On to the Next Chapter

Hello friends!

It's been quite a while since I've sat down and blogged about anything. I've had so many wonderful things happen in my life in the past couple months so I'll take a second to give a quick recap.

In the last two months I've:

1. Graduated from Ohio Northern University
2. Moved out of the house that I've made so many memories in with some of the most amazing people.
3. Moved home to Gibsonburg
4. Said good bye to my family and friends (that was tough!)
5. Packed my life up and moved down to South Carolina

Wheww! All of that makes my head spin when I think about how quickly the time has gone by. The last two months have been accompanied by happiness, tears, anxiety, and lots and lots of packing (which happens to be my least favorite task in the world). Many people have asked me why I wanted to leave everything I know and move down South. My answer for this is very simple; I'm ready for a change. North West Ohio has been my home almost my entire life. Although it has provided me with more memories, experiences and love than I could ever ask for, I need to experience something new. Many people would be terrified to leave their comfort zone in such a drastic way, but I believe if you don't make a move like this when you're young, you never will. Regret is a terrible thing and I didn't want to look back later in life and have that feeling just because moving away from home was scary at the time. 

I am fortunate enough to have such a wonderful family that is so loving and supportive of my decisions. My family was sad to see me leave, but so excited for me to start the next chapter of my life. I would not have decided to take this leap of faith without my Aunt Jodi and Uncle Brian. Moving to a state where I didn't know a soul was not an option for me. They live in Irmo South Carolina (about 25 minutes outside of Columbia) and were generous enough to let me stay with them until I get on my feet. So on May 31st, I packed my car down, said my good byes, and road tripped to South Carolina with my mom.

I've officially been in South Carolina for a week and I'm starting to feel like I'm settled in. My Aunt Jodi and Uncle Brian are amazing and I absolutely adore their three boys! I'm still in the process of searching for my "big girl" job. My hope is that will happen sooner than later, but I know God has a plan for me, so I will remain patient and continue to work hard. I'm ready for this new chapter to begin and I'm excited to meet new people and make new memories.

Because my family is so far away now, I'm going to use this blog as a way to keep them up to date with my life. (I know my grandmothers will love this) I know that I made the right decision to start my adult life in the south, but no matter where I am, my heart will always be in Ohio.

Much love,

Katie

The Blevins boys (from left to right) Drew, Conner & Grant. Love these boys to pieces!

View over Lake Murray in Irmo

Come On People!

Hello friends,

I hope that everyone had a great weekend. While I was reading through Regan's PR Daily, I found an alarming article that needed to be addressed. The title, More Babies Named after Apple Devices. Now when I read the title, I thought it was a joke. It  was not.


The article confirms my theory that there are crazy people that live in this world, and some of them shouldn't be able to reproduce. According to a CNet.com, there has been a 12 percent spike in boys named Mac and a nine percent spike in girls named Siri. Come on people! I know that Apple is like the best thing since sliced bread, but think of the children! I love my Ipod and I'm sure that I would love an Iphone or Mac computer if I had one, but do people really love these gadgets enough to name their babies after them?

This new trend just makes me sick. I just can't believe that new moms and dads aren't creative enough to think of an actual name. On an semi-related side note, I saw in the news that some crazy lady named her beautiful new born baby girl Hashtag. What is wrong with the world? Technology is an everyday part of life and has been a huge advancement in our society, but people, do not name your children after electronic gadgets. Please and thank you. Maybe try out those "creative" names on a cute little pet.

Until next time,

Katie

I Can See the Light

Hello friends,

This week has finally come to an end and I couldn't be happier. Somehow I managed to survive hell week without fainting and I even found time to get some sleep.

 There is nothing better than turning in a paper or project you have worked on for so long.This week I have turned in two papers that were at least 20 pages long, given presentations, completed my capstone project for the semester, and had a basketball game. It's been a very long week, but once my group gave our capstone presentation on Thursday, a giant weight was lifted off of my shoulders. Finals week will be smooth sailing for me because I don't have any true finals. Most people would be jealous, but I would almost rather take a final. My finals are in paper, presentation, and project form. I only have two more presentations and one final project to finish. After next week, I will have exactly one more semester until I graduate.

