Minor, Ami - WOW's
One of the testing requirements was to perform a WOW for each Dan of the rank you are testing for. For me, that would be three. A WOW is something that simply makes someone say "WOW". At the beginning of the test, I had no clue how I was going to get one WOW done let alone three. Between wrapping up the current school year, work, summer internships, firefighting camp, FBI camp, starting my Senior year of High School, applying for scholarships and colleges along with interviews, I didn't think it was possible. Well, six months later, I'm here to let you know that it wasn't easy carving out the time in my very 'open' (BUSY) schedule, but I did it. It took vigilant planning but with the help of my teammates, I was able to complete my WOWs. For me, helping and serving others something I enjoy, something that comes naturally. So when it came down to my WOWs it was simply waiting and listening, listening for KJN to mention something he'd want to do but didn't have the time to, or resources to do. That's when I would get with some of my teammates and formulate a plan to take action.
WOW 1. Painting and Decorating DMA
Leading up to the 2 year anniversary of DMA, KJN had talked about doing some paint touch-ups and cleaning up the studio. The weeks leading up the party were super busy for KJN and it didn't look like he was going to be able to get all of that work done. So the day before, a couple of teammates and I decided to go in and not only touch up some of the paint but decorate the studio as well. A lot of the decorations were my mom's idea (Thank You Mom) and we all loved them and went straight to work. We were able to get the right paint colors to do some touch-ups, patch some holes, and of course, decorate for the anniversary party. By the time we'd left that day, the studio smelled of paint and looked party-ready. When KJN walked in the following day he was totally caught off guard by all that had taken place since he'd been there last.
WOW 2. Cleaning and Organizing the Office
The back office is more than just an office, but storage for new gear, uniforms, weapons, equipment, and so much more. With so much use out of this room and the number of people in an out daily, you can imagine just how crazy and disorganized it can get. It had finally reached a point where the back room was so crazy we couldn't find what we needed or even begin to know where it could have bee. So one Friday morning, a teammate, support team member and I decided it was time to take action. We are all a little OCD and clean freaks so it worked out well. We started by emptying the entire room practically. Once we had a blank canvas, we were then able to re-organize and configure the room to be a maneuverable space for everyone. Once we had our shelf space figured out we went ahead and put things back in their respective places and you'd be amazed at just how clean it looked with everything in its own spot. Even with putting almost everything back in the room, it seemed as if there was so much more room. The desk was cleared off, things put back on shelves, belts and uniforms put into bins and cleaning tools in their corner. It was amazing to watch the transformation of the room in just a few hours.
WOW 3. Doing Something I've Never Done or Talked About
For others this may seem easy, and not considered a WOW, for me however, I consider this a WOW. About a month ago, I received an email from the reporter of a local newspaper asking if I'd be interested in being interviewed for a Student Feature. This was a rare opportunity and something I've never considered. After thinking and talking with my parents, I decided to go through with the opportunity. Next thing I know, we were scheduling the interview and its interview day. Lucky for me, I didn't have too much time to overthink the interview because my day was jam-packed like usual, from the time I woke up to the time I was in bed, there was always something. For this interview, I was specifically asked about being not only a student but a student employee. Something that I've done for the last 2.5 years. Getting a job in high school not uncommon today however, getting a job at the school you are currently attending is. For me, this has been my day to day life, get up, go to school, work (Sometimes 3-5 days a week), do homework, train, go home, sleep, repeat. Working while in high school requires juggling, time management, homework, school, sleep, exercise, and family time. I'm not sure how I get it all done but I do; some weeks are easier than others, that's for sure. Now some may think that working for your school is easy, that is not necessarily the case. A lot of what I do is set up for different companies that have rented out our space, oftentimes they've never been in the space before and have no clue what they are walking into. And that's where I come in, showing them the space, what equipment we can provide and what they are able to do and use in the space along with running and managing the equipment and space. Through all of this, I have been very fortunate to be in the position I'm in with the various opportunities I've been given. Needless to say, I'm not your average student or student employee. A lot of what I do goes unnoticed and done in the background, which is totally okay with me because I'm not too fond of being in the spotlight. So, talking about what I do was different, and to be featured in the paper as a student employee. Not only did my interview make the paper, it made the front page, which at first I was not too happy about, now everyone who looked at the paper would know what I do, but then I realized that it wasn't such a bad thing to be recognized. Every once in awhile, it's nice to know that people appreciate all the work I've done. Again, it's not easy but somehow I make it all work. That interview and front-page interview was definitely something I'm proud of and proud to say that I do.
