The only thing standing between the students and Christmas break are finals! I want to wish the best of luck to everyone!
While students get caught up in the stress of finals, they can forget to keep their holiday cheer. On December 9th in the Panther's Den, the Physical Activities Club held the "Milk and Cookies with Santa" event! This event included coloring pictures, creating reindeer crafts, milk and cookies, and even a photo opportunity with Santa!
We had great support from fellow students and faculty, who even brought their own children in for the event! With the great turnout, we raised $176.00 and two huge boxes of donated toys for the Child Advocacy Center. Events like this really open your heart for the families in need at this time of the year. I love being involved in events like this on campus!
On behalf of the Panther Blog Team, softball team, and Physical Activities Club, I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday! Can't wait to be back in January!
I'm a huge believer that community involvement makes your college experience so much better. Ferrum faculty and staff help students find great opportunities to get involved with the welcoming local community, and it's worth it! Check out my video about ways that I've been involved in the local community of Ferrum and the surrounding areas during my time at Ferrum College.
On November 3rd, Zeta Chi Epsilon was making stacks on stacks...of pancakes! This sorority that I "sweetheart" for has a fundraiser every semester for our philanthropy, The Child Advocacy Center in Rocky Mount. The fundraiser is called Stacks for the Kids. It's held in Confetti's, which is on the bottom floor of Bassett, a dorm on campus. Confetti's has everything from a kitchen to couches to big screen TVs! Tickets were sold in the Franklin Hall atrium for a couple of weeks before the event. A $2 ticket got the purchaser a plate of three pancakes or wait what...three waffles! Tickets became $3 at the door, $1 for another plate once they were there, and 100% of the proceeds went to the philanthropy.
The night started off wonderfully with the Bassett fire alarm going off at 7 p.m. (the intended start time of the fundraiser), but finally we were able to get back down there and keep cooking! ZXE provided all of the toppings, such as butter, syrup, whipped cream, strawberries, bananas, and even had coffee with all of the fixings.
A wide variety of people showed up, from students to professors to family, and at the end of the night, we raised enough money to donate $100 to the Child Advocacy Center of Rocky Mount. A professor who is on the Advising Panel for this organization said she could not have been more pleased with what we were doing and how much it meant to her and the children.
Overall, the night was filled with fun and excitement, as well as the joy of knowing we were doing something good for others just like Ferrum's motto says: "Not Self, But Others." So be on the lookout each semester here on out for campus mail talking about Stacks for the Kids, and I hope to see everyone there!
As I am caught in the bittersweet moment of my third and final year at Ferrum, I have truly realized how my short time here has greatly impacted my life as a whole. Facing the uncertainty of the future, along with the memories of the past has led me to think about what has made the past few years ones that I will never forget. A reflection of the life experiences I will take away with me at graduation can easily be broken into FERRUM -- a word that is more than just a school name but is also a major part of my life.
Family. There is a quote that reads, "Here's to the nights that turned into mornings, with the friends that turned into family." Here at Ferrum College, the "Ferrum Family" isn't just a concept we tell potential students to sell them on our great school; it's an actual pure and raw state that can be felt from the first few weeks on campus and well into alumni status. The common bond of Panther Pride connects each of us, making Ferrum the tight-knit community that it is. Since I have been here, I have met so many wonderful people that make me wonder how I ever made it through the first part of my life without them. Whether it's my roommates, Greek family, club members, or study groups, the people I have met on this campus have truly become some of my closest friends. Every year, another graduation pulls some of us apart, but it is nice to know that we will always be a part of the Ferrum family and have each other to lean on for the rest of our lives.
