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hayesit · 5 years ago

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matt’s 2019 year in review

here it is! and it’s late because i had other/better things to do (and procrastinating), was recovering from hangovers (also procrastinating), and recovering from being sick (procrastinating).

i’ve been doing these year in review posts since 2016, so here is my fourth installment. every year i look back through my google calendar, my camera roll, and my bullet journal as a gratitude exercise and to chart my own development as an adult.

here is my spotify wrapped 2019!

the beginning of this year was off to a good start: i met two friends that i know through the internet! i met my friend riley when she visited boston (i met her through a mutual friend and through overwatch league twitter) and my friend jimmy that i’ve known for…. 6 or 7 years (?!) through tumblr and designed the logo for me and alex’s late podcast, hardly tea, may she rest in peace.

i moved dorm rooms in between the fall and spring semester, and once again i was not happy with where i lived. i lived with 4 rando’s that i was placed with and the 5 of us barely even talked with each other. my direct roommate i saw for only two weeks, and for the nights he slept over in the bed (that he was paying room and board for) and had the worst snoring humanly possible that not even earplugs could kill (video below). i hardly slept while he was there and roamed the halls of riverview suites like a ghost due to the anxiety i felt about my lack of sleep (we love a vicious circle)! he disappeared after those two weeks without notice and i lived in fear of him returning for the rest of the semester (which he didn’t), but returned to my normal sleep schedule.

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that semester was my first semester of full-time grad school. i got a poor grade on an assignment that had a note from the professor that said she knew i could do better and it hit me how much different grad school is from undergrad and how much more effort and dedication it requires. after crying in my professor’s office, my work ethic has improved since then, but it’s not anywhere near where i’d like it to be (more on that later).

now to more positive things for the spring semester: i met some friends that semester both ~on and offline~ that made the semester far more bearable AND i did however truly pop off in every last one of my powerpoint presentations for class. i looooove making powerpoints and just fuckin telling jokes about my research topic and have ppl tell me that they are looking forward to my presentation & that i should teach college classes :)!

me and 4 friends had a social group in which we’d drink and play board games and forget about the board game and drunkenly talk shit called cabam after all our first initials! i always looked forward to that and dug the group chemistry a lot.

during this semester i grew a “ beard “, otherwise known as i chose not to shave just to “ see what would happen “ (praythatitfilledin). sorry about that!

the overwatch league was something that i had to look forward to watch every week and i had my experience enhanced through sideshow and avast’s unofficial companion streams, which guaranteed lots of laughs. i have bought tickets to two boston home games in 2020 which i am very excited about! analysts have predicted boston to be in 20th place this year (there are 20 teams) but i’m still excited for the 2020 season anyway!!

i can’t have a year-in-review of 2019 without mentioning game of thrones. due to the show’s final season being undeniably weak, i enjoyed the camaraderie with the other people that watched thrones during those six weeks. i haven’t thought about the show or its universe for quite a while, unfortunately. i truly was quite into the world of westeros, but the weakness of the end of the story cheapened the journey of each of the characters, in a way. such a shame.

while i got my diploma in december 2018, i walked across the stage of umass lowell’s tsongas arena with my bachelor of arts in psychology (and minor in theatre arts). it wasn’t as emotional or triumphant of an experience and just felt weird, considering i had already gotten my diploma and was going to remain in the clutches of rowdy the riverhawk as i am staying for my masters degree in applied behavior analysis/autism studies. i brought a ceramic monkey to graduation. it didn’t have any symbolism, but i just wanted to see if they’d stop me (which they didn’t)

this summer was better than most summers of mine go, i hung out with alex nearly every weekend, got my very first iphone, and got a data plan. the combination of these three things got me back into playing pokemon go, an unexpectedly fun pastime! went on lots of walks!

my favorite day of summer was going to a lake with alex and our friend gianna, who i grew closer to after meeting her during macbeth last year. fond 2019 memories with gianna include: doing simulation patients with her, watching movies with her and alex, and the halloween party. what a great gd person and a great gd friend! big fan and eternally rooting for her.

fire emblem: three houses came out on the switch in august and is, without a doubt, my game of the year. there’s truly so much to love about the game: the world, the characters, new changes made to the series, things that were gone but returned, interesting micromanaging, and best of all, how huge my brain feels when playing it.

i got a 6-week summer job as a paraprofessional at an extended-school-year program for children with developmental disabilities at a preschool in haverhill which taught me a lot of lessons, such as: i hate cleaning shit off of children.

then i had feelings that didn’t make much sense for about a month! whoops!

my full-time job i currently have is working at my old high school as a behavior specialist. i provide consultation and work on programs to lead to more appropriate behavior in students, primarily ones with developmental disabilities. so far it’s been fairly rewarding, some days are more challenging than others, some days are a lot of sitting in meetings, and some days are a lot of running around. some days there is not much to do at all, which has its obvious upsides and downsides. working at the high school isn’t something that i want to do forever, but it’s a good place to start with. i’m definitely learning a lot and there are a lot of benefits to working here. sometimes i can work on my grad school work (which is all online until the 2020 summer semester) which is definitely huge. and my commute is either a 15 minute walk or 3 minutes if my mom drives me!

a ~complex~ thing about working in my hometown is that it makes the most financial sense to live at home because it’s so close to work. this is my first time living at home full-time since high school and i’m not enjoying that part too much. most weekends i visit alex in lowell, but being stuck at home with no car (going to retake the license test in the spring when the ice melts!) and having to go to bed so early definitely hurts. sure, i have what is likely the lowest amount of expenses i’ll ever have in my life (no car-related payments, no rent, no groceries), but i feel landlocked. i feel like a teenager with minimal freedom, which is in part because my mom doesn’t quite understand yet that i’m a 22 year-old that should have a lot more freedom than i do now. the most i really do on weekdays after work gets out (2:30p) is go to savers with my mom if it’s tuesday (senior citizen day), maybe go for a walk if it’s nice out (which for most of the school year, it isn’t), or be on the computer watching bon appetit videos and playing overwatch, fire emblem, or pokemon, eat a bland dinner at 6, go to bed at around 9:30. sad! truly not a situation that i want to be trapped in that much that much longer!

i think the best and most important part of this year was becoming closer with alex. as i mentioned before, we see each other most weekends, to our great benefit. our living situations have flip-flopped, with me living at home and alex living in an apartment near campus, which in both similar and different ways have taken their respective tolls on us. having each other while going through changes and stagnations in our lives has been immeasurably important. thank you alex for providing a place to be myself other than my own head. thank you for being my best friend.

now i come to the thing that i’m most excited about for 2020. not 2 suck my own horn but i have cobbled together a fuckin dream team of five friends (me, alex, chris, kelly, and molly). the two times we have all gotten together it has been so satisfying in such a wonderful and otherworldly way that i am filled to the brim of happiness being around them. the craziest thing is that i met chris and kelly through twitter! TWITTER. and they’re real-ass people and my real-ass friends! i haven’t been so pleased with something in my life like this for so long and it feels so good to have adult friends that i have chosen rather than friends by circumstance. it’s truly a crime that we can’t see each other more often, but we already have a day picked out for the next time we all do something together. feeling emotional writing this paragraph bc i love me gd friends so much!

there is a lot of uncertainty about this new year for me. i sure as fuck don’t want to live at home more than i have to but don’t know where to go, my practicum class starts for me this summer which means i’ll most likely have to change jobs (fine by me, but will be exhausting), i recently began my search for therapists and hope to find one soon to help me ~unpack things~, my thesis begins in the fall semester and i don’t know what to do for it, and i’m not 100% dead-set on working in special education. it’s been hard transitioning from living on campus and going to school full-time to the life i have now.

