Final Blog Post

Hey all, this is my final blog post before I send my material to my WISE evaluators..

I learned a lot over the course of this semester. Not only did I learn a lot during my final WISE project, but one of the main things I learned was even before I knew exactly what my project was. I struggled with choosing and sticking with a project for about two months - not a good idea when you're given a limited amount of time to choose and accomplish a project. However, this taught me to think my options through thoroughly, be decisive, pursue something, and stick with it.
Throughout my life I have always been indecisive and tend to worry about whether I make the right decisions; sometimes it is better to stop worrying, and have faith that you made the right choice, for then it will likely become the right choice.

I also learned that I have a real passion for reaching out to community members and representing a good cause. Though driving to various businesses all over town grew tiresome and tedious, I really benefited from the experience of introducing myself and my cause to strangers, and provoking a positive reaction out of them; convincing them to help my cause.

In early February, I believed that my project would result in me running a 10k (6.2 mile) run in Chicago, Illinois, and ended up hosting a 5k run right here in Ithaca. My project changed not only because of my indecisiveness, but because I was dealing with a sadness in my life that I had never experienced before. My motivation to focus my project on my cousin Sarah came from her sickness and battle with brain cancer, but it wasn't until she passed away on April 19 that I finally received approval from my Aunt to go ahead with the 5k in honor of her life.

In terms of time management, I think I was horrible, and wonderful. I know this sounds strange, but it is true. Looking at a large scale picture, I was horrible at managing my time: I spent two months bouncing back and forth between projects that got me nowhere. However, once I found my true project in late April, I worked really hard, all the time, spending hours a day doing errands or drafting letters, on the phone, meeting with sponsors and banks, etc. I worked thoroughly and intensely. If I hadn't, I would not be able to accomplish Strides for Sarah in this short amount of time.

I know for a fact that I have learned so much from this experience: I have learned to go with my instinct and not let anything bring me down. I have learned that being indecisive and waiting will alter my end results negatively. I have learned that I have a passion for reaching out into the community, and a passion for event planning, and a passion for celebrating the life of my beloved cousin, who was taken before her time. Although I have been more stressed than ever throughout the last weeks of my project, I will take these lessons with me wherever I go for the rest of my life, and will never forget this experience.