I only have about two and a half weeks left of summer vacation before my last year of school starts! I know I made a list of summer intentions a while back, so I’m kind of making a mad dash to get some one those done. I’ve been really bored lately which is typical me during the summer. I relish in the break for a couple of months and then, after several bouts of heat stroke, I keep really bored and want structure and things to do. Also typical me is regretting feeling that way once school starts. I honestly think that if I had a job that I loved I wouldn’t mind it so much. Of course, with a job I wouldn’t have a summer break. So it’s bittersweet. (Wait, is that bittersweet? Did I use that right?) To think that in nine months I will be a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree with no job prospects is both scary and enticing. In nine months I will be done with school forever! No more papers, no more classes, no more choir concerts, no more tests… ahhh. Just thinking about it makes me feel relieved. However, I still have no clear view of what God has planned for Jason and me or my sister for that matter. I’ve known what my purpose is since I was eleven, but still don’t have a clue as to how it’s going to play out. Though Jason and I have a fun project we’re working on. 🙂

So, I guess I’ve learned that I need things to do or I get restless, bored, and depressed. It’s only taken me sixteen years of school to learn that. 😉 To appease my boredom, and to stave off thoughts of the upcoming school year and the outrageous stress it will bring with it, I’ll try to finish up my summer intentions list. A new skirt, some new recipes, and some piano practice! Interspersed with pictures of Pepper, of course. 🙂

Also, I’ve been waiting literally all.day. for Direct TV to show up and install cable. Nowhere to be found. I just want to watch the Olympics.

Hope your summer is going well!

If you know me, you know I’ve had a terrible time working out my financial aid since transferring to University of Texas at Tyler. To preface, I graduated high school with 30+ hours of college credits which granted me the Early Graduation Scholarship of $1,000. I was only able to receive this scholarship, however, if I attended a college in Texas. No problem! I went to Kilgore College for two years and graduated in May of 2011. (I also had a ridiculous time with scholarships at KC, but that’s another story for another day.)

Last fall, I started at UT Tyler. Trying to find this scholarship I learned that the funding had been cut. The rest is explained in my letter to Louie Gohmert below. Please read it and stand up for our schools by emailing our leaders.

——
Hello,

I am a junior vocal music education major at the University of Texas at Tyler. I graduated Sabine High School in May of 2009 with 30+ college credit hours. Because of these hours, I received the Early Graduation Scholarship from the state of Texas. This was our incentive to graduate high school with so many hours. If the recipients of this scholarship attended any college in the state of Texas we would receive our $1,000 scholarship. So in the fall of 2009 I attended Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas but decided to wait until I went on to a university to pull on this scholarship because I had enough scholarships at Kilgore College. In the fall of 2011 I started school full-time at the University of Texas at Tyler. Attempting to locate the whereabouts of the Early Graduation Scholarship, I learned that there was no funding from the state of Texas for this scholarship anymore. Then, in October a letter was mailed to all those eligible for this scholarship, myself included, that funds were now available from the state of Texas and that quick action must be taken before December 20, 2011 to receive this funding. Mid November I faxed over a copy of my letter to UTT to get what was long due me. After weeks of waiting, I still got no response. I emailed and called countless times only to hear time after time, “We’ll let you know in a couple of weeks.” February 15, 2012 I emailed UTT’s enrollment office as a last attempt for resolution. February 16 I received an email stating that all of the funding has run out once again and that UTT disbursed all of this money to those eligible already. I would not be receiving this scholarship. Frustrated and out of patience, I responded asking when I would be finally receiving this scholarship. I am a newlywed with one income. This scholarship is desperately needed. However, what frustrates me the most is UTT’s inability to give a faithful full-time student the time of day.

I understand the state of Texas’ need for budget cuts. However, I don’t think those in office realize that students like myself are being reprimanded for crimes we did not commit. I beseech you, Mr. Gohmert, to take swift action in standing up for the students in the state of Texas. We are the future leaders, but we cannot lead when our schooling cannot be fully funded.

Thank you,
Melody Rich
——

Hope you guys are having a great Monday. 🙂

Tried to put the stuffing back into a chair.
Daydreamed.
Doodled.
Daydreamed.
Watched a lady walk around in the art gallery.
Daydreamed.
Wondered who left their keys on the table.
Wished it would rain.
Remembered some other homework due Monday.
Regretted not studying earlier.
Regretted not bringing my music so I could sing along with the University Singers.
Regretted not studying earlier so I could bring my music to sing along with the University Singers.
Said hello to a friend.
Daydreamed.
Deliberately stared out the window.
Made this list.