its off, like off as in "its in the mail"
I was 'accepted' informally on April 6th, during a face-to-face meeting with my soon to be advisor... So the paperwork is just so things are 'official'. Of course I am paranoid that I'll still get a 'rejection' letter, which, I'm pretty sure, would make me feel lower than the lowest low imaginable...but I'm trying to remain positive. I have crossed my "t's" and dotted my "i's" and am ready to be a student. Again.
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Spaceship Earth: The problem for the passengers is that there is no manual to identify all the parts, and no instructions on how to operate the spaceship. Richard Buckminster Fuller
I wanted to be an astronaut. The idea of going to space and looking down, seeing the ENTIRE WORLD-all of the systems at work, creating a unified, cohesive, operating whole- in the blink of an eye, captivated me. As a child, I liked assembling and constructing things. I wanted to know how and why things went together. I loved building model airplanes and battleships with my father and two younger brothers. I enjoyed taking each individual piece out of the package and assembling the model, piece-by-piece following the diagram directions. When you began, there was a pile of little plastic parts; However, little-by-little the airplane or battleship, took form, looking more like the image on the front of the package. Assembling the pieces composed the model; Enjoyment was found in combing parts to make a whole.
With my mother, I relished time spent baking oatmeal cookies in our kitchen. I excitedly pulled ingredients out of the pantry and refrigerator before impeccably measuring out the quantities of each, pouring them into the bowl of my great grandmother’s mix master. As discrete ingredients-flour, baking soda, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, oatmeal, cinnamon, and raisins- none were very appealing. But, when all of the ingredients were combined and 20 minutes of heat was added?! The resulting cookie was pure and utter deliciousness. Assembling ingredients composed the cookie; Enjoyment was found in combining parts to make a whole.
So whether it was building or baking, working with parts and pieces and learning about systems fascinated me. When the time to declare a major in college came along, I choose sociology. Studying people and social systems- how people interacted with others- was the perfect fit. I learned a lot about communication, psychology, and how social interactions amongst different groups shape society. When I finished school, I felt something had been left out of my education. Now that I understood the ‘flexible’ parts of the world, what about the ‘concrete’ parts? What about buildings? I wanted to know how the built environment affected human interactions; I wanted to study architecture.
A master’s degree in architecture was the next logical step. On a micro scale, architecture is 2x4’s, steel, and concrete, but on a macro scale, architecture is the framework in which we operate. The built environment affects how people feel which, in turn, affects how we interact with others. Thus, my decision to pursue architecture was absolutely a continuation of my sociology studies.
All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. William Shakespeare
Each new educational endeavor I’ve undertaken has built upon the pieces that came before; It is no surprise that while at UT, I felt there were more holes to be filled. I ‘got’ the systems of people; I was now ‘getting’ the systems of buildings; but I wanted to ‘get’ the human body itself. During 4.5 years of graduate study at UT, I devoured nutrition tomes. I wanted to learn how food affects us, on both a physiological and psychological level; I wanted to study nutrition.
As an athlete, I know it is important to fuel one’s body for performance but I also know that food is more than fuel for performance. Food is medicine and, when used appropriately, food can heal. The opposite is also true: Having been diagnosed with food allergies as an adult, I have experienced how food can harm. It is my personal experience with food in these capacities and my inherent curiosity and appreciation for ‘systems’ that led me to the decision to pursue a MS in Human Nutrition from Texas State.
Wisdom is your perspective on life, your sense of balance, your understanding of how the various parts and principles apply and relate to each other. It embraces judgment, discernment, comprehension. It is a gestalt or oneness, and integrated wholeness. Stephen R. Covey
With the knowledge that I will gain at Texas State, I hope to work with people in a counseling capacity. I do not know what specialty but have given consideration to working with people who are dealing with chronic conditions like arthritis, discrete illnesses like cancer, and mental illnesses with physical symptoms like anorexia, making sure their nutrition needs are met so that they are able to give their bodies and minds the best chance at health and recovery. It should be noted, I am considering combining the MS Human Nutrition degree with a MA in Health Psychology to have an even broader knowledge base of the physiological and psychological affects that nutrition plays in health and recovery. No matter which path I take, if my past is any indication, I am certain that the goal towards a greater understanding of the ‘wholeness’ of life will be attained and will be shared with fervor… with compassion...and with an understanding of what came before.
