Another year just blew past. 

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t happy that this school year was over. My disinterest in the topics of the classes I was in (with one exception—shout-out to Dave Mayer and MO321 for a great, great class on Leadership that I highly suggest people take) was getting out of control and I don’t ever remember feeling so aggravated about school. So once 6:00PM hit yesterday and I ran out of my last exam of the year, I was actually jumping up and down. In the excitement that I was finally done with my junior year and that it was summer.

But as always, there’s a catch. With my junior year behind me, which means I’m a rising senior. Which means one year from now, I will be in graduation mode. Knowing me, I’ll be in tears every day knowing that I will no longer be a student at the University of Michigan. I think I’m ready and excited to see what the real world has to offer but the thought of leaving Ann Arbor is a depressing one. I can’t imagine what it’ll feel like but in a year, I’ll know.

Looking back on junior year, as much as I couldn’t stand many parts of second semester, it was the best yet at Michigan. And I learned a lot.

So highlights, lowlights and interesting lights….

First semester classes were incredible and made me at peace with my career path as well as satisfied that other fields (i.e. finance) truly weren’t for me. Everything about marketing still resonated with me and it was a relief to know it was what I wanted. Couldn’t have asked for a better September through December.

I think getting the internship with Procter & Gamble was hands-down my biggest achievement of the year. I set P&G as my goal so far as first semester sophomore year and I worked my tail off to get it. I joke that P&G is the “Goldman” for marketing and brand management, and while that was the original reason I wanted them due to their incredible reputation, it came down to fit at the end. I just could see myself there when I was at their offices and really connected with the recruiters whereas other places, I just didn’t feel it. Gotta love the feeling of achievement. And relief. I’m really excited to see what P&G and Cincinnati have to offer me this summer. I know I’m going to be challenged and pushed to the limit but I welcome it. I’m so ready to make the most of it.

Something about becoming a mentor to friends and students younger than me is cool. And weird. I had to write a paper at the end of the semester for that MO 321 class and in it, I spoke about my mentors and what I gained from them. But I realized at the same time, I liked giving advice on things I was familiar with. Being a peer coach next year is going to be really exciting and I’m actually pumped to get to coach other kids. I was in their shoes a year or two ago which is crazy to think about. Going along with advice, I can’t believe I got the opportunity to speak to MBAs this year who came to me…for advice. Like…what?! They’re older than me and I complain about them but they genuinely wanted to hear what I had to say. Isn’t that absurd! From wanting to know more about Under Armour to figuring out how to use social media, I’ve had talks with MBAs about everything. The thing is…people genuinely want to connect and hear from other students, regardless of if they’re younger. So I was humbled and quieted my MBA complaints…a little bit anyway.

Moving on, I got to witness and be a part of an insane student government election. Absurdity is the best way to describe it. How fun it was at times to be a part of and how awful it was in other parts. I didn’t even run and I’m pretty sure my emotions were shot by the end of it. So I can’t even imagine what it must of felt like to actually be a candidate (whew! Props to you all!). But the process left me even more stubbornly proud of who I was friends with and who I supported. Honestly though, regardless of if you agree/disagree or don’t even care about the outcome, I think it’ll be an incredible year for CSG. So so soooo many ideas on the table from all sides that can be agreed on, and that can make an impact on campus. All of these kids, regardless of if I personally voted for them or not, are all so damn passionate about the University of Michigan and its students, and the rest of us would be foolish not to support that. I’m actually really excited to see what CSG does this year. if you’re reading this, you should be too. Keep an eye out. We’ll see.

Also, doing the social media part of the campaign was also a lot of fun, no lies there. But it was also one of my last stunts in digital/social media marketing. I believe I will have just one more to do for Ross Career Services, and I’ll be done. I’m really done with it and even kind of sick of it. I thoroughly enjoy it as a hobby and do it during elections was not only fun, but brought out my competitive side, which has always been to my favor with being more creative. Digital will always be in my heart and always be something I’m passionate about, but doing it as a job is both utterly time-consuming (you really have NO idea until you’ve had to go through it) and not something I can see myself doing as a career. So if you’re a looking for a Tweeter or a Facebooker…I’m your girl no more.

