Absolute Future (Blog Post #16)

Out of all the skills I have acquired, I cannot wait to display my new tech skills. I have always been interested in working in depth on computers and I am eager to show off what I have learned.

I am excited and concerned regarding how much work I will be assigned. I am excited to finally go out and show what I can do and I and concerned that the work might be overwhelming or I am not prepared for it.

I hope that my maturity and work ethic are recognized and appreciated in my new work environment. I felt that while in Year Up, my role as a student pigeonholed me into the position where I wasn’t kept in the loop of a lot of things and simply, not treated like an adult. I hope I do not experience this at my internship.

Whoever my manager may be, all I hope is that he or she is trusting and does not feel the need to micro-manage. I have worked in places where I have been micro-managed and I did not feel comfortable or able to succeed.

I plan to make a great impression on my manager and the rest of the staff at my internship, to where it influences them to consider me an asset. I hope to get a job offer after my internship is over. If I do not have that opportunity, I plan on returning to school full-time while taking advantage of Year Up’s resources to search for a new career.

"In The Big Show" (Blog Post #15)

Today felt like the best day for football. I love watching football and for the longest time, my retail jobs would not allow me to rest on Sundays and watch football. It does not seem like a big deal, but I feel like my dream has come true. Today felt particularly wonderful because the team I root for, the San Francisco 49ers, ended their regular season with a record of 13-3. They won the NFC West title and are in the playoffs for the first time since 2002. It is an exciting time to be a niner fan.

Another reason today was a great day for football, was because the 49ers local rival, the Oakland Raiders, were practically given an opportunity to advance into the playoffs, but were unable to deliver. In order for them to make their first playoff appearance since 2002, they needed to win their home game and the Denver Broncos needed to lose. Despite much disbelief, the latter miraculously occurred. The Denver Broncos lost, and all the Raider had to do was beat the San Diego Chargers at their home field. Although, they are division rivals, the Raiders were supposed to beat them. The odds were in their favor, and they had even beaten them earlier this season. Unfortunately for Oakland, and Raider fans all over the world, they performed poorly and will have to wait another year for a chance to make the playoffs. As a niner fan, I couldn't be anymore pleased.

"Not The Same Old Show" (Blog Post #14)

On Thursday, I finally took my younger family members out to a movie. I say "finally" because I've had the intentions of making this plan actually happen for too long now. My schedule and poor prioritizing had kept me from solidifying my relationship with them.

My younger cousins, Jorge and Sofia, used to live with us since they were both born. I'm practically their older brother. I had been there for them when their parents couldn't, for whatever reason. They are the only first cousins I have from my dad's side that live roughly close to us. Their parents decided to take advantage of an opportunity to move into their own home that was associated with a new job. Since then, our families have been very distant. Their new home isn't necessarily far, it's just inconvenient to get to. I quickly felt guilt for my lack of visits and inability to make plans with them.

This Christmas was the first time our families didn't celebrate together. We saw each other briefly and that's where I thought I would seize the opportunity to make plans with my cousins to take them out to something they would really enjoy doing. I immediately thought that these kids are growing up too fast. I understood I needed to take advantage of the time I have left, before they become teenagers who are "too cool" to be seen with their older cousin. I needed to act now.

Despite miscommunication, I successfully took my cousins to see a movie. We had a fun ride there, we shared popcorn and candy, and we had some good laughs during the movie. All in all, I'd say my first attempt of reestablishing my relationship with my cousins was a success. This is just the beginning though, and our next event is already in place. We're going bowling!