Sweet tea and lots of R&R

This Christmas break has been very relaxing for me. I came home with about a week before Christmas and have spent a lot of my time relaxing with my family. Most of you know that my family lives in Tennessee so I'm soaking up sunshine and some warmer temperatures this break. I have also been making sure to get enough sweet tea to keep me going until I come back south again. Its really nice to take time off from a busy semester and get back to the basics doing things I enjoy.

This break I have started some new hobbies that I have always wanted to try. What better time to get crafty and try new things! I have always wanted to learn how to crochet and finally after a little instruction from my Mom and some books I'm crocheting like crazy. I am currently working on a scarf and maybe next year I will try knitting. I also have created terrariums! These are so easy to make and take minimal care to keep them going. My Mom saved me a handful of different glass containers from Mason Jars to spaghetti jars and I googled how to make them. I was inspired after thinking how nice some plants in my room at school would be especially as we get into the winter months.  I have also been beading making glass beaded bracelets and necklaces. I sold some of them at the SMC MOVE International market in December which helped contribute money towards my trip. All of these crafty hobbies of mine can be done on a small budget and when I'm back at school.

are there workout classes available to students? such as spin classes or yoga?

Yes! Each semester our athletics department runs yoga, Zumba, kickboxing, and other exercising classes to students. They are really fun to take with friends and are a great way to stay in shape!

Ask me anything

10 things I wish I did at Saint Mike's

I am a senior at Saint Mike's and looking back on my years at school I have come up with a list of things I wish I did earlier on.I hope I can inspire some to maybe think about doing some of these things!


1. Been a core member with the MOVE program~ MOVE runs some amazing programs from cooking food for shelters to walking rescued grey hounds. I wish I got more involved with the Lund program and had tried to become a team member. The Lund Center Provides "services for young women who are pregnant and parenting, families with young children and adoptive families."  Senior year I finally signed up to volunteer through MOVE with Lund and realized how much I liked going. 


2.  Joined Rescue ~ By the time I returned from abroad I finally decided that I might want to be an EMT and run rescue at SMC. I figured this out a little too late for our program and now am trying to join a local rescue squad in the area for next year. 


3. Taken a Gender Studies course ~ We have some amazing professors who teach gender studies courses that range in topics. I wish I would have taken at least one course earlier on and then maybe considered it as a minor. 


4. Started going to Career Development sooner ~ Career development is such a helpful place on campus and I wish I started taking advantage of all there services sooner. For example, starting my resume and graduate school plan earlier. 


5. Taken a Business class ~ Even though I'm not a business major I think it would have been interesting to learn about the basics of business. Part of a liberal arts degree is getting to diversify your self and having experience in different subjects. Who knows maybe one day I'll own my own business.


6. Done research with a Professor ~ Many Professors conduct research whether it's in the summer or during the school year. I would have loved to gain extra experience with conducting research especially around my major, Anthropology. 


7. Gone abroad again ~ I loved my semester in Florence and would go again in a heartbeat. I wish sometimes I went again because SMC has such an amazing program and there are still so many places in the world I would love to see. If I went again I think I would go to either Brasil or Costa Rica. 


8. Been an RA ~ Being an RA is challenging and rewarding job. It's a great way to gain leadership skills, meet some new & awesome people living in your building, and get paid. 


9. Intern before Senior year ~ We have a great internship office that has connections with various organizations, companies, and alumni. I wish I began doing internships before my senior year because they are such a great way to gain skills while making connections. 


10. Gone to a play on campus ~ I'm a little embarrassed  to say that I have never gone to see a play on campus put on by our theatre program. They put on wonderful productions and have a play once a semester I just for some reason have never gone to one.  






These are just things I look back and wish I had done. It's hard to do everything in four years and I am happy for all my experiences I have had at SMC. I couldn't have asked for a better 4 years. It's really easy to look back and see things clearer, but I always like to believe that 'everything happens for a reason'. 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Well, that's a great question I'll get back to you on that............We'll if your like me and all other students that's a tricky question that's not very simple. Luckily, there is a magical place at St. Mike's called the Career Development that can help you figure out, plan, and prepare for....the real world!!! ( Along with many other things).

In September, I began going to resume writing workshops, graduate school information sessions, and began meeting with a career counselor. All of these things are free to students and they are so helpful whether your a senior like me or a freshmen! They also offer practice interviews, ways to make connections with Alumni in your field of interest, and can help you find a job. This building also houses our internship coordinator and study abroad office which I highly suggest taking advantage of. I am currently about to start my second internship for credit and have had such a positive experience and have made great connections.

All these helpful tools that often get forgotten about or pushed to the very end (senior year) can be accessed much earlier in your time at SMC. I really am glad I've been taking advantage of all that they have to offer and thought I would share with you one way my life has become a little bit easier because of this magical place on campus!

Career Development & other offices in Klein !

Surviving the cold weather

I get asked all the time on my tours what I think about the weather here and Vermont. Most people when they hear Vermont think "Ohh it's cold up there and so close to Canada". Yes, we are about an hour from the Canadian border and yes it can get cold here. I personally am a warm temperature loving person. I'd rather be hot than cold. So, why am I going to school in Vermont? Well, I really love Saint Mike's , but I also have learned to handle the snow. ( I still can be a whimp sometimes). I have various jackets for all kinds of temperatures and am never afraid to start layering it up early on in the season.

I also make sure I don't stop moving and getting outside in the winter. I learned how to ski freshmen year at Smugglers Notch because of our awesome ski pass and now try making it to the mountain twice a week. I also usually step up my gym going in the winter and begin hitting our indoor track more so I get some endorphins in me. This can be a challenge sometimes to get the motivation do go, but I have to keep reminding myself it's going to make me feel better and warm me up! Being a wilderness leader doesn't hurt either because I lead snow shoe trips in the winter and get to see some beautiful snow covered woods and mountains on trips. Who would of thought from all that, that I don't particularly enjoy the cold. These are just some ways I get through winters in Vermont and why I love this area in every season.

Prezi in the Classroom

I learned about Prezi presentations about a year or two ago and recently in the past few months I have been using it for all sorts of things. Now, you're probably scratching your head going what's a prezi. If your not then kudos! Prezi is a website that let's you create presentations in a whole new way. They're fresh and professional and have impressed my boss and my Professor. The program lets you zoom in and out and pan a screen effortlessly. It helps captivate your audience and make your presentation a little more interesting.

I started using it to present new ideas and goals at my internship on social media and recently just created one on my findings from a research project. One of the reasons I have been so drawn to it was that I didn't have power point on my computer. If you don't have access to Power point, but have access to the Internet than I challenge you to try making a Prezi!

We're Back.......

Half time competition 

This past Saturday orientation leaders got summoned by the lovely Grace Kelly and our team spirit club to pump up students and get freshmen to come out to the men's and women's basketball games against Stonehill College. This was really fun to all reunite in our purple O-leader shirts and you can't forgot our favorite accessory...... our whistles!!!! Yup, we were those loud kids running around the quad making noise and blasting music! We also all got Santa hats to accompany our ensemble. 

At the game we sat in the bleachers and cheered on the purple knights through both games. The dance team which preforms at half time even let us have fifteen seconds of fame to shake it to the song 'Space Jam' ! I loved getting to act silly and cheer on our basketball teams! This is one of the perks of having great team spirit! Both the men and women's team played hard, but got defeated. This is just the beginning of there season and I'm looking forward to more games!

Women's team warming up!