A future ahead of me

We all dream of what our future will be like. Will we meet the prince charming? Or becoming a doctor, a lawyer or a police officer. But even at 10 years old to even 16 years old I never pictured my life being as it is today. Going to school full time, working part time, engaged to someone and not yet 19, I turn 19 a week from now. But I am not complaining, I really would not have it any other way.

When I was 15,16 and 17 years old, I never pictured my life like this. Now granted that is all only a few years ago that is still a huge difference from today. But at those ages I remembered the only important things were buying a dress for prom and the homecoming dance, getting enough sleep or caffeine in me or turning in AP homework on time and when the next hangout with my friends was going to be. Yeah, like high school goes you have your crushes and your flings and anything else that would make it worth remembering but once I graduated high school June 8, 2012. That all changed for me.

I graduated high school and started college at the age of 17 which was a bit of a mental challenge for me. At the time I wasn't working, it was my first semester of college I wanted to see if I could stick it out first. I turned 18 half way through the semester and I have to say really the only thing that is different from high school is no more getting up at 6 am every morning :) But I also noticed how much more responsibility I had to manage such as managing time for family and friends and how much studying to do every night to make sure I had an adequate amount of sleep. Once I got through my first year of college for the 2012-2013 academic year I figured I would take the summer off and try to find a part time job. Which I did, four days before school started as a janitor at Fidelity Investments which I still hold the job now and started the fall 2013 semester. Just recently a week ago my boyfriend of 10 months, but whom I have known and fallen for, for three years got down on his knee and asked me to marry him.

So the difference of when I was 16 and now a week away from 19 is pretty big. I am managing school work, projects, a part time job, time with family, friends and my fiance and sometime down the road learning how to manage finances. 3 years ago I never imagined my life being like this, but like I said I would not have it any other way or trade any of it. I talk with some of my high school friends and their lives have completely changed too. I know right now I am only in stepping stones with entering the real world but future looks bright and I think as long as I keep working hard and keep the grades and save the money. Things will definitely look up brighter than they already seem. :)

New Hope and a Ring

I never thought in high school to be the one to find someone special in my life that would inspire me so outside of my own family. I never thought that I would be that kind of person at all just because well through high school it never really worked out for me. But this sort of changed when I reached the 10th grade my perspective on anything and everything changed that year on April 4, 2010.

I was 16 reaching the end of my sophomore year in high school. I had just started spring break and my dad took my sister and I to our grandparents down in Williamstown to go four wheeling on the property. My brother was already down there. I went and said hi to my grandparents and hung out before my dad said we could ride around on the four wheeler, he asked the people who own property behind my grandparents house if it was alright if we rode back there, which we could we just had to be careful because they were mowing the grass. There was already someone back there on a four wheeler. An 18 year old, my sister and I rode back there and I acknowledged that he was there but didn't think too much of it. Well about a half hour into riding I ran over a pretty good size tree limb because the area is surrounded by trees, I lost control of the ATV and got flung off into some bushes with my sister on the back riding down the hill, I didn't even realize how hurt I was I went after the quad which was stopped by two trees. I got her off and my dad came and got the four wheeler so it could be fixed and rode again. The 18 year old, my dad, and my aunt all came to make sure we were okay. That's when I first talked to the 18 year old, he told me to call him JJ. He didn't leave my side after that and I could not figure out why. He walked back with my dad and I to examine the quad and my injuries which I cut my right leg, messed my left knee up and had a bruise on my face but other than that I was okay and my sister only had a scratch on her arm. The rest of that day I went four wheeling on the back of JJ's quad while my brother rode on the other quad and I got to know him a little bit. Think the first compliment he gave me was "my god you have beautiful eyes and a gorgeous smile." I don't remember much from that day other than we forgot to exchange numbers to keep in touch. He was getting ready to graduate high school at the time. But I remembered a bright smile in sunlight/.

After that day I remember always going back to that property to see if he was there, which majority of the time he wasn't. It wasn't up until the end of spring break my senior year in April 2012 when I was back down at my grandparent's house to help paint the gutters and the roof that I saw him again. I came back from Kelley Bruce's which is just a little market down the street from my grandparent's house. with gloves on ready to work again when my dad called out to me, "Hey Paige! Do you remember that kid that helped you from your wreck?" I responded, "Yes? I think?" next thing I know there he is, I just kind of froze for a minute and thought, there he is, someone I never thought I would see again, two years later. "Hi, Paige remember me?" he said. "Yes, I do, it's been a while" I remember that day dying to get his number to communicate and hoping he would remember everything, and he did. He very much did. After that day we hung out here and there, I graduated high school and started college in August 2012, I was with someone else and had been for a while, but was getting really fed up with the person. So in October 2012 I broke it off with that person and finished out the semester. JJ and I got together December 8, 2012.

