Modern-day 'feminist art movement': introducing the Not a Pretty Girl Project

I may not be an official USA Today College summer correspondent anymore, but I made a promise to myself that I would continue to contribute to this awesome news platform.
Promise kept.

Read about a new 'feminist art movement' that Selena Gonzalez, a CSU Monterey Bay student, is spearheading with three friends (also CSUMB students) through her Not a Pretty Girl Project! I greatly enjoyed speaking with Selena and her team. I learned a lot about them and this project and I hope their passion is translated well in my article.

My friend from high school, Sam Albert, was the reason I found out about this project. A special thanks to her for inspiring me to learn more about the NAPGP and for contributing her thoughts to this article! Her poem "Conditional Beauty," was the first film submission the NAPGP received.

You can read my USA Today College story on the Not a Pretty Girl Project here.

Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling: hello junior year

Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky.

Did I just use this beloved Aladdin tune to begin my first day of junior year post? You bet I did.

As mentioned in my previous post, my 'whole new world' began at 5:45 a.m. yesterday. I had set alarms at 6:15, 6:30, and 6:45 in the morning because I was afraid of being later for my 8 a.m. class, especially after three months of a summer sleeping schedule and two years of starting school at 9:30. Surprisingly, I woke up to silence - not a roaring alarm. I hoped that it was around 6:15, but I knew it was too good to be true. My room was still too dark; there was no way it was passed 6 yet. Sure enough, I checked my phone to confirm what I had already known. 

I'm not complaining because I would have rather woken up earlier than later (punctuality is so important and being late stresses me out). So thank you body clock for knowing it was my first day of junior year.

After staring at my ceiling for a good 5-10 minutes, I decided to go into the kitchen and make a cup of coffee, knowing that a long day was ahead of me. As I sipped on my beloved blue mug from Target, I checked my e-mail and came across exciting news: I was officially offered a fall 2014 internship at InternQueen.com! (Read all about my new internship here.)

Suddenly, being awake so early with the knowledge that I wouldn't be done with class until 6:45 p.m. wasn't so bad anymore. I quickly texted a few friends who I had talked to about my application and interviewing process, shared the exciting news with my roommates, and sent a text to my parents - who are the best, by the way. Having parents who support your dreams and believe in you? That is precious and I never take it for granted.

My roommate, Charlene, and I left home at 7:15 to avoid parking trouble and head to school for our 8 a.m. classes -- not without taking a solo first day of school picture. Here's my first one in years!

I'm not going to discuss each class individually yet because I'm still in the process of seeing what my official schedule for this school year will be, but they were all pretty neat and I just know that I am going to learn a lot. During my college career thus far, I've been pretty blessed in terms of having good teachers. Based on yesterday, I'm confident the streak will continue.

I know balancing all my classes, my InternQueen.com internship, the Daily 49er, PCN Board, and other activities will be a challenge. Despite that, I believe I have the potential to thrive during this semester and come out of it as an even more focused and knowledgeable person.

Yesterday marked the beginning of my junior year and the start of my last two years of undergrad. Isn't that crazy?

Here's to making the most of the whole new world that awaits me.

InternQueen.com, here I come!

Yesterday marked the beginning of my junior year, but it wasn't a typical first day of school. 

I started my day (at 5:45 a.m., but more on that later) by learning I was officially offered a fall 2014 intern position at InternQueen.com! After three interviews throughout the month of August, the last of which was with the Intern Queen herself, I am extremely excited and grateful to be offered what I know will be a valuable learning experience. 

It has been almost two years since I first came across InternQueen.com, which occurred while I was browsing the Internet for cover letter and resume advice. That's an interesting coincidence because I was seeking this information for my first USA Today Collegiate Correspondent Program application.

Over the course of my first two years of undergrad, I have read numerous blog posts and articles on InternQueen.com -- all of which are insightful life tips. I've always been pretty hardworking and ambitious - at the very least, I try and give my best - and since I started college I've been dedicated to doing what I can to move along the path of achieving my dreams. I still remember walking into the Daily 49er newsroom after my first college class ever and asking how I could get involved with the student newspaper.

