Southern Belle in Training

Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle Blog || Est. 2012 || Virginia Beach, VA

April 27, 2015

Life Updates: Internship, Studying Abroad, and Class of 2016.



      There has been a lot going on in my life lately!! There are two really huge, exciting things (both of which I have announced on my Instagram, @miss_alk) that are coming up for me this summer, and something else which isn't as exciting but is still really huge for me. I almost always post a fashion related blog post on Mondays, but I thought that I would take the day off from that to update everyone about what's happening in my life! First up, summer plans:


The internship:

      I am very honored to announce that in just a few weeks (from May 13-15), I will be traveling to Kentucky for the very first time to intern for the Fraternity Communications Association's annual conference. This conference brings together the employees from all Greek organizations who work in marketing and communications. (Three sisters/employees of Alpha Delta Pi's Executive Office will be there and I can't wait to meet them!). This internship was extremely competitive for me to receive, as this is not just a conference for my sorority, but all of Greek life! This year there were four intern spots open to all collegiate Greek college students, and I am the only Alpha Delta Pi intern. I am so honored to be representing my college, my sorority, and I also cannot wait for all the experiences that I will have at this internship! Hopefully I will also get to meet up with my Kentucky based blogging friend Bailey from Becoming Bailey on my last day there as well.


The study abroad experience:

      I am also excited to announce that for four weeks between mid-June through mid-July of this summer I will be studying abroad in Tours, France! My college has an excellent study abroad program, and last year I applied for a summer language immersion program since one of my minors is French. I was also very blessed to receive a scholarship towards my travels that helped to fund some of the costs (and recently I got to meet the donor behind the scholarship which was wonderful!). I will be living with a host family, and attending classes at a French language school five days a week. I am hoping on one weekend to be able to fly to Rome to visit one of my best friends from school and her boyfriend who will be there at the same time that I'm in France!


     I feel so blessed to have both of these travel experiences to look forward to this summer! I feel that traveling to Kentucky will prepare me for France. For the past few years now I have been flying several times a year on my own because I go to school out of state, but those flights are always from home to Charlotte. Both of these trips will be my first time ever flying somewhere that isn't home or college by myself, and both of these places are also both areas that I have never been before! It's very exciting, and makes me truly feel like an adult. :-)


The graduation plans:

     One of my favorite topics to blog about that's not fashion-related is how I transferred colleges after freshman year (and what that process was like). Well, something from that which recently came back to bite me in the butt is that I found out that I will be graduating a semester late. I was supposed to graduate in May 2016, and instead I will finish college in December 2016. I was lucky in that all of my credits from my former college (and the dual enrollment that I did at community college in high school) transferred to my current school, but there are still reasons for my delayed graduation. They include: 1. The fact that my former college had more gen-ed requirements then my new school, so even though the credit hours for my freshman classes transferred, they didn't count towards my major or minors so many were just extra elective hours, 2. I had terrible advising my first semester at my current semester before getting my correct advisor within my department, and 3. For my senior year, my school is switching from a 3 credit system to a 4 credit system. All of these things worked against me, and I won't be able to finish in time. So here is the plan:

     This year (2015-2016 school year), will be my "senior year." It will be my final year in my sorority, and also being involved in the clubs and honor societies that I'm in on campus. And it's my last year living on campus! In Fall 2016, I will finally be living off-campus, and I will be a part-time student with 8 credit hours. This will finally give me time to get a real part time job/paid internship that will be more consuming then just my once weekly babysitting job! I'm currently trying to figure out if I can still walk with my graduating class at Commencement or not, as my college doesn't do a ceremony for December graduates.

      So that is the plan for now. I am trying to stay positive, and I am thankful for the fact that most of my best friends at school are in the year behind me so they will all still be here when I am a super senior! Yes, it means extra loans and extra time in school, but it also means extra time with sweet friends and extra time to search for my first Big Girl Job.



     If you made it to the end of this post, congrats!! Leave me a comment telling me what's happening in your life or what your summer plans are. I love y'all, thanks for always being so supportive!