WOW 1. Painting and Decorating DMA
Leading up to the 2 year anniversary of DMA, KJN had talked about doing some paint touch-ups and cleaning up the studio. The weeks leading up the party were super busy for KJN and it didn't look like he was going to be able to get all of that work done. So the day before, a couple of teammates and I decided to go in and not only touch up some of the paint but decorate the studio as well. A lot of the decorations were my mom's idea (Thank You Mom) and we all loved them and went straight to work. We were able to get the right paint colors to do some touch-ups, patch some holes, and of course, decorate for the anniversary party. By the time we'd left that day, the studio smelled of paint and looked party-ready. When KJN walked in the following day he was totally caught off guard by all that had taken place since he'd been there last.
WOW 2. Cleaning and Organizing the Office
The back office is more than just an office, but storage for new gear, uniforms, weapons, equipment, and so much more. With so much use out of this room and the number of people in an out daily, you can imagine just how crazy and disorganized it can get. It had finally reached a point where the back room was so crazy we couldn't find what we needed or even begin to know where it could have bee. So one Friday morning, a teammate, support team member and I decided it was time to take action. We are all a little OCD and clean freaks so it worked out well. We started by emptying the entire room practically. Once we had a blank canvas, we were then able to re-organize and configure the room to be a maneuverable space for everyone. Once we had our shelf space figured out we went ahead and put things back in their respective places and you'd be amazed at just how clean it looked with everything in its own spot. Even with putting almost everything back in the room, it seemed as if there was so much more room. The desk was cleared off, things put back on shelves, belts and uniforms put into bins and cleaning tools in their corner. It was amazing to watch the transformation of the room in just a few hours.
WOW 3. Doing Something I've Never Done or Talked About
For others this may seem easy, and not considered a WOW, for me however, I consider this a WOW. About a month ago, I received an email from the reporter of a local newspaper asking if I'd be interested in being interviewed for a Student Feature. This was a rare opportunity and something I've never considered. After thinking and talking with my parents, I decided to go through with the opportunity. Next thing I know, we were scheduling the interview and its interview day. Lucky for me, I didn't have too much time to overthink the interview because my day was jam-packed like usual, from the time I woke up to the time I was in bed, there was always something. For this interview, I was specifically asked about being not only a student but a student employee. Something that I've done for the last 2.5 years. Getting a job in high school not uncommon today however, getting a job at the school you are currently attending is. For me, this has been my day to day life, get up, go to school, work (Sometimes 3-5 days a week), do homework, train, go home, sleep, repeat. Working while in high school requires juggling, time management, homework, school, sleep, exercise, and family time. I'm not sure how I get it all done but I do; some weeks are easier than others, that's for sure. Now some may think that working for your school is easy, that is not necessarily the case. A lot of what I do is set up for different companies that have rented out our space, oftentimes they've never been in the space before and have no clue what they are walking into. And that's where I come in, showing them the space, what equipment we can provide and what they are able to do and use in the space along with running and managing the equipment and space. Through all of this, I have been very fortunate to be in the position I'm in with the various opportunities I've been given. Needless to say, I'm not your average student or student employee. A lot of what I do goes unnoticed and done in the background, which is totally okay with me because I'm not too fond of being in the spotlight. So, talking about what I do was different, and to be featured in the paper as a student employee. Not only did my interview make the paper, it made the front page, which at first I was not too happy about, now everyone who looked at the paper would know what I do, but then I realized that it wasn't such a bad thing to be recognized. Every once in awhile, it's nice to know that people appreciate all the work I've done. Again, it's not easy but somehow I make it all work. That interview and front-page interview was definitely something I'm proud of and proud to say that I do.
- Ami Minor
3rd Degree Black Belt Candidate 2019
These are excellent WOWs! It's awesome that you realized they didn't have to be things that you necessarily plan, nor do you realize that something your doing qualifies until you hear someone say that "wow!" Great job, Ami!
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