Showing posts with label North Michigan University. Show all posts
Showing posts with label North Michigan University. Show all posts

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Final Adventure in the Upper Peninsula

It's difficult for me to say goodbye to this exciting adventure. This internship in the UP taught me about nutrition, food service and marketing and myself too. Not only did I learn to strategically solve food service problems, namely the Allergen Program, but I also renewed my love for the outdoors and meeting new people. The last week at NMU was packed with field trips, project touch ups and fun times with friends. I appreciate every opportunity I had this summer and look forward to my next trip back to the UP.


Bariatric Surgery
A few weeks ago, Robin and I sat through a bariatric surgery orientation for those interested in the procedure. Thanks to Robin's great communication skills, she was able to help me gain permission to observe an actual rue-en-y  gastric bypass surgery.

Tuesday I scrubbed up for the surgery and got ready to see my anatomy books applied!  I was fortunate to talk to Dr. Soto and Dr. English prior to the surgery and it was interesting to learn about the surgery through their perspective. During the actual surgery, altering the person's anatomy and consequently physiology was the sole focus for two hours. Prior to the surgery, the doctors communicate with the patient and make it clear what they will perform, but when the procedure is actually done the patient isn't awake and the abdomen is the only visible part of the body.

 I didn't really understand the work of a surgeon until actually observing one on the job. It was amazing to see Dr. English perform the rue-en-y procedure laparoscopically. What precision! Dr. English started with six small slits, 3 above and 3 below the navel. He inserted connectors that allowed him to insert tools into the abdomen easily. After clearing scar tissue and moving fat so his view of the stomach and small intestine was clear, he created a small pouch from the stomach and used a staple gun that created a secure "new stomach" the size of a thumb. Then, he strategically cut the small intestine and reconnected it to the new stomach. By eliminating the means for food to travel throughout the entire small intestine, less is absorbed and therefore less calories, etc. Dr. English was careful in closing off the stomach and small intestine no longer being utilized. Learning through a textbook doesn't compare to observing the body first hand. I have a new respect for the medical field in general.

What really stuck with me after the surgery was what the patient will endure afterwards. Inevitably, the female patient will have to make a lot of changes in her life. Her abdominal wall will be sore for quite some time and she will be consuming 1oz of food at a time for the rest of her life. Seeing the surgery and learning about the implications afterwards really enforces the importance of preventative medicine, including nutrition and fitness. Some see the surgery as the magic fix, but in reality, it's a permanent alteration that allows the patient to attempt to regaining their health back.


Scrubbed up and ready to observe!

Still smiling after seeing a surgery!


Kayaking Lake Superior
After work Tuesday [observing the bariatric surgery and visiting the Huron Mountain Club], Robin and I ventured out to Lake Superior near her house to explore the neat sandstone formations along the shore.  Although I don't have pictures from this adventure (a potential tipped kayak would ruin my camera), some of my best memories are from that evening. I am happy Robin and I got to exchange life stories and perspectives related to nutrition, wellness and happiness.

Final Project: the Showcase
I am pleased to say that we finished the final goal on my list- the showcase. I had to choose a topic, organize the information and decorations, and make the display appealing and easy to comprehend. I took information from one of the nutrition presentations I organized, "Health Dorm Room Snacks"and incorporated snacks from Cattrax, the convenience mart on campus to demonstrate that one can make simple swaps and still consume convenient, tasty foods. We made a make-shift dorm room to catch student's attention. While there needs to be some tweaking, the display turned out decent!

Pondering the Showcase...in the Showcase

Project Reflections
As far as my projects are concerned, I couldn't have completed them without the NMU Dining staff's help. My hope was that the information I laid out would make life easier when the time came to present the nutrition topics and diabetes information, present concise and appealing information about healthy dorm room snacks in the showcase, and create a smooth system for finding information about allergens. My intent for the Allergen manual, signage and employee training quiz was to establish consistency, build confidence and to instill the expectation that NMU Dining staff will deliver great food to all guests.  The disappointing part is that I won't be there at the start of school to see everything in action and to help when things need adjustments. I am excited to hear from my summer coworkers and look forward to my visit back to Marquette, MI. 

Last Great Moments
I am sad that I have to leave the Upper Peninsula  now that my internship has ended. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything and am grateful that I had the opportunity to work with great people, try new things and explore another part of the United States.

