There is only left one short week of school. I am quite sad that it's time to pack up my things and leave this beautiful and amazing city of San Francisco. I've have seen wonderful places and met wonderful, beautiful people here, I cannot wait to come back in a few short months. The past week has been like the ending to a terrible chick flick movie - in other words, it's been awesome! Now, I will concede, the heart-throb handsome boy is missing in the end my life as a movie, but it's alright. Christ is his stand in, and we don't mind if I admit it's far better that way.
I've been experiencing extreme favor in my classes, as the semester is winding down. At the beginning of the semester, I made a kind of promise to myself that I would try to get amazing grades in each course I took. With 16 units, that's not too hard, but I had no idea what I was up against, to be completely honest. I have to say this with all humility, but it was an honor to even come to SF State for me, with all of their budget cuts, funding of construction over education, and pretty bad food, I was nothing short of grateful to be here, and thus vowed to do my very best! While I won't know just yet if I got As in all my classes as planned ( I think I shot a B in 2 out the 5... I'll try again next semester), a lot of my classes have gone very well.
Let's talk Ballet! When I began this course, I was so scared I wouldn't be able to do it, even intimidated by my own body, because apparently it has potential, and I think I have good learning capabilities, but I would doubt myself more than anything in that class. On the last day, after I had taken my final, my wonderful instructor who has encouraged me, yelled at me, yelled at everyone including me, pulled my ankle a way I didn't think it was supposed to go, and taught my first lesson in ballet ever, asked me if I'd like to be placed in Dance 400 next semester. 4-0-0, gyah! I'm not even a dance major.
Now, she said specifically that she wants me to "give it a go" because she thinks I'm a good learner and she wants to push my ability. I didn't get placed into this class because I was good. If anything, I could be getting a terrible B+ in Dance 163, and just have shown average performance ( which I really think I did). For my professor to take it upon herself to allow me this opportunity continues to amaze me the more I think about it. I'm up to the challenge, and perhaps now, considering a minor in dance.
English has always been a strength, and I've never had a better teacher than D. Eidhin in my years of learning at a public school. Rosenberg and Benson, my humanities teachers at Providence Hall, and Mrs. Blackwell, my english teacher at Providence, will always be the best. But my professor this year is right up there with them, without a doubt. Thanks to his above and beyond magnificent work, I was exempt from writing the last essay for class and have swept all A+ grades on my essays making up 80% of my grade.
But enough about how great I think I am, I know I'm probably coming off terribly proud and self-obsessed, it's not my intention at all. I'm really grateful to my teachers for taking my eagerness to learn and making it a wonderful experience. Without them, I would not be dancing with majors and minors next year, and I wouldn't have done so well in English. These teachers have made a huge impact on my education, and they may not even know it, I should write them thank you cards. And tracing back, to the beginning of time, thank God for these teachers, thank God for SF State, thank God for this opportunity to learn and grow even more.
It goes beyond just my english and dance professors, my International Relations teacher was fantastic! I would recommend him to anyone who even has the tiniest of interest in world affairs. He took the mustard seed of interest I had in what was going on in the world, and taught me so much. I know how to watch the news now, and enjoy it, and understand it, and I feel so in tune with the world. I don't feel like an isolated girl from a small town. When people say, "Well there are kids starving in Africa," thanks to my IR teacher, and his insight, I can almost feel the gravity of that statement we use so loosely today in our society. Taking this class has pushed my heart for missions not just in Japan, but around the world. Though my IR teacher is not religious, he has opened my eyes to just how much good can be done, how much love and hope can be spread, how big the world is, and yet how small and within my reach it is as well.
My communications teacher opened my world in a similar way, and taught me how to understand people and stand for what I believe at the same time. This is something I think many Christians can have trouble with, and I feel as though she helped me develop the beginnings to being able to do that. She's also such a gorgeous person, strong and outspoken, with a huge heart for people who are abused and hurt. She possesses many qualities I hope to have as I grow into an adult.
