Stephanie Rajchel

I’m baaaaack!

Got back on campus yesterday after a long and refreshing break!  I enjoyed spending my break with family and friends, and mainly just enjoyed a break from HOMEWORK!

However, I’m back on campus and ready to finish out the semester and career at Messiah very strong!  This time of the year is J-term, in which students enroll in only one course, but are in class for 4 hours a day, every day.  Most students will use this opportunity to take one of their harder courses in order to really focus!  This is my first semester of NOT taking a J-term course.  I have opted to spend this semester job hunting in the Harrisburg region.

I am originally from the Pittsburgh area, but I have come to love Central PA.  I am applying and researching many different public relations and advertising companies out here.  During my FALL 2007 semester, I took a Senior Seminar course, that all seniors have to take, and I spent that time putting together my resume and portfolio, so now I’m ready to go!  Through a lot of preparation, I am ready to start the interviewing process!  In all of beginning stages, the Messiah College Career Center has been a huge help! I have had assistance in critiquing my resume, mock-interviews, and just overall advice and support in making decisions that will affect the rest of my life!  They’re really great!

Other than that, I will be beginning the search for an apartment in the area and other things of that nature.  I am seriously beginning to feel “all grown up!”

It seems like my time at Messiah has just flown by and I can’t even begin to imagine how quick this last semester is going to go!

Leave comments with questions regarding my job search, the Career Center, and any other thoughts you might have!

Boy, it feels good to be on break!  I’m sitting at home, in a recliner with my feet up, in front of my fireplace, with my family, enjoying a movie.

Christmas was yesterday and it was a great day to kick back, give gifts (and get them!), and see lots of family.  I got pretty much everything I had “asked” for… bunch of books - novels, PR style books, and COOKBOOKS (just call me little Susie Homemaker!)!

Today I did a little last minute shopping - I am heading out to Baltimore this weekend to spend some time with my boyfriend and his family, so I needed some last minute gifts for him and his family.  I am looking forward to spending some time out there!  I’ve only ever been to Baltimore one other time and I got to go to the Science Center.  This time, I’m hoping to go to the Aquarium!  We’ll see though, my boyfriend is making the plans!

Ok, well, leave me some posts about what your Christmas’ were like and what you enjoy most about the holidays.

Peace and Love!

Well, here I am in the middle of finals week!  It is a crazy time, but one that I can make it through with the promise of trays of Christmas cookies with my name on them at home!

I have about two more finals to go - one that is an actual exam and one that was a take home essay.  Not too daunting, but still a good bit of work.

It is a bittersweet time, knowing that this is my last week of fall finals!  This time next year, I will probably be sitting at my desk at work thinking to myself ” Boy, I wish I was back in school - it wasn’t that bad.”  It’s funny to look back at how much I’ve changed since this time my freshman year.  But God is good and He has brought me through!

A note to those of you in the midst of finals or frustrations, know that God is 100% in control and no matter how bad things seem or how lousy you feel, He would never allow to go through something that He knows you can’t handle without Him.

Keep your chin up!

Sorry for the delay in writing - the life of a senior is crazy!

Let’s see, where to begin….
These past couple of weeks have been pretty busy with papers, exams, and projects.  Currently, I am working on a television news broadcast for my Newswriting class.  My team is reporting on the status of the new President’s Residence.  So far, it’s coming along nicely.  I am also still working in my PR Campaign team for our client.  I can’t remember if I’ve ever written about that group, but in case I haven’t and for all you new readers… PR Campaign is a “senior project” for nominated senior PR majors.  You are “suggested” by the PR professor and other COMM professors to be a part of it.  What we do is find an organization (usually non-profit) and we offer to do PR for their company for a semester.  This year, we have chosen to work for an organization call THE ARC - they provided many different services to people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.  Our purpose is to aid in the planning of their 50th anniversary celebration!  So far the experience and skills I have gained are invaluable!  Not only are we working on our skill-set, but we are networking in the process, which is one of the most important things for a COMM/PR major!  I definitely recommend it to any senior PR majors!

