On Tuesday I went to the career connections event at the Fashion Institute of Technology sponsored by SUNY Oswego. This was my second time attending this event. I went last year as a junior and this year I went as a senior. Many would think that you should be able to go only once, but I would always recommend to go as many times as you could and as many career events as possible. Even though the event has the same format of gaining connections I didn’t gain the same knowledge and information as before. Last year what I took from the event was the importance of being ready and preparing to move forward. Understanding that if I want to experience growth in opportunity I would have to go after it and learn as much as I can. Even though I still had a year left before graduation last year I made sure to find connections especially in terms of internships; and I did.

This picture was taken by a close friend of mine. I had not seen her all vacation and what a coincidence to bump into her on the train as I was on my way to Fox studios.

At career connections one of the best aspects is that they offer opportunities to various interest and majors for personal site visits to major organizations and businesses. For example last year I was able to attend a panel discussion and tour of ABC, NY studios with several alumni. This year I attended the Fox, NY studios tour. Each chance to view the studios was a great opportunity to see how these studios operate and all the work and behind the scenes aspects of these major companies provided me with great incite. This opportunity has aided in demonstrating to me that this is where I want to be.

I must admit that attending events like this had always shifted my goals and plans either a lot or just a tad. I would say this isn’t a bad occurrence for me and that I actually find it to be helpful. I learned that this is a process of “re-visioning”, re-visioning what it is that I want to be and where I want to go. This process is a great sift that has always pushed me to determine what’s my hearts desire and where my passion really lies. Attending these kinds of events has allowed me to discover my career options, graduate school choices and options, and internship possibilites as well. Despite having increased optimism I can’t ever say I knew or know exactly what and where I want to go, yet I still have a great direction of where I’m heading. That sounds weird huh? I’m sure many of you can relate.

Overall, each year I am impressed by the outpour of support from alumni that contribute their time and effort to this event. It has been great to see the produced outcome of individuals who were once where I am working to be something much greater. Observing them has continually showed me that I can also be just as successful and that it really could be me. I realized that the harder I work and the more I work toward my goals next time it will be me. I just would like to thank all the alumni and all those involved in putting this event together because it has helped me tremendously in addition to hundreds and hundreds of other students as well, if not more certainly.

“At some point, your prepardness and the prepardness of the world will coincide and bingo! You’re an overnight success.” – Marcia V. Keizs, PH.D, President, York College

It’s a brand new year with a fresh start to see what exciting adventures turn up. This is one of the times I live for as a college student; WINTER BREAK! Well not just winter break but any break that I can get away from the busyness. I say that harshly but it’s not meant to be taken that way. Usually for me winter break has been a time to relax after a long semester of work and lots and lots of juggling between working, classes, writing papers until wee hours of the dawn,  and burning the mid-night oil doing countless other projects for class. Not to mention I have to stay afloat socially so lets not forget the parties, events, and dinners.

The break gives me sometime to reflect on how I can do better on the next term. I enjoy the times of complete “nothingness”. I’m sure many can relate to this as just being those times where you do absolutely nothing but just simply rest and relax. The winter break last between 5-6 weeks and I must admit for myself and many other people I know after the first week and a half most people are urging to head back to Oswego. For me it has just been the experience of needing my own territory and separation from my home environment back to my newly acquired life and lifestyle in Oswego as many others can provide testimony to as well.

It hasn’t been the idea to just jump back into doing the busyness again but just getting back to the way of life when having a good time with my friends during the weekend, being able to stop by someone’s residence hall to play pool or just chat for hours about life or future aspirations.

The break also gives me a chance to catch up on television and new and old releases out on DVD because I hardly ever get a chance to watch any of that when in session at Oswego. With that said Im actually going to go see what I can look to watch now. I plan to hang out in New York City tonight. I’ll be sure to let you know how that goes. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I went home this past weekend, and everyone who always told me that it would feel strange was right. After being in Oswego for nearly two months and not having visited home since, going home was very strange, because my hometown felt somewhat foreign. It’s not easy to explain. My hometown, which is Rome, has always felt like home to me, and just about everything else has seemed strange, and I could never imagine myself living somewhere else and feeling comfortable, with the exception of New Hartford, which I love and is actually where I was born. Anyway, coming home this weekend and entering Rome, looking at the shops and the diners and the streets, I realized that that concept of Rome being a safe haven for me has only ever been just that: a concept. Most towns aren’t really that different; it’s just that concept of your hometown being your home that creates that feeling. For example, if someone who lives in Fulton visits Rome, that person would have that same strange feeling of not being able to imagine living there as I used to have visiting other towns.

However, at the same time, going home also reminded me of the film Juno, because there is a scene in the film in which the main character, Juno, says, “I never realize how much I like being home unless I’ve been somewhere really different for a while.” I used to be easily bored by Rome. There is a Walmart, a cinemas, a bowling alley, and that’s about it if you’re looking for a central place to spend time with your friends. However, going home this past week, I also looked at Rome in a whole new light, because even though, as I said before, it felt a bit foreign due to me being away for so long, I was also reminded of how much I love Rome and its comfortable simplicity. There’s Spresso’s coffee on N. James St., which, in my humble opinion, is not even matched by Starbucks. There’s the Community Arts Center where there is a Halloween Haunted House show displayed every year, which is one of my favorite times of the year. There’s also my bedroom, which felt like a long-lost friend seeing it for the first time in almost two months. I couldn’t believe how much room I had in there not having a roommate!

Then, of course, there are the many friends that I haven’t seen in a while, some since June. It was so nice seeing them and catching up with the ones that I haven’t talked to since I left, mainly because of being so busy, and, of course, there is the question which continually presented itself: “how’s college?” It’s not an easy question to answer, because “it’s good” or “I like it” or even “it’s different” doesn’t seem to do the experience justice, and the experience is something that isn’t easy to explain, so I did my best by telling all that asked that it’s not high school.

In all, it was great going back home and seeing my family, doing a late-night Tim Burton movie party with my brother and a close friend and listening to my father as he tried to convince me to become a McCain supporter. I can’t wait to go back, but in the meantime, I’m enjoying the very few green days here at Oswego that we have left.