Countdown Continues

Hi all! The countdown until our final presentations on April 30th continues at what seems to be maximum speed. The other night I ‘X’ed out the respective day on my calender that hangs on my bedroom wall. This simple act has been a ritual of mine since I can remember, but for the first time in my life I questioned why I do this each night. Sure there are a lot of things I may be counting down to, our presentation, finals week, family vacation, etc. But I’m not truly looking ahead when I cross these days of my life off of my calender. Pehaps I do it to symbolize another day gone by, but still, am I celebrating this as an accomplishment or as a defeat? I suppose it would depend on how I had spent that particular day. To be honest, there have been more than a few days during this semester where I felt completely unaccomplished and worthless, but I also had a few days where I put my heart and soul into every task I attempted.

As our group projects are coming to an end I am looking back on everything my group and myself accomplished for Huskies Helping Huskies. I’m proud of the work we put into the website and all the time we spent working with clients, but I can’t help but wonder what else may have been accomplished if Huskies Helping Huskies was my number one priority every day of this semester. I guess that isn’t ideal with me beng a typical college student with five classes, a part-time job, and extracurricular activities. Though, I don’t like walking away from unfinished business. The best I can do now is help my group wrap up the project, finish documentation, and prepare our project to be passed on to the next group who will carry on the HHH legacy. Hopefully he next group will be successful in getting HHH to the next level whatever that level may be.

We couldn’t have succeeded in our project goals without Norie and Dr. Martin’s personal donations to fund our website’s first year. The next group will have an easier time asking the foundation for funding once the site has proven successful in its first year up and running. They may also succeed in gaining partnership with Hungry Huskies organization thereby obtaining support from the CGA. I am interested to see how far future groups will take this important project.

I won’t lie, working on the HHH website and goals re-ignited an old passion of mine. In high school I was actively involved in Youth in Philanthropy, which focused on giving back to local non-profit organizationa both monetarily and through service projects. I was president of my school’s YIP club for two years and I really enjoyed meetings the community members/clients that my club and I chose to help. I particularly remember the exceedingly thankful man who accepted our donation for the Orangeville Public Library. We helped fund their summer reading program for elementary school children each year that I was involved in YIP. I vividly remember him an his noble cuse because clearly he and I share a passion to enlighten the lives of others though the gift of literacy. Although I digress, my main point is this: perhaps I have a future working with non-profit organizations. Working on this project for class has taught me a lot aout myself and my future goals.

–Anna J.