3rd Quarter Blog Reflection

CARE - Reflecting on what I have assisted SOC with over the past Quarter, I realize that I have been integral in the CAREing for not only my community but also in my SOC class and my Student Organization. I have participated with the SOC to help with the TNHS Blood Drive, and we successfully saved 273 lives with the donations. This is a massive CARE initiative that has great impacts on our community. Also, I was greatly focused on the welfare of the Winter Formal. I not only assisted with the decorations for it, but I also played a role in the video and the cleanup as well. The success of the Formal was so great that it has allowed the SOC to have enough funds to continue through most of the upcoming school year.

Within my SO, I have provided much needed emotional support and positive feedback and supplied our officer staff with a myriad of service opportunities ranging from helping at the NC ELC to the FHES Winterfest Event. Encouraging students to stay connected in the SO builds relationships and provides opportunities for them to make a positive difference. While we have not specifically helped Parkway Baptist Church in any service events, it is due to the fact that they are a large successful partner that didn't require our help. However, we are currently in the process of contacting Active Day to see what we can do to help them. Although we haven't engaged in our official community partner service project, I have still learned the value of service and how much of a rippling effect it can have on the community when people witness those around them helping each other. We currently have the National Honor Society Student-Staff Game quickly approaching and I would like some help in planning and filming a video. Any ideas, participation, or overall support would be greatly appreciated.

On another note, Tennis's first match takes place next week. We have been working with both Mr. Merrifield and Mrs. Kephart on building the strength and team work of our team through conditioning and practice. Certain members such as Andy Hughes have been essential in strengthening our team, and the enthusiasm and effort that the students have been putting in to prepare is really inspiring. They were also hoping to run concessions for the Student Staff Game, which will be a great opportunity to form a partnership between my two SO's and a great way for them to connect and get to know each other better.

As for CONNECTing with the community and our peers, I have been very active in the SOC class, working with other SO's and assisting them when I can. I am currently assisting in the planning of the "Old School vs. New School" Game that will take place towards the end of the year, and the bi-weekly NHS officer meetings have done a lot to help with clarification for our future plans. Not only this, but the entire Tennis Team recently went on a large fundraiser to sell spirit wear. We went out into the  Thomas Nelson community and spread the word about our upcoming season. We now not only have branding to support the team, but we have a widespread influence and base of people that are much more aware of the tennis team's success.

Additionally, I am connecting with Caroline Boone nearly every day to ensure that every Tennis Match is posted on Twitter, and I retweet and like every single post in order to spread the word. While my follower base on social media is not very high, the collaboration between myself and Caroline has been a great help in increasing community support and celebrate the success of our team and players. This has been my primary source of communicating game times because my Blogger has not turned out to be as successful in reaching the community despite my efforts to spread the word and it being on both the TNHS Athletics Excel Sheet. I have maintained my blog and kept up with it when necessary but my primary focus has been around social media and especially Twitter.

Now, throughout my time in this SOC class this quarter, I have had the opportunity to not only create for my own organization, but in creating with other SO's as well. As of right now, the tennis team had already been going out to eat after every game, but it was only recently that the new players and the freshmen really got connected with the more seasoned players. We have created an environment where everyone feels included and welcome and where we can goof off and have fun together. This gives us a great attitude booster to prepare for the game, as well as a great way to celebrate each others successes on the way back home.

As for National Honor Society, I worked with Grant Stearns to complete a video to increase support for the Student-Staff Game that took place Wednesday the 28th. With the help of the video, although the LEADERs won for the 2nd year in a row, NHS was still able to raise over $500 for our organization. This will not only support many philanthropies in the years to come, but will be a great starting block for new NHS members next year to take initiative and brand the club as the years pass. They can take what we created for them and use that knowledge to create something for those that will come after them.

In addition to this, I have helped Grace Thurman in creating T-shirts for the "Old School vs. New School" basketball game coming up in March. I have an experimental design that should be really neat if we use it, but I'm mainly there to make sure Grace can complete all of her necessary steps in order to succeed.

2018 TNHS Tennis Game Schedule

Click HERE for the updated game schedule!

FlyCloser Reflection 2/20

Throughout this week and last week, I have taken much initiative to CREATE with my peers for the furthering of my organizations and SOC. I have consistently worked with everyone in the SOC class and collaborated with them to not only work for each other's organizations but also primarily for Winter Formal. One of my biggest Purple Cow actions of this week was participating in the informational video about Formal. I made sure that my enthusiasm was at its peak and I kept a smile on my face. If I had to redo it, I would do it the same way because I gave it my all.

Currently, the Tennis Team and National Honor Society have numerous rituals that take place throughout our time at meetings and practices and matches. The Tennis Team, for example, has its senior night where we all CONNECT and share our favorite memories and also allows us all to gather together and grow closer when we eat after our away games. I know for a fact that we have grown closer because of that, and the team would feel very empty without those traditions. As for National Honor Society, we have in the past always assisted at the Student-Staff Basketball Game and planned numerous projects and pizza parties. This allows us to connect with each other and also to give back to the Thomas Nelson Community in multiple ways.

