Hey everybody. Wow, I am sure blogging a lot less than I expected to this summer. I'm sorry, but I feel I have quite a valid excuse and that is, drum roll,please.....I GOT A JOB! Yes, after many years of waiting, and wondering how I will be able to become part of the work force, I, Kate Gibbs, landed a paying job as an advertiser for the summer. I was asked to work for a local organization called The Windermere Valley Early Childhood Development Team (WVECD Team) I advertise all summer programs that are going on this year for kids. I work from home mostly, writing up the ads, and sending them the person who is in charge, and she posts them of facebok under the WVECD Team page. I then, go out to the events to take pictures of the kids, interview them about what their favorite part of each program is, and post the pictures on facebook to promote the programs.
I'd never thought of myself as being an advertiser, especially as my first job,but I'm really enjoying it. It involves my two favorite things, writing, and working with children. It was a little confusing at first, figuring out exactly how I needed to make the ads, but, I think I'm getting the hang of it now. Most ads are quite short. When people read an ad, they just want to know the facts about what's going on, and not read a tenthly summary about it. Well, we all know that "short and sweet" is NOT my strong point, but I am learning. ha ha. It's not too bad. I just look up the website for the program, write down basic facts, and contact information. Keeping the ads short is a good learning skill for me to learn, and I have to practise it, because, besides writing these ads for Facebook, I have also been allowed to put my ads in a little local flyer called the Valley Peak that everyone in Invermere reads. My friend Patti and I made a portfolio of all the newspaper articles I've written at the Valley Echo for Work Experience and compiled them into a folder to show off as proof of the work I did. The man who runs that paper says that paper has quite limited space, so I have to make my ads even shorter and sweeter than I did the first time I wrote them. Yikes! ha ha. I can handle it! Writing the ads for WVECD is only going to be a summer job, but Valley peak has allowed me to write for them inb the fall too. I might put bits and pieces of my blog in there. Cool!
Like I said, this job keeps me quite busy this summer. I write one, maybe two ads a day. I love it! Being employed is something I do not like to take for granted. Having physical challenges,it is hard to get jobs, because the building has to be set up perfectly, and the work has to be not to physically demanding. In this town, finding a job that meets that criteria is hard. I went for an interview at the Library once to see if I could get a job, and it didn't work out because of my physical limitations. When that happens to you, you kind of lose hope. You think, "I can't even put books on high shelf myself, who is going to want me to work for them. Those frightening Thoughts of "You can't" come into your head, and you get down on yourself, but you have to make those thoughts leave your head just as quickly as they came in, because the truth is YOU CAN! The right job for you will come along. You just have to be super duper patient, and determined too. Never let your diverseability be the excuse for why you can't do something. If someone thinks you are unemployable, your job for the time being is ,to prove them wrong, and put yourself out there. Don't give up! You can do it!
So, I just wanted to thank my friend Patti for helping me get the job in the first. She's been an amazing help in getting me organized, and doing some of my work with me on the days I spend with her. Thank you to my family for supporting me, and Lisa Lehr, my boss who hired me in the first place. I apologise in advance for maybe not writing so many blogs this summer. I'll try though!
As of this summer , I am officially part of the working world! :)
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Kate's Mission Statement
KATE'S MISSION STATEMENT
1. I promise to always be thankful for what I have
2. I promise to always put my amazing family first and that my love for
them will continue to grow enormously throughout the years to come
3. I promise to seek out new adventures and find ways to get into a little bit of
mischief along the way.