I spent my last few days with my favorite boss and friends. They've definitely taught me to enjoy life and embrace every moment!My Mom and Stepdad visited on my final weekend in the UP too. I was excited to share little glimpses of my internship. Below are pictures from my final days in Marquette, MI.

UP Friends 
The greatest boss, Robin and I


My Mom and I enjoying the outdoors









Appreciating the adventure,

Cassandra Schnelle
Dietetics/Nutrition, Fitness and Health
Purdue University '14

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Week 8: Around the World in Tasty Ways

Around the World in Tasty Ways Picnic
The picnic is finally complete, but not without hard work from many team members this week! We spend the afternoons Wednesday through Friday preparing the food and remaining decorations for the employee picnic. I had a blast working in the kitchen each day- we split up into pairs to tackle the list and had an unspoken competition to finish the recipes first.  We didn't announce it, but I personally called an  tie in the end! Teamwork! The food list was simple yet represented the "world." From the theme to the food, I wanted the picnic to represent my adventurous side, since it's one of the major reasons why I chose to pursue this internship. I love experiencing new things and learning along the way and am so glad I got to host a picnic for the people I worked closely with.

The actual day of the picnic was hectic to say the least! Due to dreary weather, we had to move the location of the picnic last minute to the secluded senior pavilion on Presque Isle. Although the area wasn't as open as the original location at Tourist Park, it provided great coverage from the rain. It didn't help much with the chilly 50 degree weather though!

Once we were able to pack the trucks and head out to set up, things seemed to roll smooth. We did have minor hiccups- other events were canceled and as a result, the loading dock was congested, the karaoke cord was misplaced on the truck and not found until the end of the picnic and we forgot a necessary item, napkins- but overall the staff members appreciated the picnic. Despite the weather and location change, we had a good turn out. By the end, all of the bison burgers were eaten and everyone left satisfied and happen.
My great teammates prepping corn!

It's the little details- doily rolled silverware

The themed burger bar
Fun times singing (without music)
Time to eat!



Hiking up SugarLoaf Mountain
Lexie and I had a small adventure biking to Sugarloaf Mountain. We didn't realize how far it was, but it was a nice 10 mile bike ride and half hour hike! The sky was cloudy, but we're certain we saw the northern lights!
Lexie and I mid-hike!



The weekend ended with fun adventures camping in the woods. I've learned a lot throughout the internship, about nutrition and food service as well as about people, outdoors and myself. I'm sad that only one week remains, but I look forward to what it will bring!

Loving Adventure,

Cassandra 


Monday, July 29, 2013

Week 7 in the Upper Peninsula

This week was full of excitement for work-related projects and for learning the U.P. way when it comes to music festivals. I have really learned to enjoy my time here and am not looking forward to leaving Marquette, MI!

GFS Tour
I had the pleasure of touring GFS from a supervisor perspective this week. It was nice to see the store from another viewpoint, for my mother purchases food for parties from the GFS facilities in Indiana. The attention to customer service GFS brings is what stood out most!

Picnic is sneaking up on us!
This week we really had to plan out exactly what we needed to do to execute the employee summer picnic. As I have probably said, I wanted to keep things simple. The menu has been set for weeks with the burger and toppings bar the focal point, but decorations still needs to be completed. The dream team (see picture below) is ready for this epic burger bar picnic!


Allergen Program 
The Allergen Manual is coming along great. I've started transferring the information to a more appealing format using InDesign. Thus far, I have created a 20 page manual dedicate to informing the student employees and cooks how to cook and serve food safely to avoid cross-contamination.
I'm sure there will still be major improvements when I leave my internship, but I'm glad I play a role in the improvement process for the allergen program. The employee quiz will be created within the next two weeks. Stayed tuned!



Allergen manual cover

Happy Hiawatha Fest!
I had a great four day weekend enjoying music and hanging with my UP friends. I loved the relaxed, hippie-like atmosphere and had an awesome time meeting new people, listening to great music and swing dancing the nights away. I must say my favorite band of the weekend was an Irish band called Solas. Check out the list of other bands at http://hiawathamusic.org.




Solas Band
We volunteered three shifts to get our ticket money back, but we had a blast selling tickets and picking up trash. The "green team" shifts allowed us to walk around and still listen to the music, which was quite a treat! It worked out well because I was paired up with my coworkers and friends. If I have the schedule, I am definitely driving up for future Hiawatha festivals! (Although next time I'll make sure I don't drop a weight on my toe the Friday of Hiawatha! Ouch!)

