Fall Semester = Over

I made it! This semester wasn't as hard on me as my spring semester but I'm glad that I made it through. The last two weeks were pretty rough but it looks like I made it! I'm actually really proud of myself for this semester. It's not like I got straight A's or anything but I really do feel like I'm growing as a person and as a student. I handled my battles this semester very well. I was able to better balance my academics and my social life while still getting the hang of taking care of myself. I got work done. I experienced new things and I put myself out there. I'm trying my best to make sure that I continue to do that.

I'm getting closer and closer to graduation so I'm finding that school demands a lot more of my attention and commitment. I'm learning to prepare myself for life in the real world. It's scary but it's also exciting and frightening.

This past semester, I tried to take advantage of every opportunity that allowed me to do what I love. I spent a lot of time standing up for what I believe in while also building my resume and gaining experiences that will help me later in life when I'm helping others. I've felt really empowered doing what I love and knowing that I'm helping people. By standing up for what I believe in and what I know is good, I've been standing up for people whose voices need to be heard. I know that I still have some more growing to do. I'm still healing and finding myself but I think I'm getting better at this whole "calm and carrying on human" thing. I see what I want to do and I'm taking steps toward that. I'm going to write about some of my experiences from this past semester individually but I wanted to quickly list the amazing things that I feel empowered me this semester.

• Coalition to End Rape Culture
• Fitsmi Internship
• No On 6 Campaign
• Volunteering for the Obama campaign
• LGBT History Month internship
• Community Service

I'm learning more and more that if  focus on what I love without losing sight of the reality of my school work and how it relates, I can keep afloat. I can make a difference. My Women's and Gender Studies major reminds me of the importance of activism and advocacy and I'm finding ways to incorporate those things into my daily life and it's keeping my heart happy. I like that.

 ♥

quote :)

"Yes, the past can hurt, but the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it." --Rafiki (The Lion King)

Wonka Lessons

Even though I'm a child of the 90's, Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, a movie from 1971, has been one of my favorite movies for as long as I can remember. I watched it today and realized that this movie has a lot of lessons that we should all be aware of. Besides the lessons sung by the Oompa Loompas that even I thought were obvious back when I was about 7 or so. These are all the other just as important messages that I noticed while watching today:

-The innocence of a child is a force more powerful than the power of grown man and his many oompa loompas working together.

-"There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you'll be free if you truly wish to be." --Willy Wonka

-" A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men." --Willy Wonka

-The rain cannot fall forever. Better days will come and even when we're feeling as low as we think we could ever possibly be, we need to always keep hope alive. We can't give up. We have to always remember that sometimes it gets worse before it gets better.

-Chocolate has the power to make people crazy.

-Having little to nothing helps up see what's truly important and those are the things that keep up strong when it seems like we have nothing at all.

There might be more but that's all I can think of at the moment. This movie will always be one of my favorites. It's so deep....

=]

Don't be ashamed.

I saw a girl earlier today who had a very cute tote bag that had a picture of what is most likely her favorite band on the front of the bag. What made me upset though, was the fact that she hid the side of her bag that had the picture. I thought the bag was cute and I want one just like it but I also know that people probably made fun of her for having it because they don't approve. How sad is that? Why do people have to be ashamed to wear or use the things they like just because their afraid of what other people will say? I don't like lime green pants but I'm not going to tease someone if they choose to wear them. It makes no sense!

No one should have to live their life according to other people's views!

We don't have to agree on everything and we don't all have to like the same things but we do not have to tease others for liking something that we think is "uncool." Not everyone handles that well and why would you want to make anyone cry? Why would you ever try to hurt someone for having views that are different from yours? It is just stupid!

We need to make progress! We need to find a way to make sure that no one gets hurt for wanting to live their own life and not the life that has been set as the "cool way" by others. To everyone who has every felt that they couldn't be who they really are because they were afraid of what others would think, live the life you think is "cool." Be the person that makes you happy and not the you that others think you should be. You are important. Your thoughts and views are important. Be a reflection of the the most beautiful and special person you could ever be, yourself!

School Promise

Today, I went with my mom to bring my 5 year old brother and my 3 year old sister to their first day of school. After I got past how cute the uniform was and how adorable it is to see little kids with giant backpacks, it hit me that these kids will hopefully be future doctors, lawyers, policemen, musicians, or anything else that they could imagine. I know that I'm only in high school but it's still amazing to see these little kids who have a world of possibilities! Hopefully, most of them haven't experience the true hard hits that the world can throw at us.

They will learn so much! They're like clean slates. I don't think preschool and elementary school teachers get the credit they deserve. Every surgeon and lawyer needed to learn how to read first. Everyone was taught how to add apples and oranges before they were taught the periodic table. They need so much support. I think that kids start losing passion about their education when they start losing support. Education is the begining of the future. It's funny how some people forget that.

Children are our future. Let's hope they stay away from all things that will bring them down.