Being promoted as a head intern for the Marketing Department for Athletics is something I’m still learning to adapt to. It was an internal struggle I was faced with all year. It was something I had wanted so badly at the end of last school year and didn’t get. But I got offered it in January and obviously accepted. The time commitment this semester was so incredibly hard on me and I wasn’t happy for some time to be frank. But it’s never been my personality to go out on a low note and quit, and I don’t plan on doing that now. And it was partially my fault for so willingly accepting so much right off the bat, knowing that with school and group projects, I might be in a time crunch. But I didn’t leave. That and…let’s be real, I love these the intern crew and the entire Marketing Department to pieces so I’d never abandon them. Just trying to learn and get into a new groove of more responsibility, trying to be more formal, and managing others. It’s a work-in-progress, but something I’m ready to continue to be a part of and work at next year. And besides, we’re an intern fam.

Okay onto more of the stuff that’s exciting and less “deep” if you will. Michigan basketball and going to the Final Four…I don’t even know what else to say than that. I wrote a post about what it felt like earlier but it all just feels like a dream to me. I’ve told people that I have a lot of sports fans goals but the biggest ones are to: 1) go to all 4 tennis grand slams, 2) go to an Olympics, 3) see Michigan Football in a Rose Bowl and 4) see Michigan Basketball in a Final Four. Okay to be completely frank with you, I really thought I’d get the 2) and 3) done before I ever saw Michigan Basketball in a Final Four.  But they completely surpassed anyone’s expectations, and to my delight, I got to see them in the NCAA 2nd and 3rd rounds in Auburn Hills, but also in the Final Four. I really will cherish being down there in ATL cheering on my Wolverines forever. Wow. Just wow…That will go down as the best experience I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of in college (so far). 

Senior Year…

And so it all ends in a year. There’s nothing to be said or done to make me not cry in a year or be filled with nostalgia. It’s just who I am. I’m so ready to be a big girl with a job. It’ll be tough, but I think I’m ready. It’s the idea of leaving Michigan that’s worrying for me. Not being a student and lounging in Ross every day. Not getting to scream with my friends in the Big House, and Crisler in the student section. 

But wait…I still have a year. I always get so caught up with what will happen after graduation that I keep forgetting that I really do have one more year. 

I plan to make a bucket list this summer for my last year in Ann Arbor. A mix of things I want to do again and of course things I haven’t done yet. There’s just so many things to still do and see here, and making a list will force me and remind me to go out and do it. 

A year from now, I hope to be sitting here typing, mascara mixed with tears running down my face, sniffling and hicupping…with no regrets. With nothing I would rather do over. With only things I wish I could relive exactly the same. With more happy memories. With gained knowledge both in and out of the classroom. And with the happiness of knowing that I graduate from the best damn university in the whole world, the University of Michigan.

2013-2014…bring it on. 

All I remember is my jaw dropped before I scrambled to find my phone and called my mom.

“Mom? I’m going to Atlanta next weekend.”

It had taken me less than a minute after the final buzzer of the Elite Eight game between Florida and my Michigan Wolverines to make that decision and make that phone call. 

If you had told me in January that I’d get to see Michigan Basketball make it to the Final Four before I’d get to see Michigan Football make it back to the Rose Bowl in my time at the University, I probably would have given you a weird look before laughing. It wasn’t that I thought it was impossible. It was just that I (and everyone else except for Dick Vitale apparently) thought it was incredibly improbable. Indiana, Duke, Kansas, Louisville, Miami, Georgetown and even Ohio State and Michigan State just all looked too good for us to have a shot. Our seeding wasn’t what we had wanted and our performance in the Big Ten tournament didn’t help push away the doubts. And to put it even more pessimistically, while I’ve been here at Michigan, we’ve made it to the Round of 32 before losing to Duke in 2011 and embarrassingly lost to Ohio (no, like…actual Ohio…not the Buckeyes..) in a huge upset last year. That one STILL is painful.

