 3 Media classes and 1 Spanish class, all towards my double major.  So my days are filled with classes that are not only interesting and engaging, but that I absolutely love.
One class I want to highlight is my Race, Gender, and Ethnicity in Media class.  You can probably guess by the name that this class is going to be interesting.  It is taught by Professor Griffith (who is also my advisor and one of the coolest people on campus, in my opinion) and we talk about anything and everything that relates to these topics.  We just finished our Gender section and are moving into Race.  This class is one of my favorites because we usually sit in a huge circle around the room and are constantly talking and discussing whatever articles we had read the night before and trying to answer questions and define terms. 
During our Gender section, what I found most interesting was when we began to dive into transgender men or women, talking about their rights, the perspective of society, and their partners.  It was mind blowing to see the difference in legal rights.  So much of what I had been giving my attention to was more specific to gay and lesbian rights because they seem to be at the forefront of this fight for justice.  More than anything, this class opens my eyes to things that had slipped my mind before or I didn't question because it didn't affect me. 
And moving into Race, that realization continues to come up.  The other day, we looked at the US Census and what racial categories they use.  Looking at the list, it seemed like there was a lot missing, but we also were trying to figure out what exactly made them create these specific identities.  We've only been discussing it for a week, but I know that this is going to become a very interesting topic.
So as you can see, classes are awesome!  Especially once you get into your major.  Sure, there were times that I wasn't too font of the class I was taking (calculus when I hadn't taken pre-calc, but that's another story I'll share later) but once you find your passions and what really interests you, it is the best feeling to be studying subjects that engage, interest, and challenge you.
And that's one of the many reasons I love St. Mikes.

TBT: First Year Seminars

Since it is Thursday, I wanted to do a throw back to my first year at St. Mikes when I took my first year seminar, Horses and Healing.  What is a first year seminar you ask?
Well, when you come to St. Mikes, you have this awesome requirement of taking a first year seminar course.  Topics range from yoga and philosophy to the examined life to fly fishing.  Each class, though fun and different from the others, focus on helping you transition into college writing and I feel like they really promote discussion.  I loved my class because we all sat around a huge round table and it felt like I was back at home having a family dinner.  We would read a bunch of different books and do reflections and in the end, a research paper on a subject of our choice related to the class.
And I know what you're probably thinking, "What in the world is Horses and Healing?  Do you heal horses?" (my dad likes to make this joke any time I bring up the class).  We do not heal horses, though that would be crazy awesome!  Instead, we read books about humans interactions with animals, more specifically people with autism.  The bond they share is so deep and amazing, and it carries through with all different kinds of disabilities.  Horses are very in tune with the people around them and their abilities, so therapeutic horseback riding lessons are a great way for people with different disabilities, whether it be mental or physical, to have this experience and bond with such a majestic creature.  So along with reading great books, we would go once a week to South Hero (about 30 minutes away) and volunteer at a therapeutic horseback riding farm, assisting with lessons, getting hay, and mucking.  It was an amazing experience to be able to be so engaged in class and then take what we learned about horses or how people interact with them and see it in action and be able to help this farm.

Being able to interact with the horses was one of the coolest parts!

After having such an amazing experience my first year, I signed up to be one of 5 Teachers Assistants for the class.  This meant we came to the farm class once a week and would lead our small groups on different tasks.  It was one of the highlights of my week and I'm sad that it's not continuing this semester, but I met some great people and had a blast being back on the farm!

One of our projects was a sensory trail, so we hung different wind chimes on a tree to make the sound portion of the trail

My fantastic group of gals!

The whole class!

First year seminars can be so much fun, I really enjoyed mine and it's definitely something to look forward to when you're coming to St. Mikes.  Here's a list of the other class options you can take: 

http://www.smcvt.edu/Academics/Majors-Minors-and-Curriculum/Liberal-Studies-Curriculum/First-Year-Seminar.aspx

Warm Weather Outings in Vermont

I'm sure you know by now that Vermont is one of the most beautiful states.  Being from California, I'm pretty spoiled with good weather, but I've never been able to experience all 4 seasons to the fullest.  Here at St. Mikes, you get the best of everything, warm summers (that are also pretty humid to me), colorful falls, snowy winters, and fresh springs.  The best part about having all 4 seasons is that there are so many different activities that you can do.  Earlier in the year, when the weather was sunny and warm, a group of friends and I went to Mt. Mansfield (the tallest mountain in Vermont, and also where we go skiing) and trekked up to the very top.

The view about half way up

Almost at the top!

Selfies with Brian as we trek

My friend, Shane, once we had made it all the way up

The group at the top

We did it!

Now the fun part...going down

What's great about being in Vermont is that everything is close and accessible and you're bound to find someone who wants to do the same activities as you.  If you don't go with a group of friends, you can go with our Wilderness Program and do all the same things, plus meet new people!  They have some awesome activities all year round that cost maybe $5 for gas, so it's totally worth it.  I can't wait to go out with them during the winter, not only with our awesome Smuggs Pass (only $65, say whaaaat!) but also snow shoeing!

Until my next outing, I love looking at this picture and admiring the view.  Can't wait to do it again!