It took a semester or two to adjust to being out of high school and to fully realize that I am in charge of the rest of my life from now on, a fact that's both frightening and exhilarating, though mostly the latter. Sophomore year is when I absorbed a career-driven mentality. I started looking at my classes as career workshops because that's what they essentially are, especially in my fields, where almost everything we do - articles, interviews, podcasts, videos, blogs, public relations campaigns, marketing plans, press releases, etc. - in class is hands on practice.

I have become familiar with the USA Today College and InternQueen.com, attended campus job fairs to simply converse with job recruiters, connected with some professors, and read any relevant publications I came across. I've also read internship descriptions and postings so I can possess a better understanding on what opportunities are out there and what skills recruiters are looking for in their interns.

Long story short, I like to think I'm committed to equipping myself with the knowledge and guidance I need to achieve my goals in life. 

In light of this, I'm excited to learn new lessons by interning for InternQueen.com! While the internship involves an array of different skills, most of my tasks will be related to public relations, marketing, and communications. This is very exciting because most of my work so far has been focused on news writing and online media. It's time for a new adventure.

I'm very eager to begin training for this Internship this week and to officially start working as an InternQueen.com intern next week!

Thank you again, Lauren Berger and InternQueen staff for presenting me with this opportunity.

Moonshine Jungle Tour 2014: Bruno Mars concert recap

Bruno Mars singing Just the Way You Are.

Last Friday, I attended a Bruno Mars concert that absolutely blew my mind. The stage and sound effects were spectacular and booming - literally. For the first time, I truly realized just how talented Bruno Mars is - and at many things. I enjoyed watching his show with my parents and my second mom, my Auntie Kerole.

Walking into the SAP Center was nostalgic for me because the last time I had watched a concert at this particular venue, it was still called the HP Pavilion and I was watching the Glee Live Tour 2011 at the end of my junior year -- how's that for a memory? It's also the place I watched my first concert ever - Avril Lavigne when I was seven-years-old - and the venue I had seen so many Disney on Ice shows with my cousins as a child.

I navigated through swarms of people to find the merchandise line while my parents waited outside for my aunt. It's become a tradition for me to buy a tour shirt (with dates and/or locations and the name of the tour) at every concert I attend (though I didn't get a shirt at the Pentatonix show I attended in January 2013 - sigh). I wasn't a huge fan of the tour shirts in general (merchandise director, what prompted you to select the pictures, fonts, and colors you used?) but I ended up buying what I thought was the best option.

Tour merchandise.

After buying shirts for my parents and me, I walked into the venue section where they were now waiting. Our seats were high up in the balcony, but I didn't care - hearing Bruno would be enough for me, and after all, that's what the screens are for, right?

The show started with Nico and Vinz, whose music can be described as a diverse mixture of reggae and pop, with a bit of soul. Nico and Vinz, a duo from Norway, had an energetic opening set and got the crowd clapping and dancing . Their song "Am I Wrong,"  now an international hit, was the last song they performed -- and it was great. My parents (and my auntie, but she's my second mom anyway so she can fall under "parents") enjoyed them.

It took about 45 minutes of set up before Bruno finally appeared on stage and my relatives and I were beginning to get restless. You better be worth it, we said.

And let me tell you - Bruno was definitely worth it.

Everyone was screaming during the 45-minute interval between the opening act and Bruno's set.

The man knows how to put on a show; how to entertain - and more than just that, interact with - a crowd. Now I'm not saying I'm surprised, since I know he's been performing in front of audiences since he was a child known as Little Elvis, but it's one thing to know someone is talented and a completely different (and amazing) thing to witness that talent right in front of your eyes.

Bruno opened his set with Moonshine - an appropriate first song given that the title of his tour is Moonshine Jungle - and his set featured songs as old as Billionaire and Nothin' on You (my mom's ringtone for the last five years or so), as classic as Marry You and Grenade, and as recent as Treasure and Locked out of Heaven.

When Bruno performed When I Was Your Man, the arena was completely dark, except for a single spotlight and the hundreds of flickering phone lights - it was beautiful and I wish I had captured that moment with a picture.

For most of the show, it sounded as if the entire arena was singing and dancing along.

Bruno Mars and The Hooligans

One of the best parts was watching Bruno dance - the man can definitely sing (as well as beatbox and play the piano, guitar, drums, and harmonica), but boy can he DANCE. Again, I wasn't shocked because I've seen him perform at award shows, competition results shows, and most recently at this year's Superbowl halftime show on big screen TVs, but seeing him dance live - wow.

