Highlights

Special Needs Institute at Utah Valley University

It was truly one of the most significant experiences ever and getting to feel of the spirit very strongly each week, was just indescribable. I loved being able to learn so much more about this gospel and how amazingly simple it is to live everyday, which I can admit is never gonna leave me any time soon. I am grateful for the privilege and opportunity that I had to not only attend the class itself, but to also make some brand new friendships with people that I hope will last a lifetime!!!

Night To Shine Worldwide Prom 2017 - Ogden, Utah (The Genesis Project)

This unforgettable prom night experience is one that I will cherish forever and cannot wait to do all over again in the coming year. It is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation which basically started this event about three years ago and having began with a small group of people has just continued to grow significantly over time... believe it or not!!! This isn't close to what kind of prom you attended in high school and plus EVERYTHING was free at this event, but you had to register online and save yourself a spot as quickly as you could. Everything from prom dresses, dinner, flower corsages, limo rides, tiaras, as well as crowns are all donated for this one special night that individuals like myself will cherish for many years to come. I definitely loved being able to wear a brand new prom dress that was completely different and unique from all of the ones... that I was seeing many girls have on. It was certainly more on the princess style dress side than mine was but considering the fact that it was priced originally at $430 and got marked down at $49 on clearance which I will admit was such a bargain of a good deal for something like that. I loved feeling like a queen all night long at such an incredible event that I'll always look back on and say it was nothing short of being a dream come true!!!

Volunteer Aide - Eighth Year

If you had asked me seven years ago, about whether or not I wanted to be a high school intern over at Westridge Elementary School I probably wouldn't have said much expect that I'd give it my best effort in trying to learn to love first grade students unconditionally. I was never somebody who didn't think they would be very good at something like this, but at the time I had so much that was really expected of me and trying to make a good impression took some more patience than I imagined. I'm not gonna lie when I say that after my first year, I was standing outside the classroom door and literally almost got teardrops in my eyes because I had gotten so attached to those kids and the teacher. Even though I was not able to perform certain tasks as well as I would have liked to, which sometimes still is a tough obstacle for me to get past every once in awhile.. but I have learned to never give up and keep moving forward. It has literally been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life, but having said that-- I have continued to grow so much as a person and whether those students know about my personal story or not I know they are more than willing to accept me for the help I am there to give. I've really loved being in two third grade classrooms this year so much and having a brand new curriculum is always super fun, but meeting new people has been an incredible experience for me. Cannot wait to see what the rest of this school year has in store for me and hoping to learn so many more things along the way!!!

Other Events/Highlights from my year in 2017:

Sneak Preview
Photoshoot
Ninja Conference
Self Determination Conference
Special Needs Ballroom
Untitled Post
Spectacular

New Adventure

Advocates As Leaders Speakers Network - (Shift Training Opportunity)

This new opportunity was brought up to me yesterday afternoon when I finished up with my run through practice of Supported Decision Making and let me try to explain a little more about this... giving you some kind of idea what it really is meant to be for.

One of the nonprofit organizations in Utah County has these classes about training people how to train for writing up a job resume, learning various skills on who they are, what their disability is... along with self advocacy, self determination among many other topics where I will be training them how to train other people to do the same in their lives too. I would definitely be getting paid between $12-$15 dollars hourly for participating in this non-volunteer eight week course on how to assist the people in these classes on how to be successful in life. It would obviously be making multiple trips to Salt Lake City, Utah and going up to the Utah Parent Center to give other people a chance to know if they have something important in their life, many of them would want to achieve-- that I could be the example/good role model/strong speaker for them during the time of me being there & giving them a voice of their own. 

This experience would definitely give me a chance to meet some new people and have the privilege to let these people know they can do anything, regardless of what anybody else thinks they are NOT capable of being able to make a reality. I haven't necessarily made an official decision about this yet and I do know because of what this opportunity would give me, I am going to continue thinking thru this and talking with my mom about whether or not, this would be a good fit for me. I would not feel the need to pass up an opportunity like this one because if I don't go after it at some point, when am I going to???? 

Free Write

At this time of year I have reflect back on the many blessings that I'm so grateful for & whether or not somebody like me really deserved them... I know that my life will never be the same. This year has definitely gotten it's own share of ups and downs along the way, but there is nothing more than special with knowing that it is something I can express my gratitude for.



