Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise

From elementary education to journalism, my life in this past year has been quite the journey. One year ago I was enrolled in elementary education classes at Ole Miss. I was making lessons plans for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs for my second grade class. I had no idea what was about to come.

At the end of May 2013 I realized I wasn't going to allow myself anymore to think about my "second life." Why only dream when I could make these dreams my reality?

I switched all my classes to meet the journalism school requirements and planned to visit Oxford to meet with an advisor. I went from learning about early literacy to journalism 101. After I made that jump and trusted in the Lord that this is exactly where I was supposed to be, the blessings kept pouring out.

I applied for and accepted an internship with Hello Perfect and began my journey with them as a contributing writer. I loved all of my fall semester classes in the journalism building and then reached out on a limb to apply for the Teen Vogue Fashion University weekend in October in New York, which I found out about through the founder of Hello Perfect.

Patience. One word I am not good with. Teen Vogue Fashion U was one of the only events I applied for and never thought about again. I didn't over analyze every step or already plan out my trip in my mind. That's why when my acceptance email came I was incredible overjoyed. Through prayers and not planning, the Lord provided for me to attend TVFU along with five of my best friends.

"And so it was, that [she], having waited long and endured patiently, realized and obtained what God had promised" Hebrews 6:15 

It was there that I had no idea how much my life would change. When signing up for my seminars for TVFU I had no idea who DANNIJO was, but they sounded cool. I liked the idea that they were two sisters working together and I like jewelry, so I thought, "Sure I'll sign up for your seminar."

Immediately I was drawn to Danielle and Jodie & I loved everything they said during the seminar. I knew I would fit in with them. Who would have thought that three/four months later I would be accepting an internship with them. How cool is this series of events?! Everything is linked together!

Last week was incredible & I received a "God wink" almost every day. I got offered other internships and interview opportunities, I am a new campus ambassador for Intern Queen, received a few cool emails from people in New York that I'm going to be able to meet, and to top it off, I was published in the Daily Mississippian this morning. Needless to say, I was on cloud nine. I found my head growing a little bigger.

What I needed to be reminded of is that without Jesus, none of these things would have been possible.

The Lord has humbled me through all of these experiences & they have taught me a lot. It is in my nature to want to run around saying, "Hey look who just emailed me back!" or send a tweet broadcasting my internship offers. My life would not be woven together like this without my daily strive (and struggle) to follow Jesus and believe that He has control of my life, not myself.

"...My cups overflows with your blessings" Psalm 23:5

In high school when I thought I was actively pursuing the Lord I thought I made all the decisions. Obviously you can see how wrong that was because I was settling with the idea that I was supposed to be a teacher for the rest of my life. Once I actively began pursuing the Lord and seeing where He led me, I have been overwhelmed with incredible opportunities. Don't get me wrong, every day I stumble and fail, but the Lord is always so faithful.

The glory does not go to me though. The glory goes to God. Without Him, I would never have gotten this far. I would still be student teaching and sulking to my classes. I have to remind myself every day that it is enough that I know these things about myself and to thank God every single second of the day for providing for me and putting these desires in my heart.

This morning, with the Daily Mississippian in my hand and the sun shining on my face, I was remind of the song lyrics, "Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise" from Blessed Be Your Name. Everything clicked and I had to share this experience with all of you. Also, I can't wait to see that Jesus has in store for all of you! It makes me giddy and excited.

Without Jesus none of these things would be possible. I've learned that there is no way I can control my life. I can't make plans because the plans have already been made. Through this I challenge myself to turn every blessing into praise. (see how we came full circle there?)

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" Ephesians 3:20

Ole Miss Sorority Legacies Feel Welcomed and Passed Over

Ole Miss Sorority Legacies Feel Welcomed and Passed Over

By: Chandler Clarkson

published on: Ole Miss Journalism's Wordpress

Lisa Clark, a junior Tri Delta member, did not stress when it came to rush. She came into college open-minded but knew Tri Delta was where she was meant to be. Clark’s mom, two older sisters, aunt and two cousins were all Tri Delts at Ole Miss, and Clark lives with her cousin in the Tri Delta house right now.

“All seven of us, whether we are at home in Charlotte or in Oxford, have always been a close family, but the fact that we are all Tri Delts makes it even more special,” Clark says.

Clark is one of the hundreds of legacies that go through recruitment each year. Yet, being a legacy can seem like a double-edged sword.

“I thought it was harder to go through rush as a legacy at Ole Miss. Other sororities write you off as going what your mom or sister went,” says grad-student and member of Delta Delta Delta, Mary Cannon Spradley.

“A few of the houses where I didn’t know anyone asked if I had any Greek ties. As soon as I told them my sister was a Tri Delt, their attitude changed and I was not asked back the next round,” says Tri Delta member and legacy Susanna Southern.

Clark and another Tri Delta legacy, Jamie Spradley, said some houses kept them throughout the recruitment process out of courtesy. They say this gesture meant a lot to them, knowing they had the opportunity to pledge a different sorority.