Bruno Mars definitely feels the rhythm of his music in his soul and he channels that in his dancing so effortlessly. He's smooth and just so happy when he dances and that definitely has an affect on his audience. The smile on his face as he sings his heart out while sliding and gliding along the stage is contagious. Bruno's supporting band and dancers, The Hooligans, were also great and I loved seeing them together.

His final song before his encore of Locked Out of Heaven and Gorilla was Just the Way You are. Definitely a Bruno classic and a great way to start show's finale.

Just the Way You Are - love that smile!

Sing it, Bruno.

A concert isn't over until the confetti drops.

The final moment of the show.

Bruno Mars is a true artist and I loved seeing him sing, dance, and play a variety of instruments at this concert. Hopefully I'll see him again in the future.

Thanks for a great show, Bruno Mars!

Back at the Beach: ready for round three

After three months in the Bay Area, I am back in Long Beach. 

Preparing to go back to school and move back into my apartment over the weekend are the main reasons I have been unable to update my blog. I was also busy these last two days, but I finally have some time today. *Cheers.*

As always, it's a bittersweet feeling to be away from home with the knowledge that I mostly likely won't return until Thanksgiving. Maybe it gets a little less difficult as the years go by and I grow older, but it's always hard right before school starts.

How can it not be, when my identity is so closely tied to my family - all of whom are in Northern California except for a few relatives in Long Beach and my family in the Philippines? Much of my free time this summer was spent going out and about with my parents, relaxing with my brother, taking my grandmother to the bank and grocery shopping together, and constantly being with my cousins, whether it was at a family party, a concert, at the mall, or simply at someone's house.

I was born and raised in the Bay Area and this place will always be home to me. And although I am saddened every time I leave, I have enjoyed making another home in Southern California. I've grown in many ways since moving out and I am eager to continue this self-development alongside my friends and colleagues who are simultaneously traveling their own paths to their life goals. One of my favorite parts about growing up is seeing the inspiring endeavors they are taking as I take my own. Passion fuels passion.

This will undoubtedly be another great year of growing as a student journalist and aspiring media professional as well as a student learning about the world of mass media, communications, public relations, and marketing. I am excited for another semester as an assistant editor on the Daily 49er staff and a new venture as one of PCN Board 2014-15's two marketing chairs. I'm also crossing my fingers because I've applied to various internships and am waiting to hear back for final decisions.

Opportunities for learning are always available and I try my best to take on all that I can handle - while I believe in working hard and am adept at multitasking, it's important to know your limits.

In addition to all my school and career related undertakings, I am also excited to continuously explore Southern California. If I'm being honest, I haven't crossed off many notes on my bucket list. I'm looking forward to doing more this year.

On Monday, I reunited with my dear friend Chantal, who took me to Banzai Bowls in Huntington Beach. I ordered a regular Maui Sunrise, which was topped with strawberries, blueberries, and bananas. I love yogurt and fruits so it's not a surprise that I thought this treat was delicious.

Maui Sunrise at Banzai Bowls (Huntington Beach, Calif.)

The one thing I have to say is that the sizes are quite large, in my opinion, and I thought my regular sized order was enough for two people. So if you're not that hungry (and I was!), consider sharing.

It was a great start to my third year in SoCal.

Here's to more adventures, here's to learning and growing, and here's to life.   

Three months of premier journalism: my time as a USA Today College summer correspondent

August 15 marks the official end of my time as a USA Today College summer correspondent. Here are my (many) thoughts.

Fall down four times, get up five: how I got into the program

Flashback to a little more than a year and a half ago, when I was in the middle of my first semester of college: My good friend Gagan had linked me to the USA Today College correspondent program application because she had learned about it at school and thought of me.

The USA Today CCP is a three-month virtual program where correspondents research, pitch and write weekly stories while constantly communicating with the USA Today College team and editors. Being the ambitious student and big dreamer I am (or at least try to be), I went for it. For the first time in my life, I wrote a cover letter - which took me a day to get perfect - and spent hours working on a resume. I sent three of my favorite articles from my beloved Crown & Shield days, grateful for two years of high school newspaper experience.

