Spring Term = DONE!

OH MY GOODNESS!!!

So happy to have wrapped up spring term yesterday! I finished all my homework, papers and projects just in the nick of time, turned the last stuff in yesterday and I am DONE! Woohooo!

Of course, in 10 days it is...

...for me.

It's totally okay though because between now and then I have lots of great things going on *and* I start my internship for the summer on the 26th, so I'm pretty jazzed about that.

I have so much fun stuff to talk about! I did complete the Helvetia Half Marathon last weekend with my friends. I achieved my goal of finishing in under 4 hours, I got my medal and my t-shirt. That was all I wanted! I had a great time and I will be writing a race-report soon with lots of pictures and stories.

Since this is a school related post I will post my video here. The communication department has an annual end of year event where they honor various students in the department with high grade points, exemplary capstone projects, scholarship and other award winners. As I was awarded the American Association of University Women Outstanding Woman Student of 2012 for the communication department I was provided with a framed certificate to keep and a plaque with my name on it hangs in the department. (Recall I already received a certificate from the AAUW at their annual brunch in May.) I was not expecting to be called up on the stage to receive an actual award, I just thought that my name would be read!  Here is the video of what actually happend. You may need to turn the sound up very loud to hear the introduction.



I am being introduced by one of my favorite instructors, and mentor, Dr. Jon Lange. Another of my favorite instructors, Dr. Alena Ruggerio is standing to the right of the stage in the corner.

A huge thank you to my friend August who stayed late to attend the ceremony with me, cheered me loudly and took this video! It is super awesome to be able to share this moment with Chris and my mom.

Department plaque

My name!

The certificate I received from the department.

I apologize for being such a poor photographer! It is just not one of my skills.

I also was interviewed by a student working on his capstone project and this is what he ended up writing:

Corrie Beebe’s story starts in October 2009, when her husband was transferred to the Rogue Valley by the elevator maintenance company he worked for.

Beebe had been in insurance for 15 years, but after the move she suddenly found herself without a job, and way too much time on her hands.

            “The job market was pretty poor at the time,” she said. “So I decided to finish my degree.”

            After earning her Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree from Rogue Community College in June of 2011, she transferred to Southern Oregon University, majoring in communication.

            “It’s kind of my forte,” she said. “I like to write, and I enjoy the art of communicating … I could have gotten a business degree or something, but I wanted to do something I would be emotionally invested in.”

            “The communication degree gives me a place that I can go anywhere with,” she added.

            Beebe explained that the communication department allowed her to refine the skills she needed to be successful in the workplace, while also helping her explore her passion for conflict resolution and human resources training.

            “I’m more interested in the practical application of communication skills, rather than the theoretical application of them,” she said. “I want to go into training and development … there’s a lot of information about good communication that is not inherently known.”

            Beebe said the faculty and staff of the communication department were always supportive, and gave her the tools she needed to be successful in her studies.

            “The interaction with the professors in the communication department have been very positive and have made me feel like this is a good place for me, that this is a good choice, that I fit here,” she said. “The professors push you, but they also very much support you. They don’t tell you to write a 15-page paper with no support, they invite you into their office and help you.”

            Beebe added that the faculty inspired her to think of the big picture, and is now considering graduate school partially due to their encouragement.

            “When I first came to SOU the idea of getting a masters degree or a PhD was out of my realm,” she said. “The fact that they even put that thought into my head – that’s impressive.”

            Beebe will be starting an internship with the university’s human resources department this summer, working on training modules for department staff.

Super cool, right?? This was written by Nils Holst. Thanks for a great article, Nils!

It is very exciting for me to receive such public recognition for my hard work. It is not something that has been a part of my life in the past.

A big huge thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me. It is great to know that I have people who believe in me. I have 3 terms complete and 3 more to go.

I'm looking forward to what comes next!!

Have a great day everyone. I have lots more things to share from the last week or so, and more fun things happening this weekend that I will share, too!