SGA Meeting

Hey you!
Yes You, right there reading this!

You have some free time between 1:30 and 2:30 today?
You do?! :D
Good, because we have a need for members to join Student Government!

We dont talk much about politics outside of school, but were sure do talk a lot about how we can make a difference in the school as a whole

The meeting will be held in both conferences Teleconference rooms LW329 and DB208 at 1:30pm

Be There!

MOVIE NIGHT!

For those of you who live under a rock, and never ever set foot in the cafe at either campuses, there will be a showing of Zombieland in Lynn outside in the schools parking lot. It will be this Friday Night, October 22 @ 7pm

Out Of The Darkness - Walk For Suicide Prevention

Out of the Darkness Walk for Suicide Prevention, October 2, 2010

In the month of October, we will be participating in the Out of the Darkness Walk for Suicide Prevention. This walk will take place in Wakefield, MA on October 2, 2010 at 10:00am. The walk is a 5k around Lake Quannapowitt and begins at 10:00am. We invite you all to join us in walking or to donate to our team as we strive to raise awareness and bring prevention of suicide to the forefront. The soaring suicide rates, especially among college aged students, have become astonishing and with your help, we can take a stand to “Stomp Out Suicide.”

Join Team NSCC or make a donation today!

For more information on where and when we will be meeting, or how to sign up, please email me at Vnickers01@northshore.edu or ofcourse you can leave a message here! : )

Vicki

Womens Center

Hello Everyone!

My name is Vicki Nickerson and I am the Student President of The Womens Center. The Womens Center, despite the name, not only reaches out to women but to all. Everyone is welcome to join our organization and we are always open to new ideas. Our focuses this semester are on issues such as suicide, breast cancer, supporting our military, celiac awareness and healthy hygiene for the children at our annual Halloween party. I look forward to being able to work with our student body to get the word out on these issues and to bring awareness for all to campus.

Sincerely,

Vicki Nickerson

Scare Week

Hey everybody, I just wanted to tell you all about a huge event were doing next month. During Fall Fest we surveyed students for what movie they would want to see to kick off our Scare Week 10/22-10/30. The movie that was chosen was Zombieland. Next month on October 22nd we will be having an outdoor movie viewing of Zombieland on the Lynn campus. Admission is free and we will be selling drinks and snacks. As the date comes closer more info will be released. Also that week we are doing a Haunted Footsteps tour in Salem. Tickets are only $5 and are very limited, if you would like to buy tickets you can visit the Student Life Office in Danvers DB132.

Sam

Hey bloggers my name is Sam. I'm the President of our schools
programming board called Program Council. On Wednesday in Lynn from
10-2 we have an event called Fall Fest. Program Council will have our
table with a virtual rollercoaster machine. You can choose from many
different adventures from a rollercoaster ride to traveling through
the human blood stream. The cost is only $1.00 a ride, you cannot beat
that! Hope to see you all there!

Stay tuned to this blog for more updates on whats going on at campus.

Summer Heat

My sincerest apologies for my lack of commitment to this blog during the treacherous season known as summer. I do not like the heat or having to take two summer in order to complete my degree within two years. On a better note, I am thrilled to now have time for this fantastic blog and getting back into the shape of things. This summer has been eventful and hectic. Although I enjoyed my summer courses, I found myself to be juggling four part time jobs, trying to keep up with school and my social life since all of my friends live in different towns among the north shore and south shore. I often wondered when the hectic lifestyle would end and it did for about five minutes. Now my cousin is flying up from Florida to stay with us and I am giving my room to her so she does not have to live on a couch. The cycle is never ending...I need a vacation from my summer vacation!!I am enjoying the little time that I have off to relax. All of the jobs I am working are rewarding, I just feel that at times I need to calm down and think about myself first (which I often struggle with doing). I put so much commitment into everything else in the world expect myself and my personal needs. I want to spend a day at the beach or somewhere i can relax and just laugh with people I care about. I am always on the go...I carry my life in a tote bag! I do enjoy the rain when it comes and layers me in a warm mist. The rain is a reminder that life still goes on whether you want it to or not. So, I am going to enjoy the small things in life that are so precious and unforgettable. Summer, please bring some nice days that are not full of the blazing sun :) I want to know how summer is for everyone else out there. Are you working? Are you enjoying the summer heat? Has anything eventful happened to YOU this summer?