I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. This has been one of the most challenging semesters of my college career and it has finally come to an end. Although I'm thrilled to be done with my classes, I'm still scared that I only have one semester left. These last four years have been a lot of work, but I'm starting to see that my hard work is paying off and the end is nearing.

This Christmas break is going to be fantastic. The fact that I won't have to worry about class or capstone for an entire month makes me want to hug the closest person to me. I will take the time off to focus on applying for jobs and spending time with my family. I can't wait!!

Good luck to everyone on their finals!

I'll leave you with this great quote.

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."
- John Quincy Adams


Until next time,

Katie

I'm Out Of Ideas

Hello friends,

Normally I don't have a problem finding something to say, but this week is an exception. My brain is running a million miles a minute and I have so much to do.

This is the week college students around the country refer to as "dead week." Contrary to popular belief, this week is anything but dead. Let me tell you, it is very much alive. I like to call it "hell week." I think that is a more appropriate title. I could rant on about the deadlines I have this week and the little sleep I will get, but I will spare you.

I will however share with you my final Aggie project. This was kind of a last minute assignment that I was not  too particularly pleased with, but it is actually kind of cool. We had to make a personal brand website from scratch. In it, I had to incorporate information about myself, the work that I've done, and my resume. Hopefully someone important will stumble across it and give me a call. Fingers crossed.Check it out!

http://k-jones11.wix.com/katiejones

That is pretty much the extent of what I have to say today. My think tank is on empty. Hopefully the rest of my blogs this week wont be so uneventful. I wish everyone the best of luck with the rest of hell week!

Until next time,

Katie

Finally! A Worthy Picture Goes Viral

Hello friends,

The time comes every week when I have to blog about something I find related to public relations. I normally find great articles on PR Daily. Today was nothing different. There was an article entitled "Candid picture of NYC police officer goes viral on Facebook." I thought that this article was so appropriate for this time of year. Christmas is just around the corner, and everyone is getting in the giving spirit. The article was about an officer in NYC that was photographed giving a pair of boots and socks to a homeless person.

If that isn't an act of selflessness, I don't know what is. A woman from Arizona visiting New York took the photo of the officer. Several weeks later she shared the photo with the NYPD and included a note.
She wrote:

      "The officer said, 'I have these size 12 boots for you, they are all-weather. Let's put them on and take care of you.' The officer squatted down on the ground and proceeded to put socks and the new boots on this man. The officer expected nothing in return and did not know I was watching. I have been in law enforcement for 17 years. I was never so impressed in my life."

This picture was posted to Facebook, and in a few days, there had been more than 500,000 likes, nearly 187,000 shares, and tens of thousands of comments. The story has also been featured in publications like The New York Times and USA Today. Social media is the reason why this picture and this heart warming story have gone viral.

I think that this is what social media should be used for. Lately, social media has been used to launch stupid YouTube videos and careers of music artist that only care about themselves. Police officers devote their lives to society and get little thanks. I'm so glad that this man's act of kindness was recognized and shared with millions of people. 

Until next time,

Katie

Jake and Katie Project Take Two!

Hello friends,


So Jake and I worked together on another wonderful project for our social media class. We had to create a beautiful online video for the public relations program at Ohio Northern University. It discusses the great things about PR and focuses on all of the opportunities the program has to offer. In order to connect with potential students, we interviewed several current students and had them share their personal experiences about Northern and why they love PR.

 Jake and I slaved over this video trying to figure out Imovie, so I hope you enjoy!

I have provided a link to our video on YouTube.

Katie and Jake's PR Promo


Until next time,

Katie

Prayers for my Grandma Sandy

Hello friends,

I'm taking a step back from all of my papers and projects for a minute to post about something that has been on my mind all day long. One of my heroes underwent a major surgery this morning and I've been worrying about her since the moment I got up today. 

