Giving Thanks

With another successful Thanksgiving in the books, I've been reflecting on the many things in my life I am thankful for. I know I am truly blessed, and I don't think I'm nearly as thankful as I should be. Sometimes, it's so easy to focus on the bad. But on this quiet post-Thanksgiving Sunday night, I've decided to stop for a moment and think about all the blessings in my life.

1. My Family

I know everyone says this, but my family is AMAZING! They have always supported me in every decision I've made and in every path I have taken in life. Without them, I most certainly wouldn't be where I am today. I'm soooooo thankful for them!

2. My Friends

Again, I know everyone says this, but I have the BEST friends ever. From my friends that I have known since Kindergarten, to my college friends, grad school friends, post grad friends, and everyone in between, I have been blessed to call some incredible people my friends. Again, a group of people who are always there for me. I consider my friends to be an extension of my family.

3. My Education

It's so easy to take this one for granted, but I am truly grateful for my education. My parents have invested in this from an early age, and I have tried my best to make it worth everyone's while. I have had some awesome teachers who have taught me much more than was on their lesson plan, and that has made all the difference.

4. My Health

This is something I definitely take for granted. Although I don't say it enough, I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to lead an active life. When I think about the many people who can't run or play tennis because of health issues, I realize just how fortunate I am.

5. My Career

I feel so blessed that I have a job that I love going to everyday. I truly love my job and the many people I come in contact with on a daily basis. Delta State is more than a university, it's a family, and I'm so thankful that I was welcomed in with open arms.

This is only a short list of the many things I'm thankful for in my life. I've been afforded so many opportunities, and I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and that you take time to give thanks for your many blessings.

xoxo,

JET

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

Hey y'all!
Sorry it's been awhile since my last post, but I've been crazy busy! And I have some MAJOR news.... 

Drumroll please...........

I now have a new job! Sorry for those of you who had to learn about this on my blog, but it honestly happened so fast, I didn't have a chance to call everyone. Last Friday, the 31st, was my last day at Coopwood Communications, and I started my new job at Delta State University this past Tuesday. I'm the new Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs. My first week on the job was awesome! Everyone has been super nice helping me get adjusted, and I love being back on campus. Leaving Coopwood was a little bittersweet, but I think it was the right move for me. Here's my last column from The Cleveland Current, our weekly newspaper. It kind of sums up everything.

Recently, I interviewed someone for an article, and something he said really stuck out in my mind. "Change is inevitable." Wow. I had never thought about it like that. Of course, I know this to be true. I've been through many changes in my lifetime, especially in the last five years. In the past five years I've graduated from Ole Miss, obtained my master's degree from Delta State, moved to a new town, started a new job, and met tons of great people along the way.

Now it's time for yet another change. This is the last edition that I will serve as the editor of The Cleveland Current. I told myself a long time ago that I would take chances, and if a good opportunity presented itself, I would take it, no matter how hard it was or how scary it may be. That's how I got to where I am in my life now. So, it's time for me to take another chance. I've been offered a position as assistant director of Alumni Affairs at Delta State University, and I will be starting next week.

The move is a bittersweet one as I've had an incredible experience here at Coopwood Communications. I'll never forget the first time I walked into the office. I was scared to death, and I thought I was coming to talk about writing freelance articles. Much to my surprise, two days later I was offered the position of editor of the Delta Business Journal, a magazine that, I can now admit, I had never heard of. I took the leap of faith, and I have learned so much and made so many memories along the way. I went from being unsure and nervous about covering events where I didn't know anybody to being much more confident in those situations.

There are so many thing I will miss about this job. I'll miss attending every Board of Aldermen meeting each month and feeling like I'm "in the know" in Cleveland, I'll miss the random adventures I've been on to get the perfect picture of the perfect interview, like the time I ventured out and found the Bolivar County rubbish pit, I'll miss my awesome co-workers who went from aquaintances to close friends in no time, I'll miss my view of Court Street from my office, I'll miss being in walking distance from Mississippi Grounds, I'll miss my trips to the courthouse, but most of all, I'll miss you, the readers. Because you are the reason we do what we do here.

So, while I'm confident this is the right move for me, I'll still look back on my time here at Coopwood and think of it fondly. And, I'm taking comfort in the fact that I'll only be right down the road at Delta State and just five minutes away from a visit.

So that's basically it in a nutshell. I'm really looking forward to getting in the swing of things at Delta State, and I'm so excited for what the future holds.

To read the press release that Delta State sent out about me, click here.
And for those of you who are DSU alums or just friends of the University, click here for the Alumni office website and think about joining the Alumni Association!

That's all I have for now. Check back soon for more updates. Thanks for reading!
xoxo
JET