Self Realizations

This semester.. and even this past year I have learned more about myself than I ever thought I would. Well, basically three huge things that I think about every day.

1. I am not a complainer. Well, I complain about things, like my computer not working, my phone cracking, having to wake up early, and all that typical stuff we hear on a daily basis. But I've realized, that I'm not a huge complainer, and those who are, are not my kind of people. During my trip to Uganda we obviously encountered hot weather, food we weren't used to, and terrible driving. I could not believe how often people I was accompanied by were complaining about these conditions. I couldn't grasp the concept of how they didn't realize how lucky we were that (a.) we were living the good life compared to everyone else, (b.) we were on an AMAZING trip that was not worth complaining about. Down here in DC, I've also experienced a lot of complaining. About... basically everything. Having to go to class, having to go to their internship, not getting the coffee they ordered, and how much work they had to do. I definitely grumbled about waking up early for work, and having to read so much for class, but It just stuck out to me how often I would hear it. I don't understand how people think that complaining about everything will change their situation. I just don't think I am used to such ignorance of how lucky we all are. No matter what, we are given so many opportunities on a daily basis that do not deserve such complaints. Okay onto the next realization.

2. I've realized I have a huge passion surrounding education. Growing up with a teacher parent, I never thought I'd get into education. Awhile ago, I started to consider possibly teaching when I'm old, wise, experienced, and hopefully in demand for my insight. More recently, thanks to my experience in the Transforming Communities program, I've noticed how important education can be in actually bringing about change. As someone who is interested in international development, I've taken a very strong interest in the education of youth; especially young girls. (See post about She's the First). Before coming to D.C. and traveling to Uganda, I had known I wanted to work on development overseas, but I wasn't sure of what path I wanted to take within that motive. I'm so happy to have found what I'm passionate about; and I'm so happy that its education... as weird as that sounds.

3. The final realization I've come to is; if not me, who else? I've come to realize someone who is passionate about dedicating their life to the improvement of others is rare. I'm baffled every day by people who are not driven by statistics and stories detailing how much needs to be done in the world. When I hear the statistic "If all students in low income countries left school with basic reading skills 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty." I'm inspire by the possibility of change, and the opportunity to be apart of it. I read an article that discussed how many dialects in Uganda don't even have a word for cancer. As a result, thousands of women are dying of cancer; open sore cancer that eats away their breasts because they don't know to get treated. That story has stuck with me every sense and I've been researching what can be done. When I hear that today, 62 million girls didn't go to school, my heart breaks. I want to be the change for both these statistics. How can I be of only a few who are moved by this?
So that about sums up my rant about my personal realizations.

Leaving a Legacy

Even though I'll be sad to leave D.C. and all the friends I've made here, I'm really looking forward to returning back to Lasell. For starters, I'll be rooming with my two best friends who I haven't seen since the spring! I'm also really excited to head back to Boston to start Lasell's first chapter of She's the First. If you don't already know, she's the first is an non-profit organization with a goal of funding young girls who are looking to pursue a quality education. There are hundreds of university chapters all over the country, but unfortunately Lasell doesn't have one yet.

Not only is the cause in itself truly inspirational, but it will help to tie our school to the Arlington Academy of Hope. If you've read any part of my blog you'll know that I went to Uganda, had an amazing time, fell in love with the country, and have to go back, blah blah blah. Well, little did I know, that many of the young girls who attend the Arlington Academy of Hope are sponsored by college students back home in the United States. I was fortunate enough to see first-hand how important that sponsorship can be in a young girl's life, as well as the community she resides in. What is a better way to have a greater impact in the village of Bumwalakani than to help girls go to school and help teach them as well?

There are only a few more steps that need to be taken and the chapter organization will be complete! I can't wait to work with other students who are just as passionate about this issue as I am. Oh, and we get to use cupcakes as a fundraiser....

Late Night DC Adventures

So last night I finally got to do one thing I've wanted to do all semester; visit the monuments at night!

My night started off boring, I was doing home work, worked out a bit, then showered. My room mate and a friend were off at a gala/masquerade thing at the French Embassy and called me as soon as it ended. So off to the National Mall I went to meet my drunken friends for a stroll along the monuments.

