My Adventures: Graduation-Thinking Back

With graduations going on this month, I have been thinking a lot about my graduations.

I graduated from Sky View High School in 2006 {8 years ago}. As it hit me that it has been 8 years, I began thinking of what I have done since graduating High School. Well for 3 ½ years, I attended Utah State University. I began in the Accounting program with the intention of getting my degree in Accounting and then going on to get a masters and then my CPA. I started out and was excited my first couple of semesters and loved it. I did very well in Financial Accounting, Operating Systems, and Business Management. Then things began to go downhill. I struggled with Managerial Accounting and hated Business Law. After taking Managerial Accounting twice and not passing it, I was fried. You had to maintain a 3.5 GPA to remain in the Accounting program and my GPA was struggling. I did love my Accounting classes, I just really didn't like all of the Business classes I had to take as part of my degree. I was ready to just quit. My parents really wanted me to stay in college because having a degree, any degree, was worth quite a bit. I poured through the options for careers and majors. I finally decided that I needed to pick a major that I would enjoy, not necessarily one that was connected to an obvious career. I settled on Family Consumer Science {FCS}. I then began the battle of standing up for my decision to counselors and advisers. They all wanted me to switch to something else, because there was no career tied to this major. I didn't care! I began taking nutrition classes, human development classes, and fashion classes while working on my prerequisites for the program. Then just before I finished the prerequisites to be admitted to the program, they changed the program and the prerequisite requirements. I was very excited about the new changes to the program which would be more rounded out to what I liked nutrition, human development, consumer science, interior design, and sewing. I was a little bit frustrated that it delayed me getting accepted to the program though. I finally got accepted and began with the fun classes! A couple of them were required for my major, but I had to get special permission from the Interior Design program and FCSE {Family Consumer Science Education} departments to be in those classes….

I took classes through the summers since I knew that if I took a break, I would not return. I also tried to take any classes that I could online since testing was a bit of a downfall to me, as well as teachers who didn't speak very great English. {Thankfully this wasn't a huge problem in my major}. When it came time to do my internship, the battle between my advisers and me flared up again. Because my degree didn't have a career involved, because it was such a broad degree, my options were broad for that too, which they saw as a disadvantage. At that point, I didn't care what I did for an internship, I was so close to graduation that I just would do whatever I needed to and graduate. Both of my internships weren't paid, but I just wanted to get it done. I worked at the USU extension 4-H office for the spring and summer. At the end of the summer, a lot of the activities were over and I didn't have all of my hours, so then I helped out with the Gators Swim Team for the remainder of my hours. After my internship, I still had another semester and had to finish up some general depth requirements and a few for my major. I also had my gallbladder removed while I was in college. When it came time to walk December 2009, I didn't want to go to the whole graduation ceremony. I eventually decided that I would be more likely to regret not walking, then walking. So I got my cap and gown and everything and sucked it up. At the graduation ceremony I still didn't know if I was going to really graduate since final grades weren't in and my class in Music Appreciation {yes I know, hard to believe since I’m musical!} was pretty sketchy and my final could either make or break my grade. A few days after graduation, my grades posted, and I passed!!!! I was officially a Utah State University graduate with a B.S. in Family and Consumer Science.

So it has now been 8 years since I graduated from High School and 4 ½ years since I graduated from Utah State. Obviously there is a lot of things that occurred in my life in the past 4 ½ years, but I will just focus on the highlights.

Right after I graduated, my friend had a baby and wanted to take a month off of babysitting, so I filled in for her. I watched a baby and a 3 year old at their house everyday all day. My friend’s baby ended up in the hospital with RSV, so my one month turned into two. The baby was adorable and so much fun. The toddler was difficult {go figure!}It was a good experience though and I missed the baby terribly when they went back to their regular babysitter.

About a year or so after college, I got really sick. After losing 50 pounds very quickly and being so sick and miserable, the medical tests began. I was finally diagnosed with Irritable Bowl Syndrome and began trying to manage that.

On February 17, 2011 I was able to receive my endowment in the Logan LDS Temple. I had talked to my branch president about it in December, but he wanted to talk to the Stake President since I was not planning on going on a mission and I wasn't getting married anytime soon. The week it was announced that we were going to get a new bishopric, President Merrill pulled me aside after church and told me that he had talked to the Stake President and they felt it was a good idea for me to go to the Temple. He and his wife taught Temple Prep and since they were only going to be in for one more week, we did Temple prep in one week. Myself and two girls going on missions spent a lot of time at the church that week. The day before President Merrill was released, he did our interviews and I got the last Temple Recommend signed by him. The following Wednesday I went to the Temple. Grandma and Grandpa Andersen bought my clothing and mom bought my bag. It was kind of a quick thing so I didn't think to invite very many people. I invited Brother Merrill and his wife and thankfully they were thinking and invited Brother & Sister Heaps. I adore them and am sorry to say that I had forgotten to invite them, but the Merrills invited them for me! Grandma Griffiths, Grandma and Grandpa Andersen, Mom and Dad, Nyla, Deanna, Aimee, Tracy, Brother & Sister Merrill, Brother & Sister Heaps and Sarah Stone were there with me. It was a wonderful experience!

In March 2011, I opened my Etsy shop, CutesieBee. This was a difficult step for me since I felt like I was being judged by the entire world. Orders were slow coming in at first, but thankfully as the years go on, I get busier and busier. I love sewing and frankly I had too many baby blankets made in the storage room, so I figured that I should sell my stuff and at least make a little bit of money doing something that I loved. The shop has now been open for 3 years.

Through the years I barely managed my health condition and got to deal with the dental problems that were caused by being so sick. I did get my dream car, Hyundai Santa Fe, and I got my first biological nephew! {Dakota was my first nephew J} I made wonderful friends. In late 2011, I got to escort my friend, Anna as she received her endowment in preparation for getting married. It was a wonderful experience and I was so honored to be able to go with Anna!

I helped my mom one-year with the Health Days pageant and then I ran it the following 2 years. It was a great experience and was fun to “pass along” the experience to other wonderful girls in Smithfield.

I babysat for a few families while the parents were out of town on trips. I enjoy doing this and in a way it is like a little vacation for me too!

In 2012 I did 2 craft fairs, which I probably won’t do again. I love Cache Valley, but the people just come see what you made and go make their own. So now unless, someone seeks me out in the Valley, I will stick to selling through Etsy.

I finished all of the cake decorating classes and did birthday cakes for the family and a couple of wedding cakes.

I also went river rafting for the first time and had a complete blast! Not something I expected to enjoy, but I really did!

May 2013, I was able to go to the Temple nursery with Carson and then to the sealing when Chelsea and her family were sealed. I was so pleased that I got to be there for that special occasion.

Church callings I have held since graduating high school:

Primary Teacher 5 year olds

Ward Organist {didn't like this calling one bit!}

Relief Society Pianist

Enrichment Committee Member

Relief Society Secretary

Primary Teacher 10 year olds

Primary Teacher 8 year olds

Primary Pianist

Places I've visited since high school {outside my usual places}

Moab

Monterey {my favorite place in California I visited}