The Final Countdown – As you approach to the final month of your Co-op experience, what's your biggest/proudest accomplishment to date? What is one thing do you want to make sure you do before your last day?

I really can't believe there is exactly 3 weeks left until co-op is over.  I think there's a number of things that I'm pretty proud of here - one being that I somehow made it through every work day without being late (+/- a few minutes here and there). Also, that I've miraculously managed to get through 800 medications in the massive MARQUIS medication database without going crazy.

Before my last day,  I would like to get at least halfway through the medication database.

It is almost over!

I can’t believe these six months at SHM are almost coming to an end! It feels like just yesterday I was coming in here nervous and terrified and now I am sad and upset it is over. I would say for me personally, I believe my biggest accomplishment to date is growing my overall professional development and learning so many elements of marketing and communications. Specific examples of this would be my work with Brendon and Ashley. From Ashley’s side of things, she taught me how to become a better writer in marketing and what words and terms to use to make elements sound compelling as well as using terms that don’t come off as simply sales talk to your audience. That helped me a lot in drafting emails or drafting social media content for SHM as my co-op progressed. It is something I am really proud of because writing is something I always struggled with growing up and in English classes and it was great that Ashley could help me with. This is something I will take with me for my college career and professional career. 

From the Brendon side of things, another accomplishment I am really proud of is all the different marketing projects and strategies I learned under him. For example, Brendon gave me so many opportunities in my six months to use different media channels and see different elements of marketing and communications and I think through that it has really helped me to see how a marketing/communications department runs. One day I could be doing things on social media, the next I could be working on drafts for the e-Wire, another day I could be drafting content for a quick press release. No two days were the same and it really helped me to learn so much about marketing and communications and not just one specific element.

Something I want to do before I leave is work with Brendon on my resume and together create strong bullet points that outline all that I have done at SHM. I also want to make sure I leave with a good transition because once I leave Brendon is alone for a week before the new co-ops come so I want to make sure I leave him with everything under control and ready for the next co-ops. I am excited to move on and be completed with my co-op but at the same time I don’t want it to be over, I have learned so much and had so much fun working here, it is going to be very bittersweet on March 22^nd but I am thankful for having this co-op!

Valentine's Day!

Though I agree with Emily that Valentine's Day is primarily a revenue seeking holiday, I don't believe that the celebration of Valentine's Day has to be limited to those solely in a romantic relationship. I spent my Valentine's night at Bible study with my church, followed by some basketball with my friends at the gym. (Though I might add, I might have been the only girl in that entire gym.)

On Sunday, however, the real celebration starts. All the sophomore girls in our church are getting together to make a dinner for our sophomore boys to celebrate Valentine's Day! Though I didn't have a "Valentine" on Valentine's Day, I'm happy to say that I will have 12 this Sunday! I feel as if Valentine's Day is a time not to mope around because you don't have a significant other, but rather still be thankful for the people that you do have in your life.

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."  

- Love Actually

This year I have a valentine, but that is not strange because I have a valentine every year.  I mean it’s a little different because this year my valentine isn’t a dog, but dogs make good valentines so whatever. 

I do have one Valentine’s tradition.  For at least three hours, I like to complain about how Valentine’s Day is not a real holiday and how one day I hope to be as powerful as the greeting card industry.  This way I can make my own holiday just so I can sell my products.  Of course my products will be dogs!  This is such a pointless holiday, but I digress. 

This year for Valentine’s Day I plan to hang out with my best friend and my boyfriend and go to the basketball game and then eat some pizza.  I will definitely be sitting with Anthony at the game and maybe I can help find him a lady friend.  I also plan on sleeping, and breathing since Valentine’s Day is just a normal day. 

On a side note, so I don’t sound so cynical.  I did get my boyfriend a nice gift and made him some cookies. So YAYYYY LOVE AND HAPPINESS!!!

My Typical Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is definitely one of my least favorite holidays just because it can be really sappy and annoying hahaha I was never the biggest fan of Valentine ’s Day except in elementary school when you traded V-Day cards with friends! That was so much fun! The last three years I have been with a girl on Valentine’s Day so this will actually be my first one since I probably was freshman in high school where I don’t have a Valentine. Hahaha I don’t really have any traditions on Valentine’s Day but one thing I did do was my last girlfriend I took her out to eat at the Cheesecake Factory and got our waiter to design a red velvet cheesecake and have it say “Will you go to prom with me?” I would say that was most memorable moment for a Valentine’s Day. Other than that nothing really special happens on this day for me. I plan on tomorrow going to the Drexel basketball game and then after playing PS3 with my roommates like a true manly man! However fellow lady coops, if you have any single friends you could totally hook a brother up! :D

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! Whether or not you have a “special someone” to spend it with, what is your favorite thing about Valentine’s Day? What do you normally do? Do you have any traditions?

