A wise man once stated that "Opportunities come to those who make opportunities for themselves." I have sought to dig some up and have found an embarassment of riches.
With the dropping of my third econ course, graduation is now fixed in June. My remaining sixteen credits will be enjoyable, with the added spice of the news today that I made BYU Singers for the second year. This was made possible by a providential hand in arranging my schedule to make time available for daily rehearsals as well as the lack of a tour during spring term. 16 credits will be taken in winter, with either 6 or 9 credits taken in the Spring. After that, who knows.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Change
Perhaps the thing that intoxicated the nation during the Obama campaign was the single word change. I know it has recently intoxicated me. I'm starting my fifth year at BYU. I've been in Utah all of my life sans a mission and a study abroad. I find my life filled with the same dilemmas and monotony that I've faced for years. I am craving change, needing change. With graduation looming in either April or June, I fortunately will find my entire world about to undergo a complete transformation.
Recently I've been reviewing graduate schools for next Fall. This prospect has breathed new life into my soul. After a rough scholastic summer caused by fostering and growing the non-profit Student-Provo City Alliance and working for Dean Thompson, I feel acutely aware of my possibility of failing in my goal: attending a top 10 graduate school. I find my GPA higher than the average for top MBA programs, and within the given percentiles of all but the 4 most exclusive law schools. If I can pull off the coup of doing well on both the LSAT and the GMAT, I may just be able to pull off the coup of getting into a top 10 law school and business school at the same university. The past few days I assembled my top-, medium-, and lower-tier universities and have begun researching each school. Of course, if I get a job offer, this work is unnecessary for at least a couple of years. But if I don't get a quality job, and don't get into a top school, I don't know particularly what I'll do. That possible "change" scares me half to death.
But with such a sizeable and significant transformation, I have felt renewed incentive to work, to accomplish, and to achieve more in the next six months than I have in the past three years. I do this all the while undergoing significant emotional and mental stress. For example, T and I broke off our engagement two months ago. I am still, very emotionally raw. I went on my first, post-engagement date last night with someone else. Although it was fun and could lead to a second date, it did renew a lot of feelings for the person that was noticeably not there. I don't know which direction that and all of the other routes of my life will go, but it will, I pray, change me and those around me for the best.
Recently I've been reviewing graduate schools for next Fall. This prospect has breathed new life into my soul. After a rough scholastic summer caused by fostering and growing the non-profit Student-Provo City Alliance and working for Dean Thompson, I feel acutely aware of my possibility of failing in my goal: attending a top 10 graduate school. I find my GPA higher than the average for top MBA programs, and within the given percentiles of all but the 4 most exclusive law schools. If I can pull off the coup of doing well on both the LSAT and the GMAT, I may just be able to pull off the coup of getting into a top 10 law school and business school at the same university. The past few days I assembled my top-, medium-, and lower-tier universities and have begun researching each school. Of course, if I get a job offer, this work is unnecessary for at least a couple of years. But if I don't get a quality job, and don't get into a top school, I don't know particularly what I'll do. That possible "change" scares me half to death.
But with such a sizeable and significant transformation, I have felt renewed incentive to work, to accomplish, and to achieve more in the next six months than I have in the past three years. I do this all the while undergoing significant emotional and mental stress. For example, T and I broke off our engagement two months ago. I am still, very emotionally raw. I went on my first, post-engagement date last night with someone else. Although it was fun and could lead to a second date, it did renew a lot of feelings for the person that was noticeably not there. I don't know which direction that and all of the other routes of my life will go, but it will, I pray, change me and those around me for the best.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
New Horizons
Recently, something wonderful happened. Somehow, in some way, work became fun. I have surrounded myself with so much that is soul-enriching and yields true joy that I am having a blast.
As Joseph Sowa and I started the Student-Provo City Alliance, our ambitions began to grow. Initially we wished to merely overturn an unjust ordinance passed by the Provo City Council. As people signed up and more research was conducted, our vision increased. Joseph, however, was tapped for a prestigious study abroad and was unable to continue. In our executive council meeting on Monday, the SPCA suggested that our leadership structure have only one head: me. Consequently I find myself now heading three organizations instead of the the one that I signed up for two months ago. Let me explain.
