Top 10 Things No One Told You to Bring To College - by Ali

1.      A sleeping mask and earplugs. Remember: This is no longer just your room. There will be nights where your roommate has to stay up late to get that paper done or decides to clean her side of the room at 2 in the morning. Trust me when I say, earplugs and a sleeping mask may become your new sleeping buddy! Also, Melatonin (natural sleeping regimen) definitely got me through some of those “Wide-Awake-Katy-Perry-Style” nights.

2.      A Brita water filter. College campuses have student groups all about going  green so why not help out? I’m not a huge fan of drinking water out of the sink so this definitely helps out!

3.      Rain boots! It doesn’t matter where you choose to go to school. There will be days where it is cold and rainy out and you’re going to wish you had some water-resistant, knee-deep rain boots to keep you warm and dry. Also, umbrellas… are just wonderful.

4.      Extension cords. Dorm rooms have few, low-to-the-ground outlets and if you’re like me and have a short phone charger cord, this doesn’t really get you anywhere. Extension cords help you to… you guessed it… extend! Also, power strips are really nice if you need to plug in multiple appliances, etc.

5.      Bathrobe and flip-flops. Everyone (we hope) uses the bathrooms and showers at your campus. We don’t know what goes on in there. With that being said, shower flip-flops are a lifesaver. Also, bathrobes allow you to be hands free and you don’t have to worry about your towel falling down while you are walking by the boys’ rooms.

6.      Mattress Pad. Honestly, the beds at most campuses are not the most comfy things to sleep on. Mattress pads can easily turn a stiff, rock-hard bed into a soft, luscious cumulus cloud. J

7.      Can Opener. Huh… who would’ve thought you’d need this to get your cans of Spaghettios opened? I learned this the hard way.

8.      Quarters. Whether you need to do some laundry or catch the bus to the mall, you’re going to want a few quarters around.

9.      A stapler. Yes, unfortunately, you are going to have homework that is more than 1 page long. One day, I had 3 guys from my floor come over to my room and ask if I had a stapler. Lucky for them, (and me… cuties! J) I did indeed have one! While we’re on the topic of school supplies, duct tape does wonders!

10.  Homesick cuddles. To be honest, there will be days and nights that you may get homesick or stressed. It’s good to have something that you can hold or cuddle with to get you through these rough times. As of right now, I currently have a body pillow, pillow pet, monkey, and panda residing in my bed as well as me. I also brought my favorite blanket, yearbook, and tons of pictures of family and friends. The first 2 weeks of school were extremely hard for me but with the help of these things and a few phone calls home to Mom and Dad, things got so much better!

 

 

      Ali Houser is a college freshman at The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in Minneapolis, Minnesota majoring in Dental Hygiene. Originally from Beresford, South Dakota, Ali was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of South Dakota for 2012. Learn more about Ali here!

 

When Tragedy Strikes - by Ali

      How far would you go for a perfect stranger? It’s a compelling question when given the chance to think about it. However, when tragedy strikes, we don’t think.  We just do. That is exactly what Madison Wallace and Lyle Eagle Tail did on the 14th of March. Together, they will be risen up as heroes.

       I’m not sure how many of you have heard the tragic story so I will give some of the details. At around 6 p.m. on Thursday, a young boy fell into the Big Sioux River in Sioux Falls, SD. His sister, 16-year-old Madison jumped in to save him. Lyle, a 28-year old who was visiting the falls with his fiancé, saw the teen go under the current and without hesitation jumped in to save her and her brother. The young boy was saved by their efforts; however, heaven gained two angels that night. Because of the foam from the falls, rescuers were not able to find the two victims right away. Madison was found Friday afternoon and Lyle was found on Saturday.

 Madison Wallace

      It breaks my heart to think about such a tragedy but at the same time, it makes me thankful. I’m thankful to know that even though awful things happen everyday in our world, there are heroes like Madison and Lyle that would and did risk their lives for another.  The Wallace family and Lyle had no connection whatsoever, just perfect strangers. It’s one thing to sacrifice your life for someone you love but it’s a whole other situation when it is for someone you don’t know. But that’s the beauty of an act of kindness and pure selflessness. 