Since then, we had confided in each other, we have grown to have affection for each other. And I never get tired of being around him. He inspires me to work harder in school, at my job or just being myself. He gives me motivation to get up every morning and get done with what I need to get done. He is everything to me, and I never thought I would be the kind of person to feel this way but I do. And just recently on September 14 he got down on his one knee, and he proposed to me, the ring is an early birthday present because I turn 19 in a week and a half but the proposal was the surprise. I am more than happy to be this man's fiance. who would have known that by a four wheeler wreck I would be with this man today? they say everything happens for a reason and I guess he's the reason. But, he loves the fact that I go to school, and I work. But I have grown to have such a mature bond with him that when people ask me what I am working towards I always say, "I am working towards a bright future yes, but it's not just my future, it's mine and his." and I stick to that. Whenever I started to cry or feel down about myself, or having the urge that strong urge that I couldn't do it anymore, he told me to never give up because he never did. I honestly thank him for being there for me as a friend and as my fiance now. If he hadn't helped me with myself and that strong urge to just give up on everything I would not be where I am at now. I do pray every night and hope to god that this does pull through because I would be lifeless without him. He is my best friend, my true love, my angel, my everything.

All I want for Christmas 2013

I absolutely love Christmas, always have since I was kid. I love being around my family and spending time with my family. Family is everything to me. But Christmas has not been the same since 2010. Beforehand we always held it at wherever it was, most of the time at my aunt and uncle's house in Florence. But I most of all love Christmas for the happy atmosphere, the smell of floral candles and that once in a blue moon that there is snow on the ground. A White Christmas is such a beautiful sight! I have only seen it a few times and I admire how the snow sparkles on the ground. Beautiful.

December 2010 was a rough one. Christmas eve 2010, I was half way through my junior year of high school. My grandfather had gull-bladder surgery that Christmas eve. My brother who was half way through his senior year of high school and signed up with the Army reserves stayed in Williamstown with my grandmother so she wouldn't be alone. We didn't celebrate Christmas as a full family that year, instead we all celebrated a late Christmas in February 2011, and was thankful that my grandfather had a successful surgery. But every Christmas since 2010 has not been the same. June 11, 2011 my brother graduated high school, we were supposed to have time with him until the end of June, early July. June 25, 2011 he was called up to go to boot camp. The only communication we had was writing letters. He got to come home for two weeks leave in November 2011, which means he was home for Thanksgiving, we all had Thanksgiving as a family at my house. And, it by far was the best holiday feeling ever to have my brother home again for the holidays. But he wouldn't be home for Christmas.

Christmas 2011 we didn't put the tree up my house, my sister and I didn't feel right putting the tree up without our brother there, we still celebrated as a family, but without the tree. However we did put it up for Christmas 2012, but he was still stationed in South Korea for Christmas. It hasn't felt right since 2011. He serves in our nation's Army, and that is an honorable thing, and I am thankful to have such a close member of the family sacrifice his time and effort to make sure his family has somewhere to call home.

Everyone always asks me the usual, "What do you want for Christmas?" The answer is always the same, I want my brother to be home on leave to celebrate Christmas with the family. Well, just a few months ago I found out that my brother is scheduled to go on leave Thanksgiving this year and he just may be home for Christmas this year. It is not set in stone, but I pray every night that it happens, that would be the best thing ever to see my brother home on Christmas day.

* And thank you to all who serve in any branch of the military.

High School Memories

I don't think there is a day that goes by that I do not reflect back on my high school career. People always said make your high school years worth it because you will miss it when you are out and graduated and these people were always right. I definitely don't miss getting up at 6 am but I do miss the programs I was involved in and how it made me into the person I am today. Although of all the programs I did I think the three I miss the most are SkillsUSA, Freedom Writer's and STLP (Student Technology Leadership Program). Mainly because those three programs set the foundations for the long term goals I have. Started pretty early too, 9th grade.

I started participating in my high school's STLP before the other two. Which was a technical leadership program and what we did was stay after school for about an hour or two and design and complete projects through the use of technology. I was very fascinated by this because this gave me an opportunity to expand my mind and see what I could really accomplish beyond the classroom (although we worked on projects in the classroom that's beside the point) And I remember in May 2009 I went to the state competition just to observe and see if I would like the program. The competition was held in Lexington, Kentucky at Rupp Arena and Lexington Convention Center. And seeing some of the projects that kids as young as elementary school came up with gave me the inspiration to stay in the program to see what I could come up with. So through the rest of high school 10-12th grade I stayed in the program and competed both regionally and state level with showcase projects and this started my passion for designing web pages too because a lot of the projects involved web design and designing tri-fold posters. Here is a picture to kind of give an idea of the projects we would work on. This one would be what myself and my teammates made for the 2011 regional showcase.

