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Overcoming Challenges

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Wish Dish Staff Blog

Sponsors

We would like to thank our sponsors for all of their support in making our dream possible. The Four Athens Community—led by Jim Flannery—has created a special opportunity for young entrepreneurs to utilize a network of skilled talent in Athens, Georgia. Through Four Athens, our Wish Dish Team was able to meet with Richie Knight and Nicole Batten, founders of HW Creative Marketing.
After our team met with Richie multiple times to learn more about internet marketing, Richie and HW Creative saw the passion behind our work and offered to do our new site in the winter of 2015. As we moved forward with our vision, the College Moving Company, led by Chris Harris, provided us with office space.
A big thank you to SPARC Athens for believing and supporting us in our vision.

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Shallum Atkinson

Overcoming Challenges

2016 was quite a year. It was full of events and emotions that are difficult to put into words. What I have finally been able to dictate about 2016 are my own feelings about the year in politics. When I first decided to write something about the politics of 2016 it was much angrier, more […]

Blayne McDonald

How My Differences Eventually Became My Strengths

When I was younger, the things I disliked about myself the most was my ethnicity, my legs, and my constant thinking. It took me many years to realize that these differences were my strengths. The first time someone asked me “what I was” (See Explaining Your Ethnic Situation), I was five or six and confidently […]

Overcoming Challenges

To Find Myself Again

Noises they surround us all the time. Noises I want to escape. But how long will I be on the run. How am I going to do what I am supposed to do? Fear of failure because I have never experienced one before. Frustration when I so want to give up but can’t. Why can’t […]

Creative Outlets

Raab Family Holiday Traditions

Holidays are one of the best times of year for college students. They are a break from schoolwork and responsibilities and a chance to spend time with family and friends. For me they are the time in the fall semester where the swim team has a lot of hard training because there is no school. […]

Overcoming Challenges

2016 to 2017: A Ramble

12.21 A.M. 1/7/2017 2016 was as crazy as 2015. Though earthquakes didn’t shake up my world like it did in 2015 (25 April, 2015 – Nepal Earthquake), there were other emotional earthquakes that shook up my world. The first was my move to the USA. Leaving my home country, Nepal, has to be one of […]

Overcoming Challenges

A Story about Stories

By Patricio Gallardo and Daniel McKenzie After reading several stories on the Wish Dish, we took a peek under the hood of the WishDish to see what motifs are running through the stories, to help contributors find their tribe. Our hypothesis was that the WishDish stories would fit into just a few categories such as […]

What is Your Defining Quality?

As the student of a Jesuit institution, the art of discernment is not lost on me. When asked “what does it mean to be you” or “what is your defining quality”, there are many things that come to mind. But after thinking through these other characteristics, there is always one characteristic that is at the […]

Creative Outlets

Mental Illness Can’t Stop My Happiness

I have borderline personality disorder. I have severe bouts of anxiety and depression. I can become erratic and manic in the flip of a switch. I am withdrawn from school. I’m broke. I am in debt to many. But I’m happy. As I’ve become more and more comfortable opening up about my mental illness and […]

Wrapping Up An Interesting Year

The month of December induces several emotions: the relief of finishing yet another semester, the excitement of coming home for the holidays, and the optimism and anxiety that comes along with hoping that 2017 is going to be as great as I need it to be. Around the holidays I look forward to recuperating and […]

Overcoming Challenges

The Truth Behind Suffering

There I was… I sat in the cinema and watched The Magnificent Seven. I sat and watched in awe, but also in terror. The glamorizing gunshots, explosions, and loud cries kept my eyes and brain glued to the screen; yet there was a part of me that was terrified. It was the part of me […]

Lasting Friendships Take Time to Develop

Growing up, I thought that I would go to college and make best friends the first week of school and we would spend all of our time together loving college and everything it had to offer. After all, Freshman year is supposed to be the best time of your entire life, right??? Well, not in […]

Overcoming Challenges

Purpose is a Process

As an elementary school student, my teachers told me I was special, yet I struggled testing into the gifted program. When I was in middle school, teachers did anything and everything to suppress my energetic spirit so I would focus on the mindless busy work they gave us during class. As a high school student, […]

Inspirational People

Experience of a Lifetime

“Have you ever heard of a TED talk?” is a phrase that I have come to know and love because I’m constantly asking this same question to my friends, family, and random people walking through Tate Plaza (UGA Student Center) when they ask what TEDxUGA is when I promote the annual event. If someone had […]

Have I Officially Lost my Mind?

