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Doing Things I Always Wanted To Do

(Extracurricular Activities and Faith-Based Involvement, Class of 2012) Permanent link All Posts

I was enjoying the cooler weather this month, until the humidity came back full force the past few days. I am ready for fall with the colorful leaves and fifty degrees, when I can wear pants and a long sleeve shirt on runs. We have been back a month and a half now and I tried something different this semester. I am trying to do things I have always wanted to do, but have never done because I have never set aside the time. I am taking five major-related classes and tennis and I have more time than usual, especially as we do not have nightly homework in every class.

With my "extra" time, I decided to do more community service. I started off with doing a Habitat for Humanity project one Saturday with one of my friends. We walked to a building site in New London and helped build a house. I got to cut, measure, and nail gun wood for support inside the house. The nail gun took a little getting used to (really, a lot of getting used to) but when I do it next time I will obviously be a pro!

I have also always wanted to help at an elementary school tutoring students. Often, we have opportunities provided after school (but during sports period) to go tutor. But as I do a sport year round, I have never gone. This year, I contacted Winthrop Elementary, a public school five minutes from the Academy, and have been going there for an hour once or twice a week to help fourth graders during reading time. It is the weirdest thing going from Fluid Mechanics class (gradients, pressure, flow, derivatives) to reading from the Time Warp Trio, helping pronounce words such as “Pharaoh”, and sharpening broken pencils. I wish I could go more often and help students with math and science as well. Maybe after the Coast Guard.

September comes to an end, but there is only one week until Parent’s Weekend! And then, Thanksgiving and Christmas are not far off.

More about Katie.

Last Edited by Leann Strickland at 2/8/2012 2:07 PM