Padd Solutions

As this last page of my chapter at Amarillo College comes to a close I want to take this opportunity to share what I have learned.  What I have learned is not in any over priced text and its not from a class either.  What I have learned comes from my experience through the course of my college career.

1.) Get Involved - Everyone says this, but its so true and good for many reasons.  Getting involved gives you the chance to get to know so of your fellow students who hold the same interests as you. It will also give you a chance to do something that will help you build your resume.

2.) Never Miss an Opportunity - Do as many things as you possible can.  My mantra for life is "The worst thing in the world is a missed opportunity." When you finish your time at AC or whatever school you may go to or are going to make sure you're not that guy who looks back and says I wished I would have .

3.) Get to Know Your Fellow Students - You never know when these people are going to need these guys help again later on in life.

4.) Work Hard - There is nothing wrong with a full load.  This semester I took on more than I thought was possible and yes it was extremely tough, but I had a great time and wouldn't trade it for anything. People will take not of all of your hard and you will be rewarded, but you have to stick it out.

5.) Have Fun!! - This is probably one of the best times of your life, whether your realize it now or not. Don't take life too seriously or you'll never get out alive.

Summed up just get involved and take advantage of every opportunity you have, get know some people, work hard and have fun while you do it.

If you want to make a name for yourself in the business world you have to start now and whether your realize it or not your have all the tools and contacts you need begin a successful career. What are you waiting for get started!

Yep, that's my new baby in the picture there, its Canon Rebel XS and it is probably the best graduation gift I could have ever gotten.  Thank you Mom & Dad! This is definitely going to be my new passion project I can't wait to take what I've learned to do in Photoshop and combine with the photos I will be taking myself.

Now I've got one more thing talk about. Something completely different. I almost had an internship this week that is until I found out it was unpaid. To any employers out there who may be reading this, can I just ask - why in the world would you offer an unpaid internship? Do you not realize we have bills? We have things that need to be paid, yes the experience is valuable and blah blah whatever.  You want to know what more valuable than your "experience" paying rent so we aren't sleeping on the streets! When you offer an unpaid internship it just makes people think you're cheap. Don't be cheap.

Where do I go from here?

During my time I have had many successes and few failures, but overall its been a great experience.  When I first started at AC I came here from a rough semester at WT - I had no direction in my life. I didn't have any idea what I wanted to do or where I thought my life was going to go. After I transfered to AC a few things started to click and quickly found out exactly what is was I wanted to do and from that point on it was easy sailing thanks in large part to all of my instructors. Now I am 100% career driven - I know where I want my life to go and I know what I have to do in order to get to that point.

Where do I go from here? Back to WT and I'm not the same person that went there before. If I had the "me" today way back then I wouldn't even recognize me, in a good way though.

For a long time I have had an interest in photoshop, editing photos and even creating graphics from scratch.  For so long that has satisfied the creative hunger until now - while I still love doing do those things - I am now in search of something new to do creatively.

Where do I go from here? I'm thinking of getting into photography! not as a possible career idea though, nope Amarillo has way too many photographers trying to make a living without me throw my hat into ring. I'm just going to do this for the fun of it! any ideas of what kind of camera I should get?

Those are some the things that have been on my mind for a while here now. 

Well today all of my hard work this semester paid off in a really unexpected way. Today was the Mass Comm awards ceremony and I got 9 awards! woo hoo!

my awards were:

Outstanding 2nd Year Journalism Student

Best Cover - AC Current

Best Page Background-AC Current

Outstanding Service - AC Current

Best Headline - AC Current

Best Critical Review - The Ranger

Best Page Design - AC Current

Best Website - AC Ranger

It was a good day it really picked me up and put a jump in my step - especially after what happened yesterday! My boss and his office manager decided they only want me to work two days a week, and those days are friday and saturday. yay... the office managers direct quote is "we still really want you to work, just on friday and saturday." Yeah like 15 hours a week is really gonna give me enough money to live on - the whole situation is stupid. I don't know what I'm gonna do...

Oh well graduation is only a week away and my resume is looking better and better!

So let me get this straight, on top of finals, getting the exclusive online edition on The Ranger uploaded (now with videos FYI), writing stories, getting ready to graduate and transfer; now I have to worry about the swine flu?!?

What alternate world did I fall into? All of sudden I wake up in a world where there is a "virus" taking lives left and right. Schools are shutting down and foregoing TAKS tests. City wide press conferences are being called. News stations are adding a ticker to the bottom of TV shows with live updates. I feel like I woke up in a remake of "Dawn of the Dead" staring me! This is the craziest thing. I have been taking extra steps to help boost my immune system - extra dose of vitamin C. Everyone should go to Natural Grocers and get some EmergenC - I don't know if this will make any difference one way or the other, but it gives me peace of mind and makes me feel like I am better preparing myself for the virus that will wipe the human race off the face of the earth. Now I'm just waiting for the first reports of people getting up and feeding off the flesh of humans and it will be official my Dawn of the Dead zombie movie like remake will be coming true. But in all seriousness this thing is insane and not to be taken lightly - use common sense people if you have flu like symptoms go to the doctor. DO NOT wait! and please stay way from people no one wants what you have.

I just turned in my last story for The Ranger for this semester - Oh geez! I just turned in my last news story at AC! I just realized that - its kind of sad. No its really sad. Wow....  - There is a video on The Ranger website where you can get to know The Ranger Staff a little better. Its a good laugh - check it out. While you're there take the poll and tell us what you think of the idea of incorporating videos. Speaking of which - I've hear rumors (which I hope are true) that AC may have a more converged student publication/media department very soon. If anyone out there is thinking about getting in Mass Comm this would be a good time if all of this is true.

The magazine is coming along nicely I'm gonna post more about this tomorrow and maybe even sneak peak of the cover - stay tuned!

Well I need to go do a report for my Life Science Lab

Hold on to your sanity everyone we've only got two weeks we can get through this in one piece.