Semester Volunteering

Collo Hrs: 6

This semester, I will be volunteering with the TLC Women's Center in Elizabethton again. They are awesome and doing great work for the community......my community!

The most recent project is remodeling the center to included a kid friendly area which is really a "kiddie town" modeled after our lovely city of Elizabethton. A local expert furniture maker is making miniature digs for the kids which will include a covered bridge, a school, an ice cream shop, a town square, a general store, and a church.

For my contribution, I will be painting wall murals for the space. I am including 6 volunteer hours for the day meeting with director to discuss needs and then several hours spent designing and researching the murals. I am really excited about this project and can't wait to help out!

Conference Fun!

Collo hours: 4

In looking ahead to my future career goals, I attended the recent Social Work Professional Development Conference held on April 14th. The career fair was huge with a large varieties of places represented....I had no idea that the Social Security Administration hires people with a Psych degree! Even though I am majoring in Psychology instead of Social Work for my bachelors degree, I plan to get a masters in either social work or counseling as becoming an LCSW or LPC is the quickest way to do face-to-face work with people without having to get a doctorate degree. The various workshops offered a lot of great info... The preparing for Social Work Licensure laid out the specifics on Tennessee requirements, and the workshop about Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy talked about how many different disorders can be helped using this model.
I want to pursue a career focus in Trauma, helping people recover after a traumatic event.

Survey Time

As requested, I completed the SAIs to gain Collo class time. Give me that hard earned hour Dr. Heddon!

More Talking

This semester has been brutal! Interestingly enough, the classes I am least excited about always turn out to be really good and the opposite holds true for the ones I am looking forward to. This semester those classes were Philosophy as Conversion and Behavioral Neuroscience. I was dragging my feet about the philosophy class thinking it would suck. However, it turned out to be a great class. Most of the assignments were interesting and the material got me thinking. Conversely, I expected Behavioral Neuroscience to be interesting, but it was the worst class I have had while in college. It was an online course that turned out to be an exercise in memorizing a 600 page book and speed testing instead of actually learning something! There was literally no supplemental materials provided. The only grades came from 16 quizzes and 4 exams which were timed to give exactly 1 minute per question and using notes or the book was prohibited. The exams covered 3 chapters (120-140 pages each) and there was no way to narrow the scope of material. Also, there was zero feedback. If you missed questions on a quiz or exam, you never knew which one. How are we supposed to learn if we don't know what we missed?

After struggling through the first few quizzes and Exam #1, I message the professor for help and received a rude unhelpful response. So, to boost my study skills, I decided to go to Dr. Dula's "How to Study" seminar. Again, I found it interesting and helpful. Even though I am a good student who thought I was an effective studier. However, this seminar made a lot of practical sense and has helped me become a better student. I found the test strategies extremely helpful. The most important tips I came away with are:

1. Don't highlight in the book, but rather write out the important info on another sheet of paper to help consolidation to memory.
2. Prime your brain of important info about reading it before bed and again right before the test.
3. Study by paragraph instead of by chapter.

I'm glad I went as this seminar helped me improve my confidence and pull an A in a really difficult class.

Talk Tastic

In an effort to get ready for Grad School and beyond, I decided to check out Dr. Chris Dula's seminar on Career Planning. Dr. Dula is an interesting person and his seminars are never boring. What I most like about him is his obvious desire to help students. As promised the seminar did enlighten me on a few points.....

1. The importance of taking the GRE several times.
2. The different types of GRE.
3. The importance of doing activities to stand out among other applications.
4.  The available campus resources for exploring careers.

All-in-all, it was a well spent hour!

Volunteer Spring Break

Over Spring Break week, I volunteered to score the application packets for the incoming fall Midway students. I was honored to participate in this process and take it very seriously as I know what the Midway Honors Program has meant to me. Without it, I would likely not have been able to pursue my Bachelor's degree. Also, beyond the obvious financial benefit, the program has offered me so much more. The support, encouragement, and family-type bond that is gained have been priceless building blocks to my success as a student. Additionally, I know that the academic standards being demanded by the program will pay-off in countless dividends in my future endeavors. So, the chance to aid 10 other people in reaching their college dreams was an exciting and humbling experience. Each candidate packet has an application/resume, cover letter, 3 reference letters, and an essay that are read and scored using a provided rubric. I spent an average of 1 hour scoring each packet for a total of 10 volunteer hours.   

