Please introduce yourself and learn about your classmates!

[Dr. C.]

I created a video introduction, which you have viewed hopefully.  You are welcome to create a text, image, audio, and/or video introduction. 

The goals of this activity are:

• to provide your classmates with a sense of who you are
• to combat the feeling of disconnectedness that can accompany online classes
• to help build our online community, so that we can learn from each other most effectively
• to give you practice with Google Groups

So, in response to this prompt, please (using text, image, audio, and/or video) answer the following:

• What is something about which you are passionate?
• What will make this a successful class experience for you?

[shekinba]

Hello,

My name is Bahtyah Shekina.  I am a full time student at the Miami Oxford campus.  I am taking classes at the Hamilton campus, in order to save money for the summer.  

I am passionate about being as healthy as possible and sharing my ideas of preventive health with all that I encounter.  

I am looking forward to taking this class online because I sincerely enjoy the challenge of learning how to perfect my reading and writing skills for better communication with others.  This class will provide the most success by allowing me the opportunity to communicate with my instructor, who will answer any question or concerns that I have, pertaining to the efficient completion of assignments.

[mcotugno]

Just a quick "how to" when replying to Google Group prompts (and a bit more about me, your instructor):

1. After reading the prompt, click the arrow with the "post reply" option.  You will see it in the upper right of the post next to the original post date.  When you "mouse over" you will see "post reply" pop up.  
2. "Edit subject" to include something more appropriate than the original title of the post.  
3. Write something interesting in response to the prompt:

So, to let you know a bit more about me.  My two academic interests are twentieth century American literature, especially the works of Vladimir Nabokov and Conrad Richter, as well as professional writing, especially law enforcement writing.  I love teaching, and I think there are advantages to teaching online, but I also know from years and years of experience that online classes can be more challenging than seated ones.  My husband is currently taking an online class for the first time, and he's discovering this, too.  :)     When I am not working on classes, which is often, I enjoy being outdoors and cycling, trail running, or kayaking.  We have four dogs at home, along with fish, two newts, two Reeve's turtles, and a spider ball python.  We have a bit of a zoo here, but I love it.

I hope that everyone has a great experience in this course.  We only have four weeks, and you have a lot to accomplish, but I am here to help you, so please ask when you need help and also help each other as much as possible.  

[mcotugno]

Welcome to class Bahtyah!  What inspires you to be interest in being healthy and sharing ideas about preventing health with others?  

Dr. C.

[David A. Riley]

David Riley - I am a newly full-time student (mostly at Middletown, but Oxford starting fall semester).  I am a 14 year USAF veteran (now disabled) with a wife, 2 kids, 3 dogs, 2 cats, and a full-time job as a Russian translator. I am an atypical non-traditional student in that I am being paid to go to school full time.  

I am "passionate" (your word, not mine) about jazz, and play tenor saxophone in the Generations Big Band in Dayton.  I am also a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan.

I hope this class will give me an appreciation for types of writing/literature that I don't normally read.  I read quite a bit, but mostly sci-fi or fantasy, with some suspense/action thrown in on occasion. Also, written communication is an important aspect of my job, and this will give me lots of practice.

As a side note: I will be going to Spain for my brother's wedding on the 29th, and returning 5 June.  I will have a laptop and wi-fi, so I shouldn't miss any deadlines.  Just wanted to give Dr C a heads-up.

[Christopher Griffin]

Hello Class! My name is Christopher Griffin and this is my first online course! 

Although many people say technological intuition stems from youth, this digital classroom will prove as challenging as teaching my grandmother how to text. 

I am 22 years young from Akron, Ohio, and a recent graduate from the Oxford Campus. The irony of being a graduate who needs six more credit hours to graduate is savory, isn't it? 

About me..... I am passionate about traveling and pushing my comfort Zones. I have lived in Germany, Austria and recently was in New Zealand solo for two months. I strongly believe one must step out of comfort zones to gain new insights and perspectives of other lives and cultures. Because of this viewpoint I believe that conflict largely emerges from individuals who lack perspective and empathy of others. Plus, who doesn't like to travel. A word of warning though, no actual Hobbits in NZ, so if that's why you're going, I just saved you bucco bucks.

In my spare time I enjoy going on cruises in my 1965 Mustang, which I built from the ground up when I dragged it out of a bog when I was 15. I have sank countless dollars into my lovely hunk of junk and would do it all over again. Another word to the wise. Muscle cars may not have a chick magnet installed like they used to, but makes one an instant frat bro to any man over the age of 50, should have seen that one coming....

