"Coaching" advice- final chapter

When I left off, I was describing my path to the President's Office. My sophomore year at Metro is when my life took on a new journey.
Well, not at first. See, in my ruthless pursuit of employment, I was forced to apply for a job at a place where gulp my mother worked. I know, I know- there are many people on the streets of Denver who would have been happy to be employed but they haven't met my mother, nor have they ever worked with my mother. Technically, I was hired at my mother's job about two days before Laura hired me, therefore I worked more hours at the off-campus job. Plus, at the time, there were plenty of work study students in the President's office, so I worked probably 10-15 hours a week on-campus.
At my other job, I was a data entry extraordinare (I added that last part). The company protested unemployment claims on behalf of the employer. Everything was electronic, therefore the amount of data to enter was HUGE. I worked crazy hours at that job because I was given the freedom to do so- I had a couple of things going for me:
1) My mom had worked at this company for 19 years when I started, so they reasoned that I would work like her (which, by the way, I did);
2) My personality was pleasing to everyone in the office, so I could get away with some things that others couldn't (for example, I hate dress shoes and eventually got permission to wear Chuck Taylors everyday);
3) My work ethic- To toot my own horn, I am a hard-worker who doesn't need to be supervised every minute of the day. My old boss, Angie would leave me alone for hours on end; it got that I would go and see her.... only to get more work.

So how did all of this fit in with my new position in the President's Office?

Well, it didn't. Not at first. I mean, since I wasn't there very often, I got all the work that no one else wanted- copying, delivering envelopes around campus, cleaning, usw. It wasn't until my junior year that I stepped up to the plate in the President's Office. We had 4 or 5 people graduate and there were more tasks to be completed in the office. Thank God for Laura- she embraced the idea of me working more. So I quit the other job and worked full-time in the President's office. There was so much to do and I had a lot to learn quickly: search procedures, forms, advertising, budget, meetings, travel, usw.

And that is basically a condensed version of my rags-to-riches story. How a girl that never gave a second thought about coming to Metro until her other choices were taken away ended up thriving at Metro- honestly, it only happened because of my mom but especially because of a wonderful, energetic person named Laura, who took a chance on a promising freshman. For that, I owe Laura so much and I could never repay my debt but will "pay it forward" instead. Hopefully, that is thanks enough.

"Coaching" advice- part 2

Let's see... Where did I leave off? I was back in Colorado, after my trip to Germany and wondering where to attend college when my mom reminded me that I applied to Metro and could go there until I figured out what I was going to do. So I ended up on campus, going through orientation, taking my assessment tests and talking with an advisor.
My first day passed and I soon got into the rhythm of attending class, reading the assigned chapters and in general, getting acquainted with the campus and my fellow students. One day, I was in a bathroom in the Tivoli (no joke) when I spotted an advertisement for work-study students to work in the Athletic Department. Being the athletic person that I am, I figured this would be a great opportunity; Being the young woman that I was at the time, I figured that working in Athletics would be a great excuse to check out the guys.
In Athletics, I met my boss and the woman that has helped me become the person I am today: Laura. Everyone on campus knows Laura- she is a spunky, energetic person who is so caring and wants to help you out that she would drop whatever she was working on to make sure that you sign up for the correct class/make your doctor's appointment/ask if your dog is okay after eating a pound of chocolate, usw. I would like to believe that I am the daughter that Laura never had but always wanted- grown.
Laura and I were a great team. As I began to show more interest in working more hours and taking on more tasks, she was willing to take me under her wing and provide me with more opportunities. I worked more events, I completed more office tasks, I learned so much about the College and running a department while I worked with Laura for my first year. Then after the spring semester was over, Laura hit me with some bad news: She was leaving Athletics to work in the President's Office. I was happy for her but I was sad- above all, Laura had become a close friend. I figured that I would still see her on campus but things wouldn't be the same.
Laura's replacement, a man named Charles and I began to work together, everything went along somewhat smoothly. Charles was a great guy but he wasn't Laura. I think that the best part about that summer was that I became more confident in my abilities to perform my work duties in the Athletics Department. I began working with Danny, who at the time, was the newly hired soccer coach and business manager. Danny taught me the basics about the budget, which really has helped me out, especially in the office that I work in today.
But back to my story.
As I was getting ready for my sophomore year, I was hit with horrible news: since I was receiving a scholarship for being Rowdy, I no longer qualified for work-study funds and because of budget cuts, Athletics didn't have the funds to pay me anymore, i.e. I was out of a job.
Enter Laura- my savior. Laura called me after she heard the news and offered me a job in the drumroll please..... President's Office.
That's right. I was going to work in the President's Office. Oh yeah. I jumped for joy- mainly because I was going to employed again BUT especially because I would be working with Laura. Life was good.