-----
Spaceship Earth: The problem for the passengers is that there is no manual to identify all the parts, and no instructions on how to operate the spaceship. Richard Buckminster Fuller
I wanted to be an astronaut. The idea of going to space and looking down, seeing the ENTIRE WORLD-all of the systems at work, creating a unified, cohesive, operating whole- in the blink of an eye, captivated me. As a child, I liked assembling and constructing things. I wanted to know how and why things went together. I loved building model airplanes and battleships with my father and two younger brothers. I enjoyed taking each individual piece out of the package and assembling the model, piece-by-piece following the diagram directions. When you began, there was a pile of little plastic parts; However, little-by-little the airplane or battleship, took form, looking more like the image on the front of the package. Assembling the pieces composed the model; Enjoyment was found in combing parts to make a whole.
With my mother, I relished time spent baking oatmeal cookies in our kitchen. I excitedly pulled ingredients out of the pantry and refrigerator before impeccably measuring out the quantities of each, pouring them into the bowl of my great grandmother’s mix master. As discrete ingredients-flour, baking soda, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, oatmeal, cinnamon, and raisins- none were very appealing. But, when all of the ingredients were combined and 20 minutes of heat was added?! The resulting cookie was pure and utter deliciousness. Assembling ingredients composed the cookie; Enjoyment was found in combining parts to make a whole.
So whether it was building or baking, working with parts and pieces and learning about systems fascinated me. When the time to declare a major in college came along, I choose sociology. Studying people and social systems- how people interacted with others- was the perfect fit. I learned a lot about communication, psychology, and how social interactions amongst different groups shape society. When I finished school, I felt something had been left out of my education. Now that I understood the ‘flexible’ parts of the world, what about the ‘concrete’ parts? What about buildings? I wanted to know how the built environment affected human interactions; I wanted to study architecture.
A master’s degree in architecture was the next logical step. On a micro scale, architecture is 2x4’s, steel, and concrete, but on a macro scale, architecture is the framework in which we operate. The built environment affects how people feel which, in turn, affects how we interact with others. Thus, my decision to pursue architecture was absolutely a continuation of my sociology studies.
All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. William Shakespeare
Each new educational endeavor I’ve undertaken has built upon the pieces that came before; It is no surprise that while at UT, I felt there were more holes to be filled. I ‘got’ the systems of people; I was now ‘getting’ the systems of buildings; but I wanted to ‘get’ the human body itself. During 4.5 years of graduate study at UT, I devoured nutrition tomes. I wanted to learn how food affects us, on both a physiological and psychological level; I wanted to study nutrition.
As an athlete, I know it is important to fuel one’s body for performance but I also know that food is more than fuel for performance. Food is medicine and, when used appropriately, food can heal. The opposite is also true: Having been diagnosed with food allergies as an adult, I have experienced how food can harm. It is my personal experience with food in these capacities and my inherent curiosity and appreciation for ‘systems’ that led me to the decision to pursue a MS in Human Nutrition from Texas State.
Wisdom is your perspective on life, your sense of balance, your understanding of how the various parts and principles apply and relate to each other. It embraces judgment, discernment, comprehension. It is a gestalt or oneness, and integrated wholeness. Stephen R. Covey
With the knowledge that I will gain at Texas State, I hope to work with people in a counseling capacity. I do not know what specialty but have given consideration to working with people who are dealing with chronic conditions like arthritis, discrete illnesses like cancer, and mental illnesses with physical symptoms like anorexia, making sure their nutrition needs are met so that they are able to give their bodies and minds the best chance at health and recovery. It should be noted, I am considering combining the MS Human Nutrition degree with a MA in Health Psychology to have an even broader knowledge base of the physiological and psychological affects that nutrition plays in health and recovery. No matter which path I take, if my past is any indication, I am certain that the goal towards a greater understanding of the ‘wholeness’ of life will be attained and will be shared with fervor… with compassion...and with an understanding of what came before.
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