I'm looking forward to this class because I did not do as well as I hoped in a lit class this past semester, and am looking to truly enjoy a course about reading instead of just making it by. Looking forward to the next several weeks DR.C!

-Chris 

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 2:36:23 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

[brighaak]

 

Hi! My name is Amanda Sellers. I am a 28 year old, non-traditional student attending Hamilton Campus full time. I have 2 boys, 1 and 6 years old. I also work at a restaurant in Springdale. I constantly wish there were more hours in the day and sleep is a thing of the past, but I enjoy every day and try my hardest to succeed.

 

My biggest passion is focusing on the environment and how we can better our society for the next generation. Having 2 young children depend on me fuels my passion. My main area of focus is environmental sustainability and management of water ecosystems. I am an Environmental Earth Science major and will be doing research with one of my professors during Fall semester on hydrogeology, water contamination and the effects of agricultural pesticides.

 

After looking over the course site and the textbook, I feel I will get a lot out of this class. Being so busy, it seems all I read are children's books and science textbooks. It will be nice to dive back into literature and poetry, as well as reflect on what was read. I am definitely excited to "escape" from the baby books and Learn To Read books. I used to be a complete bookworm, pre-children, so I will enjoy this class. Having my children see me reading is also very important to me.

It's nice to meet everyone!

[libbysk]

Hello everyone,

My name is Sarah Libby. I am currently a Junior at Miami University and will be a Senior in the fall. This is my very first online class experience so everything is all so new to me! I am a bit excited and quite nervous about learning all the ropes in an online class, but I have no doubt that I will really enjoy it. I am actually taking this course while living in Oxford for the first time this summer, which should be a lot of fun! The two main focuses of my college career are psychology and management. Just recently, I have become very passionate about learning different diagnoses of abnormal behavior and working in the abnormal psychology field. Self motivation and organization seems to be the key to mastering an online class so that will definitely be what makes this class a successful experience!

[littleca]

Hey,

My name is Chris Little. Im a senior graduating at the end of the summer with physics degree. I'm from Hamilton, OH and have gone to the Oxford campus the past few years.

Something i am passionate about is computer modeling. I've spent 3 years working in the nano-tech research lab at the physics dept developing automation and modeling software. I've worked on projects ranging from quantized conductance to micro-surface tension analysis. I've been listed as a co-author on two publications and presented my work at major academic conferences.  

I'm hoping the online format will help make me successful in this course. To be honest, one of the main reasons I chose my major was a hatred of reading and writing papers. I would much rather spend 3 hours solving a hard math problem or working in the lab than grinding through a 20 page paper. The fast pace will also help me "get it over with". I do, however, hope to learn something and I pray my misgivings will be disproved.    

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 2:36:23 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

[newporjd]

Hello classmates and Dr. C!

 

My name is Jeremy Newport and I am 22 years old. I am currently living at home in Springfield, OH after graduating last weekend from Main Campus (Bachelor of Science in Accountancy). Many moons ago the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy decided you needed 150 credit hours to sit for the Certified Public Accountants exam. Because of this I will be taking 6 hours this summer until I sit for the exam from July through November. I will be working in Indianapolis starting in November as an Assurance Associate for McGladrey LLP. That's all the boring stuff about me!

 

While I loved my time at Miami and studying accounting, I am extremely passionate about music! I have been classically trained and read sheet music for cello. I am also a skilled guitarist and drummer as I have been trained and have played for many years. In high school, I traveled all over Ohio with Lareda and Ladies and Gentlemen. While college hasn't allowed me the time to read as much as I would like, I very much enjoy reading! I recently finished Simi Linton's autobiography My Body Politic and I am currently reading George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones.

 

I feel this class will be a positive experience because it includes reading. After taking so many business classes over the past two years, it will be nice for me to study American literature. Accounting courses require many calculations and interpretations, I am very excited to have the opportunity to interpret text in a historical context instead of numbers! This is my first experience with an online class so most of us will be learning together! I look forward to working with all of you and I know we will have a great summer session.

 

Best regards,

Jeremy Newport

[noblejg]

Hi, my name is Joe Noble and I am a junior at Miami University. I am a BIS major with my focuses being in Leadership and Communication. This is actually my first time taking online classes so I'm very excited and nervous about the newness of online learning! 

My favorite thing to do in my free time is play baseball. I actually got to play at Fifth Third Field, which is a stadium for a minor league baseball team. It's one of my happiest memories! 