I made it passed the application process’ first round and was honestly overjoyed because 1) this is a program affiliated with one of the leading national publications and 2) at the time, I was just a freshman with little professional experience still in the middle of Journalism 110.

I didn’t make it into the third round, and looking back now, I know I wasn’t ready at the time. I’m not going to say it didn’t disappoint me, because it definitely did launch me into a period of self-doubt. Maybe I’m not meant to be a journalist after all, I thought. But it wasn’t enough to stop me applying four more times after that. Yes, four.

Spring 2014 was an incredibly busy semester because of the classes I took, my unprecedented involvement with the Daily 49er, and my participation in PAC, my school’s Pilipino American Coalition. Although free time became very limited and at times I felt I was stretching myself thin, I dedicated myself to these endeavors because they were all important to me.

Somehow, in the middle of producing articles, videos, and podcasts for three journalism electives and completing assignments for two other classes, working in the newsroom, and having six hour rigorous dance practices after class for PAC, I made time to apply for the summer term of the USATCCP. I didn’t let myself get too excited when I made it passed the first round again, but I was overcome with happiness and pride when I found out I made it into the final round.

The third round - a phone interview with the USA Today College editorial board - took place at 9:00 a.m. on a Tuesday. I was terrified my responses were inevitably going to be flawed because I had gotten home from dance practice around 2:30 a.m. and I had to work on school assignments until 4:00 a.m. Despite this, I pulled myself together and answered the questions to the best of my ability, although I wasn’t sure whether I should be confident after the interview was over.

Here comes truth day: how I found out I was a finalist

April 28, the day of summer 2014 correspondent announcements, came both quickly and slowly. I had been checking my email every 20-30 minutes, eager to hear back from the USATC. Soon enough, it became 3:00 p.m. here (and 6:00 p.m. where they’re based) and I became discouraged - I still hadn’t heard back and it was already late in the day. Surely I hadn’t made it. 

And then I received an email from Patrick, which said we should have already gotten a response. Puzzled and a bit embarrassed because I thought I probably hadn’t been selected, I sent him an email explaining I wasn’t sure of my correspondent status. Patrick then forwarded me this:

The life-changing email.

I was working on a story in the newsroom and immediately did a happy dance in my chair. A few tears may have been shed. Go ahead and call me overdramatic, but it was a very emotional moment for me: after years of trying to get into one of the best programs for a field I was increasingly learning about, gaining experience in, and falling in love with, I had finally made it.

Just accepted my invitation to be a correspondent for @USATODAYcollege this summer! I am beyond excited for this invaluable opportunity :) — Justine Paige (@_justinepaige) April 29, 2014

After I let myself celebrate by myself for a few minutes, I finished my story and left the newsroom, excited to call my parents, who were just as happy, if not more joyful, as me. I texted my closest friends who had known how far I made it into the process this time — I am so grateful for their genuine love and support. I then headed to dance practice, where I miraculously didn’t feel any physical tiredness or muscle soreness for the first time. It was one of the best days.

Walking the walk: how the program went for me

The last three months have been challenging in the best ways and I am so appreciative of this learning opportunity the USA Today College editorial board has provided me with.

My experiences with the Daily 49er definitely laid a great foundation for me to be successful into this program. Going from a contributing writer to staff writer to assistant editor last semester and specifically serving as the Daily 49er’s ASI (student government) beat reporter taught me a lot about writing, editing, interviewing, researching, networking, attending meetings, etc. constantly and by deadline.

Although there are many similar lessons I learned from writing for both publications, there were clear differences in style, audience, and topic range, which I tried my best to quickly adapt to.

I still vividly remember how disappointed in myself I was when my first story went unpublished, although McKenna, my incredible editor, said it wasn’t uncommon for that to happen to first stories. It had holes despite my constant reporting and the hard work I put into writing and editing it. Self-doubt clouded my mind again. Great Justine, I mocked myself. You managed to get into the program and you can’t even publish your first story.

But I continued to push and published my first story a week later. Reading my stories among the countless other great articles on the USA Today College is surreal, especially since it has been a dream for almost two years. It's also incredibly humbling to see people reading and sharing my articles, whether it's on Facebook or Twitter.

