The Best of the Best BYU Experiences

I know everyone thinks I raced through school. I know. I've heard it. Over and over and over again. I've heard it from my mom, my dad, my aunt, my grandparents, my friends, people from my ward, people from my old ward, and people from school. I. Have. Heard. It. It makes me upset not because I think they are right but because they don't understand. I do not feel like I raced through. I feel like I went at a good speed and I happened to finish early. I am sad that it is over now, but sadness often comes with change. I, however, do not feel like I missed out on anything. Not long before graduation, I went to dinner with Dani and her husband Tyler. One of the questions Dani asked was whether or not I felt like I got the full BYU experience. I smiled and felt my eyes sparkle as I answered with a resounding yes. Yes. I feel like I got everything I wanted out of BYU, and I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to go there. Let's start at the very beginning because as we all know it's a very good place to start.

Leading Up to College

First, the year before going to BYU, I went up to Utah with my family and Kaitlyn's family. We did the BYU tour on the golf cart, and our tour guide had an English accent. So, it started well. Fast forward to the application process. So stressful. I would have been able to get into any university in Texas automatically, but we all know I did not want to go to one of those. All of the girls in my seminary class and I anxiously awaited that acceptance email. The day finally came and I was screaming at 5:00 in the morning. It had been a hard choice deciding between BYU and TCU since I got a hefty scholarship from TCU, but I feel like once my decision was made no one was going to change my mind. I went to seminary that day, and Kaitlyn and I got out of our cars, looked at each other for a minute, and we both smiled because we knew we both got in. We were going to be Cougars. I will admit I creeped on my roommates once they were assigned. I couldn't decide if I was going to like them or not. Meghan was a track star and looked fun but a little crazy. Was she going to be loud and always have weird friends over? Makenna had only just gotten a Facebook and there was nothing on it. That was a little weird to me... Emilee I seemed to like when I talked to her as I anxiously awaited the time for me to be able to sign up for my first classes. And then there was Dani. Cute, beautiful, and pictures of Europe on her Facebook. I was jealous and wondered if she was going to be amazing or one of "those girls." I was just going to have to wait and see how two Utah, two Washington, and two Texas girls were going to get along.Senior year of high school flew by along with my summer, and all of the sudden I was in the car with all of my stuff on the way to Utah. I threw everything in my room as quickly as I could and kind of introduced myself to my roommates before I had to go. My mom signed me up for Foundations of Leadership. I did not want to go. I was already nervous enough about school without having to go to a leadership conference beforehand. I went and loved it more than any HOBY conference I had been to. Not only did I love it so much, but I met Rachel there and was introduced to BYUSA. Little did I know how great an impact this would have on me, but more about that later.

Fall 2011

I got back from FOL and hiked the Y with my cousin Becca since we went up to BYU the same year. How we managed to get up there without acclimating ourselves first I will never know, but we did it! Going back to the dorm I slowly got to know the roommates better. I loved all of them! I still spent plenty of time with Kaitlyn going to football games, tracing our faces on the mirror with an expo marker, hiking and lighting the Y for homecoming, being part of the homecoming parade, going to conference at the Conference Center, doing the blue foam slip and slide down a hill at Helaman Fields which is a homecoming tradition, laughing at the plastic wrapped statues on campus when the Utah game came, and took walks in our cowboy boots, but spending time with roommies was always fun. We played spoons in the elevator, ate cookies from our FHE brothers, got candy when someone (Dani was first) went on a date, watched a crane collapse, went to devotionals (especially the one with President Monson), went to the football opening party at which I won a sweatshirt, going out to play in the snow that had the biggest flakes I had ever seen, and having sleepovers in our living room.

