16 Things in 2016

 26 days into the new year (hello, 2017), I've decided to reflect on my year with 16 standout moments from 2016. These are in chronological order (but not necessarily in order of importance), but here's a snapshot into last 365 days and what I hope to remember most from 2016.

  1. Missouri Youth InstituteFor those who know me, you know that the Missouri Youth Institute and the World Food Prize have a very special place in my heart and my priorities. Seeing our statewide institute come into being and be a success was so satisfying. Following those students to the World Food Prize (#12 on this list!) was awesome. I found it very fulfilling to be a part of a program that will hopefully be long lasting. (Side note: if you're in high school, apply!! link to website
  2. NBA Game for 3 Years!To surprise Joey for our three year (HOLY COW people) anniversary, we went to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to see Kevin Durant and OKC Thunder and it was so cool and so worthwhile. We had a lot of fun and figured out kind of "how to adult" by driving in a big city and going to a game alone. It was scary, but hey, we won the game!
  3. FFA State ConventionMy last FFA State Convention was bittersweet, for sure. I almost wasn't going to be able to make it because of DECA Internationals (#4) but Coach Campbell fought for me (find you a Coach Campbell, you'll need it). My last state convention was BY FAR my best and I placed first overall in sales, won my proficiency award in Agriculture Education and competed for Star in Agriscience, three goals I established freshman year of high school. It was exciting and fulfilling and everything better than I dreamed and made the "rough times" of FFA worth it.
  4. DECA InternationalsDECA Internationals!!! Yay, so this was one of my favorite moments of senior year. Easily. I placed second at state for the second year in a row, to the same girl as the year before -- but it pushed me to prepare harder for  internationals than I ever have. I placed in the top 20 at internationals in my role play scenario and then ended up placing top 10 and 3rd among the US students. Coach Campbell deserves all the recognition and it was such a privilege to finish his (and my) time in DECA with an international placement we had been working for since sophomore year. I miss DECA!!
  5. PromWith Joey being away at MSU, some parts of 2016 were hard. Prom, however, was a weekend I got to spent with Joey that made up for all the lost time. I always love it when I can go weeks without seeing Joey and then come back and everything is the exact same as if I never left. I found a beautiful dress and got my hair and makeup done and it was such a fun night.
  6. Senior Awards ConcertOk, so I really miss band (shocker). Looking back some of my best moments from Eldon are from my time in band and the senior awards concert I was a mix of emotions. Joey secretly got me flowers and Mrs. Hanks presented them to me, we were able to recognize Deb Lef for being awesome (and got to showcase Anna and I's cool pottery skills hahaha). Being drum major was one of my favorite experiences and the senior awards concert was the icing on a cake to a really great year with some of my best friends.
  7. Graduating & Graduation PartyEveryone loves graduation!!! The triplets survived and are all doing their own thing now (insert sad face because my brothers are away). Our grad party was really fun and it was exciting to see all of our friends and family come together. And...Aunt Theresa came!
  8. SQUADObviously 2016 would not have been the same if it weren't for my "squad" (Courtney, Justyn and Ben). Thank you for the countless homecoming rants, Harry Potter movie nights, scholarship jam sessions, Subway dinners, staying at school with me until like 6pm (@justyn) and being the best support system I could ask for. Y'all rock.
  9. KayakingI got to take up a new hobby this year and that was kayaking! I'm so sad that I didn't try this sooner but Cassie and I went once and I was hooked. I even went kayaking in Kenya. #dedication
  10. Kenya and UgandaThis goes without saying, but my summer in Kenya and Uganda tops the list. You find out who your friends are when you're gone and cannot communicate at convenient times, you find out how strong your relationship is when you can't see each other for two months and Skype/phone calls don't work, you find what you love about your community and your family and what you don't like about America when you're away. But more importantly, you find yourself and you find what matters. Travel people, do it.
  11. KAOI joined a sorority!! My lovely women of Kappa Alpha Theta at the University of Missouri truly are supportive sistas and I couldn't take on MU without them.
  12. World Food PrizeSee #10 but attending the World Food Prize to tell and share my stories from Kenya and to (finally!) wear my African dress in public was a blast. I met so many students who are interested in food insecurity, shared the stories of my kiddos and re-dedicated my life to public service.
  13. Miss Missouri -- winning talent at Miss SpringfieldI recently started competing in Miss Missouri local preliminaries and received two non-finalist Interview Awards. I was most excited to win overall talent at the pageant I have wanted to win since the very beginning, Miss Springfield. Getting to play xylophone and wear beautiful dresses sounds like a dream to me. :)
  14. Costa Rica & Flying a droneCosta Rica!! I continued my international travels over winter break and rounded out 2016 in the Children's Eternal Rainforest with my friends, a tarantula and lots of bugs. It was beautiful and I could go on and on about how incredible Costa Rica is/was.
  15. Leaving home and....Leaving home for college and the opportunities that I've gotten at Mizzou thus far made 2016 so different from any year before. From the Deaton Scholars Program to Tiger Pantry executive board, to KAO, CCH and IAAS, I'm crazy busy and it makes me happy.
  16. Coming home...Alumni Jazz Game and HomecomingYou never know what you have until it's gone and Eldon, Missouri is a wonderful little town, y'all. I'm happy of where I come from and the people who make up my hometown. Coming home and reconnecting with my friends like we never left will always be my favorite thing. (And home = Joey so I can't complain) :)

       

Previous
Previous

Hello Miss Crown City

Next
Next

The Hierarchy of Food: Hunger on Campus