Luckily, I ran into another friend who was also going to meet up with us. We got off at a nearby metro stop and were instantly greeted by the Washington Monument. It was all lit up! Unfortunately, Virginia's earthquake last year has caused it to be under construction. Its currently surrounded by a metal cast-looking structure so it's not fun to see at all. You can't even get close to it. The fog surrounding the mall did make it look kind of cool though.

WWII Memorial

Since we got there pretty late at night (1am) the city was relatively quite. Except for a few police cars and people walking around it was very calm. As we walked around the mall it was so cool looking out towards the city and seeing all the buildings stacked against each other. The city kind of dips down into the mall so we were just surrounding by amazing buildings! Looking past the Lincoln memorial you can even see how lit up Virginia is. Some of the buildings here are just so beautiful. I love the height limit and the Parissienne style architecture of most the buildings. It makes the city seem more formal, historical, and just official I guess.

We didn't see the true beauty of the mall at night until we were right in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Looking back towards the Washington Monument, the reflecting pool perfectly captured the light of the monument. The light pollution from Capitol Hill and beyond also set a beautiful color in the sky that was also reflected by the water. I was so surprised when my camera was actually able to get a good picture. I had to lay down on the cement to get it steady, but still!

So basically, I'm very disappointed I haven't been spending my nights sitting on the Lincoln Memorial looking out at beautiful Washington, D.C. Unfortunately its about to get cold, so maybe I'll get my friends to go one more time before the wind is too unbearable!

Lincoln!

Got Fairtrade?

It's here people... FAIR TRADE MONTH 2013! Are you excited? I AM YEAY CHOCOLATE.
Okay, so not many people know all the facts you should know about Fairtrade International and the "fair trade movement." It's an unfortunate fact, but I'm here to change that!

Things you should know:

• Fairtrade International is the leading organization that provides the certification for companies and product that use Fairtrade ingredients!
• Fairtrade America is the American based location for the international organization
• The international FAIRTRADE Mark appears on over 27,000 products sold in more than 120 countries – and now it’s coming to a store near you in the USA.
•  The Fairtrade system currently works with 1.24 million people - farmers and workers - across more than 66 developing countries
• 75 per cent of all Fairtrade producers are smallholder farmers
• In addition to a liveable wage, farmers are given a Fairtrade premium
• Fairtrade International gave over $65 million in Fairtrade Premium last year to invest in business, social and environmental projects in their communities
• 2,849 businesses are licensed to use the Fairtrade Mark

So why is this important?

Many small crop farmers in developing countries are often taken advantage of by large corporations. Instead of receiving the market rate price for their product, they often receive small wages that leave them in debt and struggling to live a substantial life. Working for a Fairtrade certified farm also eliminates unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace. Workers on Fairtrade farms also enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages; forced child labor is strictly prohibited. 

https://plus.google.com/+benandjerrys/posts

 This post by Ben & Jerry's says it all. Who wouldn't want to choose the product that provides our world's producers with a livable wage. No one wants to intentionally exploit someone else! 

Fairtrade Month!!!

With just a few days till Fairtrade month, my internship is getting quite busy... but in a GOOD way!

We have so many events coming up that I'm very excited to attend as well as organize. At some point during the month, Georgetown Cupcakes is teaming up with Divine Chocolate, to create a "fairtrade cupcake!" My three favorite things; chocolate, cupcakes, and fairtrade!


I've also been given the task of helping to plan and organize Fair Trade events at American University next month. I already have a BUNCH of ideas that I hope we are able to carry out. With a school like AU that is so willingly to provide programs for its students, I'm sure we won't have a problem!

For those of you who didn't know October is Fair Trade Month, check out this website for more details on how you can Be Fair for 31 days!

Also, if you are an organization, school, church, or group that wants to put on a Fair trade event you can request fliers, stickers, and product samples! E-mail us, and I'll be the one to pack your box and ship it!
http://fairtradeamerica.org/fairtrade/fairtrademonth

I thought I was going to make a better habit out of blogging about DC but... alas here I am a week later. It's hard to believe I've been here almost a month, and again, I can't believe a month is already over!!