I am minoring in English so I'm looking forward to taking this class and I'm hoping it will help me with my writing skills! I enjoy reading everyone's posts and I wish you all the best this semester!

-Joe

[noblejg]

Hi Sarah! I'm too a Junior who is taking online courses for the first time! I wish you the best of luck with your online course as I'm sure you'll do great! Also, best of luck with your majors! Those are great majors and I'm sure they'll keep you busy as both are very challenging! I'm taking intro to Psychology this summer with Dr. John Schaffer. Have you had him before? Anyways, it was good reading your post and best of luck this summer semester and with all your semesters in the future! 

-Joe

[wilkenaj]

Hey everyone,

My name is Andrew Wilkening and I am a junior studying at the Oxford campus. This is my first time taking an online course so I am not exactly sure what to expect. I am somewhat nervous about balancing this class with my summer job. I work at a yacht club in my hometown where I coach sailing and sailboat racing classes. I am passionate about racing sailboats and have grown up around the water. My entire family sails and the majority of my summer is spent racing across the midwest. 

This class will be successful for me in many ways. I am a speech communications major and am interested in learning more about an english subject. I am looking forward to taking a class in an area that I have not necessarily studied yet during my time at Miami. I hope everyone has had a good time since school ended and hope everyone has a great rest of the summer. 

Andrew

[adamsjm6]

Hello, 

My name is Jimmy Adams and I am a Junior at The University of North Georgia, The Military College of Georgia. I attend one of Six Senior Military Colleges and am a cadet in the corps of cadets and a sworn soldier in the Army Reserve. I will commission into the Army in two years so naturally I am very passionate about the Army, physical preparedness, running, and working towards being the best officer I can be. I believe out nation is strong, yet needs protection and my passions and interest strongly align themselves with this mentality. I want to gain a better understanding of American Literature and become a better reader and writer ultimately assisting me in my communication skills for my future career. 

On a side note, I have only taken traditional classes during my time in college but have been interested in taking online classes to see which I prefer. This summer I will be taking all online classes which I feel will give me a good idea on what type of classes and learning style suites my needs and desires best. I am looking forward to a positive and enriching experience regarding this class!

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 2:36:23 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

[gibertpm]

Hello. My name is Philip Gibert and I am a junior at the Oxford campus studying English Literature as my major. I am taking this course to fufill my English requirments and to learn more about the literature of this time period that the class is rooted in. I am from Cincinnati, Ohio and I am the oldest of five children from a single parent family. I am a first generation student of my family and plan on becoming the a English teacher after obtaining my bachelors degree. I have a passion for education as it had brought me far in life and I would like to help the next generation of students to succeed as I have come far in life.

[rogers26]

Hi Everyone!

 

Well I'm Kobey, a junior Professional Writing major and Anthropology minor at the Oxford campus. I grew up in Atlanta and actually spent my first year of college at The College of Charleston in South Carolina then ended up transferring to Miami.

 

 I have to say I'm very passionate about two things. The first being horses and horseback riding. I grew up with horses and have been riding competitively since the age of 10. Some people see horseback riding as a somewhat silly sport, but I have found in my years of riding that it has taught me compassion, responsibility, and an unmatchable work ethic. I also joined Miami's equestrian team and have enjoyed every minute of it. It has brought me some of the best memories.   

 

The second thing that has brought passion to my life is reading and literature so it's fairly fitting that I'm taking this class. Growing up I had books stacked every where and have recently moved to filling the space on my Kindle. Reading has always been a joy to me and remembering that as I go through the class work is what's going to make this a successful class for me. Actively participating in work that's about something you enjoy is always the best kind of work, and continually makes for better results.

[zubaoe]

Hi Everyone!

My name is Olivia Zuba. I am taking a few online courses while I am home for the summer. In the fall I will be a junior at The University of Toledo. I am majoring in Special Education and I love working with kids! The past two summers I have worked at a daycare with infants and toddlers. I am passionate about baking and reading when I have free time. I also love spending time with my friends and family. I have taken a few online classes at Toledo but they were set up differently than this course. I think this course will be challenging but different and I am excited to see what I will learn. This will be a successful class experience for me because so far it is very organized and easy to incorporate into my schedule!