Winter 2012

I didn't go home for Thanksgiving, but I got to go to Washington to spend some time with my favorite aunt (don't tell the others) and her cute family which may have been the best thing I could have done. I loved going home for Christmas, but it was even harder to go back to that winter semester. I think I lived off of tortillas with butter, hot chocolate, and Jamba Juice. I am not a winter fan, but when I came back I had fun roommates to look forward to and a class by Hank Smith. Winter was filled with time with FHE brothers that included shoving 13 people into a car and having the cops show up at the park we were at, walking to the temple with Kaitlyn, planking in the elevator and down the stairs, more sleepovers, spending time with a friend from FOL and heart-attacking our peer mentor's door, roommate shirts with individual quotes from our song "Party Rock Anthem", blanket forts, room decorations, snow, snow, and more snow, and of course the festival of colors. Yes, all this time I was in classes and doing presentations for BYUSA. Those presentations are where I met one of my best friends. Eric. That boy always made me laugh. I eventually made a point to go to devotionals early so I could sit in the front row because he was on the stands. Apparently he noticed because one day he texted me and asked if I could come meet him in the office. He offered me a position on his team the coming school year. I didn't really think about it before I said yes because I loved BYUSA and he was pretty great too. My mom did take some convincing though since I would be coming back to BYU for summer. I won her over. At the end of the year we had a BYUSA retreat and a BYUSA party where I beat Eric on a blow-up obstacle course, and I was in heaven!

Spring/Summer 2012

Mom came to pick me up after winter semester, but I had to go to my first friend's wedding reception first. One down! When I came back to school for summer the fun really started. Friend dates with Eric were like once a week whether we went for crepes, J Dawgs, or frozen yogurt. I lived with Meghan this summer which was easily the best choice. We went to Seven Peaks almost every day, started a Fourth of July tradition that continued every year, and became even better friends with Janessa who had lived across the hall from us freshman year. Janessa, her roommate Leah, Dani, Meghan and I had watched "When a Stranger Calls" together during the school year. After that we slept on the living room floor falling asleep to church music because we were so scared. Anyways, Jan, Meghan and I watched scary movies all summer at Jan's house. :) That summer I also was in the Fourth of July parade and made s'mores on the belltower lights with Meghan and Mallory and Jessica from BYUSA. That summer I was also a peer mentor for FOL and had a blast with my BYUSA team every single day.

Fall 2012/ Winter 2013

Fall came around which lifted some responsibility off my shoulders since I was acting as VP in BYUSA. Eric was done with his internship and took over. I had new roommates but lived in the same building as most of my old roommies so we still did stuff together all of the time. We went to the stadium party and got pics with Van Noy and Brandon Davies. #winning. We also played in the park at night and went to the Brigham City temple open house. For football games this year I had 50 yard line seats on the front row with BYUSA. Best thing ever. Seriously. BYUSA took up most of my time, but I had fun with my roommies too. I even dressed up with them for Halloween (which I NEVER do). I spent Thanksgiving in my apartment this year with Becca. We made a delicious dinner and even had a meringue war when we were making the pie. The trees with red and yellow leaves somehow changes to bare branches with snow overnight. Christmas came and went. With the snow we made giant sculptures on the patio of our apartment. Michael came to visit and Becca and I took him to Temple Square, Hogle Zoo, and the This is the Place monument with about a foot of snow on the ground. My roommates and I also went to the Festival of Colors again this year. Why miss the chance to become a rainbow? This year of BYUSA included even more adventures such as a day at Boondocks with go-carts, bumper boats, an arcade, a batting cage, and laser tag, a luncheon in the brand new convention center, a leadership ceremony where I won the BYUSA dedication award, our final winter retreat, and multiple fun, random days, events, and activities.

Spring/Summer 2013

This was the year I also dated a boy for the first time. Andrew. It lasted for one month which makes me laugh, but it obviously just wasn't meant to be. That spring I got to see Wicked for the first time for my birthday, and I spent my last birthday taking pictures with my best boy. That summer he died which took me what felt like forever to stop crying about. Needless to say I didn't get the best grades in my classes that summer. Oh! And the first of my roommates got married. Emilee got married!!! I made some of the best friends at BYUSA, and I applied to be the VP like Eric was. I didn't get the position, but I realized why later. That summer my best friend, Eric, got married, I made my first solo road trip, spent more time with Meghan (we enhanced our 4th of July tradition by going to the fireworks and concert at Thanksgiving Point on the 3rd as well as the Stadium of Fire fireworks on the 4th), made a trip to Washington with the roommates, got to see the Manti temple pageant, fell head over heels for a boy that moved away and suddenly stopped talking to me, went to a hot air balloon festival, went to the rope swings in Mona, saw a Pioneer Day parade, went to another wedding reception, got showered in glitter on a rough day, got a job, made a new friend (Julie Anne), and did the ropes course at the Olympic park. And, at the end of the summer, I was once again a peer mentor at FOL (I loved it even more this year) and was roped into being a peer mentor for New Student Orientation. 