The Semester Of Seven (Classes)

Yes, you read the title correctly: I am registered in seven courses, and have not received a warning or withdrawn from any as of this blog post. Some might wonder why I would do such a thing. Well, I decided the minute I stepped foot on the North Shore campus, I didn't want to be a average student. I wanted to take the road less traveled, and not take four courses here and four courses there (mind you, I decided with the horrible economy, finding a job in these tough times would be hard) so this isn't a decision just anyone can make. But, like the old phrase "you can do anything you set your mind to" has never been so true. I had my doubters, more than a few, and I decided it was one of those things if I was going to do, I was going in full tilt. And full tilt I mean doing all my work. Not making excuses to professors about missing things, and getting it done. Some might still think I'm nuts, but believe in yourself and you can do anything you want to.

If anyone would like to hear abut time management and how I actually survived this endeavor, please feel free to leave comments and I will happily reply.

Arts in April Blog

Last Thursday, as a part of Arts in April here at the college, Iranian-American Poet Roger Sederat came to do a reading on his poetry and a question and answer session with students and professors.

I will be the first to admit that upon hearing this is what we were doing for my 11 o'clock literature class last Thursday, I was instantly considering who I would text, what blogs I would read, and who I would try to sit next to. To most who know me and my characteristics this is par for the course. But, to shock the masses, my phone didn't leave my pocket till the very end when I had to check to see what time it was. I'm sure your curious why it didn't move and I'll tell you: Mr. Sederat, while everyone was finding seats, was mentioning how Iranians are playing in the NBA. Now to some, this might sound like a small thing. But, it already proved to me Mr. Sederat understood college students and what they are interested in. As Mr. Sederat read his poetry, he referenced his musical background and how he found a big influence in rap music. To everyone's shock, he was quite familiar with Lil' Wayne, and even threw out this Notorious B.I.G.: "Livin' life without fear / Puttin' 5 karats in my baby girl's ears" which open a lot of eyes, proving that his knowledge of rap went beyond one major artist. I for one, have a strong belief that some college professors do not understand the students they are teaching. Mr. Sederat proved this isn't always true.

His poetry was also very good. Although hard to relate to, it was very interesting to learn he, as a passport holding dual citizen of the US and Iran, he has been advised not to return to Iran for fear of government reaction to his poems (which I am told points to several Iranian government officials).

Once again, the college did a great job of bringing in a speaker that challenged and brightened the horizons of the students.

Senoritis? Oh wait..I'm in college now..

Last April I was hit with a severe case of "Senoritis" also known as, I am a senor in high school and I graduate soon so I do NOT plan on doing my homework or studying! For some reason now, I have been hit with it again but now I am a freshman in college and procrastination and I do not get along. I do not know if it is because I have been feeling under the weather or the fact that my stress level is through the roof. Is it just me that is going crazy?

I have been forcing myself to get things done but my computer decided to rebel against me and cause complete havoc by getting a virus because my virus protection failed epically at detected it. Then I kept getting sick and may be faced with the reality that I now have allergies like everyone else is America. (I have never been allergic to anything besides animal fur).

I have found that non-drowsy generic brands of allergy medications are life savers. My eyes are no longer watery and red. Success!

But as for my "senoritis" - I am at a loss. I have made lists and tried to become motivated. Usually listening to Lady Gaga gets me excited and I do work but now its hopeless! To make things even worse, I am taking classes over the summer. I need to get my act in shape!

I think I pushed myself so hard first semester that I am all worn out!

Dear Senoritis, go find someone else :(

Spring Break! Or is it?

I woke up this morning only to look out my window and see SNOW! So much for "Spring" break.