4. I promise to be thankful for and loving towards all my friends around me
5. I promise to let my Cerebral Palsy push me forward, not pull me back
6. I promise to continue to show everybody exactly what I'm made of and
to keep teaching others about people with diverseabilities and help them
replace the words "they can't" with "they can"
7. I promise try everything at least once
8. I promise to NEVER GIVE UP!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Graduated!- I'm a Big Kid Now!
Hello everybody! Remember me? Ha Ha. Wow, I haven't blogged in long time! I've been really busy with finish school and, wait for it.... GRADUATING! Yes! This week I graduated from Grade twelve! Wow! Were did the time go! When your little, graduating from high school is something you never think is going to happen, and then BAM, there it is! I have sure treasured my childhood, growing up with an amazing family and being surrounded by the the wonderful people of Invermere, British Columbia. I have a lot of people who care about me that I owe gratitude to, and this was week was a perfect time for me to reflect on that and give thanks.
Wednesday the 26th of June and Thursday the 27 of June were busy days that I will never forget! First of, on Wednesday, all the graduates got to march down main street and show off. We all got dressed up down to the nines. Everyone looked like celebrities , and, as for me, I am quite sure I have never felt as dolled up as I did that day. My dress was a teal coloured short brides maids dress. Paige and Patti did my hair and makeup. They have both been a huge part of my school years so it was very special we all got to be together! Thanks guys! You made me look like a princess that day. After I was done, I went to the local Strands restaurant to get some pictures taken. When all the grads arrived at Strands , we all took a group picture and then started our walk. I had two grad partners, a boy and a girl. We had a great time walking together. When we started out, it was pouring! All the girls were worried their very preety hair getting ruined. We were worried that it wouldn't let, but soon after, it seemed like the clouds had parted just for us, and we started our walk! I was so happy that day! There was music playing in the background, and as I was wheeling down the street with my partners, I was dancing and smiling the whole way. Everyone was clapping and cheering for all of us! It was just a day that once again proved how supportive our town is! Everyone loves to watch the grads every year. The sidewalks are always lined up! It's amazing! When we got about a block away from our destination, I wanted to get out of my wheelchair and walk. That was really important to me! It showed people that I will never give up on walking, no matter what! My partners did great! There were looked awesome, and they did an amazing job of helping me walk. It was an emotional day! I broke down a couple of times. It was a big day for a lot of kids. It was the end of a big milestone! After lots of congratulations and hugs from family and friends, we went into the local curing rink for dinner. I got to lead everyone in! That was cool! The curling rink did not look like a curling rink at all. It was all done up with balloons ribbons, and light! It was beautiful! The dinner was delicious and we got to hear some fantastic, and also some very funny speeches from students, parents, teachers, and the superintendent. We had a mother son dance and a father daughter dance! I got to dance with my dad! He was so happy those couple of days! I loved seeing that!
I even got to dance with a boy! That was a surprise! It was an awesome night and I couldn't believe their was more yet to come!
The next day we had a year end recognition assembly for the whole school where students are awarded for things they've accomplished ! I won two awards. I won one for my writing class, and then I won the citizen of the year award. I was informed I'd be getting an award beforehand, and I was pretty sure it was for writing. I had no idea I was also getting the citizenship one too though. That was a total surprise! I felt so honoured that people thought of me for the award, and again, so grateful for the amount of amazing support I have! The lady who awarded me with it was the a teacher that has done a lot for me over the years. Shes helped me so much and has just been awesome, so it was really special. She printed out a whole speech! I felt very loved that day
Then, there was the big grade twelve graduation ceremony, where we v finally got to get dressed in cap and gown! That felt surreal. I'm sure it did for many of us! It was the "This is it" moment. It took a while to get everybody organized, but soon we were all ready to take the stage. The way we marched in the gymnasium was very formal! We walked on one by one in a specific order The MCs called each of us up and gave a little speech about what our future plans were, as we each walked up and shook the principals hand and got our diplomas. Some got awarded with honours! I was one of them! That was another exciting surprise that made everything seem that much more worth it. As I sat and listened to what the students future plans were, it became surreal to me that kids would be leaving town and embarking on new adventures. Kids that I have grown up with are going away. I was very impressed with what some of them plan to do. We have quite the talented group of graduates. Once everyone was seated , scholarship after scholarship was being handed out. Our community was extreamly generous. I got three, one from the Valley Echo, one from another local paper, the Pioneer, and another from the Columbia Basin Trust Society. I won big! ha ha. Lots of us did. It was amazing! After a marvellous valedictorian speech, it was finally the time to throw grad caps in the air and yell out in celebration! I always wanted to do that! That final cap toss says we made it! We survived! I am now a proud of graduate of 2013!
