My Life as a UNA Honor Student

This Semester has flown by! I can’t believe my first semester of college, of me being independent, of me growing and learning is over. It feels like forever ago when I moved in. I so excited. When I was in high school, I thought I would die if I ever had to move out of my house and not see my family every day, (especially my momma). It really didn’t hit me till one day in the shower, about a month after we moved in, that I had actually graduated from high school. It was really weird thinking about me being on my own in a few years! It’s time for me to start growing up, maturing, developing my characters, and building a better relationship with my Heavenly Father!

I have learned so much about myself the semester. I have learned that everything is possible and too never give up on anything! I got a little discourage my senior year, applying for scholarships and continually being rejected. This semester reminded me of a lot of saying I heard the summer of my junior year. “It’s Not Over Until I win” “It is Possible” “4.0” “Batman is better than Superman”( because he is a billionaire), and “Infinite Potential”. I also learned that I am not as popular as I thought I was, and I also learned I didn’t truly know what friends really were. I didn’t know I was so overbearing sometimes, but I am growing and everything will get better over the years! I have got so much more to learn and do before I graduate, so I made some goals: 1. Lagrange Society 2. 4.0 3. SGA President 4. Member of a certain fraternity 5.Start and organize 2 RSO’s 6. Become a Promising Alumni 7. Overall stay in the program. This semester in forum I realized I could do all of this.

Memphis Trip . . . Forming a Family

So, i guess I should tell ya'll about my first true honors experience, which would be our trip to Memphis, TN. It was a fun trip. I had a chance to try to attempt to remember everybody's names. Which for the most part I failed horribly at. The most fun I had on the trip was probably when we were all at the pool just chillin though. It was cool and all. The funniest thing I saw on the trip was, these two female gorillas messing around at the zoo. It was freaking hilarious. Overall I had a great time on the trip it was cool. Oh yeah I almost forgot to tell ya'll about that mean black woman who wouldn't let us ride the trolley back the other, even though she made us get off , shortly, very shortly after, we got on. She was so ratchet, #lol #kml. Roar Lions!!

Recap: When I think about the Memphis Trip now, I think about how fun it was. First of all I went out of state on a bus with around fifty unfamiliar faces. Just thinking about the first impressions I had about everybody is kind of weird now. Thinking about how we all just kind of formed friendships. When you start college you don’t really know what you getting into until you get there. So, being in the Honors Program made it easy for me to make fast connections. I remember like it was three years ago. Memphis was a really cool trip I can’t wait until the spring trip.

I also so learned that you have to watch Kate Partain, because she will get a funny picture of you! Haha

So I bet random people are reading this and wondering why I started this blog about being in the Honors Program at UNA. Well It's an assignment. I thought the Honors Forum Class was going to be like a study hall, where we got help on our homework, discussed ways to study and stuff like that, but it's not. It's a class where we have a guess speaker come every week and talk to us honor students, which I think I will like better than studying. Every week we

have to blog about that week's speaker, and pretty much tell what it means to us.

Dr. Brewton talked to us on our first day of class about how the Honors Program worked and the things that were necessary to stay in the Honors Program, including keep a GPA of 3.25 or higher. He was also telling due to past history that the University was going to view grades at the end of the semester and decide if people should be able to keep their scholarship or not, or something in that manner. My favorite part was he discussed the Honors Program Values. These included curiosity, creativity, Integrity, Achievement, and Service. He scared some of the class, I believe unintentionally though. After that class some of them were like "I can't get involved with anything, because I don't won't to get too involved and lose my scholarship" I'm not going to lie though I was kind of scared that I might lose my scholarship, because I love to be involve. I would sure be embarrassed if I lost my honors scholarship and had to move out of Lafayette!

Recap: The firs forum was great! It was awesome to say the least. I realized how important all these values are to the Honor’s Program, University, and life. Since, then I have gotten really involved. I am involved with Freshmen Forum, Ascending Voices, Honors Student Organization, and the newly organized UNA NAACP. I wanted to join BSA, but those folks were kind of rude. I have been trying to get involved with UNA Democrats, but I can’t get any correct information about who is over it and stuff. So, I will either start one myself, or join college republicans. I am now really scared that I may lose my scholarship, not due to being involved, but from not being prepared enough for college, and learning how to make deadlines. In High School, I was involved with everything possible; my teachers just let me turn it in whenever I had the chance, especially my senior year. I quickly learned this is not High School. There’s is not I wouldn’t do to stay in the Honor’s Program.

(INSERT VIDEO HERE)

Values! Values! Values!