Even while filling out brackets, my friends were pegging us to lose to SDSU. If not to SDSU, then to VCU. And if not to VCU, then definitely Kansas. I didn’t have the heart to have us losing to anyone so I put us winning the whole thing. Somewhat of a joke at the time, somewhat of a “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” And I looked through my Facebook messages yesterday and saw that I had been joking with a friend on January 31 that if Michigan made it to Atlanta, I’d come with and stay with him.

But somehow…we made it. We made it to Atlanta. One game at a time we shocked everyone. The Kansas one being the most shocking and probably will go down as one of the most memorable games I’ve ever seen in all of Michigan Athletics. I had screamed and even cried after Trey hit that three, and for us to win it? Man, that seemed like that was enough at the time. But it was Florida after that and with the ease we beat them with, I felt like this team truly deserved to take it all. They deserved to be in that championship game and fight to bring the trophy home.

A couple friends and I trekked down to Atlanta, and didn’t complain once about the 11+ hour drive down. It was all part of this crazy experience, a once in a lifetime experience. I was on Cloud 9 and felt goosebumps every time I stepped into the Georgia Dome. I have never felt so nervous for someone other than myself in my entire life like I felt for our team. They deserved to be there. They earned the right to be there. And I felt so blessed that I got the chance to cheer them on. 

I surprised myself by not crying when we lost the final game to a Louisville team that was just too good. Tears had almost come as we made the quiet walk back to where we were staying at Georgia Tech but they didn’t fall. I think it was because I was too proud of this team for making it that far. And I wasn’t about to cry sad tears because I knew that this basketball team, Team 96, had made my college experience that much more magical. They had refuted every doubt in my mind and made me feel a foolishness of ever not believing in them. I think every Michigan fan was humbled by this team. To never give up on them until the final buzzer sounded and to not count them out before it even started. I think they reassured us to believe, that they were going to turn this program around and to buckle up for a crazy ride.

Who can say that as a student they got to see their school make it to the Final Four and win to go to the Championship in person? The list of students that can say this isn’t a long one but I am on that list.

Thank you Michigan Basketball for giving me, hands-down, the best experience of my college career. I really can’t think of anything that will beat this last weekend as a student…but then again, I now know better than to count you out for 2014.

Go Blue.

IT’S OFFICIAL: I AM ONE STEP CLOSER TO MY DREAM OF MICHAEL PROPPE BEING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES COMING TRUE!!!!!!!

Had to make this tumblr official because in all seriousness I am SO happy and excited that my buddy Michael Proppe is running for president of University of Michigan CSG with youMICH. This usually isn’t my thing to get involved with student government elections but hear me out: NO ONE DESERVES IT MORE AND NO ONE WILL DO A BETTER JOB THAN MICHAEL PROPPE.

Easily the most likable person I know; easily the most reliable, hard-working and trustworthy person I know. If I’m going to let anyone be the student leader of the BEST school in the country, it’s going to be Proppe.

This is hands down easiest and best choice I’ll make: I’m voting for Michael Proppe for President, Bobby Dishell for Vice President and the rest of youMICH on March 27-28! And you know what? You should too :) Because ya know… it’s all about YOU.

PROPPE&BOBBY2013, LEGGO. 

Interviewing and recruiting is officially over for me, and I couldn’t be happier or more relieved. I’m excited for a summer in Cincinnati because I know being with Procter & Gamble will be an incredible experience, and I worked so hard to get there. 

Throughout these last few months and recruiting season, I learned two things: I keep cool and I keep it real.  