I get asked quite frequently of people back home, and other friends abroad, "How's D.C?" Well, like I simply tell everyone, I'm loving it. It's hard to go into more depth then that, but I'm having an amazing time. I was nervous I'd regret not doing international for my study abroad semester, but coming to D.C. has continuously been the best decision I've made in awhile.

The people here are great. I love being surrounded by so many diverse international students as well as Americans. Upon returning to Lasell, I know I'm going to miss the German and Norwegian accents following me around. I think I wrote about this last time, but its so cool being surrounded by people with the same passions and interests as me. Despite my serious lack of national political knowledge, its great to be surrounded by people who do. Hearing my friends who work on "the Hill" talk about their senators and congressmen is so refreshing.

Being in D.C. I've really gotten into something I never thought I'd take an interest in; slam poetry. I went a few weeks ago with a friend for the first time.. and LOVED IT. We went to a chain restaurant/bookstore/meeting place called Bus Boys & Poets. I was blown away. The poems were so emotional, raw, and intellectually stimulating that I went two weeks after. The amazing nachos I had there just recently will definitely influence me to keep on returning for some poetry.

Oh yeah I also absolutely, LOVE my internship. At first I was so jealous of my friends who got internships on "the Hill," but was soon to realize the amazing experience I'm getting out of mine. Working for Fairtrade America has already proven itself to be so fun. I've been the last two weeks helping to design graphics for "Fair Trade Month" in October. The first thing I made were stickers!! I made 5 different ones and all together, they're printing off around 10,000 of them. How crazy is that. 10,000 stickers that I designed! I've also put together a Facebook banner, a twitter back ground and a "lock-up"/small graphic for to promote the month. All the materials I designed are fully complete and should be up on the website soon! I can't wait to post the link and show all my friends and family. I'm so annoying proud and in love with my internship!

But yeah so basically I am having a GREAT time here in good old D.C. (despite the tragic shootings that occurred yesterday).

Fairtrade America Internship

On Friday afternoon, I made my way to Panera Bread for an interview with Fairtrade America. Well folks, it went WELL. After what was basically a 45 minute (and wonderful) conversation, I was offered a communications internship with the organization.

Not only is the organization, amazing, but its the perfect position for my public relations major! As someone who is interested in international and sustainable development, this will be great hands on experience in getting to see the behind-the-scenes look at non-profit management. I also will be able to get really involved in event planning and promotions which will be fun to get creative with. The organization also partners with companies that have REALLY good food, so working with them will also be an added bonus.
I can't wait to jump right into this internship; I start Tuesday! I'm so antsy to start getting more involved, more connections, and real world experience.

Let Freedom Ring Commemoration

As excited as I was to attend the commemoration of MLK's March on Washington in 1963, I suppose I better blog about it.

Off to a late start of waking up at 9, my room mate (Sari) and I finally left on our adventure around 10. With quick access to the Metro, we arrived in the city in no time. Having stumbled upon a fellow classmate, we all decided to walk to the National Mall together. The city was FULL of people. Food trucks, people selling commemoration products, and event go-ers lined the streets. DC seemed more bustling than I've ever seen it before.

The crowd waiting to get past security. Many people had no idea what they were waiting in line for and many sat down thinking that was where they had to watch the ceremony from. 

Once we got to the mall, I was completely astonished.There was only one entrance to the event, and being so close to the official starting time, it was jam packed. I mean, there must have been a thousand people waiting to get in. We immediately joined the right side of the crowd, not even sure what we were joining. After standing in the heat for about an hour (made drastically worse by all the bodies) we decided to try and see if we could avoid "entering" and just watch the speeches from the side. As we walked around the crowd we quickly found that all the nearby parks and public areas were blocked off and guarded by police and K9s. We decided to jump into the left side of the crowd to try and push our way to the front of the security lines. After much maneuvering through the crowd, and about a 45 min wait, we finally made it to security check. Just like in an airport, we went through a metal detector, had to throw out all water bottles, and had our bags checked. With finally room to breathe and fresh air we made our way towards the Lincoln memorial.
Only VIP guests were allowed to be front row of the speakers. Everyone else sat quite a distance away from the steps of the memorial. As a result most guests were forced to watch the speeches on a huge screen that blocked any view of the monument and the speakers. That being said, I felt very detached from the entire event. Not being able to personally see Clinton, Carter, Obama, Caroline Kennedy, and the Kings made the program seem less "real."