[kasibhm]

Hey everyone,

            My name is Manasa Kasibhatla, but I go by Manu. I am a full time Oxford student (during the school year) and I’m taking summer classes so that I can graduate by December of this year. I’m hoping to pursue my MBA down at UC in Clifton after I graduate from Miami with my Psych degree. I work at P.F Changs in West Chester and am almost always there. This is why I chose to take online classes this summer. I think this class will be very beneficial to me in that I can have a bit of leeway about when I do work, but still stick to a good schedule because I’m a bit of a procrastinator. Music is probably my biggest hobby and you’ll never find me not humming or singing some song or another (if you do, I’m probably in a horrible mood!). I’ve studied abroad in Luxembourg and I miss Europe terribly. I’m hoping to get back there someday soon. Regardless, I’m really looking forward to this class! I’m excited that we have interaction, as my other online classes did not provide the chance to get to know other students.

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 2:36:23 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

[Caitlin Lamb]

Hello Everyone!

     My name is Caitlin Lamb, but I usually go by Caty (pronounced Katie). I will be a junior this fall, studying at Miami Oxford, and I live in Fairfield, Ohio.  I recently switched back to being a Mass Communications major, which is what I was for my freshman year, before I decided to try out science by switching to Zoology.  It did't turn out so great, but it did allow me to realize that communications is where I'm meant to be!  Ever since my sophomore year of high school when a great teacher introduced me to British literature, I have read every book under that category that I could get my hands on, so I wanted to take this course to broaden my knowledge of different kinds of literature, and maybe to be able to compare and contrast  British and American styles.  This is my first online course, and I chose it because I work as a manager at a Gold Star Chili (for any locals who care, I am and always will be a Skyline fan), and I felt it would be more flexible.  That being said, I feel that it will require as much, if not more work than a traditional class, because without having a lecture, in a way, we will be teaching ourselves much of the information.

    Another reason that I like the flexibility of this online course is because my biggest passion in life is kayaking, and you never know when we will get a good rain and the rapids will be running.  I love whitewater kayaking, and hope to one day travel and run some big rivers, but for now my favorite run is a section of the Great Miami near my home that runs around a class III when it floods.  I also do a lot of flat water paddling in local lakes with my dad, and enjoy fishing both from my boats and on land.  Whenever I am not on the water, I enjoy hiking, rock climbing, camping and anything else that lets me be outdoors!

-Caty

[oligeejr]

Hi Class, 

My name is Jacqueline Oligee. I am an senior from the Oxford campus. I am majoring in Adolescent Young Adult Education. I will be doing my student teaching in August and I am very excited to be starting that new chapter in my life. Outside of school I like to spend time with my family and friends. I have two sisters and a brother who are a very big part of my life and also two nephews and two nieces who stole my heart. Some of my hobbies include crafting, reading, Zumba, and boating. I have a high school sweetheart and we have been together for five years. We are getting ready to get our first place this summer, and I cant wait to have a new found freedom. one thing i am passionate about is equality. I think that every person should have equal rights. we are all human and not one person is better than another, so why is it anybody's place to tell someone what they can and cannot do. I think as a teacher, being passionate about equality is a strong thing because I can teach my students about equality for all too. I think that this class will be a successful experience for me if I do not procrastinate. since it is an online class I am really going to have to stay on top of making sure that my work is always done on time. Another thing that will make this course successful is making sure that I do all of the reading. I want to make sure that I am expanding my knowledge on american literature. I think I am really going to enjoy this class. 

[roeselbl]

Hey everyone! My name is Briana. I transferred from the University of Cincinnati in the Spring and I'm studying Early Childhood Education. I love to being around children and helping them learn. I coach a competitive cheerleading team year round and I have a nannying job in the summer. 

This is my first online course and I couldn't be more excited to begin! I am shy in the classroom atmosphere so I figured I could use my voice more in an online setting. I hope to be more successful in my online courses because they work at a good pace for me and everything is kept in one place. Sharing opinions and staying on track with the syllabus are the key things that will make this a successful class experience for me. I am a little nervous with learning how to navigate this online class but so far so good! I hope that this experience turns out the way I want it to and I succeed well in this course!

[Joseph Dowd]

Hello,

My name is Joseph Richard Dowd but I go by Rich. I attended Miami from 2006-11 and graduated with a BA in Zoology. While a student, I worked as an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Michael Robinson's genetics lab. Additionally, I have bartended at 45 East the past two years. My academic passions include science, health and medicine. However, I'm also interested in history, business, literature and art. I like it all. When I wasn't at Pearson working in the lab or at 45 tending the bar, I could typically be found playing basketball at the rec. Basketball is definitely my top non-school related interest and I currently coach the same AAU team that I played for while in high school.