“Have I officially lost my mind …” When I begin to think about what has happened in the last four months of my life I begin to think that statement above may be true… I moved to Atlanta back in June 2014 and began my first career as an individual and family counselor. I finally had […]

Inspirational People

No Time Like the Present

I come from a family of entrepreneurs. I grew up helping my father with our real-estate business in the northeast suburbs of Atlanta. I grew up surrounded by the realities and hardships of that business. My father not only encouraged me to think beyond the confines of a normal nine to five career, but instilled […]

The Red Light District: My Travel Series

So it’s my very first time in Europe and to no surprise, things went wrong prior to me leaving — like my friend getting the flu right before the flight. Which is totally my luck. That meant I was flying to Amsterdam by myself. I was fine with this at first because I enjoy my […]

Creative Outlets

Disregarding Failure

I could carry a tune at 5-years-old, whether I was singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” or “Mary Had A Little Lamb.” Every single Christmas growing up, I would unwrap CD’s, new karaoke machines, microphones, guitars, or anything music related. In every home video on Christmas, I’m off to the side singing or playing with my […]

Inspirational People

Rise of the Lion

Special thanks to Wil Lawson, Nick Aluzzi, Miranda Andersson, Jennifer Hennelly, and my family, and the many others that helped me through it all even when I didn’t think I could make it. In life, we all go through things we would deem as unfair. We always ask why do good people have bad things […]

Third World Learning Experience

What is perspective? Is it simply the way we choose to look at something or can it be something more? The definition I enjoy most is the “true understanding of the relative importance of things, a sense of proportion.” An understanding of important things in life. Something many of us often lack. Given time to […]

On The Sidelines

Flashback to September 2013, my first semester at UGA. It was Saturday and we were playing South Carolina. It was my first home football game. My first football game really. The energy was unlike anything I could have ever imagined. Being overwhelmed was an understatement. This was the first time in my entire life that […]

As I rounded the rocky, snowy, slippery corner of the trail, I saw to my left a vast glacier—comparable to a felled New York City skyscraper—boasting the most beautiful shade of blue beneath frosted whiteness. I was in awe. 30 feet ahead, I saw the sign. “Congratulations, you are now at Uhuru Peak- Africa’s highest […]

Love Me, but Don’t Save Me

I grew up in an age of Disney princesses and feminism; an age where Snow White waited for her prince while the Cheetah Girls decided they needed to rescue themselves. I fantasized about being saved, yet I also wanted to be strong enough to save myself. It was not until I was diagnosed with depression […]

Life With ADD Taught Me to Have a Good Work Ethic

My whole life I’ve been told to pay attention. I was told that I would never do well in school because I couldn’t stay focused. It wasn’t until much later that I realized I had ADD. When I was four, I learned how to tie my shoe laces. About a week afterwards, I completely forgot how. […]

Inspirational People

The Life of a Freelancer is a Risky and Rewarding Experience

I have been working as a freelancer for the past two years now. I often get asked if it’s easy and what it’s like to be self-employed, so I thought I would tell my story. I love my freelance life and I couldn’t be happier that I made the decision to do it alone, but it […]

Inspirational People

Call Me Crazy: How Bené Started

It was my last semester at UGA and May 10 was soon approaching, it was starting to hit me that college was inevitably coming to an end and real life was about to begin. Most of my friends and classmates were busy going on interviews and accepting jobs after graduation. Everyone was excited to know […]

If You Don’t Snapchat It, Did It Really Happen?

Social media is a reality of modern life, especially for millennials who are often criticized for their constant use of it. And despite criticisms, there are aspects of this new reality that are truly beautiful. We can connect to our friends and family, even those who are far away, share in each other’s triumphs, support each […]

Overcoming Challenges

The Truth About Taking Advantage of Opportunity

It is no secret our “millennial” generation faces a lot of criticism: ”you are entitled,” or “you want hand outs, participation trophies, constant pats on the back.” Essentially, we seem to expect achievement to come easily. On the other hand, I believe the more alarming trend is the expectation of perfection and the highest achievement […]

Losing Myself in a Weight Loss Struggle

“You’re so skinny, Mary!” I haven’t heard that in a while. As I type, an article titled “Thinner People Eat This Many Meals A Day” is open in my browser. For the first three years of college, I was skinny. Skinny enough that my twin sister admits that people would ask her if I had […]