Making the Money

    

Saturday I logged in 8 volunteer hours at the TLC Community Center's annual fundraiser. It was a yard sale shoppers dream come true. A multitude of local churches donated a huge quantity of items for the sale. The items were marked at yard sale prices so that everyone could participate. Of course, the larger items like a nice lazy boy chair and a barely used dining table and chairs flew out the door first. Despite the cold turn in the weather, there was a steady stream of shoppers throughout the day. For my part, I did what I do best.....TALK!! I got to flex my customer service skills to entice shoppers to dig deep and give for a worthwhile cause. All the money made over the 3 day sale will be used to buy much needed food items for the community soup kitchen meals being served at the center every Tuesday at lunch time. The program has become an instant success in a very short time, feeding an average of 200+ adults and children each week. Since the center is strictly donation funded, these fundraisers are a crucial part of helping so many in our community.   
     Besides yacking, which is my specialty, I also helped customers with loading items,

 cleaning, organizing items, and also transporting donated children's items including: coats, clothes, shoes, and toys to a church in Bristol for their children's van outreach ministry. These items were given to the center from area schools who built-up a substantial amount of items throughout the year in their LOST and FOUND. Since, these items were sized too big to be included in the center's MOMMY MART, the director wanted to share them with another helpful program. 
     Any items  not sold in the sale will be made available to the mothers in the TLC parenting program. These moms attend class and volunteer at the center in order to earn "MOMMY MONEY" which they can use to purchase baby items like clothes, diapers,  wipes, bottles, toys, and even big items such as highchairs, swings, and playpens in the Mommy Mart. The center is a blessing to our community and I hope to help there as much as I can.

Kiko Gets a Home!

I logged 6 hours of Collo time this weekend running a transport train for my foster Kiko.

Kiko is a senior min-pin with a terribly abusive past. However, she is the sweetest dog I have ever been around. I've had Kiko in my home for 6 months, the longest of all my fosters. Now, when I got involved with fostering I went into it with the mindset that I am just dog-sitting for someone. This allowed me to compartmentalize as to avoid the attachment that most people are afraid of when considering becoming a foster. I have been volunteering with the rescue for 2 years and attachment has never been a problem. The closest I have come is definitely Kiko. Her gentle but very skittish nature, past abuse, and lengthy stay in our home made me more protective of her.
As the foster, I am responsible for finding the perfect home for my charge.  Applications for my dogs are giving to me to work. The applicants go through a stringent screening including vet checks, personal references,  landlord checks, an in-depth interview and a home visit. If they are willing to go through this process, chances are they are responsible owners. I feel this power allows me to focus on the dog's future so I am excited to see them go to a loving home. So far, all my fosters have hit the jackpot! In fact, in several situations, I wanted to go with them to their new place. This is certainly true of Kiko's new family. They are a retired senior couple living the good life in Memphis. The Bayless' dog of 17 years recently passed away from cancer and they are grieving. Wanting to shift their focus to loving another dog, they began looking for a senior dog to adopt and when they saw Kiko, they felt an instant connection. Senior dogs are often the hardest to place for obvious reasons. So, I was really ecstatic when the Bayless application came across for Kiko. They were perfectly matched for her needs and I had no doubt that she would be set for the remainder of her life. 
Once I approved the application, I set about finding transport for Kiko as I wanted to spare the Baylesses the 17 hour roundtrip to get her. Using a previous adopter who lives near Chattanooga and 2 other imps volunteers, one in Nashville and the other near Memphis, I planned a transport train. So, this past Saturday at 4:30 a.m. I drove Kiko to meet my friend(and previous adopter) Myrna in Cookeville. She then met our volunteer Greg in Nashville, and he met the last volunteer in Jackson who then met the adopters in Memphis. It was a long and scary day for Kiko but she is settling into her in home like a champ. I can't wait to get a new foster.     

New Spring Semester @ Collo

Well Spring Semester is off and running at full speed and I am busier than a one legged man in an apple stomping contest! I have so many writing intensive courses this semester that I am brain dead! All these boring lectures and marathon essays have me SIKED for some Collo time. Getting out for some activities will be a breath of fresh air.

Dr. H has asked for a plan of action to help us mange the 20 open Collo hours this semester. I am hoping to fulfill my hours with volunteer work. I plan log hours with imps.com which is the min-pin rescue organization that I am part of. I also plan to a be regular volunteer with the TLC Community Center in Elizabethton.
This non-profit organization has grown into a vital community resource over the past few years. It's humble beginnings centered on abortion alternative services. However, director Angie Odom was so moved by the overwhelming needs within the community that she expanded the center to reach those families most at risk.
Today, the center offers a variety of essential services such as:

• Adoption Services              
• Parenting Classes
• A free Mommy Mart provided baby/child items
• Summer Kids Food Program
• A community garden
• A  community soup kitchen
• A Free community Day Care
• Emergency family aid
• A variety of free family events
• Children's Physical Therapy  Services

The center is self-governed and solely dependent on private donation funding and volunteer workers. The positive impact on the community is immense. They serve thousands of meals each week, facilitate numerous adoptions to local families, and provide basic needs to many local families.   
   