Over the course of the last twelve weeks, I have networked with many hardworking media professionals and student journalists who share my passion; have interviewed university officials, project starters, researchers, leaders of organizations and agencies, professors, and countless students from all over the country, who deserve to have a place to share their voices.

I have received individualized feedback from USA Today editors and have witnessed improvement in my reporting and writing. I have become increasingly better at phone interviews. I am also better at maintaining a professional tone when sending emails and communicating via social media, especially with my editors, since I don’t physically see them.

Additionally, I’ve truly learned the definitions of time management and dedication. While it’s nice to not have to relocate and work from home, it takes commitment to set your own hours aside and to make your desk at home your ‘office.’ I think anyone can sit in a work office for a set number of hours and perform assigned tasks when a boss is nearby, but it takes a different kind of self-discipline to truly be in charge of your time and to get your work completed by all your deadlines. 

 It wasn’t always easy and there were a few times I waited too long to send an email or to make a phone call, but I’ve definitely learned a thing or two about efficient and professional communication.

Learning by doing is a big part of being a journalism student and I’m so appreciative of all I’ve learned with the USA Today College.

Moving forward: where will I go from here?

Although my time as a summer correspondent is over today, I plan on continuing to contribute to this great platform. In fact, I am currently in the process of interviewing several people for an interesting story I aim to have published by the end of this month. It doesn’t stop here - it doesn’t ever stop - and I will gladly contribute to the USATC for as long as I can.

I will take everything I’ve learned when I come back to the Daily 49er this school year and in all future endeavors, whether it’s another writing opportunity or simply a virtual internship for another field.

Thank you USA Today College Correspondent Program for all the important lessons - both in writing and in life - that you’ve taught me and for most importantly the true significance of believing in myself and what I do.

I'd also like to express my gratitude to all my family, friends, and colleagues who have been incredibly supportive as well - your genuine faith in me means a lot. 

To read all my USA Today College stories, check out my author list here.  

Thriftin' Thursday: discounts on discounts

After dropping my brother off at school for his freshman orientation (*cries remembering that my baby brother is not a baby anymore*), I went to various stores to buy items I need (or know I'll need) for school and my apartment.

Once my two hours of running errands were over, I made sure to go to my favorite thrift store ever because they were having a summer sale for club card members! I almost never shop during the school year (pretty much once or twice, maybe three times) because I'm just so busy and preoccupied with other things. And because hello, I'm a college student doing work that doesn't pay money (but in teaching important lessons and strengthening skills!) with a decent amount of clothing thanks to my shopping secrets.

Whenever I'm home I make it a point to go to Savers a few times a month because I usually find at least three things I want to buy at such awesome prices, from shoes to clothing to books. Goodwill is a pretty nice place to shop at as well, but I personally find more for less at Savers. I'm not really big on Crossroads, Plato's Closet, or Buffalo Exchange either - not that they're bad stores or that I'm insulting people that frequent those stores, but hey, different shoppers have different needs, right?

Savers satisfies mine.

I'm a huge penny saver 95% of the time. The other 5% of the time, I will give in and indulge on something more pricy on the Justine scale of 'a deal' to 'super expensive, don't buy this.' My mom likes to joke that I'm cheap, but I was raised to be appreciative of what I have, I grew up learning how to be resourceful and smart when it comes to money, and once I started shopping on my own in high school I mastered the art of sales-shopping (as well as clearance shopping, thrift shopping, discount store shopping, etc.)

Today's finds - all for $13!

Today's shopping experience was great because there weren't as many people as usual at the time I came and I bought four things for only $13! The sundress and Forever 21 top (red because I need more solid red in my wardrobe) were only $3.50 and $2.50 respectively because of the summer sale. I love wearing dresses and loose shirts, especially when in SoCal. Dresses are so effortless and comfortable to wear.

I've been meaning to buy more activewear and the Addidas shorts will come in handy when I start dancing Tinikling again in a few weeks. Last but not least, my favorite purchase of today - a new brown over-the-shoulder bag, which cost $7 (and with no scratches or marks)! I can finally replace the one I've used for the last six years, a bag I bought for $5 at a church rummage sale. I'm loving the new bag, and it's a bit bigger than the one I've been using too.

South Bay shoppers, I definitely recommend thrifting at Savers and signing up for a club card because you'll get discounts on discounts! Also, take note: I only frequent the Milpitas location, not the ones in San Jose so I can't speak for other locations. 

