Monday, December 30, 2013

#FoodieFinds: Homemade Pizza

I'm a #foodie at heart, body, and soul. I love to watch just about anything on the Food Network, get lost in food focused blogs, and share tons of recipes on my Facebook page (much to the chagrin of my friends who are trying to eat healthily or are on a diet). Each month I'll post my favorite foodie finds of the month. Feel free to visit those other pages, try out the recipes, share your own #FoodieFinds and let me know what you think/eat.
 ~ W

Apparently this fall I've been obsessed with making my own pizza. Using store-bought dough, I've made a variety of culinary creations. Here are the pictures for my favorite one.
 


 


 

 


 
 
 



 


 
 



 
 
What are your #FoodieFinds?

Friday, December 27, 2013

Leadership & Learning: My Journey at the Whitney M Young Conference

From October 10th through the 13th, I had the pleasure of attending my first Whitney M. Young, Jr. Urban Leadership Conference representing the Rhode Island Young Professionals (RIYP). The conference was hosted by the National Urban League Young Professionals (NULYP). RIYP is one of over 60 chapters that are part of NULYP. I currently serve as the membership chair/social media coordinator for RIYP and am also a part of the national membership committee. This year's theme, Project Lead: Advancing Our Future was packed with outstanding workshops, world-class speakers, exceptional networking, and fun events. Read on to learn more about my experience at this great event!

 

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Work In Progress

This blog has truly been a work in progress. I've struggled with my perfectionism as multiple drafts sit in my queue waiting for their debut. I plan to not let fear and uncertainty hold me back while I share my thoughts and insights. Several new posts will debut within the week. Your feedback is welcome. In the meantime, click the pic to learns quick tips to help perfectionist procrastinators from Michelle Kirsh [http://michellekirsch.com/].
http://michellekirsch.com/my-top-3-tips-for-getting-sht-done-when-you-are-a-perfectionist-procrastinator/
 

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

How Work Life Is Like Sister Act 2

Catchy title, right? Like many people, I love the Sister Act movies. But you're probably wondering how Sister Mary Clarence and the rest of the gang can relate to your work life. It's not a stretch, trust me. Just read along and see if you recognize these archetypes in your work environment.


Friday, October 11, 2013

50th Anniversary March on Washington: A Higher Education Perspective

Over the next few days, I'm attending the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Urban Leadership Development Conference hosted by the National Urban League. This year, the courses and keynoters reflect the theme, Project Lead: Advancing Our Future. You can enjoy the realtime tweets of my experience (@WinniPaul or @RhodeIslandYP), but I'll be posting a full blog about that experience later in the month. In the meantime, please enjoy reading about my experience at the 50th Anniversary March on Washington with these great leaders, the National Urban League Young Professionals.
~ Winni
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This past August, I had the privilege to experience the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington (#MOW50) also known as the Realize The Dream Rally. I rode down to Washington, D.C. with my local #NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) chapter to participate in this once in a lifetime experience as a member of the #NULYP (National Urban League Young Professionals). Prior to my journey I was not as well versed on how education was an important issue to the march back in 1963 and today. The 50th Anniversary March on Washington took place on Saturday, August 24, 2013 at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall. Fifty years after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, leaders from civil rights, organized labor, housing, media, education and politics gathered in the nation’s capital to urge Congress to create more jobs, protect voting rights, equality for the LGBT community, and to address the barrage of recent attacks on immigration and workers’ rights.

Monday, September 30, 2013

#FoodieFinds of the Month: September

I'm a #foodie at heart, body, and soul. I love to watch just about anything on the Food Network, get lost in food focused blogs, and share tons of recipes on my Facebook page (much to the chagrin of my friends who are trying to eat healthily or are on a diet). Each month I'll post my favorite foodie finds of the month. Feel free to visit those other pages, try out the recipes, share your own #FoodieFinds and let me know what you think/eat.
 ~ W

Apparently this month I'm obsessed with desserts. When reviewing the #FoodieFinds that I've posted to my Facebook page this past month, the recurring theme has been sweets, sweets, sweets. But I still make room for the savory side of foodie life. This past weekend, I enjoyed a tour and tasting at Nashoba Valley Winery with some friends. Take a look at what we brought for the outdoor picnic: camembert cheese, mousse pate, local sausage in natural casing, arugula salad with heirloom tomatoes, and fresh peaches.
 

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

The Informational Interview Project


I've always been passionate about serving as a mentor, especially to fellow women of color. This past summer, through the magic of LinkedIn, I got connected with a young lady looking to re-enter the field of higher education and she asked me to be her mentor. As part of our professional development and mentor/mentee work, I challenged her to conduct some informational interviews. Sometimes in giving a challenge to a mentee, the mentor is in turn challenged. I decided to not only talk-the-talk, but also walk-the-walk by challenging myself to complete fifteen (15) informational interviews by the end of August. That challenge turned into something greater than I expected.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Transition Between 4-year to 2-year Institutions: Insights from Me to You

Working in higher education, specifically Student Affairs, you’re bound to find a diverse student population. How that diversity is defined and exhibited depends on the type of institution. I’ve been working in Student Affairs on and off for the past nine years, predominantly at 4-year religious institutions with a traditional residential campus life. In looking to diversify and build my skill set, I’ve ventured away from those institutions and have worked at a 4-year non-religious private institution and currently work at a public 2-year community college that is 100% commuter. In addition to my higher education experience, I have a master’s degree in counseling and have worked as an addictions and vocational counselor. Needless to say, I’ve worked with diverse student populations and staff, but the keen differences I’ve seen in the transition from working at 4-year institutions to the 2-year community college is something that every professional should have the opportunity to experience.

Welcome to my blog

Hey there! Welcome to my blog. This blog will focus on things that interest me: higher education, volunteerism, social justice, feminism, movies/music that relate to life, and much more. This blog, like me, is a work in progress. I'd like to thank +Dana McNulty+Amma Marfo, and other fabulous #SApro tweeps for encouraging me to step out on faith and share my voice. Enjoy.
  ~ W