 
      Stay tuned tomorrow for pictures from my sorority formal!


     xoxo Miss ALK
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15 comments

  1. Congratulations on your internship & study abroad plans! Studying abroad was one of the best decisions of my life!
    Honestly it's great to see your positive attitude about graduating a little later than expected! In my entire life, I've noticed that when one door closes, another & better one opens!

    Have a great week! Excited for your Lilly for Target link up!
    xoxo
    Ashley

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  2. I can't wait to hopefully meet up with you!!!

    From someone that graduated a semester early, I'll be honest: I kinda wish I had spent one last semester with my friends before I entered the "real world."

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  3. Wow!! So many amazing and incredible things going on in your life!! I can't believe I'm going to be a junior next year, and you'll be a senior!! Time goes by fast, doesn't it!? Good luck with everything, I already can tell you will be doing amazing things!!
    xo, claudia
    www.chroniclesofclaudia.com

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  4. Congrats Annaliese on your study abroad! It stinks that you'll graduate a semester late but you can stay in Charlotte for a longer amount of time! Lately I have been finishing up my sophomore year of high school and getting ready for junior year!

    xoxo,
    Katie
    chicincarolina.blogspot.com

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  5. Congrats girl!
    That is very exciting news.
    In just a few short weeks, it'll have been a year since I graduated college.
    Life goes by so quickly.
    Enjoy your senior year of college because it'll fly by.

    Have the time of your life at the internship and in France!
    Can't wait to see your future updates about these.

    xoxo, Jenny || Breakfast at Lillys

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  6. Ah, everything sounds so great! I'm so happy for you pretty girl! I am graduating Dec.'16, too. I was supposed to graduate in May but had the same issue with transferring and credits! We've got this, though. Almost done! Also, congrats on everything! You better post tons of blog posts when you're in France! I can't wait to follow along and live vicariously!

    xoxo
    Lauren Ashley
    www.thefashionistasdiary.com

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  7. That is so cool that you will be studying abroad! I have a double major in Spanish so I can't wait to study abroad in a few years!

    Anchors and Pearls

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  8. So many great things that I literally don't even know where to start. Basically, just congrats! Everything sounds so amazing, and I'm so excited for you and to hear about all of your experiences.

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  9. Congratulations on your internship! That's so great that you were chosen above so many candidates! I've never been to Kentucky before, so I can't wait to hear all about it! That's also so amazing about studying abroad in France! I've only been to Paris, and it was just for a few days, so I can't wait to read about all of your adventures!

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  10. Congrats girl! I always love hearing about all the amazing things happening to you and I seriously can't wait to hear all about your Paris adventures!! I will be in the same boat, since my school doesn't accept any internship credits I'm going to be waking next May but not graduating until July after the summer sessions.

    Pick Your Beau

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  11. I am so excited for you and all of the exciting things going on in your life right now :) I can't wait to follow your adventures in Europe! Flying to a new city alone can be terrifying, but you will feel so proud of yourself when it's over. I flew to Mexico alone this winter, and while it was terrifying at first, I was super proud of myself when it was over.

    XX, SS || A Little Seersucker Sass

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  12. First of all, don't get discouraged about graduating late! I was supposed to be graduating this May, but instead it's going to be next May! My mama just sat me down when I was feeling bad about myself and told me that it obviously was happening for a reason, so I'm just going to tell you the same thing :) Also, totally jealous of your travel opportunities! You're going to have a blast in Kentucky & then in France. I can't wait to see all of your pictures and adventures, I hope you share them with us here in blog land :)

    xoxo, SS

    The Southern Stylista

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  13. Hi Annaliese,

    I just discovered your blog and I love it! I am French and live in SC, so let me know if you need any tips/advice on how to handle Frenchies with their cheese and wine (I know we can be quite annoying sometimes)! A lot of exciting stuff coming along, congratulations! Studying and living abroad is such a cool experience and you learn so much from others, but mostly you know yourself better!

    Looking forward to see all your pics :)
    Camille.

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  14. So excited to meet you at the conference! <>

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  15. I have been to France numerous times since it is right next to Germany. From what I have learned about you through this blog, I just know that you will love it, expecially their sense of fashion. Maybe something to get used to in some cases, but it is actually quite pretty.

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