Bountiful Blessings

October and November were very busy months, as you could probably tell by my lack of blogging. As I typically say, I will try to keep each topic brief...but we know how that usually goes :)

October started out with a trip a Harper's Ferry, WV to take a nice fall hike. My friend Hilary and I hiked up to Maryland Heights overlook, which is an 8 mile hike round trip. What a stunning view!

The middle part of October I was very busy working on the state ornaments project (see last blog for more details). Many work days were spent communicating with artists all over the country as they created their ornaments. Managing the ornaments project has been a great experience!

The first big event of the fall was the white house garden tours. Twice a year (October and April) the white house opens up the south lawn to the public to walk through to see the various gardens on the grounds. The tour included the vegetable garden and the rose garden, among others. The National Park Service coordinates many volunteers to help make this event happen. With over 100 volunteers between the two-day event, I had a lot to coordinate and keep track of! Of course, when you work the event you also get to go on the tour :) Walking the white house grounds was pretty cool. And then, on top of it all, Steve and Janet Miller were in town visiting the Novaks, so they all joined me on the garden tour. While the Millers were in town we also went up the Washington Monument and went to a pumpkin patch with Nia's school, which was a great fall activity.

Also, shortly after that I had the opportunity to go on another white house tour and bring guests. I invited the Novaks to join me and we had a great time! Spending time with Sarah, Nick, and Nia is always fun, and it is great to have family around.

The first weekend in November my fellow Centennial Volunteer Ambassadors and I took a fun day trip to Shenandoah National Park, which is about 2 hours away. We had a great fall drive, seeing the colors, hanging out, and enjoying the views. We also got to see three black bears! We ended the day with dinner at a coworker's house, which was wonderful!

Then...Anna and Hannah came to town!! My friends from college came and visited me in the big city! We did so many things, so I won't list them all. Some of the highlights included see the President at the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, touring the Supreme Court building, touring the Capitol, touring the Library of Congress, going up the Washington Monument, hiking at Great Falls, and visiting the newly renovated Renwick Gallery. It was so much fun to have them here and so great to see familiar faces!

The majority of November was spent planning for the National Christmas Tree Lighting (NCTL) Ceremony and continuing to work on the state ornaments project. Just before all the craziness really took off I got to have a mini break and go home for Thanksgiving! It was great to visit MN, see family and friends, and be in more familiar territory.

Then, back to DC for the last week of prep for the NCTL! The NCTL was this past Thursday, and what a crazy and fun event it was! Prior to the ceremony there was a pre-show, in which the host came and briefly interviewed my coworker Diandre and I about the National Park Service's centennial celebration and our role. It was so much fun, and cool to be interviewed by a local celebrity (Tommy from 94.7 FRESH FM radio station). And, because of our role with the ornaments project and our brief interview, we were given premiere seats for the event (row 7...of about 200)! We were also given a few other tickets, which we gave to our fellow CVAs and to my cousin Sarah. This event was the culmination of the past few months of work coordinating the state ornaments and working with the National Park Foundation to put on a successful event. The performances by famous people such as Tori Kelly, Andra Day, Fallout Boy, Trumbone Shorty, and Kelsea Ballerini helped make the event even better, as did the host, Reese Witherspoon. The President and First Family were in attendance, and the First Lady read a Christmas story with Miss Piggy. Also, the oldest National Park Ranger, Betty Soskin, was in attendance and honored. Overall the night was a great success!

The past few days have been wonderfully relaxing, following the big event. On Saturday I got to go on the holiday white house tour, which was wonderful, and I brought along my friend Alex and his family. The halls were certainly decked out and the decorations were beautiful! Look for some great photos!

In order to cut it short(ish), here are some of the other things that I've done during the past two months; assisted with volunteer trainings three weekends in a row, shared a meal with my friend Anne Marie, got to see my friend Christina from high school, continued working on my volunteer program assessment, took on a leadership role at the national level for the centennial volunteer ambassador program, attended a Michigan Tech alumni get-together, got to meet the US Womens Soccer Team, attended digital communications training, saw A Christmas Carol at Ford's Theatre, and attended two SCA networking events.

Overall, the past two months have been jam packed with so many wonderful opportunities. I am very grateful for all of the great things this internship has allowed me to do. A year ago I could never have imagined that I would be currently working in a downtown setting, have toured the white house and its grounds, seen the president multiple times, and explored all of the ins and outs of Washington, DC. Thank you all, near and far, for your friendship and support as I journey on my fun adventures!