Like many of you, this is my first online class experience and I hope to make the most of it. I believe that good communication between classmates and instructor as well as a desire to learn new things will make this a successful experience. I look forward to getting to work (once my book arrives!) and getting to collaborate with all of you during these next four weeks.

Rich

PS Feel free to stop by 45 if you need a study break.. /shameless plug :P

[fran...@miamioh.edu]

Hey everyone. My name is Brandon Francis and I am a graduating senior at Miami University's Oxford Campus. I walked for graduation in May and will be finishing up in August. I am a Political Science major and am taking this course to fulfill a graduation requirement. I am from Cleveland, OH and am 1 of 3 family members to attend Miami. After graduation I will be moving to Chicago to work for a Logistics company.

One thing I am very passionate about is music, specifically percussion. I have been trained in many forms of percussion since I was 5 years old, and have specifically been focusing on different forms of drumset recently, which has become a very important part of my life.

One thing that will make this class experience good for me is my drive to learn new things. This is a subject I know little about and hope to open up to it and learn from it.

-Brandon

[sawtelmt]

Hi everyone, my name is Megan Sawtelle.  I am 19 and a junior in the nursing program at the Middletown campus.  This is my first online class so this is all new to me!  I was nervous about taking an online class because when it comes to anything related to technology I'm completely lost.  At first I didn't even know how to post this introduction, that's how bad it is, but the layout seems pretty simple and easy to follow so hopefully i get the hang of things soon.  Just a little bit about me, I am currently working part time at a doctor's office in Oxford and although I love that I'm getting great experience I've realized that I need something more fast pace to keep me interested and on my toes, so I can't wait to graduate and hopefully start working somewhere more unpredictable like the ER.  My dream job is to work on Aircare flights some day. 

 

I have recently become passionate about hiking.  This weekend I'm going to Virginia to hike part of the appalachian trail so that should be an exciting new adventure.  I love being outside and finding new fun things to do.  I'm also a huge movie buff.  Going to the movies is one of my all time favorite things to do!

 

I also love to read so I'm looking forward to this class giving me a better appreciation of literature, other than what I'm use to.  From what I've heard about online courses, being proactive and keeping up with the readings will make this a successful class experience.

Nice to meet everyone!

 

-Megan

[Betty Gabbard]

Hi everybody, my name is Betty Gabbard and I go to school full time at Miami University on the Middletown campus and also work here as a student worker. I have a three year old son and spend most of my time tending to him, keeping up on schoolwork and working. My passion is reading and writing, as I love to write about anything and everything. I am taking this class in hopes I will expand my reading library, because I haven't ventured out of my comfort zone and started exploring other authors and genres. I've taken a lot of online classes, but this is my first experience with Google Drive, groups, folders, etc. 

[jocketjw]

Hello everyone. My name is Joe and I'm a senior that will be graduating in December. This will be my first online course. I've spent most of my time at the Oxford campus while also taking some classes in Hamilton. I'm a history major and I'm taking this course as part of my thematic sequence.

Joe

[ussermar]

Good afternoon everyone!

My name is Arizona and I attend most of my classes on the Oxford campus and am currently going in to my senior year. My majors are Botany and Environmental Science with a minor in Horticulture, this translates to mean I love plants! I grew up gardening and hope to make a career out of it. This summer I am participating in a professional horticulture internship at Walt Disney World in Orlando. I am very excited to say I am gardening for Disney and making many happy memories and hopefully a few career connections here. I have completed online courses before and always found them to be a bit more controllable, meaning I can control the time of day I can focus on my work. This helps me absorb more from the material. I think I will enjoying the subjects we are covering because they are vastly different from my normal content and that will stay with me, making this a successful class.

Have a great day!

Arizona

[magrinar]

Hello everyone!

 

My name is Mandy Magrino, and I am a 26-year-old, senior at Miami. Like many of you, I am also a non-traditional Miami student, and I am double majoring in Zoology and Medical Lab Science (MLS).  Besides one more semester of Spanish, this is the last class I need in order to fulfill the Miami Plan requirements. Yay!  However, I am not going anywhere too soon because I still have to complete a 12 month internship for my Bachelor of Science in MLS, and I cannot start that until next Fall. So, here I will stay for the next two years.

 

In the meantime, I may add a third major to the plate. Crazy?  I know!  It's okay though because it's the major I should have declared in the first place, which I recently discovered I am very passionate about - Microbiology.  I love everything about microbes, how they work and especially how they cause viruses and diseases.  In the future I plan to research them in the medical field and hopefully play a role in developing new vaccines, medicines and treatments for medical conditions caused by microbes.