Some brilliant advice from my "coach"

In the past couple of posts, I wanted to give you an extremely basic understanding of me and my life. From my mascot gig to my lazy Memorial Day Weekend and back, my lifestyle is now an open book. But there are still a few pieces missing, namely me and my Metro "relationship" (i.e. what Metro has done for me, how my experiences here have made me the woman I am today, usw.). Let's see.... Where to begin?
On a lovely June evening long ago, my mother gave birth to a beautiful, screaming baby which she named Amber. Oops- that was probably too far back. Fast forward through high school. At the beginning of my senior year, I like many other soon-to-be high school graduates had absolutely NO IDEA which college/university I wanted to attend nor did I really know how to pick a place to enroll in.
Enter Miriam from Metro State's Admissions Office (yes, I did remember who came to my school and no, I'm not lying or joking). It isn't so much that I wanted to attend Metro for any of the reasons I could pick now: 1) Close to my house; 2) Cheap (affordable if you want a nicer way of saying that I wouldn't have to sell my little sister to get a bachelor's); 3) Diverse student population; or 4) Fantastic sports teams.
Honestly? The real reason why I attended the information session about Metro State was to get out of a boring lecture from my Yearbook advisor. This woman could take a 5 minute conversation and somehow stretch it into a 45 minute lecture. Which is why, when I heard I could get excused from class and ask some questions about the College, I jumped at the chance.
So I went and heard many wonderful things about Metro. I applied right then and thought "okay, at least if I can't pick a school, I can go there."
In high school, I was very involved: choir, African-American club, ski/snowboard club (still can't snowboard though), newspaper, yearbook, German club, and of course sports. I played basketball and volleyball and was a soccer manager only because I didn't know a thing about soccer (still don't now, come to think of it). How did I pick my colleges to talk to and visit? On basis of their needs for their basketball or volleyball teams.
This is how, on a cold February day, I found myself in Hastings, Nebraska speaking with the basketball and volleyball coach. Even though Hastings College was in the NAIA division and had never asked for a tape of me playing, I thought "I could get out of Denver, live on my own and experience dorm life while studying the major of my choice (sports psychology)". Wrong. It was cold, windy and the town was set-up like Greeley: about five miles from a stinky farm. Even though I was receiving a scholarship to play both of my sports, I still would have had to take out $14,000 in loans just to cover my tuition for that first year! Needless to say, I didn't mind that much when my mom refused to sign my paperwork while I was in Germany, on a study abroad trip.
Onto my second choice: Baker University in Kansas. Baker offered me a vice president's scholarship (valued at $3000) but their tuition was incredibly high, especially since I was an out-of-state student. Hastings was a better choice because at least I had family in Nebraska.
So, what's a girl to do when her two top choices don't pan out? You remember about that unknown college in your backyard that you applied to so long ago.
More to follow...