Keeping Cool

I didn’t really realize this until someone pointed it out to me a week ago but I’ve been surprisingly calm during all of the recruiting process. I’ve felt stressed, sure, but haven’t lost my cool and have been relatively relaxed. I knew what I wanted, I set my goals, I prepared myself early and I took the steps to get feedback from friends and Career Services for interviewing. I only missed class once and that was just Monday in Milwaukee, so I was never stressed about catching up. I made sure I knew my priorities, which I think helped me calm down. And everyone I met who I made a good connection with made me comfortable and allowed me to be myself.

It helped not talking too much about recruiting during recruiting. I was unfazed about competition and really just concentrated on getting myself through instead of worrying about if others would get through too. I figured the company knew best who would fit with them and so if I didn’t make a cut, it just wasn’t meant to be. I also was selective about what I applied to. I think in total, I ended up being picky and only applying to 5 places, two of which were my absolute top choices and were the two I stuck with till the very end. With that, I was able to concentrate on just those 5, know about the companies, and have a rather flexible schedule during interviewing. 

Keeping It Real

I’ve never been the girl to fake it to make it. The “networking” definition from the business school mentality is schmoozing to get a job. And that is just so uncomfortable for me. I’ve always dreaded it, it’s awkward, and I hate it. Instead, I value real relationships and not wanting to know someone just because they could get you a job.

I found that throughout the process, I was genuine when I wanted to get to meet the recruiters and employees, sincere in wanting to hear their stories and I got comfortable with a few people that I made real and great relationships with. Those people were so earnest and incredible to me that I’m humbled that they took so much time out of their days to get to know me as well. I appreciated all the feedback I was given, and it was great because with the companies I pursued, I felt completely at ease in interviews, lunches, dinners, and corporate visits with those people. 

I also tried to be as honest as I possibly could through the process with not only others, but myself. I originally had 2 top choices and after the corporate presentation to one, I was shocked and found I didn’t like them. It was a weird moment because originally I had really felt like I wanted to work for them but with the vibe I got from the company, I really couldn’t see myself there. And with that, I kept an open mind for other companies that ended up climbing the ranks and made me really appreciate the corporate culture of places I probably wouldn’t have thought about working at before. I ended up gaining so much more respect to those companies, one of which replaced the other one I didn’t like as one of my top choices.

And at the end of the process, I needed to be honest with myself and others on making a final decision. Again, I’ve never been one to fake it and leading someone on is also not the way I operate. As said before, there were 5 I applied for, but only two that I really wanted. Once I got an offer from a top choice, I bowed out gracefully from the process for 3 of them so that in the chance I was going to get an offer from them, they could give it to someone else. And in the end, it was between my top two who were both great and incredible companies. But I had to be honest with myself and made a really really really tough decision that I’m pretty sure I teared up about because I just knew how difficult it was going to be to turn it down. I just knew in my gut that one of them would be a better fit for me and so I decided to go full force and go with it. It was so so so exciting finally making a decision but also a little nerve-wrecking as I had to turn the other down. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do to tell my decision to people I so respected and developed great relationships with. But I think I handled it the best I could have, I haven’t burnt any bridges (which I am so relieved about) and I think I matured because of the experience.

Looking back, I don’t think I would change anything I did through these last few months. I got to meet some incredible people, learn about amazing companies, find out what I wanted and didn’t want, got to eat great food (just kidding…but actually the food was GREAT), but most importantly, I’m so incredibly happy with my decision and really excited for what the summer has in store for me at P&G! It’s great to see that hard work really does pay off and that mentality will move on through the summer as I know I’ll have to work even harder in Cincinnati.

So if there’s any advice I could give to my sophomore buddies who will be going through this process next year or anyone else going through an internship search… keep your cool and keep it real.

Maybe it’s just a bad memory but I can’t ever remember a football game that we’ve lost with under 30 seconds remaining on the clock. As a student that is.