Friends ready for Hiawatha

Holding onto adventure,

Cassandra


Sunday, July 14, 2013

Week 6: Epic Work and Fun in the U.P.

The conclusion of week six brings mixed feelings; I am happy my assignments are coming together, but I am sad that I only have a few weeks left in this beautiful place with people that are caring and fun. This week, I've made great headway with my picnic and am pleased with the organization of the allergen program.

Monday was a great day for organizing and setting up the remaining weeks because the office was quite calm. Robin and I are now at the point where we're comfortable enough to explain how we plan to execute the allergen program and so far, we've had positive feedback. Fingers crossed that we get the Chef's approval too!

Things are looking bright and getting completed!
It was an "epic" moment on Tuesday when we decided on a name for the NMU Dining summer picnic. Keeping in mind the travel/adventure theme, we decided to call it "Around the World in Tasty Ways." [cute right?] I am ecstatic that the designs for the invitations and food labels are completed! We are decorating the food tables with suitcases to elevate dishes, making the tables look like old brown paper packages, and mapping out where the food dish influence is. We reserved Tourist Park (perfect park name too!) and purchased a map of lake superior for everyone to sign too. The food list is complete and I can't wait to purchase them and cook for my "around the world burger bar."

Check out the picnic invitation! Things really are moving along great this week on the marketing side of my projects. We also purchased mason jars and decorated them with twine and a neat paper on the lid!
Front and back of the travel theme invitation!

Mason jars for the strawberry punch!


My other projects are moving forward too. Next week, I will start using InDesign to take the information laid out in the training manual and form a booklet for employee training. We found solutions to displaying the allergen tags and menu items, posters to remind employees in the front-of-house and back-of-house the appropriate practices to carry out in order to prevent cross-contamination, and bring the NMU Dining together as a team.

Saturday I served a wedding to see how the catering business of NMU runs. I'll admit, it's been quite a few months since I've served a wedding, but I had fun getting to know the employees and serving the food. I found that practices such as serving from the left and clearing from the right are used across states, but inconsistencies are prominent. Like any location, communication often tapers as the night goes on, making it difficult to get information to everyone. I'm happy I was able to troubleshoot and serve a gluten-free guest that wasn't accounted for. It was ironic that I had a gluten-free guest because I am developing the allergen program to serve all that have food allergies!

I had a great weekend with my boss and her family. After the wedding, I drove to Big Bay and saw "Fire on the Bay" (fireworks) with them. My Sunday started with a leisure kayak ride on Lake Superior and then a boat ride and tubing that followed. I am truly grateful to know these people. If anything, I've learned that it's a balance between work and other activities. It doesn't always have to be work and it can't always be fun (for me at least), but there's always an opportunity to do both. I will continue to hop in the kayak and paddle when I have the chance.


Fire on the bay!


Loving the adventure.

Cassandra







Tuesday, July 9, 2013

5th week in the UP: Short and Sweet

My fifth week at Northern Michigan University was shortened because of the holiday. My boss was kind enough to give me Monday off for my birthday and Friday off because, well, pretty much everyone else was taking the day off. Despite having a short week, we did make significant progress with the allergen program.


"Progress Report"
I reported my current standings with my projects along with my stirring ideas for the rest of the internship. For the most part, my boss's boss was on the same page and had some great suggestions to improve the direction I was taking. The nutrition presentations are finalized and the data entries for the recipes are about done too! I think the trouble shooting that needs to be done deals with how the allergen information is presented in the dining courts. The biggest struggle with finding a solution is knowing that not everyone will be willing to "switch pages"- at least not initially. Again, the hope is that the training manual for food allergens will provide a new perspective to those that find it difficult to relate to and carry out.

Picnic Food List- in progress too!


Fourth of July, UP Style
I had a nice 4th of July in the UP. [At this point, I realized how much I miss my family though!] I spent the day with my coworkers and friends- we did everything from see a parade to have a cookout to watch the fireworks! The parade definitely set the mood for the rest of the day; everyone was so festive and patriotic! Although there was a "rain scare," we ended up having great weather. The fireworks were great too- they lit them off the old oredock and we watched them from the break wall.


