Life Recently

Due to the lapsed time between now and my last post, I have lots of updates.

A few weeks ago, I volunteered at the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure.  My sorority volunteers at this event each year.  It's very empowering seeing thousands of women come together for a single cause and the possible achievements of that kind of effort.

More recently, I volunteered at the Chicago Marathon.  This was my second Chicago Marathon to volunteer at.  This year I was standing at about the 24.5 mile marker.  It's awesome to see the determination of the runners.  I have made it my goal to run a marathon eventually.  If I start training now, maybe I won't be a volunteer at the Chicago Marathon next year!!

This leads me to this week...

Monday was Fall Break, so I went to the Willis Tower (formerly and forever-to-me the Sears Tower) and walked out on "the ledge".  If you haven't seen what I'm talking about, go to the following website:
http://www.theskydeck.com/theledge.asp
It's AWESOME!!  It's a weird feeling to be "floating" 103 stories above the ground.  If you visit Chicago or live nearby, you should definitely pay the $14.95 to go up there.  You won't regret it!

As for school, it has been busy all semester, but this week was definitely harder than the previous ones.  I had the typical amount of homework that I have on any given week; however, I also had a midterm presentation and 2 exams.  The presentation was for my IPRO (Interprofessional Research Opportunities).  It went really well, so that was really exciting!  Our team has been working very hard this semester, and it definitely showed on Tuesday night.  As for the exams, they were ok - it's kind of hard to know how you did until you get them back.

On a much brighter side, I got an offer from Exelon Nuclear for an internship for next summer.  I accepted it today and am looking forward to learning a lot there next summer.  I am very thankful for the opportunities I have had and give IIT the credit for them.  IIT is well known to potential employers, and it's a great benefit for me!

As for now, I need to catch up on sleep - but I'll probably do that later!  I'll probably just relax tonight with a movie and knitting!!  Yes, I knit!

<><

Life After College??

There are a number of steps that IIT students typically take in order to secure job placement after college.  IIT has a high placement rate with 92% of graduates accepting job offers or enrolling in further education within 6 months of graduation.  Many students attend the Career Fair that IIT hosts each semester which can lead to job and internship offers.


Yesterday, IIT hosted another Career Fair right here on campus.  There were over 50 companies waiting to talk to students and accept resumes.  I was able to talk to 6 companies that I was interested in and left my resume with each of them.  I was also able to set up an interview for next Wednesday with one company!  The Career Fair is a really nice resource for students to be able to talk to prospective employers right here on campus.


Last summer I had an internship with Missouri Department of Transportation.  I was able to live at home which was really nice!  I did a lot of surveying as well as checking quantities for final plans.  It was interesting to learn how the public sector works as far as Civil Engineering is concerned.  This summer (I tend to plan ahead!) I am interested in getting an internship with a private firm to see how the private side of things work.

So, as you can see, IIT is not only interested in how we perform in this step of our professional lives, but also how we will get to the next!

<><

And So It Begins...

As my third year here at IIT begins, I quickly remember the real meaning of the word "busy". Along with 18 credit hours of engineering courses, I am a Student Ambassador as well as a member of the Kappa Phi Delta sorority and other various student organizations on campus. As for the 18 credit hours, I'm taking 5 CAE (Civil/Architectural Engineering) classes and an IPRO. I'm so excited to finally be a junior in real classes! I've taken CAE classes, but it's nice to be finished with all the math and science courses. My IPRO deals with creating sustainable houses for rural Peru. I'm really looking forward to learning a lot in there! As for the Student Ambassador hat I often wear, it's been fun getting to know the new ambassadors and counselors. This is my 4th semester as a Student Ambassador, and I am looking forward to sharing with prospective students the numerous joys of IIT! I am Kitchen Manager this semester for Kappa, which is a nice change from House Manager. We inducted 19 new pledges last night! I have a new little sister, Nicole, that I am looking forward to getting to know better. The other student orgs: Campus Crusade for Christ, American Society of Civil Engineers, Camras, and National Society of Leadership and Success. Cru is going well - we have a few new people that joined us this semester, so that's exciting! The others haven't really started yet, but I'll keep you posted.

I think that's all for now. Another semester brings another packed schedule. The thing is, I thrive on being busy! I am looking forward to a weekend of relaxing - hopefully!!

<><