Source: nationaljournal.com  At approximately 3 pm, MLK's granddaughter joined the many countries around the world who participated in a bell ringing and observance the of the March on Washington. 

Despite the distance, it was so amazing to be in a diverse crowd all gathered for a similar purpose. Commemorating the historical March on Washington, celebrating the civil rights movement, and being in the presence of prominent political figures, as well as an amazing community of activists will be a moment I will cherish forever; and relentlessly tell my children and grandchildren about for years.

Source: www.kansas.com You can see the VIP guests in the front. My friends and I were standing at the front of the crowd that is to the right of the reflecting pool. You can see the black screen towards the right of the picture that blocked our view. Unfortunately, the Washington memorial is under construction leaving a very, unpretty sight behind us. 

 I could not be more happy with the fact that the commemoration was not just a commemoration. It was a perfect mixture of celebrating the work of Martin Luther King, other civil rights activists and ordinary people of the time, as well as continuing to look at the future. While an amazing amount of progress has been made in decreasing discrimination of all people, it would be as Obama said, dishonorable to say we are done. Inequities in jobs, housing, education, and other many regions are still very much prominent in our nation and need to be dealt with in order to make King's "dream" a complete reality. This idea of much room for improvement was a trending topic of discussion of the day and was met warmly by cheers and agreement from the crowd; especially me!
All, in all, despite being drenched in humidity-sweat, August 28th, 2013 was a day to remember. Never shall I forget the passion of the crowd around me for social change.

You know you're in DC when...

You know you're in D.C. when you're going to the National Mall to hear THREE presidents speak.

Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington as well as Martin Luther King's "I have a dream..." speech. Unfortunately, I missed the actual march due to an event associated with American University. However, with class cancelled tomorrow, my room mate, and fellow program students are all heading into the city to hear President Obama, Clinton, and Carter speak to commemorate the historical event.


The opportunity to hear three presidents speak is amazing enough without the added effect of being able to celebrate a wonderful feat! As someone who did not experience the civil right movement, I can't believe it has only been 50 years since the march. But then again, its crazy to think that it has already been 50 years and there are still cases of racism throughout the United States, and the world as well.

Source: Huffington Post

I hope I'm alive to see a time where even discussing race is so irrelevant; because no one will even regard it as an issue.

Can't wait to experience history tomorrow!

First week in DC!

I am finally in DC! After a whole summer of counting down the days, I finally arrived Monday afternoon. With four suitcases fully backed to the brim, my mother and I flew down in the early morning. We checked into our hotel and immediately set out on an afternoon adventure. Since we were only a few blocks from Georgetown we decided to walk around to see the beautiful area. After making a pit stop on O st. to quickly creep on my brother's apartment, we went to Georgetown Cupcakes; of course.


I've already been to the cupcake shop a few years ago when I visited for a Model UN conference but my mom was so excited (I used to make her watch the show with me all the time). She got a toffee nut cupcake, I got a honey banana, and we got a chocolate coconut cupcake to share the next day. All three were SO GOOD. A friend recommended a "better" cupcake shop which I will have to check out soon.

The next day we finally headed into the city! Since we both have already toured DC and seen most of the monuments, we decided to just visit the Botanical gardens and the Newseum. Our first stop was the botanical gardens. The orchid room was amazing. The size and color of the flowers are so pretty. However, this one flower was one of my favorites in the whole place.

After the botanical gardens we headed across the street to the Newseum. The museum was not in DC when I visited in 8th grade so I was really looking forward to visiting it- and it did not let me down. The Newseum is probably one of the coolest museums I've been too. 5 flours of history and news was right up my ally. The first exhibit was all about the fall of the Berlin wall. The featured section of the Berlin wall was so interesting to see. Being the longest section on display outside of Germany, it was breathtaking to see. It was crazy to see the graffiti on one side, and a completely blank wall on the other side.