#year in review #personal

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muva--milaje-blog · 6 years ago

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librarian.

t'challa x black!reader (college au)

an: this was requested by @xclusvnani. thank you so much for requesting this. had a lot of fun writing this.

reader takes a trip to the library everyday just to see the handsome librarian t’challa.

warnings: fluff, sexual mentions, mentions death

"Y/N, you need a break, baby." Your mother, on the other end of this telephone conversation, pleads with you. Her naturally worrisome spirit coupled with her missing you and needing her only child around her is the basis for her call. Life just had not been the same for your mother since the death of your grandparents. "I am so proud of you. And, I know that you are taking those classes this summer so that you can graduate a semester early but I think you should come home. Even if it is for a weekend."

This is not, and will not, be the last time you hear your mother pleading for you to come home. The drive home from the college campus is approximately three hours. Not too long of a drive. However, you are on a mission to graduate from undergrad as soon as possible and get your Bachelor's degree. You welcome the calls from your mother daily. You miss her just as much as she misses you. You two have an extremely close relationship because it has always been just the two of you (and your grandparents). The ass that is supposedly your father skipped out before you were born. Your mother raised you as best as she could in that small ass two bedroom apartment in your hometown. As small as the apartment is, it is home. She worked a couple of jobs just to help you get to where you are now. The first couple of semesters, your tuition was paid for in full due to your mother's dedicated work ethic. It is only right that you work just as hard in your college classes.

"Mommy, I know...thank you, but I know." You assure her. Most of the time, you wish you were somewhere else. Rather than living on campus during the boring Summer semester and taking three classes, you'd rather be somewhere tropical, festive, and surrounded by your girls. Hell, at this point, you would take your childhood bedroom as a vacation spot. "Classes are almost over in July, then I'll be home. Just me and you, the couch, and our favorite movies." Your faves included almost every movie with Angela Bassett.

Your mother practically squealed and sighed in delight at the idea. She wanted to further your daily phone conversation but you told her that you had to go. You were heading to your college's library, your favorite spot at this school. You told her you loved her and hung up right before you walked in, pass the metal detectors, and straight to your regular location: the second floor. Due to the lack of students on campus for the summer, you knew that your regular spot would be available. There was a small nook on the library's second floor that included a couch, two chairs, and a coffee table. It is your hideaway from the rest of the library. You like to read, study, and write in that area. Also, it's where you can usually locate the man of your dreams as your friend Brie likes to refer to him as. As much as you do not want to admit to yourself and your friends, he is another reason you frequent the library.

You noticed him last Fall. He was following around one of the librarians, taking in information and nodding profusely. From what you could tell, he was eager to learn. Whenever he had a question or concern, he pressed his lips tightly together, quirked his eyebrows, and squinted his eyes. Whenever he learned something new, he nodded his head and smiled. It is a sexy, crooked smile. Of course, you know all of this because in between your reading, studying, and writing, you watch him. You noticed him way before he noticed you. You were sitting at your favorite spot when he breezed pass you with several books in his arms.

"Hello," He said to you. You looked upward at him from your position on the couch and nearly melted into a puddle that matched the one that was growing in between your thighs just at the sight of him. That accent, the way he said hello, you were taken aback. You were loss for words. He seemed to wait for you to say hello before he walked away.

"Hi," Your voice squeeked. You were immediately embarrassed. He did not laugh at you like you thought he would, he just smiled at you before walking away. You wanted to creep into a corner and disappear.

He would come over and say hello to you whenever he saw you. After the fifth time, he finally came over to you to say more than just a hello. But you couldn't hear him. You were listening to sweet R&B love songs of the 90s and 2000s through your earphones. Toni Braxton was making you miss a lover you never had when you felt a tap on your shoulder. It was him, Mr. Librarian, a nickname your friends dubbed him. You extracted your earphones from your ears, "Hi...?"

He smiled downward, in your direction, "Hi. I apologize for disturbing you during your studies but I wanted to ask a question,"

You thought he was going to ask you on a date. Maybe you two could have coffee together, preferably at the campus coffee shop. You are in love with their vanilla cappuccinos. However, he just wanted to know your reasoning for constantly returning to this same spot in the library. "Oh, well, I am an English major with a minor in Africana Studies. Most of the books that I need to use are in this section." You shrug. You did not let him know that his cosistent appearance in this section was another reason for your predictable return to this same nook.

"Africana Studies, eh?" He seemed pleased with your choice of study. "May I ask, why did you chose Africana Studies as an area of study?" He quirked his brows, pressed his lips together, and his eyes squinted at you. You play with the ends of your braids to calm the newfound nervousness. At this point, he sat down in one of the chairs.

You steadied your nervousness. He has an aura that commands your undivided attention. But, he gave you his undivided attention. "Why not be verse in the past, present, and future of my people? Black people, black culture, black histoty, blackness in its entirety is so rich. There is much that we know now but I'm sure there is much more that we have to learn." Any hint of nervousness you had detered. "So to answer your question, it was a necessary choice."

The smile that graced his lips did not falter. His smile was contagious. His smile, in turn, made you smile. And every time you saw him, your lips automatically curved into one. You two would have conversations about life on campus (including where are the best places to get good food), areas of study, and the library. You found out that he is a Graduate student studying International Relations. He is working in the library for financial reasons but also, he thoroughly enjoys literature. His love for literature began as a child. His mother forced him to read various literary texts to have a rich education and understanding of points of view that were similar and different than his. His father agreed that it would make him a better man and a better leader once he enters into the politics after college. When you found out his name, T'Challa Udaku, you had to know more about him.

You tried to Google search his name but nothing too juicy came up. He has a twitter where he discusses politics specifically foreign policy, soccer, threads with friends from back home, and how much he misses home. There was nothing hotepish. From what you could sumise, he does not currently have a girlfriend. He seemed to have threads with a someone named Nakia but those threads were older. Funny enough, you were able to find his sister. She seems like a jokester. You assume she probably makes fun of her brother but loves him dearly.

You dug a little deeper and asked your friend, Tiff, if she could find anything on him for you. Tiff was your roommate during your freshman year. You two have a sistership. She works in one of the university's offices. Simple enough, she had a way of looking at T'Challa's file. No it was not right but her helping you out was for research purposes. She could not provide much detail but that he is twenty eight years old, he's an International Student, and he attended school in England for his undergraduate studies. "And he is fine as hell. I see why you are stalking...I mean conducting research."

