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The sweet tales and tears of Milton Hershey School

I finally had the chance to watch the entire Milton Hershey School (MHS) documentary that Academy Award (R) winning documentary director and cinematographer, Cynthia Wade has so truthfully woven together. Depicting the lives of several MHS students from enrollment to graduation, this film captures not only the impact that the Hershey, Pennsylvania private-boarding school offers to low-income families, but it reveals the soul and light that becomes the students. They find themselves. To commemorate 100 years of the Milton Hershey School, this documentary hit me hard as I connected with my own memories of those final days before graduation and to sympathize with student home rules, homesickness, and the pride it takes to join clubs and organizations much like the students in the film. This documentary is a true depiction of what a student and their family can go through, but nonetheless MHS is a once in a lifetime opportunity and absolutely rewarding for all the resources available to its students upon arriving to the school and departing after graduation.

I am happy to say that the full-length documentary Living the Legacy: The Untold Story of Milton Hershey School is now available at YouTube.com or you can watch the film below.

For more information about Milton Hershey School, please visit the school website to get more information or APPLY ONLINE to enroll your child into the most life saving and sweetest school there is in the United States.

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Categories Advice, Blog, Blogging, Careers, Christmas, Culture, Debate, Entertainment, Facebook, Family, Holiday, Late Night, Life, Music, New Year, News, Opinion, Review, Television, Welcome, World

Bernard receives The Sophomore Leadership Award

9 May

And the award goes to…

On the evening of April 29, 2011, at the Wyndham Grand Hotel, the former Hilton, located in Pittsburgh, PA, excelling Point Park University students and prestigious university faculty members as well as notable administrators smiled and posed for photos on the red carpet as they checked-in for the 2011 Outstanding Student Awards, an evening to celebrate student achievement.

And there sat at table number 20 a boy with his soft auburn hair and tie dyed hands from the earlier end of the year festivities of dying shirts and bags, Bernard along with friends munched on some fine salad and were astounded by the pure elegance of the hotel ballroom, but certainly Bernard and his table mates did not know what to expect of his award nomination for the Sophomore Experience in leadership.

The evening began with some funny and inspiring YouTube video clips that involved Point Park students from the powerful dance flash mobs of the G-20 summit to some of the Pittsburgh Playhouse performances like Thoroughly Modern Millie and Carousel. But the excitement of the evening certainly took Bernard by surprise as he watched the video montage capture his first ever Pittsburgh Light Up Night debut!

I did not know they even did this. I am slightly embarrassed, but truly happy that it was displayed to more than 100 people in the room. This means I got exposure!

And he certainly did.

Point Park University President, Paul Hennigan and Senior Vice-President for Academic and Student Affairs, Karen McIntyre welcomed the evening with some delightful campus-wide achievements as well as some reflective moments that various students have about Point Park. As the night progressed with award presenters and happy recipients, there the nerves just bubbled inside of Bernard and his award category for The Sophomore Experience Leadership Award was called upon.

As the community director and The Sophomore Experience coordinator, Katie Munsch described the achievements of the award recipient having helped the visually impaired at the Job and Intern fair, the amount of fireworks that went off in Bernard’s head was unimaginable and all sound left his mind as he turned deaf in recognition. With tears in his eyes and excitement in his heart, Bernard walked eagerly to the stage and shook the president’s hand and accepted his award.

I just remember feeling really excited and completely deaf to what was going around me. This is my first award ever to be formerly received and I am on a cloud right now.I just remember going back to my seat and asking if I smiled and if there was clapping, I feel like I just had an outer body experience.

Even though Bernard did not literally leave us for some astral plane expedition, he did manage to dance as he exited the stage with his award in hand and a mile long grin on his face. The energy just seems to not escape from this future television talk show host.

The evening did continue with more honorable awards like Outstanding Advisor, School-based awards, and even the highest achievable award, the President’s Award which the recipient gets an engraved bison-statue. Which graduating senior, Veronika Panagiotou accepted for an overwhelming impact on the quality of life at Point Park through her dedication toward service, leadership, and contributions to the community.

As the night ended with an ice cream sundae buffet in the ballroom lobby, Bernard did manage to take more pictures with the president of the school for his award and congratulated numerous award recipients and nominees.

It was truly blissful to see the excitement and joy in their eyes. I felt the energy in the room and it was certainly positive. I know what award I am going after in the coming years, that is another reason for coming to these events. You get to see what is offered to you and then you can work hard toward achieving it.

There were no acceptance speeches provided by any of the award recipients, most likely due to time constraints, but Bernard did manage to express his utmost gratitude for his accomplishment on his personal blog on Tumblr and you can read his thanks and understand better of why this evening was so inspiring to him.

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Categories Blog, Blogging, Careers, Culture, Entertainment, Facebook, Family, Fashion, Late Night, Life, New Year, News, Opinion, Radio, Review, Television, Welcome

Rocking out at the Reality Rocks Expo

21 Apr

Two weeks ago, I headed to California to officially use my Prilosec OTC® award to attend the first ever Reality Rocks Expo that highlights and captures the world of reality television at its core. Flying out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Thursday, April 7th was more than a birthday wish– it was an adventure like no other and I learned a great deal about who I am and what I can do for others.

I met a woman on the plane and we hit the talk button for three hours. I simply soaked up her life like a sponge and truly appreciated every moment. I picked up on her personality and wisdom through her lived facial expressions and bubbly word choices. I knew that made a connnection.