 

In my free time I love to hang out with my family.  I am a single mom of one amazing little boy named Noah.  He is 4-years-old, and he inspires me and motivates me everyday to be a better person for him, as well as for myself.

 

I gave up working about a year ago in order to take as many classes as possible, to speed up the process of earning my degrees.  Previously, I worked at Fifth Third Bank’s corporate location for a little over 3 years, which allowed me to by my first home 3 years ago – something I am very proud of.  I used to work full-time while enrolled at Miami full-time but that was starting to get a little rough, with all the other responsibilities I have, and I wanted to take more classes, so I quit.  Now, I live off student loans – nothing like paying off debt with debt.  But, I look at it as an investment for my future. J

 

I plan to make this class a success by putting forth 100% effort, and pushing myself to become a better writer and critical thinker.  It was nice to meet everyone and I look forward to working with all of you during the next 4 weeks.

 

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 2:36:23 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

I created a video introduction, which you have viewed hopefully.  You are welcome to create a text, image, audio, and/or video introduction. 

The goals of this activity are:

• to provide your classmates with a sense of who you are
• to combat the feeling of disconnectedness that can accompany online classes
• to help build our online community, so that we can learn from each other most effectively
• to give you practice with Google Groups

So, in response to this prompt, please (using text, image, audio, and/or video) answer the following:

• What is something about which you are passionate?

• What will make this a successful class experience for you?

[shekinba]

Beginning from a very early age, my mother impressed upon me the importance of maintaining a healthy life style through diet and exercise.  So I guess you can say that it was because of her influence, very early on, I have also had the desire to impart that knowledge to everyone I encounter.  My experience working in a hospital has also allowed me to see the necessity in sharing this knowledge with others.

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 2:36:23 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

I created a video introduction, which you have viewed hopefully.  You are welcome to create a text, image, audio, and/or video introduction. 

The goals of this activity are:

• to provide your classmfates with a sense of who you are

• to combat the feeling of disconnectedness that can accompany online classes
• to help build our online community, so that we can learn from each other most effectively
• to give you practice with Google Groups

So, in response to this prompt, please (using text, image, audio, and/or video) answer the following:

• The source of my inspiration
  

[shekinba]

Hello,

 

My name is Bahtyah Shekina.  I am a fulltime student at the Oxford campus.  I am taking summer classes online through the regional campuses to save money and am on my way to Ohio State University in the autumn.  I am passionate about health and love to share ideas with others about how to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle, among other things.  I look forward to taking part in this online course; writing is therapeutic for me and I'm always seeking ways to improve.

 

 

 

My source of inspiration

[shekinba]

Hello Amanda,

 

Congratulations on your decision to continue your education as a fulltime mother.  I am also what most consider to be a "non-traditional student," and a full time mother as well.  My son and I are learning together, since he is homeschooled.  However, it should be considered traditional to continue the pursuit of knowledge beyond the standard age that most complete their education; the moment one ceases to learn, they cease to live. 

On Monday, May 20, 2013 12:15:26 PM UTC-4, Amanda Sellers wrote:

 

Hi! My name is Amanda Sellers. I am a 28 year old, non-traditional student attending Hamilton Campus full time. I have 2 boys, 1 and 6 years old. I also work at a restaurant in Springdale. I constantly wish there were more hours in the day and sleep is a thing of the past, but I enjoy every day and try my hardest to succeed.

 

My biggest passion is focusing on the environment and how we can better our society for the next generation. Having 2 young children depend on me fuels my passion. My main area of focus is environmental sustainability and management of water ecosystems. I am an Environmental Earth Science major and will be doing research with one of my professors during Fall semester on hydrogeology, water contamination and the effects of agricultural pesticides.

 

After looking over the course site and the textbook, I feel I will get a lot out of this class. Being so busy, it seems all I read are children's books and science textbooks. It will be nice to dive back into literature and poetry, as well as reflect on what was read. I am definitely excited to "escape" from the baby books and Learn To Read books. I used to be a complete bookworm, pre-children, so I will enjoy this class. Having my children see me reading is also very important to me.

It's nice to meet everyone!

[Amanda Sellers]

Bahtyah,

 

I am glad to see a few mothers in this class. It's always nice to meet other moms. How old is your son? Why did you chose to home school him? I know a few moms who also home school their children and am always interested to hear their reasons why. You'll have fun in Columbus. There are a lot of places and activities for children. The fountains are really fun!