Reviewing my blog on our 2nd honors forum, I decide to look up the principles of a Godly man and this is a website i got lead to along with many others.

http://upi.org/html/BibleStudies/PrinciplesOfGodlyLeadership.html

Being a Person of Good Character

Judge Self really caught my attention (mainly because he called me a success story in a generic sense), and helped me remember where I was. He started talking about making a difference, which reminded me of the Rachel's Challenge Group we started at my old high school. Rachel was victim of the Columbine Shootings. She was known to be a very sweet person. After her death they found her hand print on the back of one of her dressers, with the words "One day these hands will change the world" inside it. And it just reminds me to stay who I am and make my own judgment and not follow the crowd opinions, which I find myself doing a lot. For some reason I tend to change my opinions and judgment of some things depending on the people I'm around and that not truly reflecting me. So, in order for my character to shine through, I must make my own judgment. He told us the story of how his father was the first college football coach to recruit a African American athlete, and how much courage it took. Which also remind me that sometimes, when you doing the right things, people just won't like it, but who cares what they think as long as you what you're doing is right. Me and Judge Self had something in common we love helping people. There is one thing I love most in this world (after my momma of course) is helping other, donating my time volunteering, and making others feel good. If I could get a degree for volunteerism I would and I would do it cheerfully. Overall Judge Self was a good guy.

Recap: This Guy right here was great. Judge self, had me thinking what I used to house in my heart. All the ideas I had to better the world and do what makes me happy, ignoring the normality of society. I want to do whatever is going to create a better environment to live in. I want to go exploring, offer to help others, spend my life volunteering. My philosophy is to never look down on someone unless I’m bringing them up with me! I rather see someone else increase before me, I put myself aside too often, but I believe it was the way I was created. I used to change my opinions of situations depending on the people I was around me, but now instead I’m learning to be around different people with different ideas, and be able to back up

my own thoughts, beliefs, and opinions.

All Men Were Created Equal

Ross Berry Has been my favorite speaker so far. He started off telling us a story about two young men who were born into different situation.

The first young man was born into a family with siblings who all lived in the same house, he was private school, graduated High School, went to college and flunked out. He got married at 21 and now works at a plant.

The other was born to immigrants and adopted. He lost both his parents. He managed to graduate high school. Went to college and dropped out. He went to work in a plant and got his BS. Went back and his MBA. Then became an International diver, Commercial Pilot, and now the CEO of Shoals Hospital. This young man prevail through the storm. This young man, was Mr. Ross Berry.

Mr. Berry showed me it all comes down to what you want to do, and that you have to be willing to work for it. "If you are gonna go after something you need to plan ahead for whatever you want to do. You may come to some trials, but you came make it through. You are going to need help along the way.

Whenever a speaker talks about having faith, and being bold in your faith, they always gain favor with me. Mr. Berry said "Faith, Family, Career, Community, In that order." But the one thing he said that really had me thinking was: "Do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason."

Recap: Ross Berry was aan aesome speaker. He reminded me of what I should think. I spend so much time comparing myself to others. Comparing my abilities to their’s and Ifinding myself upset that I am not like them or better. I, not to long ago, realized that I am better because I am me. I spent the majority of my life to fit on the sly, but for the most part I stayed true to myself, but I would act differently around certain people, and I had to change that because instead of drawing people near me I was pushing them away. When I got to UNA, I realized people to drift towards me, because I am who I am, and that just me. I have learned how to make a good , no great situation out of a bad one, thoug it may seem like we are not equal to someone, we started off behind everyone else, doesn’t mean we don’t have the opportunity to be just as good or better than them. Phillipian 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. I have been doing a lot of prayer and life changing reading, I am older now and more mature, So I am understanding of more things now. That’s why I know I can’t this opportunity of a better life for granted.

Deep inside the Farmer

This song came in my mind when I was thinking about what to write about Mr. William Lee, The Farmer. Like he was down to earth, but kinda of drab when it came to speaking. He also reminded my of my FFA days, when I did Prepared Public Speaking. I always came in fourth place. The first speech was on animal experimentation and the second was on Potatoes and sustainability. The Forum was one of my least favorites. I really don't know what to say, but "I can't get jiggy with this." The farmer taught me that we are all destined to do something, if don't try to make our own destiny it will find us.

Recap: Though I didn't talk a lot about the farmer in my blog. At the time, I didn't really care for what he had to say, it wasn't til recently that I understanding what he was saying. Hard work is necessary to living a sustainable life. When I grow up I can’t just depend on my good looks and a sense of humor. My life has to have merit, has to have proof that I am worth something, worth taking a risk on. And Just because you are given a title, doesn't mean you have to stick to those guidelines, go out the way to be yourself, never conform.

Inspiration through Dedication

This week speaker was inspiring. Dr. Wes Desselle, a surgeon Helen Keller Hospital came and shared the experience that help him decide to go into the medical field. He told us about a car accident that he had, which caused him to undergo surgery, that ultimately helped him, and because of that he wanted to be able to do the same thing for others. That's how he chose his career, which is very plausible. It helped me kind of re-capture my goal of working and creating some Non-Profit organizations. To whom I believe much gratitude is owed, because without that non-profit organization, our communities probably wouldn't be as great as they are now.

