Category Archives: Life Experience

Overcoming a Pandemic & Giving Back

17 Wednesday Mar 2021

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I know that I haven’t written on here in a while. There’s been a lot going on with the world. Since I wrote on here last, I travelled to Europe, got married, my first niece was born, and I even got a new job with BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina as Communications Advisor. I have loved every minute of it! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been a lot of changes. I am now working from home full-time and I cook more often. I also haven’t been able to interact with my coworkers since starting this new position. We met once in December 2020 at a Blue Cross retail parking lot and waved at each other. It’s crazy how that’s all we could do at the moment. We did share some laughs and talked from afar, we even tried to do a socially-distant selfie.

This pandemic has become the ordinary, it has taken over our lives and we have moved forward through it. I haven’t seen my friends or family as much as I’d like, but we have found creative ways to “hang out” with each other by doing Zoom calls over wine and checking on each other on weekends and doing lunch together.

Writing and reading books has helped me to cope, just like it has with everything in my life. I have written short stories during this time and have also finally tried a lot of recipes from my cookbook. I’ve worked on my health by purchasing a treadmill and walking on it as much as I can during the week.

I have realized that during these tough times, it’s important to really listen to our peers, provide support, and be a good friend to people in our lives, now more than ever. Most importantly, giving back to the community and searching ways that we can come together by supporting charities around us and organizations that may need our help. There are so many organizations that need help, you can find some here.

So what’s next for me? Well, I am always looking for ways and opportunities to grow as a person. I am starting yoga and also finished editing my novel, so I am looking to publish this in the summertime, or so I hope! (I am my biggest critic, so fingers crossed). I am also looking to do a certification in digital marketing in Spring 2022 with UNC Chapel Hill, which I am super excited about since communications is my passion!

What are you doing to cope during this difficult time?

Below are a few pictures from the past years of moments that made my heart happy. I hope that I get to do more of these things after the pandemic. Some of these pictures include me and my parents, my baby niece mentioned above, and when I travelled to Amsterdam.

  • Me and my parents
  • When my niece was born
  • When I met Jill Biden
  • Me in Amsterdam

How It All Started

05 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by in Blog Posts, Experience, Life Experience, My Experience with Non-Profits, Non-Profits, Post

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It all started when I was 18 years old. It was my first encounter with Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind (IFB). Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind is a nonprofit organization whose vision is to provide employment, training, and services to people who are blind or visually impaired.

My dad, who has been working there for ten years as Director of Operations, encouraged me to be part of this program before I went to college.

So I did.

I became part of a Summer Enrichment program which was meant to provide educational experience filled with trips to museums and activities for 10 to 20 children who were visually impaired or blind. I was a mentor to one of them, imgreshis name was Jacob, an 8-year-old funny and vibrant kid who was fully blind.

We became the best of friends. We sat in the bus together and held hands as we walked through forests and lakes that we visited. I remember being scared of the lake and Jacob would always hold my hand firmly and guide me.

Funny because I was supposed to be guiding him.

You’d think I would have an impact on Jacob’s life but he had an impact on mine. He touched my heart and left a feeling of giving.

He made me want to work for a nonprofit organization, for a cause. I knew I was meant to do this. So when I went to college, I aspired to intern and work for a nonprofit. I worked for Special Olympics then for The Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

I find that people excel where their passions are, and this is where my passion is. My passion is in working for a cause where my efforts, sweat, and work will go into helping people. Every day there will be little silly mindless tasks that I will have to do like printing hundreds of papers/ads, or stuffing envelopes, but I know I will be doing it for someone. I will be doing it for a cause, for the community.

This is my story and this is who I am. I went into the field of communications and public relations because I want to have contact both internally and externally with my coworkers and the community so that we may work in a group to accomplish a goal.

Jacob left a feeling in my heart so that I may continue to help others through my skills with my heart and passion in hand.

– JMRA

You’ll Be Enlightened

18 Thursday Apr 2013

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cutee

Everyone has a story to tell.

It doesn’t matter where you’re from or where you’ve been, but you have a story to tell.

I find it fascinating when I get to meet different kinds of people. I just think it’s disappointing that in today’s society, we no longer have time to listen to everyone’s stories – where they’ve been, where they are.

We’re always so busy, thinking about the things that we want to accomplish in life. We never stop and think that maybe we should take a moment to really get to know our surroundings. We go through our days, doing what we do best and we forget that we’re surrounded by stories.

I am a big people person. When I meet people, I like to listen to what they have to say. I find joy in getting to know them and learning their story. You wouldn’t imagine how many people have gone through things in their life and they just smile because putting a smile on their face is what keeps them going.

I know that most of the fault lies on social media and technology. We rely on our phones more than anything. We just can’t wait to show the world what we’re doing on a Facebook status or a “tweet.” But when we face people, we can’t even say hello.

What’s gotten into us?

I came to this realization a few months ago when I lost my headphones. I would use them every day to listen to music, on the way to and from class. But one day I really listened. I sat in the bus on my way back to my apartment and I listened to people as they talked to one another. I watched as a homeless man walked into the bus. I watched a woman with three kids – I could see the struggle in her eyes. I even got to talk to the bus driver, who works very hard every day to take me and hundreds of people different places.

Even though I love social media and I have skills in social media that I can use in my career as a professional, I understand that sometimes it’s good to disconnect and appreciate the world around us.

Sometimes it’s good to have a talk with the bus driver.

And when you listen, you’ll be enlightened.

-JMRA