Student Veterans : From Soldier to Student

photo courtesy of Wilson

            Monique Wilson spends a lot of her weekends with a book in hand, taking notes, and concentrating on earning her law degree. While Wilson’s peers throughout the University of Florida stress over exams and pending grades, Wilson says she can deal with it.

“I always say that I have such a low set point,” Wilson explains. “Even with law school, where everyone’s super stressed. But I always say ‘today is not one of my top 20 worst days’. So anything I do, I’ve had something that I’ve done that’s way worse.”

Schoolwork makes up a typical day for Wilson now, but it wasn’t like that a few years ago. She is a U.S. Army veteran after having served for 5 years. Wilson deployed twice, each time for a full year, working in legal services for the army.

Monique says deployment is like a state of stasis. She remembers how things were when she left the United States, and coming back home after her tour, she found herself struggling to adjust to a country that seemed fast-forwarded a year.

“When I came back they told me that Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor,” she said. “I thought they were joking. When you’re so far away from everything else you can’t see things as they’re progressing.”

Now, she’s returned to civilian life, and student life. After her second tour, Wilson’s parents allowed her to spend 6 month to relax at home and decompress; something she says helped her transition back to civilian life tremendously. From there, however, it was back to school. Wilson worked her way through another undergraduate degree before making it to UF’s law school.

Schools across the country are working to adapt to the influx of student veterans like Wilson. In April, UF created the Collegiate Veterans Success Center, which houses valuable resources for these student veterans, including help understanding their benefits.

Other organizations are working to partner with student veterans. The Counseling and Wellness Center offers resources for veterans who are working to adapt to their new environment.

“(We help with) stress management, transitioning, family stuff,” says UF Counseling and Wellness Counselor Amanda Ross. “Just whatever we can do to support them in that.”

The CWC is currently working to understand what university faculty and staff know, and feel, about student veterans. Ross says the center is working to implement a training plan for faculty to help make the campus more veteran-friendly.

Wilson says people ask insensitive questions about her deployment all the time.

“A lot of times it’s surprising how civilians see people in the military,” Wilson said. “In my class a student gave a presentation on a man, a war veteran, who killed an elderly lady. The student flippantly said ‘You know how those people are. They go to war and you don’t know how they’re going to come back.’ I thought, well I went to war. Do you think I’m going to become violent, too? It’s kind of interesting to see the disconnect.”

However, Wilson credits her family, her patience, and her time to heal after deployment as her way of handling those questions in the hopes that some other veteran won’t have to.

            “I say it’s like picking up rocks. The road is kind of rough so I just pick up rocks so the next person does not have to trip over the rocks,” she said. “That’s kind of my main goal.”

            So as Wilson navigates life as a law student, she also does so as a veteran. She plans to stay active in Success Center, and work to help other student veterans with the transition, hoping to clear the path in the way.

          
To find out more about student veterans at UF, you can visit and listen to my radio story on WUFT.







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Email stories.about.them@gmail.com with your story (or that of someone you know).
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Dani De Faria : Diving to Victory

photo courtesy of De Faria

Some of the University of Florida's aquatic athletes have become famous for their talent and skill. Swimmers like Ryan Lochte and Elizabeth Beisel have brought the Gators to national headlines. But there's another category of UF swimmers diving into the national spotlight...though they're not trying to race their way to victory.









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This is their story.
What's yours?
Email stories.about.them@gmail.com with your story (or that of someone you know).
Stories About Them are stories about You.
Pass it on.

Cutting the Virtual Grass

School, work, and a bit of travel have definitely captured all of my attention this semester and I haven't had the opportunity to really work on this blog as much as I would like.

But I think it's time I cut the virtual grass and pick the neglected inter-weeds and get back to it.
The semester is finally coming to a close and I've already got a ton planned.

I hope you're excited to meet a synchronized swimmer who has competed nationally and internationally; a student veteran turned lawyer in the making, and a young musician from South Florida who makes lyrics, music, and sandwiches.