You learned so much about him during your conversations. You are thirsty and eager to learn more about him so you would find yourself in the library, looking for him. You figured out his work schedule on your own. You knew when he would clock in and out of his shifts.Your attention bounces around the second floor for him. You do not immediately go to your nook. However, he is nowhere in sight. You let out a frustrating sigh and venture over to your normal spot. As you approach, you notice him sitting in one of the chairs next to the couch. He is intently reading a novel: Chinua Achebe's A Man of the People. You recommended this book to him. There were two to-go coffee cups from the campus coffee shop on the table. The adrenaline that pumped inside you, calmed down. You cannot help but to smile at Mr. Librarian.

Your fingers tap his shoulder. He does not flinch. Instead, he looks up at you with a coolness that cannot be unmatched. "Y/N, hi."

"Hi, T'Challa. 'Got started on the novel already?" You sit down on your usual spot on the couch. You place your backpack next to you.

"I thought it was imperative. The way you described the novel, it was thrilling. I can already see such from the first couple of pages."

"Achebe was a genius," You grin. You can feel T'Challa's eyes search you. You catch a glimpse of him looking at your face, then your body, and back up to your face. You let him do so without any disturbance. At some point his stare made you nervous, now you lowkey bask in it. You crave it.

"I can already tell. Thank you for the recommendation. It is much needed to level out my course work and my position here. As a thank you, I went to the coffee shop. Vanilla cappuccino, right?"

He hands you one of the coffee cups. You take it, excitedly. Although it is summer, and it is hot, you will not deny yourself the flavor of a vanilla cappucino. You hum at the taste of the vanilla when you take a sip. "Thank you, T'Challa, you did not have to do this,"

"It is my pleasure Y/N." He pauses for a brief moment. He seems to mentally contemplate his next words. "Any way that I can bring you pleasure, I wish to do so." You sense that his words have a double entendre. He wants to bring you pleasure in the simple things like making you laugh, smile, and buying coffee for you. And, he wants to provide you a pleasure that awakens the sexual goodess within you. He wants to taste you on the tip of his tongue and make you come undone by the feel of him sliding inside of you. Your eyes meet his again, and they are lustful and hungry.

You contemplate your next move: either you pounce on this advancement or you act as if this conversation is not occurring. As many times as you have come to the library to see him and conducted as much outside research on who T'Challa is, you are not going to let this opportunity pass you by. You reach for his hand, so mighty, grand, and rich of chocolate. All you can think about is if his dick has the same description. You are sure that you will find out soon. "Is there anywhere that we can go that is private?" As much as you want to have engage in a public library fantasy, you want to be careful. You did not want T'Challa to lose his job or for your business to float around campus despite the lack of students on campus at the moment.

He takes your hand, enveloping into his. You follow him with your backpack and coffee in tow. Nearby, there is a media center room. There is a sign on the door that says: DO NOT USE. THANK YOU! You used one of these rooms before while working on a group project. It is difficult to book one of these rooms. However, Mr. Librarian has the ultimate access. He unlocked the room with a key. You slide pass him, feeling the hardness of his body against yours. You cannot help but to bite down on your lip at the feeling. He locks the door behind him. "No one is going to come in here, right?"

"This room has been unoccupied in months." He assures you, he places his coffee cup and novel down on a nearby desk. You do the same with your things. You two stare at each other, daring each other to make the first movement. "Come here." He challenges you with a confident smirk.

You shake your head, "No. Come here."

"Are you challenging me, Y/N?" He inches closer to you. You playfully shrug. He is now grinning at you. "So, you can come to the library, almost daily, to see me but you cannot come to me now? I am sure that you are tending to your studies but I have an inkling that your studies are not the only reason you are here. Admit it; you are here to see me."

T'Challa knew what you were up to, you have been caught. You could not back down from his challenge. Actually, his questioning and accusations excites you. Mr. Librarian is nasty, in the best way possible. He is now in front of you, staring into your eyes. He grabs you by your waist and firmly wraps his arm around you. His hand rests on the small of your back, right above your ass. You can smell his cologne - faint but intoxicatingly clean. His skin is perfect, chocolate and flawless. You can smell the scent of honey in his perfectly defined coils. Damn, this man is a dream.

"I come here to study, T'Challa. And, yeah, I come here to see you too." You admit.

"I knew it!" He wags his finger, feeling righteous in his suspicions about you. He did not want to come out and ask you if you only came to the library just to visit him. It would be rude of him. But he decided to take a chance. He checked out your book recommendation, bought your favorite cup of coffee, and with the spirit of Bast decided to take make his feelings known. "Can I ask another question?"

"Go ahead," You say.

"Can I kiss you?" Your heart damn near beat out of your chest. This beautiful, sexy man just asked could he kiss you? You'd never been asked before, by a man, if he could kiss you.

"Yes, please," T'Challa lifts up your chin slowly. His eyes travel down your lips. He examines your lips before pressing his against yours gently. The kiss is passionate, slow and sensual. Your tongue encaptures his, moving back and forth, making its own beautiful rhythm. He parts from you but you need to feel him again.

"One more question?"

"Wha...hm? Yes, T'Challa?"

"May I take you out on a date?" You cannot help but to grin with glee. Who knew practically stalking....conducting thorough research on this man would ultimately pay off?

#black panther fanfiction #t'challa x black!reader #t'challa x black reader #t'challa x you

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ttuckercreationsofficial · 7 years ago

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Acceptance Letter From A College Senior