Last but not least, my parents had been working extremely hard on a garden party that I was going to have after the ceremony! My dad is a gardener, and so he had planned to get the garden ready for a party. He and my mom had planned everything, cooked everything, and bought everything to create the best garden I could have asked for! Tons of family, and friends, and teachers came by to say congratulations. I was so busy talking to everybody, I didn't have time to eat. I got tons of presents, beautiful cards, and MONEY! I have so many people that have been so good to me. I am truly thankful to each and everyone of them! I couldn't of asked for a better graduation. It was perfect.
Thank you so much to my grandparents,my cousin Stephanie who came out from Calgary, and my Uncle Jeff who came out from Tennessee to spend graduation with me. I love you and it meant the world to me to have you there. Thank you to my school system for being so accommodating towards students with diverseabilities. I am well aware that fifty years my education situation would have been very different. Even today, some students with diverseabiilities don't get treated very well, but I am certainly not one of them and for that I thank my school system from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to everybody who helped send me on all my amazing adventures! I will never forget those. Thank you to the town of Invermere for encouraging me every step of the way! Each time I go downtown, I get hugs from everybody. I have loved the relationships I have developed of the years. I love Invermere. Thank you to all my aides and helpers at school for continuing to push me to do my very best! I have made amazing relationships over the years with them! You guys are awesome! Last but certainly not least, thank you to my incredible family who have given me everything. You continue to support me every day, and I know you will always be there for me! I Iove you!
I do plan on attending David Thompson Seconday school an extra year before moving on, before moving on to university. I look forward to coming back! For all the graduates who are leaving Inveremere, I am proud to say that I have attended class with such wonderful student! I hope for the very best for you all! Remeber to always follow your dreams, be thankful to those who have helped you get to where you are, and NEVER GIVE UP! Congratulations grad class of 2013! Let your adventure begin!
Wednesday the 26th of June and Thursday the 27 of June were busy days that I will never forget! First of, on Wednesday, all the graduates got to march down main street and show off. We all got dressed up down to the nines. Everyone looked like celebrities , and, as for me, I am quite sure I have never felt as dolled up as I did that day. My dress was a teal coloured short brides maids dress. Paige and Patti did my hair and makeup. They have both been a huge part of my school years so it was very special we all got to be together! Thanks guys! You made me look like a princess that day. After I was done, I went to the local Strands restaurant to get some pictures taken. When all the grads arrived at Strands , we all took a group picture and then started our walk. I had two grad partners, a boy and a girl. We had a great time walking together. When we started out, it was pouring! All the girls were worried their very preety hair getting ruined. We were worried that it wouldn't let, but soon after, it seemed like the clouds had parted just for us, and we started our walk! I was so happy that day! There was music playing in the background, and as I was wheeling down the street with my partners, I was dancing and smiling the whole way. Everyone was clapping and cheering for all of us! It was just a day that once again proved how supportive our town is! Everyone loves to watch the grads every year. The sidewalks are always lined up! It's amazing! When we got about a block away from our destination, I wanted to get out of my wheelchair and walk. That was really important to me! It showed people that I will never give up on walking, no matter what! My partners did great! There were looked awesome, and they did an amazing job of helping me walk. It was an emotional day! I broke down a couple of times. It was a big day for a lot of kids. It was the end of a big milestone! After lots of congratulations and hugs from family and friends, we went into the local curing rink for dinner. I got to lead everyone in! That was cool! The curling rink did not look like a curling rink at all. It was all done up with balloons ribbons, and light! It was beautiful! The dinner was delicious and we got to hear some fantastic, and also some very funny speeches from students, parents, teachers, and the superintendent. We had a mother son dance and a father daughter dance! I got to dance with my dad! He was so happy those couple of days! I loved seeing that!
