Judson College :: Senior/Transfer

Ten Things I Love About Judson

10). NO BOYS! :) 

Thats right I just said I love that there aren’t any boy students at Judson. When people ask me why I chose to go to an all girls school, I respond “Honestly? I don’t know, but I love it.” It is great to be able to go to class in sweats and ZERO makeup. I couldn’t do this at community college when I rode to school with my boyfriend. 

The campus is truly beautiful. I love to walk around campus during the spring and the fall. I love the cherry blossoms in the spring and the vibrant colors of fall. 

8)Late night fire drills

Ok so this was a joke, but I had to say this. Last night my best friend/suite-mate/dance teacher Jill almost text me to see if I was coming outside during the fire drill. She thought that I may not have heard it or something. She was relieved to see me out front of  our dorm, WMU. I couldn’t stop laughing about this, that fire siren is extremely hard not to hear. :) 

7) The Bubble 

As a student at Judson College, I lovingly call the campus the JUDSON BUBBLE. It is like its own little world. At times I have no idea of what is going on off campus. You may think that this is strange or not desirable, but you would be surprised how much you can get done when you aren’t concerned with distractions. 

6)Ballroom Dance Class

My friend Jill is the instructor of the class. Last year I danced the Rumba, at the Judson Gala, with my roommate and our dances partners from MMI. 

5)The Dining Hall 

That is right I did just said the dining hall!! But not for the usual reason a person would enjoy the dining hall, I love the time that we spend there. Everyday at 11:30 the Sara Hunt Christenberry Dining Hall is filled with students. Every evening at 5:45, we all reconvene for dinner. Our time in the dining hall is not effected by the outside world, (We don’t make cell phone calls and we don’t do homework while in the dining hall.) We spend our time dining and enjoying the company of our friends. I look forward to the dining hall each day and I hate that I can’t eat lunch there anymore (student teaching).

4) Traditions (Hockey Day, Pageant)

I just love traditions. My favorite tradition is Hockey Day. I don’t know of any school in Alabama that plays field hockey, but I wish that the high school that I graduated from did. It is such a fantastic sport. I am not going to lie, hockey players are aggressive, but it is just so much fun! I played my Junior/Soph year but did not have the opportunity to play last year. I definitely plan to play this year. 

Hockey day is not the only Judson tradition. We have Rose Sunday, Pageant (Junior/Sophs are practicing now for this tradition), and so many more great activities going on on campus. 

3)Small School Experience

This is one of the most wonderful parts of Judson College. The President of the school knows my name and the Dean of Students and the Dean of Academics know my name too. I am important to my teachers, and I know that they want me to be successful. What huge college can boast this?

2)Siloam Baptist

I grew up going to the same church every Sunday.  For almost 15 years I called Roberstadale First Baptist Church my home church. I wanted to find a great church family when I left for school and I found just that at Siloam. College worship on Wednesday nights is a highlight in the middle of my week. The Lord really uses Siloam to minister to Marion's college population. 

1)SISTERHOOD (Christian support system, living with best friends)

I LOVE MY JUDSON SISTERS! 

“What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you are eleven, you’re eleven, you’re also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one.”

Aren’t these words from Sandra Cisneros’ story “Eleven” true? 

Who really thinks about that? Yes, I am 22 years old, but I have a piece of each of the years that I have lived inside of me too. 

I have the excitement that I felt when I was 16 and Mrs. Boswell liked my essay so much that she copied it and put it on the overhead projector for the entire class to see. 

And I have the maturity that I developed at 19 when I spent 6 weeks of my summer on a mission trip in Moldova, a small country in Eastern Europe. 

I even have that same shoulder that I injured snowboarding when I was 18. 

And that scar just under my bottom lip from that time I fell when I was 4, it’s still there. 

See what I mean? Good and bad, physical and emotional, I still have memories and reminders of the past 22 years. 

So when I leave Judson what will I take with me? I know that I will remember the nights that we spent mattress surfing. I will never forget Monday and Wednesday night dance classes. I will forever treasure the time spent learning and fellowshipping with my sisters and brothers in Christ at Siloam Baptist Church. 

What else will I take with me? 

Recently I had a discussion with a friend. We discussed missions, sharing the gospel, and how to make a difference, not only abroad, but also right here in Marion. I hope to take with me lessons that I have learned through conversations like this one. And I also hope to take with me memories of how I took action and made a difference for Christ right here in Marion and on the Judson campus. 

I will be completely finished with my internship in 70 days. I have 70 days to make the most of my time here, to take action, and to make a difference.  

I want the pieces that I take with me from these last 70 days to be memorable, so that when I am 44 the pieces that I still have from my 22 year old self are highly visible in the passages of my mind. 

Everyday is a day that I have been given to live for Christ in the way that he has planned for me. What is stopping me from making an effort to do just that?  

Today's date is 90210! Do you know what that is? It’s the zip code for Beverly Hills. 

To think I was actually in Beverly Hills just a month ago and now I am in Marion, Alabama, working at Francis Marion High School as a student teacher. A STUDENT TEACHER! I am almost a paper grading, bun wearing, grammar promoting EDUCATOR! I have almost earned a Bachelors degree from JUDSON COLLEGE. 

It is so strange for me to be in the position that I am. Last month I was on a major road trip. I saw so many sites in the US, and who was by my side? MY MOM. The woman who has taken care of me for the past 22 years. And now I am in a school teaching students. I am expected to be an adult from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., EVERYDAY. I know you are thinking “Well you should be an adult anyway. Why is that so difficult?”  But seriously I have grown so accustomed to the college life. I got up, went to class, and then hung out in my room for awhile. I saw my friends several times a day, and I had plenty of time to chill after busy portions of the day. I ate lunch with my friends everyday and had time to nap.

Now I am responsible for educating 15 year olds. I have to make sure that they don’t kill each other, that they don’t skip class, that they are learning something and aren’t slipping through the cracks, and ultimately that No Child is Left Behind. (Ok so that was an education joke, maybe you caught it.)  But seriously I guess I never really understood it until now. The decisions that I make each day are not all necessarily about me. I am responsible for the well being of young people. This is exciting and very scary. They sure don’t tell you the weight that comes with graduation as you begin your freshman year. 

I am honored to have such an influence on my students. I am excited to have the responsibility of adulthood. 

This is such a memorable time in my life! I can’t believe that it has finally come.

There is no way for me to share every moment of my summer with you, so I decided to hit the highlights! :)

This picture was taken in Moldova when we were working with children in a village.

When we returned to the US we went to DC.

This is my mom and me at the World War II Memorial.

                         At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

When we left DC, we headed for California. We spent a week getting there and a week there.

                          Pantages Theater in LA 

Surf Lessons at Sunset Beach. I couldn't move the next day, but I had a blast!

     Mural at Venice Beach. Isn't it cool?

                On the way home we stopped by the Grand Canyon.

          After I thought all of my traveling was over for the summer.......

                                       I headed to Kentucky!

This is Parmley's Grove Baptist Church  I spent a week working at this church with a building team from Baldwin County Alabama. To the right is the hall that I helped drywall.

This summer was such an adventure. I loved almost every minute of it. I have never had the opportunity to go to so many places and to see so many cool things. From Venice Beach to the Nation's Capital, every moment was memorable.