Lyle Eagle Tail

       This tragedy will forever remind me to be thankful for the time with loved ones that I have. You never know when something could happen. Madison and Lyle will forever be heroes. For anyone interested, there are Facebook pages in memory of the victims: “Madison Wallace Family Fund” and “Rename Falls Park: Lyle Eagle Tail and Madison Wallace Memorial Falls Park.” Prayers and thoughts go out to the families and friends of these individuals. 


Ali Houser is a college freshman at The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in Minneapolis, Minnesota majoring in Dental Hygiene. Originally from Beresford, South Dakota, Ali was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of South Dakota for 2012. Learn more about Ali here!

Study Tips - by Ali

Have you ever studied for hours and felt really confident going into a test only to get your score back and see that you didn’t do as well as you’d hoped? Sadly, most of us have experienced this heartbreak at least once. This week, I definitely experienced this feeling of complete disappointment but I was able to learn from it and figure out how I can improve for the next one! I have put together a list of 5 tips to help when it comes to studying and managing your time during crazy weeks like mine!


1.    Start early. This week I had three midterm exams, seven quizzes, six chapters to read (each about 30 pages long!) and on top of that, I had to prepare to coach my hometown dance team at Nationals this past weekend. Welcome to college, right? There will be times when your exams and assignments may fall on the same week or maybe even the same day. My advice would be to start studying early! You will know when every exam is at the beginning of the semester so you will be able to plan it out ahead of time. Try to mix it up by studying for one class for an hour and then the other class for the next hour. Studying one subject for hours at a time doesn’t help as much!

2.    Say “No”. You will be tempted to go out. Friends will ask you to go out with them this weekend or there may be an event with a group your involved in (for me, it was my sorority) but you have to try and refrain. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t take breaks or become a hermit or something like that but if you do choose to go out, try to make it short (an hour or two). Trust me, there will be weekends when you’ll have nothing to do and you can go out then! 

3.    Again, take breaks! There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a break from studying. If you feel like your brain is about to explode, take a quick walk or eat a snack. It’s kind of like hitting the refresh button on your Internet. Sometimes, you just need a break. I read somewhere that for every hour you study you should give yourself a 15-minute break. Powernap, ready, set, go!

4.    Just breathe. Try your best not to stress too much because that will just make things worse. I almost had a meltdown this week but I found it really helpful to call my mom and just talk to her for a few minutes. She really calmed me down and settled my nerves. Also, writing down what you need to do before the test really helps as well. Seeing what you need to do visually can really help calm you down and you can check things off as you finish them as well. Most of all, just remember to breathe and that things will get better soon!

5.    Learn. Like me, your test may not go the way you would have liked it to no matter how long you study. I took a practice test for my exam 100 times (this is no exaggeration… it was 103 actually.) I felt really good going into the test and when I was done, I wasn’t so sure anymore. However, there is nothing you can really do at that point. I got my score back and didn’t do as well as I had hoped. (So this is why this class is the 2nd most failed class offered here…) I was disappointed and at first, very angry. However, I decided that there was nothing I could do about it. I worked as hard as I could in order to prepare for it so I did the best I could. I chose to learn from my experiences and prepare to study differently for my next exam. Hopefully, I will do much better for the next one!


Good luck to everyone with exams soon or in the future! Just try to remember these tips and also, make your own. Some of these may not work for you and others may work great! You know your strengths so apply them to your work and you will do amazing things!

Ali Houser is a college freshman at The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in Minneapolis, Minnesota majoring in Dental Hygiene. Originally from Beresford, South Dakota, Ali was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of South Dakota for 2012. Learn more about Ali here!

Make Everyday Valentine’s Day - by Ali

Do I have a date for Valentine’s Day? Why yes, thanks for asking. February 14^th.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and I’m going to be completely honest. I am not a fan of the holiday. It is a strange coincidence that I just so happen to be single this year J but even when I was in a relationship during Valentine’s Day, I felt the same.

Ever since the Valentine’s parties at school came to a sad, tragic, you’re-too-old end, I haven’t really seen much of a point. Yes, Valentine’s Day is a day to show love and admiration to those you care about but shouldn’t that be everyday? It’s sad to think that for some couples, Valentine’s Day is the only day they do something nice for each other or go out on a date. Why should one day of the year be dedicated to being spontaneous and romantic? Everyday should be this way!

