Incredible Students

One of my students has applied for a scholarship.  Please vote for her HERE.

The prompt:   Who has been most important tutor, teacher or coach in my life and why?

This is her essay:

I just started my education at Cleveland State University in the fall of 2010. I believe the tutoring program (TASC) at Cleveland State is a very successful program in which students (mostly graduate students) help undergraduates with their classes. I have been very successful with my tutor, Klaire, for my fall and spring semesters. In my fall semester Klaire helped me with study skills and learning how to deal with a teacher that has a thick accent for my Anatomy and Physiology class. Klaire has also been very great to me. Other than a tutor, Klaire is a friend, and a peer mentor to me. She is always keeping me in a great mood and wanting to study. In my spring semester, Klaire is helping me out with two classes which include Anatomy & Physiology 2 and Microbiology. Two sciences are very hard and if there was not anyone to reinforce how much i needed to do to accomplish my goals i would be struggling. Klaire has taught me many things about college. She has taught me how to study, manage my time, have fun, make friends, and deal with roommates. I look up to Klaire so much. She has a great personality which is caring, humorous, and energetic. Klaire also is very determined, strong willed, successful and awesome. I know I could sit here and write more about Klaire and how she has affected my life, but I would just stress how spectacular she is. Klaire has made my college experience much better, and I will take everything she has taught me about time management, team work, personalities, roommates, and goals with me for the rest of my life.

Conferences

April 1-4 I'm going to the 2011 Midwest Ecology and Evolution Conference, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.  That's MEEC 2011 at SIUC.  I'm presenting a poster -- a decision that was made only two weeks ago, giving me a total of six weeks to get funding, itinerary, data, and poster organized.

Thus far:  I've applied for a travel funds scholarship from CSU's College of Science, I've submitted my abstract and registered, booked the flights, reserved a hotel room (ok, its a Bed and Breakfast-- my Papa insisted on that), and have started working on the poster (and data).


I'm going to present the same poster at CSU's College of Science Research Day, on April 15th.Spring break is next week.  I'll be at school, in the lab, making my poster and pointing the pan trap samples.  Although I might take a day off in the middle of the week to go on a hike.  Busy.

Classes are going well.  I got a B on my first evolution exam, which I'm not happy about, but now I know EXACTLY what to expect for the next exam.  The engineering class I was worried about turned out to  be a piece of cake. (Thank you, physics minor.)  I just had the first engineering exam yesterday, pretty sure I aced it.  4.0 here we come.

I'm also:
1.  Planning my second round of sampling
2.  Working to get through pan trap samples for the August ESA Meeting
3.  Trying to decide if I should hike the Appalachian Trail with two of my best friends after I graduate.

Life is good.

Committee Meeting, Research Update, Life

SO MUCH CHANGE!

1. Moved back home. My family is incredible.
2. Had committee meeting: proposal and academic plan approved (sure, a bit late, but my project is great), my general awesomeness affirmed.
3.Research:  I, with the help of the super-awesome Sarah, have completed sorting and IDing the Beat Net samples.  All 13340 individuals.  I'm looking through the vegetation height complexity data, pointing the pan trap samples and planning a second round of sampling, as field season is fast approaching.
4. Coursework:  Oh yeah, I'm also taking 11 credit hours of coursework, with classes in environmental engineering, GIS, and aquatic ecosystems.  I'm doing ok with these, but it's a delicate balancing act.

Pointed Hymenopterans