My next favorite exhibit was entitled "Creating Camelot." One section was covered in photographs of John and Jackie Kennedy, taken by his campaign photographer. At first, the pictures were just pretty to look at, but it was amazing to learn how influential his photographer was in his campaign and early part of his presidency. Seeing the personality of John, Jackie, and their children in intimate family photos was so unique.

The rest of the exhibits were astonishing as well. With events like the 9/11 attacks and the uni-bomber featured in the CIA room, I didn't want to leave. Artifacts like the uni-bombers actual hide-out, and different possessions of the hijackers left me in awe.

That night upon returning to our hotel, we got into an elevator to head up to our room. The lady next to me started talking to me and asked if I was a student in DC. I said yes but only for a semester. Turns out, her daughter in the same elevator was my future ROOMATE. It was so ironic and funny to meet her in such a situation.

The next day we moved in! Our apartment is so spacious! We have two couches, a dinning room table (small one), and a kitchen with an OVEN. It's great! We still have to decorate more to fill up the bare walls but its coming along great. I'm so happy to finally be here. With classes starting on Wednesday I can't wait to have a great semester.

AAH video

Just found this awesome video about the Arlington Academy of Hope's work in Uganda. AAH is the organization I volunteered through in May. It's so great to see familiar sights and teachers in the vid! Check it out or you're a square.

Video!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I finally got around to finishing the video I promised everyone of our trip to Uganda! With only Windows Movie Maker on my computer, the video isn't the best it could be, but I still think it helps to better capture the essence of our trip! The pictures in the video are credited to Diane Coon, Jessica Hutchins, Lena Berc, and my self! The background music was recorded at the Arlington Academy of Hope in Bumwalakani. Please check out my video! Feel free to share and provide feedback! :) I plan on making another video (soon... hopefully) that just has little snippets of all the many videos I took throughout our two weeks. Some of the best moments didn't make it into the video and I want to share all of them. On that note, ENJOY!
PS. Help, I'm obsessed with Uganda.

Late-Post

After a whole month of unemployment, I finally got a job two weeks ago! Yeay for spending money in DC!!!! As a result, I've been super busy with work and my usual workouts. I've been falling asleep around 10/10:30 (don't judge) so I haven't been on my blog in forever. The usual story, I know, but I'm going to actually try and write more soon! In order to keep your Danielle's blog cravings at point I've decided to put a blog post I wrote while in Uganda here for you all to read! It was apart of our trip's blog. PLEASE read the posts written by the other members of the trip for more awesomeness! You can find the original blog post here.

Thursday May 30, 2013

Me :) Photo Credit: Tom Sullivan

Today started off as one of the roughest days (teaching wise). Our first (science) lesson was central around atoms, neutrons, protons, and the different states of matter. The first two groups we taught went great! The kids were responsive and participated as much as they could, though they didn't seem to know much about our lesson plan. It was so rewarding to see the students learn something new. In the past it seemed that the students knew more about the topics we introduced then we did. This time, it was the other way around.

Ricky Hawkes, '14 explaining protons, electrons, and neutrons!

While most of the students didn't know all about chemical reactions and how particles react in the different states of matter, they (again) surprised us with how much they already knew. The students never cease to impress us with their understanding of scientific definitions. Their ability to recite definitions of atoms, protons, neutrons, and electrons was striking at such a young age.

A student of Bulobi Primary school writing a definition on the board. (One of the few fellow left-handers at the school!)

After crazily acting out how the molecules and particles of the different states of matter react with one another we introduced to the students to static electricity. They were highly amused by the balloons we brought to class. I think us teachers, however, were more amused watching the students try and create static on their bald/shaved head. Most of the balloons were popped on the short hair of the students. It was fun to watch how excited they were over the static electricity they created. With the balloons they were able to “magically” pick up pieces of paper.

Break time from our lesson = bubbles!

