How I've grown, What I've learned

Iowa State has been a great experience for me so far and I've been impacted in numerous ways because of my choice to come here and going through the Hixson program. I think the biggest part has been the diversity that comes with being on a college campus, I have a more open mind now due to my own experiences on campus and through presentations that I've gone to for both classes and the Hixson program. I'm from a small town so everyone was pretty much of the same opinion and there was no one that really 'stuck out.' But up here, everyone sticks out, all of us our different and we all have to keep an open mind to get along.

Hixson has helped me a lot when it comes to being a better student. Being more responsible my using a planner, getting my homework done in a more timely manner, and exercising to make sure that both my body and mind are healthy. I'm glad that I had to take the Hixson seminar because otherwise I probably wouldn't be the student I am today or have the grades I do. I've also been able to make quite a few new friends that are really great people through the Hixson program and I hope that I'm able to stay in contact with them as I continue with my classes here at Iowa State.

The Real Dirt of Farmer John

I've been forgetting to blog about my diversity event, which explains why I'm just now getting to blogging about 'The Real Dirt of Farmer John.' All in all, the presentation was a little different but I think it was meant to be for the sake of diversity. Right off the bat you can see that 'Farmer John,' is a not quite what people would call 'normal.' The event consisted mainly of the showing of a video and then a little bit more in depth narrative by John himself afterwards. The video that was showed depicted Farmer John and how he has grown as both a farmer and person since purchasing the family farm and all the obstacles he had to overcome to be successful.

From what I took out of the presentation, Farmer John has always been a pretty welcoming guy, so much so that he invited anyone who needed a place to stay to come to his farm. The kind of people that made the other people of the community look down at him and judge him unfairly. That was the real first taste of diversity and it really showed how negatively some people can react to a person who is different or out of the ordinary according their own definition. It was amazing to me to see how low he got in terms of financial stability and security for his future and then how he overcame it, it's a true testament to where hard work can get you. While he may be a little off the wall or different, I walked away from the presentation respecting Farmer John because he never gave up and continued doing what he wanted to do.

What the Hixson Award means to me...

The Hixson Award means so much to me, it the greatest sense of the word, it's the reason for any success I might have in the future. Because without it, I doubt that I'd be here at Iowa State and without Iowa State I might not have had the opportunities that will be available to me once I graduate. Without Hixson I would still be back in my hometown, either going to the community college or working to try and save up money. But instead I am up here on the beautiful campus of a college that I've heard is the best for an engineering major.

Hixson continues to help me succeed with my studies in numerous ways, the calm and quiet environment makes a great work space when I'm needing to do homework without interruptions. The free printing allows me to print papers that help me study that I might not have printed otherwise due to the printing limit. I've also taken the lessons learned from the Tuesday night large group classes to improve my college experience and make me a better student.

The last but definitely not least positive impact that Hixson has had on my life would have to be the people I've met through it. Between everyone in small group and some from the large class, I've been able to get to know some great people that I consider good friends. The class as a whole has made meeting more people easier and my experience all the more positive.