"Once you choose hope, anything's possible."  ~Christopher Reeve

Dear Friends and Followers,

The fight against cancer goes on and I know we're going to win this thing! Hardly anyone I know can say they DON'T have a friend or relative that has battled this terrible disease. I'm asking for your help in raising funds because I think it's important that we all join together to help win. The best way to fight against cancer is through the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. I will be dedicating my walk to Cynthia Burns who is currently battling with cancer, and my cousins Courtney Powers and Nicholas Reed who are recent cancer survivors.

Relay for Life is a team event that celebrates cancer survivors, and raises funds for the American Cancer Society research, education, prevention, advocacy and patient services. It is a fun, outdoor and overnight fundraising event where teams take turns walking or running around a track. Our team will be having a table at the event collecting walk in donations and  fundraising as well! We will also be studying for our exit exam (NCLEX-RN) between laps! My team made up of members from Western Illinois University Student Nurses Association, will be joined by hundreds of others on April 15^th, 2011 at Hansen Field in Macomb, Illinois. Millions of people nationwide take part in Relay for Life events around the country. Relay raises over 40% of the funding for the American Cancer Society.

The Relay starts off with a Survivor's Walk, where cancer survivors walk the initial lap, symbolizing the courage that survivors and their families display and sustain in their lives.  Opening night, there is a beautiful and touching Luminaria Ceremony that pays tribute to cancer survivors and to loved ones who still live on in our heart.

Our goal is to raise a minimum of $1,500 for cancer research! Any donation is accepted! If you are considering making a donation you can write a check to WIU Student Nurses Association, mail it me, and we will write a large check prior to the Relay, or you can go to our team site and make an online donation. Here is the information you will need for an online donation:

1.    Go to our site: http://www.relayforlifewiu.com  

2.    Click Donate

3.    Click Donate to a Team

4.    Insert Team Name into Search: Student Nurse Association (Team Captain Adrienne Gretzinger)

5.    Click on Donate to Our Team or to Participant and chose Victoria Powers

6.    Insert donation price (add a note if you wish!)

7.    It will then take you to a payment screen to make your payment directly to our group!

Let us stand together in this battle, because when you feed your faith, your fears will starve to death

Thank you for listening!

xoxo - Vic

"So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success; If I persist long enough I will win." - Og mandino

It is official, I have senioritis. Graduation is so close, I get palpitations just thinking about walking across the stage! However along with the palpitations, comes the overwhelming desire to be lazy and procrastinate. I said this would never happen to me, senioritis. I am so used to the idea of pushing harder and faster in the home stretch that this idea of wanting to stop and "slack off" has never been in my repertoire... until now that is. I do not want to stop or give up, because that would be ridiculous of me to ruin the last 5 years of hard work and dedication I have put forth. I am just physically and mentally exhausted allll theeee tiiimmmee, so I procrastinate, which in turn makes me even more stressed and overwhelmed. It is time to kick the bucket, and sprint the final leg with all I have got. Starting today, there is no more procrastination, there is no more "half assing" homework assignments, and there is definitely no giving up. I dream about my future as a Nurse everyday of my life, and I am 70 days away from it becoming a reality. If I push myself in these last 9 weeks, giving my all and leaving everything on the track... I can at least end proud. The moral today is to hang in there, always give 100%, keep the prize in your sight and most importantly never give up!  Thanks for listening!
xoxo- Vic

"The intensity of your desire governs the power with which the force is directed."  -John McDonald

You know when you dream about your life 10 years from now, and you come up with all of these plans that you want to carry out (dream job, marriage, dream home, children) but it never seems feasible? Well I have had the same dream "plan" for years now and today I decided to make it into my official 10 year goal. Sure changes may be made to it along the way, but I am willing to dedicate the next 10 years of my life towards reaching it. So people here it is; I will start my journey by graduating from nursing school this may and passing the NCLEX-RN to receive my license. I will begin to work for 2 years in any available department, however I would prefer OB. In my third year as an RN I will apply for my PhD and work part time while entering in 4 more years of school. I want to be settled in a home by the time I am done with my PhD and hopefully married maybe with one child but that is still debatable haha. When I have obtained my PhD while working I will have acquired the skills, experience and knowledge that I need to be a partner in my own practice/labor center. I would love to own this practice with an OBGYN and a Pediatric RN PhD or Physician who all share the same view as myself and do not view themselves as a higher being. I want a healthy environment for my employees and patients at all times. Within this practice I would like a full 10 bedroom birthing center with 2 operating rooms for cesareans. Ideally it is where a woman can go from the point she is thinking about pregnancy, throughout her pregnancy, and up to 1 year after the birth of her child. This is a far fetched dream, but I haven't been able to picture anything else that I want more for my future, and I always aim for what I want the most. I encourage all of you to follow your dreams, for real, I am not being cheesy. If you fail, you have only gained experience and learned from it. I will not be upset if I do not reach my goal, because if it becomes something I greatly dislike then it's a good thing I found out, and maybe I will be dreaming of something different. The point is to push yourself to achieve what you most desire, and to never underestimate yourself! So all of you go right now and reach for what you most desire! Thanks for listening!

xoxo- Vic

"The man who has no imagination, has no wings."-Muhammad Ali

I think I have officially lost the child within me. I still LOVE my Disney and Pixar movies, but I find myself focusing on becoming and independent adult so much that I have left myself no room for "play time". I can't remember the last time, I actually let loose and enjoyed myself. I used to go out and party with friends, or enjoy a comedic movie night, but now I get stressed at the thought of having fun. I live in black and white, and erased all of the color out of my life. I am always thinking about what I have to do the upcoming months with school, that I can't even enjoy a beer without getting hypertensive. My life is consumed, and surrounded by anxiety and stress. I need to live my life the way I used to, because this isn't healthy. My vow is to spend one whole night a week without doing school work or mentioning nursing. I need to find the fun playful me again. I am not saying I'm going to become a party animal, but I am going to try to let loose and enjoy my play time. I need fun back in my life. I need laughter back in my life. I just need my life back! Thanks for listening!

xoxo Vic