By Tori Tucker Congratulations! You have been accepted into college; more than one if you’re smart enough or if you cheated on your SAT’s. If you have been accepted into two or more colleges you have your work cut out for you because you need to decide where you will potentially be living for the next four (or more) years. Firstly you should consider the proximity of your chosen school to your hometown. Unless you want Mom and Dad popping in on you unannounced every few days you should consider going somewhere that’s at least 100 miles away; unless you’re one of those weirdos that wants to go home every weekend, then by all means plan to stay close and live in your parent’s basement after you graduate. After considering proximity, you may also want to evaluate what programs you future school has to offer. If you think you know what you want to be when you finally grow up (and hopefully move out of your parent’s house) you have probably declared a major. Try to figure out what each school you’ve been accepted to has for programs that fit your needs, but also consider what cool programs they have to offer: for instance if a university has a space cowboy program, I would choose that one because let’s face it, you’re going to change your major at least twice before you graduate, so you might as well have some fun. Don’t fret about dropping a major though, because you’ll probably be able to work in your previous majors as minors. Once you have chosen a school, let’s say this one, you next have to pick a dorm and a roommate. Know anyone from high school going to the same school as you? Nice! Do NOT live with this person, because they will end up clinging onto you, following you everywhere, sniffing your hair while you sleep, and make you question if college is really worth it anyway. You will end up hating this person and yourself, and have to change dorms, transfer schools, possibly change names, and spiral into a horrible, life-altering depression. It’s not like I know this from personal experience… Just DON’T DO IT. Instead take the stupid personality survey and get assigned a roommate that you may share similar interests with, but not because the school took your survey into account, oh no, rather because you stalked their Facebook when you got your rooming assignment and browsed their interests to find at least one TV show or band that was tolerable enough to watch or listen to in the last months leading up to move in. Now that you’ve got your living arrangements squared away it’s time to pick classes. Most colleges will require you to take at least one language (unless you are literally fluent in two languages already in which case go look at your gen. ed. options and also screw you, why don’t you go to Harvard or something?). Now, some colleges have a range of languages to offer, like Russian, Mandarin, Italian, Japanese, and so on. But not here! Here we have less to offer than the average high school so get ready to choose between Spanish, French or Latin, a language that is literally useless in the modern world. The only option that’s any good is German because the professor is literally the coolest and you’ll actually learn something from her, but you can’t have a German major because apparently administration thinks that our program has such a small following that they want to remove the German language option entirely from the school even though we have the largest minor program out of all of the languages. However, keep in mind that no matter what you’re going to struggle through any foreign language class because your public school education did not prepare you with any grammar skills, so maybe consider taking an English grammar course first. Now that you are signed up for your classes you need to think about buying textbooks. You’ve heard about how the texbook sites rob people blind. But don’t worry, as a graduating senior I’ve learned some tricks and now I’m going to share them with you. The trick to keeping yourself out of textbook debt is to wait until the first day of class where your professor will give you the actual required text list which is usually considerably less than what the school bookstore will tell you, then wait two more weeks and mooch off of someone else in class that has all the books. This will bring your textbook bill down to a nice ol’ goose egg. Speaking of eggs, if you have a professor that assigns their own book and wants you to pay full textbook price, be sure to look up their address and egg their house. Finally there’s the worst part of college, the part your parents tried to prepare for before you were even born: paying tuition. There’s nothing worse than watching your bank account that’s in the five digit zone zoom down to a resounding zero, and it’ll happen. Now, unless you’re lucky enough to have parents to pay your way for you, you’re going to have to take out loans. Loans, after loans, after loans. You’ll be so far in debt by the time you graduate that even the bachelor’s degree you’ve earned in being the gangster of love won’t be able to save you now. My advice? Drop out while you’re ahead. A two year program in engineering is the best option here. As for the college experience, you were there for a semester. Stay in touch with your friends and go back for visits. They’ll love your quirky ways because they won’t have had the time to grow to hate you. So congratulations on your acceptance to college. Buckle your seatbelts kiddos, because whether you stay or go, you’ll have some wild stories to tell.

#autobiographical #comedic fiction #Keene state college #author #short fiction #tori tucker

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casualpug · 7 years ago

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Since Dad died I've been thinking a lot about my connection with him and how that affected my relationship with him. When I was a child I would go to his house every other weekend, it was nice, it was normal. At my dad's house was my stepmother, stepbrother, and half brother. I didn't like my stepmother very much, and I still don't like her at all. My stepbrother was like this thorn in my side, very loud and obnoxious, not very nice, and always making fun of me and my siblings (I have one full brother and one full sister). My half brother was my best friend. We were inseparable, we would often think about how we could always be together because we hated that we lived at two separate places. He is my age. we're literally six months apart in age, with me being older. Anyway, as I grew up, the time I'd get with him became less frequent. Soon it went from twice a month, to once a month, to every other holiday. So by the time I was 13 I saw my dad maybe 4 times a year, until it was once a year, to a phone call, to a text message and then finally to no communication at all. It was like he just vanished. I'd hear about him, my stepmother, stepbrother, and half brother going on vacation. What about me? I'd hear about them going camping. What about me? I'd hear about them doing Christmas. What about me? I was his child too and he completely forgot about me. He didn't go to my high school graduation. He didn't teach me how to drive. He didn't come by to see me go to Senior Ball or walk me to the bus stop of my first day of Kindergarten. He didn't see me off on my first day of college. There were so many things I was robbed of by him that my half brother and stepbrother got to have. But mostly my half brother. We're the same age. He got the childhood I didn't get to have with my dad. And it kills me. It makes me so fucking angry that I had to beg for my father's love and was rejected over and over by him. I had to wait for him, over and over. I HAD TO WAIT. Being the child of divorce is awful, so many children are. Sometimes it's a blessing, because you're parents are awful together. God knows my parents hated each other. But for me it felt like a never ending curse. I had to live with the fact that my father cheated on my mom, got my stepmother pregnant while my mom was pregnant with me. He wasn't there to see me be born. He wasn't there when I got bronchitis at 10 weeks old. He was with my stepmother, tending to her. And sometimes I feel like I just wasn't good enough to be important to him, that I didn't fucking matter, that I never mattered because it was about his other family. I've never seen baby pictures of me and him, no one has ever showed me them. It's all just very painful now. So very painful. Then when I was in college my sophomore year, my grandfather died and I sent my father a very angry email. I wanted him to know that I was disappointed in him. I wanted him to hurt. I wanted him to know that he let me down. And it did hurt him. He told me he always thought he was a horrible father, that he had to go to therapy for it, that he regretted not always being there for me. And that he was sorry. This felt so good to know this. God did it feel good. Then my senior year of college we meant for dinner. Reconnected and he told me in person how sorry he was. But at this point I "forgave him." But I didn't really, and I don't think I ever will. But it was good that we had this time together, I appreciated it, we connected, we bonded. And it was nice. He came to see me graduate college and get my bachelor's degree. He meant my boyfriend back in February 2017 for a birthday get together for him, he was turning 50. And overall we were coming back together again. Then he was gone. It only took him a month. I didn't think he was going to die, I thought it was just some minor thing. I had faith that he'd be fine. That he'd be out of the hospital it two weeks time. But then it just kept getting worse and worse. I'd see him four times in May, more time than I had seen him in six years. The last thing he said to me in text was that he was proud of me, the last thing he said to me in life was that he loved me. Two things that I needed most from him when I was a child given to me in the last two months of his life. And I hate him for that. I need to go see a therapist.

#personal

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saxllp · 6 years ago

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Employee Spotlight: Meet Our New Hires

Agata Majdanska

After graduating from Montclair State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting, Agata Majdanska started at Sax as an A&A Associate. She says working at Sax is like nothing she ever imagined. She appreciates that Sax provides real-life scenarios in training which she believes better equips her for the field. Overall, the things she loves most about Sax is the culture and professional development opportunities.

Agata is on path to obtain her CPA and MBA, with a long-term goal of becoming a Manager here at Sax. Outside of work, Agata likes to travel the world – not just for tourist attractions, but to meet the locals and get immersed in their culture. So far, she has visited Canada, Bahamas, Mexico, France, and Poland with the end-goal of traveling all around the world.

Anthony Sanchez

Anthony Sanchez graduated with a Bachelor`s degree in Accounting from Ramapo College. His major career goals include passing the CPA exam and continuing to grow his career at Sax by one day becoming a Senior Manager. During his short time at the firm, Anthony appreciates that everyone is always willing to lend a helping hand and pushes one another to be the best they can be. Being a part of a team that uplifts their peers is something that is important to him and makes him feel comfortable and motivated. With his first busy season coming up, he feels confident that the trainings Sax offered has fully prepared him. Outside of work, Anthony likes to stay active by playing soccer and challenges himself by participating in competitive adult soccer tournaments.

