Welcome family members, friends and visitors!
Welcome family members, friends and visitors!
I am a recent
graduate of Arizona State University; I earned concurrent Bachelor of Arts
degrees in both Print Journalism and English (summa cum laude, 3.90 GPA)
last December - and I earned both, along with an Associates Degree from
Mesa Community College, in three and one half years. In order to accomplish
this difficult goal, I took 12 credits during the summer sessions and sometimes
as many as 22 credits per semester, but usually 19, by taking classes at
both ASU and MCC simultaneously without informing either school of my total
combined class load. I also worked part time (Federal Work Study), up to
20 hours per week, for the first two years and completed three different
internships during the last two.
This past spring
semester (2001) I earned 12 graduate credits (4.0 GPA) toward a Masters
in Communication while interning for both the Arizona Democratic Party
and for Arizona Governor Jane Dee Hull, for whom I researched and wrote
party-neutral issue letters.
I intend to take an extended break from school, one full year at minimum, because, believe me, I REALLY need it. I've given notice to all of my friends and family members that if I say I am tempted to enroll in even one little inconsequential class during the next year they are to severely discourage me (and, if necessary, slap sense into me) and keep me from enrolling. This is because I want to ensure that I have ample time to rejuvenate my tenacity for academic excellence BEFORE I plunge into part-time night school (while working full time) in order to finish my Master's.
I am currently seeking full-time employment in public relations, web design, or writing/editing/publishing, and I am very eager to get the opportunity to utilize and enhance my skill set in a work environment. Actually, working full time again will give me a breather from the pace of neverending classes, papers, tests, part-time work and internships. And, frankly, earning enough income to be fully self-sufficient again will be a wonderful change.
Nonetheless, I feel very fortunate to have been given the chance to retrain for a career of choice while in my thirties, and I love what I am doing. (Thanks, ASU and MCC, for all the grants and scholarships, and THANKS MOM, for EVERYTHING.)
My hobbies include reading and learning anything, creating web pages, visiting with friends (Gord, Janet, Adam, Allen - I love you guys!) watching good movies, fine dining, yoga, cultural events (including every Broadway musical that Gammage presents), and catching trout and/or camping in the White Mountains with my sidekick Mastiff, Nala, and my Long-Coated Chihuahua puppy, Reesa. I love the outdoors, but I always prefer places with rivers or large bodies of water. In general, I believe sports are activities in which to participate, not spectate. I avoid television like the plague and enjoy listening to NPR. I strive (or struggle, rather) to stay in shape by consciously eating a healthy diet combined with yoga, moderate aerobics and walking/playing with my dogs. It sometimes surprises others my age that I don't hike for exercise, mountain bike or participate in any of the other baby boomer youth-obsessed compulsory trends. Well, I HAVE been known to go rollerblading (but only with my niece), and I do love a quality cup of coffee or a latté.
If you'd like to contact me, my email address is linked below.
Thanks for visiting my home page!