Fall 2013/Winter 2014

This semester I roomed with Dani, Kaitlyn, and Makenna again, and we went back to our fun shenanigans and adventures which included wedding ring shopping one night. My new job was with the Alumni Association planning events. I mostly worked with the Student Alumni. It was a lot like BYUSA, but I got paid for it and worked in the Hinckley Center! This job had its perks. I got to watch the BYU v. Texas game in the President's Loge with the First Presidency of the church and the head honchos of the school. I drove the Alpine Loop in the fall, had picnics in the park with Meghan, drove in the convertible with Kennedy to the pumpkin patch, went to football games with Dani and her boyfriend/fiance Tyler, and was Becca's companion for a day before I dropped her off at the MTC. Jan, Julie Anne, and I made a trip to Park City in a blizzard, my roommates and I saw the Catching Fire midnight premier since we had seen Hunger Games together the year before. I made a trip to Arizona where I got sick for the first time since going to college, but Ami, her family, and I still ended up going to Cali anyways (my first time!). Dani and Ty got married and I got to be a bridesmaid! I survived winter once again and saw the lights on Temple Square and drove through the Thanksgiving Point lights with the top of the car down. I went on a retreat with my Student Alumni group and got to go tubing at Soldier Hollow. I went to the hot springs, planned and attended Traditions Ball, got to see Andy Grammar in concert, met and hugged Sister Dalton, and just had fun! 

Spring/Summer 2014

All of the sudden my final terms at BYU came. James and Kaitlyn got married, and I was the Maid of Honor! I finally went to Arches National Park, I hiked the Narrows at Zion National Park, Meghan, Janessa, and I went to the actual Stadium of Fire concert where Carrie Underwood performed, I spent most of my time with friends, I made a 4.0 for spring and summer, I had an internship with the Department of Child and Family Sservices, and I had almost a week long vacation where I missed class and went to California. 

So, I had good and bad roommates, I was in love and heartbroken, I had good and bad wards, I had fun and worked hard. I was involved. I made friends. I had adventures. I went to football, basketball, and even some volleyball games. I had experiences that most students don't get to have. So, thank you to everyone who made my BYU experience a FULL BYU experience. Roommates: Kaitlyn, Dani, Emilee, Makenna, Meghan, Jenn, Alanna, Melissa, Mallory, Alexis, Maren, and Ashley, their husbands, my BYUSA team: Bryon, Angela, Kennedy, Austin, and Devon, Eric Cecil, Angela Blomquist, Amanda Nuttall, my favorite teachers: Anne Hodge, Erin Holmes, Justin Dyer, Hank Smith, and Katie Isaak, my bishopric members, the Bishop's wives, the Student Alumni team: Flint, Michael, Mady, Christina, Brett, and Brody, Curtis Isaak, Julie Hatchett, my internship mentors: Liz and Kobie, Janessa, Julie Anne, Justin, Andrew, the best visiting teachers ever: Brooke Ellis and Blythe Beecroft, Alyssa Harkness, Becca, and Aubryann McClune. Thank you for allowing me to say that I had the best of the best experiences I could have ever asked for at Brigham Young University. I am thankful that I could leave my mark at BYU, but I am even more thankful that it left its mark on me.

More FOL Pics

I know you are probably tired of FOL, but I miss it. So, here are a few more pictures from the conference. 

Green Megz and Ham

Every year I am so scared to go to FOL. Last year I was afraid I would not measure up to the expectations I was putting on myself for what a peer mentor should be. This year I knew I would miss Eric, and I was afraid of what was going to happen between Andrew and me. Those were some of the reasons, but the real reason is because it is so far out of my comfort zone. You spend three days in charge of a group of freshmen teaching lessons, dancing, going crazy, singing, and putting your whole self out there. Funny thing though, every year I end up going, and I end up loving it, come home on a spiritual high, and feel like I can conquer the world.