Strawberry Days

So this past weekend I took a mini-vacation. Friday night after work I drove to Glenwood Springs, Colorado for a parade that was occurring the following morning: Strawberry Days. While there is much history in this event, that was not the reason why I participated in this particular event.
Let's just say that a dear friend of mine called in a favor. His step-grandmother has a mortgage company in Glenwood and had the bright idea to get more publicity for her company by inviting her step-grandson and his fellow mascot friends to do their "thing". What else draws attention like big furry mascots running around, tossing candy and just joking with the crowd? Not much. Well, except for the girls that rode the ATV's in the parade- they turned a lot of heads!
Back to my story. So after driving to Glenwood and grabbing a quick bite to eat, we went to my friend's grandparent's home, which was on the side of a mountain with an AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL view. Honestly, it could have been romantic if the right two people were alone together. The best part about being at their house was that the family and friends that were around were so hilarious.
Imagine having to keep up with three people that are mascots- we are used to telling funny (but true) stories about our experiences and relating them to "normal" people i.e. non-mascots. For this family to keep up as well as they did, I was amazed.
And about the parade- can I make a helpful suggestion to parade organizers around the world? When you have mascots in a parade that you are in charge, please don't make them get into costume until 15 minutes before your event begins, as it is extremely hot in our characters. Plus it only takes us a few minutes to get dressed anyway- you are practically a pro after your first appearance.

Open House this weekend- June 24th

One of my favorite events on campus is the Open House. There are usually three a year (November, April and June) and I thoroughly enjoy every single one of them. So why do I enjoy spending an entire Saturday in character, in a hot gym?
I get to make a first impression on future Metro students. How noticeable is a gigantic Roadrunner in a room full of people? Extremely noticeable. These students not only get the chance to register, schedule classes and talk to every department on campus but they get to see me (well, actually Rowdy) joking and dancing.
In case you have never been to an Open House, let me fill you in. Like I mentioned before, every department sends a representative to answer questions that students have. Also, representatives from Financial Aid, Transfer Services, Student Services, Campus Recreation, etc. are available to assist students. Open House is operated by the Office of Admissions, who do a great job organizing this event (of course, they have been running this show for a couple of years). Also, this is the only day that you can park free on campus (FYI- park in the Garage).
The best part about the Open House is the energy levels in the Events Center. The staff and students get excited helping the future Metro students get ready to attend and it shows on their faces and in their body language. The energy that comes off of the workers somehow works its way into the prospective students and their family. I think that knowing you can apply, register, get information from financial aid and pick a major in one day- at one spot- is AWESOME! It is such a load off of your shoulders.
So, if you are reading this prospective students, you definitely should come Auraria Campus on June 24th, 2006 from 10am-3pm. Hope to you there!

Only 1,090 days left....

Talking about love on a blog- not very romantic. Nor is it really a good idea to spill the beans about a lackluster love life on a blog, especially one that people you attend school with (hopefully) will be reading.
So why talk about my love life right now? Because it has been on my mind the last couple of days. See, it's my best friend Jessica's fault- she just got married on Saturday (congratulations again to the happy couple). As her best friend, I was the maid of honor, a job which I think I did fairly well. But I'm straying from my point. Jessica's last words to me Saturday evening, as her and Cliff climbed into his truck was (and I quote) "you have three years."
While most people have no idea what she was talking about, I do. See, we have already decided to have children around the same time, meaning I need find someone to begin a romantic relationship with. This all boils down to one simple statement: Find someone, fall in love and get them to marry me in about 1090 days so that Jessica's children will have built-in playmates.
Simple, right? Wrong!
Not only am I picky when it comes to the opposite sex, but fall in love and get married within three years? Yeah right- does she know she is talking to the same woman who is taking 5 and 1/2 years to graduate college, the same woman who can't make up her mind about which restaurant to eat at, the same woman who doesn't know whether to use paper or plastic for her groceries?
Plus, marriage is a serious commitment- one doesn't just pick a partner to please their best friend's biological clock. On the other hand, it is awesome to have some sort of timeline. I'm not saying that I am caving into Jess's commands but it is nice to sit back and think "Hey, I really should work on my relationship status now." I, like most people, will follow a deadline. Tell me I need something done by next Tuesday and its done by Monday. I'm not really working against a deadline per se. Think of it this way: when you are younger it is perfectly acceptable to date around, realizing that you are young or having fun or weeding out the prospects. Understandable. But what happens when you get a little older and your friends begin to settle into relationships and (heaven forbid) they get married? What do you do if you are the only one still "enjoying the single life?"
So that is where I am coming from these past couple of days, well weeks actually. I'm not saying that the single life isn't all that its cracked up to be (It is awesome not to have to worry about another person's schedule or feelings or wants- it is!) but still it would be nice to have someone around after I've had a bad day, someone to laugh at my lame jokes, a permanent date to functions that require an attendant, usw.
So I have 1090 days left. Tick tock, tick tock.