I feel that this spring break has been very rewarding. I have done two events this break...the Reality Check with Danvers High seniors and the NCBI training. I enjoyed doing both of these events because I love to work with people within a group setting. I have been so busy this break with school work and the regular life stresses that I just need a day to myself or a real vacation! I wish I could of gone away like everyone else does when they are a freshman in college! I feel kind of left out. When everyone comes back from Canada or Aruba and asks what I did this vacation, I am going to tell them I sat in my kiddie pool in my backyard during the warm days and read The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. I wonder what they will think of me?
To be completely honest, I cannot wait for school again on Monday! I miss my friends so much! Everyone is off busy doing their own thing...so I want to hear about your vacation experience! I hope it was more eventful and exciting than mine!

TALENT SHOW: APRIL 2ND ...wait --what!? where?!

Hello everyone,
I've recently been interested in the talent show--- and I know it's going to be a huge success!
I've been at 2 talent show auditions, and all I've seen were great! Unfortunately, not many people showed up... and I personally think not many people knew about it.

When going to classes and walking around the school in my Presidential Scholar shirt, people were asking me what club I was from, and of course, I told them the Presidential Scholars. Then, they asked me what I was doing in the program, and I told them that currently, ---- the talent show auditions. Most reactions were the same, "what? there's a talent show?".

I know the students and faculty advertise and work hard to try and let everyone know of these things, but something is just not working. I would think, that a college of thousands would get more of a response with this type of event. Just in my speech class alone, some students spoke about talents/activities, and hobbies they participate in or do. One student loved to breakdance, and even showed the class some of his skills, while another student's musical talents were impressive considering he has recorded a CD in a professional recording studio, and is considered somewhat of a celebrity in certain parts of South America. Neat, huh?

Honestly, sometimes I'm in a rush, and do not check the Pipeline bulletins, and do not have time to check out signs around the buildings.
What about the Presidential Scholars? Our group could maybe make announcements in classes before class? What do you all think about this? Would students like to be aware about certain major events by word of mouth rather than leaving it up to finding it out?
Sorry if I seem negative, but it's sort of sad that not a lot of people know about certain things. hmmmm...

-Kristen

Meeting Deval Patrick

As fellow Presidential Scholars Angela, Megan, Katelyn and I stood beside President Burton, Governor Deval Patrick, Secretary Ian Bowles, Commissioner Philip Giudice, DCAM Commissioner David Perini, and Representative Ted Speliotis I felt a numbing sensation through my body. It was such a wonderful experience to be introduced to the crowd as Presidential Scholars. Governor Patrick announced Commonwealth Clean Energy Investment Program and Commissioner David Perini introduced and explained the new financing plan that will help the Commonwealth save thousands of dollars in energy costs. The crowd was enthused by the politician's words of reassurance and power as cameras flashed. I was so glad that my mentor was only a few feet away watching at the scholars represented NSCC. After shaking hands and introducing ourselves to Governor Patrick, Angela, Megan, Katelyn, President Burton and I took a picture with the Governor! It was such a great experience! I felt so honored to be a part of the event. As I told Joanne, I was beyond excited and nervous. As we were standing in front of everyone, I could feel myself turning red. My friends said I was not as red as a tomato so I was okay. :) I'm so glad that we were able to meet the Governor and that he spent time with students shaking hands and playing ping pong in the Student Life Lounge. I have never seen such a thing! After all the commotion was over, the girls and I helped clean up the event by putting signs away and keeping people away from the tables that were set up with coffee!

Altogether, it was a lot of fun! I cannot wait for the next event!

The Storm

I hope my professors don’t read this. If they do, im sorry, but I had to relieve myself of school life for one day of snowboarding. That’s because this entire season has been terrible for snow conditions. However this past week the most amazing double hitting storm came our way.

Tuesday brought about predictions of snow and rain for most of the northeast, however as most storms have been going, this one turned to rain as well. Except in the peaks of the White Mountains. Namely mount Washington and its surrounding peaks. By Thursday they had received a foot and a half of snow, excellent conditions for any snow enthusiast. By Thursday I decided it was time to cancel my weekend plans and hit the slopes. I drove up to a friend’s house to spend the night not knowing about the absolute devastation on the way.

As we got psyched (excited) for Friday’s 3ft of snow powder day, the wind started to pick up. Soon enough the power went out. It’s a good thing we had a wood fireplace, otherwise we would have froze.