We have been so fortunate to always be on the other side. Think Illinois 2010 where we went into triple OT just to win that crazy game. And who can forget Notre Dame 2011 where Roy Roundtree caught the game winning touchdown with just 8 seconds remaining on the clock. Even this year with the field goal to win MSU and the score to bring us into OT against Northwestern. We have always been on the winning side. The happy side. The “HAHA man would it suck to be them” side.

But now, I know what it feels like. Truly. To think you had it and then just watch it crumble. Like Illinois, Notre Dame, MSU and Northwestern felt. Crushing. It really was.

I usually can watch SportsCenter after a loss of ours. Yes I feel bitter but it’s not too bad. Today I couldn’t. I didn’t want to see the highlights or the top plays. It was just too sad for me.

It’s weird being on this side but I guess not everything always goes your way. You really can’t win them all. But I am thrilled at how they played against the SEC. I am so honored, proud and thrilled that I have gotten to witness so many times the unbelievable efforts of Denard Robinson, Roy Roundtree, Jordan Kovacs and all the other seniors of Team 133. They have made my college experience so much better. Through those crazy “Curse you Denard for almost giving me a heart attack!” moments to those where we just dominate another team, I can’t thank them enough for being great leaders, and being classy on and off the field.

How lucky were we to have guys like them?

I wish the Team 133 seniors the absolute best in their future endeavors. Leaders & Best. Go Blue and Beyond.

This was by far one of the most challenging but rewarding years of my life. College doesn’t get any easier but it sure is a lot of fun with good friends, fun work, and not witnessing a loss of either Michigan Football or Basketball at home! 2012 was a great year and I hope that I can either learn from or build off of everything that happened this year to me.

When it comes to school, I still consider myself more than blessed to go to a school like Michigan. 2012 in Ann Arbor has just made me love my school that much more (yes, it is possible!). Just a few days ago I was back at my high school talking to the students about how the business program at my high school had shaped me into who I am today (and I really do owe so much to them). But a girl came up to me after I had finished speaking and asked me simply,

What made you choose Michigan?

And I was taken-aback by it. Because as someone who’s from the State of Michigan, I can’t say I get asked the question often, unlike my Californian or New York friends. So I’m not used to answering the question. I just remember that I applied to four schools, but it came down to Michigan and Georgetown for me. Two polar opposite schools when it came to size, culture, and location. My whole thing in high school was that I wanted to get away from Michigan. Georgetown had a pretty campus, I really loved DC and I had family close by that area. Being in suburban Michigan for so long was really taking a toll on me and I was getting so bored. So in that sense, Georgetown was perfect for me.

But once I actually thought about it, Michigan really had everything I needed. I needed to be at a big school. I went to a relatively large high school and I was used to that atmosphere and liked the challenge of knowing as many people as I could. I liked always getting to meet new people and never being forced to be around the same people day-in and day-out. Michigan was clearly large enough for that. 

Education was a big part of it as well. With a preferred admittance to the Ross School of Business, it would be hard to decline. Business and marketing were things I had wanted since my sophomore year of high school. Knowing exactly what I wanted to do since I was 15 and showing my passion for it had gotten me in and I couldn’t just forget that. The education I’d get at Ross would be first-class and I knew my tuition would be worth it.

The next one was spirit and culture. Not that Georgetown didn’t have it but Michigan soared off the charts when it came to spirit. School spirit had always been my thing and that was a big deal for me to have at whatever school I went to. The traditions of Michigan were so defined that I really could appreciate it and liked that aspect as well. Not to mention as a sports fan, Michigan was by far one of the best schools to go.

And I finally decided that maybe being in the State of Michigan wouldn’t be so bad. I was far enough away in Ann Arbor to be myself, away from my family..but at the same time, if I really had the urge to go home on a weekend or two, it would be easily doable. And although I didn’t appreciate that as much at the time, I really do now!

So in the end…I chose Michigan. It was clearly the best decision I ever made. 