THE BALTIMORE RAVENS ARE YOUR 2013 SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS

OMG YES.

Who has it better than us? NOBODY!



*cue dancing* This is to all you haters!

It feels good to be on top! The Ravens take their spot as the ONLY undefeated multi-superbowl franchise in superbowl history! Joe Flacco throw 11 Touchdowns and ZERO interceptions during the post season. This is rivaled ONLY by Joe Montana. Jacoby Jones tied the record for longest kickoff return (superbowl only). All in all, the ravens did it, after everyone told them they couldn't. Never say never.

Now. To answer the blog questions.

Song. Easy. Yakety Sax. More commonly known as the Benny Hill Theme. Why? because it sounds like a chicken running around with its head cut off. At work, my mind is racing a mile a minute. So much to do so little time! I'm going here, I'm going there. I'm fixing this, I'm fixing that. I'm building this, I'm building that. Sometimes time management isn't even an available option. I just have to go with the flow. Of course, this has knocked me over several times but if I stop and think about everything that is going on at once, I'll get lost in it all. I've been running since I've got here and haven't stopped since.

Halfway through eh? Well, more like 3/4th through now. It feels odd. This Q-and-A has a tie in with the song Q-and-A just above. I keep on running, the song doesn't end, and yet in a month and a half, it has no choice. Perhaps all the running around made it go by so fast. I didn't have a chance to sit down and just take it all in. It hasn't quite hit me yet, the whole "being gone in a month and a half" thing. I know it will, and I'm not sure if I'd rather it hit here or afterwards.

It's certainly been a wild ride. Much learning and fun was had. I'm going to miss it all. And if there is one thing I'd like to do before the end of my time here, it's to rock a Lunch and Learn and have it be remembered for a long time. I have two shots at this, so wish me luck!

GOOD JOB RAVENS!

Livin la Vida Loca

 

The song that I think best describes my life at SHM is DEFNITELY "Livin la Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin. The English translation (which most of you guys are smart enough to figure out) is "Livin the crazy life."

I feel like this song is appropriate because most days are very chaotic for me especially with handling registration for the annual meeting. I get millions of phone calls a day in regards to anything and everything that involves the annual meeting, AHA, or QSEA. Most of the time people are friendly but not ALL of the time. It can get really nuts when I get multiple phone calls and they involve going in and out of someone's registration trying to adjust their fees. Anytime I deal with money my heart rate sky rockets because money is extremely intimidating, especially when that money is someone else's.

 





 

Sooooo, yeah that is my life here at SHM in a nutshell. Adios!

The song I feel describes me at SHM is Do Better by Say Anything.  Now, I really need to explain because I’m sure I seem very negative right now.

This song is about a band that is doing fairly well and has a lot of talent.  However, they feel that there is more room for them to grow.  I feel this song connects to my work at SHM because although I am doing a good job (at least I think so), there is still room for me to do better.  I am given so much responsibility and opportunities at SHM and I want to make sure I take advantage of the chances I am given.  I want perform at my highest level possible, so that I can reach my full potential.

We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.
 

 Good Time by Owl City is one of my favorite songs, and is probably the only song that I can think of that could even somewhat represent my time here at SHM.

Though it may be overly simplistic, I feel like it fairly accurately describes my time spent here. It seems as if everything that I've enjoyed here at SHM - mostly being the people and relationships I've built over the past 4 months has not been based upon my doings or efforts, but rather that of everyone else here! I definitely feel very blessed to have developed the friendships that I have here, and am so glad that it's always a good time here at SHM! :)

I'm So Appalled!

A song lyric that describes me and I live by and have stated in a post before is “Success is what you make it, take it how come”-Pusha T on So Appalled by Kanye West feat. Jay-Z, CyHi the Prynce, Pusha T, RZA and Swizz Beatz (You can see I am a huge hip hop fan hahaha)

The reason I would say this describes my time at SHM is because I truly believe success is what you make of it. To be successful is an individual’s choice, no one is going to push you to do something or make you work hard. As a person, you have to have that desire to succeed and do what you want. At SHM, I believe we are given the tools to succeed every day because the people here want to see us thrive and be successful. However, that is only step one as I believe how successful I am here at SHM, no matter how much Brendon or Ashley push me will not garner me success. I have to run with the ball and take it and really work to do what I want to do. My success is made at SHM for example by asking questions about different things in the communications department or marketing department. Another way I make my own success is by trying to learn and grow every day and speaking with Brendon on ways I can enhance this experience, not just in these six months but over my career. To succeed you really have to have the motivation and determination to fight for what you want and I believe it is said best when Pusha T says “Success is what you make it. Take it how it comes”. 

PS: If you did not notice So Appalled links to the song if you want to listen hahaha The line I am talking about is at 3 min mark!