Two months ago I was appointed as the Co-President of the Honors Student Advisory Council by the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education. With Dan Garcia, I will manage, grow, and develop the honors student community of 4,000+ students at BYU. It vaulted me up to some high falutin' councils that only the big cheeses go to. By in large, I've found the council's meaningless and unproductive, at least in regards to my organization.
Shortly after the SPCA began. As part of our research, we discovered that Provo residents were generally hostile towards students and students, in response to that antipathy, expressed apathy for the community. What was to be done? I couldn't sleep one night as I began to mull over several options for community outreach and unity. One idea was a website that facilitated service. I got out of bed, shuffled to the front room, and brain dumped on our 6' x 4' whiteboard. The result has been something of Providential intervention. I connected with the head of the Center for Service and Learning at BYU who is potentially interested in becoming a paid partner of the site. I connected with Brock Alexander who is a rising star in branding and developing a website's look and feel. I connected through a friend to a very competent man named Mike Benson who will be creating the guts of the website. I connected with Mitchell Harris who is acting as a consultant to simplify and streamline the structure of the website. Dave Coleman, who is working with me in the SPCA, is helping with strategy and marketing. If I can find a graphic designer, I'll have a full team.
The site will facilitate service by enabling people to create profiles as individuals and organizations. These individuals and organizations can then connect with one another in a very easy way to do service or to provide the service opportunity. Those who I have bounced the fleshed out idea off of have been very supportive and encouraging. Not only will I make the community a better place, I might be able to pay tuition and rent as well.
So I find myself as Co-President of HSAC, founder and President of the Student-Provo City Alliance (our new website, studentprovocityalliance.org, will be up and running by the end of this week), and founder and President of a website whose name has not been disclosed yet (we are in negotiations to purchase one of two domain names that look most appealing).
I still struggle with the reality that I was offered no internship this summer. But perhaps working for the Associate Dean of the business school, running these three organizations, ensuring my graduation with honors, and adding a second, lucrative degree will compensate.
As Joseph Sowa and I started the Student-Provo City Alliance, our ambitions began to grow. Initially we wished to merely overturn an unjust ordinance passed by the Provo City Council. As people signed up and more research was conducted, our vision increased. Joseph, however, was tapped for a prestigious study abroad and was unable to continue. In our executive council meeting on Monday, the SPCA suggested that our leadership structure have only one head: me. Consequently I find myself now heading three organizations instead of the the one that I signed up for two months ago. Let me explain.
Two months ago I was appointed as the Co-President of the Honors Student Advisory Council by the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education. With Dan Garcia, I will manage, grow, and develop the honors student community of 4,000+ students at BYU. It vaulted me up to some high falutin' councils that only the big cheeses go to. By in large, I've found the council's meaningless and unproductive, at least in regards to my organization.
Shortly after the SPCA began. As part of our research, we discovered that Provo residents were generally hostile towards students and students, in response to that antipathy, expressed apathy for the community. What was to be done? I couldn't sleep one night as I began to mull over several options for community outreach and unity. One idea was a website that facilitated service. I got out of bed, shuffled to the front room, and brain dumped on our 6' x 4' whiteboard. The result has been something of Providential intervention. I connected with the head of the Center for Service and Learning at BYU who is potentially interested in becoming a paid partner of the site. I connected with Brock Alexander who is a rising star in branding and developing a website's look and feel. I connected through a friend to a very competent man named Mike Benson who will be creating the guts of the website. I connected with Mitchell Harris who is acting as a consultant to simplify and streamline the structure of the website. Dave Coleman, who is working with me in the SPCA, is helping with strategy and marketing. If I can find a graphic designer, I'll have a full team.
The site will facilitate service by enabling people to create profiles as individuals and organizations. These individuals and organizations can then connect with one another in a very easy way to do service or to provide the service opportunity. Those who I have bounced the fleshed out idea off of have been very supportive and encouraging. Not only will I make the community a better place, I might be able to pay tuition and rent as well.
So I find myself as Co-President of HSAC, founder and President of the Student-Provo City Alliance (our new website, studentprovocityalliance.org, will be up and running by the end of this week), and founder and President of a website whose name has not been disclosed yet (we are in negotiations to purchase one of two domain names that look most appealing).
