Stopping to Smell the Roses

My first post for GSE admissions last year was "Plight of the Part-Time Student."  Now that I'm in my final year at GSE a a part-timer, I'm hoping to take in more of what Penn has to offer. It's really easy to get caught up in work-school-go home mode.  So now I'm trying to stop and smell the roses a little!

Ahhhhh....

One of the ways I'm trying to do this is to slow down and get to know people at Penn a little more.  Which leads me to give a shout out right now to my LST's, the students in the Learning Science and Technologies program. As the old-timer in the program (I can't believe I'm saying that) I feel a sense of duty to try to share as much from my experiences as an LST student as I can. I have been taking the time to STOP and chat with them so far this semester and they are all very motivated to do some great things this year. Our LST program is small, but powerful. 

So that's my goal this year.  Besides the whole finish my Master's Paper, get a Degree, and all that life-changing stuff, I want to smell the roses.   Even as the part-time student, full-time employee, and all-the-time husband, I think I'll be able to pull it off.


Photo from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Small_Red_Rose.JPG

In Memory

I'd like to use my first post in this academic year to honor one of our own who passed away on August 19th. 

Wendy Shung was a student here at GSE who was studying for a Master of Philosophy in education, with a major in professional counseling.  As I've come to found out, she was incredibly involved, including serving as the president of GSE's student government organization and a graduate assistant at Hill College House.

I only knew Wendy Shung for one semester.  But one encounter, let alone one semester, is enough time for someone to have an impact in another person’s life.

Wendy and I sat next to each other in the Developmental Theories and Applications with Young Adults course in Summer Session 2.  This, unfortunately, turned out to be her last course.  It saddens me to hear of her passing.  She was, as has been described by many, a very intelligent, genuine soul.  Most of all, she was kind.  My biggest memory of her will be how we gave encouraging words to one another, not about the course, but rather about life in general.  She was that genuine, to even connect in such a way with a relative stranger within a short period of time.

To her parents and family, I especially give them my prayers. To everyone who knew her, even for a short amount of time like myself, let us take this time to continue to remember her for the bright spirit she brought to this world.  

Wendy will truly be missed.