Changes I Could Get Used To

I believe that it is fair to say that I have contemplated multiple times during the past four months why I moved half way across the country for this job. The idea of a new place, a big city, working for the National Park Service, and being completely independent were appealing. And honestly those things are what still keep me here (not to mention the 1 year contract I signed).

However, as I have mentioned before, I would be shielding you all from my true reality if I didn’t mention that the program I am in is new. And with new comes growing pains. And with growing pains come confusion, frustration, opportunity, and success. As the program develops and things get worked out, we move along that continuum. I believe that September was a month in which my relationship with the program transitioned from frustration to opportunity. And here’s why, how, and what happened.

The month began with a large meeting between the six Centennial Volunteer Ambassadors in DC and each of our supervisors. This meeting helped to air a lot of concerns on both sides of the table. We were able to open up lines of communication and help better understand everyone’s wants and needs. The first step in fixing an issue is realizing there is one, right?! From here we hope that everyone makes a conscious effort to make the experience the best it can be.

First Lady, Pope, & President waving to the crowd

One of the projects I’ve been working on is the President’s Park VIP Program Assessment. Diandre, my coworker, and I have been working on this project for some time now. We are looking at the volunteer program, interviewing all of the employees and volunteers, and will eventually be making recommendations about how the program can improve. This project really allows Diandre and I to provide a third party perspective on the program. These past few weeks we have been interviewing many people, listening to what they do, how volunteers could help them, and what about the volunteer program could be improved.

Another project I am working on is the State Ornaments project. For some background, the National Christmas Tree is located our park, and each year there is an event in early December where the President lights the tree. Surrounding the National Christmas Tree are 56 smaller trees, one for each state and territory. Every year an artist from each state is selected to create ornaments that are displayed on their state/territory tree. Diandre and I are in charge of coordinating this effort this year. I have been working with each state and territory to select an artist and coordinate the whole process. It has certainly been a learning experience, but I am grateful for the opportunity to work on such a well-known American tradition.

Selfie with the Pope

And in between and on top of all that, the Pope was in town! This month at work very much revolved around the Pope’s visit to town. The town took extensive and unprecedented precautions, creating completely secure areas for blocks around the white house. The park was asked to coordinate volunteers just a week before the arrival of the Pope. My supervisor came to me and gave me full responsibility of getting 50 volunteers to help out with the event at 4am. And, with under a week to do it, we pulled it off! Long hours, many emails, and lots of hard work went into what we all referred to as ‘Pope Day.’ The day before many of my coworkers and I actually slept in the National Park Service’s national headquarters office, because we had to be up and on the job at 3am the next morning. We couldn’t sleep in our normal office because it was closed and completely locked down.

My volunteers helped scan the tickets of everyone who was attending the official state arrival ceremony of the Pope at the White House. Over 11,000 people attended the event…that’s a lot of tickets to scan! As a perk for our help, my volunteers and I also got to attend the event! It was SO COOL to get to go on the South Lawn of the White House, see the Pope and the President, and to hear them speak. It was a moment in history I will never forget.

President shaking people's hands

Then, the following day the Pope gave a speech to a joint session of congress. Over 20,000 people were invited to watch the speech on jumbo-trons outside the Capitol building. My second cousin Sarah got tickets for her and I to attend! We got to watch the speech and then Pope Francis came out on the balcony and waved and spoke to the crowd!! I had a better line of sight to the Pope at the Capitol than the White House because he was up on a balcony. Again, another moment in history that I will never forget.

Then, as if that week couldn’t get any busier, that Friday I had the privilege to attend yet another State Arrival ceremony, this time for the President of China. This was a much smaller event, with only 2,000 people in attendance. At this event I got to really see all of the action and I was much closer to the President and the White House itself. At this event I got to see the First Lady, the Vice President, Secretary of State John Kerry and other national leaders.

And, among all of those larger events, I was also occupying my time with some other things. I helped out at the George Washington University’s Day of Service. I helped promote volunteerism at an AARP meal packing event (similar to Feed My starving Children for my MN folks). As an NPS representative I got to attend a social media success forum put on by Destination DC, a company with a mission to promote DC tourism. The Kelly Clarkson concert I was planning to attend got canceled L I went to another Nationals baseball game with friends and coworkers. I served as an NPS representative at the American University Career and Internship Fair. I had some car troubles and spent a chunk of change to get the brakes fixed. I helped promote volunteerism at the two day Landmark Music Festival that happened on the National Mall. At the event I got to go in the VIP area as well as backstage during one of the concerts! Another evening my fellow CVAs and I had dinner with some of the SCA folks (SCA is the company that hired me and pays my stipend). Always good to rub elbows with higher ups. I also helped the CVAs get new uniforms. We now have National Park Service polos and jackets that help make us even more official.

