(no subject)
So, a lot of you who have known me a while know that my undergraduate years at WVU were greatly subsidised by prize money and a tuition and fees waver that I won in the National High School Oratorical Competition. I was the first person to ever make it to nationals all 4 years of eligibility, and you can only USE one tuition waver.. that's just the rules, so I gave my tuition wavers to the second place person at the state level the other 3 years... well some reporter heard about it at nationals my Jr. year, and put some crazy story on the AP wire about me, so now i have a book of clippings from 1999 from all over the country about this girl in wv who gave 3 scholarships away to people she didn't know... my claim to fame i guess :-P. ANYWAY back to the real story.
Through the 4 years at nationals, I got to know the national chairman Mr. Buss and his wife very well. They are both really good people. Anyway, this morning the phone wakes me up at 9:00 and I hear... "Is Ms. McNeely there?" *ding ding ding* we have a telemarketer! "for which one are you looking?" I coyly replied. "How about... Veronica?" came back the other end. "Sorry, she's in class, this is Vanessa, can I take a message?" "VANESSA!!!!!!! It's Mr. Buss, you're the one I was looking for anyway, I just didn't know how to reach you!!!" So anyway, lots of catching up follows, and I appologize for thinking he's a telemarketer, and he thinks it was cute and said his wife would have done the same thing, (only in her cute little orientle accent).
Cut to the chase
He invited me to be a JUDGE at the NATIONAL FINALS this year!!!! YAYYYYYYY! My senior year of high school they mentioned that once I was out of college and all they'd like to have me back as a judge... but you know how people say stuff like that all the time, and either don't mean it, or forget they even said it... Well he didn't forget, and he DID mean it!!! And it's not even like i'm judging the national quarter or semi finals.. i'm juding the FINAL FINALS, meaning the top 3 students in the country, and I get to pick who gets $25,000!!! (along with 3 other judges). Anyway, I'm really excited, and it's on April 22, and 23 (sat and sun) so I don't even have to take time off work. they're going to fly me out sat. morning and i'll fly back sunday evening... how exciting!!!! Every year around time for nationals I think about that comment he made back in 2000 about me being a judge and wonder if he'll ever follow up on it... and he did :) supper happy morning!
Oh, and in other news, Mom and I are going to DC today-sat to look for an apartment for me. My tentative start date with IBM is the 29th of Nov, but if i find a place and it's available and all, I may start sooner. We'll see.
Through the 4 years at nationals, I got to know the national chairman Mr. Buss and his wife very well. They are both really good people. Anyway, this morning the phone wakes me up at 9:00 and I hear... "Is Ms. McNeely there?" *ding ding ding* we have a telemarketer! "for which one are you looking?" I coyly replied. "How about... Veronica?" came back the other end. "Sorry, she's in class, this is Vanessa, can I take a message?" "VANESSA!!!!!!! It's Mr. Buss, you're the one I was looking for anyway, I just didn't know how to reach you!!!" So anyway, lots of catching up follows, and I appologize for thinking he's a telemarketer, and he thinks it was cute and said his wife would have done the same thing, (only in her cute little orientle accent).
Cut to the chase
He invited me to be a JUDGE at the NATIONAL FINALS this year!!!! YAYYYYYYY! My senior year of high school they mentioned that once I was out of college and all they'd like to have me back as a judge... but you know how people say stuff like that all the time, and either don't mean it, or forget they even said it... Well he didn't forget, and he DID mean it!!! And it's not even like i'm judging the national quarter or semi finals.. i'm juding the FINAL FINALS, meaning the top 3 students in the country, and I get to pick who gets $25,000!!! (along with 3 other judges). Anyway, I'm really excited, and it's on April 22, and 23 (sat and sun) so I don't even have to take time off work. they're going to fly me out sat. morning and i'll fly back sunday evening... how exciting!!!! Every year around time for nationals I think about that comment he made back in 2000 about me being a judge and wonder if he'll ever follow up on it... and he did :) supper happy morning!
Oh, and in other news, Mom and I are going to DC today-sat to look for an apartment for me. My tentative start date with IBM is the 29th of Nov, but if i find a place and it's available and all, I may start sooner. We'll see.