Assistant Dean of Students for Student Involvement at Ole Miss, Coulter Ward, has been over Greek life for the past four years. He thinks being a legacy both helps and hinders, but it is not in the legacy’s control if it does.

“To me, legacy is kind of a weird thing… it has a lot of different aspects to it,” Coulter says.

Overall, most Tri Delta legacies say the experience has been positive.  Ellen Kerce and her cousin, Elizabeth Murphy, have been roommates since freshman year and pledged Delta Delta Delta together. Kerce’s mom, aunt and older sister were Tri Delts at Ole Miss. Kerce says it has been a dream come true to live with her cousin for three years.

“We’ve always wanted to live together.. It’s been so special and our friendship has grown ever since then,” Kerce says.

When asking the legacies about their favorite moments, smiles typically appeared across all of their faces. Stories like running down Sorority Row on Bid Day into their older sisters’ arms or their mothers pinning them at the initiation ceremony made the Tri Delta bond stronger.

“It is such an incredible bond. Even though we have been close forever, Tri Delta has made our relationship stronger,” says Southern, who shares the bond with her older sister Sarah Ellen.

Jamie Spradley just went through recruitment in October of this year and says she has loved every moment.

“Running to the Tri Delta house was something I had wanted to do since I decided I was going to Ole Miss. Seeing my sister and mom waiting for me and having my sister put my Bid Day jersey on me was so sentimental.”

Ole Miss beauty queen looks back at her year of success

by: Chandler Clarkson

With her days as Miss University ending, Caroline Conerly is thankful for the opportunities this title provided. From winning Miss University then competing in Miss Mississippiand placing fourth, this past year has been incredibly successful for Conerly.

“You never expect that kind of stuff to happen to you. You never really let it sink in,” Conerly says.

Conerly is from Hattiesburg, Miss. She is an education major and in the sorority Delta Delta Delta. She had competed in only a handful of pageants before entering the Miss University competition.

“Seeing her win was incredible. I knew she would be excited, but seeing the genuine amount of joy she got from hearing her name called as the winner made me very proud to support her,” said Sid Johnson, a fellow student and close friend.

Conerly says she was elated to represent the university and the place she loves so much.

“I’ve been coming to Ole Miss games since I was 9 or 10 and Ole Miss truly has impacted my life in every way possible. This is a part of me, this is a part of who I am,” Conerly says.

Director of the pageant Bradley Baker worked with Conerly every day.

“I’m going to miss Caroline for sure as Miss University. She has done an outstanding job,” Baker says.

From singing at the Christmas tree lighting on campus to reading to children locally, Conerly “wore many hats” as Miss University. Conerly said the role on campus takes many forms.

“It wasn’t always one thing. I think that’s what I liked most about it. It was always an adventure,” Conerly says.

As Miss University 2013, Conerly landed a spot in the Miss Mississippi pageant. Often her days were filled with paperwork for Miss Mississippi, talent rehearsals, wardrobe fittings, and more to get her prepared for the pageant. Conerly’s chosen talent was opera. In July 2014, she will compete again, this time, hoping to win first place.

“I’ll be cheering for her in July when she competes again,” Baker says.

Having talked with the participants of Miss University 2014, Conerly says she is looking forward to the pageant. Her advice to the contestants is simple. She says to “not take yourselves too seriously” and that “it is okay to be a real person in the interview.”

The Miss University pageant will be held in the Ford Center on November 20 at 7 p.m.

Published on HottyToddy.com

For my Journalism 102 class our goal is to write to be published. Thankfully on my first story I was published on hottytoddy.com.

Click the link to read my story on the new fad E-cigarettes.

http://hottytoddy.com/e-cigarette-fad-blowing-smoke/

Dancing around Journalism

Over the past few days I have been thinking a lot about my new major. I am in the introductory level classes of journalism and am loving every minute of it. When I think about taking the higher level classes, like magazine editing and public relations, I get way too excited. Finally I realized that I have been dancing around this new major for a while now.
When I first entered high school, I did not really know what I wanted to do with my life, but to me it felt like the day would never come when I had to make the decision. All throughout my four years at Centennial High School, I had incredible English teachers who all impacted my life. From this experience, I thought I would want to be an English teacher. I knew I loved to write and I wanted to give back to future students. To me, I felt like I wanted to impact other students lives just like those four English teachers at Centennial had impacted mine.
After graduation and moving to Oxford, Mississippi, I began my major in elementary education. Although my goal in high school was to become a high school English teacher, for some reason I settled with elementary education. In those classes I really did enjoy all my time learning about elementary ed. When I was twelve I began babysitting and still do to this day, and I was even a nanny this summer. Kids loved me and I loved being around kids. I learned a lot through this major like patience and to always have a kind heart.
In the beginning of the summer though, I felt like everyone was doing something with their summer and I was stuck in Franklin, TN babysitting and mainly relaxing. Within the first few weeks into summer I was looking for internships in New York but realized obviously I was way late in the game. I was trying to find way to tweak my elementary education major into being someone's personal assistant. See how that was hard? (by knowing how to teach your kids math, I promise I can help you style a photoshoot...?) Trying not to be discouraged, I looked into switching my major and making my "second life" come true. You can read about that here.
Now that I am a journalism major, I realize that I was dancing around it the whole time. I knew I liked to write and I knew I liked being around people. It is funny how life takes you around your dream in a perfect little path and finally you end up where you are supposed to be. I was dancing around journalism when I envisioned myself as a high school English teacher. I was dancing around journalism when I Googled about a hundred internships a day in May of this year. Now I am no longer dancing around journalism, but I am dancing with it.
God's plan may not reveal itself to you immediately or the way you think it will, but once doors are opened and you learn to trust in the Lord, paths are made clearer. Without relying and trusting in the Lord, I would still be dancing around with no real insight into where I want to go in life. I'm not saying I have it all together and that I know exactly where I will end up in life, but with the guidance of the Lord and His greater plan, I know I will end up exactly where I am supposed to be. It is comforting trusting in Him and knowing He knows what is best for you.
I think that if you are struggling with where you want to go in life or what you want to do and be, give up those worries to the Lord and let Him establish your plans.

