My last entry as an Ambassador...

I can't believe it - I'm officially a Senior in college. Junior year was horrendous academically so I'm not sorry to see it go, but I sure am sad to see another year at Suffolk come to an end. But if I needed something to soften the blow, summer session one starts in two weeks, haha.

Above is a picture of my fellow trustee ambassadors and I at the Spring Ball last Friday - it was a blast! The ball was at the Royal Sonesta in Cambridge and the food was really interesting; they served gourmet comfort food so there were mini burgers, chicken pot pies, white truffle mac n' cheese, and herb french fries! It was delicious and we all danced the night away...seriously, every person there was on the dance floor at the same time! I won't be returning as an Ambassador next fall due to senior obligations and such and I will certainly miss you all!

My finals are over but I've stuck around to wrap up the book drive for Africa Best Buddies runs each semester. I have to admit I'm broke, so if I can sell my books back to the bookstore I will, but if they offer me $3 for an $80 book (which is likely) I'm sending it to Africa!

The spring/summer has started off beautifully and I'm really looking forward to some down time in the sun...oh, and the most exciting thing that happened this week! I joined the Sports Club LA!!! I'm sure my excitement seems silly to many of you, but if you've been in one, you understand. They're only the nicest gyms in the world - no joke. With 120 classes each week, a Jr. Olympic size pool, an entire floor dedicated to yoga and pilates, a spa, restaurant and bar, and a roof deck! it's unreal...and expensive...so I will be there as much as possible this summer :)

I suppose that's all folks. I've enjoyed giving your tours, working with you, and sharing the school I love so much.

Best of luck with all your endeavors,

Kayla

Bonfire, Sushi, & Battles

So I know it's only Wednesday, but I'm looking forward to the weekend. Tomorrow will mark the end of this huge group presentation that has been turning my hairs gray; it will also mean only 4 days of classes left! After tomorrow I'll be down to two final papers, one campaign project, and one exam...not too bad.

This weekend, however, is going to be fantastic! Friday afternoon a bunch of student leaders will board a bus to travel to the Cape Codder Resort for the annual LEAP conference. There is a wave pool, water slide, and bonfire (that's where I'll be) planned for that night and a full day of food and training on Saturday. I'm going with my girl friends Sarah and Steph! When we get back I'm hosting a Sake Sushi night at my apartment! We're going to order an array of yummy sushi and make our own dessert rolls...dressed in kimonos! Okay, maybe I'll be the only one sporting a kimono...

Sunday I'm bringing my best buddy bowling at Lanes and Games. Monday is Patriots Day - this means three things. 1. No Classes 2. Boston Marathon 3. The Battle at Lexington re-enactment at 4a.m. So great... then three days of classes, reading day on that Friday, and Spring Ball that night! SO much fun ahead and so many mixed feelings about the end :/

A few of my fellow ambassadors and I will be working the Kids to College event tomorrow and that should be a good time too. We're going to do some lab experiments with the 6th graders, have lunch with them, and show them around campus...

As for now, I'm going to the grocery store and making a big dinner with a friend of mine (this is an exciting luxury in college when your average dinner consists of leftover pizza or canned soup)

Until Next Time,
Kayla :)

We Won!

We took first place in individual fundraising, team fundraising, and team scavenger hunt score at Midnight Madness last Saturday! Man do I love winning...we busted our bums all over the city, embarrassing ourselves dressed as pirates, and tripping over bricks on Beacon Street...but we finished with some cool prizes and a ton of hilarious pictures, so it was worth it...

I cannot wait to go home tomorrow night. This semester is really taking its toll on me, I just came down with a physically and emotionally draining virus, and this one group project in particular will be the death of me. One bit of advice for incoming students - If you have the chance to bow out on a semester long group project that counts for 100% of your final grade, do it! Anyway, I'll be heading home for Easter weekend tomorrow night and I'm really excited...all I need to do is get through 3 more classes and pick my dress up from the tailor! My Easter dress is so pretty; it's vintage, lavender silk, with original beading at the top with a notch neckline!

The countdown has officially begun... 23 days until the semester is over, summer begins, and I am officially a Senior!

Until Next Time,

Kayla :)

Foggy Day

Today is foggy...I mean I am, not the weather. For whatever reason, there's this strange glaze over my eyes (which keep crossing) and my brain feels as though it's floating around my skull like helium balloons in a room with a ceiling fan. I've pulled all-nighters before and felt better than this the next day...

Could it be because I insisted on getting New Moon (the 2nd book in the twilight series) yesterday and couldn't stop reading last night? Or could it be that I spent six hours in an SGA leadership meeting the night before? Maybe it's just the daunting weekend that awaits me - three all-day-long events and projects galore to finish by next week. Don't get me wrong, I love doing community service and I like my job, it has just been quite a while since I had a weekend that was actually a weekend.