 

Wow, so much happened in September. As you can hopefully see, my work has become more meaningful and my efforts are starting to pay off. All in all, September brought about some changes that I could get used to. I am having a great time, doing lots of fun things, and I’m excited to see what other opportunities my time here will present to me!

A Different Kind of August

When I take a step back, it is weird to think that this past August was unlike any other. Normally August means transitioning out of my summer gig and back into school mode. It means playing tetrus trying to pack all my things in the car, just to get home, unpack it, and do it all over again. It is generally a time of wonderful chaos. But this year is different. It’s the first time in 17 years that I won’t be going to school in the fall. Whoa! 

Not being in school has its perks, no doubt, but the idea that I won’t soon be surrounded by familiar places and faces only reinforces my reality. So, although sometimes good things come to an end, they are only making way for new, fun adventures to come :)

I can say that my first three months here have certainly been an adventure. I have done and seen things that 365 days ago I would not have ever dreamed of doing. This past month of August only added to the fun list of things I’ve done during my time in DC!

So much has happened that I will attempt to keep it to 2-3 sentences per topic (I’m challenging myself here).

At the end of July one of the SCA program coordinators (person who led my training) visited DC. It was good to see Dave (and thanks for the frozen yogurt!) and afterward we listened to a band play at Fort Reno, which is a national park site. It is always great to see our ‘arts in the parks’ program thriving.

CVA's with Rosie Rios, 43rd US Treasurer

On July 31^st I got to take a White House tour!!!! Getting to go inside the house was such a cool experience. Although I could go on and on about it, I’ll say that the coolest part for me was being in Entrance Hall, which is where the President sometimes addresses to nation. (photos above)

Near the beginning of the month my coworkers and I had the privilege to sit in on a round table discussion (~ 30 people) about which women should be put on the $10 bill, led by the 43^rd treasurer of the United States, Rosie Rios. It was very cool to meet her and to know that her name is on our paper money (take a look at your money!).

My coworkers and I also attended a volunteer coordinator meeting happening in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia (a cool town in the mountains about 1.5 hours from here). We got to attend the meeting to get a better idea of how the professional world of volunteer management operates.

(Warning in advance: this topic deserves more than two sentences)

Then, with some clever maneuvering (and some good airfare prices) I was able to go home! It was such a great surprise! I was able to go home to Minnesota for the combined birthday party for my cousins Ruth, who is also my Godchild, and Gabe. I was also able to spend a day at the Miller cabin in Turtle Lake, WI. I was already beginning to miss the Midwest and the activities of summer, so the trip was well worth it J Also, it is worth noting that my flights back to DC were delayed and I ended up stuck in St. Louis, MO for 8 hours. Throughout the whole experience a couple of the other passengers and I became friends, as we moved from gate to gate, watched each other’s things, and went stir crazy together as we heard over and over that we were delayed yet again. I will never forget Norma, the 81 year old woman whom I had dinner with at the Chili’s restaurant in the airport in St. Louis, MO. Thanks Norma for all the life advice and making the major delay bearable.  

When I got back to DC things began to pick up at work. The Centennial Volunteer Ambassador program that I am a part of is ever-evolving. Since this is the first year of the program for everyone, things are being tested out. And while some things work and are going smoothly, it would be a lie to say that all is well. There is a lot of learning to be done by everyone involved (those who created the program, those who administer the program, and those in the program—I’m in the last group). We are taking everything bit by bit, piece by piece, trying to make it work for all parties involved.

Near the end of the month it was time for some birthday celebrations! My birthday has once again come and gone. It is weird to think about how much has occurred in my 22 years and to think about the next 22 years. Anyway, happy birthday to me J

Me Interviewing National Park Service Director, John Jarvis

 AND, happy 99^th birthday to the National Park Service! August 25^th was the 99^th anniversary of the signing of the legislation that created the National Park Service system. Throughout the whole month we put a lot of time into the prep work for the birthday celebration. On the day of we threw a party on the Washington Monument grounds. We had the director of the National Park Service, John Jarvis, speak, as well as the CEO of SCA. There was a mini service project, a trivia table, a fun photo booth, and of course, cake! It was a beautiful day for such a great occasion. Throughout the day I was tasked with assisting in the social media efforts. In the process I also got to interview Director Jarvis! SO COOL. Check out the blog post I wrote just about that day! That evening I capped off the day by attending a National baseball game (which they won!)

