Thankful

I really am blessed. Sometimes it takes really hard times or really great times to recognize this. These past few weeks have been really difficult for me. So many life changing decisions have decided to pop out of the woodwork. I'm grateful for such incredible friends and roommates who have helped me through the process of doubt and fear. Life really is great.

Last week, I went to the McKay School Scholarship Office to see about receiving a loan. I'll be going to Washington, DC next semester to student teach and we do not get paid. I've worked my entire college career and I just didn't know what I would do with tuition, a car payment, rent, travel, etc. I asked what I needed to do to receive a loan. He said that my application was lost and asked me to tell him about myself. I told him I am from Georgia but my family lives in California. All of a sudden he started frantically typing. A few minutes later, he handed me a form showing that I had received $2,040 to cover tuition. Apparently, there is a non-LDS benefactor who gives money to California students in the education program. I honestly could not believe it. I was floored. I still needed to figure out how to cover rent and travel expenses, so I asked about a loan again. He said there was no funding. I jokingly asked if it was too late to apply for this semester. He said it wasn't! He awarded me an additional $2,040 for tuition this semester that will be refunded to my account. Then I can use it for rent! I cannot even believe how fortunate I am.

Here are some other things I am grateful for...




Whoever you are, thank you so much for your generosity. I owe so much to you. Thank you. Thank you.

Proud to be an American

In one of my classes, I am writing a historiography on the Declaration of Independence. My studies have really made me appreciate the great privilege it is to live in America. I am so grateful for the Founding Fathers. Their courage and thought will influence the world forever.

While the influence of the Declaration of Independence has contributed to the structure and motivation used in the development of similar declarations worldwide, the evolution of the phrase "all men are created equal…with certain unalienable Rights" continues to evolve over time in America.

It really has...I LOVE this youtube video. Love it.

BYU Petitions Office--This is Amber.

Halloween: The Hairspray Cast

I have spent thousands and thousands of hours at this job. That is right THOUSANDS. Here are a few reasons why I love my job. I have learned:

--How great it is to be surrounded daily by people I love and care for. I have the greatest co-workers, past and present. They do so much for me and are so generous. They really have attributed to my success in college. To show an example of this generosity, one day, I got to work and kicked off my shoes. I promise there was standing water in them. My socks were soaked. About an hour later, Missy came back from lunch and had purchased me a new pair of dress socks. To her, it was no big deal. She handed them to me and said, "Here. I hate when my socks are wet." She bought me socks!! Service. That is how everyone is in the BYU Registrars Office.

--The importance of being professional and on-time.

--That you don't really get to go to class straight out of bed. Work has improved my wardrobe. That is right, we are required to dress business casual. I've been through 3.5 years of college and probably have only worn jeans to class on about ten days (spirit days at work, of course).

--The importance of a sense of humor. Remember the time...

• Yesterday, I was talking to my coworker when a guy came up to the window. It sounded like he said, "Who are you?" with a slight attitude. I bluntly responded back, "Amber. Who are you?" He replied, "Mike--but I said, how are you." My coworkers were laughing so hard they had to hide in an office. I felt like an idiot and the rest of the conversation was a little awkward (to say the least).
• Or when visiting Records, Laura, Mike, Bryan, and I were discussing a x-ray Laura received. We were discussing the pouch they lay across your waist to "protect" your posterity. Well Mike asked if it was put there "so your ovaries don't fry like an egg?" Then Mike realized what he said...and it was hilarious.
  
• Or the other time when I had my leg propped up on the counter with my plant leg hiked up showing off a bruise and a student walked up and looked really worried...
• And many, many other times...Feel free to comment with any other awkward moments :)

--Since entering college, I have become much more bold. I attribute this to the nature of the petitions office. I am always telling students and faculty they are "welcome to petition, however, it is extremely unlikely that their petition will be approved." Being the first person the student talks to, usually I offer a lot of counsel and, honestly, come across a lot of really rude people.