And here I am, two and a half years after my first day of college, typing to you my experiences for 2012. Michigan’s done me well this year and has continued to surprise me, even when I think I’ve figured it all out. I am still amazed to see that the friendships I’ve built from freshmen year just continue to get stronger and stronger every day, and I know for a fact that even after I graduate, I’ll be able to call these people my very best friends and keep in touch with them. And even classes have surprised me. Kind of anyway. I knew I was going to hate Finance right off the bat and love Marketing. Go figure on that one. But as much as I hated Finance, I was surprised to find out how much I actually learned from it. It still isn’t interesting in the slightest bit to me but I did learn from it and didn’t do nearly as bad as I thought I would. But speaking of classes, I’ve also realized how spoiled we are with good professors, especially at Ross. I appreciate the hard work and passion they have just to teach us and enlighten us. I don’t know how they have the patience to do it but I’m sure glad they do. So this is a big shout-out to the professors I’ve had this year, especially the ones I’ve bonded with. From all your students (not just me!), thank you.

I feel as though, for some reason, this year was the year that I broadened my network farther than I ever had. I’ve never been a fan of the business school mindset of “networking” because I believe in building real relationships. And I’m proud to say that I have done that with the people I’ve met in 2012. 

2012 was also the year of work. This summer at Under Armour was definitely one to remember. Baltimore was an amazing time even though I felt like I was on the move so much that I didn’t get to appreciate the city as much as I wish I could have. Working at UA was a huge challenge but I thrive under pressure. Meeting all of the people from Under Armour, hanging out with all the interns, being at the company, going to the All-Star Game, working through both frustrations and huge successes taught me so much more than I thought I would learn. The experience was invaluable and I consider myself so incredibly fortunate to have had it. Thank you, Under Armour and everyone who was a part of this memorable summer! 

There have been many successes in 2012 accompanied by just as many failures. But my ability to learn from my mistakes has improved greatly and this year truly exposed me to the saying of, “Everything happens for a reason.” Everything negative this year turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Taking a risk in February ended with me getting an internship at an unbelievable company. Not getting a position for something this fall turned out to be the greatest gift as I wouldn’t have been able to put the time I had wanted into it because of how busy I was with everything else. I’ve learned to take life as it comes and work for everything I want.

So, what do I wish for for 2013? Well, on a snobby Wolverine level (just let me be, okay!) I wish for a continued successful season from Michigan Basketball and to shock everyone with a National Championship. Laugh all you want, but I think this squad has the best chance we’ve had in a VERY long time. I also hope that Michigan Football’s Team 134 will have us all smelling roses and it would be a great belated 21st birthday gift if Michigan would beat Ohio State in front of my own eyes as it will be my last ever game at Michigan Stadium as a University of Michigan student. 

I also, on a more serious level, wish success to all my friends in their ventures. Whether it be getting that perfect internship, starting that business they’ve been looking to begin or to accomplish that dream of traveling, I want it to come true for them. I wish for my family to stay healthy and happy, and hope they have a great time traveling…even if it is without me. 

But for me? I just hope to keep doing what I’m doing. To keep seizing opportunities and to keep working hard as I know first-hand that hard work does pay off. I hope to spend the rest of my junior year and the beginning of my senior year making good memories as I know they will be some of my fondest. I have a feeling 2013 will be a good one.  

With that…

Cheers to 2012, and Happy New Year!

Another year has passed and I’m sitting here in awe at how it just keeps getting better and better. I’m still full from dinner, healthy, very happy and shopped-out from early bird specials at Black Friday. I do apologize for this being late but yesterday was a bit of a busy day. And so, to not delay it anymore, here is what I’m thankful for:

The University of Michigan. Yes, I’m obsessed with my school. Yes, I talk about it all the time. I love my school and I’m proud of it. Thank you to the University of Michigan for all the incredible opportunities it has given me. “Opportunities” can be defined as something as simple as showing me what spirit truly is when I see 114,000 people bleed maize and blue on football Saturdays. It can also be the amazing resources that the Ross School of Business has to offer including the most incredible professors that I feel fortunate to have and top-notch recruiting that gives me an incredible opportunity to be employed when I graduate. It can also come in form of the Athletic Department which I don’t even know where I’d be right now if I wasn’t a part of it. Yes…even when passing out pom poms does suck. I am lucky to have something to be so damn passionate about. I cannot believe that I’m graduating in a year and a half and the thought of it is really dreadful but I know because of Michigan, doors will be open to places I could only dream of elsewhere. Thank you Michigan & Forever, Go Blue.

