Category: My Stories

Student Loans Suck!

~ Danielle Olson ~ 1 Comment

student-loans-cash

I recently got my student loan information in the mail…and needless to say, I was extremely upset.  I literally made a copy just so I can rip it up!  Yes, with the student loans, I was able to gain an education that will allow me to go farther in my career than most people, but when the repayment information comes, it just SUCKS!

It is a long process to make sure that I am not having to make $500 payments per month, which let’s be real, no recent college graduate can make that high of a payment.  All I could say when I saw that is…Are they F***** INSANE!

Having federal and private loans add more frustration, as I have to fill out paperwork and figure out a payment plan with two separate loan servicers who have two different ways of doing things.

For my federal loans, I first had to consolidate the 13 individual loans so that I am not making separate payments for each.  Let’s just say, in order to qualify for federal loan consolidation you must have more than a $50,000 balance combined.  Yea…I have more than that.

I am now just waiting for them to process this so that I can finalize a payment plan and set up automatic payments.  Wish me luck on this.  For those of you in a similar situation, I would highly recommend automatic payments because most loan servicers offer a deduction on the interest rate.

I have finally figured things out with my private loan servicer though, thank goodness.  The only thing is that they never want me to start setting things up early, like my automatic payments.  I was advised to wait until right before I make my first payment.  It’s quite annoying because I wanted everything set-up and ready to go before the end of my grace period.  Look out for this when you are trying to figure out your repayment options.

Don’t take my ranting about student loans to mean I regret going to college.  In fact, I enjoyed my college experience and having my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees have opened up more doors for me than without them.  I know a lot more about the business world because of what I learned in college and it prepared me for a career.

So, you will know when I am done paying off my loans, because I will probably submit a post that simply says…STUDENT LOANS FINALLY PAID OFF!!  Look out for this post 30-40 years from now. Haha.

If you have any questions about the student loan process, please feel free to write a comment.  I will offer as much advice as I can.

Time Heals All Wounds

~ Danielle Olson ~ 2 Comments

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It’s been almost 5 years since I lost my mother.  I was only 19 years old.  I made funeral arrangements such as picking out an urn, putting together a playlist, and creating a collage of photographs so people could see the life my mother had lived.

It was a time of my life that became more of a blur.  Family and friends came and went to help and console.  I was thankful, but probably didn’t show it then.

Now, I can say that with each passing day it gets easier, but the pain doesn’t truly go away. I used to cry myself to sleep every night.  Then it became less frequent and I would only cry on Mother’s Day, her birthday, and the anniversary of her death.

With much surprise though, Mother’s Day passed this year with no tears shed.  I have conflicting feelings about this.  On one hand, I enjoyed sleeping soundly and not waking up with a searing headache.  Then I think, shouldn’t I still be mourning my mother?  Does not crying mean I don’t care anymore?  For a split second, I felt guilty, but then again I know I shouldn’t have.  I know that time has finally brought me peace, something my mother would want me to have.

While my mother being gone is a horrible tragedy, I know that I can’t go on being sad all the time.  It will drive me crazy…and those of the people close to me.

So, I will no longer feel bad when big events pass by and I don’t cry my eyes out.  Instead, they may water a bit while I think back about things like how we spent hours watching Friends.  Or when she would come into my bedroom the morning of my birthday to sing to me.  She taught me how to make her Thanksgiving deviled eggs explaining each step so that I would understand it.  I have happily accepted the job of making these now that she is gone.

I do wish that my mother was here to see all that I have accomplished.  At my college graduation I pictured her jumping up and down screaming when my name was called, then sitting down a crying a bit because she was proud.

I can tell far in advance that certain events in my life will be difficult without her like going shopping for a wedding dress or picking out baby clothes for her grandchild.  I know she will be with me in my heart, but I would love to see her face.

So, while time has healed this wound, what’s left is a scar that’s there to remind me of what I have lost.  My dearest mother Lisa.

September 20th….