She had told me her memoir and it conveyed a message of hope. Hope in that people are social creatures. As humans we attach to one another regardless of our struggles, because we can not do stuff alone when times are simply rough. I remember while attending private school, that my mother told me that basically “people need other people” and I then appreciated her wisdom, but meeting this complete stranger was uplifting and gave me the hope that even this age of technology does not keep all people from talking to one another. But it allows for people to become aware of other stories and lives, we did officially declare ourselves Facebook friends as we hugged one another and departed ways in Dallas with smiles on our faces like we just gave each other a million dollars.

The plane ride was the most rewarding human experience and for it to happen on my 20th birthday says a lot. I am a big person on life’s pleasures. But simply knowing of coincidences or miracles, meeting people can spark a life in us that we were not already aware of.

At the Reality Rocks Expo which opened on April 9th and resumed on April 10th, I met quite a bit of people in all areas of the entertainment bubble. From casting agents to celebrity news writers, each person that I shook hands with or exchanged business cards, it reflected a sense of pride and courage to be in a room filled with common interests and goals.

As I entered the ballroom plotted with photo-booths and sign up tables, I began to feel a rush and then came a man that was carrying a lot more than a brown leather side bag stuffed to the seams. Instead of sprinting over to Access Hollywood, I stopped and a connection was formed. Giacomo Knox, 38 year old freelance producer seemed to be on the tip of his toes because he has a dream and no one seems to notice it. Knox created a web docu-series reality show based on his reunion with his father whom had not seen for 33 years. When he talked about A Week With My Father, I saw the light in his eyes and felt the familiar rush radiate from his body as I too experience with becoming a television talk show host. I was amazed to talk to someone who already made his dream into a reality by creating his idea into a show and it inspires me to do the same, however, it is obvious he is hungry and there at the expo for a better meal instead of being served a microwaveable dinner.

Our chat lasted about 15 minutes and we exchanged cards and we departed. I walked around the room until my first workshop panel discussion with the “Queen of Hosting” and founder of BecomeAHost.com, Marki Costello. My enthusiasm meandered through the pockets of people and I stopped by at multiple tables like Authentic Entertainment, BecomeAHost.com, and American Auctioneers. Yet another lasting connection was formed with Cyndi Targosz, a celebrity life coach and author. Targosz is creating a new reality show dealing with the real concerns that are the shadow for many celebrities. I spoke with her agent about her idea and later during the day I came back to actually meet the socialite.

I attended three workshops at the expo and my first was the fiercest reality check and of course Marki Costello’s quick and powerful forefront-personality bombarded the room with such weight that I wanted to make myself known the moment I entered the arena. I wanted to impress the panelists of who I am and what I stand for.

Lessons I took from this workshop:

Brand Yourself– What makes you tick
Mass Appeal– What multiple areas can you tackle and make money from
Do your research– Know what they have done and if you match their style

The room was filled with all types of people from young and old to local and national participants and still the same wave of sighs filled the room since the panelists did not hold anything back. I simply sat there upright and ready to go. Smiling and keeping eye contact with all of the panelists. I just could not let this moment scare me from achieving my dream. I am not going down without a fight. The mega kick-ass workshop ended with sprinting questions and my hair simply clamped onto the attention of Costello.

She called me out as “Red.”

I know it might seem simple and not important, but I did color my hair for a reason. I wanted to steal the attention from people with it and make myself memorable. I had done so, but that workshop tasered a shock in me and now thinking of getting representation just makes me sizzle in my seat. Yet, the remaining workshops seemed reasonable and quite unlike the first panel discussion, and I simply sat with admiration to even be in a room with all the fans and professionals of reality television.

After all my assigned workshops were finished I went back down to the expo and experienced the rest of the booths I missed or wanted to drop by again to reinstall my presence. Soon, hours passed and I needed to get back to my hotel to change for the Reality Rocks awards show. I got back to my room and unloaded my bag (which Cyndi Targosz gave to me since she noticed how much stuff I was accumulating) of goodies and the wave of excitement to have all these business cards and memorabilia was like Christmas morning, but in April! The awards ceremony was interesting. I was admitted as a general person so I was not on the red carpet or even close to the cameras, but reality stars like Bruce Jenner from Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Tom Bergeron host for Dancing with the Stars did pass in front of me to the carpet, so being in the background of the limelight was thrilling somewhat.

My weekend theme of making connections continued as Jillian Harris, former ABC Bachelorette and current cast member for ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, spotted my eager self waiting for the show and she simply asked how I was. Earlier that day, we both spoke about the impact that the show has and what it means for her to be apart of something so enthralling. The conversation was casual and very uplifting and for her to remember me, I was rolling on the floor inside my mind, but smiled back and replied with a confident “Fantastic!”

Unlike many fans, I carry myself pretty prestigiously and careful when it comes to the world of celebrities because they are bombarded with overly excited fan-drama and I do not want to stunt my reputation when it comes connecting with these celebrities because they are regular people too, doing their job. So many ask me why I don’t talk to the famous people I come close to or why I don’t get pictures. Well, for the reason that there is more to them just their looks and their status and I want to work with them in the future so I can’t be on top of my game if I am drooling from the mouth and screeching their name every time they walk through the door. No, I have composure and respect.

The awards ceremony was delightful and I did cry when certain clips like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition did broadcast, I just realized that this expo is the start of an amazing future and I can’t wait to get involved for years to come.

Overall, the journey that I took going to Los Angeles with my sponsorship from Prilosec OTC® as their Official TV Host wass gathering resources, knowledge, and connections that will enable me to be the very best that I can be. After-all, the one pertinent job of any talk show host as a journalist or as an artist is to tell the human story.