April This month is rich with excellent opportunities to get more out of life! Celebrate the month by taking a chance on something, taking a walk to your favorite spot, encouraging a writer and youth in their studies, protecting the earth, and volunteering to help rebuild for families around the country! Don't pressure yourself to dive deep into all of these causes, but do scope them out to find out which aligns with your interests and passions. You may just get involved with a great organization where you can volunteer your time or even find your dream career! Check out what April has to … [Read more...]
Finding Your Passion: The Confessions of a Confused Graduate
Freshmen year of college I thought I had it all figured out. I declared my major and worked hard in every class, whether it was Spanish 201 or Advanced Reporting. I loved to talk to people, to learn about others and their passions, and pass on this information through articles and stories. With every analysis, feature, and editorial, I felt validated and even more certain of my path. In the fall semester of my senior year, I decided to study abroad in Seville, Spain. Thus far, the decision to live in another country for a semester has been the best choice I’ve ever made, though it did have … [Read more...]
10 Valuable Lessons for Teens and Young Adults
Young Outliers take a look at these 10 inspiring quotes from John Shufeldt on growing up and remaining true to yourself. The actions and decisions you make now will shape the person you grow up to be. Learn about peer pressure, following your passions, leadership, and turning failure into success. Fear of Failure/ Fear of Rejection "Without raising the bar or pushing the envelope, you'll likely never fail at much and thus never get to really make lasting contributions" Facts of Life/Avoiding Prejudice/Remaining Unbiased/Achieving Tolerance "Education opened my eyes to new ways of … [Read more...]
An Answer to the Age-Old Question: “What Should I Do With My Life?”
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 04, 2015 People think they can work 40-hour weeks, reverse global warming, and then live the high life in retirement. Well, people are wrong. And Shmoop is happy to tell them so. Shmoop, a digital publisher known for its award-winning Test Prep and certified Online Courses, has just released a new Career Advice Center, which includes two free Holland Code-aligned career tests along with in-depth descriptions of what hundreds of careers are actually like. First, students can take the Shmoop or Consequence test, which will demonstrate how aiming for a salary of … [Read more...]
From Elementary to Extraordinary
Every day teacher Brenda Rico enters through the doorway of her fifth grade classroom and prepares for the arrival of her students. Child after child files into the room, each one a sponge; ready to absorb every bit of information their teacher has to offer them. During her 26 years of teaching, Brenda has developed a solid idea of the values she hopes to instill in her students and the knowledge she wants to impart on them. So,when she stumbled upon Ingredients of Outliers: A Recipe for Personal Achievement during the summer of 2013, Brenda knew the book would impact both her life and the … [Read more...]
Little Friends Making Large Strides
In “Ingredients of Outliers”, an outlier is defined as a person that is markedly different in value from other people in the sample. Mary Vallelonga, owner and teacher at Little Friends Montessori School is the quintessential example of an outlier. 6:30AM – Wake up. “I had always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a little girl,” Vallelonga said. When she was a young mother of two at the age of 26, she reflected on the difficulties she faced during her school days with classwork and self-esteem. She decided that she wanted something better for her children. 7:30AM - Children … [Read more...]