U LOVE A

Just to clear up any confusion…
1. I graduated in 2.5 years.
2. I got my Bachelors.
3. Yes it's possible.
I'll explain why.

In high school I got dual enrollment for a lot of classes, plus some AP credits.

Every summer while in high school, I had to take summer school. My junior year, I decided to do something I enjoy and I took Sign Language 3 and 4. Then the summer after my senior year, I took 2 online college classes.

When I entered the UofA, my counselor told me I needed to stop taking online additional classes because I was too far ahead. I had pretty much finished all my gen ads but couldn't apply to the interpreting program until February. Fortunately, since I had already taken Sign 3 and 4, they let me start taking the general classes in the interpreting program. When it was time to apply for the program, I didn't even really have to apply. All the teachers already knew me, so I didn't even have to do the interview. It was great.

I need organization in my life, so I was always very on top of my credits, what future classes I needed, etc. One day I realized I could graduate in 2.5 years rather than 3. I presented it to my counselor and she said I should go for it! It was all a great plan as long as I passed practicum 2 my first time (A year before me, 2/3rds of the class had to retake it). I fortunately did pass it and that was when it hit me I was soon graduating.




I am so grateful I decided to come to Tucson and faked it til I made it.

When I first moved here, I HATED everything about it. The roads were awful, the people were different, I had to start over socially, I had to cook for myself and I didn't have my family there. I was taking classes with seniors that all knew each other and were ready to graduate. I was just barely coming into the program so I wasn't so competent. I kind of doubted if I could ever be an interpreter.
I mentally told myself to give it a chance for one semester. Then if I still could not bare it anymore, I would move home.

Fortunately, my attitude changed. By the end of my first year, I didn't love it but I could tolerate it. I made friends from going to football games and from hanging out at the institute.

My second year at UofA, I DOVE in.
A) My roommates liked to go to all the social events, so that motivated me to go.
B) I was a FHE mom again, so that helped me meet even more people.
C) I was on the institute council, so I got to meet people in another wards and get involved.

This was the prime time for my major as well. I had practicum 1 and 2, which is when you get to finally interpret. Just like high school, my junior year was the hardest.


By the end of my second year, I fell in love with Tucson. I still hate how awful the roads are but I enjoy being in Tucson. When we have breaks, I find myself being excited to go back.



My final year was perfect.
My classes were easy and few. I got to interpret in a middle school and fell in love with the kids. I also had a mentor that really pushed me and helped me grow.
I had a calling in RS which helped me to get to know more girls in my ward.
All around it was perfect.

I AM SO GRATEFUL I MOVED TO TUCSON.

To be honest, I am sad to leave.

I just have to jump back into my Mesa life with two feet.

Here are some pictures from graduation day.


I got some awesome selfies pre-graduation.









We had to arrive an hour early, and so we got to chat for a bit. 
We also got to see the slideshow. It was quite embarrassing. 
They asked us to submit pictures of UA events. 
I sent 5 and said you can choose one or two. 
They used ALL of them! 
Only two other people submitted pictures. 
THE WHOLE SLIDESHOW WAS MY PICTURES. 
I was so embarrassed. 


The actual ceremony was great. Some of the the speakers were kind of boring. 
There was an interpreter there and she kept me entertained most of the time. 



Little stinkers. 




Sweet Maria. My mother away from home. 


Graduates and professors. 


Sweet family minus Morgan and Payson. 



Vanita was crying, so we laughed. She has a tender heart. 





Lauren Squared. Love her. She's my go to girl and dear friend.



Marie. Our dear professor that dealt with our millions of questions of "how do you sign that?" 
She taught us to "drop the form"! 




Yair, my "hard of hearing" friend. 


Laughing at me for being the star of the slideshow. 



My trendy friends. 




The reason I was even able to move out and attend a University.
I still remember his sweet advice, "work hard and pray harder". 


Leslie, my teacher that taught me to up my facial expressions and prime deaf culture things. 


Barb, my teacher that taught me soft skills and interpreting ethics. 


Cindy, the queen of interpreting. 


Kayla. Very "go with the flow" and kind. 


Posers. 



FINISHED! 


Had to throw a little ASL flavor. 


My beautiful campus. 


I am signing "graduate". Seems fitting right?


Per request of my fellow wildcats. 






My only wildcat brother. 


What would I have done without them?




Sillies. 


Dinner at BJs. 






THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT HAS HELPED ME GET TO THIS POINT. 



CONVERSATION

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