Freedom Writer's came next because I helped create the program at my high school. As much as I love computers and designing writing was and remains my original passion. I like the idea of creating a story and having it documented for my entertainment or whenever I get a book published or finish a piece, hope that the idea fascinates someone else too. With the help of two friends, my 9th grade English teacher and approval from the principal the club was created in April 2009 and we called it the Freedom Writer's Club. The idea of the club was for young writers to come in and write in a good calm atmosphere and they would not be judged for anything. We have had quite a few people come in and out of the club sharing their talents and I just find that so interesting that people share the same talent as I or find someone else that shares that talent too.

My junior and senior year I joined a vocational program called SkillsUSA. I participated in both leadership and hands on workshops and competitions in this program which developed my passion even further and more in depth in web design. I also held two positions in those two years on the local executive council. My junior year I was the parliamentarian and then senior year I was the vice president. I fell in love with this program almost immediately. It helped strengthen my vocational and leadership skills. The chapter council not only organized fundraisers and such but also had to practice over and over an opening and closing ceremony which was a tedious task but it was also fun to do. I attended the 2010 and 2011 KLTI ( Kentucky Leadership Training Institute) along with the rest of my council which was three days in Louisville teaching us leadership skills and council skills. Then competed both regional and state level in 2011 and 2012. I never made it to nationals but the experience was good enough for me. It took a lot of hard work but it was so worth it, getting to meet new people and see new things and strengthen my vocational area that was good enough for me. But for meetings and certain competitions we had to dress professionally. For the females the dress attire was black dress shoes, black dress socks, black dress pants, white dress shirt, and a red SkillsUSA blazer. Very professional looking.
But these three programs made me decide what I wanted to go to college for and why I am studying what I am today. I still go back and help out any way I can to contribute back.

My greatest achievement yet, receiving my diploma

Like any other high school student I always looked forward to my high school graduation. All through high school I worked to the bone to get where I was including extra-curricular activities, accelerated/AP (Advanced Placement) classes and Saturday study halls, and a variety of regional and state competitions. Finally June 8, 2012 arrived. I remember the feeling of excitement....and also how tired I was to have to get up at 8:30 am to be at graduation practice at 9. I sat in the second row to the far left 21st of my class. I liked hearing the sound of Pomp and Circumstance because not only because I was graduating with 128 more students but the harmony of the song brought upbeat positive energy into the hot gym. After practice we were given our caps and gowns a yard sign that said congratulations and a cook out was held outside for all the seniors. When I received my cap and gown, that is when it all hit me... oh wow the day really is here. All within senior honors night and graduation practice I received two medals, everyone was given a Holmes medallion and I got a medal for being in the top 25 of my class, three graduation cords, one for National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society and SkillsUSA. 

So, I took it all home, got showered and all prettied up and I hesitated to put the gown on. One it was hot as could be outside, two again HOT OUTSIDE, and three reality was hitting me little by little. Finally I put it on and headed to the high school. My sister who had just ended the 6th grade was also in the high school concert band so my sister got to be at my graduation playing Pomp and Circumstance. We all crowded into the gym, everyone was exchanging hugs and congrats to each other. Then the principal called all of us to stand up it was time to march to the football field. I remember my hand shaking as I held my red rose that the school provided for all the girls on the graduating class. I took my seat, well stood up with the rest of the class as we waited for everyone else to take their seats. And, I imagine everyone was thinking the same as I was, hello it's hot, HURRY UP!! 

Once we all seated in our seats, the principal came up to us and announced himself to us and the crowd in the stadium bleachers. My mom, dad, sister, grandmother and my good friend and who I consider my second mother Kimberly was there to support me. My brother was in South Korea at the time so he had to miss out on the graduation but I did get a Skype call that night which made my night a little better. Finally after the valedictorian speech and guest speaker speeches it was time to hand out the diplomas. We all got to chose who gave us our diplomas, I chose my IT teacher of four years. 19, 20, 21st my turn to get up and get my diploma. I walked across the stage with the biggest smile on my face as I shook my teacher's hand and received a hug. I walked back to my seat and waited on the others to be called up. 

Once we were all back in our seats, the principal signaled us to stay standing up and called up the class president who gave her speech as well. Then the principal came back up and instructed us to turn our tassels to the right, and these were his exact words, "I present to you, the graduating class of 2012, go forth and prosper!" next thing you see is a sea of caps and tassels in the air, and we had practiced how to walk back but we all just joined together and walked back to the gym to get our actual diplomas to put in our covers. My father was waiting for me at the gate, I saw him he handed me a coke and a big hug, I remember shaking as he was hugging me, it was an interesting hug. Then I went and got my diploma and met my family back at the Senior Building and took pictures with everyone and hugged everyone. Then,... I guess reality hadn't quite settled in yet but I opened my cover, saw my name, the honors and shrieked, "Oh my god, it's my high school diploma, oh my god, high school is really over"

June 8, 2012 was the start of the rest of my life.