Alec Marceles

Alec Marceles, Associate at Sax, graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University where he majored in Accounting and minored in Finance. He has a long list of goals he would like to accomplish throughout his career, but currently, he is focusing on passing the CPA exam and going back to school to obtain a master’s degree. Alec had the opportunity to be a Tax Intern at Sax for two busy seasons before getting hired full time in November of 2018. After interning for two years, he knew he wanted to stay with a firm that practices the type of culture that Sax does. After a long day of work, he likes to relax by listening to music, and on the weekends he enjoys going to concerts. In 2018, he went to a total of 23 concerts and is looking to beat that number in 2019.

Brandon Pasapane

Brandon Pasapane joins Sax as an A&A Associate and attended the University of Scranton where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and his Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

So far, Brandon’s experience at Sax has been terrific. “I love the culture and the people here are great. In addition to our internal trainings, I have learned so much in my first few months by going out to visit clients and supporting others in the office. I see a lot of room to grow here, and that motivates me going into my first busy season.”

Brandon is focused on getting his CPA license, and his long-term goal is to make Partner one day. On a personal note, aside from being an avid New York Yankees fan, he is a fan of thoroughbred horse racing and one day hopes to own his own race horse.

Candace Deosingh

Candace Deosingh joins Sax as an A&A Associate and attended Rutgers University where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting in 2016. Candace explained that she so far enjoys working for Sax very much. “I love the diversity and the environment. I am thrilled by the endless possibilities of learning and am truly excited to grow professionally at Sax.” Candace’s short-term goal is to obtain her CPA license which she is currently working towards. In the long-term she aspires to learn, grow, and move up the ladder to a leader at the firm. On a personal note, Candace loves to cook and bake.

Elizabeth Giovine

Elizabeth Giovine graduated May of 2018 from Seton Hall University where she studied Accounting and Finance. She really enjoys working at Sax, and she mentions that the company has been so warm and inviting. Elizabeth learns new tax tricks and continues to grow every day. Her focus for the future is to concentrate on getting her CPA license as soon as she can so she can pursue other ventures such as climbing the ladder here at Sax. On her days off, she enjoys taking trips to the beach, going shopping, and spending time with family and friends.

Ella Valdes

Ella Valdes joins Sax as an A&A Associate and attended Caldwell University where she majored in Accounting and minored in Mathematics. Ella says she felt welcomed into the Sax family from day one. “I know I have a lot to learn as a beginner, and I know I will learn quickly with the extraordinary minds at Sax. Everyone truly acts as a team and that is what I find so very unique, inspiring and the ideal model for any workplace.” Her career goals include passing her CPA exam which she is currently working towards, and she aspires to reach Senior Manager and Partner level in the future. On a personal note, Ella loves to cook and bake and even won First Prize in a baking contest at her local town picnic. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time at her family’s small country cabin in Pennsylvania and enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, biking and kayaking.

Jefferson Zotamba

Jefferson Zotamba is a recent college graduate from William Paterson University of New Jersey, where he majored in Accounting and minored in Economics and Geography. He is currently working towards obtaining his CPA license which is one of his major career goals, along with moving up the ladder at Sax and getting exposure in as many industries as possible. Since becoming a part of the team, Jefferson has been eager to learn and find his place in the Accounting world. He started at Sax as an Administrative Intern when he was a senior in college and was hired full time after graduation as an A&A Associate.

Being at Sax for over a year, he has had the chance to get to know the employees around the firm and he really embraces the core values to create an energetic and efficient culture. Outside of his professional life, Jefferson is a part of the Chapter Advisor for Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity at WPU where he volunteers to help grow and advise the younger generations of the chapter. On the weekends he enjoys visiting museums, watching sporting events and shooting photography.

Michael Doyle

Michael Doyle attended Rutgers University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in Sociology. After graduating, he had a change of heart and decided to explore the world of Accounting and went back to school at William Paterson University where he achieved his bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Michael’s first career goal is to obtain his CPA license. He is currently in the process of studying and has already passed two out of the four CPA exams, with hopes that he will pass the last two soon. Michael was a Tax Intern at Sax for one busy season and feels the team members have really helped prepare him for his work as an Associate. He is excited for his future at Sax and is looking forward to advancing in his career here. Outside of work, Michael enjoys staying active by lifting weights at the gym and playing sports with his friends.

Natasha Appiah

Natasha Appiah graduated from Montclair State University with her Masters in Accounting. From the moment she started, Natasha says she has learned a great deal of useful accounting skills and more wisdom than she ever imagined. She loves Sax`s commitment to continued education, the mentorship, and how they handle the development of all their employees. After obtaining her CPA, Natasha`s goal is to climb all the way up the Sax corporate ladder, not stopping until she reaches her goal of becoming partner. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and getting submerged in the culture of the places she visits.

The post Employee Spotlight: Meet Our New Hires appeared first on SAX.

from SAX https://www.saxllp.com/employee-spotlight-meet-our-new-hires/

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earsontaylor · 6 years ago

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Long Time, No See

Hey howdy hey! It’s been a long time since I updated this blog, and honestly, it feels sad to be doing so. I think I took for granted what this blog meant at the time, but now that I’m where I am now, I almost wish I could go back to the start.

Let’s start at the end of the story. On July 25, 2018, I worked my last shift as a Walt Disney Company employee. I know there’s a lot of time that passed between my last shift and the last time I wrote a post for this blog. I think I want to give you a short recap, but it might be more for me than for you.

I left off by writing about how I had just gotten into a car accident right at the beginning of my first college program. I did recover! I also went through a lot that year. I had issues with leaders, I gained friends and they did things to cause me to lose trust in them, and I broke up with my long-time boyfriend (not long after I wrote the previous post). There were parts of that program that I absolutely would never want to go through again, but all in all, I look at it fondly.

Here are some highlights:

Had lots of fun (and spats) with my roommates

Had Dole Whips at the Polynesian Resort with all of my roommates (it was Elizabeth’s first time having one)

Met my best friend in the entire world, and he’s still my best friend, two years later. I see him every single day now!

Went on many road trips to St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Dunedin

Went to Magic Kingdom for its 45th anniversary celebration

Went to two Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween parties and one Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Ate at Be Our Guest for the first time

Went to a cast preview for Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM, a new Christmas nighttime show that debuted at Hollywood Studios just before the Christmas season

Picked up a shift at Super Hero Headquarters at Disney Springs

Vended on Christmas while wearing Christmas light necklaces on every single appendage (arms, legs, neck, waist, etc.) and with absolutely no voice while aforementioned Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM went off

Danced next to Frozen Fractal with my friend Anne-Marie while also wearing Christmas light necklaces from every appendage as the fireworks went off

Graduated from the Fall Advantage 2016 program successfully and left with a whole pizza and a box of cookie brownies from Domino’s

And that’s just a very, very small snippet of the entire seven months I was on my first college program.

In January of 2017, I packed up my stuff and moved out of Patterson Court, back to Lawrence. As I mentioned, I took a semester off and took some online classes in order to do my college program, so when I returned home, I still had one final semester left of college. I started that semester off with a bang, however; after syllabus day, I found out that I had contracted mono. I spent the first two and a half weeks of my last senior semester at home, slowly dying. This isn’t really related to this blog’s purpose, but it was awful. While I was home with mono, I decided to apply for another college program and was accepted halfway through the semester!