Math is Math, Japanese is Japanese, we'll see how I do in these classes, they're the last two finals I have to go! I'm encouraged, and I'm so glad I'm here. I will miss this school terribly. I will miss San Francisco even more, and my community here following Jesus, and my church, and my friends, and the air, and rain. I will miss it all. But I will be back soon. I will be back, and with gratitude deep in my heart, I will do my best.
I've been experiencing extreme favor in my classes, as the semester is winding down. At the beginning of the semester, I made a kind of promise to myself that I would try to get amazing grades in each course I took. With 16 units, that's not too hard, but I had no idea what I was up against, to be completely honest. I have to say this with all humility, but it was an honor to even come to SF State for me, with all of their budget cuts, funding of construction over education, and pretty bad food, I was nothing short of grateful to be here, and thus vowed to do my very best! While I won't know just yet if I got As in all my classes as planned ( I think I shot a B in 2 out the 5... I'll try again next semester), a lot of my classes have gone very well.
Let's talk Ballet! When I began this course, I was so scared I wouldn't be able to do it, even intimidated by my own body, because apparently it has potential, and I think I have good learning capabilities, but I would doubt myself more than anything in that class. On the last day, after I had taken my final, my wonderful instructor who has encouraged me, yelled at me, yelled at everyone including me, pulled my ankle a way I didn't think it was supposed to go, and taught my first lesson in ballet ever, asked me if I'd like to be placed in Dance 400 next semester. 4-0-0, gyah! I'm not even a dance major.
Now, she said specifically that she wants me to "give it a go" because she thinks I'm a good learner and she wants to push my ability. I didn't get placed into this class because I was good. If anything, I could be getting a terrible B+ in Dance 163, and just have shown average performance ( which I really think I did). For my professor to take it upon herself to allow me this opportunity continues to amaze me the more I think about it. I'm up to the challenge, and perhaps now, considering a minor in dance.
English has always been a strength, and I've never had a better teacher than D. Eidhin in my years of learning at a public school. Rosenberg and Benson, my humanities teachers at Providence Hall, and Mrs. Blackwell, my english teacher at Providence, will always be the best. But my professor this year is right up there with them, without a doubt. Thanks to his above and beyond magnificent work, I was exempt from writing the last essay for class and have swept all A+ grades on my essays making up 80% of my grade.
But enough about how great I think I am, I know I'm probably coming off terribly proud and self-obsessed, it's not my intention at all. I'm really grateful to my teachers for taking my eagerness to learn and making it a wonderful experience. Without them, I would not be dancing with majors and minors next year, and I wouldn't have done so well in English. These teachers have made a huge impact on my education, and they may not even know it, I should write them thank you cards. And tracing back, to the beginning of time, thank God for these teachers, thank God for SF State, thank God for this opportunity to learn and grow even more.
It goes beyond just my english and dance professors, my International Relations teacher was fantastic! I would recommend him to anyone who even has the tiniest of interest in world affairs. He took the mustard seed of interest I had in what was going on in the world, and taught me so much. I know how to watch the news now, and enjoy it, and understand it, and I feel so in tune with the world. I don't feel like an isolated girl from a small town. When people say, "Well there are kids starving in Africa," thanks to my IR teacher, and his insight, I can almost feel the gravity of that statement we use so loosely today in our society. Taking this class has pushed my heart for missions not just in Japan, but around the world. Though my IR teacher is not religious, he has opened my eyes to just how much good can be done, how much love and hope can be spread, how big the world is, and yet how small and within my reach it is as well.
My communications teacher opened my world in a similar way, and taught me how to understand people and stand for what I believe at the same time. This is something I think many Christians can have trouble with, and I feel as though she helped me develop the beginnings to being able to do that. She's also such a gorgeous person, strong and outspoken, with a huge heart for people who are abused and hurt. She possesses many qualities I hope to have as I grow into an adult.
Math is Math, Japanese is Japanese, we'll see how I do in these classes, they're the last two finals I have to go! I'm encouraged, and I'm so glad I'm here. I will miss this school terribly. I will miss San Francisco even more, and my community here following Jesus, and my church, and my friends, and the air, and rain. I will miss it all. But I will be back soon. I will be back, and with gratitude deep in my heart, I will do my best.
SO proud of you.
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