I'm S-M-R-T... smart.

Ok, so having finished my classes for the summer, and now being one class away from graduation, please excuse me, because I'm going to brag a bit. You see, I've always been pretty competitive when it comes to academics. I've even, over the course of my academic career (both high school and college), come across people that like to compete directly with me, like as far as who can get the better grade, etc. I always end up having fun with this and having respect for them, and we become good friends. Plus it's an excuse to push myself a little bit harder. Sometimes I need that, because honestly... school has a tendency to be relatively easy to me. Not always, but a lot of the time. (See, told you I was going to brag.)

Growing up, I was always the smart one. That's just who I was. I was bragged on by my parents because I could read pretty well at a young age. I had to use my mom's library card to check out books because I had a kid's card and could only check out 4 at a time. Using my mom's I checked out 10 and was ready to go back for more in a few days. In junior high, I was asked if I wanted to basically skip 8th grade because I had done enough work in 7th grade to count for both years. In high school, I was tutoring other students, and one nickname I earned was "The Brain". The teachers always liked me. I was such a nerd (but I'm ok with that). Because of starting school a bit earlier anyway, and skipping the one grade, I ended up graduating at 16.

I've actually been programming computers since I was probably around 10. My mom bought me a "Pre-Computer 1000" which had a one-line screen that you could use to play games and stuff, but also to program in BASIC (really simple computer language). My first "real" computer came when I was 12--an IBM PCjr, which I taught myself everything I possibly could about and even started diving into the books that I got with it. So it really wasn't that hard for me to pick a career, like it is for some. I liked it and was good at it.

I was working at a bank while attending the first college I went to, PCI (Professional Careers Institute). At the time, the bank had a really good tuition reimbursement program. For A's, you got 100% of your tuition back. For B's, it was 90%, I think, and C's, 80%. Something like that. So I set out to get all A's, and succeeded.

IUPUI hasn't been quite as easy. But I think I've done pretty well. My grades for this summer: an A and a B (one of six that I've received at IUPUI as a final grade). My academic career there includes getting my associate degree "with distinction" as well as making the dean's list for the semester that I took both calculus and statistics (and nearly wound up brain dead after taking the finals for both of them the same day). If I get an A in my fall class, I will graduate with a 3.8 GPA.

So yes... I'm bragging a bit. I'm one class away from graduating from college and getting my bachelor of science degree in computer and information technology. So I'm looking back over my academic career. And I'm kind of proud of my accomplishments. While not right now, I have said that one day I may very well go back to school for my masters. Why not? School's something I'm good at. But honestly, I really don't attribute all of this to my own brainpower. Yes, I did work hard (sometimes) to get good grades. But really... this is just who God made me. It's apparently who he wanted me to be. And that I can take no credit for. But I'm happy with it. :-)