So Close!

Once again, I've neglected to keep this as updated as I once did, and I apologize. However, I have some great news.

I'm getting closer to having the tuition for the conference. While I'm not sure of the exact numbers, its very close. I'm very fortunate to have such a supportive family that was willing to help me out even when my own community either neglected or was not able to. I plan to have all of my payment in on the 15th of March, fully registering me and guaranteeing my spot as a National Youth Correspondent representing both my school and the state of Maryland.

One of my newest ideas was for a fundraiser, something that I hope will be a success so that there won't be so much stress on my family to come up with the rest of the tuition. I recently learned that the local bowling alley does fundraising events for interested parties, and if I were to get about 24 people to participate on the same night for my cause, I would raise enough to not only pay for the rest of my tuition, but set aside money for anything else as well.

This spring I plan to revamp my wardrobe for the conference (that means actual skirts and blouses - so professional!), and I'm very excited to have the opportunity. Every day it gets closer and closer to the summer, and I honestly am counting down the days until my drop-off at George Mason.

136 days. In four months and some change, I'll be standing in the halls of George Mason as a rising senior, a girl representing a small town in Southern Maryland among 249 other students. The thought itself is surreal. Just to think that this is an opportunity for me to not only shine, but to have contacts for the future - it almost seems like the time should go by faster just so I can wake up tomorrow and start packing.

This is definitely going to be the greatest week ever. I can't wait!

Thanks as always for reading,
Leena

Crash

No one ever wants to see their beloved computer eaten up by an evil nasty virus. However, that was exactly the way I rang in my new year, with a newly restored laptop that I had come to depend on almost exclusively for document retention. My poor stories, saved only by the fact that I'd copied most of them onto my trusty flashdrive.

As for fundraising, the thing is that I know the corporations I have actually sent letters to have recieved them. According to the Post Office, they would have arrived at their destinations by the 14th of December. It's the third day of January, though after the holiday break, I admit that it's also the first day of getting mail. Still though, the 14th?

After walking to my mailbox every day with a look of expectation, I'm not as disappointed to see that the only mail addressed to me comes from colleges. I do hope that these businesses are able to sponsor me - truly. It would mean so much stress being lifted from my family. So I will be patient, and continue to wait while I gather another list of potential sponsors. I hope to get in contact with more by this weekend, and so far am very glad to still have a solid opportunity like this.

Saying that I know I'll be going to George Mason this summer makes my classes so much more tolerable, knowing that all the hard work I'm putting in is paying off in the best way.

Welcome back to work/school,
Leena

Quick Update

Hello,

So far, I've discovered that this blog thing is harder than I thought it would be. See, this isn't my first time starting one. In fact, I've had about 2 already - I just didn't expect anyone to read them. With this one though, the intent was to connect with others and possibly get the attention of future sponsors. I did contemplate deleting my latest and first video, and am still debating it right now.

The thing is...I could. But if I decide to go "Forget it, it doesn't matter", what am I learning? The whole reason I wanted to attend this conference is to learn something and get to the point where I can make business contacts after I graduate from college.

This blog isn't amazing or anything, but it is in its early stages, and I'm sure that even the more popular ones weren't the best from their first posts. My videos will eventually get better, even if I've discovered that my webcam has a pretty poor quality when it comes down to it. I do take part of the blame but again, I'm pretty nervous knowing that someone will be able to watch them pretty soon.

As far as where I'm at now, I am very close to securing all of the money for my tuition for the conference.

I'd like to thank my parents, my grandma as well as all of my aunts and uncles who have donated way more than I ever expected.
Today I'm making efforts to get letters to not only corporations but local businesses and even my school board. Not everyone is answering my calls, but hopefully having a solid letter in front of them will inspire something. Before I jump into my homework for the day, I'll be looking up addresses and printing out cover letters in order to have these things out by the weekend.

Still working on things,
Leena

What exactly are you planning?

If I were to be completely honest, I would need to tell you that I am in the process of compiling a solid fundraising plan. The current list of my ideas includes the following:

• Dollar donations over Facebook via PayPal (this one needs researching...)
• Writing letters to the headquarters of local grocery stores, news stations and other chains
• Sending press releases to radio stations
• Donation pledges from businesses (Bronze = $100, Silver = $200, Gold = $300+)
• A referral arrangement that my uncle has promised to set up with me
• Raffle tickets
• Fundraising at school

I plan on getting a group of friends together and possibly selling things outside of local stores or after school hours. Actually, I have a few different plans for my friends and this blog in itself. So far, I am very interested in the concept of including videos in my blog posts. It might be a little more interesting to hear me speak, and I hope to get as creative as possible with them. I have some sort of software on my computer that's waiting to be utilized, so why not? I'll even use my empty YouTube page for once.

Later on today, I plan on experimenting with my first video of this kind. I haven't really used my webcam for much except for the silly pictures my eight year old sister and I took for fun, and I'm sure that there's going to be at least three takes before I get things going.

But I don't want you all to just hear me, so if I can get a group of friends together, I want them to tell you why you should sponsor me, and why this opportunity would be so amazing for me. They could give you a perspective that I couldn't, and hopefully it'll influence some of you to help me along the way.

Because I am in my first year of Multi-Media at school, I will also check in with my teacher to see if I could get permission to post some of my work online. At this stage in the game there isn't much for a concrete example, but we have quite a bit of time on this journey of ours.