Phew! That just about brings us up to speed. I should note that I have stayed connected with Michigan Tech and have helped to start an on-campus food pantry, which I am excited to say has now opened! In my role on student government I served on a committee with the Dean of Students to address the issue of students going hungry. This fall semester the results of all of our research and planning are becoming reality! If you’re inclined to learn more about what I helped start, read my blog post about it!

Lots of exciting things are coming up soon, so I currently have lots to look forward to. Next weekend I will be going to a Kelly Clarkson concert! At work we are preparing for the Pope visit, working away on our Volunteers-In-Parks program assessment, and preparing for fall garden tours and the National Christmas Tree Lighting. More on all those later!

Already 9 Weeks In!

Hello Family and Friends!

Sometimes it is hard to believe that I have been on my #KyleMovestoDC Adventure for 9 weeks already! And then other times it feels like a lifetime ago that I was in familiar territory.

While I would say that my move to DC has been the toughest yet (compared to Canada, Michigan, or Georgia), I am trying to make the most of the great opportunity that I have!

In attempting to make the most of my time, I have been delving into the local experiences. There is a farmers market in Takoma Park every Sunday that I like to frequent as well as one downtown DC that has absolutely delicious cinnamon rolls! Though the budget is tight, I have attempted to try a few of the restaurants people have recommended, including the local coffee shop Capital City Cheesecake and District Taco, a great taco place not far from my office. Also, I have been visiting a few local churches, trying to find one that best suits what I am use to.

The past week and a half I have been cat sitting for my landlord. Calypso (the cat) and I have been having a great time meowing at one another. Also, for the record, I'm not a fan of wet cat food. However, having the cat can sometimes be great company, as the house can get eerily quiet. I am definitely not use to living with no other young people around!

Also, this past week I got to tour two very important buildings, the Department of the Interior (DOI) Building and the US Capitol. The other CVAs and I got to visit the DOI Building and meet with the team of people that is coordinating the National Park Service's Centennial celebration. It was really cool to meet with the people behind the whole campaign!

Touring the US Capitol has definitely been a highlight of my time here. Although people hold many different beliefs and seem to always be in disagreement with Congress, it was cool to be in the halls of our Nation's government, standing where politicians and others come together and important decisions are made. While there I past a few members of Congress in the hallway as well as NBC Nightly News anchor, Lester Holt. Again, I cannot stress how cool it was to be in the building where representatives from all over our country come together to debate, discuss, and decide how we as a country move forward.

Another week has past and so many great experiences were had! I hope you're making the most of your summer!

The DC Life; Where Opportunity Knocks...All the Time!

Hello Family and Friends!

Life is good here in Takoma Park, Maryland. It has been a month and a half FULL of adventures, newness, and great experiences! As there is a lot to cover, I will try to keep each topic brief :)

President's Park/White House

At the end of my two week on-site training the 6 Centennial Volunteer Ambassadors (CVA) in DC (I'm one of 'em!) were each designated to work at a specific park. We got a chance to state our preferences and luck would have it that we each got our top choice--my top choice and place of work is President's Park/White House!! President's Park is the 82 acres of green space surrounding and including the White House. I am really excited to work at President's Park. Opportunities to utilize volunteers are abundant and the job will include making a better volunteer program (quality), as well as expanding where volunteers are used (quantity).

Fun Fact: You may have heard the White House referred to as 'the people's house.' Well, the National Park Service (NPS), which is funded by you and I through tax money, is the manager of the property, and therefore it is indeed owned by the American people.

CVAs with NPS Director Jon Jarvis

Now I'll run through some of the fun things I have done/participated in in the past few weeks!

The week of June 14th was relatively nondescript, as I still didn't haven't computer yet. I spent this week doing a lot of planning with my coworker Diandre. She and I will work closely on a variety of projects of the next year. One thing I started to do was learn Microsoft Access, which is a application for creating databases. President's Park does not currently have a database to manage their volunteers. Stay tuned for my learning progress in the future.

On Friday June 19th I participated in the 2nd Annual Corps Network Day of Service. It was a great day of service where I got to help removed pooled water off of sidewalks around the Tidal Basin. I also got to meet the National Park Service Director, Jon Jarvis!!

The 6 DC CVAs

As part of our job position we have been asked to create a 'Find Your Park' video, showing the viewer where we connect with the land/nature/history (aka find our park') and encouraging you to 'get up, get out, and find your park! I had a fun day shooting the video with my fellow coworkers. Be sure to check out our video!