I woke to a very rainy 5am sky. Trees and branches were everywhere. It was pretty bad, however not nearly bad as what lay in wait for me back home in Gloucesta. We however proceeded unhindered by the rain, lack of power, and tree filled streets. By 8am we arrived to the most epic day of snowboarding at Wildcat Mountain. While everyone else (and that includes northern VT) got rain, Wildcat received 3.5 FEET of snow. To make a long story longer, we had the most amazing day of snowboarding ever. That day was ranked the number one value of the Century. We paid 9 dollars to ski 8 hours in snow above our knees. I got stuck once and couldn’t see my waist. Thirty minutes later I was panting and sweating down the mountain.

Anyways, enough about the awesome time I had while the rest of you poor souls were studying math and whatnot. When I arrived back in Gloucesta I realized how amazing the storm had really been. In my opinion, only a few storms in the past 50 years have done more damage than this one. Outside my house once stood 2 huge (2-3 story) pine trees. They now lay across a nearby parking lot. The same is true for about 100 other trees in the area. All knocked down, roots and all, because of the extreme 85mph winds and supersaturated ground. Then there was the damage my amazing 4star motel received, (which I’ve been fixing ever since) roofing and trees everywhere. At least the vista motel is still intact. That can’t be said one of the motels on the backshore, whose entire roof came off (more business for us). All in all, the storm did some serious damage and left 229,000 residents without power. To bad for them, I had an awesome time snowboarding.

"All men are created equal"

As it is stated in the Declaration of Independence, all men are created equal. Of course, women are too but back in those days women were out of luck with that one. Regardless of that fact, we are all created "equal".

What I have never understood about life is how as a human race, we can be so judgmental of one another. Be judge each other by skin color, sexual orientation, race, gender and religious beliefs. Did our founding fathers no say in 1776 that we were all created equal? Sure back then it may of been in a different context but words are words and they mean the same thing. How are be supposed to function in society if we do not take each other for who and what we are? Is it moral to judge each other by appearances and beliefs? Is it moral to judge someone if they prefer the same sex or if their skin is darker than someone elses? With the world the way it is today, economical crumbling, why not come together as one, all biases aside? Why is it so hard to forget the past and move on forward to the future?

In college I have seen change. I have seen myself and others around me grow into mature, intellectual, passionate people. What if one day we could change the world as students and try to take away the biases that still linger in our country today?

We are all created equal. No one human is greater than another. I believe that as students, if we work together, we can create a world full of freedom and pride of who we are and what we should be able to accomplish as a country and growing society. We have the power to transform ourselves and other around us into more accepting group of individuals. Why not start to make the change now while we are still young and still growing?

Forgetfulness

I'll be honest, I totally forgot that I had to write a blog until my mom reminded me the night before it was due. I was getting ready to fall asleep when my mom yelled, "your blog is due tomorrow!" Well thanks for telling me now when I'm in bed and I was walking around all night trying to figure put what I could do with my time before I go to bed. But it is my responsibility, sometimes I just forget. If I don't have the important thing written down on something that I check all the time then I'll probably forget about it, unless it's like a big test or 10 page paper that I'd be insane to forget about. Those things I can't seem to forget, not that I try or anything.

My parents use to say I forget because I want to forget, or I just don't care about things like school or chores. Then I would reply, no sometimes I just forget, doesn't everyone forget something sometimes? And they would reply with the familiar state that if it was a song, or artist that I really liked I would remember it, and make sure I didn't forget it. Which is half true. I'm not the type that needs to know everything about an artist to the point where it's considered stalking but if I'm curious about something I'll look it up and I'll usually will remember it because I made an effort to look it up. And with songs more often then not they just stick in my brain, whether I want them to or not.

Like I'll hear a song once and then I'll hear it again, and I'll be able to sing a few words and hum the chorus, which will lead my parents to think I've heard the song 50 times, then I'll tell them I only heard it once. They usually don't believe me. It's not like I want to forget the important things I have to do, it's just that I temd to remember the things that I like and in the hustle and bustle of life the things that I don't nessesarily like are pushed to the back of my mind, they're probably there I just don't think about them. Some people have the problem of procrastinating, I have no problem with that. I map out my schedule in my mind and figure out when I can get my work done. I do have the problem of forgetting until the last minute and then making it seem like I'm procrastinating but I really just forgot. I just have to rember to write everything down in a place that I always look, or write the important things down in multiple places and where I would least expect it and then be surprised and reminded at the same time! I think it all comes down to prioritizing, and once I get all my priorities straight, I'll have no problem remembering important things.

