Hey Guys!

The summit swimmer girls are back in town! wooo!! and just in time for Spring Break too! haha.  I hope everyone is doing well and that your projects are going great.  I realized that I guess I completely forgot to blog last time... my bad :( sorry Andrew! But our project with Lighthouse is going well.  We plan on doing a little easter egg hunt with the kids when its closer to Easter, but other than that we have just been volunteering.  They have put us in assigned rooms or jobs that are a little different from what we did last semester.  I am now working in what they call the green room which are the kids that are between the ages 3 and 5.  I have to admit that I will definitely not be going into the "young childcare" career, haha but it's fun.  I work in the classroom between about 9 to 11, which is before lunch and their nap, so you can tell which kids are ready for their nap... 

The overall experience has been great at Lighthouse though.  I have learned to work in an education environment.  So even though I want to work in the Secondary education atmosphere, it still is a good experience.  I especially like it there now because lighthouse has moved to a new location that is way nicer than the other place, in the sense that the rooms are nice and big.  They painted them light colors and make them very kid-friendly.  

Ok well see you guys after break! 

-Jessica 

Woohoo!!!!

Hello again my Summit friends!  The Beacon Project girls have had one exciting/stressful/busy week this past week!  We literally JUST got back from our Nationals swim meet in San Antonio, Texas after being gone for an entire week.  It was an absolutely wonderful experience to defend our title as National Champions, but, man, are we tired and happy to be back in our Summit apartment!  Ahhhh home, sweet, home.  Unfortunately, we had to miss class on Friday, but hopefully everyone enjoyed the speaker, and we will definitely be at next month’s meeting.

                Things at Lighthouse are continuing to go much more smoothly than last semester.  We have settled into our roles as volunteers (finally), and Dolly always has something lined up for us to do now.  The past couple times I have volunteered, I’ve just organized paperwork.  Lighthouse was preparing for their meetings with all the individual families, so I had to file papers under each family name so they could review them at their family meetings.  While I wish I got to work with the kids, I often find my volunteer hours very relaxing, and the time seems to go by really quickly.  Also, now that we are done swimming for the season, we should be able to dedicate even more time to volunteering and to planning our April Easter egg hunt.  :)

                Everything is going really well in our apartment.  Over the past week at Nationals, I feel like my roommates and I have bonded even more and gotten even closer together since we’ve been working towards a common goal.  I was so proud of all of them and our Summit boys this past week, and I feel like things will go even more smoothly in our apartment this semester since we won’t be exhausted and cranky from morning practice all of the time. Haha  That’s about all to report from the Beacon Project!  I hope to see everybody next month!

                ~Molly

Halfway There!!

Hey everyone!

We just got back from winning NCAA division II swimming national championships!!! So this semester has been great so far both in and out of Lighthouse. I am still volunteering in the center and things are going really well. I have been assigned to the infant room which has been a very rewarding experience to me for many reasons.

I am actually in a child development class this semester which has given me some insight into how each of these children are developing. Being able to observe children in a variety of different stages in there development has helped me better understand the actually material being presented in my class. I have also been able to identify certain behaviors the children display and how to appropriately handle many of them. I suppose I have just enjoyed seeing my class in action.

 I have also enjoyed volunteering at Lighthouse because of the atmosphere. Being able to help these babies by changing there diapers, feeding them or rocking them to sleep has been a privilege. I have discovered that I absolutely love kids. After volunteering this semester I always feel so relaxed and refreshed. It makes me feel so good it has become a little get-a-way.  I really look forward to volunteering every week.

Lastly I have really enjoyed this experience becuase of what I have been able to give back. I was volunteering the other day and one of the mothers stopped by to see her son. She came in while he and I were playing with some blocks on the floor. She was so appreciative of what I was doing that she couldn't stop thanking me. It felt so good to know I was actually helping someone that much.

We have begun planning our Easter egg hunt and party for the children. It looks like it is going to be really exciting! We hope to have some sort of activity or craft as well as an easter egg hunt in which all of the children will participate. Lighthouse is very excited about the event as well. I think it is going to be a great success.