I currently am showing CARE in my organizations by providing endless patience and enthusiasm towards the new players. I have noticed that there is a decently large age gap between the new players. Because many of the experienced players are mostly seniors and juniors, the incoming freshmen and sophomore players don't really have a prior connection to each other. Although practice has just started and the relationships among the players have not reached their peak yet, we still have the entire season ahead of us to grow closer than we ever thought possible.

FLYCLOSER SEMESTER 1 REFLECTION

Through extensive service in the name of our community, both National Honor Society and Tennis are greatly impacted by the work they are doing in Bardstown and Nelson County. By exposing all of us to these opportunities to help the people around us, everyone in our extracurriculars has been positively transformed. As with the Angel Tree initiative, helping others in need not only provided a joyful heart to the people receiving the assistance, but also instilled true Christmas spirit in the hearts of the students giving out of their own hearts to make someone else's holiday season a little bit better. Also, simply providing a positive environment for the students to be in, such as regular meetings and meaningful discussions, the students are given the opportunity to connect with each other and not just benefit NHS or Tennis, but also help each other and become a more caring person to themselves and others.

As much work and effort has been put into Semester One, there is always more that can be done. Personally, I hope to collaborate with my community partner more and work with him to settle a date that will work for both of us; this includes not only serving in the church, but also increasing the visual appeal of it through landscaping, painting, and cleaning. I also hope to greatly focus on philanthropies with National Honor Society next semester. By increasing the service opportunities we have, we will not only be able to fulfill National Honor Society's mission, but the Tennis Team will also be able to do more than simply enhance their skills. They will be making an impact in their community that will last long after many of the students have graduated and moved on with their Future Stories.

FLYCLOSER FRIDAY REFLECTION 12/01/17

Over the past week, I have worked with my fellow SOC members to CARE for people in the school, in our extracurriculars, and in our community. As a representative of both Tennis and National Honor Society, I have double the responsibility and am required to collaborate twice as much in order to arrange service events and fundraising for both and this can often be overwhelming. However, none of this is solely about me. As a member of these clubs, it is my responsibility to work with others to act for the betterment of others; by doing so, we also benefit ourselves. We are able to use our values to change ourselves into a better us, devoted to the CARE of others. Our sympathetic and service-oriented hearts are turned toward the people that can use our help, and we offer up our hands to do whatever work they may require.

For Thomas Nelson Tennis and National Honor Society, we have made connections with Parkway Baptist Church. I have effectively connected with Matt Flanagan, the Minister of Families and Public Connections and have collaborated with my fellow SOC members on developing a course of action devoted to most effectively serving the church. As previously stated, there are many opportunities the tennis team has the capacity to serve in, including painting, cleaning the kitchen, and building food boxes for families in need during Christmas time. While this may seem like there is limited opportunity to serve, keep in mind that these are only seasonal opportunities and specific to Christmas time. When spring comes, we will have access to many more service opportunities that could greatly benefit Parkway Baptist Church.

In the next week or so, I hope to solidify a date that I can use to gather the tennis team together to serve in our full capacity at Parkway. While National Honor Society may not be serving Parkway in particular, the whole point of NHS is to serve the community around them. Although I don't have a service project lined up, we are still very dedicated to serving, particularly with the Ronald McDonald House in Louisville and also contributing to clothing and toy drives. Serving there is already settled, and now it is only a matter of deciding when. However, no matter how long it takes, we will always remain dedicated to serving our community to the best of our ability.

FLYCLOSER FRIDAY REFLECTION 11/17/17

Over the past week, I have worked with my fellow SOC members to CARE for people in the school, in our extracurriculars, and in our community. Modeling an example blog post, we have worked fervently to discover the best course of action that we can take to have the biggest impact in our community. It is our responsibility to not only act for the betterment of others, but by doing so we also benefit ourselves. We are transformed into a better us, devoted to the CARE of others. Our sympathetic and service-oriented hearts are turned toward the people that can use our help, and we offer up our hands to do whatever work they may require.

For Thomas Nelson Tennis, we have made connections with Parkway Baptist Church. After connecting with Matt Flanagan, the Minister of Families and Public Connections, I have collaborated with my fellow SOC members on developing a course of action devoted to most effectively serving the church. Some of the many opportunities the tennis team has to serve include painting, cleaning the kitchen, and building food boxes for families in need during Christmas time. These are only seasonal opportunities, and when spring comes, we will have access to many more service-oriented landscaping opportunities and many other outdoor activities that could greatly benefit Parkway Baptist Church.

In the next week or so, I hope to solidify a date that I can use to gather the tennis team together to serve in our full capacity at Parkway, dedicated to serving our community to the best of our ability.

2018 Tennis Schedule

Come out and support our Generals! Click here for the 2018 Thomas Nelson Varsity Tennis Schedule! Good luck Generals!