Tag Archives: Education

student blogs

That’s a Wrap Take Care, All!

Our last class of the semester was both exciting and a little bittersweet. The potluck-style gathering gave us a chance to unwind and celebrate, while presenting our projects one final time made me reflect on how much we’ve all grown. As I shared my work, I felt like I should be further along, but I reminded myself that progress isn’t about perfection and that the project would eventually come together. I really valued everyone’s feedback, it sparked new ideas and gave me motivation to keep going, even with the work that still remains. I had originally started my project in WordPress, but it became challenging to manage, so I switched to a custom website at the last minute. It feels more secure and easier to work with, and I’m excited to see the project fully take shape.

This course has been an incredibly meaningful experience. It opened my eyes to how different electronic literature is from traditional storytelling. Working with it encouraged me to think beyond words on a page, taking into account design, interactivity, and user experience as part of the narrative. The process challenged me to be creative, problem-solve, and step outside of my comfort zone, particularly while developing and refining my final project. I’m grateful for the feedback, support, and ideas shared throughout the semester as they shaped my work in ways I didn’t anticipate.

As this journey comes to an end, I’m excited to continue building on what I’ve learned and see where these skills take me next. I can’t wait to finally finish my project and see it all come together. 

Wishing everyone the best of luck with their final projects and future endeavors, and wishing you all a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season!

student blogs

Assignment #1 – Trusting the Process (Pt. 2)

After posting what I thought was our first assignment, I started looking through other people’s posts on the class page. That’s when it hit me: I may have already done assignment one wrong – UGH! Anyway, once I reviewed the instructions again, I realized I was supposed to write more of an introduction to myself. So here we go…

The blog I already put up, “Trusting the Process”, does sum up some of my abilities (and challenges) for this class, but I’ll take this chance to share a little more about me.

When I was a kid, testing for reading disabilities, ADHD, or other learning differences just wasn’t really a thing yet. In about 4th grade, though, one teacher noticed that my comprehension was especially low when I read aloud. That moment eventually led me to Kean College (as it was called then), where they were doing a ‘study’ and tested me for a reading disability. No one really knew what that was in the 1970’s.  I’d love to find-out what happened to Toni Brescher, she was the person I met with a Kean at the time.  With years of tutoring and persistence, I caught up and even surpassed grade level. That process taught me resilience, and some tricks to help me along the way, somethings that still carry me through even today.

I’ve always been creative and have worked in all kinds of art forms. Art used to be my biggest passion, but once you start working full time, it’s amazing how little energy you have left for hobbies (at least that’s been my experience). And age, well, it really does make a difference. Not just in stamina, but in learning too.

I came to college later in life, and now here I am in Graduate School. I have attended both degrees while working full time at a pretty demanding job.  I created and run Union County’s Office on Women (which has been met with many challenges and continues to).  With all  honesty: not a single semester has gone by without me asking myself, “Why am I doing this again?” But I keep going, because this degree matters to me.  And here we are at my last semester at Kean and so very nervous about taking the Comps (instead of writing a Thesis) and its almost over, thankfully.

On top of that, I can’t afford to get anything less than an A in my classes, literally. My tuition reimbursement doesn’t kick in unless I earn A’s. So, while the pressure is definitely there, I’ve decided to embrace it. My goal is to finish this graduate degree as an A student, not just for the tuition but for myself.

A little more about my life: during the week, I live with my mom, who’s older now and appreciates the company (and it helps that her place is closer to work and school). On weekends, I retreat to my own house, just a mile from the beach in the Asbury Park area. That little piece of Jersey shore calm (?) keeps me grounded.

So yes, this is me:  balancing work, school, art (when I can), family, and the pull of the ocean breeze. It’s not always easy, but I’ve learned to trust the process, even when I trip over the first assignment.