~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

Since 2008, every year on September 20th I am completely numb to the world.  I walk around in a daze wondering what I could have done different.  What I could have done better.  People talk to me, but I am lost in thought and unable to clear my head of the memories I wish I could relive.  As every year passes, it becomes easier to deal with, but the pain never subsides.  Burying the pain is not an option, I can only confront it.

So what is the significance of this day you may wonder.  It is a day I lost someone dear to my heart.  Someone that taught me how to walk.  Someone that loved me with every inch of her soul.  A woman who watched me grow….

Gone are the eyes that watched me grow
The eyes that were able to see into my soul
Together we climbed mountains and made it through the pain
Only to find out that someday it would be forever changed

As you’ve gotten weaker, I’ve gotten stronger
Able to take care of myself even though I didn’t want to

You’d be proud of my wit, my confidence and my charm
People say I’m just like you and I know all about your charms
The eyes are in my heart, the eyes that saw my soul
But gone are the beautiful eyes, the eyes that watched me grow

Valarie M. Shea

It is on this day that I lost my dearest mother.  Words cannot describe how I felt that day four years ago, but it was like a piece of me died too.  We may not have been close as I got older, but she was still my mother and she loved me with all her heart…as I loved her.  I wish the issues between us had been resolved, but all I can do is believe she knows how much I love her.

Lisa Michelle Miller

11/9/1963 – 9/20/2008

You are truly missed by all who knew you! ❤

Last Days as Student Supervisor of the Woodbury Phon-A-Thon

~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

It is sad to say that I will actually be leaving my job at Woodbury University.  In the spring of 2008, I started working as a Phon-A-Thon Ambassador for the Development Office.  Working in this role gave me a strong sense of pride.  I was helping my University.  A University I have come to love.

After some time working as a Phon-A-Thon Ambassador, I took on the role of Student Supervisor.  This position came with more responsibilities and was more time consuming, but it was something I loved doing and was extremely passionate about.  This is the position I am leaving behind to other deserving students, as this job is a privilege to hold.  I have learned so much from my time working with the Phon-A-Thon and I wouldn’t trade a single day of it.

The people I have come to know are more like family.  I care about them, respect them, and enjoy their company. I will never forget my fellow colleagues in the Office of Development & Alumni Relations.  I am grateful for what they all have taught me and for making my days so much more exciting.  I will truly miss working with all of you!

The 20+ Phon-A-Thon Ambassadors I personally supervised have made working so much fun.  I always enjoyed hearing everyone’s stories, laughing, eating, and working towards a common goal.  The fact that a few of you have surpassed my fundraising record makes me so happy.  I will miss all of you.  I am very proud to say that I supervised several groups of dedicated Phon-A-Thon Ambassadors who will go on to do great things in the future.

While I am thrilled to be starting a new chapter in my life, I will miss the Phon-A-Thon dearly.  It had become a home away from home over the years.  Even though I am leaving, I know that the Phon-A-Thon will be in capable hands.  I trust that the next Student Supervisor will proudly take the reins and make the Phon-A-Thon better.

I may be leaving Woodbury as a student worker, but I will never leave the University as a supporter.  I am proud to have worked for the Woodbury University Phon-A-Thon and I am proud to be an Alumnae.  I will continue supporting the University, but in other ways now.  Thank you to everyone! 🙂

Phon-A-Thon Halloween 2011

Embarrassing College Moments

~ Danielle Olson ~ 2 Comments

We have all been there. Most students are in college for a least four years and there has to be a few embarrassing moments in there. I am no different. There have been several embarrassing moments for me and I am going to share 3 of them.

Volunteering for the Hypnotist Show

My first year at Woodbury University, I lived on campus and wanted to try as many new things as I could. There was an event that my roommate and I decided we would go to. A hypnotist show.

The hypnotist comes in and introduces himself. He then asks for volunteers. Surprisingly I volunteered. When I was in high school, I probably would not have volunteered for something like this. But like I said, I was going to try new things in college. I volunteered and I was fully aware of what I was doing, but it was like I didn’t care and did it anyway.

I was dancing funny, did a cat walk, and overall showed a different side of myself to people I barely knew. It was embarrassing, but fun at the same time. Watching the video always makes me laugh. You can see me there in the yellow shirt.