This year I taught four lessons. The first one was on a talk by Sister Dew called You Were Born to Lead, You Were Born for Glory. Sister Dew talks about how we are here right now because we were elected to be. We are here to run the last leg of the relay because our "pre-mortal spiritual valor indicated [we] would have the courage and the determination to face the world at its worst, to do combat with the evil one during his heyday, and, in spite of it all, to be fearless in building the kingdom of God."She talked about how there would be days when we are beat up by life's whiplash, people will disappoint us, and we will disappoint others, and the veil between us and heaven will feel reinforced by concrete.President Hinckley once said, "The responsibility I carry frightens me... Sometimes I could weep with concern. But there comes the assurance that the Lord put me here for His purpose, and if I will be humble and seek the direction of the Holy Spirit, He will use me... to accomplish His purposes." We may feel inadequate and like everything is working against us, but we aren't running alone. We can do all things through Christ because we were born to lead. We were born for glory. There is no limit to what the Lord will teach and give us. We must choose how much power we want to have and what we are willing to do to obtain it. Our Heavenly Father is always there for us. We just have the task of understanding what he has to say. But, as she said earlier in her talk, challenges that tax our faith are usually opportunities to stretch and strengthen our faith by finding out if we really believe the the Lord will help us. Sister Dew asks, "Do you know what we believe? Do you know there is power in the doctrine of Christ to change and overcome weakness? Do you realize that the scriptures contain the answer to every life dilemma?" My answer to all of those is YES! I was born to lead. I was born for glory!!!

The next talk I taught a lesson on was by President Eyring called Education in Real Life. I was taught by this talk to never let my knees hit the ground before my feet. Sometimes I pray for things to happen before I try and make them happen. That is not how it is supposed to work. I just want everything to work out perfectly all of the time, and I feel lost and confused when they don't. Good thing the Lord knows what he needs me to do and what I will need to know. He is kind and all-knowing meaning I can expect that He has prepared opportunities for me to learn in preparation for the service I will give. I also learned through this talk that our education must never stop. We must never put secular learning before spiritual learning because when we put God's purposes first, He will give us miracles. President Eyring closes his talk by saying. "I cannot promise academic success... Nor can I tell you the way in which He will honor His promise of adding blessings upon you. But I can promise you that if you will go to Him in prayer and ask what He would have you do next, promising that you will put His kingdom first, He will answer your prayer and He will keep His promise to add upon your head blessings, enough and to spare. Those apparent prison walls of not enough time will begin to recede, even as you are called to do more." This was perfect for me since school starts in FIVE DAYS!

The next lesson was on a talk by Elder Holland called Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence. He talks about how before great moments, especially spiritual ones, there can be adversity, opposition, and darkness. He reminds us to not forget that it isn't over until it is over. All too often we have spiritual breakthroughs and then let our guard down and are overcome with trials we were not ready for. Satan will always come again, but he will always be defeated by the God of Glory. When we sign on for a moment of eternal significance it will be a fight, a good winning fight, but a fight. He says that in these instances, fear almost always plays a destructive, sometimes paralyzing role. Adversity can also be worry and fear, and only faith, hope, and charity can help overcome it. (Good thing I chose to go to FOL, right?!) He shared the story of the people crossing the Red Sea. Their faith was tested as they fought through self-doubts and second thoughts just as ours is today. They were seemingly free and on their way to the promised land until they saw the water in front of them. They could have panicked and given up. But as D&C 103:20 says, "Mine angels shall go up before you, and also my presence, and in time ye shall possess the goodly land." He says this goodly land applies to us as well. It is our promised land, Jerusalem, our own acre flowing with milk and honey, our future, our dreams, our destiny. "Cast not therefore away your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise (Hebrews 10:35-36)."

The last talk I will bore you with (I'm sorry. I just really enjoyed them!) was The Challenge to Become by Elder Oaks. He tells the parable of a wealthy father telling his son who had not yet developed the needed wisdom and stature to use his inheritance wisely that he could give what he had to his son, but what he was had to be obtained for himself. He would have to do this by living the way his father had, following his example, mastering what he had mastered, and becoming what he was. He compared this to us becoming like our Heavenly Father and being truly converted by the gospel. We must never stop striving because we are children of God, and it is possible for us to become what He would have us become. I learned that charity is something we become. It is a state of being. I know that is part of being a child of God. I need to work on that.

