Walter Ong Conference: Here I come

In just one more day I'll be flying out to Gonzaga University to present at the Walter J. Ong Conference. I'm really excited because this is my first time presenting in an academic setting. I'm also a little bit nervous but the jitters will pass. They always do.

I remember when I submitted the paper for inclusion into the conference. I received an email about it from Dr. Caputo and decided to email Stephen McFadden and Libby Weber, two other students that helped me draft our group paper, Operation Reintegration: Applying Communication Theory to Meet the Mental Health Needs of Post-Deployed Military and ask them if they were okay with me submitting the paper for consideration on behalf of the group. They were enthusiastically in and while I submitted, I actually didn't think that the paper was going to get accepted. To my surprise it did and I'm proud to be blogging about it.

The Reverend Father Walter Jackson Ong, PhD

Shout out to Stephen McFadden and Libby Weber, especially Libby, because over the past two weeks she has immensely helped me with countless edits to the paper and the PowerPoint presentation. I couldn't have done it without her. Holla!

I like having first achievements, it gives me items to check off my bucket lists and helps me come up with new goals to strive for. I'm also looking forward to meeting new people and actually seeing some of my professors face-to-face. 

It's going to be a fast two-days and I'll be slightly jet-lagged when I get back, but my gut tells me it will be worth it in the end.