E-term. One of the best experiences I have had not only at Ferrum, but in my whole life, was the opportunity to travel abroad with a Ferrum E-term (Experiential Term) class. I took an Environmental Science class where we traveled to Ireland to study the culture, heritage, landmarks, and natural history. We flew into Dublin and spent time traveling around the entire country learning about the rich history of Ireland. I learned more than I ever have in any other class because I was able to learn the material by visiting landmarks, meeting people from other countries, and experiencing life outside of America. Without this opportunity that Ferrum provided to take an E-term course, I probably would have never had a chance to visit and explore Ireland and Northern Ireland in the way that I did this past summer. The class and trip are definitely something that I will talk about and treasure for the rest of my life as I hold close the memories of kissing the Blarney Stone, seeing Fungie the Dolphin, walking to the edge of the Cliffs of Moher, climbing the Giants Causeway, and feeding baby sheep - just to name a few!
Recruitment. I thoroughly enjoy being an Admissions Ambassador and Panther Blogger as they are both ways for me to personally connect with potential students long before they ever decide to make Ferrum their home. Sharing my stories and experiences allow me to open up and give potential students a glimpse of Ferrum that propels well beyond an official visit or a website of information. One of the most important factors in choosing a school is finding a place you can call home, and I am honored that I am able to help future students make that decision. As an Admissions Ambassador, I have given countless campus tours, listened to personal stories and backgrounds, and answered any and all questions that arise. Watching a parent's eyes light up when they realize that their child has found a new home for the next few years is an experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. From athletic recruits, special guests, future students, and other special campus events, I gladly step up to tell everyone what makes this place so special. I sometimes have too much to say simply because I love this school and everything about it so much! Responsibility. Everyone says a college is the time to truly discover yourself, learn what you are meant to do in life, and work hard to achieve your goals. When you pick a major, throw in extracurricular activities, meal times, hours of homework, athletic practices and time to sleep, sometimes it seems like you won't even make it through the day, much less the whole semester or year. In my time here, I have learned that college is the place where the days drag on for what seems like forever, but the weeks and months fly by. It seems like only a few days ago that I was at home too excited to sleep because I knew I would be moving into my first dorm room the next day. Looking back on the short two years that I have been here, I cannot believe I am facing my senior year of college. I opened my mailbox the other day to find an application for graduation; that's when it hit me that my undergraduate career is almost over. In the time since my first semester here, I have definitely noticed a change in the way I study, finish my homework, and schedule out my days ahead of time. I have used the skills and resources provided to me to work and ensure that I get a little better each semester. Responsibility is a skill that must be developed in each individual person, but Ferrum does an excellent job of helping guide students to their goals through Freshman Gateway courses, senior capstones, advisor meetings, and professional prep classes.
Unicorns. Of all my campus activities and organizations, my favorite is my sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon, whose international mascot is the unicorn. Being a sister of Ferrum's first national Greek organization has brought me some of my closest friends, helped me become a part of something so much bigger than myself, and allowed me constant opportunities to give back to the community. Within the sorority, I have found roommates, best friends, future bridesmaids, study partners, role models, and mentors all while being involved in something that has made me a better and well-rounded person. Delta Phi Epsilon chartered on Ferrum's campus in 2011 and has continued to grow each and every semester. Being a member of an international organization allows for the opportunity to network with alumni, find sisters all across the world, and work hard to raise funds for our philanthropies. We raise money and awareness for our official philanthropies, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) and Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), as well as to contribute to the campus and local community. I can't believe that I only have a semester and a half left on campus with my sisters and fellow unicorns, but I know that no matter where I am in the world, they will always be there loving and supporting me.
Mentor. I am involved in many clubs and organizations on campus, and I hold a leadership role in several of them. I am the Vice President of Academic Affairs for Delta Phi Epsilon, Secretary of the Minds-n-Medicine club, and a member of the Honors Advisory Council for the Boone Honors Program. I also serve as a mentor for the Gateway seminar that freshmen take each fall. Through the opportunities that Ferrum has given me to step up and be a leader, I feel more confident going into the rest of my life with experience and knowledge. There are so many clubs and organizations on campus that allow students to be a member and/or student leader - there really is something for everyone. Becoming involved is one of the best ways to expand horizons, build resumes, and meet new people, and I'm so glad I have been able to take advantage of it all in my short time here!