Tiffany

Hello from Nationals!

Hey guys!
We are at Nationals right now and totally dominating! I hope I haven't spoken too soon, but everything is going great! It's so exciting to be here. We are sorry we are missing class! But not too much is new in the Lighthouse department. Volunteering is going great and running very smoothly. They seem to have everything organized and professional now. I always have something to do, and I always know where to go. I almost have all of my hours in by this time!
The next thing on our list is our big Easter Egg Hunt that we are going to throw for the kids! We haven't discussed it much because our main focus has been this week at Nationals, but now that swimming won't be involved much anymore we are going to put forth a lot of effort at Lighthouse. We will have so much more time to be planning and helping them out.
Everything at Summit is going just fine. We haven't been home all week, so I hope our apartment is ok! But the four of us are swimming great and having fun representing Drury at the meet. There really isn't much more to talk about, but I hope we see you soon as National Champions!
Deanna

Second Semeter at Summit!

Can you guys believe we are already a third of the way through semester?!! Midterms are right around the corner and so is the end of swimming for us swimmers! Nationals is coming closer than ever and we will even have to miss a class because we will be gone. But save for everything finishing up, volunteering at Lighthouse has just begun for us. It has gone so well too! They have moved locations to First Baptist Church on South and Elm street and they have become so much more organized and welcoming. The girls and I always have something to do and they are always ready for us when we come! Which, is a definite improvement from last sememster.
During this next semester at Lighthouse, the girls and I plan to volunteer as much as we can. The move was huge for the agency and it left them with a lot of work and organizing to do. Once everything is put in it's proper place they will run smoother than ever, but for now, a lot of things are still being fixed and a lot of kinks are having to be worked out. We also want to throw an Easter Egg hunt for the kids when it gets closer to April. We are really excited about this and have already talked to the Lighthouse leaders and they seem to be excited too!
One of the greatest experiences this month with the agency is getting to see it blossom in it's new setting. It is so much easier for us to come in and get our hours done when they know we are coming and have things for us to do. Dolly is so organized and so are the entire staff. It is easier to get a hold of them and communicate and the resources they have have greatly improved which makes it for a better learning environment for the kids. I no longer feel any discomfort playing and helping out with the kids. They are so much fun! Their new setting has also been somewhat of a disadvantage too, however. They went through almost an entire staff change. We now have to get to know new teachers, which isn't hard, but it was a little nerve wracking the next day. Also, for however much they are organized now, they still have a long way to go. We're talking about another resource room people!! But it's alright. We are so happy to help out.
I know you all are nervous about the Technology Fast project we are going to have to do, but I gotta tell ya, I am super stoked! I lost my phone at the very end of last semester, and as inconvenient as it was sometimes, not having to worry about it, was kind of glorious. I'm not going to lie. Will I miss my iPod? Yes. But please don't worry. This experience will be so fun to see how much technology takes over our lives!
Being a leader has always meant a lot to me. I never put myself in leadership roles but somehow always find myself there. Earlier this semester I had to lead our Alto's in choir in a sectional while my dad was absent for a few days and it was so much fun! I tried to use the leadership skills that I had aquired in class and from living in Summit to help aid me as I taught them. Also, the freshman girls on the swim team want to join in on the Summit fun next year, and myself, as well as the other three girls have been talking with them and aiding them through the process. The swimmers, hopefully, will stick!! I am planning on still being the faculty advisor coordinator this semester and I am going to try and help plan the projects more and get my input into the plan. Last semester I stood back, but this semester I am hoping to get much more involved.
I hope you all are having a wonderful semester so far. See you tomorrow!
Deanna

Spring Semester Here We Come!!

Hey guys!!

So far the school year has started out great! We were able to get in touch with the agency quite easily this semester. We organized a meeting and were able to plan our events and volunteer times. This semester we are planning on only having one main event. With the rest of the money we have in our budget we are planning an easter egg hunt and party for the children. We are planning this event for a hopefully beautiful spring day the week before easter. Other than this project, we are focusing primarily on spending time in the center.