Friday is Service Day and my club will be volunteering at Cradles to Crayons in Quincy. Cradles to Crayons is an organization that supplies clothing, books, toys, and other items to underprivileged children in the Greater Boston Area. After my two classes we'll travel there as a group, serve for five hours, and continue on to the Service Day Dinner at the Holiday Inn near campus.

Saturday is Midnight Madness - a day long city-wide scavenger hunt to raise money for Best Buddies Massachusetts. Running around town, the tasks include things like finding a hotel with a 13th floor, getting behind the counter to make a burrito at Qdoba, and duct taping one of our team members to a wall (we actually did this on a rooftop last year - hilarious). At the end of the day, the teams who raised the most money and the team who best finished the scavenger hunt win prizes. Last year I won four tickets to the comedy club at Fanuil Hall - not bad! Fundraising has been very difficult this year, as I'm sure you can imagine, so we'll see what happens.

Sunday will be my last Showcase event and I'm hoping it won't rain like it did last Sunday... that was pretty miserable. Come and meet the Suffolk Ram at the accepted student's Showcase this Sunday!

Oh, one last thing - I got the schedule I wanted for next fall!!!!!! This is the first semester of my entire college career that I will not have any morning classes or any classes at all on Fridays!!! Wooo hooo...

Until Next Time,

Kayla :)

Senior Status?!?!

SOoooo...students who will be seniors next year will have priority registration tomorrow morning, which means me, yikes! I'll be up at 8a.m. to register and hope to get the dream schedule I have made up for next fall - Monday night class, Tues/Thursday 2:30-5, and Thursday night class....which means folks, no Monday-day, Wednesday, or Friday classes next fall! I should get it, I have an early registration time (I would get the professors to sign me into their classes anyway), and that way I'll have three days to work an internship! I'm very excited because I am always that person who ends up with 8a.m. classes despite my incredibly timely organization and planning...

This past weekend was fun - I went to the Red Hat with friends, co-sponsored a SUHA (Suffolk University Hispanic Association) event, went to Saint (nightclub) with a bunch of people, worked an Admissions Showcase Event, watched twilight AGAIN! with my roommates last night, and cooked a very yummy dinner...

This coming week will be busy - we're already working on final projects in each of my classes, Friday is Service Day (a university-wide day of community service throughout the Greater Boston Area) followed by the Service Day dinner, Saturday is the Midnight Madness scavenger hunt for Best Buddies Massachusetts, and Sunday is another Showcase event for the Sawyer Business School!

I have to miss my Auntie's baby shower on Sunday for work, however, the following weekend I'll be able to go home for Easter! I have a vintage lavender dress I want to wear for Easter Sunday, I just need to find a tailor to fix it up in time!

I think I've decided what my post-graduation plan is... as long as I'm accepted. I'm going to apply for Teach for America. If I'm accepted I'll be placed in a two-year teaching position in an under served school district within the U.S. We can request certain regions, subjects, and ages, but I think I would be content with whichever situation I was thrown into...Phoenix wouldn't be so bad, right? As long as they don't let me teach math, that certainly wouldn't be doing the kids any favors...

One last thing! Boloco just opened next to our office and I've fallen completely in love with the Mediterranean wrap - and I need to tell you about it. Inside the soft wheat tortilla is lime rice, hummus, feta cheese, cucumbers, black olives, and balsamic dressing...trust me, it's an amazing combination of flavors. I choose not to get chicken because I just pick it out when I do... I guess I'm kind of an undeclared vegetarian lately. Anyway, it's only $5 and change - you have to try it!

Until Next Time,

Kayla :)

Back to Reality...

The unseasonably cold temperatures in Boston today have been a harsh awakening. I spent last week in Bal Harbour (Miami) where it was 85 degrees and sunny all but one day. Our resort has undergone some nice renovations since we were last there and seemed to be the only hotel not under construction this spring - thank goodness! I read Twilight and a book on Jackie Kennedy and was reminded how nice leisurely reading can be...

I'm heading back to my apartment to catch up on all the work I blocked out last week...

Until Next Time,

Kayla :)

Internships...you gotta have one : /

Since I transferred to Suffolk last fall I've devoted a lot of extra time to catching up so I could graduate on time and get my career started. I figured that as soon as I was ready for an internship, one would just fall into my lap. When I was offered one last spring I turned it down...and now I'm kicking myself for it. I spent Sunday afternoon writing cover letters, modifying my resume, researching available positions, and sent it all out. I received one response just an hour later (which made me very excited) but the woman never called the day she said she was going to. I haven't heard from any of the others and it's becoming very discouraging :( I know it's nothing personal - I have a great GPA and job experience and I would give a good interview...they're just not responding. It seems this horrendous economy is affecting even more than paid jobs...