All of this coming up very, very soon. Just one more final left. Wish me luck friends...

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This is my story.
What's yours?
Email stories.about.them@gmail.com with your story (or that of someone you know).
Stories About Them are stories about You.
Pass it on.

Okay, mine again

I created this blog with the intention of using it as a platform for the stories of other people, and I feel that so far, I've done that. But I feel as though I'm living in a great moment now-studying abroad in Buenos Aires, and I feel compelled to share my story with you as well.

I started blogging for my university right before my departure, and have been trying to keep it updated weekly, giving readers the inside scoop on my personal experience as well as sharing with them the best of what I find in the city. With that being said, I invite you to read along and keep up with my adventures in this amazing city! Nos vemos. Ciao! :*

http://globalgator.wordpress.com/category/south-america/2013-south-america/leanna-summer-in-buenos-aires/

Martinez : Making it on the Mat. Part 1

Taekwondo competitor Nikki Martinez (right). Photo by Federacion TDK Puerto Rico

Oderint dum metuant. Translation: "Let them hate, so long as they fear."

 When Roman Emperor Caligula delivered Accius' poetic phrase, there was little telling where it might end up, and even less insight into the mouths and minds that would eventually take the phrase for their own. 20 year old Nikki Martinez is one of those minds, and with good reason. She is one to be feared.

Martinez is a young fighter from south Florida, but her parents are from Peru and Puerto Rico. She began training in Taekwondo at the age of four. She recalls her early childhood was not typically "girly" and her family clearly saw her true interests early on. "My mother always says she had never seen a child with more want to fight... I was in ballet for a short time prior, I was told I kicked the instructor. I have been in martial arts ever since." Martinez says she stuck with TKD because she realized she was good at it, and the fighting was what she fell in love with. For Martinez, TKD isn't just a hobby or a weekend pastime. "This is a full time job, a lifestyle, the training is my life." She currently fights for the Puerto Rican National TKD team, thanks to her mother's lineage, and trains in Fort Meyers, Florida.

Martinez defeats Mexico's Guadalupe Ruiz at the 2011 Pan
American games in Guadalajara.
(AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

Martinez made national headlines in 2011 at the Pan American Games (a major annual sporting event for the Americas) when she won silver in TKD while fighting for Puerto Rico's national team. Martinez says when she won, she was beyond thrilled, but that the emotion didn't come right away. After she won the Bronze she was told that she was Puerto Rico's first medal at these games after almost a week of competition. After her first fight, a sports psychologist came to help her mentally prep for her next fight against Mexico who was favored to win, and on whose turf Martinez also happened to be fighting.

Martinez celebrates her victory as she runs around the arena. Photo by ElNuevoDia

"I was nervous," said Martinez, "but after some meditation exercises and some, for lack of a better term, talking to myself, I realized that I had a medal. The weight of producing something was lifted, now all I needed to do was fight." Martinez admits her Mexican opponent, Guadalupe was a strong fighter, but says her covers and counters were strong that day. "I remember walking out of the tunnel to the ring, everyone booing... I couldn't hear them though, I blanked. I could just see the crowd but nothing really reached me, it was the coolest experience."

Martinez celebrated with her coach after realizing she won the silver. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

 Despite the hostile crowd, Martinez beat Guadalupe in overtime. "I swear I literally jumped multiple feet in the air. I had actually just beat her. The crowd hated me. For finals with Cuba they were yelling at me. I got scared for my family in the stands a little. I broke my concentration. That's a lot to handle when you're 18 and it seems like the world is literally against you."

Click here for an interview with Martinez after her win 

Martinez ultimately lost to Cuba; a "more experienced, older, bigger" fighter, she says. But the silver medal, her "plata" was still gleaming in anticipation for Martinez to proudly hang around her neck.