Back to Dr. Desselle, he mention three human values, not only need in the Medical World but the Real World too, and they are:

Mentorship:

In the New Testament passage that we often call “The Great Commission” (Matthew28:19 –20), Jesus urges all believers to “go and make disciples” (verse 19). The objective was not that they attract their own disciples, but that they attract new followers of Jesus. The book of Acts tells the story of how the Spirit-filled apostles obeyed that command. Closely related to the concept of making disciples is the mentoring of leaders. However, neither discipleship nor mentoring were invented by the early church. The principles involved had been around for centuries.

Perseverance:

Many of us harbor hidden low self-esteem. We deem everything and everyone more important that ourselves and think that meeting their needs is more important than meeting our own. But if you run out of gas, everyone riding with you will be left stranded.- T.D. Jakes

Romans 5:3-4 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

Trust: And everyone should have the gist of trust down by now!

Recap: Dr. Desselle increased my want to major in non-profit management!I know this sounds silly but, I want to be able to change my world, state, country, and community! The three things he told us about has really impacted me. Mentorship will forever be a big part of my life. It was only by me finding someone to look up to and learn from that I made it this far, well along with God. Perserverance is also a very important quality to me. I have learned to never give up on myself, just to keep pushing forward and never letting anything hold me down. Trust is the all encompassing value to be able to have. I think this forum help me take a step back and think over my life!

Everything that is Legal isn't always Ethical

Ms. Libby Watts Jordan, member UNA Board of Trustees & Director of Cultural Tourism, was our inspiration for the week. I was glad to have a female speaker, because for some reason there voices keep you involved and help you pay more attention. This week forum started off with the phrase " Things change over Time". Our topic for the week was Honesty in the Business World.

Ms. Jordan told us that we are all salesmen, and that is so true. We go are around everyday parading ourselves to be what we want people to see us as. We sale our intelligence by our school work, we sale our leadership through our activities, and so on. ( This is a complete side-note, but she gave us a stat that stated that 95% of cheaters never get caught.) I really loved her stories they were quite powerful.

At the End of this I came to realize that when you come to face 'conflicts of interests' you sometimes have look at your morals and do what you do because it is the right thing to do. Be Honest and Up Front!

Recap: Wow, this was a powerful forum. Mrs. Jordan help me understand that just because it not’s illegal it doesn’t mean it isn’t morally wrong. Like just because it’s not illegal for me to not snithch doesn’t mean I shouldn’t does it well not all the time. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Before you do anything you have to put your own principles in to thought in order tomake the right decision.there have been many of nights where I wanted to just go out and have fun, but I couldn’t because I had some work to do. There have been plenty of times I wanted to buy something I didn’t need, just because I could. I have learned that I can mange with what I have all this shine stuff and craziness can’t make me any better. So when I get wholes in my shoes, it doesn’t bother me, when my cellphone doesn’t have a camera or a trackerball. It doesn’t bother me! I have what I need in life and everything will fall into place as long as I stay true to God and myself.

Pursuit of Happiness

In order to pursue happiness you have to know what makes you happy. I tried thinking about what made me happy. He also said something along the line about when you make plans for the future, you need to set goals, and I strongly agree with that. I haven't really made plans for the future, but I have set some many goals for myself, and I will reach them (if God's Will). But

overall We neeed to build a moral foundation, a set up of our own principles.

Recap: I only took an excert from this speaker, because he discussed having a moral foundation, and I have started working on my moral foundation since that day! I never really knew how unprepared I was, How I was just randomly living life, heading no where. So, I kinda of have a new set of goals, not saying that I didn’t have none before, because I had a lot, in all my scholarship essays I have talked about. I guess it just helped add more ambition! See where my morals have put me. All the speakers have said something on the lines of finding your own personal morals and sticking by them.

Perception is Reality: Going the Extra Mile

Our Speaker this week was Mr. William Hargett. He discussed Corporations and The Availability of Networks. First off he asked the girls if anyone of them had a part of Lululemon yoga pants and somebody said, “they too high, ain’t nobody got time for that.” He told and illustrated to us what values were important. They consisted of the following:

Showing Up

Be Prepared

Be Professional

Do the right things, the right way, consistently

Exceed Expectations

Capture Opportunity

Learn Continuously

Recap: I think he really helped a lot of us see how we should go above and beyond what we are called to do and be ahead of the curve in order to succeed in life.

The Honors Program has been a blessing on my life. I have accomplished so much. Who ever knew that a complete group of strangers, could ever become like family to you! I love my Honors Family just like I love my real family. We all may disagree sometimes, but we it seems to always disappear over the span of 12hrs at the most. Since being in the Honors Program, I have grown and have found many mentors, people to look up too and follow.

The old me has gone away. No more of being a child, I now have to continue to grow to be able to make. This opportunity will not be wasted. I grateful for everything I have experienced this semester it has made me a better person overall, maybe a little stressed out, but that just because I never want to have to leave the honors Program. I'm not only here to make me proud, but make my family proud. I really love and miss my grandparents, can someone say I was probably spoiled more than the other thirty-nine! I have my own cookie jar.