Volunteering

   

       For the past 3 years since returning to school, I have had more time to volunteer. Most people who don't volunteer think that volunteer is about helping others. However, those who DO volunteer realize that volunteering is really about helping others and yourself. Serving others is good for your personal growth. It gives you a purpose with meaning that is well beyond making money and accumulating stuff. Personally speaking, helping others in their times of need, reminds me of just how precarious my own existence is. It also makes me more appreciative of my good fortune.
          For my volunteer hours this semester, I worked with a dog rescue called IMPS, which stands for Internet Min-Pin Service. It's a breed specific rescue that takes in abandoned, unwanted, or injured min-pins. There is no physical building or shelter, but numerous volunteers in almost every state and Canada. As a volunteer, I pull dogs from shelters, foster them, work applications for adoption, do Home Visits, take dogs for vetting, and transport them. I have fostered 14 dogs so far and transported numerous others on the road to their new homes. My newest foster is Kiko. She is a sweet 10 year old senior that has had a terrible past. She was originally saved from a hoarding situation. There she had to fight for any scraps of food. She has several scars and a ripped ear to prove it. After that she ended up in a home that kept her crated all day...all the time. Poor Kiko went from years in a crowded prison to years in solitary confinement. When she was finally rescued from her plight, she was adopted out to a nice senior woman and finally seemed to be in the home she deserved. However, within a short time, her new owner became ill and needed surgery. I was asked to doggie-sit Kiko for a short time until the owner could recover.  Unfortunately, the woman's health issues were so severe that she could no longer care for Kiko. So, now I am fostering Kiko and looking for a new perfect home for her.
       Despite her troubles, Kiko is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever known. Sure she shows some signs of abuse, but it doesn't define her. I have learn a lot from fostering dogs. Most give out their love unconditional, even when humans have treated them horribly and forsaken them. They still seek to bond with a person. Kiko is a testament to their strength and capacity for forgiveness and love. Dogs are my heroes! I hope to continue fostering and working with rescues for as long as I possibly can.

What a Show

 

 

    

   This past Saturday December 3rd, I took my hubby to see the annual Christmas Concert put on by the Music Department. It included singers from 6 different ensembles and it was spectacular! The setting was Munsey United Methodist Church in Johnson City, which is a beautiful place. The Christmas decorations adorning the alter and windows made for a cozy festive atmosphere. Before the show began, I was looking at the numerous names on the program and wondering how they would all fit on the stage. However, to my pleasant surprise, most of the singers surrounded the crowd while singing the various songs. It was a brilliant use of space. Also, the crowd was included in the performance through some select favorite carols. I really enjoyed singing and thought it was a brilliant idea as it not only made us feel like part of the show, but it also kept us from getting sleepy during the dark, warm, 2 hour performance. I liked all the songs, but my favorites were the upbeat pieces....Ding-a -Ding-a-Ding by Greyscale and From this House done by all the ensembles. The latter was the coolest number because of the awesome message and the dance accompaniment. I applaud every student singer for the hours upon hours of practice involved in a show of this magnitude. They should be commended for their dedication and stamina. This was the best Christmas performance I have seen in many, many years.

P.S.  I also want to send a loud shout-out to my fellow Midway, Jonna Pickard, who sang beautifully and looked awesome!

        

Just Breathe......the Right Way!

        Last night, I attended Dr. Chris Dula's lecture about managing Anxiety & Stress. This was an hour long lecture that seemed to fly by in just minutes. The fact that the topic was interesting and relevant, coupled with Dr. Dula's  dynamic presentation style, had me wishing it had been longer. This was no small feat considering it was 8p.m. on a Wednesday night following a 3 hour lecture class, a 40 minute drive home afterwards, and a 12 hour day to looking forward to today. If I am being honest, I would have to say that I went into the lecture tired, hungry, and with an attitude akin to Oscar the Grouch. However, after just a few minutes of hearing, "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys during the prelude, my mood improved greatly and I found me feet tapping along to the beat!
         Dr. Dula began by explaining that Anxiety & Stress is an important issue because we all experience it in some way. Most likely, we ourselves or someone close to us is battling with it  right now. It was apparent that Dr. Dula feels very passionate about this is subject . He openly shared about his own struggle with stress headaches and panic attacks as well as the physiologically workings of anxiety. Then, he outlined the ways to combat it. I personally found this to be extremely helpful because my husband and son both suffer from GAD and panic attacks. Unless you have experienced one for yourself or watched a loved one go through it, you have not idea how awful it truly is. An anxiety disorder sucks the joy out of  life and panic attacks rob a person of all dignity and confidence. So, I was very excited to learn anything that might help. 

