personal challenge.

I am deathly scared of heights, like deathly, and anyone who has been around me whenever I am kind of high or around obstacles of height, I get really scared and get really quiet.  This fear of heights has also caused me not to go to places like Carowinds or any other amusement parks very often because the heights of the roller coasters kill me.  Even if I would go to these places, I would not ride the rides.  This semester, however, a group of my friends wanted to go to Carowinds and begged me to go.  I finally decided that I would go with them, but was very nervous about going.  I bought a ticket though, and trudged up the road to Carowinds.  I was okay until I saw the new ride, the Intimidator, which pretty much goes straight up and straight down for its first hill, and that was the first ride I saw once getting out of my car.  My friends reassured me that I was going to ride that ride, and so I walked into the park shaking.  However, I was determined not to let my fear of heights stop me from having a good time and not ride these rides.  Right before my first ride, on the same seat that I was suppose to get on, the girl that got off right in front of me had a seizure.  Yes, way to comfort me and my nerves.  After a few test runs though, they let us on to the roller-coaster and I sat in the same seat as the girl who got sick, yes just another comforting factor.  However, I survived that roller-coaster, and rode every ride that my friends wanted me to ride, including Drop Zone, which was probably one of the most scariest.  I was proud of myself, though, because I challenged my fear of heights and did not let it get in my way of riding the rides.  I believe this experience also helped conquer some of my fear.

service-learning wrap up.

Although I only got to go to one school for Cocky's Reading Express, and when we got there, we did not get to do much, it was definitely my favorite experience during this service-learning.  It made me wish I could go on other trips with them, although, I had class on all the other dates.  It was definitely fun though, and I loved getting to talk to some of the little kids and see them get excited to see Cocky as well as look at all the books because that night, Hand Middle School had their Family Reading Night, in which they got to each pick a free book from their library.  A group of us was surrounding the free book table in the library and the book Holes was laying on the table.  We started talking this book up of how good it was and how much we enjoyed reading it when we were younger.  As soon as we stopped talking about it a little girl looking at the books on the table grabbed Holes for her free book.  It was so precious and just reminded me of how much little kids look up to older people and how much we can have an impact on these kids with a simple remark or action.  Although I stickered books for the majority of my time at my service site, I found it very beneficial because I know it was going to help little kids because they would get a free book and this book might be their only one.  I think I might continue volunteering at my service sight next semester, even if I just try to make some of the school trips with Cocky.  It is definitely something that I want to continue to be involved in.

capstone social event.

I went to the Hot Cookie Friday on Friday, November 19, 2010.  Because I had not been able to make any of the other Hot Cookie Fridays or Everybody's Birthday this semester, I was not sure what to expect when I walked in the door.  However, I walked in to the smell of, of course, cookies baking in the oven, which is my absolute favorite smell.  Also, Capstone Scholars were just hanging around, sitting in every corner of every room, talking and eating cookies.  In one room, there were a group of guys playing some kind of video game, which kind of surprised me because I did not expect to see a video game system in the upstairs of the house of the study shack, but I definitely thought it was a good idea and definitely attracted a lot of students.  I was able to socialize a little bit and meet some new people, which I always love to do, and especially since I am not in the Capstone dorm, I do not get to have as many connections with as many Capstone Scholars as I would if I were living in the dormitory.  Even though I was impressed by the game system that was being played on the television, and loved the smell of the cookies baking, I never got a hot cookie.  They were all gone by the time I got there which was pretty disappointing.  However, I did have a great experience at the Hot Cookie Friday and look forward to going back next semester.

thanksgiving.

I am very excited to be going home for Thanksgiving.  It has been a while since I have slept in my bed, so I will be very grateful to do that.  Of course, though, I am excited to see my family and get to spend some time with them because it has been a while since family bonding has happened.  Also, you cannot forget about the turkey and dressing that will be eaten on Thursday.  My family, which consists of my grandparents, my mom, dad and sister, will go to my aunt and uncle's house for Thanksgiving dinner, which we have during the afternoon.  I really cannot wait to get some actual good homecooking.  I have definitely missed this since coming to college.  Also, on Thursday morning I will be waking up to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  It's a tradition for me; everyone in my house knows that I get way too excited to watch the Parade because it marks for me, the start of the holiday season.  So after Thursday, comes black Friday, which my friends and I will go through all that early bird madness to shop, or at least watch people madly shop for their presents, so that will be fun.  Friday night though, will be when our whole town heads to W.L. Varner Stadium to watch the Woodruff Wolverines, our high school team, play Central Pageland for the Upperstate Championship.  That will be a very intense game, and I am looking forward to it since I love high school football and have missed getting to see it every Friday.  Other than that, I will probably just hang out with my friends and family, and catch up on some much needed sleep.  Hope you have a great Thanksgiving as well!

sustainability.

