i stand for the power to change
i believe in the perfect day
i love til it hurts like crazy
i hope for a Hero to save me
i stand for the strange and lonely
i believe there's a better place
-Idina Menzel

This song, first played to me by my best friend, is so true to the things that I believe in and the things that I stand for.

I stand for the power to change.
With every passing day, I find more and more truth in the idea that people have the power to do just that. A lot of times I think that we overlook issues that seem too large to tackle and we just assume that they must be meant to be that way. As each day goes by, it becomes more and more evident to me that people have so much power in changing things they feel passionate about. Although passion works wonders in mobilizing people to act, it is not enough. We must reach inside ourselves and commit to working towards change.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." —Margaret Mead. This quote, which is hanging on my wall, reinforces the idea I have brought up above, and is confirmed in my life through PHP, St. Paul's and the IMPACT conference that I recently attended. Feel it in your heart and mobilize with your thoughts, words and most importantly- your actions.
I stand for the power to change.


I live for the strange and lonely.
Upon first coming to Eastern, I had decided to major in Psychology and planned to counsel children as my profession. It was a clear path in my mind that I never thought I would stray from. I have since added minors in Sociology and Business, as well as getting certified in Non-Profit Management. Now you may be asking yourself-- "What in the world does this girl want to do with her life?" The answer: EVERYTHING! I have expanded my thoughts on what I want to do after graduating Eastern. These things include: traveling to Africa, working as an Invisible Children Roadie, running a non-profit organization, attending grad-school for a masters in counseling psychology.. and the list continues. I plan to touch on all of them at some point in my life and wish that I could do them all now, but the important thing is, I will be reaching out to people who aren't always thought about, and when they are, it is not in the best light.

People in Africa are sometimes sympathized with, but other times just disregarded because "they live in another country, we can't even help the people in our country". The Invisible Children (also from Africa) are certainly lonely in the sense that before 3 young American men went to Uganda and captured their story, very few people knew about them. Those who benefit from non-profit organizations are in need or services that they can't get on their own whether it is due to homlessness, sickness, a tragic accident, or any other multitude of things. Often, people who fall under these categories are looked at as strange (by most of society) and are certainly lonely to some extent. Working towards a masters in counseling psychology will lead me to a degree where I can counsel children who are having problems at home or in school whether it is with fitting in, dealing with peers, handling living with a parent who is a substance abuser, etc. I have chosen to live a life that will help those who are looked at strange and those who are lonely.
I live for the strange and lonely.

I believe there's a better place.
St. Paul's has been my agent in finding Jesus and God and figuring out exactly where they fit in my life. Everywhere is the answer. I don't belive that I can or should just call on God when I need Him. He is forever present and has His hands in all of the things that I do. With every action, especially service, there is more meaning to me than ever before. Because of this, I know that there has got to be more than just this Earth.
I believe there's a better place.

i stand for the power to change
i believe in the perfect day
i love til it hurts like crazy
i hope for a Hero to save me
i stand for the strange and lonely
i believe there's a better place
-Idina Menzel