Thank you Savers Milpitas for another successful trip. Here's to the thrifters and sale shoppers. Retail therapy doesn't need to be expensive.

Closure in the form of writing: college students reflecting on Robin Williams' life lessons

My last USA TODAY College article as summer correspondent is a memorial piece on Robin Williams.

Many college-aged students, including myself, grew up watching and learning from many of Williams' films. As expressed in a previous blog post, he and his movies meant a lot to me and I am deeply saddened by his death. 

Because of this, the process of working on this article was bittersweet.

On one hand, it was incredibly saddening because in some sense, writing about his death just made it much more real for me, although the news hasn't completely sunk in yet. I personally comprehend and feel things much more strongly when I write about them, and this was no exception.

But even though it was difficult in that sense, I found the process to be quite therapeutic. 

I listened to some of my peers explain in detail why Robin Williams is so important to them and why they believe he'll be missed by our generation. They shared stories about what his films mean to them and provided me with some of their insights on depression and mental illness. 

Listening to their stories and fusing them into this memorial piece was a great pleasure for me. Helping others share their stories is one of my favorite parts of journalism. 

Writing this gave me a bit of closure and I hope others who read this will be able to smile at the celebration of the lessons he taught millions of people around the world. 

Let us continue to remember Williams for all he taught us while respectfully remembering that suicide and depression are serious and should be talked about.

You can read my Robin Williams memorial piece here. 

You can read the rest of my USA Today College articles at my author link here.

Tune out to tune in: reflections on my family's annual camping trip

In 1999, my dad suggested an event that would remain an important family tradition more than a decade later: camping. 

Since then, my entire family - my mom's side, some of my dad's side, cousins of my cousins, our family friends - has gone camping for at least three days every summer. We skipped 2008 and 2013 for monetary and reservation issues, but have gone on 13 trips thus far. It's something my cousins and I yearned for every single year when we were growing up, yet the excitement that comes with it still hasn't gone away. Even though I'm 20 now.

Pinoy Campers (yes, the adults gave us that name many years ago) 2014 in this year's color: red!

I came back from my annual family camping trip - five days and four nights this year - on Sunday afternoon, a few shades darker with the skin on my face peeling off because of the sun. No complaints though. As per usual, this trip consisted of nothing but family bonding (telling stories, fighting over the technicalities of Scattegories rules, playing Guesstures, etc.), driving and riding jet-skis while occasionally falling into the water, swimming in the lake (which was 33% lower than usual because of the California drought, something that really saddened me - I will go into detail in a later post), making s'mores, roasting hot dogs and sausages, and being surrounded by nature. 

However, this particular trip stood out to me for several reasons.

First of all, it was noticeably warmer than usual. I wore a jacket only once during the five-day stay, which has never happened because it always gets extremely cold at night and during the morning. This was partly due to the water level dropping about 30 feet. The effects of the drought were clear throughout the campgrounds -- heck, one smaller lake was completely dry. Later on I'll post current pictures alongside some pictures from the past for comparison. It was quite saddening.

As I previously mentioned, we did not go camping in 2013, so this year's trip was my first one since starting college. I don't mean to be overdramatic, but so much in my life has changed in the last two years of my life; my first two years of undergrad. It's the truth. Camping gives me some time to just think about life and discuss it with my cousins who are the same age (I was blessed with a handful) and I couldn't help but think about how much we've all grown since 2012. 

But forget the changes that have occurred to me, I was partly fixated on how much my little brother and 'baby' cousins have grown since our last trip. Two summers ago, they were all pre-pubescent middle school students with higher-pitched voices, standing below my shoulders. Now they look down at me, or if I'm lucky, at the same level as me. The speak with deep voices about their school drama and various relationships. Where has the time gone? Who's to know what will be different after my brother finishes his freshman year? Or after I finish my third year of college? 

Lots of thoughts and observations taking place in my mind, especially since this was essentially my last big event of the summer. Can't imagine spending the last few days before school starts again in a better way. 

My phone was dead for most of our stay at the lake and I barely charged it by choice. It's always nice to tune out of everything else - including social media and all technological platforms - for a few days every year so I can tune into what matters most to me: my family. Constantly being with each other is never really a problem or annoyance. 

