Crystal’s Posts

Its time for the holidays again! December is here which means winter break with family and friends but not before we take a few finals first. Finals begin on Monday and this semester I will be taking three finals. I have two that consist of papers and presentations and the third which is a written test. It’s often easy to get so overwhelmed with finals that we forget it’s Christmas but I’ve been trying to be mindful this year and keep the Christmas spirit alive in little ways. For example my roommates and I decorated our apartment; we hung up a few ornaments and garland around our living room and even got a baby tree! Having the Christmas lights glow off the tree make studying for finals just a little bit easier. I have also made sure to keep a steady supply of candy canes handy for when we need to refuel. Christmas being my favorite holiday, I can’t wait to be home to celebrate with my family; exams will be behind me and my last Jan Term ahead.

This year will actually be my fourth Jan Term at Linfield. It’s always such a nice time because you only have to focus on one class and the campus always seems more quiet and peaceful. What makes this Jan Term unique from all the rest is I will be going off campus and studying abroad in Costa Rica! Our class will be exploring the environmental health issues of the country. Specifically, we will be looking at the importance of sustainable, balanced living on health and the rich biodiversity Costa Rica has to offer.  While I have been abroad before to England, I expect this trip to be very different. I’m interested in seeing how the Costa Rican culture will vary from both the English and American cultures since it is a Spanish speaking country with a hot climate. I know this trip will teach me a great deal about our earth’s natural resources and balanced living. I feel so blessed to be able to make one last journey abroad while at Linfield and plan on making every second count!

M.E.Ch.A. Club’s Day of the Dead alter

It always seems to be the case that rights before Thanksgiving break classes and outside activities get a little busier. While my pre-break load was definitely heavier this year, it didn’t get overwhelming because it involved work I enjoyed doing. One of these pre-break activities was putting on a M.E.Ch.A. club event for Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. The event included a Day of the Dead alter display, a presentation explaining its history and Mexican hot chocolate and bread all open to the Linfield community. It was a lot of fun to see all the members come together to make the event happen. Another outside event I was able to attend was the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute in Portland. The institute was a daylong conference with inspiring guest speakers and workshops. The stories I heard that day from workshop leaders and conference facilitators were full of perseverance and commitment to action. They reminded us that, as Latino leaders, education gave us power to create change but also held a great responsibility to give back to others.

Wildcats at the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute

Aside from outside activities, academics also kept me busy. I registered for my last set of Linfield classes which was definitely a bitter sweet feeling. The class I’m most excited about for next semester is gendered communication that my advisor Brenda will be teaching. I also recently wrapped up my senior thesis paper and will be giving a presentation on it after the break. In addition to my class work, I’ve also been busy investigating graduate schools and have narrowed down my program of interest to a master’s in international development and service. I will be submitting applications to two schools later this semester. It is easy to see how important organization and time management are to completing these responsibilities successfully. Of course these are skills that develop over time. Over the years, I have learned that you can’t do everything and it’s ok to say no to some activities. This is hard for me because I like to be very involved but I have come to see that it is better to do a few things well then do many things poorly. So I try and continuously evaluate my participation in all that I do and if I become imbalanced, I know it’s time for me to step back. Preserving this balance is crucial!

Linfield Ford Scholars at the Santiam River

The more I plan for life after Linfield, the more I’m reminded of my senior year of high school. So many decisions need to be made. I know I want to work with non-profits that have an international focus but how do I want to get there? Where do I go for graduate school? What program do I pursue? How do I fund my master’s degree? Where can I best apply my strengths and passions? So many questions could quickly become overwhelming but I believe this stage is truly a gift. I have to recognize that I am blessed to have so many options, knowing so many others in this world are limited by circumstance. I know that my desire to go to graduate school won’t be easy but I know it’s possible. In the middle of so many possibilities, I find stability in trusting that I will be led to where I’m supposed to be. I know that with a lot of hard work and faith, I can accomplish just about anything. So in the coming weeks I will have to start exploring different options and relearn the process of continuing an education.

While it is better to start thinking about these things early, I know it’s also important to enjoy my last year and make it memorable. In fact this past weekend was exactly that. One of our Linfield professors extended an invitation to the Linfield Ford Scholars to go white water rafting on the Santiam River. To be completely honest, the idea intimidated me at first. I had never been rafting before but it turns out, I had nothing to be afraid of. The river was a smooth combination of exciting currents and peaceful floating. We had wonderful sunshine and beautiful autumn colors. Then after the rafting, we were invited to have a barbeque at our professor’s house where we had great food and conversation. I am so thankful to be part of the Linfield community where professors reach out like this and go the extra mile and to be a member of the Ford Family Foundation that surrounds me with a strong network of caring people. It was a great weekend adventure!