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Twenty-one is Twenty-fun
May. 7, 2014—Those who have known me a while know that I love my birthday an unreasonable amount. I have been known to quiz friends and acquaintances alike throughout the calendar year on the exact date of my birth, until it is drilled into their heads. I took a Megabus from Chicago to Nashville for a 10-day stay just so I could celebrate my birthday with my Vandy buds. April 26th is a HOLIDAY.
Marathon Summer: Unconventional Engineering
May. 2, 2014—*Guest blog by my roommate and fellow burger-enthusiast, Mary Kate Hardy Last semester I discovered one of the hidden gems of engineering in the form of a Biomedical Engineering elective course, titled Service Learning in Guatemala. This course included a trip to Guatemala over Spring Break to repair and service medical equipment. Never have I had more fun in an engineering class. The hands-on learning experience was incredible, and fine dining and zip lining with your professors was a blast too.
Study Abroad without Studying Abroad
May. 2, 2014—If you’ve ever spent at least 60 seconds with a college student who has studied abroad, chances are that they told you the story of how (insert country here) changed their life for the better. Reflecting upon my semester in Chicago doing my HOD internship, I’ve realized that I have almost had that same study abroad experience (minus the abroad part, of course). Experiencing a new city gave me the chance to take a step away from Vandy, try out the whole independence thing, and eat some of the best food I’ve ever had.
The HOD Internship Experience
May. 2, 2014—If you, dear reader, eventually find yourself in the same position as me (a stunningly attractive junior or senior in the Human and Organizational Development program at Vandy), then you will be required to complete an HOD Internship. The HOD Internship is a capstone project of sorts for HOD majors, during which students apply the organizational concepts they've learned in class in a real-world setting, a semester-long full-time internship.
“Meat” Ya in Centennial Park
Apr. 28, 2014—My favorite thing about today was that whenever someone asked me, "What have you been up to?", I got to respond with, "I went to a MEAT festival." They would stare at me blankly as if I'd said something so wrong. Or maybe just something SO RIGHT.
Go Nuts for Doughnuts
Apr. 27, 2014—Two weekends ago, it was SEVENTY degrees in Chicago. I know, I couldn't believe it myself. A far cry from the negative sixteen degree weather I experienced on my first day in the Windy City, the pleasant weather necessitated that I go outside for my weekend shenanigans. Enter DOUGHNUT CRAWL.
That One Time I Started a Small Fire
Mar. 27, 2014—Something that happens when you live in a place where you can't stand to loiter outside is that many of your hobbies are replaced by eating. You see, the fabulous thing about food is that it can be enjoyed indoors. Where there is no snow. I digress.
Winternship
Jan. 29, 2014—Winternship is not the summation of win and internship, but rather WINTER and internship. Winter in Chicago is not for the faint of heart, and they really weren’t kidding when they nicknamed this place the Windy City. The big question I have been getting recently is, “Why, again, did you decide to move to Chicago during the coldest season of the year?” They smirk. I stare at them blankly. I DON’T KNOW.
Transitions
Dec. 10, 2013—Next semester I get the scary-cool opportunity to take a break from Vanderbilt's campus and intern in the campus recruiting department for Deloitte in Chicago. This will serve as my HOD internship, a requirement for my degree program that sort of acts as a capstone project.
The Train Wreck that was Corporate Strategy, and How I Survived
Dec. 10, 2013—A lot of my life here at Vanderbilt revolves around group projects, which, day-to-day, looks like 10:45 pm meetings, Google Docs galore, throwing PowerPoints together like nobody's business, team evaluations, and projects that eat up your life. But you really shouldn't fret! I've compiled a guide to getting through group projects without too many scratches. After all, everyone says that business in the real world is just a giant group project. OH YAY.