Now, FOL wasn't all lessons I taught. Tuesday, we followed the BYU tradition of having a devotional. A couple spoke, and asked the simple question, How will you lead? The sign outside of campus says, "Enter to Learn Go Forth to Serve." How will I lead? Will I be like the gold prospector who wanted a chunk of gold so discarded the small flakes that could have accumulated over time, or will I be like the three eighteen year old boys who carried the pioneers across the freezing Sweetwater River? Those that came before me did many great things giving me a noble birthright. I will lead with a legacy with small and simple acts of service that will lead to lifelong devotion, peace, and joy.

If you haven't stopped reading by now, I will get to the fun stuff. I had three boys in my group. Two crushed on me, and one crushed on me hardcore. He told me I was his COW or crush of the week. In reality, I was his COTD or crush of three days. Sorry friend, but you are a little young for me. This is the first year that I can say that! One of my participants from last year was a peer mentor this year and he teased me the whole time about being seventeen and so on... What a bum. Anyways, I'm still searching for #MrRight.

When going through the games and low ropes course, we did something called a trust fall. They wanted me to do it because I was the peer mentor. I couldn't let my fear stop me since I just taught a lesson on that, so I did it. You stand on something where your feet are level with everyone else's heads. They stand a certain way to catch you. The guy who worked at Aspen Grove was trying to teach me how to hold my arms, and they ended up just being a tangled mess. Dang my monkey arms. He looked at me and said, "Girl, you've got issues." He then looked at my group and said, "You guys follow this girl?!" Yep they do, and yep I have issues! Don't judge me. We ended Monday with the dance in which I was on passion patrol, I danced a little, and Mark (my co-peer mentor) walked around wearing a fish head.

Tuesday started off weird. We had waffles for breakfast. I'm not a huge fan. I don't mind the taste or texture. I hate the pattern. I don't know why. My day went on and got better even though it rained all day and my lion hair appeared. After a fun day and the musical program which was a little rough this year, we did the night adventure. We changed it this year since it was raining. We were inside and put our participants in a circle blindfolded and holding hands. We connected it to one of the lessons and said they were facing the Red Sea and being chased by the pharaoh's army. They could cross or let fear get the best of them and give up, but we asked if they were motivated to cross by fear of the army or faith in the Lord. We separated them and told them they let their fears get the best of them and now they were alone because everyone else had crossed. Mark and I sang I Am a Child of God, and after a minute or two we had them hold hands again and told them they were never alone. Christ had always been with them, and because of their faith the Red Sea had been opened again so they could cross. We took off their blindfolds and sat down. Every one of my chitlens bore their testimony. In thinking about my testimony, I thought of the Atonement. Christ would have gone through it if I were the only person on the earth. I thought about that more. That would mean I would have had to be the one to crucify him. My Savior would have forgiven me and suffered just for me. That amazed me.  There were some tears, and I could feel the Spirit like never before. I honestly felt like angles were sitting all around us.

Wednesday we got to break wood boards by karate chopping them. I love doing that. We write our goals for the year on one side and the fears that could keep us from accomplishing them on the other. Then, we face our fears and break through them. So much fun. After that, Vice President Scharman spoke at the closing session. She was super sassy. I have never seen her like that. At one point she said, "Haha I was right! Again..." She was cracking me up! She spoke about how our brain doesn't process don'ts. When we tell ourselves to not do something we practice it in our minds until we are really good at it, and then it happens. Like when we tell ourselves not to trip and we think of all the ways we could possibly trip, and then we end up tripping. She told us to focus on our strengths and what we know and to go from there. I thought that was a perfect end to the conference, but dancing and singing on the bus ride home was the best! I am so thankful I went. I feel better and stronger than I did before. I faced my fears, and it was totally worth it. I loved getting to see and talk to Angela, already miss my group, and cannot wait to see what I can do this year to apply some of what I learned!