Something to blog about...

This last week was exciting for me as a student and a mom. I had the opportunity to showcase the research I had worked on with two professors at Bradley University's Student Scholarship Exposition. This was my first time participating in such a event. I had no idea what to expect. There were a lot of smart students there with huge wallpaper like posters. Every one of these posters was carefully pinned to a foam board. When the judges came by to evaluate my poster, I was excited to tell them about our research study and the results we found. I found it easy because all I had to do was present the study on the Facebook Revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt in a storytelling fashion. The judges became engaged with my story and asked a lot of questions. I answered these questions with the greatest of enthusiasm because the topic was relevant to things happening today.

Anyway, we ended up winning an Honorable Mention. The provost was so excited for me. He hugged me several times and posed in pictures with me. I felt overwhelmed with a sense of recognition and accomplishment. After the awards ceremony was over, Dr. Bashri and I took the award over to the communications department to show the department chair, Dr. Gullifor. When Dr. Bashri tilted her head in the door, Dr. Gullifor looked up at her and asked how the ceremony went. She didn't respond. I entered the office throwing him a shirt and said, "We are throwing in the towel on this whole exposition thing." He then looked at Dr. Bashri for a response to which she shouted, "We won!" I have never seen a man jump to his feet in such excitement as I did that day. Everyone in the communications department was overwhelmed with excitement. Dr. Gullifor then said he thought this was the first time the communications department has ever won an award at the exposition. After hearing those words, I became more proud of the goal I had accomplished. It is not everyday one gets the chance to pave a road in a department at a University.

 I was so touched by all of the feedback I received from all of my current and past professors in different departments. At Bradley, we are all one family no matter which department one attends. My professors are above all the politics played in most schools. They went out of their way to offer me their words of congratulations. These professors are the reason I love being a student at Bradley. Without them I don't think I would have been able to finish school. It is their words of encouragement and constant faith that pushed me through not only my student career but allowed me the opportunity to pave a path for the graduating class behind me. Now, that is something to blog about!