My Aunt and Uncle did come visit me the following day. My Uncle flew his small plane just to make my day! I am lucky to have such a loving family and was glad to see them after missing my family the past few days.
Brought a little Purdue to the UP for the 4th!
Red, White and Blue! 

Marquette Parade!


View from the break wall, pre-fireworks
Fireworks over Lake Superior!




Farmer's Market!
Saturday I made another trip to the Farmer's Market and browsed the fresh produce selection. I can't wait for the Blueberry Festival to happen in a few weeks and in honor of my favorite food, I  purchased some Michigan blueberries. Yum! I think I like the Farmer's Market because it brings the community together. It presents an opportunity to build relationships, learn and taste new, fresh foods!

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Halfway Mark! in the Upper Peninsula

I cannot believe my internship at NMU is halfway over! I've learned quite a bit already and am excited for the next month in the Upper Peninsula. The week was filled with many projects and ended well with my birthday celebration. I am lucky to have such a great boss, friends and coworkers that made my birthday fun.


Mapped out the Allergen Program
The focus of the week was the allergen program. While I have completed interviews and gathered information about the previous program, there is still a lot to complete for the program to be successful. Robin and I have mapped out the various dining locations and where the problem areas are for preventing cross-contamination. I spoke with the student supervisors that work during the summer about what would make their lives easier at work. One student said he has worked here for over a year and a half and still doesn't understand what a food allergy is. That right there is enough to motivate me to create a concise system and manual to make the staff confident that they can serve those with allergens. Overall, we feel confident that we can educate the student employees and help those with food allergies feel safe when eating in the dining locations.

Shadowing: Hospital Dietitians and Food Service Supervisor
Tuesday I had a great opportunity to shadow Carol, the hospital Food Service Supervisor and Ingrid and Dawn, both Registered Dietitians.

I enjoyed conversing with Carol in the morning- we discussed employee motivation, toured the hospital kitchen, talked about ways to introduce healthy options in the workplace, etc. Her motivation is contagious and I admire her dedication to making the dining operations better each year. She told me of one small project she introduced called "Rethink your Drink." The goal of this project was to get the employees to think about the calories and sugar that they drink daily. Using the stop light color system, Carol marked every vending machine and drink dispenser with red, yellow or green tags with explanations. Overall, she motivated the hospital staff to wisely choose their drink and improve their health. I was impressed.

I met with Ingrid shortly after my tour and conversations with Carol. Ingrid has only worked in the hospital as a dietitian for a year and is eager to prove she is capable of handling the floors. I was surprised at how much freedom she and Dawn had to write nutrition diagnosis and orders that the doctor will sign. The environment was definitely more medically focused. Ingrid saw patients she might never see again, but managed to educate them about nutrition as it relates to their condition. I may still be uncertain what direction to take, but Dawn and Ingrid provided great advice for the various paths a dietitian can take and how to prepare for the exam. The internship for dietitians seems to be the most crucial piece, regardless of the environment you choose to work in.

Birthday!
Robin made sure that I wasn't by myself on my birthday- she organized a get together and invited my coworkers. To my surprise, my friends from Purdue and home drove up to see me too! What a great way to end the week!


Enjoying the Adventure,

Cassandra



Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Week 3: Adventures at Northern Michigan University


My third week at Northern Michigan University was filled with trips to various places in Marquette and the surrounding areas. The content of the trips ranged from health to agricultural education. In between my "field trips," I also made headway on the major projects I am supposed to complete by the end of my internship. It's exciting that things are coming together!

Bariatric Surgery Meeting
Speaking of adventures, last week I had an opportunity to sit in on a bariatric surgery information meeting. The meeting essentially provided an overview of how the procedure works, the role the counseling sessions and nutrition sessions play and how it affects the patients' life overall. It was interesting from my standpoint because I purely there to observe and gain an understanding of the surgery in general. My initial impression left me thinking that the health professionals didn't stress how life-changing the operation is, even if it does help patients lose weight.  While statistics, such as less than 1% has to have a large incision,  put the surgery in perspective in terms of success rate, the risk of developing leakage and exactly how much the patients would have to change their lifestyle were answered vaguely.  I would hope these patients consider every variable before committing to the surgery and maybe seek out others who have had the procedure. The meeting was definitely an eye opening experience, for in this case, the guidelines for nutrition were radically different than the general guidelines established by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Nutrition for a bariatric patient literally stresses how little they can eat and how much more protein they need to be consuming. By the end of my internship I may observe an actual bariatric surgery! I won't hesitate to share my thoughts on that!