Martinez receiving her Silver medal after she defeated Mexico at the 2011 Pan American games in Mexico. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

"I just stood on that podium thinking 'holy crap, I really just did that?' I know it sounds weird but the best part besides seeing my family freaking out, was when I got back to the athlete villa. Puerto Rico had been assigned the first 5 floors of one of the buildings for the housing of all our athletes. I had been doing press conferences and interviews after medals were given so I didn't think anyone would be up. I walked through the doors and the WHOLE PLACE ERUPTED, the entire islands' athletes were downstairs waiting for me to get back. We passed my medal around for good luck, took pictures, and finally got to eat," she laughs. "I've never felt so appreciated."


With her "plata", she was qualified to compete in the 2011 Pan American Olympic Qualifiers for the 2012 Olympics. Unfortunately, Martinez fell just short of the prize at the Qualifiers. "One more fight, and I would've gone," she recalls. "The funny part about that is, you would think I'd keep the high for Olympic qualifiers. I was training more than I ever had, but due to some political issues and such, my focus was starting to fade. The media is a great source and tool, but when you are constantly reading negative things about yourself, whether you use it to motivate you or drive you, it'll still always be in the back of your mind. To this day some of the comments on me still loom around in my mind."

After the loss, Martinez admits she felt had a different perspective on her art. Her resolve was that people are always going to talk, and says she has to take it with a grain of salt.

Photo by Univision Deportes.

 "You have to realize that what they say about you has no effect on you, your training, your life or your performance when it comes to competition. When they talk it means that they have some sort of a bursary towards you and that's fine to make enemies, you just have to make sure that they don't affect you."

Martinez receiving Puerto Rican Female Athlete of the Year at a ceremony in 2011. Photo courtesy of Martinez.

Martinez, however, faced no lack in admiration for her feats from Puerto Rico. She was soon after dubbed Puerto Rico's Female Athlete of the Year. "Athlete of the year was nice," she said. "I had to get dressed up which is something I rarely ever do. I took lots of pictures, lots of autographs. The kids who were there freaked out. It was just an honor to be selected for that."

Martinez meeting with Puerto Rican kids in school after her win. Photo by ElNuevoDia.

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Stay tuned for Part two of Martinez : Making it on the Mat.

Clarchitecture : The Mitch Clarke Project

If you spend enough time with Mitch Clarke, you'll start to realize that he speaks another language; a foreign tongue which even the most savvy polyglots may find challenging to decipher...words like  "Rendering" and "Cantilever" are just a few you may hear him spurt out as he meticulously works at his computer which may also be simultaneously blasting the best hits of the 80s. Clarke is a Clarchitect: a 3rd year architecture student at the University of Florida who's dreams are, quite literally, sky high. 

Read on to learn more about Clarke and watch as he gives you a sneak peek at his latest project. Comment, like, and share!

As an already accomplished young designer, Clarke spends a great deal of time diligently working in the design studio and has been recognized as 1 of only 200 students at UF for his outstanding for his work as a University Scholar. This measn that he'll be doing undergraduate research with the College of Design, Construction and Planning.

Clarke displays an observation pavilion he designed.
The model is made of bass wood, chipboard, and moss.
It took Clarke four days to build.  

 "I am one of 5 students from my specific college and also one of about 200 students through the whole university this year that will be recognized. What I will be researching is the effect of architectural design on student housing." Clarke says that this has recently become a passion of his that combines what he spends most of his time on-architecture and housing.

Clarke sings Fergus and Molly at his final chorale performance for the UF Men's Glee club and Women's chorale concert. Photo courtesy of Men's Glee Club.

 Clarke describes himself as "not the most normal person you'll find.
"To say that I’m over the top is an understatement. I feel that keeping things positive and lively make things better and try to brighten up everyone that I come across. Some interests of mine include musical theatre, singing, sketching, photography, event planning, student affairs, digital design, fashion design, interior design, and of course, architectural design. My hobbies are pretty limited, but I usually revolve them around singing with UF Men’s Glee Club and participating in student organizations in the School of Architecture."

