Continuing the Tradition of a Full Plate

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Moving to Phoenix has been such a blessing. I practically jumped head first into a sea of opportunities left and right, not knowing when to stop or say no. Those closest to me know that's exactly how I like it – a full calendar with her hands in everything.

Working for Yelp with wonderful people I can connect with on different levels is something I was definitely missing in Nebraska, and really, even before then. I’m surrounded by intelligent, forward-thinking, entertaining, and constant-strivers-to-be-better people. I have never been as awestruck by the caliber of so many people working for one company as I am with my coworkers at Yelp. Everyone helps everyone succeed. It’s not a blood bath of ignorant, self-serving vampires whom I have worked with in almost every capacity of my past. OK, minus the fangs. I’ve made so many great memories (among them being annihilated by a swarm of Africanized Killer Bees on Camelback Mountain) with so many more to come.

Craving Mental Stimulation

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Pandora current song: Only Hope, Switchfoot

The last few weeks have made me realize why I NEED to go back to school. Since graduation, I haven’t had to use my noggin as much as I used to. I’ve been working in areas I am good at and have excelled greatly. Yet, my recent projects haven’t been easy. I’ve created and implemented political events, helped sign multimillion dollar leases, morphed an old building into a residence hall, built a positive cash-flow company and managed from the ground up, developed a position for myself within the university and furthermore designed a new position to expand student involvement on campus.

My way or the highway, or sure used to be!

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Pandora current song: Downtown Song, by Anberlin

David Hoopes’ model about cultural competency illustrates the development of cultural competency in everyone of us. I can also use it to examine my own development as a leader as it’s a great model to ‘step inside’ yourself.  Truthfully, I was once in the ethnocentrism stage for a large amount of my growing up. Ethnocentricity is a state of relying on your own and only your own, paradigms. It was my way or the highway. It was when I had a few wake up calls where I realized there are other ways besides my own. We all develop into the people we become through our different experiences and hopefully we learn to become progressive, positive responders to situations than we used to be in our younger years.  I believe that I am at the end stages now, but it sure wasn't always the case.

One wakeup call was none other than cheerleading. To begin with, I used to be the quiet girl in the classroom that was only “known” to my best friend and a few acquaintances. Other than that, I had no outside school social life. Now I realize how ridiculous that sounds, but like I said in earlier posts, I didn't know who I really wanted to be.  In 9th grade, I was ready for a change. I wanted to be a part of something in school so I was not just another girl at school. I decided to try out for the cheer team. I can promise you that I looked like the biggest hooligan with no prior dancing experience, but I had wanted it so badly.

In tenth grade, I was back on the bottom of the totem pole. I went to the state’s biggest school, South Kitsap High School, so of course I was intimidated. However, I had promised myself that I would be involved. I was in ASB, 4-H, Key Club, FFA, Tennis, and cheer, among other things. Like junior high cheer, I was not very good to start with, but my drive and dedication would not let me give up. I ended up making the team after three tryouts. I ended up on varsity cheer my senior year and was so dedicated to it, that I missed out on a German exchange opportunity to go back to Germany for the summer. I was distraught, but I couldn’t leave my team. I can always go to Germany, but I can never relive my senior year in high school.