I walked into Wal-Mart the other day and was instantly greeted by aisles and aisles of boxes of chocolate, flowers, jewelry, teddy bears that said, “I love you beary much,” and candy upon candy upon candy. Now, I love candy and flowers just as much as the next girl but really? Is all of this necessary?

I am not by any means trying to insult anyone’s views on the Valentine holiday with this blog post. However, I’m more so saying that in my opinion, everyday should be treated as though it is Valentine’s Day. Show compassion, admiration, spontaneity, and love to everyone that you care about all the time. Overuse “I love you.” Who says you can’t shower the ones you love with gifts and praise on a regular basis? Make everyday Valentine’s Day. 

Ali Houser is a college freshman at The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in Minneapolis, Minnesota majoring in Dental Hygiene. Originally from Beresford, South Dakota, Ali was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of South Dakota for 2012. Learn more about Ali here!

Things I Wish I Could’ve Told Myself In High School - by Ali

1. I wish I could’ve told myself to get more involved. I look back at my high school years and I always wish I had gotten involved in more community service projects. Not only do they look great on scholarship applications or * wink wink * a registration form for Distinguished Young Women, but they make you feel absolutely wonderful inside. Helping your community not only benefits those surrounding you but it benefits the person you’ll become. 

2. I wish I could’ve told myself to apply for as many scholarships as possible. Seriously, it is the worst. It’s tedious and obnoxious filling out the same information over and over again. Why do you have to fill out the same amount of information for a $500 scholarship versus a $10,000 one? However, every dollar counts. It may not seem like it compared to that big, scary tuition bill but I promise, it’ll help. Someone once told me to think of it this way: It takes anywhere from a half hour to an hour to fill out a scholarship application. Now think about working a job. If you get the scholarship, it’s almost like you received $500 for an hour of work! Yes please! 

3. I wish I could’ve told myself to spend more time with people that loved me. Going to college has made me realize how much I truly miss my friends and family. The first few weeks of college were some of the hardest I’ve ever had to experience. I didn’t like being away from my parents! However, now that I’ve adjusted to the college life (and absolutely love it!), it makes going home so much more exciting. 

4. I wish I could’ve told myself to forget about those silly boys. I remember how exciting it was to be asked out on my first real date during my freshman year of high school! The butterflies I got in my stomach when I passed him in the hallway. The dance I did around my room when I got home. I also remember my first heartbreak and how absolutely awful it felt. 

5. I wish I could’ve told myself that labels don’t matter. I thought it was the most important thing in the world to have the newest clothes with the best brands. But why? Why does it matter if I had a sweater that was $100 versus one that looked identical that was $15? Jessie J sang it best when she sang, “Ain’t about the cha-ching-cha-ching, ain’t about the ba-bling-ba-bling. Just wanna make the world dance, forget about the price tag.” 

6. I wish I could’ve told myself to work harder in my academics. I firmly believe that you can never be “too smart” or “too educated.”  

7. I wish I could’ve told myself that popularity isn’t everything. I went through a phase in which I was obsessed with being “popular.” However, with that popularity I became a mean girl. I was so rude to other people. I’m so happy that I finally realized that there is nothing cool or popular about being mean to others. I broke away from that bad obsession and worked to become the best friend and person that I could be. 

8. I wish I could’ve told myself to lay off the makeup!! This one just speaks for itself. 

9. I wish I could’ve told myself to step out of my comfort zone. For most of my high school life, I did everything to blend into the crowd. However, when I broke free of that, it was the best feeling in the world. I finally was myself. 

10. But I didn’t tell myself these things. All these things I’ve listed above are things that I wish I had told myself in high school…but I didn’t. I wouldn’t call them regrets because I don’t believe in regretting anything. However, it’s more of a reminder of who I am today. I didn’t do these things in high school and if I had, I possibly may be a different person than I am right here, right now. I have come to love the person I’ve become. I may not be perfect but that’s just who I am. 

Ali Houser is a college freshman at The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in Minneapolis, Minnesota majoring in Dental Hygiene. Originally from Beresford, South Dakota, Ali was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of South Dakota for 2012. Learn more about Ali here!