I am Social Work 330 - Human Behavior class. We have been diligently working on a class trip all semester and finally all the hard work paid off!
As stated on its website, the Rescue Mission in Roanoke, Virginia is "a Christ-centered, grassroots organization offering programs to help people physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. The programs are holistic and involve elements of personal responsibility, self-determination and an internal transformation of values and vision resulting in a restoration of self-respect. The homeless, the hungry, the sick, the addicted, the abused, and the hopeless have all found a warm welcome at the Rescue Mission. Men, women, and children have found a safe place and compassionate friends in their darkest moments."
The Rescue Mission has been open since 1942 and for more than 62 years, it has served this homeless population in many ways. The Rescue Mission is open 24/7, and yes, that includes Christmas!
Sculpture outside of the women & children's building
Leslie Holden giving tips to the guests at the Rescue Mission.
So a few weeks ago, my class traveled to Roanoke to work with some of the folks at the Rescue Mission who are considered "chronically homeless," meaning they have been homeless for at least two years. My classmates and I ran two workshops for about 35 of the guests at the Rescue Mission. For the first workshop, we went over resumes. We updated some resumes for some of the people and started new ones for others. After the resume portion, we started a mock interview process. I got to interview two awesome guys and give them pointers on how to answer questions, what questions an employer should not be asking, and other important information that could be beneficial to getting a job!
After both workshops, we were given a tour of the Rescue Mission where we got the chance to see the men's building, the women and children's building, the free clinic, the thrift store, and the cafeteria! After our tour, we had the chance to sit down and have lunch with some of the guests and employees of the Rescue Mission.
A room inside the Rescue Mission. Each guest is provided with a quilt that was donated by local church groups. The quilts are given so the bed has more of a home-y feel!
An art piece called "The Path," made by a guest of the Rescue Mission
It was a very rewarding experience, and I hope to return to the Rescue Mission to volunteer in the future!
On Wednesday, March 26th and Thursday, March 27th, the Minds-N-Medicine Club hosted a Virginia Blood Services Blood Drive in the YMCA. Virginia Blood Services provides blood to the local community. Every unit of blood that is donated can save up to three lives, directly fulfilling Ferrum's motto: "Not Self, But Others."
As the President of the Minds-N-Medicine Club, assisting with the organization of the Blood Drive has become very special to me. Up until the time I went to Zambia (check my video blog about that trip!), I donated blood at all of Ferrum's blood drives. I am currently on deferral, but I will be able to donate again in August.
Daniel donating blood for the first time.
Sticker that Virginia Blood Services gives to blood donors.
Before each Blood Drive, our club holds sign-ups on campus. One of my friends, Daniel, signed up to donate blood for the first time during this Blood Drive. He signed up to donate during my lunch break, so I went and sat with him while he donated.
Virginia Blood Services 40-year anniversary t-shirt
Minds-N-Medicine Club member Josh donating blood.
This experience was so rewarding for me because I had the opportunity to see Ferrum students taking a step to save lives. While I observed students donating blood, I saw something change in them when they realized that what they were doing was going to make a significant impact on another person. This event made me so proud of what the Minds-N-Medicine Club does and even more proud of the selflessness of Ferrum students. Although this was the last Blood Drive I'll ever have the opportunity to assist with at Ferrum College, I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to see my peers make a difference.
Being in a club on campus can be very time-consuming and hard to juggle especially when combined with other things like classes and jobs. Being the president of a club or holding any office for that matter can be a serious challenge because, like somebody told Spiderman, "with great power comes great responsibility." He really wasn't joking. I am currently the president of the Ferrum College Lions Branch Club on campus and it is an all-consuming job, yet it is the most rewarding I have ever had.
Lions International is a health-based community service organization with a focus on vision, hearing, and diabetes. Our club has tried very hard to stick to these main focus points, and we really try to remain true to the Lions International motto: "We Serve." Like Ferrum's motto, it does not get much simpler than that, yet it is so profound. We do serve. We serve our communities, our country, and our world. This international organization links millions of people together in the Lions community.
