December 5, 2024
Today I finally finished up classes for the Fall 2024 semester, now it’s on to finals. I am one of the lucky few who have only two finals during finals week which include Advanced Video Production and Introduction to Women and Gender Studies. Unfortunately, I had to write two different 10 paged papers for two different classes this semester. The most difficult part about this is that both of these papers are for English and History Classes. If you know me, I am NOT someone who writes papers outside of my designated major. As someone who has spent the last 4 years writing scientific papers, it was extremely difficult to switch over to an entirely different writing format. Thankfully, all I can do now is sit back and wait for the final grades to start flowing in.
This semester has definitely one for the books! I did a lot more this semester than I ever have in the last 4 years! Here’s a list of everything I did this semester:
- Took 5 classes (14 total credits)
- Competed in the Des Moines 48 Hour Horror Film Festival
- Continued my internship with Central Financial Group
- Worked as in the Blank Park Zoo Gift Shop
- Continued working as the Drake Environmental Science Social Media Coordinator
As you can tell I did a lot this semester and you’re probably wondering where I got all the time for this! Let’s just say there were a lot of late nights and a lot of trips to the coffeeshop for Vanilla Chai Lattes. In all seriousness though, I enjoy being a busy-body and always having things to do. Without having a steady workflow, I get bored extremely easily. That is why I love doing as much as I do! I’ve had a lot of people in the past tell me that I need to slow down and take a break. But even on vacations and holiday breaks from class, I’m always working on projects and making future plans.
Thank You Charisse!
Overall, I am sad to see this semester come to an end. I’ve done so many great things this semester that I never thought I would have ever done or accomplished like the Des Moines 48 Hour Horror Film Festival. The absolute highlight of my semester was getting to take Comparative Anatomy with Dr. Charisse Buising at Drake University. She is a very kindhearted woman who means business, but is willing to help you get through anything. I truly have a special place in my heart for her. Charisse had originally started teaching this class with only 9 students in it. By the end of the semester, we were down to just 4 students! It’s unbelievable, but those other students I finished the class with made it all the better. Each day we got individualized attention and a lot of one on one time with the professor. This goes for both the lecture and the lab. When things got difficult, Charisse was right there pushing us along and keeping us on track for success. The most important part about this class was that she saw our struggles both academically and personally. She would always offer a safe space to any student who needed some sort of mental help or just needed an outside person to talk to. Charisse is more than just a professor. She has fought and beat breast cancer, raised wonderful children, and has done amazing trauma research all the while teaching students to be the best they can be! I truly cannot say enough about this woman. I can only hope to become half of the woman she is today. Thank you Charisse for everything you have done!