reaching for dreams with faith and friends: Emails, So Longs and GV Magazine

~~Staying in touch with people makes me keep going.~~ Staying in touch with people that have made a difference in my life keep me going. I love being able to send update emails to people I know that really care what I am up to, especially since I'm close to my college career. Mrs. Trella is one that I try to email once or twice a year. Being in her class for 4 years, she made a huge difference in my life. I am so much more outgoing because of being in her speech class. Mrs. Trella has always had this love for Oprah, we watch episodes in her class that dealt with what we were talking about and made connecting to life. I some ways Mrs. Trella is my Oprah. She has life lessons that I have taken with me throughout the years. She is the figure in my life I turn to for school advice, she is an advocate for education.

So when Oprah ended yesterday I felt like I was losing a part of me. But really I was tying Oprah to Mrs. Trella, so I jumped on my email and updated her on what has been happening in Allendale. That email that came May 25th made me smile, since I knew or I thought May 25th was going to be a challenging day.

There was a sense of security when Oprah was on everyday at 4pm. I use to listen to her everyday when I was at home, and now that she is gone I will miss her. It's not that I watched her everyday but just knowing that she was there made my days better.

Along with the email from Mrs. Trella May 25th, I also got the GV Mag article rough draft. I was chosen along with 2 of my other co-workers to be interviewed for the Grand Valley Magazine that will come out in August. I was super excited when I got chosen and was able to share what a tour guide meant to me. The story rough draft definitly came on a much needed pick me up kinda day.

If you haven't read the story yet here is a sneak peak. Even though many of you have seen it. Look for it in your mailboxes in August GV Peeps!

GV Mag article Leah Zuber Rough Draft

Campus tours are given year-round, during the weekdays and on Saturdays.

“Do students like giving tours when it’s heavily snowing or 98 degrees outside?” said Retberg. “Probably not, but they put a smile on their face, and we appreciate that.”

Like with any job, Hughes said if she’s having a bad day, it turns off the minute she greets someone. “We walk the tour route 10 times a week, but families walk it once, so you have that one chance with them,” she said.

For those who aren’t able to visit the campus, virtual tours will soon be available in the fall. People can visit the Admissions website (www.gvsu.edu/admissions) and see 360-degree views of the Pew Campus, Kirkhof Center, Campus Recreation Center, academic buildings and more.

Lasting impressions

Hughes, Williams and Gray agreed that being a tour guide has helped them improve their communication skills.

“I was extremely shy when I began college, but this job has helped me to open up and become more outgoing,” Hughes said.

That's all you get for now ; )

May 25th ended up being an awesome day! Plus we saw GR LipDub check it out by clicking GR LipDub. I'm in the opening shot with my friends Laura and Michelle look for us in our Grand Valley attire. What an experience. We spent 5 hours downtown filming with thousands of people, then we got to see it premiere on a big screen at Celebration Cinemas.

A picture to make all these words so much better...