Despite the mono, I was able to finish out the semester strong and graduated on May 17, 2017, with Bachelor of Art degrees in Art History and Religious Studies, a minor in Journalism, and a certificate in Global Awareness.

I was accepted for the Fall 2018 program, so I moved back to Orlando yet again in August. My check-in date was August 7th, but this time I decided to opt out of housing since I planned to live in Orlando on a longer term basis this time around. This time, I was placed in...

Drumroll please!

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Hollywood Studios, Animation Courtyard Merchandise!

Yes, that’s right. For my second program, I was placed in Hollywood Studios yet again! I love working in Hollywood Studios so much, so I was extremely excited to be going back to my home park after just a few months.

I loved this location so much -- so much that I even extended my program TWICE, once from January until May and then from May until July, so I ended up actually doing a year long program instead of eight months like my first program. This time, I worked in Star Wars Launch Bay, In Character and Studio Store, Toy Story Department, and park-wide vending. Eventually, Toy Story Department closed and we gained Toy Story Land! I was so lucky to be part of the Toy Story Land opening team and worked all three days of the land’s opening weekend (which was definitely both a marathon AND a sprint all at once). I even was part of an internal promotional video for the land on the Hub.

Along with opening Toy Story Land, some highlights from my second program include:

Doing the “Courtyard Pokey” (and, later, the “Backyard Pokey” in Toy Story Land) with my friends and having Guests laugh and video tape it

Having so many potlucks and parties

Going to the parks with Mckayla, my in-room roommate from my first program, who ended up moving back to Florida too to do a professional internship in Guest Relations at Magic Kingdom

Dancing to Fantasmic while nighttime vending

Playing with lots of little Jedi-in-training in Launch Bay and giving them personalized name tags (and sometimes lightsabers...)

Gaining some new (and true) lifelong friends whom I cherish so much

Gaining a whole new set of leaders who made the not so great ones seem unimportant

Received a quarterly award from the Cast Experience team for having amazing Four Keys Cards

Got lots of #CastCompliments on Twitter

Having late night talks with my favorite leader (whom I am privileged to also call my friend) until 1:30 AM

Having my birthday brunch at Crystal Palace with some of my favorite friends

Having brunch at Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge with some more of my favorite CP friends from the first part of this program who came back to visit

Finally went to my first Dapper Day (Spring 2018 at Epcot)

Laying in the Hub Grass at Magic Kingdom and laughing with my friends

Cry-laughing in Toy Story Land at 2 AM with my friends who also worked all three days of crazy opening weekend hours because of how ridiculous it all was

Dancing joyously in the middle of the Courtyard with one of my friends when my last Courtyard shift ended while A Star is Born played loudly throughout the park, telling the Guests the park was closed

Making so many magical moments for Guests, and crying with them when they were really, REALLY good magical moments

Graduated from my program TWICE times, one for the fall and one for my spring/summer extensions

And now for the present. After my second program ended at the end of July, I made the hard decision not to apply for part-time or full-time. I finally had an almost perfect college program experience my second time around, and I knew that it would be better for me to leave the company at a high point.

So, almost a month after Toy Story Land opened - my last final, amazing hoorah as a cast member - I left. Amazingly, I didn’t cry. I was definitely emotional, but it was bittersweet. This is probably due to the fact that I actually...still live in Orlando, and still work on Disney property! I am now a third party cast member (or an operating participant) at Kate Spade at Disney Springs. I love it SO much. I can’t think of a better way to pass the time while waiting to get into graduate school!

There aren’t words for how grateful I am for my time with the Walt Disney Company and for my two college programs. There were some really low lows, especially during my first program, but there have also been so many incredible highs that I would honestly trade the world to have again. My programs weren’t perfect, but magic doesn’t have to be.

I think this is a good place to leave off, mostly because I’m starting to get emotional. I would really like to do a Q&A with you guys that have stuck around AND with any new CPs about to start their Spring/Spring Advantage programs in the coming weeks. Feel free to drop any and all questions you might have about being a CP, or about my program experiences specifically, in my asks and I will make one long masterpost with all of my answers.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.“

-- Walt Disney

#disney college program #dcp #dcp fall advantage 2016 #dcp fall 2017 #dcp spring 2018 #dcp summer 2018 #walt disney world

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demitgibbs · 6 years ago

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Emily Estefan Talks Miami Beach Pride, Famous Parents

Miami Beach Pride is a weeklong celebration, April 1-7, with special events, social mixers, dance events, a VIP gala, an incredible 2-day festival and Parade.

Miami Beach Pride brings together members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, their friends, allies, and supporters in celebration of the unique spirit and culture of the LGBT community.

Nowhere is this spirit and enthusiasm more apparent than during extraordinary two-day Festival on Saturday and Sunday that features two stages with world-class DJs, entertainers, and celebrity entertainers. Special surprise performances throughout the day, along with 125 vendor booths, food and cocktails at Lummus Park in world-famous South Beach. The festival also includes the Pridelines Youth District and Safe Zone, Lambda Living Lounge, BB&T Food Pavilion, “The Garden of Eve” Women’s tent and many family friendly activities.

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Coming into its 11th year anniversary year, Miami Beach Pride has grown into one of the most popular and anticipated events of the entire year in Miami Beach. The hugely successful event in 2011 attracted more than 40,000 people, in 2012 more than 60,000 people, in 2013 more than 80,000 people, in 2014 more 100,000 and in 2015, 2016 and 2017. In 2018 more than 145,000 people from all walks of life, all parts of the country, and all age groups attended the celebration.

The mission of Miami Beach Pride is to bring together members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, their friends, allies, and supporters in celebration of the unique spirit and culture of the LGBTQ community.

Miami Beach Pride is proud to announce their 2019 Ally Marshals, Judy and Dennis Shepard, parents of Matthew Shepard and founders of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, who will be helping kick off Pride’s 11th annual celebration on Miami Beach.

Coming off of the 20th anniversary of the attack on University of Wyoming student, Matthew Shepard, the Matthew Shepard Foundation has been working tirelessly to erase hate crimes and foster understanding, compassion, and acceptance for the LGBTQ community.

Leading these efforts, Judy and Dennis Shepard have spent two decades working to provide a safe place for LGBTQ youth, and educate parents and allies on how to stand up for the LGBTQ community. Judy and Dennis were also instrumental in helping pioneer the first federal legislation against hate crimes, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

There are many headliners this year led by Emily Estefan, the daughter of Gloria and Emilio Estefan.

Emily’s career has spanned across several platforms that have included writing, producing and performing music. From the years 2008-2013, Estefan performed with Miami Sound Machine at the Bette Midler Happy Hulaween event and with Carole King and Estefan’s mother at Foxwoods. She recorded a guitar solo and joined a list of respected artists on the track “Somos El Mundo” (“We Are The World”) to help raise money for the earthquake victims in Haiti, another guitar solo for Gloria Estefan’s album “Miss Little Havana” and for Carlos Santana’s song “Besos de Lejos”.