Shhh.... Don't tell!! It's a secret!!!

As a Metro State student, there are many things that you won't ever figure out unless someone tells you. For instance, you might never know about a drawer on the third floor of a particular building is filled with chocolate- which you can eat if you know which office and which person to ask. You might never figure out how to score a free locker in the locker rooms. Or which events have the best catering.
Ready for another secret? This is a big one. This information will explain my role here at the College for the last 5.5 years and my relationships with the people that I see everyday (hopefully, you as a prospective/current/former student will interact with these wonderful folks).
Ready?
I'm the mascot. I am Rowdy the Roadrunner. That big beautiful furry bird that represents Metro State so well (at least in my opinion): Rowdy is the all-around good guy in Denver, the one that plays with children while their parents watch my fellow athletes complete, the one that jokes with every fan, the one who jumps with excitement when my teams win and the one who cries when they lose.
See, I've always been a superfan. I was voted most spirited in high school, so naturally stepping into this role at Metro was fairly easy. I would like to think that it was just a talent that I have (a few other talents that I have: I'm great at remembering numbers and faces, a flair for dressing, and great communication skills).
Usually, a mascot's true identity is a secret. This is a rule that I have lived by for far too long. Why reveal myself as the mascot? Why not? Other mascots in the Denver area proudly display their "mascots-ness"; why shouldn't I?
The real reason for revealing my other identity- in December, I will officially retire as Rowdy. In the fall semester I will be training my replacement, who will proudly carry on the tradition of all great Roadrunners in the history of this great education institution.
Need another reason? As a mascot, I am constantly being invited to other colleges or mascot events. This last weekend, I was at the Broncos Fan Fair for a little mascot tackle football. I had a great time with all of my friends, some who have graduated and are now professional mascots. But I couldn't tell anyone. My family and friends have heard my stories for years, about which mascot does this and which mascot went here.
Now I have a great venue for telling my stories: right here.

Is there a Dr. Phil in your life??

Call me Oprah.
Not because I am of African-American descent. Not because I am curvaceous. Not because I run a television show (does sitting on the Board of Student Media count?).
Call me Oprah because I have my own Dr. Phil. Not just one Dr. Phil but many. Why am I so lucky, to have so many people just willing to throw advice my way? Chalk it up to luck or the alignment of the stars (Pluto is in the ninth house, btw).
The person who commits this act regularly (will remain nameless to protect their identity) is someone that is extremely close to me. We have been friends for a while and they are just going through a different life phase than me, which allows them to spew advice like it was candy. And it doesn't matter what the topic is- this person is the know-all, end-all on EVERY topic known to humankind.
Need a new car mechanic? They have the best mechanic.
Need to buy a house? They know a realtor that can show you a house this afternoon.
Need a date for this weekend? They work with this person who has a great personality.
You need to register for classes at Metro and because it is your first semester and you haven't declared a major and you want to take some interesting classes and you need to know where the study lounges are and you want to know the name of that hot basketball player? Well, actually this is something that I could tell you.
But I'm straying from the topic. I just want to know that I am not the only person on this beautiful planet with a couple of Dr. Phils in my life. I do realize that people are capable (or should be- that's another post for another day) of giving advice in areas where they have some expertise or first-hand knowledge. But can a person truly give advice in all areas of your life?
And if this person is capable of giving advice in all areas of your life, then aren't they really running your life? This is my dilemma: How much advice should I take before these people are directing my life, and I am no longer living my life?