Grandma Sandy with my cousin Alyssa and Aunt Natalie

This past weekend, I had a basketball tournament in Indiana. As usual, my Mom and Dad traveled down to watch as well as my Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Phil. On Saturday, my grandma was not feeling the greatest. I would have never known because she was her sassy self at the game. The next morning she and my grandpa did not show up to my next. I was worried because that is very unlike the both of them. I am fortunate enough to have two sets of amazing grandparents that have supported me my whole life and have hardly every missed a sporting event. After the game, my parents informed me that my Grandma Sandy had been taken to the hospital because she was still not feeling right. I was even more shocked to hear that the doctors thought she had suffered a mild heart attack. My stomach dropped. I have always been extremely close with all of my grandparents and they have all been relatively healthy. In my mind, they are not old, so  hearing my grandma had a heart attack scared the crap out of me.

My dad stayed with my grandparents in Indiana because they ran tests on Monday. My mom eventually went back with my Aunt Natalie, and my Aunt Jodi and Uncle Keith flew home from Georgia and South Carolina. Thank God for cell phones, because my mom was keeping me updated the whole time. The tests concluded that my grandma had two blocked vessels and needed to have a double-bypass open heart surgery. I hate that this happened, but I'm so glad she was with my parents when it happened so she could get to the emergency room right away.

Her surgery was scheduled for this morning and I was a nervous wreck waiting for some news from my family. Thankfully my mom kept me posted every step of the surgery. I was so relieved when I got a text saying that the surgery was a success and my Grandma Sandy was doing well. My Aunt Natalie (she's a nurse) posted a very informative, but scary post on Facebook regarding my grandma's condition. 

Natalie Decker

7 hours ago

My mom had to have open heart surgery today. She was in South Bend Indiana this past weekend watching Katie play basketball and had a couple of "episodes" of not feeling well with an upset stomache and then felt cold and clammy...she agreed a trip the ER was in order. They were at Bob Evans and a waitress suggested Memorial Hospital of South Bend. Long story short... EKG, enzymes, cardiac cat

h, 2 blocked vessels that were not eligible for stents....double-bypass open heart surgery this am. The surgeon (who is awesome) said she was quite lucky because one of the blockages was 70-80% down the front of the heart and if that completely occludes it usually has a fatal outcome. (they call it the widow maker) The surgery was a success, she is in the ICU, was only intubated and on the vent for 2 hours and is currently resting. Jodi, Keith, Eric, Traci, my dad, and I are here in South Bend, grateful for all of the staff at the hospital...they have been wonderful. It's important to know...she didn't have chest pain, pressure, or pain in her arm....bu22t she did have a heart attack. Don't ignore your body...seek medical attention if "something just isn't right". Thanks to you all for your prayers...we appreciate it very much.

My Grandma Sandy is one of the most amazing women I will ever know. She has always been such a big part of my life, and I am so lucky to have her in my corner. The thought of losing her is terrifying. Even though I was worried to death about her today, I had a feeling in my gut that she would be alright. My Aunt Natalie posted this later today:

Natalie Decker

about an hour ago

"Your mom is the poster child for post-open heart surgery" . Those were the words from the nurse in the ICU, music to our ears. She worked hard to wake up and take the initiative to breathe on her own so she had the breathing tube removed in record time. She is on course and moving forward. Keith wanted to take her picture since she is now the gold standard of open heart recovery but she gave him the evil eye and a pretty convincing no. THANK YOU ALL SOOOOO MUCH for the messages, prayers, and support. You are all the best medicine we could have and we will pass on your well-wishes to mom and dad.

She is one tough cookie! Hopefully she will be able to come home this weekend. I will definitely be making a trip back to Gibsonburg to see her. No presentation or paper is more important than my Grandma Sandy. If you could, please keep her in your prayers.

Until next time,

Katie