In this last month at the center, I was only able to volunteer twice. Lighthouse closes whenever Springfield Public Schools are closed, so for a couple of weeks we were unable to volunteer. The time that I have been at the center, however, have been wonderful. I was assigned to the infant room, so I spent hours feeding, cuddling, and then rocking the babies to sleep. I love all ages of children, but helping in this way made me feel to relaxed. Because there were so many children there on both days, I knew my help was being appreciated.

The greatest challenge that I face this past month in terms of volunteering was the weather. It seemed as though there was always something stopping me from getting to Lighthouse. It was either snowing, the roads were icy, or a huge pile of snow was plowed into my car. Thankfully Spring is around the corner and we won't have to worry about more snow :)

In this next semester of summit, I really am looking forward to the 24hrs technology fast. It will be very interesting to see how much I actually use technology. I do not really consider myself one of those people who are constantly attached to technology of some sort, but I am sure through this project I am going to be shocked at how much I really do rely on it.

Last semester I was the group member who coordinated almost all of the meetings and events. I was responsible for all communications with our agency. This was really stressful for many reasons. The biggest reason however, ( I know it sounds stupid) is that I have a phobia of talking on the phone.  This has been something I have been trying to get over since I can remember. I obviously had to get over this quickly since that was my whole job. Having gotten over this fear, even though it seems small, is a huge accomplishment for me. So other than the fact that I had to learn to handle and organize many events, resources, and people, this was probably one of my greatest accomplishments in Summit.

I am really looking forward to this next semester and volunteering at the center!
Tiffany

And We Begin Again!

     Hey hey hey my Summit friends!  I hope you all enjoyed your snow days off of school!  I definitely know I did.  However, I am ready for this snow to be gone, so I can get my tiny car out of the Summit parking lot and get on with my life!  The start of this semester has went much more smoothly than the beginning of fall semester as far as volunteer hours go.  We were able to meet with Dolly the second week back at school to discuss volunteer times and tour the new center, so we actually started volunteering the week after that.  Over the course of this semester, my group and I are really excited to volunteer in the new, better structured and organized center every week.  Also, we spoke with Dolly about using the remainder of our Summit budget to have an Easter egg hunt for the kids at Lighthouse the week before Easter, and she thought that was a great idea.  We're planning on putting candy and prizes in each eggs and providing baskets they can use to gather them and then take home.  It will take place during their school day, so all of the children will be able to be involved, which is really exciting.
    The best experience with Lighthouse this month has definitely been seeing their new center.  They are now located in the First Baptist Church downtown, and everyone seems to really love it there.  The facility is much newer than their previous one, and the classrooms are sooooooo much bigger; something they desperately needed.  Also, Dolly said the First Baptist Church is much more accommodating to them and more willing to help them get things accomplished than the church at their other location.  Lighthouse also experienced some staff changes over Christmas break, and the new staff seem to have brought a more positive and better organized atmosphere with them, which is much appreciated by us Summit volunteers.
     The greatest challenge this month with our agency was the blizzard-like weather we've been having.  Last week was pretty frustrating because none of us were able to go volunteer due to the inclement weather.  Lighthouse closes whenever Springfield Public Schools are closed, so we weren't able to volunteer for a week.  This put a brief halt to our forward progress, which we didn't particularly enjoy.
      In Summit class this semester, I'm really looking forward to creating a budget and tracking my expenses.  I want to learn how to better save my money, and I want to see where the majority of my money is going each month.  As a poor, struggling college student, I feel like I need all the help I can get in learning how to budget better.
     Last semester fostered my leadership skills by teaching me how to better interact with people in the community.  Especially by hosting the fall festival, I learned how to interact with community leaders, how to plan a successful event, and how to problem solve when things didn't go as planned.  The fall festival showed me how to take charge and how to solve conflicts.  The main thing it stressed to me was the importance of communication.  This semester, I will still be in charge of the budget and will be sharing the responsibility of planning the Easter egg hunt.
     That's all for now, but I will post again soon!  Hope everyone is staying warm!

Molly Brown