I’ve been recovering the past couple of weeks from this past semester, and haven’t been posting as I should.

It’s called “exhaustion”.

Three solid years of 17 to 20 credit hours per semester, climaxing in two solid college degrees, two national recognitions of scholarly work (New Century Scholar for Wyoming 2006, and All-USA Academic Team/2nd team), and finally been voted back into Student Senate and becoming the CWC Student Senate President for the 2006/2007 school year. Did I mention that I’ve been working an average of THREE part time jobs each semester?

What, you might say? Didn’t you just graduate?

Well…yes…BUT, these two college degrees are Associate of Applied Science Degrees. I’m beginning work on my junior and senior college years, online, with Upper Iowa University this fall. Being an accredited online degree, I can stay here at CWC, and continue working on campus as the Student Radio Station Operations Manager at KCWC-FM, 88.1, The Stargate. I can also continue doing local volunteer work with the high school, city, county, and state, as well as freelance work for Wyoming Public Television.

In other words, the continuation of my college education towards a Bachelors of Science in Emergency Management, to be followed by a Masters in Homeland Security (also 100% online), can be done from the very dorm at which I’ve been living here with my family for the past three years.

Some of the classes that I need for my B.S. can also be taken right here on campus, as CWC and UIU have a collabortion agreement (pdf) (which also means I get a tuition cut, among other things).

Because of THESE classes (psychology, sociology, spanish, etc…classes I didn’t need for my applied science degrees), I can continue as a student…and therefore, a student senator…and student senate president.

So, I have a plan…and I’m sticking to it.

At the same time, I’m going to continue doing what I’ve been doing for three years here on campus…helping my fellow students learn how to be more resourceful, better thinking, and happier students, while learning how to help others while they help themselves…

A very cool opportunity.

More later…