A Letter to My Past Self

Yesterday I was sitting on the carpet of my room, typing on my laptop, and a thought occurred to me. “Isn’t it weird how one day, at a particular time, your brain reminds you of something you haven’t thought about in over a year?” I looked up at my friend, who was standing nearby. “It …

The Nursing Program: How To Be A Competitive Candidate

This one is for my prospective nursing students from the class of 2019! I have been getting several emails and messages on Hope on Facebook regarding applying to the nursing program, so I thought I’d blog about it! It’s all in a Q & A format. At the end, I also have some advice from …

Death by Winter Fantasia

I realize that Winter Fantasia was a week ago, but I wanted to share my awesome experience with you all. Firstly, Winter Fantasia is an event hosted by Student Activities Committee, or SAC for short where people eat and dance in Grand Rapids’ Amway Grand Hotel. It’s great because you get to dress up and …

Destination: Cameroon

Alright alright alright. Here’s that anticipated post about the Peace Corps! People requested me to talk about my journey throughout the Peace Corps application process, so here it is! Many of my friends have only seen pictures, so here’s the real story. I hope you enjoy it all! Since my sophomore year of college, the …

The Value of Seemingly Spare Change

Change is good, they say. And I agree. I opened the top drawer of my desk over lunch and found a Ziploc bag of dimes, quarters, and pennies (and probably some nickels) tucked back in the left-hand corner. I was trying to find a pencil, but all I found was change. I’m certain it was …

Back To School, Snowpocalypse, Africa Oh My!

Well, the first week of the spring semester is finished. To top it off, it finished on a great note because we have a SNOWDAY TODAY! For those of you who don’t remember, the weather was like this exactly one year ago. It was so bad that people coined the term, “Snowpocalypse 2014.” I definitely …

7.5 things to focus on for the first half of ’15

I was so ready for the new year that I took my assignment notebook on December 31 and tore out all of the pages leading up to January 1. “New year, new schedule,” I told myself. Along with a new schedule, I created new truths for the upcoming year. Due to future circumstances that make …

2,014 is more than a number

I’m not a mathematician, but I can tell you, a number holds so much value. When I think about the year 2014, I consider it to be so much more than a number. Looking back at the weeks and months in which I faced significant challenges, I can hear the echoes of my disappointment, anger, …

I Got Into College! What Next?

It’s that time of the year, folks! Well yes, Christmas and being with family, but as well as getting those college acceptance letters! There’s a new college graduating class cohort, the class of 2019. That seems so far away, but trust me, it will be 2019 in no time. I can’t believe I graduate in …

The Mission That Guides Hope: A Reflection

Many institutions have mission statements. Mission statements provide a guiding light, providing direction and purpose for that institution. Hope College is no different. What makes Hope unique is what is illustrated in the mission itself. Take a gander: The mission of Hope College is to educate students for lives of leadership and service in a global society …