First Architecture Review

In my first year of college, I majored in architecture. It was the end of the first semester and I was finishing up my final project for review. This would be the first review where guests were brought in to look at everyone’s projects. The project consisted of being assigned some sort of object, mine was an electrical device. Then using wood we had to build something incorporating the objects.

I like to design things that are symmetrical, so that’s what my project was about. Symmetry. Reviews can go in so many different directions. One reviewer may love your project, while another hates it. It just so happens that the Dean of Architecture was at our review and he came up to my project and looked at it.

I explained my project and idea. Silence. Then he said that he didn’t like it. So embarrassing considering that there were other students around, professors, and guest reviewers. Nothing was more embarrassing in architecture than having the Dean say he didn’t like my project. But I survived and didn’t change the way I like to design.

Ranch Dressing

My friend and I were getting lunch during the rush hour at Woodbury’s cafeteria. I got my usual. Turkey sandwich and fries. My friend got his usual as well including his ranch dressing. We were walking with our food outside and I was leading the way. I get to the door, open it, and start to walk outside when my friend trips.

He tripped and the ranch dressing fell to the ground splattering all over including the back of my leg. Good thing I was wearing jeans, but this was still embarrassing with all the people sitting outside eating their lunch.

There have been several other embarrassing moments for me throughout college. But I wanted to share a few. If I shared all of them, I would end up writing a book. The key to getting over embarrassing moments is to laugh at yourself. Don’t let it get to you in a negative way.

Tell me about some of your embarrassing college moments in the comments.

23 Birthday Goals

~ Danielle Olson ~ 4 Comments

Today is my 23 birthday.  I have received many birthday wishes from so many people and could not be more appreciative.  However, when my birthday comes up I tend to think about where my life is going to be in a year, 3 years, 5 years, and even 20 years.  I cannot control what will happen in my coming years, but I have created a list of 23 goals that I want to achieve sometime in the future.  Some of these goals are short-term, while others are definitely long-term.  Not matter how long it will take to achieve these goals, I am determined to accomplish them.

Here they are:

  1. Get a new car
  2. Get toned
  3. Get a new swim suit(s)
  4. Try sushi
  5. Get a new computer
  6. Travel
  7. Hike to upper Yosemite falls
  8. Read all the Nicolas Sparks and Mary Higgins Clark books
  9. Run a full marathon
  10. Graduate from the Woodbury University MBA program
  11. Finish my book
  12. Start my retail business
  13. Expand my business consulting services
  14. Pay off my student loans
  15. Get my own place
  16. Buy a house
  17. Get married
  18. Get my Ph.D
  19. Have children
  20. Teach entrepreneurship at a university
  21. Save up enough money to pay for my youngest sister’s college tuition
  22. Expand my philanthropy for my Alma Mater Woodbury University and other non-profit organizations
  23. Create a scholarship fund for students who have lost a parent from prescription drug addiction

I encourage everyone to create their own list of goals and try to accomplish them!  It doesn’t matter how crazy your goals seem, if you work hard enough it is possible to achieve them.

Please tell me about some of your goals in the comments.  Would love to hear what others want to accomplish.

The Winning Scholarship Essay

~ Danielle Olson ~ 1 Comment

Earlier this year, I set out to apply for the Woodbury University MBA Association Scholarship Contest. They would choose a total of three prize winners, one who received $1000 and the other two $500 each. The only requirement of this contest was to answer a simple question in 5oo words or less. The question was, How has your experience so far in the Woodbury University MBA program changed you as a person? I applied and as it turns out I was able to snag one of the $500 scholarships.