I especially like this verse right now because being a Journalism major, I am always working with my hands. Whether I am frantically typing away or writing down thoughts, I want the Lord to strengthen my hands.

Hello Perfect

I'm so excited to share with you all that I am now an intern with Hello Perfect. I am a contributing writer to their website, and will be one of the first campus ambassadors. Hello Perfect is all about making you realize you are already perfect the way you are. I'll be writing for their website on either: fashion, travel, inspiration, college life, and more! Next week, the owners of Hello Perfect and the contributing writers are meeting for a Google+ Hangout and I can't wait to meet everyone and learn more about the internship.

Right now at Hello Perfect, they have a contest going on to win an InStyle Magazine (their website) subscription for a year! All you have to do is download the app "Snap My Ad" from the iTunes Store. Once you download the app (for free!) just upload a photo of what your version of what "Perfect is..." This can be a photo of your writing, or of anything else! For you to win, you just need the most likes on your photo. I would love it if you could share this photo at the bottom of the screen & post a photo! It's so easy and why not win a free year of InStyle?!

I can't wait to see where this internship takes me! It's a "virtual internship" which means I can do the internship from anywhere I want. Hello Perfect will have contributing writers from all over the United States, and the two owners of Hello Perfect just graduated college and are now living in New York! (so jealous!)

Be looking for my posts on HelloPerfect.com! The new website is under construction right now, but you can still visit the old one to see what I'll be doing. Keep following my journey, and post away on "Snap My Ad" for a free subscription to InStyle Magazine!

How It All Happened

You all thought I was going to be a teacher, right? Then bam, here's my new plan. Journalism major with a specialization in public relations. And imagine people's faces when I tell them. Everyone asks questions like: "What is PR?" or says "Aww, honey I always thought you were going to be a teacher." Well honestly, I always thought I was going to be a teacher too. Then this new idea popped into my head, and I start telling my friends "In my second life I would go to fashion school, intern in New York, then work for a designer & be in charge of their social media or communications, or in charge of their public relations section." Well surprise! My second life is hopefully to become my real one. Why sit and wonder if I could do it, instead of just jumping in?

I didn't want to look back down the road and wonder what would have happened if I followed my crazy dream to do public relations with the high goal of the fashion world.. I'm here to try and make it happen. If fashion doesn't work, hey, there's many more industries I'm interested in. 

Right now where I stand with my new major is anticipation. I am anxiously awaiting my fall classes where I will begin the intro to journalism classes, and then spring semester is when I tackle public relations. I'm also really hoping for an internship over winter break (cough cough, please New York) but I do not want to limit myself to just one city. This Nashville girl might not love the Big Apple. 

So here it is, my new major and new "firsts" and luckily for you, you're here to witness it all play out. 

Here's to a new beginning..

Well, hello! I'm just your average twenty-year-old college student sharing my thoughts on seeing things through my eyes. Some of you might know, I already have another blog. That blog is more personal, pictures and stories detailing random things. But this is here for writing, not photos of my latest weekend with my best friends and more in Oxford. Those will be included in this blog too, yes, but not as often & not as the subject matter. 

I go to the University of Mississippi and recently changed my major to Journalism. I hope to take the classes in order to be specialized in Public Relations. As most girls at Ole Miss, I'm in a sorority, Tri Delta, and love the friendships that have come out of that organization. While some say you're paying for friends, if you're on the inside you know the real side. This side is full of love, incredible friendships and opportunities. There are a lot of stereotypes about Ole Miss, especially with sorority life, and I can't wait to give you all an inside look! I'll also post my writing from classes, for fun, and fingers crossed I can get an internship & share those stories with you too. 

I like to think my ideal job would be working in fashion; public relations specifically. But as I'm discovering this new major maybe my ideas will change. I do know that I love reading fashion blogs, whether it's a social media intern's who works for a well known designer, or an average woman working in New York writing her journey. Maybe I have a future with blogging, maybe it's not even in fashion, and maybe the best has yet to be discovered and the opportunity of a lifetime will present itself. 

I'm not sure yet what this blog is going to look like or what it will include, but here we go!