One of the many things I'm incredibly grateful for is the opportunity of volunteering at the best local elementary school ever and getting to help in TWO third grade classrooms this year has been such a rewarding experience. I just love the atmosphere of being around so many sweet and awesome kids who continue to put a smile on my face every single week. I especially love helping two remarkable third grade teachers this yr who seriously amaze me everyday with the things that they do and whether they know just what an absolute pleasure they are to volunteer with, would probably become an understatement. I am really grateful for their willingness to have me come into their classrooms and being of help in any possible way that I can.



I am grateful for their patience with an individual like me who may not perform lots of certain tasks as well as they would like to, but I feel like the luckiest person in this world to serve them in whatever capacity and I am forever blessed to be a part of their school year. I am grateful for the many opportunities that I've had to get to know some of the other teachers as well, but you must know that they are all pretty legit and work tirelessly to make this year the most successful one ever.

I am grateful for the chance and opportunity that I will have to be an aunt in the spring of 2018. I am definitely thrilled and nervous about whether I can see myself doing as a good job as I've done with my elementary students. I am probably not one of those girls who gets openly excited about stuff & having to realize that it isn't what you had originally anticipated to hear, but people who have known me forever continue to repeat over and over again this: "Oh, You will be great!!" I truly need to start believing that without having any kind of hesitation in knowing just how this experience will forever change my life.



It will only be a matter of time before I can even comprehend once I have my niece in my arms and having that indescribable feeling of the fact I will love this little girl more than any one like me would even begin to put into words. Can't wait to find out what this aunt phase of life.. will turn out like for me at some point and maybe things will not come to me as naturally as it does for lots of people but I am more than willing to give this a chance!!! 

Extra Loved

One of the many things that I love about volunteering at Westridge Elementary is having the opportunity to work with some of the best teachers ever!!! They have the kindest hearts ever & inspire, encourage, motivate, and teach me new things that I never would have expected myself been able to do.

TODAY was definitely one of my most favorites because I ended up staying over at the Elementary School for a half hour with finishing up stuff that I really didn't want to neglect or not feel a need to get taken care of. It was truly such an absolute treat having to staple so many card stock half sheets of paper onto these construction paper folders that I had made prior to writing all of the students names and numbers on them. I absolutely felt like one of the luckiest people in this world getting to spend a lot of extra time working on a project that I knew would never get finished unless someone was there to complete it. The third grade teacher who I did this project for is someone that I could literally take lots of time rambling on about forever, but these kinds of experiences don't necessarily happen all too often because I usually try to get as much completed as I can in the time that I'm there. Since they had a situation come up that needed to be taken care of right away and there was no time for them to wait for me to get out of their classroom and not have those folders all done. I definitely felt accomplished in having that opportunity to stay a little bit longer and do something that otherwise they would have had to worry about instead, but hey I was more than happy to help in anyway that I could possible. If you must know, I would have easily decided to stick around a little bit longer and finish up one of the other classes that I had just started working on. I kept telling myself about whether or not, I needed to leave a note behind for the third grade teacher which at the time I felt like was appropriate so at least they would know what had been done. After I had finished writing their note and letting them just be aware of what had been completed prior to them returning back to the school, because I did not have any idea when they were going to get back to their classroom. Luckily for me, I was able to get their door locked & head for home without feeling like I had not contributed enough with helping out. I am grateful to have lend a hand in something that doesn't happen all too often, because I rarely ever stick around at the school that late into the afternoon but it was so worth it!!! :) 

I have really stepped out of my comfort zone multiple times throughout the years and truly learning to love being around kids, which to me will only continue to get better with time. I am grateful for everything I have been able to learn from the people who have helped to get me where I am today... because without your guidance, expertise, patience, kindness, support, friendships I don't know if I'd still be doing volunteering like this and just cherishing every moment that I can possible.

I would like to send a shout out to my favorite third grade teacher:


Miss Bonnett,

Thank you so much for an amazing day and I absolutely love working in your classroom!! You are truly such an absolute JOY to work with and getting to know you even better this year has changed my life. It has been so much fun being a part of your classroom and seeing your student's smiling faces every week truly warms my heart more than you know!!! They are a wonderful group of kids who are being taught by the best of the best "Queen Bee" ever and there is no question in my mind about that.