I even got to dance with a boy! That was a surprise! It was an awesome night and I couldn't believe their was more yet to come!
The next day we had a year end recognition assembly for the whole school where students are awarded for things they've accomplished ! I won two awards. I won one for my writing class, and then I won the citizen of the year award. I was informed I'd be getting an award beforehand, and I was pretty sure it was for writing. I had no idea I was also getting the citizenship one too though. That was a total surprise! I felt so honoured that people thought of me for the award, and again, so grateful for the amount of amazing support I have! The lady who awarded me with it was the a teacher that has done a lot for me over the years. Shes helped me so much and has just been awesome, so it was really special. She printed out a whole speech! I felt very loved that day
Then, there was the big grade twelve graduation ceremony, where we v finally got to get dressed in cap and gown! That felt surreal. I'm sure it did for many of us! It was the "This is it" moment. It took a while to get everybody organized, but soon we were all ready to take the stage. The way we marched in the gymnasium was very formal! We walked on one by one in a specific order The MCs called each of us up and gave a little speech about what our future plans were, as we each walked up and shook the principals hand and got our diplomas. Some got awarded with honours! I was one of them! That was another exciting surprise that made everything seem that much more worth it. As I sat and listened to what the students future plans were, it became surreal to me that kids would be leaving town and embarking on new adventures. Kids that I have grown up with are going away. I was very impressed with what some of them plan to do. We have quite the talented group of graduates. Once everyone was seated , scholarship after scholarship was being handed out. Our community was extreamly generous. I got three, one from the Valley Echo, one from another local paper, the Pioneer, and another from the Columbia Basin Trust Society. I won big! ha ha. Lots of us did. It was amazing! After a marvellous valedictorian speech, it was finally the time to throw grad caps in the air and yell out in celebration! I always wanted to do that! That final cap toss says we made it! We survived! I am now a proud of graduate of 2013!
Last but not least, my parents had been working extremely hard on a garden party that I was going to have after the ceremony! My dad is a gardener, and so he had planned to get the garden ready for a party. He and my mom had planned everything, cooked everything, and bought everything to create the best garden I could have asked for! Tons of family, and friends, and teachers came by to say congratulations. I was so busy talking to everybody, I didn't have time to eat. I got tons of presents, beautiful cards, and MONEY! I have so many people that have been so good to me. I am truly thankful to each and everyone of them! I couldn't of asked for a better graduation. It was perfect.
Thank you so much to my grandparents,my cousin Stephanie who came out from Calgary, and my Uncle Jeff who came out from Tennessee to spend graduation with me. I love you and it meant the world to me to have you there. Thank you to my school system for being so accommodating towards students with diverseabilities. I am well aware that fifty years my education situation would have been very different. Even today, some students with diverseabiilities don't get treated very well, but I am certainly not one of them and for that I thank my school system from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to everybody who helped send me on all my amazing adventures! I will never forget those. Thank you to the town of Invermere for encouraging me every step of the way! Each time I go downtown, I get hugs from everybody. I have loved the relationships I have developed of the years. I love Invermere. Thank you to all my aides and helpers at school for continuing to push me to do my very best! I have made amazing relationships over the years with them! You guys are awesome! Last but certainly not least, thank you to my incredible family who have given me everything. You continue to support me every day, and I know you will always be there for me! I Iove you!
I do plan on attending David Thompson Seconday school an extra year before moving on, before moving on to university. I look forward to coming back! For all the graduates who are leaving Inveremere, I am proud to say that I have attended class with such wonderful student! I hope for the very best for you all! Remeber to always follow your dreams, be thankful to those who have helped you get to where you are, and NEVER GIVE UP! Congratulations grad class of 2013! Let your adventure begin!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)