Mom, Dad, and I at the White House

On Father's Day I was blessed to have Mom and Dad come to DC to visit! They were in town for four days. We had a great time seeing where I work, seeing the sights of DC, and rebuilding my bed...thanks Dad :)  It was great to have visitors....hint hint....to anyone reading this and thinking about visiting me!

Friday June 30th was a NPS National Capital Region Youth Summit, which is a day where all of the youth employed or in a program with the NPS get together for a fun day together. The other CVAs and I helped lead activities and small group sessions throughout the day. It was a great day out in the woods at Prince William Forest Park, ticks 'n all!

Although I don't want to write about it, the blog would not be complete without me mentioning that I was sick for a number of days leading up to the 4th of July. After a trip to the doctor and some antibiotics I am feeling much better :)

In the parade!

My recycle station

The 4th of July was a crazy day! In the morning I got to ride in the Independence Day Parade in a '69 Mustang Convertible with the Superintendent of the NPS National Mall and Memorial Parks! What an experience! The rest of the day I worked on the National Mall with the recycling program. The day before I helped set up temporary recycling stations all around the Mall and then the day of I handed out recycling bags to visitors encouraging them to recycle (and clean up their trash) and to keep the park clean. After the parade, my water bottle fiasco, the thunderstorm, the recycling station, and the magnificent fireworks, it was a full day! Check out my blog post specifically about the 4th of July!

The following week I passed my government background check and could now get my government ID card, access the computer systems, and use my nps.gov email address. This means I could be more productive at work :) My photo on my govt. ID has quite the mugshot on it, haha! With my ID I am now able to park my car in the Ellipse at the White House (which is across the street from the building I work in). I also got my NPS name tag and a Centennial pin. In other words, that week was pretty great :)

Adult Ballpit!

The week after the 4th I had some fun times watching the Womens' World Cup Final with friends, attending a conference where I represented the Volunteer Program for the NPS, and helping to plan for the Lotus and Water Lily Festival. The festival was on July 11th and was a full day of managing and coordinating volunteers. The festival was in celebration of the blooming of the flowers in the aquatic gardens.

Then, this past week I had fun meeting other SCA interns and members at a pizza social, enjoyed going to the National Building Museum where I got to enjoy a huge adult sized ball pit, and enjoyed a night of classic soul music at Carter Barron Amphitheater along with 3000 other people.

All in all, the beginnings of my time in the DMV (the shorter way of saying DC, Maryland, Virginia area) have been pretty great. My coworkers are awesome, my job is starting to pick up speed, and it seems like I am being offered a new opportunity at every corner. It feels great to be living in the Nation's capital!

City Life: A Big Transition

Transition. That is what my life has consisted of for the past month. Packing and unpacking. Living out of the car and changing where I sleep every couple of days.

After the hubbub of graduation was over I said my final goodbyes to Houghton, MI and made it back to Minnesota. I spent two weeks at home, unpacking and repacking. I also found time for a trip to North Dakota to pick up Rachel from her first year of college. All this time I was searching and scouring the internet for an affordable place to live in DC. I can say without a doubt that finding housing from afar was one of the most stressful things I have done in a long time. Not being able to be there in person to see apartments and show people that you are interested was frustrating.

Nonetheless, I remained hopeful, and on Tuesday May 19th I left Minnesota, with the car packed to the top, headed to DC (with no housing arranged!).

I spent the next two days traveling across the country. I spent the night camping in Indiana at a nice campsite. The following morning I visited the highest point in the state of Ohio, Campbell Hill, at a whopping 1,550 feet above sea level. That is high point number 14 for me!

When I arrived in DC I spent the next few days with my second cousin Sarah and her husband Nick and their daughter Nia. I had a great time hanging out with them and I appreciate their hospitality as I continued to search for housing and explore the city. We went to the Smithsonian of Natural History, saw the butterfly exhibit, spent a day at a local park, watched the planes fly overhead, and spent a day rafting on the Shenandoah River! All these, among a lot of other things!

On Memorial Day I met up with my good friend and my former Dean of Students, Bonnie, for coffee. It was great to see a familiar face in a still unfamiliar place. That afternoon I headed north to Valley Forge National Historical Park (outside of Philadelphia, PA) for a week long training for my new job.