I would encourage all college students to take advantage of any and all scholarship contests that they qualify for. The more scholarship funds you have, the less student loan debt you have to pay off in the future. The follow is my winning scholarship essay:

Woodbury University MBA Program Scholarship Essay

By Danielle E. Miller

When I graduate from the Woodbury University MBA program, I will be the first in my family to do so. I will be the first child my father gets to see walk across the stage to receive a graduate degree and my hope is that I will not be the last. I want to show my siblings that they can do anything if they set their minds to it and perhaps one day they too will walk across a stage to receive their first Master’s degree. As the oldest, I feel the need to set an example for them and getting my MBA degree is doing just that. I can tell them that I learned how to market a business through social media because of what I learned in the program. I can tell them that the writing skills I have gained help me write articles for my personal blog and as a marketing intern at work. I can tell them that I will be starting my own business based on the lessons I learned in my marketing, finance, economics, and entrepreneurship courses. I can ultimately tell my siblings that getting this degree will enable me to have the life our mother could not give us. It gives us a life that does not involve scrapping for change to buy food, getting hand-me-down clothes, or worrying about losing our home. Ultimately, this program will give me a better life than what I had growing up.

With this degree I will be able to step out into the business world prepared to take on any challenges I may face. But the question remains, has the Woodbury University MBA program changed me as a person? I would have to say it has. I have become a more confident person and more confident in what I believe in. I feel as though I can do anything. I am not afraid to voice my own opinions and stand up for what I am passionate about, even if others do not agree with it. I have been able to use what I have learned at my job and I have actually started planning a marketing strategy for the book I am writing. Coming straight from the undergraduate program at Woodbury University, I assumed everything would just be review for me. In actuality, I am applying what I have learned as an undergraduate in the MBA program.

I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life. In this chapter, I will have my Master’s of Business Administration degree from Woodbury University and I will show everyone that no matter where you come from and no matter how much money you have, it can be done. In this next chapter, I will be the person my siblings look up to. I will be the person they can come to for advice, for guidance, and for inspiration. Because of the MBA degree my life will be exactly how I dreamed it would be.

Message to the Class of 2012

~ Danielle Olson ~ 2 Comments

This past Friday I got to see my baby brother receive his high school diploma as a 2012 graduate.  Even though the weather was less than ideal, I was proud to see him in his blue cap and gown ready to take on the world.  Many of the commencement speeches were cliché, talking about the good times and how their four years have flown by so fast.  They talked about their classes, teachers, dances, pep rallies, broken hearts, and lunch time debacles.  However, there was one speaker who talked about what the future holds for the 2012 graduates.  Some will be going off to conquer the business world, some to fight for our freedom while others are perfectly content to settle down in the Antelope Valley.  They are ready for that next step in their lives as high school graduates.  But what they don’t realize is how short life can be.  How everything can suddenly come to a halt and that life can easily be taken away.

What inspired me to write this piece was not only my brother graduating, but also how days after her own commencement Marina Keegan lost her life in a fatal car crash.  It’s amazing how someone can achieve so much and in an instant it can all be taken away.  The graduating class of 2012, whether they be graduating from high school or college should live each day to the fullest, take nothing for granted, and try to experience and learn as much as possible.

I wanted to share an excerpt from the last thing Marina ever wrote, titled The Opposite of Loneliness.  I feel that what she wrote is inspirational and should be shared with as many people as possible.  She puts life in perspective as a graduate and understands how life is drastically changing.  I didn’t know her and we attended school on opposite sides of the country, but her words still touched me:

We’re so young. We have so much time. There’s this sentiment I sometimes sense, creeping in our collective conscious as we lay alone after a party, or pack up our books when we give in and go out – that it is somehow too late. That others are somehow ahead. More accomplished, more specialized. More on the path to somehow saving the world, somehow creating or inventing or improving. That it’s too late now to BEGIN a beginning and we must settle for continuance, for commencement.

When we came to Yale, there was this sense of possibility. This immense and indefinable potential energy – and it’s easy to feel like that’s slipped away. We never had to choose and suddenly we’ve had to. Some of us have focused ourselves. Some of us know exactly what we want and are on the path to get it; already going to med school, working at the perfect NGO, doing research.