I still struggle with the reality that I was offered no internship this summer. But perhaps working for the Associate Dean of the business school, running these three organizations, ensuring my graduation with honors, and adding a second, lucrative degree will compensate.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Challenges
Several pieces of important (or potentially unimportant) news will fall in my lap tomorrow, urging a post tomorrow. However, I won't post tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next. For some public and many private reasons, this week will be decisive as choices, tests, assignments, projects and more are acted upon or deferred. Keep posted. The latter end of this week will produce rather significant announcements.
I do not know how the next 10 months will turn out. Having an unnatural aversion to failure, previous years have been marked by half-hearted efforts to enable excuses or sub-par challenges to minimize risk. Providence, however, spurs me forward this year. A mental switch has unexpectedly flipped. I move forward with little more than a simple, yet terrified, faith and trust in the direction I now follow.
I do not know how the next 10 months will turn out. Having an unnatural aversion to failure, previous years have been marked by half-hearted efforts to enable excuses or sub-par challenges to minimize risk. Providence, however, spurs me forward this year. A mental switch has unexpectedly flipped. I move forward with little more than a simple, yet terrified, faith and trust in the direction I now follow.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Genesis
I looked behind me, saw the nod, and proceeded forward. I caught my strength and looked into their eyes. I smiled. Suspicion spread across their forced smiles. They were as wary of me as I was of them. I clutched the sides of the podium, stood up straight, and began. This was our movement's public genesis. But first, let's sort out the pieces.
Three weeks ago Friday, Joseph, Eric, and I were discussing the mysteries of the college life cosmos. As new roommates we chatted about our interests, hobbies, and experiences. The talking stick eventually passed to Eric and he spoke of his soul's battle. His passion was infectious. Last Fall he waged a proxy war for BYU students against the daft Provo City Council. He was the solitary student voice opposing the new ordinance outlawing street parking in the student district (Joakim District) sans a pricey permit. When explained to any logical mind, the ordinance makes no sense. The hook came at his story's climax. As he stood boldly defending the student's rights, the chairmen flippantly replied, "Why don't you go and get married. That will solve your problem."
Joseph then turned to me, "Andrew, why don't we do something about this?"
"What?"
"Why don't we do something to repeal it?"
"What?"
"Why don't we fight this and gather the strength of the student body?"
"Uh....Sure."
"Serious?"
"Serious."
And so it began. We brainstormed strategy well into the night, set goals, and went to bed all fired up. Not good when you have to wake up for the temple 2 1/2 hours later.
We sat on it, doing research here and there without expectation to do much until our first organization meeting in early June. That was our plan. Our plan was thrown out the window. Monday, Joseph was tipped off by an old friend, Brian Casiday about the new problem: The City Council was to vote the next day to charge students $50/month to park on the street from roughly Provo Center Street to BYU Campus and from University Avenue to 9th East. Our plan shrunk from a summer's worth of work to merely 30 hours. Joseph quickly organized people to be nodes of responsibility: research, recruitment, etc. We constructed a briefing document, a list of strategic objectives, a list of the Council's points and counterpoints, and an online survey to collect essential economic data from our constituency. We held a strategy meeting that night, assembling the future leaders of our new organization. We meted out assignments and tried to eek out some homework before crashing on our bunk bed.
Then we waited. We saw 570 people respond to the survey, 1,200 people be invited to our Facebook event, and 70 students attend the council meeting. As the meeting drew closer, we found that we were mislead by our source, the "trusty" Daily Universe, and that the content of the meeting was not billed as advertised. But alas, we had numbers, and we were going to attack this issue. Joseph and I became the de facto leaders of the student organization. We met outside the doors of the chamber and conducted a strategy meeting with 70 people. We crafted the minutes of the Q&A period of the council meeting. And then we attacked. Elected by the group, I approached the podium first for the students. As I began, words did not come with ease, but at least I was diplomatic.Four successive students followed me, swamping the City Council with our concerns. Upon finishing, we excused ourselves and left the meeting.
We were interviewed by the Daily Universe, BYU Broadcasting, and the Daily Herald. Smart, capable, powerful, and connected individuals approached the two of us. Joseph and I were unaware at the brimming community disgust toward the city council's "Old Boys Club" mentality. Some of them expressed that we were the culmination of their hope, the hope of driven, competent leaders rallying students to end the tyranny of the City Council.
We do not expect things to come easily. In fact, we sense more defeats than victories moving forward, at least initially. But things have come too easily for us to be utterly defeated. Does a Hand move us forward? Perhaps. Can we keep our lives balanced? Perhaps. Can we secure an unlikely victory? Perhaps.
