I mounted my last photo of the 12 required for my photo 40 class. Luckily I was able to avoid the madness that is going to ensue in the dark room lab in the final week before portfolio submission. I kind of gave up on the last photo due to lack of time and basically compromised for a mediocre photo, but it’s only so that I can put all my effort into GPHD 25. This class takes up so much time. Two weeks never seemed so far away…How should I celebrate the end of the semester? Oh wait, portfolio’s due finals week of next semester, then summer, which means……yep, 1 month to work on my portfolio and start inquiring about internships.

WordPress didn’t make a mistake. I am currently writing this entry at exactly 5:11 am PST. Surprisingly, I’m not up because of school work. I ran into a blog before I was about to doze off and it really got me thinking. About many things in general, much of which I won’t get into, but what really interested me was the honesty and amount of self this person put into their entries. One of the things I couldn’t help but feel was sympathy and empathy for the person. I am so abundantly blessed. So many privileges are given to me, none of which I really deserve.

I have a shelter and a bed to stay warm in. I have clothes to choose from. I don’t have to worry about getting food, I just eat it. I have a means and ability to make money. I am so rich in so many ways. And finally, I get to study what I love: design. Before I started attending Sacramento State, I had actually crossed it off as the last school I’d ever attend for graphic design.

Being away four years in LA gave me that desire to be independent and explore beyond the 97 square mile radius of a city called Sacramento. Ironically as I began applying, each state school shut its doors to second bachelors and I saw my options one by one dwindling. This left about three schools, one of which was Sacramento State. I took this as a message from God telling me I was purposed to go to Sac State. It’s been over a year since then, and I could not be any more grateful than where I am right now. (I recently found out that Sacramento State will stop accepting second bachelors for Fall 2010.)

With all this in mind I need to have an unwavering focus and absolute resolve in school. I am currently working on my portfolio to submit in the Spring to determine my acceptance into the graphic design program. I’ve been working harder now than I have been in my entire four years at UCLA and I feel I’m only at about 70% of what I could be doing. I’m shooting for 110.5%. I hate it when coaches say that because mathematically it’s impossible, but you get the expression.

I am so grateful for the opportunity and putting in everything I have is the least I can do to show for it.

What does this say to you?