For most of us, however, we’re somewhat lost in this sea of liberal arts. Not quite sure what road we’re on and whether we should have taken it. If only I had majored in biology…if only I’d gotten involved in journalism as a freshman…if only I’d thought to apply for this or for that…

What we have to remember is that we can still do anything. We can change our minds. We can start over. Get a post-bac or try writing for the first time. The notion that it’s too late to do anything is comical. It’s hilarious. We’re graduating college. We’re so young. We can’t, we MUST not lose this sense of possibility because in the end, it’s all we have.

We’re in this together, 2012.  Let’s make something happen in this world.

So, class of 2012, instead of dwelling on the fact that your years in high school have come to an end and that friends you once knew may move to opposite ends of the country, you should look to what the future holds and what you can bring to the world.  Embark on endless journeys that lead you down paths of success, love, knowledge, and remarkable experiences.  Don’t take life for granted, don’t lose faith in yourself, and don’t ever stop dreaming!

5 Life Lessons I Have Learned from My 7 Year Old Sister

~ Danielle Olson ~ 3 Comments

Sometimes it is weird to think that I have a sister that is 15 years younger than I am.  Yes….at times people assume she is mine (I can assure you that she is not).  Over the past 7 years she has been in my life, I have learned some valuable lessons from her.

1. Don’t Take Everything Too Seriously:  Taking everything so seriously takes the fun out of things.  You shouldn’t want to live a life of seriousness.  Don’t be afraid to make your responsibilities something fun….trust me, it makes it easier to get it done.  Having fun keeps you sane too!  It keeps you from stressing out about everything and falling apart.

2. Dream Big or Don’t Dream at All:  When you are young, all you can think about is what you want to do when you get older, where you want to live, where you want to travel, who you want to meet, but when you get older you realize it’s harder than it sounds.  But I am constantly reminded by my sister that you can still dream.  And I believe that if you work hard enough your dreams can become a reality.  I make sure my sister knows that!  She tells me all the time that she wants to be a dentist and have a nice car.  And I tell her, “You have to work hard for it, do well in school, and don’t get into trouble”.  I make sure she knows that everything won’t be handed to her, but that I will be there to help her.

3. It’s Ok to Cry Sometimes: Kids don’t even think twice about crying.  When they are sad, they cry!  No matter where it is or when, they let their emotions out.  I believe it’s healthy to cry when you need it.  When things are getting tough, you have had a bad day, or you are watching a movie that moves you.  Don’t be afraid to cry.  Keeping everything bottled up won’t help you in the long run.

4. Love Life: I don’t know what it is, but kids seem to have this zest for life all the time.  They run around like they don’t have a care in the world.  They are loving the simple things in life, like going to the park or watching Spongebob.  I think it’s important for anyone to have a love for life.  We should live life like it’s our last day.

5. Family Matters: If I have learned anything from my sister, it’s that family is so important.  Your family are the people that are there for you no matter what.  They are there for you when you are sad and you need someone to talk to.  They are there to cheer you up and make your day a bit better.  They are there when you want to celebrate and you want to have a good time.  No matter what you are going through in life; a bad break-up, you lost your job, you got a bad grade in class, or you lost a game….they are there to help you.  Your family members are your friends for life!  When I am sad, all I have to do is talk to my baby sister and she makes it better.  She may not know what’s going on, but the fact that she is happy makes me forget about all the things that were going wrong.

Words of Inspiration

~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

I want this blog to be a place where college students can get information on entrepreneurship, college life, and the challenges that face students everyday.  So, to start off my blog I want to share with you some words of inspiration that may help with all your endeavors; not just your entrepreneurial ones.  To do this I want to tell you a little bit about my life:

I come from a low-income family in the Antelope Valley, CA.  This meant that throughout school I never had what the “cool” kids had.  You know, the most trendy clothing, best hairstyles, tans, cars, gadgets, and essentially the popularity.  But what I did have, was family and a drive to achieve my goals.

I have an extremely large family, but the people I see most often are my three siblings, my father, and step-parents.  As the oldest of four, I have taken on many responsibilities, especially with the youngest.  One of my sisters is three years younger, brother is five years younger, and the youngest is fifteen years younger.  I know that’s crazy right!  Even though I had a lot of responsibilities and didn’t get to experience those “teenage” years, I would never take back the things I have done for my siblings because I have and always will want the best for them.