After the balloon activity, we moved onto bubbles! As an amateur photographer I quickly took the opportunity to capture as any pictures of the students as possible. I got some really good shots that I can’t wait to share.

Student from Bulobi Primary School, Moses.

Our third group however, was the most disappointing. Throughout our entire lesson the students seemed to just stare back at us with blank expressions. It was so difficult in getting the students to respond and participate in our discussion. This made one of the most educational-lasting impressions on me. I secretly vowed to myself to not be that student that just sits and stares at the teacher- when I return to Lasell.

The second session of the day went way better than the first. We split into smaller groups, and discussed the human body. Using the diagrams and miniature versions of the body donated to Arlington, we had a very good afternoon! The students (again) surprisingly knew a lot about the human body, the brain, and the heart. We also were again, able to teach them new concepts and facts that they were sure to remember forever.

Just like every other day, on my journey home to the guest house, I was able to see the exact reason why I love not only this country but this village. I made friends with students walking down the streets of Bumwalakani. We asked each other questions, and they taught me many words in their language. I love how friendly the people are here. They are so willingly to say hi and wave back to every one of our greetings of, “Molembe.” I’m going to miss the friendliness and willingness to communicate with all of us Americans.

I can’t believe today was our last full day of teaching at the Bulobi school. It seems like we just started to get to know all of the students. I wish we had 10 more days with them, to teach them, inspire them, and hear their stories. Every day I spend here I fall more and more in love with the people, the surroundings, the language, the food, and the overall experience.

Do we have to leave??? 

Photo Credit: Katelyn Fabri.

Just one of the thousands of  pictures we all took in Uganda. This was taken after school one day. Every day at the end of school, once the final bell rang, the students would pile out of their classrooms and follow us home. This picture was taken on our walk home! These students were not in our P.7 class, but still admired us enough to tag along. We'd have an entourage of little children until we got to our guest house gate. Then they'd give us a hug, wave goodbye and often walk an hour or two back home to their house [keep in mind that most of them are shoeless]. 

All of my friends who also went on the trip are still uploading pictures! It every day I get more and more nostalgic for our two weeks in Africa. I can't wait to go back.

I will write more about Uganda, I promise!!

For now, I will continue to obsess over my future fall semester in DC. At first, I have to admit, I was kind of let down in my decision to not study abroad international. With every passing minute of intern search, however, I'm getting more and more excited. The American Univ program is going to be beyond amazing for my professional development and exposure to the non-profit/advocacy world.
Every internship I come across, I can instantly see myself enjoying and excelling in. I want to keep looking and find the perfect internships, but I also want to start applying for them already! Is it too soon? I've found a few official fall internship postings, but so many organizations only have their summer jobs posted!
I'm getting even more excited writing about how I'm excited. I can't wait to meet my room mate, tour the beautiful city, and start doing what I'm passionate about. Oh, and of course blog for all my [2] followers to read. :)

The Ugandan People

During my two weeks in Uganda I obviously fell in love with the people and how genuinely happy they are. It was amazing to see how so many people who are living in sub-standard houses and areas, be so content despite not having  running water, constant electricity, or lots of food. Our volunteer coordinator told us something her processor said to a child.
One of her Ugandan students asked her one day, "What is the difference between United States and Uganda?"
The volunteer coordinator simply replied, "We have so much stuff, but you're happier."
This conversation really stuck with me through our remaining time in rural Africa. I started to really notice how happy and 'ok' all the Ugandan people were. They had their struggles; having to manage crops, lack of money for school, no shoes, and sickness. Despite the struggles, every where you looked people were smiling. It didn't matter that your clothing was dirty or ripped, what mattered was just life itself.
At the Bulobi Primary School their outlook on life was especially prominent. Students would walk hours to school. Sit in class for even longer. Not each lunch and then walk another hour or two home, in mud, without shoes. Through all of that, the kids were smiling. Despite all the factors against them, these kids were still showing up to Bulobi eager to get a days worth of an education. Even a student in America, with shoes, nice clothes, and a lunch doesn't smile as much as they do at the end of a school day. Not only were the Ugandan people so happy in general, but they were even more excited to host us in their town.
As a group of 14, we were the largest group of American college students ever to travel the area. Most of the villagers probably hadn't seen a larger group of white people trudging through their town day after day. The first few days, we were a sight to see. While people would stop and watch us walk by the whole two weeks we were there, so many of the villagers were surprised to see us. Their faces showed deep thoughts of curiosity. The children reacted in a more extreme way. When driving into the village, children would scream and wave at our van full of "mzungus" (white people) driving by.