How to be thankful

I want everyone to try something that I tried earlier today. I was talking to a close friend of mine who I have met here at NSCC and she told me to do something to help me grasp hold onto my life. (Mind you, she is the most comedic person I have ever met and it was hard for me to take her seriously).

She told me: "I want you to step out of your body (not literately) and look at your life as an outsider. Look at your life in it's entirety and you will notice a few things. You will see things in a different perspective. Things are not always as they seem to be and sometimes you have to listen to the person whose on the outside looking in. You do not notice your mistakes, you do not think you are doing certain things wrong and you do not always see how your life can impact another's." Needless to say, she was right. (As always).

While I looked from what she referred to as the "outside" I noticed that I should be more thankful for my life. I saw some mistakes I had been making and realized that I need to make more of an effort to get things in order. I also saw the beauty in some of the things I have done and people I have chose to share my life with. I am incredibly thankful for what and who I have in my life at this moment in time. I am thankful for the opportunities that have come to me. I took so many things for granted and I took myself for granted.

For awhile I did not see what my life truly consisted of. I am considerably lucky for the life I have. In order to become truly thankful for what you have, you have to look at your life from the outside. From the inside, you see the black and white details and but do not always see the color of your life. It is color in your life that blocks out the gray, shady areas that may make your life seem dim. So take a step back, become thankful, and see the colors of your life.

KRISTEN: BACK IN THE BLOG

Kristen: Back in the Blog

Well hello fellow bloggers and readers! --Hope everyone had a fabulous winter break!—minus the weather. I actually went to Florida... to Disney World… and it was about 30 degrees on some days. The Florida people didn’t know what to do and how to handle the cold! Crazy! But anyways…

Back into the swing of things. I think of a new semester as a new year sometimes – resolutions. I always think of things that I would want to do differently or new goals I want to set for myself. What are some of your “resolutions”? I personally want to devote more time to activities.

I actually just became the Assistant Director of the PSIence Society last semester. The PSIence Society, (pronounced: science society) is a new group/club in the school that examines the consciousness of the mind, and links it to science, quantum mechanics, and physics. (No science or physics background is necessary)
It’s really neat how we talk about meditation, experiences, and new discoveries/research that are being done regarding states of consciousness, awareness, and interpretations. In addition to this, we talk about different abilities that come from these states of consciousness like remote viewing, ESP, telepathy, psychokinesis...Etc. There is also a chance for individual testing to see one’s potential, and to see if one has any unique spiritual gifts.

If you would like to become a part of this new group, you can email the club at PSIenceSociety@gmail.com. We meet at the Danvers campus bi-weekly, and are hoping to host meditation classes for stress relief with other clubs soon. The first meeting has not been announced, and our advisor is Mr. Sean Hanlon.

If you are currently involved in any clubs or groups, list them!--I'm interested to see how everyone is involved...and what other interesting clubs/groups Northshore has!

Cheers to a new, happy, enjoyable, and safe semester!
-Kristen

First Days

The first two days of school have been great. I am taking five classes consisting of world civilizations 2, spanish 2, algebra 2, composition 2, biology and of course the mandatory biology lab. I guess that actually comes out to six classes... It is a big responsibility and I am nervous for the transition. Luckily, I have three teachers who I had during first semester and they seemed to be happy that I chose them as my teachers for the second sequence of the courses. The other two teachers that I have seem really nice. My math teacher is very funny and out going. She makes math fun. I never thought I would use the words "math" and "fun" in the same sentence. Unfortunately, my biology teacher is in Kenya directing a foundation she founded that helps children with disabilities. She left us a video introducing herself and I really appreciated the fact that she took the time to do that. She has one of her old professors that she had in college substituting for her. The substitute was polite to us and was honored that my teacher asked him to take over for her until she comes back (which should be by next week?) He introduced us to the basics of biology and gave an interesting and intellectual lecture about human life and nature. I never thought college would interest me as much as it does. I am so glad I chose to come to North Shore. :)

I want to know how everyone else is doing and how their past two days have been so far. (Positive or Negative...PLEASE leave out names as I have done. No need to hurt feelings!)