Perhaps.
Three weeks ago Friday, Joseph, Eric, and I were discussing the mysteries of the college life cosmos. As new roommates we chatted about our interests, hobbies, and experiences. The talking stick eventually passed to Eric and he spoke of his soul's battle. His passion was infectious. Last Fall he waged a proxy war for BYU students against the daft Provo City Council. He was the solitary student voice opposing the new ordinance outlawing street parking in the student district (Joakim District) sans a pricey permit. When explained to any logical mind, the ordinance makes no sense. The hook came at his story's climax. As he stood boldly defending the student's rights, the chairmen flippantly replied, "Why don't you go and get married. That will solve your problem."
Joseph then turned to me, "Andrew, why don't we do something about this?"
"What?"
"Why don't we do something to repeal it?"
"What?"
"Why don't we fight this and gather the strength of the student body?"
"Uh....Sure."
"Serious?"
"Serious."
And so it began. We brainstormed strategy well into the night, set goals, and went to bed all fired up. Not good when you have to wake up for the temple 2 1/2 hours later.
We sat on it, doing research here and there without expectation to do much until our first organization meeting in early June. That was our plan. Our plan was thrown out the window. Monday, Joseph was tipped off by an old friend, Brian Casiday about the new problem: The City Council was to vote the next day to charge students $50/month to park on the street from roughly Provo Center Street to BYU Campus and from University Avenue to 9th East. Our plan shrunk from a summer's worth of work to merely 30 hours. Joseph quickly organized people to be nodes of responsibility: research, recruitment, etc. We constructed a briefing document, a list of strategic objectives, a list of the Council's points and counterpoints, and an online survey to collect essential economic data from our constituency. We held a strategy meeting that night, assembling the future leaders of our new organization. We meted out assignments and tried to eek out some homework before crashing on our bunk bed.
Then we waited. We saw 570 people respond to the survey, 1,200 people be invited to our Facebook event, and 70 students attend the council meeting. As the meeting drew closer, we found that we were mislead by our source, the "trusty" Daily Universe, and that the content of the meeting was not billed as advertised. But alas, we had numbers, and we were going to attack this issue. Joseph and I became the de facto leaders of the student organization. We met outside the doors of the chamber and conducted a strategy meeting with 70 people. We crafted the minutes of the Q&A period of the council meeting. And then we attacked. Elected by the group, I approached the podium first for the students. As I began, words did not come with ease, but at least I was diplomatic.Four successive students followed me, swamping the City Council with our concerns. Upon finishing, we excused ourselves and left the meeting.
We were interviewed by the Daily Universe, BYU Broadcasting, and the Daily Herald. Smart, capable, powerful, and connected individuals approached the two of us. Joseph and I were unaware at the brimming community disgust toward the city council's "Old Boys Club" mentality. Some of them expressed that we were the culmination of their hope, the hope of driven, competent leaders rallying students to end the tyranny of the City Council.
We do not expect things to come easily. In fact, we sense more defeats than victories moving forward, at least initially. But things have come too easily for us to be utterly defeated. Does a Hand move us forward? Perhaps. Can we keep our lives balanced? Perhaps. Can we secure an unlikely victory? Perhaps.
Perhaps.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Next Update - Ambiguity Personified
Why should I post if I have nothing to post? If I do have something to post, should I wait until it is more concrete? I fear looking fickle when I merely look ahead to see what's next on my life's meandering river.
In sum, the current curve balls:
- I'm not going to Asia.
- I successfully added a second major (Economics), which nicely complements my Business Strategy major. To complete the degree, I'll be attending every waking hour for the next calender, not school, year. In the next year, I will complete 4 hours of Math, 24 hours of Econ, and 15 hours of Business Strategy. The rare departmental clearance came (I'm the only one that I know in the last few months who has gotten cleared) because I've finished my GEs, general business requirements, and my honors requirements. Because my primary major occurs in a sequence, I need something to fill the gaps. Consequently, a minor moved to a major fits the bill.
- I have no internship for this summer (Wow, what a loser. :) ) Anyone know any people who have sweet hookups? The vaunted BYU MBA program, ranked #1 in BusinessWeek and #3 in the WSJ by corporate recruiters, only has a paltry 50% with internships right now. I suspect the undergraduate to be something similar.