I am still working for The Swinging Bridge, which is providing me with numerous opportunities to expand my experience in print advertising and managing of a budget!

I just returned from Thanksgiving Break.  It’s hard to think that that was my last “Thanksgiving Break.”  My boyfriend and I went home to my family in Pittsburgh.  It was a nice weekend - did a little shopping and a lot of eating!  Came back last night and went to a Hershey Bears Hockey Game at the Giant Center.  It was so much fun!!  Seriously, there is so much to do around here besides all of the activities on campus, even though they are pretty fun too.  I’m planning a trip to NYC (for my first time!) hopefully in the upcoming months and a bunch of other cool trips - it’s all so easy being so close to everything!

Anyways, in the next couple weeks here, I will be uber busy prepping for finals, but I will try to write as soon as I can - definitely over Christmas Break.  I am planning on returning for J-Term, however instead of taking a class, I am going to job-hunt!  Happy hunting for me!

Leave me some comments, questions, thoughts - I’d love to respond!

I know, I know… it’s been awhile…

Welcome to the life of an 18 credit senior - BOY O BOY! I CAN’T WAIT TO GRADUATE!!
I have a TON of work the past couple weeks in my classes.  This past weekend was fall break, but it didn’t seem much like a break to me.  I had a big test in my Conducting class today - I had to know all orchestra and band instruments in English, French, German, and Italian - talk about major study time!!  So I spent my break studying for as well as doing other homework.  Don’t get me wrong, I did take some free time to relax with my family.  My Dad’s birthday is this Thursday and mine is next Tuesday, so we all celebrated birthdays as a family while I was home.

Other than that, there’s not too much else going on…

My job at the Swinging Bridge is going great and I am learning so much!  You should check out our website (www.messiashsb.com) and give me some feedback - articles you liked, articles to didn’t, or things you would do differently.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Hello bloggers! And, no I have not forgotten about you!! I really have just been THAT BUSY!

So since my last post, school has started and, boy, I am loving it!  For those of you that know me, know that I’m not the kind of person that can just take it easy, so I am taking another full 18 credit semester, continuing my work at Red Robin, working in Admissions again starting in October, and my newest addition to the line-up: PUBLICATIONS MANAGER FOR THE SWINGING BRIDGE !

I love my new job - I am responsible for soliciting new ads to various clients and organizations on and off campus, I bring in ad revenue and manager the budget.  All in all, it will look great on my resume!

Classes are going great too!  In addition to the “pain in the butt” gen-eds, I have some amazing COMM courses!  My Senior Seminar class is taught by my advisor - she’s AWESOME!!  We learn all about what to do after graduation and how to FIND A JOB!!!  It’s soooo practical!

At any rate - Living it up in Grantham with some great friends that I hope to create more great memories with before the end of the year… it will be different not to be so close to everyone this time next year.

But enough of that - I’m heading out on a lunch date now, but leave comments! I’d love to respond!

Well - today is the official last day of my summer internship, and I must say that I’m not sure where I’m headed next.

I have a couple different “irons in the fire” at different job locations, now it’s just a matter of making a decision on where I want to be.   Option A: Stay working in the Enrollment Management job.  Option B:  Accept the job offered to me as the Publications Manager for the Swinging Bridge, school newspaper. OR Option C: Just keep looking around.  I want to try and find a way to balance both Option A and Option B, I’m just worried about my time schedule and over-committing myself.  I’ve prayed about this, but I think what I need right now is God to show me what to do in NEON FLASHING LIGHTS!

In other news, today is the day that all freshman move on to campus!  AKA no parking anywhere and craziness on campus until midnight! I remember my moving day - Witmer, four flights of stairs, two new roommates, a double room - insane.  But as I reflect on my time here at Messiah, I couldn’t have asked for a better place.  I love my friends, my professors are great, and my education is invaluable.

Well - back to the grind.  Someone’s gotta do some work around here….