I start Aug 3rd!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I'M SO HAPPY!

I get to do everything I want to do without having to worry about my start date. August 3rd. It's official.

I get to come to the wedding relaxed.
I get to come to BHS Graduation relaxed.
Move in with no hurry.
I get to sleep in.
Visit friends.
Go swimming.
Celebrate my birthday WEEKENDS!
... and the list continues!

Thank you MACY'S!
I'm finally going to have a summer! I feel like I should go to another country, or maybe Hawaii, or Latin America? I wish I had more money saved up!

I can't wait to go back home, be closer to my baby love, eat home cooked meals that are too hard for me too cook, and have my car!

Graduation in: 20 Days!

Fun Saturday!

Saturday April 25th
9am-12:30pm - Joint BSC I & II Event, where we fund raised money for the graduation.
12:45pm -on Karla's Bridal Shower

Full Time Offer J.I.T for graduation!!!

Fortunately I won't be the one getting eaten because I WILL HAVE A JOB!!! I don't have go through the torturous process of applying to jobs I'm not interested in, I don't have to learn how to write a cover (just yet...), I don't have to have say to myself "ahhhh i gotta find a job...." 30 days, 1 month before my graduation I get a full time offer. Not only was it 88 degrees outside, and Jon got his credit cards turned back on today... but I will be employed. My next concern is when and where...

Thank you for convincing to talk to Macy's. I love you <3

Big C Part II

Landy, Sam and I hiked to the Big C
tonight!!! Today was really windy so the view from the C was really clear. Too bad I couldn't figure out how to put my camera on night mode so that the pictures could be clearer. Anyhow -Today is Tuesday half way through the week... I just need Wednesday and Thursday!


Three weeks left of school and lots to do! I started to clean and organize and pack a little this week. I am a little scared about moving all of my stuff and Evey's stuff in 2 days. I'm also stressing a little because Cuca, Chuy, and David are coming to my graduation and I need ONE MORE TICKET!!! I tried reaching out to a couple of people today but it's going to be a tug and pull race. I also need to start getting myself back in study mode - I need to focus more in class and take good notes. Adhikari is a good lecturer but I feel like she's rushing a little. When I went to the SLC yesterday the director was helping me with a problem and he knew I was in Adhikari's class just because we're the only Stat class that is that far a long in the chapter... ahhhhh

I also need to start watching what I spend. I just paid for rent, my flight for Karla's wedding, PG&E, AT&T, I went shopping last Friday with Landy and bought this dress. Later that night when Sam came home I ordered another one online :/ I also had lunch out yesterday... which cost $7!!! I paid for banquet today, and the list goes on and on.

Appeals are due tomorrow for my students. Kimberly and Joey I think are the only ones doing it - their the only ones who contacted me with questions. Kimberly's letter was touching and gave me goosebumps. Joey was scrabling for an RRC caseworker but I think Janely was able to help out :) I wasn't able to help Joey much in appealing to SJSU because they are STUBBORN. They won't let us appeal because he was already on the waitlist and therefore "weighted." I'm concerned about my students settling.

Jon comes in 3 days!!! kiss

Berkeley Scholars to Cal

AND THE SCHOOL THEY CHOOSE IS......????

Ahhhhhhh! I'm so nervous for my students right now. The public school system has definitely been affected by the economy hence affected my students. I am still very proud of all of them. Those who put a lot of time and effort into their applications have definitely been rewarded for it, however, it wasn't enough. I wish I had power to make schools accept these kids into their dream schools - I have to call Koletty tomorrow and talk to her about CSU appeals. How can Joey get into a UC yet not get into San Jose State? AND on top of that - that's where he wants to go!!! I have to find a way around this.

Kimberly and Andrew are appealing to Cal. Kimberly is already on it but Andrew is going to need some pushin'. I think Andrew needs to talk it out to himself. Talk his options through, do pro's and con's lists for his schools and see if he is going to be happy there. Junior college/ community colleges are definitely an option - especially if that's going to help them get to where they want to get - BUT they're going to have to fight the numbers against them. I need to do research on the numbers so that maybe that'll motivate them to surpass the loser who never get out of community college (no offense but people can't be there for 6 years!!!).