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In 2015, she premiered on Entertainment Tonight, playing her first original song and music video “F#ck To Be,” which celebrated individuality and the importance of not acquiescing to society’s expectations. Her original song “I Just Want It To Be Over” premiered at the Miami Beach 100 concert and was featured on The Today Show.

After having graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 2016 at the age of 21 where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Contemporary Writing and Production with a minor in Philosophy, Estefan created her own record label, Alien Shrimp Records. Soon thereafter, the label signed a multi-year distribution deal with Sony Red in order to help spread her “music for the planet” mantra, which expresses Emily’s belief that music not only reaches across cultures and oceans, but space and time as well.

In the same year, Emily, wrote, performed and produced her debut album, “Take Whatever You Want.” Since then, she has continued writing and producing original music and performing at music festivals like Essence, SXSW, and GroundUp Music Fest, to name a few.

“I just want to tell my stories, put out good energy and love into the world, and not be afraid to be my true self in my music,” she says.

View this post on Instagram

Who says teleportation doesn’t exist when music is one of the most potent entities around us all? Let go of your fears and let the music take you where it wants to… get out of the way of it. You don’t have to play … dance, cry, listen… but let it wash over you and take control… you won’t regret it. ———————————————————————- 🎸: @edbrad777 I love you, thank you. 🥁: @ginesdrum I love you, thank you. 👔👠: @holagemeny I love you, thank you. See you all out there soon 🦋.

A post shared by Emily Estefan (@emily_estefan) on Mar 9, 2019 at 10:23am PST

It was a pleasure to sit down with Emily, who will perform on Saturday, April 6 at 9pm, for this Hotspots Exclusive interview:

Do you remember the first time you sang and where it was?

Yes, I started singing by myself, and I kept it that way for a long time to make sure that I had my own voice.

The first time I sang in public was at a small bar gig.

What was your first professional singing gig?

The first performance gig I got paid for was for being a drummer. I was part of a band throughout my high school years and we played parties and bars in Miami, Miami Springs, and Vero Springs. I played almost every weekend until I went away to college.

When did you realize that performing would be your career?

I went to high school to play basketball and was considering Med School. But you can only run away from your passion for so long. I started in a summer performance program at Berkley the summer before college started, and from then on I knew I would be a performer.

View this post on Instagram

Growing up has taught me a lot … first of all .. that truly growing means never reaching anything .. just continuing to evolve and learn.. that is what we are here to do..forever grow until our time on earth is done. Mom, I love you so much. At first, hearing over and over “that I sound like you” made me question my musical identity, and sent me into a flurry of negative emotions. It made it hard for me to let go. But that is a selfish emotion. The only person I was actually up against, was myself. Music is not for the self, it’s for all. It’s from the soul of an individual, to all, for all, for always. I sing from MY voice. You and dad created my skin and bones, you have shown me time and time again what it means to be a true, beautiful human being, and musician: a mission I try to keep in front of my face every single day. So.. if anyone hears a similarity in our voices, then I am honored. I am proud. But I know now, standing inside of myself.. you have created me with my own voice, my own things to say, and my own way of transmitting what I have to offer this world. And that is what I will do until the day I die. I am proud to come from you, I am blessed to come from you… and I can’t wait for everyone to see how much love filled that room, and how every single musician that honored you, not only had their own voice and vision while expressing your beautiful music, but came from a selfless pure place of love, to celebrate two incredible human beings, Immigrants, Americans, musicians, and game changers. See you May 3 on @pbs for a beautiful tribute to two true legends. I love you @emilioestefanjr @gloriaestefan ———————————————————————————👠🎩👗: @holagemeny 💋💄✍️: @sidneyjamila 💇🏻‍♀️💆🏻‍♀️🌹: @hairbygeorgina

A post shared by Emily Estefan (@emily_estefan) on Mar 15, 2019 at 9:26am PDT

Is it easier or harder having such famous parents?

If you had asked me that question a couple years ago, I would have said it was harder since no matter what I did, without even hearing my voice, people assumed I would have doors opening for me. My mom is a pop star, and I don’t sing that type of music. I sing Jazz and Funk. However, nowadays I firmly believe it’s a blessing. They give me so much support and wisdom, etc. I am very proud to have them as my parents as they are two of the most incredible human being on earth.

Are you excited to be performing at Miami Beach Pride and what should our readers expect from your performance?

I am super excited as we have attended every year. Last year I saw a shirt that sticks out in my mind it said LGBTQ and then that was crossed out and the word Human was written…what a powerful message that was! I have learned that that Hate is not the opposite of Love, Fear is, and Pride is a day to celebrate all the differences that we have.

I am so excited to perform for everyone as its going to be super fun!

View this post on Instagram

The mothership is landing @miamibeachpride 👽👽👽👽see you APRIL 6 @9pm with my aliens to celebrate love, light, and HUMANS!!! Let’s do ittttttttt🦋🦋🦋🦋 #Repost @miamibeachpride ・・・ JUST ANNOUNCED: @emily_estefan is our Saturday headliner! She’s performed and collaborated with Carlos Santana, Carole King, etc… Now, Emily Estefan is taking us out of this world as #MiamiBeachPride’s Saturday headliner! ✨☄️⠀ ⠀ Move to the talented singer, songwriter and performer’s cosmic sounds at the Celebrity Cruises stage on Saturday, April 6, at 9 PM! Click the link in our bio to learn more ☝️ #pride2019 #lgbtqiapride

A post shared by Emily Estefan (@emily_estefan) on Mar 26, 2019 at 10:16am PDT

What does the future hold for you?

My personal goal is to “refocus for the moment” and not worry about what coming in the future. Don’t get me wrong, goals and dreams are important, but I want to focus in being in the moment and enjoy every single second.

I hope the future has me performing, which is what I love!

For more info on Emily, follow her on Instagram.com/Emily_Estefan.

The other headliners include:

Icona Pop – This Swedish Electro Pop duo, whose breakout hit “I Love It” (featuring Charli XCX) topped charts around the world in 2013. The triple-platinum winning Icona Pop will hit the Celebrity Stage in Lummus Park on Sunday, April 7, at 9 pm.

Tito Puente Jr. –Sway to supernova sounds as acclaimed Latin musician and percussionist Tito Puente Jr performs at the TD Bank Stage on Sunday, April 7 at 8pm! Son of Tito Puente, the “King of Latin Music,” Tito Puente Jr carries on his father’s legacy with charisma and panache—and you get to hear him right here in Miami Beach.

Some of the DJ’s spinning are:

Sat April 6 (6-10 pm)

International DJ superstar Erik Vilar brings his signature beats to the TD Bank Stage. Move your body to the Brazilian DJ’s energetic mixes at one of the most legendary dance parties the cosmos has ever seen, presented by AHF and Impulse Group! ⠀

Sun April 7 (2pm)

Dance to galactic beats by the sensational DJ Duo Sea & Gunn at the TD Bank Stage. You can join them afterwards at the “Cowgirl Invasion” Women’s Tent for a special meet and greet with the star of Showtime‘s “The L Word”: Daniela Sea!

