Culminating

This past week, my cohort members and I presented our culminating presentations for our grad program. Even though we are still taking electives that presentation signified us completing our work in the grad program. Even though the presentation day has came and passed...I am still processing the fact that this graduate journey is almost to an end. Immediately after our presentations a couple of classmates and I went and bought our graduation robes which furthered the realization of this moment.

Still in shock but needed to comment,

Rena Tilisa Gore

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!

It is day 15 of this new year but since this is the first time I am writing in 2013 that statement still rings true!

One of the best times about a new year is that it is almost a new start a chance to redo or try something new, reflect on the past and explore where you want to go.

That makes this time of the year quite perfect in working on my culminating project for graduate school. At Rutgers in the College Student Affairs program our  big culminating project includes a 25 page learning narrative. The learning narrative essentially is a reflection of all my learning thus far in this two year grad program.

Currently I am reflecting on the past two years and it has been challenging, emotional, annd fun all at the same time and I think this is leading me toward a great start of 2013 and hopefully a more challenging, emotional, and fun experience after I graduate!

I have around 127 days or so till I graduate (another cohort member is keeping count) so I have much more learning to do and experiences to embark on but I am excited for this final chapter of grad school and  cannot wait to tell you all about them.

Till next time I'm Rena!

Happy Birthday MACUHO!!

This past week I had the pleasure of celebrating in MACUHO's 40th birthday for its annual conference!!

This was my first time coming to MACUHO and boy am I glad that I went to this one. The conference this year was in Baltimore, MD and we stayed at the Tremont Plaza Hotel & Grand Historic Venue!

This was the living room section of the suite that I stayed in. There was also a cute kitchenette! I was truly living the suite life on the 29th floor!! 

This photo above is the hallway that connects the hotel part of the Tremont Plaza to where most of our sessions and activities were in the Conference area section. 

The hallway tells the history of the building dating back to the 1700s. 

This was probably one of my favorite places and it was the Lady's Lounge aka the restroom on the lobby level of the conference area!! As you can see it was gorgeous!! When you enter there were two steps to take down into this massive area. The photo shows the lounge stide of the rest room and you can see part of the many stalls there. There were also great grand mirrors in this lounge.

In the library I took a photo for #MACUHODiversity.

This grand room is called the Corinthian Room and was where we had most of our big group activities...the luncheons and dinners and opening reception all took place in here.

This was my main course at the dinner on Thursday night...it look great and tasted even better. To follow that was a great cupcake from the local Cupcakery.

This is a photo of Julie (Rutgers Camden and cohort mate), Patrick (Rutgers New Brunswick Professor and VP of Student Affairs), and I just before the closing dinner ceremony!

Outside of these photos I had a really great time it was the perfect place to relax, reinvent yourself, feel a sense of renewal, and reconnect with other peers and colleagues in the field as well as network and meet others from different institutions and vendors. I even won a great basket in the charity basket raffle from Temple University!!

That is all for now. Till next time I am Rena!

Preparing for the Next Step

This past Friday I made a big step towards my future. I finalized my flight and hotel details for the ACPA and C3 conference in March. ACPA is American College Personnel Association. It is one of the national organizations for student affairs professionals which is what I am aspiring to be.
C3 is the job placement conference associated with it.

This coming year the conference is to be held in Las Vegas which is extremely exciting!! I have never been.  I am excited for the trip but nervous/anxious about what will come from it. Of course I am praying for a job so we will see what happens.

When I first started this blog I titled it My life in ResLife which is ideally where I would like to end up in Student Affairs.

I must get back to work...Hurricane Sandy threw me off course a bit but classes resume tomorrow and life will get back to normal.

So until next time,
I'm Rena.

October - Year 2

Hello,

So I have not written in a while and there is probably much to catch up on but first let me state that this post is almost exactly a year later from my first post in this blog.

I am happy to report that I am in the second year of grad school.
I am quite unhappy to report that this is EHS (Exploding Head Syndrome) month and I am feeling all its effects.

Since this is my second year I am involved in my program and institution, still have full time classes and an internship plus I have to begin the job search process as well as start working on my culminating project.

Needless to say, there is a lot going on and I am praying to God to get through it all.

That's enough for now...I have to get back to studying...it's midterm week!

Till next time,
I'm Rena.

Late Night

It is after 2 in the morning and I am sitting at an 24/7 Starbucks with three of my graduate friends all working on different assignments and papers.

I needed a break from trying to write a lit review and a conduct program ....so I am writing a blog.

Funny thing is I actually love and enjoy writing until it becomes assigned and academic. Especially in grad school with APA formatting...it gives me such an anxiety attack.

Ok, I need to go back and focus because this is crunch time the semester is nearly over so let me finish off strong or nearly strong.

Hope to write soon,

Rena

Almost at the Half Line

It is near the end of my first year as a grad student. At this point of the semester there is so much happening and going on that I can barely keep track of the days.

This semester has literally flown by and I cannot believe we are near the end of April already.

It is so funny that as much time goes by two things relatively opposing ideas continue to remain true:

1. So much has changed, while at the same time
2. So much is still the same.

A lot of the change that has occurred has to do with being in grad school and being a grad hall director. 

The things that still remain the same I guess are more grounded in who I amass a person. 

I would love to talk more but I am not quite at that half way point yet so in order to finish strong I need to focus in on my work.

Much love till next time,

I'm Rena.