When all is said and done, it's a really great job. I've learned so much. I'm really sad to leave such close friends behind as I leave BYU.

Prop 8 and Wicked?

So I just logged on to helpprop8.com to make phone calls to California from my computer. I logged on and my sound was muted. Since there was a training course first I figured I should turn on my volume. I was amazed to find out that Gravity from Wicked was playing. I told my roommates excitedly (and wondering why in the world this was happening) that they played music from Wicked while the training session loaded. Well the training started and the music didn't stop...apparently my blog was open in the background and I have Wicked on it. Hmmm...who would've known? hahahha--but, seriously, how great would it have been if www.helpprop8.com played pump up music from Wicked in the background?

It's Official--DC Here I Come

That's right. I'm not happy with the presidential picks, so I'm going to do something about it. Ok, that's a lie. Well, sort of. I'm moving to DC to do my student teaching. I will be doing it at one of two schools: Woodrow Wilson High School (click here) or Duke Ellington School of the Arts (click here). Crazy, huh. I'm really excited to go, but it is kind of bittersweet. I am really excited for a new experience, but I am sad that it is my last semester of college and that it won't be spent at BYU. I'll leave for DC from home after Christmas break and fly back to Provo for graduation in mid-April. I'll probably get a job in the area and then get my Master's in Educational Administration in a year or two. CRAZY!!!

Vote Yes on Proposition 8!

I am voting Yes on Proposition 8. That is right. For once, I am excited to vote in California. My presidential vote might not matter, but this one will. This is an important election. So much will be impacted--the economic crisis, the war in Iraq, taxes, insurance. Honestly, if forced to do so, I can handle increased taxes. The repercussions of ending the war early could be devastating, but we would hope the Iraqi people are ready to govern themselves. Times of crisis will recover. However, changing the definition of marriage to include same gender marriage, that will influence the world. It really will.

Elder Ballard, a leader of the LDS church said, "the all-important question of public policy must be: what environment is best for the child and for the rising generation? Traditional marriage provides a solid and well-established social identity to children. It increases the likelihood that they will be able to form a clear gender identity, with sexuality closely linked to both love and procreation. By contrast, the legalization of same-sex marriage likely will erode the social identity, gender development, and moral character of children. "

The Family: A Proclamation to the World says, “We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.” I'm voting for Proposition 8. Are you?

Learn more at:
http://www.protectmarriage.com/
http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/#current

Funny things happen at the HBLL

Picture this, if you will.

Setting: NoShhh Zone. Thursday. 5 PM. Circular (Ovalcular?) table. Six computers. Six strangers.

Occurance: Everything was typical in the NoShh. People frantically printing off papers at the printing stations. Facebook pulled up on 75% of the computers, gmail on the other 25%. People fast asleep on the soft chairs by the window, while individuals at the group work tables are flirting with a hopeful eternal companion. Back to my own world, I was working on statistics when the guy next to me just started laughing. LAUGHING. Alone. Just laughing away. All of us at the computer looked at each other awkwardly while trying to hide our grins. He didn't stop. We struggled to contain our smiles and covered the bottom half of our faces with anything avaliable--hands, notebooks, paper. Neighboring tables began to look. They started to smile. The guy kept laughing. Louder and louder it got.

Then it happened. The girl next to me laughed outloud. It was contaigious. We all started laughing. We hid behind our computers, not to embarrass the laughing guy. Another stranger down the table had veins popping out of his head because he was trying to suppress his laughter so fervently. As we tried to suppress our laughter, the guys laugh got louder and louder. He kept looking at his computer, never allowing his eyes to leave the screen.

He was laughing so hard and everyone--EVERYONE--looked. I looked at him to see if he noticed us. He didn't. Belly laughs came out from the guy...tears rolled down his face.

And then. He wiped the tears from his face, put his glasses back on, and...continued typing. The end. No, "hey, this is really funny" or "sorry, funny article." Nope, nothing. He just wiped his tears and kept on typing.

It was seriously the funniest time of my life. No exaggerations.