Connecting with ADPi alum/Baylor advisors made my week last week. We talked over an amazing dessert, and I’ll hopefully be getting more involved in helping with the ADPi chapter here at Baylor!
My first social circles group at the BARC (autism center) went as well as could be expected. We had two kids who didn’t come last week, so I’m interested to see what tomorrow’s social circle will look like.
I meet with the parent of a 13-year old boy with autism today. I will be tutoring him in math this semester. I am eager to meet them and get started, but I’ll admit that I’m also nervous about this new experience.
I have resolved to be more intentional about connecting with people from home/Mercer. The days are all a blur right now, so I honestly can’t keep track of who I’ve talked to and when. Sorry about that! I’m working on it.
I’ve been doing surprisingly well with my new budget! Eating at home and packing lunches helps a lot!
I’m enjoying getting to know my cohort better and interacting more with them in class. I’m ready to just “know” everyone.
Cason and I still love visiting new (to us) places in Waco. We went to Katie’s this weekend, and it was by far the best frozen dessert I’ve had. (They sell amazing frozen custard.)
Mondays are the absolute WORST. I’m still trying to figure out how to successfully navigate those without crashing at the end of the day. Work plus two 3-hour classes is more mentally exhausting than you would think.
Ending on a positive note, I’m very thankful to be a part of this program at Baylor. I know that my experiences here will be invaluable to my future career and life in general.
While several Baylor updates have probably popped up in your newsfeed over the months, this one is perhaps the best. I hope that once you read it, you will agree with me.
Baylor University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Gosh I thought I had posted my Baylor happenings more often, but since I haven’t there will be lots to include in this post.
1st. Housing:
I HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE IN WACO, TX. Praise! I will be living with two second-year students and another first-year student (like myself) in a house that we are renting together. Oh, and it’s fabulous! I absolutely hate carpet (allergies, asthma, and whatnot), and this house has ZERO square feet of carpet. Hallelujah! Yes, I get overly excited about floors. It has stained concrete floors, which are tons nicer than they sound. I have my own bedroom with a cute little nook by the window for my desk. Hooray for natural lighting in my workspace. It’s the little things that we have to get excited about, people. I’ll be sharing a bathroom with my fellow first-year, and perhaps next year when the second-years move out then we can move into the rooms with their own bathrooms. The kitchen is HUGE. Like I could probably put my pet elephant in there and he would have room to do a dance…if I had a pet elephant, that is.
2nd. Graduate Assistantship (GA):
First of all, the abbreviation GA for graduate assistantship confuses the mess out of me, seeing as my home state is also GA, for Georgia. I’ll use the abbreviation, however, and just pray you don’t get as confused as I do. Now to the good stuff! On May 9th (I remember the date because that was also the day my best friend got engaged and I took secret photos. See engagement photos.), I had a phone interview with the sweetest lady from Baylor’s Office of Academic Support Programs. Well, I’ll say that I anticipated an interview. What I received was a 20 minute phone call highlighting the details of the program and welcoming me on board. Needless to say, I got the GA position, which is, according to Dr. Robinson, a “coveted GA position.”
As an academic mentor I will work with at-risk students to monitor their academic progress and offer support and encouragement as they adjust to college life. I will work 20 hours a week, meeting with about 35-40 students weekly. I have my own office and a huge support team. I cannot even begin to say how encouraging my interview was. It got me even more excited for everything that is in store at Baylor.
3rd. Finances:
Well if that paragraph about my GA wasn’t enough of a blessing, the following week I received this email:
Tuition remission means I don’t have to pay for 24 hours of tuition this year. Considering I am only taking 24 hours of class per week this year, I’d say that’s the best financial offer I could have received.
I know that I’ve accomplished nothing on my own. I am truly in awe of how greatly God has blessed me. I could not have done this by myself, and I have not presumed to believe that I could. I know that I would have failed miserably without the Lord directing my paths and blessing me with wonderful family, friends, and instructors to also help me along the way. That’s why all of this goes back to Him. He is the true reason for every educational, financial, and emotional provision in my life. I know that He has given me these things in order that I use them to shine His light on this world.
I will say also that I am honestly amazed. I have spent too much of the past 2 years underestimating the things I can do with the help of God, my family, my professors, and my friends. I have been attacked by the enemy and been led to believe that I was once alone in all of this. I don’t mean to get super spiritual on you, but that’s the truth. I’m coming to realize that life is too short to waste time worrying about it, especially when you know that the Lord has a plan. I’m thankful for that.
a thousand new paths 