As well as being fully involved in his studies and extracurriculars, Clark is also a Teaching Assistant for the Design 4 course in the School of Architecture.  

"This is the semester when students exhibit all their work over the past two years to the gain admission into the upper division in the School of Architecture. So far it has been a little time consuming, but overall a pleasurable experience. Seeing students progress with their designs over the semester, and many over the past year is uplifting. What I have learned is to be patient with people, and that when under the right circumstances, you can see people blossom and grow."

Clarke working on his context model in the design studio at UF. The context model displays the surrounding buildings of the site he plans to design on.

Though he cites the beginnings of his journey in Architecture with his freshman year at the University of Florida, Clarke says that in retrospect, he was always interested in how buildings worked and operated. 
"What interests me the most is how a building can make a statement of its surroundings and the way history can have an impact on a building. Another thing that strikes me as beautiful is the difference in scale that plays such an important role in architecture. How does a detail work into a room? The room on the floor layout? The floor layout in the building, and then the building in the site? These things become measurable and phenomenological in the sense of how one feels in the space."

Clarke is currently embedded in his work on a design of a library/research institute in Charleston, South Carolina. 

"My idea behind is the concept of an alley that shifts through the building much as an alley will do through the city itself, separating two main volumes of space on the city block. The idea stems from a mass/void relationship that builds and focuses on the walkability of the city to be incorporated into the project."

His dream building?
"My dream building would be a student housing development at a university that would incorporate sustainable features while using design techniques to help build community among its residents."

Digital model of Clarke's boathouse project.

Out of all of his projects to date, Clarke says the project he is most proud of is his final project for his 5th semester in the School of Architecture. 
"That was a design for a boathouse/clubhouse for the Florida crew team. I spent a lot of time working on details for the project, renders, drawings, and now my concept. The most striking part for me was the sustainable features that I incorporated which evolved from materials used, design techniques, and future planning for the site. Overall I had about 18 drawings and the project went well with the judges."

Clarke's work doesn't stop with the school end of the academic year. This summer he plans to study abroad in Hong Kong and Indonesia.  "For one week we will study the city of Hong Kong, the urban context, how the city plays a role in the life of an individual as well as the lives of the citizens as a whole. As we move into Indonesia, our studio takes over and we focus on a major design issue in the city of Yogyakarta. Here, we work with students of a major university to start the design process. What’s exciting (and terrifying at the same time) is that we will be working with students who may not speak English fully. This becomes a true test of my diagramming/drawing skills to communicate how I see the city and to examine how they view their home. Another major thing that I will explore is the student housing in Indonesia that will play a major role in my research back at UF. Of course, after all the research, sleepless nights, and presentations, I will be vacationing in Bali for about a week which will allow for the biggest de-stressing after a 4 week studio project."

All in all, Clarke adds that, for him, the design process does not come alone.
"Although I am proud of my achievements in the Department of Housing and the School of Architecture, I did not get here alone. If there is something I’m thankful for, it’s the group of people who helped me to get to where I am today. The professors, people on staff, peers, students, and above all, my friends who have been there with me through the good and bad."

Quote to live by?

"My quote to live by is from Walt Disney. It states “We keep moving forward, opening doors and doing new things…and curiosity leads us down new paths”. This exemplifies how I think my designs should manifest and how I manage my everyday affairs. Being stuck in the moment does you no good. Dwelling on the past hinders you. Another quote I have to remind myself of is again by Walt Disney. It states “All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you”. In the design realm, one can easily tear apart your project, not because they think less of you as a person, but because they want to see you design succeed. Taking things personally has always been an issue for me, and sometimes that “kick in the teeth” is what sets my mind right to further myself as a person and as a designer."

Listen to Labes : A preview

A preview of what's to come! 

Soon, Stories About Them will feature young actor/musician Philip Labes. He'll share with us his work, music, and musings. But for now, check out one of his original songs he released in February-Yosemite- and be sure to stay tuned for the article coming soon!