On Tuesday, December 10, thirteen out of fifteen of my branch club members attended an initiation ceremony held for us by the Ferrum College Lions Club. We were inducted into the parent club as official Lions International members. It was a very rewarding ceremony because it provided us with the physical reward for all of our hard work. We became a club on campus in the spring semester of 2013. We are now approaching our first anniversary and just now have finished the long and tedious process of becoming International members.
A few of the events we have participated in during the past year are the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes, an eyeglass drive, a diabetes awareness day, a hearing screening, Spring Fling, the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival, and Trick-or-Treat for canned goods. It has been a very busy year and even busier fall semester!
All of these activities have been time-consuming, but I really cannot stress enough how worth it every single second was. Even though I had to wake up very early some mornings and not return from the event until late at night, I will never feel like I wasted my time. Helping to make a difference in the lives of others is the best way to spend your time, and don't let anyone tell you differently!
I am President of the local sorority Theta Gamma Omega, also known as OGO. During September and the beginning of October, we held a campus-wide coat and teddy bear drive. We collected these items in order to donate them to the Rescue Mission located in Roanoke. We collected coats of all sizes for the adults and children who use the services that the Rescue Mission provides.
OGO also teamed up with the local fraternity Mu Sigma Chi, or MEX, to take the items to be dropped off. Upon dropping off our items that were donated, our two groups also volunteered at the Rescue Mission for their lunch shift. We were involved in making hundreds of sandwiches for the needy and even helped serve in the cafeteria lines. Both groups helped to clean dishes, prepare food, and help the Rescue Mission in many ways. It was very a humbling and beneficial experience for everyone involved.
Greeks and other groups on campus try to be involved in community service projects such as this as often as possible. OGO and other Greeks try to be living examples of Ferrum's motto "Not Self, But Others." Becoming part of a Greek organization on campus helped me to become more active both on campus and in the community as a whole. This is just one of the many benefits that becoming involved in this organization has done for me. For anyone who is interested in helping others, being involved in the community, and having fun at the same time, I strongly suggest "Going Greek!"
This summer, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Remote Area Medical Clinic at the Bristol Motor Speedway. The event is used to provide free dental, physical, and eye care to people in rural areas who have little or no health insurance.After working in patient registration and blood pathology for the weekend, I not only helped thousands of people receive free healthcare, but I also came out with a changed outlook on life.
The Ferrum College motto is "Not Self, But Others." I saw this exact philosophy put into action when doctors, dentists, nurses, technicians, office workers, and average people came together from all across the country to donate a few days of their time and services to help others. As I worked the front registration tables, I witnessed thousands of people camp out in their cars and tents for days to attend the clinic. For some of the attendees, the clinic is the only form of healthcare that they will receive all year. I thought about how frustrated and aggravated I get when I have to sit in the doctor's office waiting room for longer than I want to be there, and I realized that I really am fortunate that I am even able to go to the doctor at all.
By giving up a weekend of my time and contributing some of the skills I have learned in Ferrum's pre-med curriculum, I was able to do my part to help in a significant way. Knowing that a few thousand people were able to get their teeth cleaned, receive a new pair of free eye-wear, or get a thorough physical from a doctor was one of the most indescribable feelings I have ever had. Volunteering at the clinic helped put life into perspective and gave me the extra push to realize beyond any doubt that becoming a doctor is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
At Ferrum College, the curriculum is designed to not only help you reach your career goals but help shape you into a better, well-rounded person who is able to become involved in the community. By working at the clinic and witnessing a smile on the face of someone who is sick and hurting, I truly say that "Not Self, But Others" comes to life. Sure, I had to wake up at 4 a.m. and work extremely long days while sitting out in the cold rain, but I was not there for myself. I was working at the clinic to put others first and use the opportunities I have been given to help the less fortunate.