Mission: Local Food
A few days later, I took a trip to the Local Food Coop and Hoop House, this time on a official tour. Abby, the program coordinator of the Food Coop, gave me a detailed tour about the items sold in the Coop and informed me how successful the operation has been. In time, they've generated revenue totaling 5 million dollars annually! In the near future, the business is expanding to a larger locations where they can host cooking classes and continue bridging the gap between local farmers and residents of the Upper Peninsula.  They also have a Hoop House project that focuses on sustainability and improving the soil in order to expand the growing season. My hope is to use the tomatoes they grew for my picnic to show NMU Dining's appreciation for their efforts!

Info Courtesy of the Food Coop
I love the Food Coop's selection of coffee and nuts as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. I recently purchased fresh mint for my tea and a coconut almond mix to top my oatmeal. Delicious!
Fresh, Local Coffee Beans. Yum!

Any Nut Mix You'd Every Want!


Major projects update
The annual picnic plans that I have to formulate are coming together quite well. I've decided to go with a travel theme, for I love adventure and my eagerness to explore pushed me to intern here. [Honestly, I didn't know what I was getting into and I've never been to the UP.] I work directly with Sue, a supervisor of NMU Dining. Our mission is to host an epic picnic dedicated to the staff! Thus far, I've planned a burger bar with toppings from around the world. I found a thai peanut sauce recipe that will transform an ordinary burger into a mouthwatering masterpiece and much more! [Can't reveal it all yet!] The budgeting side of planning the picnic will definitely be an experience too. 
Thai Burger for the Travel Picnic!

Monthly Nutrition Presentations
One of my other responsibilities as an intern is to create the monthly nutrition presentation plans for the upcoming school year. In total, I am in charge of figuring out nutrition themes, table design, food samples, recipes, and marketing plans for seven presentations. At first, I was intimidated, but I've enjoyed the freedom to get creative and plan presentations that matter to the students of NMU. For example, August is National Sandwich Month, so I created a presentation titled "What's on Your Bun?" that focuses on making healthy sandwich topping swaps and to get creative with building a sandwich. I have heard too many times that students don't take control of their meal or add new items and would rather have a pre-made sandwich. To motivate students to carry out the suggestions laid out in the presentation, I thought it would be fun to make it a contest for the top creative sandwiches too. 

Nutrition Presentation "Everything Guides"
Food Allergen Training Manual
I have really started to lay out the plans for the food allergen training manual, which I have titled "Eat on." [Eat stands for Enforcing Allergen Techniques, at least for now.] The first week I was here, I interviewed the chefs and a few student employees to gain a sense of what worked and didn't work last year when trying to deliver foods to students with allergies. I have decided focusing on education and expectation would improve the allergen program significantly. Ultimately, I want to create a training manual and operations piece that supports the cooks and student employees and give them the confidence to serve students with allergens. I am looking at this project from all angles, including the marketing side, which influences the student body most. By creating a friendly environment that can support the needs of those with food allergies, NMU Dining can be more successful in selling meal plans and most importantly, everyone can be happy eating in the dining courts. 

Draft 1: E.A.T. ON Allergen Manual
Farm Tour
Sunday I traveled an hour with Steve and Lexie to support the local farm tour. The "farm of the day" was an organic cow farm that housed about 90 cows total. Unlike commercial farms, the farmer must continually work the fields and plow the land until grass no longer grows when he/she wants to plant new crops. I also learned that cows age 2-6 years act like teenagers. When one cow decided to walk around the herd, they all followed. Eventually they were all moving in a circle- It was quite comical!
"Teenage [Organic] Cows"

Lexie and I 

Part of the Cow Farm
The adventures continue.


Cassandra


Thursday, June 20, 2013

Week Two in the UP: Fresh Local Food, Meetings and Menus

I'm now used to the Upper Peninsula pace and will find it interesting to adjust back to my life at Purdue come August. My second week interning at NMU Dining has furthered my appreciation for friendly people and fresh, local food products. While the week was full of marketing meetings, parent orientation events, field trips and of course, time in the kitchen, a few reoccurring themes were presented.