Our official last Saturday Academy is on April 18th, we have a BSC I, II, III joint event on April 25th and our BSC I BBQ is on May 2nd. We might have a low turn out since a lot of them are taking their EPT/ELM placement tests that morning at SF State. I took a couple of them to class with me this week and I think it was pretty successful. I kept in contact with a lot of the scholars and I've been trying to push scholarships... which has been the hardest part because I feel like I need to spoon feed them EVERYTHING. This really takes a toll on me and defeats the purpose of the program... I want them to jump on the information when I give it to them, I want to independenize them but I don't know how. I feel like in a way I have failed to do that. It's been so hard to get them to start reading emails, which I think I finally got them to do, now I have to get them to respond to emails. I guess I'm starting to get a stronger reality check. Not everyone is like me, not everyone is going to jump on the horse when the saddle is mounted and ready to go.

I just want them to be successful. I want them to want things, to want to study, to want to get good grades, to want to go to a university and to want to graduate.

I wish I had more time to tutor them, counsel them, guide them ALL on a one-to-one basis. I wish I had come into the program when everyone was part of it, not when it was falling apart. I wish these kids would have had a drive. I think I was able to bring a spark into their lives, but it wasn't enough. Student fell though the cracks, students began to skip classes, drop classes. My students began to do poorly on exams, they began to go out more and party more than do homework.

They make me want to go into education.
How many of "them" are there in the state? In each school? I want to inspire students just like I was inspired. I want to be a Josh Leibner, a Honey Koletty, a Susan Bottlik, and a Stephan Schuetze-Coburn.

I love you scholars and I will always be here for you.

Graduation Checklist

This has nothing to do with anything I just loved this quote from Music and Lyrics. “A melody is like seeing someone for the first time, the physical attraction, the sex. But then, as you get to know the person, that's the lyrics, their story, who they are underneath. It's the combination of the two that makes it magic.” Jon is my music and lyrics

*Sigh* Things are starting to feel more than real than ever. As graduation is around the corner, talking about living together is the next step in our relationship and finding a good job is the next step for me professionally. I’m so excited! I just need to find a job now to afford a house….

This weekend was pretty fun! I finally went to the Big C!!! and I bought my CAP & GOWN!!!The list of “Things to do Before I graduate” from the beginning of the semester is almost all checked off. I've had a couple of favorites... like kissing at Memorial Stadium's 50 yard line in the middle of the night thinking we were gonna get caught.

“Things to do Before I Graduate”

Go to the Alvin Ailey Performance √

Go to a basketball game √

Go to the Big C √

Buy Cap and Gown √

Buy a license plate frame for car √

Buy a keychain for my house keys √

Go to Tilden Park

Kiss in the middle of the 50 yard line at Memorial Stadium at night √

Buy a frame for my diploma

Go to Alcatraz

On Friday before I got my cap and gown I snapped a couple of pictures of Sproul Plaza and I put them together to get Sproul Plaza on one panoramic picture - it's not that bad

Open House at 2601 College Ave #103, Berkeley CA

So tomorrow is open house at our apartment and I'm dreading it a little bit. Today was a little bit of a reality check as we started to clean and throw stuff away... oh my goodness we have so much stuff. I've already moved 4 times and I know I have a lot of stuff but now I'm living with 2 other girls who also have A LOT OF STUFF. I am so lucky that Evey comes here too, because if it weren't for her all my stuff would need to be sold or put in a storage. But with Evey here she doesn't need to go buy anything, well not much. Because buying and selling furniture is so time consuming.. aghhh.

I think I'm going to start packing kitchen stuff the last week before finals start. Take my pots, pans, plates, cups, spoons, and other utensils to my sister's apartment. I'm going to start packing things from my bookshelf, find out which books I want to sell back. I'll probably start packing frames and decorations that really don't need to be out too.

When I pack I also have to keep in mind to pack things for Vegas separately since I'm probably just going to get home sleep and take off.

“Love is two heads on one pillow” (Jack Nicholson, As Good as It Gets)

493 miles apart- there is no way we can have two heads on one pillow today, but I’m counting the days until we can! Counting the days till we’re together again and counting the days till graduation. (I see you in 15 days and I graduate in 47) Although 2009 may have brought heavy devastations to our economy, it has definitely been a “half-full” year to me. In January, Obama, who promised change was sworn in and is now in office. In February, Jonathan started his career at Union Bank of California, his first job as a college graduate! In March, I got a new car as an early graduation gift and I received a lot of academic satisfaction from my midterm scores. April just started and it has already been kind to me. Not to mention May or MAY 20, 2009 or Vegas!

As excited as I am, I am definitely going to miss Berkeley. Yesterday I noticed our upside down trees on Sproul are already green and today I studied at Memorial Glade for good times sake! I’m going to start a mini Berkeley Photo Adventure so that I can capture everything I love about Berkeley! I started to take some already:)