And then there are the friends. From those who are stuck with me for what feels like 24/7 in Ann Arbor to those I only get to see once a year, I am thankful for the awesome relationships we have. Friendship is what I value almost over everything else because I genuinely want to build relationships. Using people is never my thing and never will be. I’m blessed to have spent amazing moments with you all ranging from the craziness of the All-Star Game and our epic wins over Notre Dame in 2011 or MSU and Northwestern of 2012, to something as simple as going to the movies or chilling at Starbucks. It’s all meant a lot to me and I’m not one of those people that forget about the little things like that. Thank you for all the memories and thank you for making me think about just how lucky I am to have surrounded myself with people like you. I thank you all for your trust, your incredible support and your just plain awesomeness.

And to the best of the best friends—you know who you are—thank you for always listening to me rant, even when it’s through a phone call at 2AM. Thanks for always sharing my excitement on things. Thanks for challenging me to think different ways, especially when we don’t agree. Thanks for taking pictures with me because I know you all hate it and you suck it up anyway. That one really is a perk. I know you’re a great friend when you deal with that all the time. But in all seriousness, I don’t know what I’d do without you and it’s one of those things where I know I’ll be writing many more of these with you in mind. Not worried about that one. Thanks again.

Thank you to my parents. The two most supportive people I know who are there every step of the way with me but at the same time, letting me live my life and learn on my own. I’ve never been the girl to call home every single day (much to my mother’s dismay) but my appreciation is still the same. I am so thankful that they’ve let me become the independent person I am today by guiding me but not holding my hand. They let me trip so I can learn from my mistakes but they don’t let me fall. They aren’t the overly involved parents that are obnoxious and they’re not the parents that blame outside forces whenever something happens to me, knowing that yes, sometimes it is my fault. They’ve done an incredible job of holding the balancing act of being a protective parent without being overbearing. A very difficult task, if you ask me. I’m thankful for the opportunities they’ve given me at their own sacrifice. It’s easy for me to say that I 100% aspire to be like them one day. They are the best of the best and I’m lucky to call them mine.

And finally, to the opportunities. A vague statement, yes, but meaningful nevertheless. Seeing hard work pay off is the greatest feeling in the world. I am proud of myself for working hard and not having to use anyone to get to where I am today. I am thankful for both the opportunities that have literally come out of nowhere as well as the opportunities that I fought so tirelessly to receive. I am the luckiest girl in the world with what I consider opportunities such as Under Armour, Ross, the Athletic Department, new friends, big challenges, etc. I couldn’t be more thankful for it all and I’ll continue to work my absolute hardest for it all with maybe a pinch of luck on the way.

It’s been a great year and I look forward to the next. Next Thanksgiving will be after my 21st birthday and before my last football game as a student at the University of Michigan. I’ll be just months away from graduating and I’ll be looking back at my college career hoping it’s been everything I have wanted it to be. The goodbyes will start happening with those leaving school early but I know that I’ll do my best to keep in touch with everyone. It’s all going to change from here on out but I see that in an optimistic light. I can’t wait for it all. Thank you for this year and I look forward to what’s in store for me and everyone else in years to come.

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving, everyone.