- My current internship with Dow is finishing up to no real fanfare.
- The honors thesis is taking shape. I hope to be completely finished by this October.
- I'm frustrated as I'll get out about the current economic actions taken by an administration that appears more interested in dooming the future to move his agenda along than to actually really fix the crisis. I typed up two posts and never posted them because I feared the repercussions of doing so...
- I'm still dating Thamina after 5 1/2 months. A record for both of us.
- I am unsure where I'll be living in the Spring/summer & Fall. If anyone knows anyone who wants a roommate, shoot them my way.
In essence, my life is one unsure mess. Nothing seems certain. The future has never been so ambiguous, which has forced faith and hope to take the helm.
As for more substance, headlines will have to do. I promise to flesh out some of these things by the end of the week and not bite my tongue on social commentary. I encourage responses and lucid, fact driven conversations with those of conflicting viewpoints.
In sum, the current curve balls:
- I'm not going to Asia.
- I successfully added a second major (Economics), which nicely complements my Business Strategy major. To complete the degree, I'll be attending every waking hour for the next calender, not school, year. In the next year, I will complete 4 hours of Math, 24 hours of Econ, and 15 hours of Business Strategy. The rare departmental clearance came (I'm the only one that I know in the last few months who has gotten cleared) because I've finished my GEs, general business requirements, and my honors requirements. Because my primary major occurs in a sequence, I need something to fill the gaps. Consequently, a minor moved to a major fits the bill.
- I have no internship for this summer (Wow, what a loser. :) ) Anyone know any people who have sweet hookups? The vaunted BYU MBA program, ranked #1 in BusinessWeek and #3 in the WSJ by corporate recruiters, only has a paltry 50% with internships right now. I suspect the undergraduate to be something similar.
- My current internship with Dow is finishing up to no real fanfare.
- The honors thesis is taking shape. I hope to be completely finished by this October.
- I'm frustrated as I'll get out about the current economic actions taken by an administration that appears more interested in dooming the future to move his agenda along than to actually really fix the crisis. I typed up two posts and never posted them because I feared the repercussions of doing so...
- I'm still dating Thamina after 5 1/2 months. A record for both of us.
- I am unsure where I'll be living in the Spring/summer & Fall. If anyone knows anyone who wants a roommate, shoot them my way.
In essence, my life is one unsure mess. Nothing seems certain. The future has never been so ambiguous, which has forced faith and hope to take the helm.
As for more substance, headlines will have to do. I promise to flesh out some of these things by the end of the week and not bite my tongue on social commentary. I encourage responses and lucid, fact driven conversations with those of conflicting viewpoints.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Rising to the Challenge
As the new year rolled in, I was met by a remarkably different feeling than I had received the previous New Year's Eve. At that particularly difficult 2008 dawn, I felt a remarkable feeling of coming peace, opportunity, and choice experiences. I latched on to that impressed promise and beheld the most blessed year of my life temporally, emotionally, and financially unfold.
This year I felt nothing. If anything, it was ominous. I returned to Provo, the family left, and school started. But I didn't want it to start. Choices, tough choices, needed resolution. My decisions would dictate my final areas of study, internships, and my first job out of school. Finance, Marketing, Operations, and Finance were all considered, classes sampled, and choices were made. To finish all of my academic undergraduate goals, I discovered, I am forced to take 18 credits for the next three semesters. Somewhere, somehow graduate school tests will be studied for and taken, a thesis researched and written, and a relationship developed and made eternal.
Challenges are painful but worthwhile. I've felt particularly daunted by the challenges of the day recently, but remember my favorite space ranger's anecdote, "Never give up, never surrender."
This year I felt nothing. If anything, it was ominous. I returned to Provo, the family left, and school started. But I didn't want it to start. Choices, tough choices, needed resolution. My decisions would dictate my final areas of study, internships, and my first job out of school. Finance, Marketing, Operations, and Finance were all considered, classes sampled, and choices were made. To finish all of my academic undergraduate goals, I discovered, I am forced to take 18 credits for the next three semesters. Somewhere, somehow graduate school tests will be studied for and taken, a thesis researched and written, and a relationship developed and made eternal.
Challenges are painful but worthwhile. I've felt particularly daunted by the challenges of the day recently, but remember my favorite space ranger's anecdote, "Never give up, never surrender."
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