I have always been a book nerd and excelled in school, which was always part of my plan.  However, from people who didn’t know me everything in my life may have seemed fine, but they are mistaken.  At times, it was really hard for me to focus on what I wanted to do because I was so busy worrying about other things going on in my life.  When my youngest sister was born, I ended up having to take on a motherly role.  I was more of a mother to her than my actual mother was; I fed her in the middle of the night, watched her almost everyday after school, and gave her baths.  This type of obstacle would be hard for anyone to deal with and I am sure I am not the only one who has gone through it, but I want people to know that they can reach their goals even when it seems like they can’t.

I always have this wall up that gives people this perception that things come easy to me.  While sometimes this is true, others time it is not.  In my young life (I am 22 writing this) I have gone through things that made me question if I could actually achieve the goals I have set for myself.  So many events have happened in my life that I almost caused me stop pursuing my goals, but I never gave up.  I always felt that the path I was taking would help me reach any goal I set for myself regardless of the obstacles that most often presented themselves.  I always found a way to get through anything in order to achieve my goals. 

The hardest obstacle I ever faced was the death of my mother, which just happened to be during a time I was working towards one of the most important goals I set for myself.  My college degree.  I was 19 years old and starting off my sophomore year at Woodbury University when I heard the news of my mother’s passing.  The relationship with my mother was very unhealthy at this point and to this day it upsets me knowing we never fixed it.  I never called her, never wanted to talk to her, I was ashamed to be around her or introduce her to people, I hated everything she did, I hated her addiction to prescription drugs, I hated her smoking, I hated that I didn’t get to be like normal teenagers, and I just hated the thought of having to be in the same room as her for long periods of time.  But now that she isn’t here I would give anything to have her back!  I always hope that she knew I still loved her even if I never showed it.

As the oldest, I had to take on the responsibilities that came with the death of a family member.  I had to sign a lot of paperwork, pick out the urn, put the music together for her funeral, and clean, organize, and deal with everything inside her home.  I literally had to take three weeks off of school to get everything out of my mother’s house, which I did alone almost the entire time.  It had to be done though and if I didn’t do it, it would not have gotten done.  Missing that much schooling meant I was way behind in all of my classes.  Anyone who knows me could tell you that this was a devastating thing for me to go through along with my mother’s death.  I get upset if I get a B and I was actually failing some of my classes, so you can imagine how upset I was.  At this point I was considering dropping out of school all together and I kept dwelling on the fact that my baby sister was never going to know her mother.  Everything was very overwhelming for me and I thought my life was coming to a halt.

But through it all I found out that reaching my goals is something my mother always wanted for me.  I realized that she wanted so much for me; more than she could have ever given me.  Achieving my goals was something I always pride myself in accomplishing and I was not going to jeopardize the biggest goal I set for myself.  So, instead of dropping out of school, I decided I was going to get help and work even harder to catch up.  I knew that I had to get some help to catch up in school and I was able to do just that.  My mother’s words also helped me get through that difficult time in my life.  Going through her things I found this letter that helped me through that semester of school and even to this day, I have it framed in my room so I can read it whenever I need to:

Dear Danielle,

I just wanted you to know how special you are to me.  God blessed me when he gave you to me.  You are a special girl and you should know that.  Please always remember that.  Even when mom has problems she thinks of you.  You can always make my day sunnier and bright.  You are so smart and kind.  Keep being you.  You are so important in my life.  Without you my life would not be complete.  I love you so much.  Thank you for being you, the wonderful person you are. I love you.

Mom

I ended up graduating on time, kept my scholarships, and showed myself that I can do anything, even when something tragic happens in my life.  I ultimately want to show people that they can do anything with hard work and determination no matter what life brings them.  It’s just about never giving up on your dreams! That’s what I hope everyone can do for themselves because only you can determine your future.

So, I hope my story inspires you to keep working towards your goals no matter what life brings you! 🙂  My hope is that this blog will give you some valuable advice about entrepreneurship, college, and life!