On that note, I'm scheduling my summer classes and the job (if i can find one) will just have to work around it. After meeting with my adviser yesterday I realize I only need 5 more classes to graduate; which would be great if I didn't want a minor in Government and didn't love coming to school so much. So this summer I will be taking science and government 110, in the fall I'll finish my major courses plus humanities, and my last semester here will be entirely consumed by government classes! And then it will all be over...sadness.

Tomorrow morning I'm meeting a few of our counselors to go to Dorchester for an outreach program called Kids to College. Last year we spent the day with 6th graders, talking to them about the importance of higher education, playing games, and giving them graduation gowns to take pictures in. It's such an inspiring event, so much so that I'm willing to work at 8a.m. for it!

Tonight at Suffolk a famous comedian will be performing at the C.Walsh Theatre on campus. Will Durst has performed for former President Bill Clinton (who I love) as well as George Bush II so we're all pretty excited. Maybe there will be free coffee...there usually is! These are the kinds of events that our student activities fees pay for, so you definitely want to take advantage of all the opportunities for entertainment, food, and experience!

Just three more days until I leave for Miami, wooohooo!!!!

Until Next Time,

Kayla :)

Spring hasn't sprung.

Not even close...I'm sure you didn't miss the major snow storm on Monday or the 412 school closing in Massachusetts. Sure, it was nice having the day off from classes and work; but is it worth doing splits down Beacon Hill because the city apparently ran out of salt? Or is it worth having to wear boots every single day, completely negating any semblance of style? Or how about the 6 inch wide paths that were "shoveled" out of the snow left on street corners in a predominantly pedestrian city? Yeah, that's convenient...

I can't wait for Spring break, does it show? I'm going to Bal Harbour (northern Miami) with my Mama and my Nana and I'm psyched. We're staying at the Sea View hotel which is very nice and very low-key...exactly what I need. I'm going to lounge in the sun, drift off to sleep every hour, swim, walk the beach, and read (my boss gave me Twilight because she hated it and I must find out what all the fuss is about). Last time we stayed there we had a balcony overlooking the ocean where we ate brie and berries each morning, so nice.

My midterms are over and I'm pleased to report I got a 99 on the dreaded world lit monster I spoke of in my last entry! Also, the huge event I was planning happened on Tuesday and it was a success - Brittany Maier (a blind and autistic musical savant) performed as part of Unity Week and the students who came absolutely loved it. She did a request show, so everyone was able to hear her play their favorite song, and they even invited some Suffolk students up on stage to collaborate with her. It was amazing and we're definitely going to have her back next year!

I'm struggling with the idea of internships this summer...I know I need one, and I do want one, but the thought of being cooped up inside all summer (during my last free summer as a student) is horrible! Isn't there an outdoor preschool in Boston I can work at? We'd play tag, eat ice cream, and learn the alphabet using "G" for grass, "F" for flowers, and "D" for dogs...That's my idea of a summer job...

Anyway, one more class today, two tomorrow, and then a fun filled weekend... My roommate's sister will be visiting, I'm seeing Boston Ballet perform Jewels, and my boyfriend and I are seeing Justin Nozuka play at the House of Blues on Saturday Night. For those of you attending the Students to Students session, I will see you bright and early Saturday morning :)

Until Next Time,

Kayla

Midterms, midterms, midterms...

Okay just kidding, I only actually have two midterms out of my five classes - not bad! Last night I was up until 3 a.m. writing analytical responses to eight different stories for world lit...okay, so I guess that was this morning too, Yikes! But after handing it in to my professor he let us leave, so I was able to eat lunch before work - a very rare occurrence. I've never been so happy to eat fruit, salad, and Cape Cod potato chips...I've been surviving on Cheerios all week.

The rest of this week should be pretty great though...tomorrow evening Women in Business is hosting a women's leadership panel (with free dinner!) and after that a bunch of us are going to senior night at McFadden's. Friday night I'm going home for my cousin Ashley's 21st birthday and coming back Saturday evening for my friend Katie's birthday party at Tavern on the Square in Cambridge (word has it they serve a fried snickers bar dessert....kind of nasty and kind of intriguing). The theme for that party is modern day Great Gatsby so I need to find a roaring 20's flapper style dress and feathers!

I'm off to give a tour on this beautiful sunshiny day...

Until Next Time,

Kayla :)

Just another manic Monday...

...Wish it was Sunday, that's my fun day...

Man do I miss weekends when they're over. This past one was particularly nice...on Thursday I watched the Celtics v. Lakers game at Red Hat (a Suffolk spot) with some friends, shopped for a new dress and stayed in to make valentines with my best friend on Friday night, went home for the day on Saturday to attend a family party with my boyfriend, and ate Chipotle/worked out/grocery shopped/watched HSM with my roommate on Sunday...and that is my definition of a perfect weekend - seriously. Oh, and it was 51 degrees outside!