Not only is the education at Ferrum one of the best you can get, but sometime during your time there, you will see that not only do you grow academically, but you also grow as a person. Community service and helping others will no longer be something you have to do; it will be something you want to do. I can't wait until next year's clinic, and I plan to make volunteering an annual tradition for me, even after I have a medical degree added to my name!
For the past three years, I have been a Gateway Seminar mentor. For those who don’t know, Gateway Seminar is a class that all incoming freshmen have to take during their first semester here at Ferrum College. My job as a mentor is to, well, be a mentor – help them in any way I can. During their Gateway class, the freshmen have a few big assignments to complete, and one of those assignments is to do a service project. This semester, the instructor I am working with for Gateway asked me to coordinate the service project. At first, I was very nervous to do this, but so far it is going great.
The service project I have planned involves working with Panther Packs. Panther Packs is a nonprofit organization that works with the local elementary school, Ferrum Elementary. Each week, Panther Packs makes packs full of food to give students to take home over the weekend. Essentially, the food is going to kids who, without the packs, may not get enough to eat while they are at home over the weekend. The kids’ families who are interested have to apply to receive the Panther Packs. This year, the program is feeding 51 kids each week.
Wal-Mart shopping group
This past week was my Gateway Class’s first experience in working with Panther Packs. Like I mentioned before, it was a great success. At the beginning of the week, I took a few of the students from the class into town to buy food to go into the packs. We had a set amount of money to spend, and we thought we would not be able to accomplish much. How wrong we were! With the amount of money we did have, we were able to get a lot of food that ended up being a great help to the Panther Packs Program.
Packing group
Later that same week, the professor of the Gateway class and I took some of the other students from the class to pack the Panther Packs. We met with a couple of ladies who help with packing the packs each week and they directed us so we would be able to successfully pack each pack. Each pack has to have a certain number of items in it, so it was good to have experienced hands assisting us in the packing. We got all 51 packs made in no time at all. We then delivered the packs to the elementary school where the students would get them on Friday afternoon to take them home for the weekend.
There were so many great things that came out of this whole experience. I was very pleased with myself for putting together a great service project for the Ferrum students and me to get involved in. I was also very excited about seeing the students happy to do the work. They knew they were making a difference for a few kids who live right here in our area, and I think that made them feel like they made a difference. I know that’s how I feel about it. Ferrum’s campus motto is “Not Self, But Others,” and I think this project resonated with that idea. I am pleased that the freshmen were able to get involved and help out the community. We are planning to do this again – hopefully multiple times through out the semester. I am even hoping to get some of the clubs I am involved in on board with this project as well. This was definitely the highlight of my week!
I have seen the world. I've traveled to Europe, through America, even to Mexico, but none of these trips ever taught me as much as I learned when I visited Honduras this summer. For the Spanish 451 "Service Learning in Honduras" E-Term class, Dr. Suppes (or "Profe") took me and seven other Ferrum College students to Honduras. Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Central America and has a government that is filled with corruption. However, the people of Honduras are not poor -- if you judge wealth by love, hope, and determination.
For this particular E-Term, we worked with the Children Society and Hope for Honduran Children. We flew out of America after a three-day preparation for our trip in which we transformed an old Jack Tale Players script of Cinderella into a puppet show. We hand-crafted puppets, made up silly dances, and even incorporated songs from After Jack (a band created by Ferrum College professor Emily Rose Tucker).
We arrived and drove to the village of Nuevo ParaÃso, which was the children's village, and Flor Azul (the village of teenage boys). The children's village was started by a nun who took in children who were abused, abandoned, or orphaned -- ranging from young children (some as young as one year old) to teenage girls (until they are 20). The village of Flor Azul was created by a couple, Karen and John Godt, for orphaned, abused, and abandoned boys. Their ages range from 12-20, and they come from all over Honduras.