He offered 3 non-drug approaches to elevate anxiety  symptoms and panic attacks:
1. Progressive Muscle Relaxation- Which involves systematically tightening then releasing muscle groups beginning with the foot and progressing upward to the head.
2. Deep Breathing Technique-  Deep cleansing breathes are performed from the diaphragm to rid the lungs of stale air and increase oxygen saturation in the blood. 
3. A Combination of the Two Techniques-  Producing an overall state of calm. 

            I have no doubt that  these techniques do work as they would directly counteract the symptoms of adrenaline during period of anxiety and panic attacks. However, the most surprising thing to me was the realization that deep breathing would be a beneficial practice for everyone, not just those with anxiety issues. After taking a few breathes, the right way, as Dr. Dula instructed, I could feel the difference instantly. I came way from the lecture determined to make deep breathing a daily exercise.  The fact is - BREATHING IS LIFE - and I want to have the best life possible. I hope to improve my overall health by re-learning this most basic, but necessary process. 

In closing, I want to encourage everyone to attend this lecture. It is free, educational, inspiring, and FUN!      

Reece Museum Adventure

            
                 I got to visit the Reece Museum this past week for The Best of Tennessee Craft Exhibit. I did enjoy all the art work. There were a few pieces I admired the most and I am including their pictures here. While I do understand that art is open to the viewer to interrupt, I found myself wishing that the artists had provided some insight into their work. Perhaps a brief background about the motivation behind the piece. However, I could glimpse a bit from some of the titles. For instance, Death Spirit Box......that one makes it quite obvious. It is a beautiful work. Though it is hard to see in the picture, the wooden column is intricately carved and must have taken many hours to complete. The striking raven, which lies atop, is a recognizable symbol of death. Plus, the fact that he lies dead instead of just perching there makes an ominous statement. 

Other titles aren't as forthcoming with hints...... Thursday Friday Spirit is a handsome wood carving of a large Stork or Herring. I'm not sure which. Either way, I am unsure what a bird has to do with the spirit of weekdays. However, the good news is, that we do not need to understand it to appreciate it.


  
The last work that I really liked were the blown glass pieces. They are so very colorful and the patterns made by the blown glass technique are truly marvelous. The title is Wind Carved, which I think is nice since they were "carved" by air. Also, those lovely patterns certainly swirl around like they were made by the wind. I have seen blown glass made and it is a fascinating technique that produces one-of-kind items of beauty and these are a fine example.

All of the displays in this exhibit were interesting and lovely and I applaud the artists for their hard work. I would be proud to own any of them for myself.
 

Who Am I?

 

   

     This is the ultimate question we all face at some point in life. My first instinct is to respond with a laundry list of the many roles or faces I wear in life..... daughter, sister, mother, wife, friend, Christian, student, animal rescuer, volunteer, etc. But, is that who I am or what I do? I must ask myself if the things I DO make me who I am OR if I do those things BECAUSE of who I am? Of course this question is in-line with the age old debate of Nature vs. Nurture. Personally, I believe that a combination of genetics, upbringing, and experiences shape who we are.
     We are defined by our unique characteristics, attributes, and talents. In that regard, I consider my top inherited traits to be a healthy load of common sense, a good bit of sass, and wicked sense of humor. Over time, I have developed a respectable work ethic, generosity, loyalty, and altruism from the influence of my family. These attributes were modeled and prized by my parents and encouraged the most. As far as talents go, I would say that I have the gift of gab. Some may chuckle at that but I have found that not everyone is comfortable talking to or in front of other people or in tense situations. I, however, have never met a stranger, lacked for friends, or been at a loss for words. I hope that being friendly, talkative, and a good listener will serve me well in a counseling career. My other talents include cooking, painting, drawing, and craft projects. All of which I love to indulge in as much as possible.

         Besides personality and influences, I feel an important part of "Who We Are" can be seen in what we choose to care about. These are the things that we will invest the bulk of our time, money, attention, and effort on. These passions reveal our true nature and speak volumes about the kind of people we are. For me, that is my faith, family, community, animals, and school. These are the things I place the most value on. Therefore, my life is a collection of activities that revolve around these aspects. They bring me contentment, happiness, and a sense of pride in myself. I take my responsibilities in these areas very seriously and always give my best.

        I suppose the simplest way to describe myself is an outgoing, upbeat, fun-loving, go-the-extra-mile to help a friend or save a dog kind of girl.  Joseph Campbell said, "The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." 

 

         

I'm excited to get the Collo Party started!