At school we would be surrounded by the younger students during their break time. During class, some younger students would even skip class to watch us through the windows. We were a sight to see. They loved our presence.
When we'd walk down the roads of Bumwalakani, we'd wave and say "mlembe" to everyone we saw. Old women and men would respond with "bulayi" and giggled as we walked by. They weren't making fun of us; instead they were giggling and appreciating our attempt to speak their language. They liked that we tried and were so friendly to them.
A few times walking back from the school with a bunch of students, some old lady would stop us, hug us, and tell us how much she and everyone appreciated our work. They were so happy we were in the area to help with the students, especially the children at Bulobi Primary school.
Despite being across the world, and in a developing country, I never one felt out of place or not at home. That's how friendly the people were. So many people made feel nervous for my safety when I left the United States, but that feeling completely disappeared the first day. I could have stayed for a much longer time that is how comfortable I felt there. I can't wait to go back and get to know the people and the culture even more.

Flickr photos

Despite the ridiculously slow wifi at my house, I managed to upload pictures to my flickr page!!

Check them out for just a peak at trip to Uganda!

As I've been going through my pictures the past few days, over and over again, I'm finding myself disappointed in what I captured. Many of my pictures were too blury, or just not good enough; in my opinion. I need to learn more about how to get the perfect shot!! I also thought I had more quality pictures than I did. I gotta save up to get a better camera or a better lens if I want to start making a hobby out of photojournalism!

Post-Uganda

My suitcase is un-packed and my laundry is all done and put away. Through the jet-lag, and being wide a wake at 6 am, I still can't believe I'm home from my amazing trip to Bumwalakani, Bududa District, Uganda. Two weeks of an eye-opening experience would be too difficult to write about in one blog post. Over the next few days I'll be writing about my favorite experiences, the people, the food, and the beautiful scenery- in hopes of detailing how much fun I had. So stay tuned for stories and pictures!!

On our first flight home from Uganda, I stumbled upon a quote in a magazine that perfectly describes my trip. 

"It wasn't just curious, but completely different, a place where you find something unexpected and learn about the conflicted culture- and yourself.." - Paul Theroux

Uganda Trip Blog

Hey friends!
With only 8 days until I leave for Africa, I'm getting more and more excited and ready. The group of students I'm going with will be collaborating on writing a blog about our daily experiences. Since I won't have a lot of time or internet to blog on my own, please use the link below to keep updated on what we're doing! Thank you for staying interested in my journey :)

http://lasellgoestouganda.blogspot.com/

12 days till Uganda!

I just got back from a meeting with the group I will be traveling with to Uganda. With every day that passes, I get more and more excited. The trip still seems so unreal to me. I can't believe I'm finally embarking on my dream trip!
I was previously so nervous about the whole "tutoring" thing. As someone who could never dream of being a teacher, I have to say I was nervous until this meeting about how to relay important science material to a bunch of 7th grade students. However, with some quick planning and discussion, my group was able to brainstorm some amazing idea for our students. Since the Ugandan children are more used to a lectured learning environment we are going to emphasize interactive activities. Personally, I think my group has the best and most creative ideas. Now, I can't wait to start teaching and make a difference in the student's learning abilities.
Our trip leader  will be bringing a laptop for which all of the participants will help write a blog about our stay. Once that is up and running, I will post the link so you can follow us on our journey.

12 more days!
Is it time to start packing?