Sun April 7 (7-11pm)

Prepare for blastoff with Kidd Madonny’s mesmerizing blend of vocals, progressive house and electro sounds at the Celebrity Cruises Stage. The DJ’s unforgettable performances complete with laser beams and costume changes will transport us to galaxies far away!

For a full list of all the parties, events, performers, honorees or to purchase tickets (pride is free, but there is a VIP Tent) go to: miamibeachpride.com.

South Beach Group, the official hotel sponsor of Miami Beach Pride, offers special rates for Pride attendees who use the promo code: SBGPride at www.southbeachgroup.com/pride.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/04/04/emily-estefan-talks-miami-beach-pride-famous-parents/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/183939019185

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hotspotsmagazine · 6 years ago

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Emily Estefan Talks Miami Beach Pride, Famous Parents

Miami Beach Pride is a weeklong celebration, April 1-7, with special events, social mixers, dance events, a VIP gala, an incredible 2-day festival and Parade.

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There are many headliners this year led by Emily Estefan, the daughter of Gloria and Emilio Estefan.

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“I just want to tell my stories, put out good energy and love into the world, and not be afraid to be my true self in my music,” she says.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Emily Estefan (@emily_estefan) on Mar 9, 2019 at 10:23am PST

It was a pleasure to sit down with Emily, who will perform on Saturday, April 6 at 9pm, for this Hotspots Exclusive interview:

Do you remember the first time you sang and where it was?

Yes, I started singing by myself, and I kept it that way for a long time to make sure that I had my own voice.

The first time I sang in public was at a small bar gig.

What was your first professional singing gig?

When did you realize that performing would be your career?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Emily Estefan (@emily_estefan) on Mar 15, 2019 at 9:26am PDT

Is it easier or harder having such famous parents?

Are you excited to be performing at Miami Beach Pride and what should our readers expect from your performance?

I am so excited to perform for everyone as its going to be super fun!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Emily Estefan (@emily_estefan) on Mar 26, 2019 at 10:16am PDT

What does the future hold for you?

I hope the future has me performing, which is what I love!

For more info on Emily, follow her on Instagram.com/Emily_Estefan.

The other headliners include:

Some of the DJ’s spinning are:

Sat April 6 (6-10 pm)

Sun April 7 (2pm)

Sun April 7 (7-11pm)

For a full list of all the parties, events, performers, honorees or to purchase tickets (pride is free, but there is a VIP Tent) go to: miamibeachpride.com.

South Beach Group, the official hotel sponsor of Miami Beach Pride, offers special rates for Pride attendees who use the promo code: SBGPride at www.southbeachgroup.com/pride.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/04/04/emily-estefan-talks-miami-beach-pride-famous-parents/

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hottytoddynews · 8 years ago

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Chancellor Jeff Vitter with Barbara Grissom. Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Communications

Growing up, Barbara “Christy” Grissom of Iuka never really thought much about going to college after high school. She went to work at a local restaurant and then a local furniture manufacturing plant before events beyond her control changed the course of her future.

Grissom had worked her way up to a lead position with Bauhaus USA, a furniture manufacturer in Iuka, before the company shut down the plant in 2007. It was then that she learned about a grant with the local Workforce Investment Act that was available to help employees go to college and train for new jobs.

“College was not on my radar before this happened,” Grissom said. “Growing up, I didn’t even think going to college was possible. My parents were not in a position financially to send me or my siblings to college, so it just wasn’t something I had considered.”

This life-altering change back in 2007, however, set events in motion that have led to Grissom being honored last month as a 2017 Taylor Medalist at the University of Mississippi.

Only the top 1 percent of all Ole Miss students receives this award each year. Recipients must have at least a 3.90 grade-point average to be considered.

“She’s quite simply superwoman,” said Tam Salter, bachelor of general studies adviser and instructor at the university’s Booneville regional campus. “She’s a full-time wife, mom, employee, teacher and student. Even with her many duties, she still found time to encourage her own students and her Ole Miss peers as they were working hard to earn their degrees.

“In class, she always had a helpful attitude and encouraging word for her classmates. She just made the classes better because of her life experiences and her drive.”

Grissom graduated from Iuka Christian Academy in 1987, married and started a family 10 years later. She and her husband have three boys, two of whom they adopted.

“It was intimidating going back to school, and I wondered if it was the best thing with three kids at home,” Grissom said. “I think I made the right choice.”

She started at Northeast Mississippi Community College in 2007 and graduated with associate’s degrees in both culinary arts and hospitality management.

“At that time, I had a pretty busy catering company that I was running on the weekends and evenings,” Grissom said. “We catered Caterpillar’s 25th anniversary event for 700 people, plus many weddings and other corporate events.”

Grissom credits academic adviser and mentor Tim Gilmore at Northeast with encouraging her to start teaching. He asked her about becoming certified to teach ServSafe training courses to other food service workers in north Mississippi.

“This experience helped me to realize how much I enjoyed teaching and sharing my experiences from working in the industry,” Grissom said.

In spring 2013, Gilmore became ill and officials at Northeast asked Grissom to cover his classes for the remainder of the semester.

“After Mr. Gilmore passed away, I had to pray and consider the next step in my career,” Grissom said. “He was always so encouraging to me, and I thought that I could do the same for others by applying for his position at Northeast.”

Grissom began teaching full-time in the culinary arts and hospitality management programs at Northeast that fall and was encouraged by her supervisors to work toward completing her bachelor’s degree.

She enrolled in her prerequisite classes at Northeast before transferring into the Bachelor of General Studies program at the University of Mississippi at Booneville campus in fall 2015.

“I chose education, English and psychology classes to make up this specialized degree,” Grissom said. “They were such a good combination for me. These minors correlated with my interests, and I was able to use what I was learning and take it into my actual classroom.”

Grissom said her favorite classes included the English language classes Descriptive Grammar and History of the English Language.

“I enjoy a challenge, and these classes were challenging, but they were so interesting to me,” she said.

Grissom said that writing is a special hobby. She has written an unpublished novel and would one day like to pursue writing nonfiction.

“I think I may want to write about my experiences raising children in a family blended with biological and adopted children,” Grissom said. “And maybe write about raising a child with autism.”

Through her teaching and advising role in Northeast’s hospitality management program, she helps plan numerous catered events on the Booneville campus each year. These events also serve as hands-on training experiences for her students.

“It’s great to see a student gain confidence during the planning process,” Grissom said. “They are usually nervous at the beginning, but by the end of the event they are excited to see it all come together.

“I enjoy helping my students use what they are learning in class and putting it into practice. I like being a part of the education that gives them the tools they need to be successful in management positions.”

Grissom will be setting an example for her children as well as her students when she is honored at the UM Commencement this weekend. She will be recognized as one of the top of her class and seated on stage in the Grove with BGS Dean Tony Ammeter.

Grissom said she hopes that by meeting her own educational goals, she will inspire her children to follow their own dreams.

“I hope that they will go to college and learn more about what they are interested in,” she said. “I want them to do what they want to, and know that they can overcome any obstacle to make that happen.”

With plans to earn a master’s degree, Grissom is researching graduate programs in higher education, human and environmental services, and English.

By Pam Starling

For more questions or comments email us at [email protected].

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