Words To Live By

The Mayonnaise Jar and Coffee

On Sunday, I was getting ready to leave my job at Walgreens and head down to the South Shore with my boyfriend for his mother's birthday. Before punching out, I noticed a piece of paper taped onto the wall next to the office door. I walked towards it, curious of what it said. The title was "The Mayonnaise Jar and Coffee". I thought to myself, "Hey, that is a funny title for a story" and I began to read it. It stated...

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar... and the coffee...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, " I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things-your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions-things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else-the small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

I thought that this was true, and I began to think about it. Why not let go of the little things and focus on what is important to us most? Things that family, close friends and your beliefs. Do not let the little things like stress get you down. Life is too short to fill your jar with sand.

2010 is here!

Finally a new year has come! 2009 was a hard year for me, and I am really glad it is over. A new beginning is on it's way for this spring semester. I am looking forward to meeting new people and doing more scholar events. I hate that my life is so busy and hectic because it is hard to fit in events and keep on top of work, school, my social life and my sanity. I get stressed out very easily, and expect myself to keep up with everything and maintain being good at what I do. One thing that has helped with my stress is my new boss at work. My old manager was mean and miserable but the new manager is really out going and helpful. She is a great addition to our staff! I am actually looking forward to working with her to see how things play out.

I am nervous for school, as always. I have faith in myself, and I am looking forward to seeing what I can achieve. The more I look into UMASS Boston (the school I plan on transferring to when I graduate from NSCC), the more excited I get about my future. I consider myself to be a fairly lucky girl. I am young and have the world in my hands. I have been focusing on my writing and reading more books. I have also been doing research about career choices for my major which will be Social Psychology when I go to UMASS Boston.

For 2010, I have chosen to look on the bright side more often. Instead of freaking out and giving myself a panic attack, I am going to logically figure out the tasks at hand. Nothing in life is perfect, so I have to deal with it and get over it. All I can do is live for today and hope for tomorrow. I might get stuck along the way, but I know there will be better days not too far away.

Enjoy your vacation folks, it will over sooner than later!

A Perfectly Good Heart

During this winter break, I decided to go through some old "rubbish" I had laying throughout my disaster of a bedroom. Within my room I found things from my previous years of high school. Old projects, homework assignments, pictures and letters from friends (and exes) that brought back many memories, good and bad. While rummaging through the clutter I realized that high school was a truly grueling experience for me. For the four treacherous years that I was at Stoneham High School, I went through hell and back. Whether it was with teachers, friends, stress or just the overwhelming realization that what I did in high school would ultimately have a huge impact on the rest of my life. I struggled with my acne and self esteem, confiding in writing and music. I found comfort in friends who turned into enemies and realized that life is not always fair. I no longer let these memories haunt me. Instead, I learn from them and I decided to move on from it by discarding some of these items...

Although I got adequate grades in high school, I never felt that I was smart or somewhat of a good student until I got into the Presidential Scholars Program at NSCC. The effect the program has had on my life has been amazing and I have met some of the most wonderful people in the world. I feel like I have finally felt a place where I can be myself. I had a big personal break through at the last meeting when I came out as being bisexual, something I have struggled with for many years because of not being accepted for it by certain friends and family. The encouragement and feeling of weight being lifted off my shoulders was enormous and a great life changing experience.

I wish I could be flawless, perfection at its greatest. But I know that I am just a girl who grew up in a small town twenty minutes north of Boston with the perfectly good heart full of love and a back bone stronger than concrete. I am proud of who I am and what I have accomplished. NSCC and the people I have met have made me see how much I am able to accomplish and overcome in such a short amount of time. I am a hard worker and believe that as a person I have changed for the better. I am on a road to better and greater things. My first semester of college has taught me to leave the bad and grab onto the good. Your past should not make you into who you are going to be. I get to choose who I want to be and who I want in my life along for the journey into my new beginning.