Painted

 

"Nothing splendid was ever created in cold blood. Heat is required to forge anything. Every great accomplishment is the story of a flaming heart." -Arnold H. Glasow

From a conversation on the beach, to a possible project idea, to a proposal, to an approval, to the walls, to an accomplishment. This project has been the most life changing and eye opening experience of my life. Over the past three months I have began to appreciate the small things. Kennesaw Step Up is a microcosm in the universe and in the end, it is not going to change the way every human on this planet perceives stair usage; it is not even going to influence 75% of KSU's population. However, what I did and what I produced holds great value. Yes, I will reach out to a mass number of people and at least grab the attention of the Central Parking Deck users. I gained so much experience and life skills from this project that would be impossible to glean from a lecture. I have discovered my passion and it has given me a direction in my life. This experience has been invaluable. 

One thing that drives my passion is support. I have support from my peers, from my professors, from my family, from my friends, from past and present teachers, from co-workers, from various departments on campus, and from student organizations. It's extremely encouraging to know that there are other people out there that believe in my idea and my mission with Kennesaw Step Up. I had over 40 volunteers come out and help paint the stairs on November 22 and 23. To me, they were more than just volunteers. I had the chance to connect with them on a individual basis over the two days. I wanted them to understand that what they were doing was more than just earning X amount of community service hours. They were given the opportunity to put their handprint on the wall, literally, leaving their mark on campus. I thought that this would be a really great way to encourage my volunteers to put 100% into their work. 

I am so thankful I had the opportunity and support to make this project come to life. My professor was amazing throughout the whole process. Coming into college, I never thought that I would have a professor that would go out of his/her way to connect with me on an individual basis; I just assumed I would be a name on a roster in the midst of 150 other students. This impression was completely wrong! My First Year Seminar professor has believed in me since Day 1 and has put her heart into helping me achieve my goals. I'm so blessed to have ended up in this class, with this teacher who has been an amazing supporter, advisor, mentor, and friend. I couldn't have accomplished this without her help. 

Hard work pays off. After the freshly painted stairs debuted on Monday, November 25, 2013, there was a lot of positive talk regarding the campaign. Many faculty and staff members are aware of the project and have discussed a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the stairs and showcase the murals to the public. A lot of this is just surreal to me. I can't believe that something I did is causing so much talk.

Just a few pictures from the Mural Project:

First we had to scrub the walls. 

The first stroke of primer!

 

Let the painting begin!

 

Kennesaw Step Up is far from over and so much more than a class grade. I will continue on with this project for several years to come and I hope to see it grow and expand even more. Why stop now? We've already conquered the second largest parking deck in Georgia, everything else should be a breeze! 

Again, to whomever is reading this, please know that I appreciate your support more than anything in this world. It makes my heart happy to know that there are people out there who believe in me and my project, and thats more than I could ever ask for. 

Creatively, 

Climb On!

We're On Fire

It's wild to think that we are painting the stairs in less than a week. How did time by go so fast?! There are moments when I just want to control the universe with a remote and pause time.But--we have no time to waste at this point. I got in contact with Jessie Blowers, the student that organized the KSU Peace Project two years ago. It was so cool getting to talk to someone who also accomplished a big project. She gave Becca and I some helpful advice on becoming a registered student organization and encouragement to keep on going.

Did I mention that we are painting the stairs in less than a week?

Oh, and KSU wrote a check for $1,500 to Sherwin Williams, covering the cost of all of the paint and supplies! How cool is that?!

But..we want to feed our volunteers on the paint day, so we had a bonfire fundraiser on campus today.







We sold s'mores and hot chocolate for $1! We made some extra dollars, but not nearly what I planned for. Too bad there's not many people who walk by the green wanting to roast marshmallows. This world is too fast paced. If people took a chance to slow down and actually listen, I think more good could be accomplished. I did meet some awesome people who were interested in helping out with my project though. You can't put a price on support. I'd prefer encouragement over a dollar any day.

For the next week, I will eat, breathe, and sleep Kennesaw Step Up.

Climb On!

Level One: COMPLETE

 

It's official. Kennesaw Step Up is approved to paint the Central Parking Deck stairs! It's such an incredible feeling to know that my idea is going to transpire into something amazing. Who would have thought that my casual conversation on the beach with my cousin would lead to this? I am juggling A LOT with school, my job and this project. It's going to be a challenge to accomplish this in the midst of finals week, but I know that I can do it. 

Now that we have approval, I can reach out to volunteers with concrete dates and times. The university is willing to fund the cost of the paint, however we are looking for ways to fund/supply the other necessities: brushes, tarps, trays, rollers, etc. This week will be dedicated to writing out sponsorship letters and "adopt-a-level" forms to hand out to the various on-campus organizations. 

The other day, the project manager of the KSU Plant department dropped off Sherwin-Williams paint samples for me to choose colors. It feels so official and it's so encouraging to know that this IS happening. We have LESS than 20 days to set Kennesaw Step Up in motion. Let's get it started! 

Keep On Climbing! We're ALMOST to the top!