I spent the next week at the conference center at Valley Forge, learning about the position and how to go about the year ahead. And I can't forget to mention the fact that I met some FANTASTIC people! I was so energized by those around me and I am excited to see what we will all do at our respective National Parks over the course of the next year and the impact we will have. While at training we did a service project where we removed invasive crayfish from the river and we removed invasive plants. We also found time for some fun and went out to see Pitch Perfect 2 and explored the bustling town of Phoenixville, PA.

While at the training conference I finally secured housing! A friend of a friend of a fellow coworker had a basement apartment that she was willing to rent out. After the conference was over I returned to DC and moved into my new place (see photos!).

I then had the weekend to myself to get settled and I started work on Tuesday (June 2nd). This past week was all orientation and training (and so is this coming week). We have been touring the various parks we will be working in and have been getting acquainted with how things work. We even got to participate hands on in a service project on Friday!

Among all these other things I have been trying to acclimate myself to DC living. I take public transit to work every day, with a 45 minute commute (a 3 minute walk to the bus stop, a 10 minute bus ride, a 25 minute train ride, and a 7 minute walk). This is certainly different then any other daily 'commute' I have ever had. Getting up simply to travel 45 minutes in the morning is certainly a new lifestyle. I have also been getting use to most road corners being 'no turn on red', traffic cameras and photo enforced speed limits, and the weather being forecast 'from the mountains to the bay', among other things.

Overall, my transition to DC has turned out pretty good. I have had time to explore the city and visit some of the museums and parks, I am now completely settled in my apartment and it feels more like home, and I have completed my first week at work. I will learn more about where my office will be and which park I will devote most of my time to later this week!

PS - the 4 others in the two above photos are some of my new coworkers!

In other news, yesterday was my Grandma Yarusso's 80th birthday -- Happy Birthday Grandma! I hope this post finds you all in good spirits and enjoying the start of summer!

From One Adventure to Another - DC HERE I COME!

Wow!

What an incredible past two weeks I have had!

Two weeks ago I officially accepted a position as a Centennial Volunteer Ambassador in Washington, D.C.! It is an AmeriCorps position, working for the Student Conservation Association and the National Park Service. I will work to increase volunteerism in National Parks in the area and help to prepare for

 the Centennial (100th) year of the National Park Service and all of the celebrations that will occur. I am excited to be moving to the DC area and the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the city each and every day. Lots more to come on my new job in the near future!

While in the midst of accepting the position in DC I was taking my last two finals, giving my last college presentations, and writing my last papers. And, in among doing those things I was also attending to my residents, as they all prepared to leave for the semester. I also found time to spend my evenings with friends that I may not see for a long time. Dinners, banquets, receptions, hangouts, nights out, and late night talks were all had during this final week together. It was a crazy, hectic week, but extremely fun.


And with that, Saturday came around....which meant GRADUATION!

On Saturday morning I graduated from Michigan Technological University with a degree in Applied Ecology and Environmental Science, with a concentration in Communicating Natural Resources and a minor in Environmental Studies.

Not only did I graduate, I also had the extreme privilege and honor of giving the student commencement address during the commencement ceremony in front of 6,000+ people. Each year one student from the graduating class is chosen to give the student address. I had a great time preparing for and giving the speech! Given the honor that it is to give the speech, I made it in the local paper and on the local TV stations (TV6, ABC10). I was completely overwhelmed with all the support and I thank you all! Many family members and friends were able to join me for my special day and it will always be a day to remember! If you would like to watch my speech, it can be viewed online via iTunes.

The day began with a breakfast with the Board of Trustees, President, and other important University officials. Official photos were taken, candid photos were taken, and lots of mental preparation was done before the ceremony began. The ceremony happened, I gave my speech, and just like that I had walked across the stage (for the second time during the ceremony :) and graduated from Michigan Tech.

After the ceremony a lot more photos were taken and then I went and celebrated with Hannah, Anna, and Bill at a rental house out of town. It was so much fun having my family there and to celebrate this big moment with many of the important people in my life.

After the celebration came the hard work....packing up my stuff! But, many hands make light work, and we had me moved out in no time. The family left town and then I had just a few things to finish up in Houghton before I left the wonderful place I have called home these past four years.

After many emotional goodbyes and remembrances of sentimental places and things, I said my final goodbye to my favorite snowglobe, Houghton, Michigan, and traveled back to Minnesota.

Now I am here in MN preparing for my next adventure. Packing, errands, appointments, and house/apartment hunting have been my agenda for the past week. I leave for DC next Tuesday, May 19th!

I hope this post finds you in good spirits, as spring flirts with summer, pants become shorts, and temperature highs of 47 turn into 74!