I'm grateful my parents and my aunties and uncles raised my cousins and me to be appreciative of nature and to always remember we are grounded in our family. I will always look forward to this trip and I hope it continues for decades to come. 

I love my parents and my brother very much.

My cousins and I with our nephew, Nathan. It was his first time camping with us and he loved it!

A beautiful sunset by the lake. You can see our family's four jet-skis at the shore. Another fun year.

O captain, my captain

may your soul rest in peace. I hope you’re continuing to make other souls laugh wherever you are.

 -

I am deeply saddened by Robin Williams’ passing because I grew up watching, loving, and learning from his films. From Aladdin to Mrs. Doubtfire to Flubber to Good Will Hunting to Dead Poets Society, one of my favorite films of all time.

Dead Poets Society is so dear to me and I remember crying and falling in love with it the first time I watched it. How can you not? It’s an excellent coming-of-age movie with dialogue that is sure to cut through your soul and really make you think. It gets to me because it gets me. Moves me. Inspires me. Challenges me.

We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.

All my life, words have given me a feeling of fulfillment - regardless of whether I'm reading them or writing them. Language. Communication. Discovering new ideas, people, places, and things. These are the things I've always loved and hope to center my career around. I strive to be enthusiastic about everything life has to offer. I don’t know where I’d be without my passion, without my dreams, without my intense desire to do everything I can in life to fulfill these dreams.

 But that wasn't always the case.

 I was in deep love with writing by the time I watched this film but at the time I believed that this silly hobby would not provide me with a successful life. I wanted to be respected, which translated into eventually becoming a doctor or scientist, a businessman, an engineer, or a tech person - at least in my young adolescent mind. Even a few years after I saw Dead Poets Society, I still thought I would go on a more conventional route. The devil on my shoulder was my own Mr. Kerry, telling Neil on my right shoulder to quit acting (writing, in my case.)

 I'm not going to say that this movie was the sole reason I decided to pursue my passions and travel the road "less traveled by," as Professor Keating would say. But it was one of the first resources that caused me to really think about what I wanted out of life. The Huffington Post published a great article on how Dead Poets Society has affected and inspired a generation - my generation. I agree wholeheartedly.

Dead Poets Society helps me remember that while I fully respect all other occupations and career destinations, my own path is truly the one for me. It'll have some bumps and change every now and then, but it's mine.

No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world. Several years ago, I wrote down a bunch of quotes from Dead Poets Society onto my various notebooks and scraps of paper, as well as transferring quotations onto pastel colored paper to post onto my bedroom walls. I surrounded these handmade posters with some work I was proud of - some poems I wrote as a child, fictional stories, and articles from the high school paper. Seeing these words on my wall never failed to make me smile or feel inspired.

One of my Dead Poets Society quotation posters became the center of my 'journalism wall.'

Some of the other quotation posters I made -- another Dead Poets Society one can be found at the bottom right.

I'm reminded to never forget the importance and beauty of words; to never forget how powerful they are when chosen wisely. One of my biggest desires coming into the world of journalism and mass communications is to affect people with my words in whatever way, shape, or form. Williams reminds me in this film that I have the power to do just that.

Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.

Let's be honest, how many times have you seen someone from my generation quoting carpe diem? More times than I can count - and if I could count, more than I can remember. If that doesn't testify how moving this film is to thousands, if not millions, of people, I don't know what will.

It saddens me to know that someone who devoted his time and energy to providing others joy and happiness could not do so enough for himself. Please respectfully remember that depression is real mental illness and can affect single person. Reach out to each other, truly hear each other out, seek to understand. Many of Williams' roles were mentors, listeners, and advisors -- let us aspire to be that for each other every single day. And above all, love.

Thank you Robin Williams for the endless laughter, important lessons, and deep thoughts inspired by you.

A new easy way for California residents to lose $500: waste water.

It is now a crime to waste water in the state of California.

Drought conditions have worsened to the point where water wasters will be charged fines up to $500 per day. These water regulations, effective as of today, apply to pretty much everybody - individuals, businesses, public agencies, and schools.

What are some California universities and students doing in response? What do some experts on water sustainability say?

Find out and learn more by reading my latest USA Today College story.

You can read the rest of my USA Today College articles at my author link here.