Last night I was give the fortunate opportunity to play in my team's first-round NCAA tournament. After we traveled over 3 hours to Maine to play against Colby College we unfortunately lost 19-3. Colby College, being 7th in the entire DIII league was an amazing team to play against. Their skill level and teamwork on the field was truly fun to not only watch but it was fun to play against. Playing such an a great team was an awesome way to end the season. I can't believe I've already been playing 4 years of lacrosse. I'm sad to leave Lasell and discontinue my participation in the sport. In my short time learning the skills surrounding Lacrosse, I've grown to love not only the sport but the people I've met through it as well. The past two years of my college career would not have been as amazing as they where if it wasn't for my team. I'm so proud to call that group of girls my family.

NCAA Tournament

Photo by: Will Dempsey

Today as I was waiting for the NCAA tournament bracket to be released, the reality of our championship finally hit me. Last week my college's lacrosse team earned our first conference championship title. My best friends and I finally achieved our long fought goal. I've never felt so much pure joy and energy in such a long time.
We played Simmons College, in the final round of the Greater Northeast Athletic Conference championship on Sunday April 28th. The score was close the entire game. When Simmons closed the gap with 3 consecutive goals, one of our junior attackers saved the game with a goal leaving 20 seconds on the clock. The anxiety level on the sidelines from both team and the fans was so intense. My friend Will Dempsey got a great shot of my best friend and I celebrating our win.

Photo by: Will Dempsey

I'm so proud of my team for our accomplishments this year. Not only did we win a conference championship, but our team finished the year ranked 3rd in the nation for scoring offense. We also had players rank nationally in goals per game, goals in general, and assists. I'm so fortunate to play amongst such talented lacrosse players.

My Team>>>>

We won the first round of playoffs! Semi-finals here we come!
Today we played our school's biggest rival; Mount Ida. With perfect weather conditions, it was an awesome game. Our boys lacrosse team just lost their playoff game yesterday; I was so nervous we were going to choke. However, it was proven pointless due to our kill! The score was roughly 20-7. I'm so proud and lucky to play on such an amazing team. While on our way to finish an undefeated conference season, we will be ending as the  #3 offensive Division 3 women's lacrosse team.  Follow us on our journey to the championship! YEAH WHITE!

Lasell Lax in the Boston Globe!

One of my lacrosse team's star players was featured in a Boston Globe article this past week! The article was published after she recently hit her career 200 goal record! Apparently she's the third player in our program's history to do so. Her success as a player makes me more proud to be on my amazing team. Read more about her journey as a player, here.

One of my family friend's, PK Smith, is currently backpacking all through southeast Asia. SO JEALOUS. As I'm looking through his photo albums I'm starting to live vicariously through him. I can tell from his photos hes having the experience of a life time. The food, the sites, the people, the mountains all look too good to be true. Check out this video he posted on youtube of the many parts of his trip and marvel with me! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gucrOkgw5PY

Transfer Acceptances!

I'm finally starting to hear back from schools that I applied to transfer too! I've recently heard I've been accepted to Emmanuel College and Lesley University for their Global Studies program. I am beyond excited. All of my hard work is finally starting to show results. Now I just have to hear back from Brandeis University and Clark University. Fingers crossed.

Can't wait to change the world. :)

Semester in DC

Hi all!
I just received an e-mail saying I've been accepted into the Semester in DC program at American University!!! I am beyond excited. I'll be apart of a focused curriculum surrounding the topic of "Transforming Communities." While in DC, I'll also be interning at a local non-profit. The program is so perfect for my concentration. I am excited to finally get a hands-on learning experience with the non-profit/activism world. Now, internship applications... COMMENCE!

New Flickr Account!

I finally made a Flickr account. Over the past few days whenever I'm up late at night and can't sleep, I've been messing around editing some old pictures. So here what I've been up to till 1 am the past few days. Enjoy!
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Quote of the Day:

You're happiest while you're making the greatest contribution.
Robert F. Kennedy

The other day I re-discovered all my photo albums on my hard-drive. Ever since I've been looking through tons of hidden gems, including this one! I shot this on a hike with some friends up to Ross' Cliff in Killingly, CT. 2012

Lasell Restores the Shore

Fellow student and service member, Will Dempsey, just put together this fabulous video of our trip down to New Jersey. Please check it out!