You Are a Gift: Unleashing What That Means

I smiled with joy when I walked into my friend’s bedroom and saw a picture I had gifted her hanging on her wall. What made that moment so special? It wasn’t simply the physical picture itself- but everything it represented. Whether a gift is a batch of cookies or an engagement ring, the way a…

“Do it and you’re cool! Do it and you’re cool!”

“Do it and you’re cool! Do it and you’re cool!”were the words that went across my mind when I felt tempted into falling into the peer pressures of college parties. How desperate must I have been wanting to fit in my freshman year of college? I have to admit I just wanted friends! And there…

That’s What Makes You Beau.Ti.Ful. (The One Direction to Beauty)

Have you ever met someone who lights up the world like nobody else? What was it about them? Is it about the exterior or the interior? What even is beauty in the first place? Is beauty just in the eyes of the beholder? Or is it objective? And why do some of us struggle to…

How to Party in College: Finding the Heart of Celebration

Bass is booming. You can hear the pulse from a block away. As you walk into a dim lit house, you are greeted by the aroma of cheap beer and sweet liquor and reminded by this fact each step of the way as your shoes stick to the floor. The room is lined with clusters…

Do I REALLY Need Girl Friends?

Sometimes it seems easier to have all guy friends than to invest in relationships with other women. Let’s be real, they’re usually less drama, their words are never veiled with hidden meanings or insults and if they do get into an argument, they throw a few punches and then are back to being best friends…

I Am Not the Sum of my Achievements

What’s your name? Have you ever stopped to consider how something as simple as your name can carry so much significance? We don’t choose it, we don’t assign it a meaning, but we do recognize the weight it can carry. My full name is Erick Omar Marquez. The name Erick has Norse roots and it’s…

If you aren’t yourself, then who are you

Have you ever experienced someone making fun of the way you simply are? Maybe it’s the way you dress, talk, smile, laugh, or maybe you’ve been made fun of for the things you enjoy doing?  Being disrespected can form hurtful wounds that may cause you to want to hide; not only from those who have…

Masculine Femininity?

I have always been a self-proclaimed tom-boy. I played soccer on the playground with the boys every day of elementary recess, gym class has always been my favorite, and I’ve never been one for dressing up. I’m not going to lie – there were many times as a young girl that I wished I could…