I define sustainable as using resources to the fullest and best way capable.  I believe that I am a sustainable person because I try to use a lot of things that I have in an efficient manner.  Especially now, as a college student, with not a lot of money in my bank account and the responsibility of buying my own groceries and necessities, I have to try to use what I have as much as I can as well as long as I can because no one wants to use all their money on just the necessities, especially if you are a girl and love to shop as I do.  Because I want some extra spending money in my bank account along with some money to put gas in my car on a road trip, I try to expand all my toiletries the best I can, and I have to say that I have become quite good at it.  The one thing, though, that I could do better to be more sustainable is to not use as many paper towels and napkins.  I tend to use a lot of these in my daily routines from drying my hands to cleaning up messes, or using them while I eat.  I always use more paper towels and napkins than I should and I have noticed it before, but I am such a messy person, as well as a little bit of a germaphobe, that I feel the need to use excess paper towels and napkins because I don't want to reuse them.

capstone conversation.

I went to the Capstone Conversation on Wednesday, November 17, in which the head baseball coach, Ray Tanner, spoke.  I definitely loved all of what Coach Tanner had to speak on.  He has lived a life that suites this year's Capstone motto of "Dream Big.  Impact the Community.  Leave a Legacy".  He says he has always dreamed big, it is something that has always propelled his life.  I think this is an awesome way to look on life because all your big dreams do not always come true right away, or they are very difficult to achieve.  However, this never deterred him.  In baseball, he has been the head South Carolina coach for 15 years, and for 15 years he has dreamed of a National Championship, however, for 15 years, he was not successful at reaching this goal, but he continued to dream and did not give up hope and he finally got his National Championship.  He is also has a big impact on the community with his own foundation here in Columbia, as well as he and his wife are constantly involved in the community and helping others.  His baseball team also is committed to helping the less fortunate, which he has helped instill in them.  And of course, leaving a legacy is something he definitely achieved this summer, as Whit Merrifield got a base hit to win the first national championship ever for the University of South Carolina, even as the underdogs in many of the games they played.  He and his baseball team not only made it into USC's history and legacy, but also in the legacy of the College World Series as the 2010 Baseball National Champions.

capstone cinema.

I went to the Capstone Cinema on November 15, in which we watched a a short video called The Story of Stuff, in which Annie Leonard discussed how wasteful our society is.  Watching the video brings a lot of points to mind that usually are not thought about when buying, using, and throwing away materials.  When you throw something away, I don't normally think about where it is going, where the trash is taken, or how it effects our environment and that it could one day be a major problem which will actually effect us and our living space.  In middle school and high school, speakers would come in and talk to our class about the environment and wastefulness, so I was familiar with the impacts our society and its trash can make, however, I do not usually keep this in the front of my head, always worrying about it, so I could definitely work on that.  Also, buying stuff at a store, which I love to do, I have never thought about who makes it, or for that matter I have never realized that a good I buy in the store could have put people's life in danger or crippled people because of the gases and stuff they come in contact with making this item that is put on the shelf at a popular store in the U.S.  After this video, I believe I will definitely think more about my wastefulness as well as what I buy.

career center.

I am so excited about Thanksgiving break and I cannot believe that it is next week.  My favorite part of Thanksgiving would have to be the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade, which will definitely be in my plans Thursday morning before I eat some turkey and dressing at my aunt's house.  Over Thanksgiving, I plan to go home and probably help my aunt cook, or at least go watch and spend some time with her as she's cooking, maybe try to lick the bowl of a few treats she's cooking, because I just can't wait one more day.  On Thanksgiving, eat some turkey and dressing, and dessert of course, and on Black Friday, shopping is a must.
I really still have no clue what I want to be when I grow up.  I know I want to do something in Business, and I would love to own my own company one day, however, what kind of company that will be is yet to be determined.  I don't want to be an entrepreneur at first, though.  After I graduate from Carolina, I want to work in a big company, and then work my way up to a leader position in that company, and then later on own my own company.  I definitely do want to have internships throughout my college career, however, I do not know if I want one this summer just because I have no way of staying in Columbia for the summer, so it could pose a problem.
I found many things in the presentation that was useful.  She pretty much touched on everything I have been having questions about, such as what is needed for each major, and although I already have a resume, I liked that there is an actual application that can help me with building a resume.  The presentation was very useful to me and I will be using it a lot in the future, especially as I figure out exactly what I want to do with my life.

financial responsibility.