My day has gone well, actually, despite it being a 9-5 Monday...classes were good, I had design lab, women in American politics, and world lit. I'm creating a website for a fabricated dance company in Newport (something I might actually create when I'm old and rich) in design lab and it has been pretty fun. I gave a presentation on Brown vs. BU in my politics class and got a great grade on a returned assignment in lit! The honors applications are now out of our hands so the office is back to normal...well, kind of.

The next few weeks will be a little hectic with Unity Week preparations and such. Best Buddies is bringing Brittany Maier, an autistic musical savant, to Suffolk's C.Walsh Theatre on Tuesday, March 3rd. She has performed at Carnegie Hall and is absolutely amazing, we can't wait!

Valentines day is coming and my day is going to be so nice. My incredible boyfriend got us tickets for Dirty Dancing live and reservations at Mama Maria's in the north end. It's nice that the holiday is on a Saturday this year so we can sleep in :) I'll probably try to get up and make him breakfast though, I saw a picture of toast with a heart shaped cutout and fried egg in the middle in a Martha Stewart magazine...maybe...

That's all for now folks,

Kayla :)

Noodle Street

I have always been a little envious of the students over on the other side of the city for one reason - they have access to Noodle Street. Home of the tastiest food you can find for 8 dollars, you choose between various fried rice and noodle dishes and can add chicken, beef, shrimp, and more! My personal favorite? Mango fried rice with chicken :) In fact, I'm finishing last night's dinner while I type to you...

But enough about food, lets talk about my birthday! On Monday I got my new ID, met up with an old best friend from high school, and had a small dinner party with my family and friends at my favorite restaurant in New Hampshire. My mother gave me a tiara to wear during dinner as well as sapphire and diamond earrings! I got wonderful things from everyone but won't bore you with all the details...Tonight my boyfriend is taking me to No.9 Park where they have a three course set menu, so I'm looking forward to that. And tomorrow is really the big day - my party! A big mishmosh of friends from different schools throughout the city are joining me at Felt Nightclub and it is going to be a blaassstt!!

It's time for me to go to class, however, PR II here I come...

Until Next Time,

Kayla :)

The countdown has begun...

Countdown to what? you may ask... well, my birthday is in four days and I can't wait! I do think some of my friends are even more excited than I am though, hehe, "Kayla can finally go out with everyone else on the weekends!" We're planning a big extravaganza for next Friday - roughly 30 of my friends and I are going to FELT nightclub and I'm hoping to score a VIP section (I really just don't want to wait in line in the cold)...We'll grab a drink at Red Hat on my actual birthday though, of course :P

Classes are going well, I'm even slightly enjoying World lit. PR2 is still incredibly intimidating and we've yet to begin the major project, but it all sounds very interesting. The more classes I take the more ways I realize I can use my degree when I graduate. At this point I'm open to political campaign management, wedding planning, and PR/IMC work for a non profit or corporation. I think with those options I should be able to find something, right? Hopefully...if not, I'll go to grad school for a Master's in Education, because who doesn't love teaching...

We have some really exciting events coming up here at Suffolk and it's making for a very busy semester. That means it will fly by and it'll be spring and summer before we know it! Thank goodness, because Boston is not doing a good job shoveling/salting the streets - I wipe out almost everyday! Last night I dreamt of flip flops, t-shirts, smoothies, and walking along the Charles...

This is a very busy time of year for the Admissions office. I've now worked here during every season and late winter is definitely the craziest. All of the files are being completed and admissions decisions are beginning to be mailed out, so good luck to all those who have applied for next fall!

Until next time,

Kayla :)

First tour of the semester...

I just got back from giving my first tour of the spring '09 semester and it was a good one, despite the suffocating winds and bone chilling temperature. We had a good group, a few girls from New Hampshire (wooohoo!) and I was able to show one of our new ambassadors the ropes. The forecast said it would be 15 degrees today but I'm not buying it... needless to say, I pulled the Eskimo jacket and uggs out of the closet and was good to go.

Classes have begun and I am pretty excited to see how the semester pans out. I'm taking Design lab, Women in American Politics, World lit, PR2, and a challenge course called Advanced Professional Communication...I think that will keep me busy enough. Classes are cancelled for the holiday on Monday so I'm stewing up my plans for the long weekend. That would sound pretty exciting, except with this weather my roommates and I will most likely stay put with movies and delivery...

My birthday is next Monday, the 26th, and I'll be 21! I felt really old when I turned 20 for some reason, so I hope this one doesn't hit me too badly...

Some of our Ambassadors are in D.C. right now for the inauguration and I am missing them terribly...hurry back ladies!

Until next time,

Kayla :)