Get to Know Ali Houser - Distinguished Young Woman of South Dakota for 2012

Name: Alinia (Ali) Houser
Age: 19
Hometown: Beresford, South Dakota
College: The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Major: Dental Hygiene
 
Favorite TV show: Pretty Little Liars & Greek 
Favorite movie: The House Bunny, The Hunger Games, and The Lucky One
Favorite Olympic sport: Swimming (Ryan Lochte & Michael Phelps…Need I say more? ) and gymnastics
Favorite quote: “I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” –Audrey Hepburn
Favorite time of year: The very beginning of fall when it is still warm outside but the leaves are beginning to change colors!

Plan ahead OR procrastinate: I am definitely trying to be a planner, however, procrastination sometimes thinks he is my best friend and invites himself over unexpectedly.
Paper OR plastic: Reusable-recycling bags! Go green!
Glass half-full OR glass half-empty: I’m definitely a glass half-full kind of girl. Positivity is essential!
Introvert OR extrovert: I am an extrovert for the most part but I feel as though it is important to be a little of both. I love being around people however sometimes a little alone time is good for me as well.
Cats OR Dogs: Puppies and kitties, please.
Morning person OR night person: If I could, I’d probably sleep until noon everyday…does that answer the question?

What is your most embarrassing moment? 
My most embarrassing moment was during my senior year at my high school. At our school, we have an “Agriculture Week” (Let’s not forget I’m from South Dakota) and the FFA students decided to have a “petting zoo.” During choir, we got to go out and see all the animals like chickens, goats, and other farm animals. In a trailer, they had a baby cow. I wanted to see it so I got up into the trailer. A boy in my class thought it would just be hilarious to close the door while I was in there.  Oh man, did I scream and cry! Now, my school isn’t big (about 250 students) but it was pretty embarrassing to have everyone witness this. I got moo-ed at about 100 times that week.

What would I find in your refrigerator right now (if you have one)? 
Apple juice, cheese sticks, and carrots.

What is your biggest fear? 
It’s insane how many fears I have. I am terrified of clowns, rumble strips on the road (the things that tell you to slow down and make your car shake), drowning, being stuck in an elevator, being in a tight space in the dark, spiders, and so much more! I’m such a baby!

What is the one thing you wish someone had told you about college life that you had to find out on your own? 
I wish I knew how much I was going to miss my family and friends. I was so excited to move on into the next chapter of my life but I didn’t realize how much I would miss the people that supported me through the previous one. The college experience has definitely strengthened the relationship between my mom and myself. She is no longer just my mom but she is my best friend as well.

What do you want to be when you grow up and why? 
I want to be happy. As long as I’m happy, everything else will fall into place.

Describe your single-most favorite moment from your Distinguished Young Women experience.
I don’t know if I can name one specific favorite moment from my experience with Distinguished Young Women. I have so many amazing memories. One that I just can’t get off my mind, though, is when we went to the Spot of Tea restaurant. David Weincek and Amy E. Goodman came to visit us there. Chandler (RI) was dared to lick his elbow (if someone does this to you, you cannot feel it!) Of course, she did. We laughed hysterically as she casually walked over to him as he talked to another table of girls, bent down, and licked his elbow!! We completely lost it! David was so confused about what everyone was laughing about!! Another memorable moment was definitely watching Norma’s rapping skills on the Has-Beens video! The entire experience changed my life and I will never forget all the wonderful times I had in Mobile!

New Contributors to the Be Distinguished Blog!

We are thrilled to announce a new year of exciting posts on the Be Distinguished blog from our newest batch of contributors! These young women were all members of the Distinguished Young Women Class of 2012 and represented their state at the 55th National Finals in Mobile, Alabama this past June. Throughout the rest of October, each contributor will introduce themselves in a "get to know you" post. Stay tuned and check back often!!

Stephanie Brady

Distinguished Young Woman of New Hampshire for 2012

Carly Henry

Distinguished Young Woman of Pennsylvania for 2012

Lauren Hoppa

Distinguished Young Woman of Colorado for 2012

Keyna Hoselton

Distinguished Young Woman of North Dakota for 2012

Ali Houser

Distinguished Young Woman of South Dakota for 2012

Christina Maxwell

Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012

Chloe McLaughlin

Distinguished Young Woman of Indiana for 2012

Jordan Orris

Distinguished Young Woman of Nevada for 2012

Ankhita Samuel

Distinguished Young Woman of Kansas for 2012

Sierra Terrell

Distinguished Young Woman of Maryland for 2012

Emily Thomas

Distinguished Young Woman of Massachusetts for 2012