Jessica & I teaching English to intermediate-level boys
Karen and John started Flor Azul eight years ago while doing medical work in Honduras. Karen desperately wanted to go where she was needed, so she was sent to Nuevo ParaÃso where she met the nun who had started it. She was told the story of how two teenage boys, a 14-year-old and his younger brother, walked from Northern Honduras to the village (a ten-hour bus ride). Neither of them had shoes. Upon their arrival, the nun told them she had no clue how to look after teenage boys but that she had land where she was willing to let them stay. Together, they were taken up the mountain and stayed in a barn. After just two weeks, 22 boys were living with them. They farmed the land with machetes in order to survive, and when Karen showed up, the boys hadn't eaten in 4 days.
She listened to all their stories and then told them that she "didn't have a lot of money but knew ways that she could help." She asked which 3 things they would want to have a perfect world. The first things that every boy told her was food; second, a pair of shoes because none of the boys had shoes; and lastly, they asked for 11 pencils. When she asked why they needed the pencils, they explained that they split into two groups. One group would go out and work the fields and the other group would stay in and teach each other everything that they knew, though usually it was just basic arithmetic and the alphabet. The problem was that they only had 1 pencil and it took too long for them to write. This was the start of Flor Azul, which has now grown into a huge success. The top three boys in each class get a scholarship to a university while the rest will go to trade school, and the Godts work hard to make sure that they find jobs.
The boys enjoyed learning on the iPad we brought with us.
We spent one week there. In the mornings, we traveled to different villages to visit the younger children. Karen and John work with more than one village in the area, but we only got to visit about three of them due to the rain. The roads in Honduras are unpaved, mountainous, dirt roads, and they were very difficult to drive on. Often, they would get washed out. When we visited the villages, we performed our puppet show, then made bag puppets with them, sang songs, and played. The children always wanted to give us a gift back, so they would often sing every song that they knew. We always left singing "Lean On Me," and it was really wonderful to hear all the children singing.
In the village of Campo, there was a young boy who had an absolutely amazing voice. This year, his mother had to work extra hard to make sure he could attend school; all children must wear uniforms, but it is difficult for families to afford them. Next year, he probably won't be able to go. We visited Campo twice. On the first day, he was not there because he was working in the fields to earn money for his family. We got to visit Campo twice because on our second visit, we were bringing food that Karen bought out of pocket for the village. Each month, the government is supposed to bring them food, but they had not been there since January (it was May) and all the villagers were hungry. Walking through the village and to the school house is a moment I will always remember. The video below is the part of our slideshow presentation about our trip that we put to the song "Lean On Me."
In the afternoons, we went up to the school of Flor Azul. This is where all the teenaged boys live -- some with no family, some with cousins, and some with brothers. Some have families who live far away, some were orphaned, and some were abandoned. There was one boy there who lay in front of a bus and said, "Either you take me to Flor Azul or run me over." There were many more with heart-breaking stories. However, upon meeting these boys, you would never guess what they had been through. They were always so accepting and determined to make sure we were comfortable. They were hard workers, constantly wanting to practice their English or study for exams, and very interested in showing us soccer tricks! If there is one thing that will stick with me forever, it is that no matter what you are going through, there is always time for soccer.
Me trying a soccer trick
These boys and the people of Honduras taught me the importance of family, acceptance, and leaving the past in the past. No matter where we went, no matter what type of disability someone had, they were treated with respect and as if they were no different from others. In Campo, there was a young boy named Kevin who had Down Syndrome. In America, children with Down Syndrome are often victims of discrimination, yet Kevin had the most friends out of anyone. I learned that family doesn't stop at blood. Many of the boys we met had no blood relatives, but they treated each other like family. They were always looking out for one another, and they constantly helped each other with schoolwork or on the soccer field.
Lastly, they showed that no matter what has happened to you, you should look at the world with a smile. They have been through some of the hardest lives possible and have very little, but they are the most thankful and appreciative people that I have met. They get up every day thanking God that they are alive, have food, and will live to see another day.
Our group became like a family during our trip too.
We had great support from fellow students and faculty, who even brought their own children in for the event! With the great turnout, we raised $176.00 and two huge boxes of donated toys for the Child Advocacy Center. Events like this really open your heart for the families in need at this time of the year. I love being involved in events like this on campus!