I think I am a financially responsible person because I have always seemed to have some sort of money in my pocket, even when I have chose to spend it, which I like to do often.  But, especially in this time of my life, as a college student in which I have to manage my own money and use it also for my needs, it is very important to be financially responsible.  Although I usually have some money left over, I have never prepared a budget, even though, I feel like it would be very beneficial to me because with a budget, I believe I would be able to spend more of my money than I do now because I would realize that I have a little more money than I think.  Ever since I have to pay for everything out of my own pocket, I have become a bit of a cheapo, and try not to spend much money.  In four years, I would love to have some money in my savings account, so I can buy a house or an apartment of my own and be able to support myself when first starting my career.  I will make this a reality by putting some of my money that I make from work or any money I receive in my savings account.  Also, I would like to have the least amount of debt and student loans to pay off as possible, which of course is everybody's wish, but I hope to make this a reality by applying to scholarships throughout my college career so I will not have to rack up so many of those loans that I will have to worry about once I graduate.

stress management.

I get stressed out by schoolwork, projects, or doing something I do not want to do, such as facing my fears of heights.  I can probably get stressed out a little too easily, but it's just because I want everything done right and I have goals for which I want my grades to be.  I usually deal with my stress by going to work out.  After I work out, I usually feel a lot more relaxed and it feels as if all the weight that was on my shoulders has been removed a bit and I can come back and work on whatever I need to with a lot more efficiency.  I also deal with stress by taking a break, although, this does not help as much as working out.  I will either take a nap, get on facebook, or watch t.v., just do something that I enjoy in order to relieve my mind a bit.  I am very glad to say that I have enjoyed my service site a lot and have not had any stress while there.  My service site is in a library, so it is very relaxful because it is quiet and I am just putting stickers on books and counting, so really, there is nothing to get stressed about.  I like going to my service site.  And, when we went to Hand Middle School for Cocky's Reading Express at their Family Reading Night, there was no stress either.  Actually, I loved getting to interact with some of the kids and being a part of the actual Cocky's Reading Express, although, we did not get to do much.

time management.

Although at the beginning of the semester, I did not believe to have time management down very well for my schedule, I now believe I have successfully tackled time management.  I have made sufficient time for school work, socializing and having fun, working out, as well as some sleep.  I am very proud that I was able to achieve good time management because I never saw myself as managing time efficiently, but, I guess in college, you are forced to do so and once you kind of realize the times to do certain things that fit you best, it is not too hard to manage time efficiently.  I wish I had more time to work out, though.  I am used to having a couple of hours out of my day to work out because of track and cross country practices in high school.   However, now I only am able to work out an hour a day, and do not get the full work out I feel like I need.  I am going to start going to the gym earlier in the day so I can have more time to do all the work outs I would like to do.  I  can also get a fitness buddy, in which they have also allowed in their schedule to work out for the same amount of time I have, so they can keep me accountable for having the amount of time I want and get to all the work out options I want to before I leave the Strom.

healthy carolina.

I believe myself to be a healthy individual.  I have a God that is always with me, I have great friends and family, and I am happy with myself; and of course for physical healthiness, I try to eat pretty healthy and exercise on a regular basis.  I have formed many new relationships while here at USC.  I have met many friends in my classes, in which we are involved in some of the same organizations.  I have also became closer with my roommate, in which we have gotten a long very well since moving in together and become very good friends.  I have also met people from my hall in which we all hang out together on a regular basis.  So coming to USC has been a very great experience for me and I have met some awesome people.  The new relationships I have formed this semester definitely support me and my success because we all support each other in whatever we want to do and what goals we have for ourselves.  And with our commonalities and some similar goals, it can be fun and sometimes easier to step out of our comfort zones with friends by our sides.  I look forward to the next four years and all the relationships I will make during that time, in which I will continue to further my success and reach for my goals.

spirituality and religion.

I believe religion, spirituality, and faith are different; although, they all relate to one another.  I think religion is where you put your faith, what you put your faith in; and spirituality is in your faith.  So therefore, I relate to all of them.  My religion is Christianity, which I put my faith in Jesus Christ and have a spiritual relationship with Him.  Growing up in the South, I have always been surrounded by the Church community.  Southern Baptist is one of the main church denominations of the South, which is the denomination I was raised in.  Being raised as a Southern Baptist, I would have to say that the South has a lot of religion in it.  Riding down the street in the South, you are more than likely to pass many churches along the way.  So many southerners have a faith in Jesus Christ and the Bible, and have a personal relationship with God.  Because I have lived in the South all my life, coming to USC, where there is so much diversity of people from around the nation, and the world, I have never encountered so many religions and beliefs.  It is kind of a shocker for me, because I guess you get used to being surrounded by people who believe what you believe.  However, USC does have a lot of opportunities for people of many religious beliefs, and has many Christian organizations where anybody is welcome.  USC has helped me in my faith as I am the one who has to make the time for God and to further my walk with Him.