Junior year has now come into full swing. It has come with finally getting to take classes I’ve been waiting for since first day of freshmen year, the reuniting of some very peppy and hilarious Michigan interns, new work and a ridiculous amount of studying. I am doing my best not to blurt out to my marketing professor out of the blue one day about how madly in love I am with his personality… although if I did I’m quite sure everyone else and their mother would agree that he is hands down the best. So very great that if he somehow stumbles upon this, I won’t even be embarrassed. I am also trying my very hardest not to absolutely hate finance with all my heart. I keep reminding myself each day that someday and somewhere I will use this even though that reminder is becoming more and more sarcastic each day…

Regardless, it has been a great trip so far and I’m looking forward to many more weeks of stress but with breaks of football, hockey and basketball scattered through them to keep me sane.

However, there is one big thing about junior year that has been an eye-opener. I have always been the girl that yearns for advice from those above me, more knowledgeable than I and more experienced as well. And anyone that knows me well enough knows how much I appreciate, respect and adore the people who have given me advice and I look up to a select few as role models. But the scary thing is…the tables have turned. I’m now the advice giver. More than any other year, I have now been thrown in situations where more and more people are asking for my advice. MY ADVICE. What in the world?! And it’s from all different people too. From those younger, to those experienced few that I had sought advice from….are now asking my opinions on important matters or what my experience in -insert whatever here- is and what they should do to improve in that area. It is honestly a daunting task and I’ve never really been one to consider myself an expert in anything. Sure, I’m good at certain things but I’ve always known that there are things I can learn in the area to be even more knowledgeable. I’ve been giving people advice on social media. What classes to take. What classes not to take. How to deal with stress. How to network. How to make the most of something. The list goes on. It’s a very strange position. What makes me so credible? I don’t even know the answer to that one. But I honestly thing I am and always will be someone who is more than willing to help out in any way I can. It is because I’ve been given incredible help and advice over the years that the LEAST I could do is help someone else…am I right?

I’ve been given incredible opportunities and been able to learn more than I ever thought from the people I sought advice from. It’s my time to give back. Upperclassman status is the real deal, my friends. Time to be the giver.

It is so strange to think that I’m headed into my junior year of college in the next few days. When did this all happen?

I was just looking at pictures a few days ago of when my friends and I were off to our very first Michigan Football game as freshmen. Not knowing where exactly the Big House was by foot. Not knowing where our section was. Not knowing any of the student section chants. Not knowing how far exactly the walk was from Markley to the stadium (nothing is further on campus).

But now it’s just natural to walk down Hoover. It’s natural to walk through the gate at the Big House and turn right to get to the student section. It’s natural to do the Blues Brothers dance, jingle our keys and spell out MICHIGAN with the cheerleaders. It’s something I’m used to but something I’m so grateful for. Even though there are over 100,000 seats in Michigan Stadium, there are millions more people who wish they could be there. So cheers to Team 133 and the 2012-2013 athletic year. Can’t wait to see what all the teams do to make us proud.

And now, more importantly, the academic side of things. Now as a junior, the real tough part begins at the business school. They figured that by now you’re settled in to campus, know your extra curricular activities, and how to manage your time. Because now, it’s about more core classes like marketing and finance, and the start of what could be something big like corporate recruiting.

This semester is going to be a true test to my abilities. 18 credits (I promise you with the classes I’m taking it’s not only worth it, but it honestly isn’t as bad as it sounds) and some commitments outside of class, I know it won’t be easy. But I’ve always loved a good challenge and there really is nothing more I love doing than proving someone who says, “Oh you won’t be able to do that,” wrong. That’s a fantastic feeling right there and I look forward to having that feeling at the end of the semester. I’m going to need a little bit more patience and more focus, but also constantly knowing when to just take a breath. Because this is my second to last year at the greatest school on the planet (clearly not biased…(; ) and I refuse to not soak up as much as I can. After all, this time next year I will definitely be whining and lamenting that it is my last year at Michigan.

I think it’ll be fun to “record” what I’m up to via blogging so I’ll do my best to keep it updated.

Love Law Quad. I adore my university. (Taken with instagram)