1. A passion for food translates to delicious recipes and happy employees & customers. 
On Thursday, Robin and I visited the Sweetwater Cafe in town to interview the restaurant owner about her inspiration to focus on local, healthy, whole foods and how she introduced her gluten-free menu. The owner is a sweet lady who is married to one of the NMU dining staff. They have kept their cozy cafe running for over 20 years with a focus on whole foods and friendly conversation. When I asked the owner why she pursued this type of restaurant despite knowing that she'd be making less than a cookie cutter, convenient, preservative-food purchasing restaurant [McDonalds, Applebees, etc], I was told an inspiring story about adventure and a passion for food. Her parents had lived in Switzerland after college where she grew up learning how to make recipes from scratch. Back in the U.S. she spent time working at a fancy county inn by day and staying with an Amish family by night. Her appreciation for whole, fresh foods has grown over the years and her passion to share her love for making delicious food has only increased. Her passion is so great, you can almost taste it. I had a lovely lentil burger with fresh cheese and alfalfa sprouts on homemade bread and potato salad. The owner prides herself in teaching the staff the joy of cooking and the pleasure of consuming the creation. She even managed to create a gluten-free menu and instills excellence in her employees to deliver. I hope I can create the same enthusiasm for delivering delicious, yet allergy friendly foods with the NMU Dining allergen program.

Lentil burger and alfalfa sprouts 
with homemade whole grain bread and potato salad
2. Work is what you make it.
Friday was fairly quite in the office because over half of the staff I work with directly took the day off. I was pleased with how productive my day turned out to be- I got 4/7 Student 101 Nutrition Presentations completed and ideas for the remaining 3. You see, I had to create a guide for Robin and her support staff to educate NMU students about a specific nutrition product and transform the information into easy to understand messages for the marketing staff. In addition, I planned what props would make the presentation more appealing, the layout of the station and the sample foods to make and handout. At first, I was daunted by the tedious task, but I went into the task with a positive attitude Friday and created easy to follow, educational documents. I wish I could be here to see them pan out during the school year!



I've had a lot of opportunities in the last two weeks to experience and taste excellent food. Paul, an NMU supervisor of all retail operations, gave me the "grand tour" of all 6 retail locations and finished with a deluxe sushi lunch at Temaki & Tea [No, I didn't eat 3+ rolls of sushi, but I did enjoy half!] The fact that he juggles six external locations means he is constantly moving and trying to convey important information to his staff. As other restaurants out grew their previous locations, the NMU Dining staff were able to get creative with a few restaurants. For instance, Melted is a new, fancy grill cheese station restaurant that offers lunch for the main center on campus. As with any restaurant, there are always improvements to be made, but a positive attitude and motivated spirit allows for needed growth. I think it's great that there are always new opportunities to expand and improve operations.

Temaki & Tea sushi


3. Local foods make the community stronger and the individual healthy and happy. 
I recently ventured out to the local Food Coop to purchase local, organic foods to taste test. It was a perfect way to spend a sunny Sunday, next to my morning bike ride. I am quite impressed at how tight-knit and supporting the community is about supporting local farmers and how prideful businesses are in delivering whole foods. The Food Coop is expanding to include cooking and gardening classes to educate the local community and help establish a relationship with the food. When you cook your food, you're more interested in it!



Chicken, Spinach and mushroom pita,
 Kale salad topped with feta cheese, peppers and avocado
and ginger tea with honey

4. [Repeat.] Kayak when you have the opportunity to, especially with your Dad. 
My Dad drove 8 hours (one way) to spend the weekend with me. I'm lucky to have such a caring and adventurous Dad. Although the weather was unpleasant for the most part, we didn't let that stop us from walking around Presque Isle and kayaking in the afternoon. No matter where we went though, BUGS followed. Usually, I can ignore the little creatures, but the gnats swarmed us by the hundreds when we attempted to touch the lighthouse (see picture below) and when we initially jumped into the kayak. I literally paddled to shore, filled the kayak with water and dumped out the black, winged bugs. On the water, I had a pleasant time paddling and observing the houses surrounding the lake with my Dad. I give my Dad credit- he could paddle wayyy faster than I could! I'm glad my Dad is laid back; he's demonstrated that you can have fun and still be successful.

Presque Isle Lighthouse

Presque Isle Scenery




Always excited for adventure,

Cassandra
Dietetics/Nutrition, Fitness & Health
Purdue '14