Starting is the Hardest Part: My Personal Weight Loss Story

Pig. Fatass. Gross. Overweight. Obese. Those were the words I often heard. I have never been stick thin, but I have never been overweight. However, the summer before my freshman year of college, I felt overweight. My clothes started becoming tighter, and I started to feel less comfortable in actual clothes and more comfortable in […]

Olivia Hathaway

My True Passion

Much of what we see on social media is the tip of the iceberg. We aren’t aware of what goes on underneath the water that manifests into the beautiful structure displayed in the open air that is Instagram, Facebook, etc. My social media pages are no different. I love the life that I have created, […]

Creative Outlets

Why I Am an Artist

Art is my favorite form of self-expression. It allows people to use their imagination and creativity to reveal moods and emotion, and to alter thought and perception. I grow everyday into the artist and the person I want to be by pushing my limits and expanding my boundaries. Similar to Wish Dish, art is a […]

Ashley Nickerson

Creative Outlets

To Have the Mind of a Creative

I identify myself as a creative mind, getting to look at things through a lens that’s more abstract than not. Growing up, I idolized my older sister. She’s one of my best friends and biggest influencers. Since I can remember, she has encouraged me to try new things and not to be afraid of failure. […]

Overcoming Challenges

I grew up in a small town in Southeast Georgia. It was Southern enough for me to have a little twang in my speech, but being right on the coast allowed for a great mix between the country and the beach. Even though my town was somewhat small, my family encouraged limitless dreams; that I […]

Blayne McDonald

My husband and I both work full-time and also work on my blog, Wonder & Awe. We work on the blog whenever we have a free minute. I first saw Matt while he was leading worship at church, we made eye contact and it was love at first. We dated for six months, were […]

Work Never Stops

Life as an entrepreneur isn’t always roses! Balancing life, friends, and clients is tough. While I love owning a biz (make that two), the truth is I’m up working past midnight almost every night. Running your #sidehustle requires determination and LOTS of hard work. If you want to be a #girlboss, you’ll need to learn […]

Creative Outlets

The Hidden Vice: Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Again? Seriously? I thought to myself as I watched my target through the smoke-filled bar. He’d been sitting in the same sticky corner booth for the last three hours, and my patience was wearing thin. As the waitress left him and delivered a third apple martini to the blond twenty-something in a tight […]

Overcoming Challenges

My Abusive Relationship Hurt Me in So Many Ways

I stared blankly at the screen. The silver reflection from the message lit up my face. It took a moment, and then I gave in to panic. My abusive relationship was following me. No, no, no, no, no, I thought. I began to hyperventilate, and my chest felt like it was being crushed. This time, […]

Overcoming Challenges

My Idea of a Good Leader

Being captain on the leadership council for the gymnastics team has taught me that becoming a leader is downright one of the most important aspects of being successful. But what’s even more important than being a leader is being a good leader. Seth Godin’s book, Tribes, gave me a lot of insight on the traits of […]

Creative Outlets

Daydreams: A Short Poem about You, Me, and Us

I can’t explain how I feel, but these daydreams seem so real. With a passing thought you’re in my head, but it feels like we’re there instead. I come out of my happy dream quickly, and you’re still out of reach for me.

“Everything about us supports the Yankees, we bleed blue.” These words echo through my childhood. We are Yankees fans, tried and true. Growing up the morale of my family was based on how the Yankees played; if we won, we celebrated, if we lost the whole family grieved. The Yankees were our only excuse for […]

Creative Outlets

YOU Have a Story To Tell

As I explored the WishDish site with a friend of mine, she immediately told me, “This seems like a cool idea, but not sure if I have anything to share. I’m not a good writer anyways.” As I have seen throughout high school and college, many of us have this same sentiment when it comes […]

Overcoming Challenges

Losing My Virginity

“Well, you’re not a virgin anymore,” he said. It was hot outside. He had blue eyes. Charming. Tan muscles built on a farm. This isn’t what I asked for. What if I get pregnant? What just happened? I’m shaking. I need to pull over. Wait, no…what if he’s following me? I’m only 17. This shouldn’t […]

Creative Outlets

The Gift Of Flight

Where is it I find the strength to dust off and surprisingly clear astoundingly strong, remarkably resilient, brilliantly clearheaded, unshakably convicted, to get up yet again? It’s the feather. What a magnificent gift from my little old soul of a child to the grown up spiny girl who often times loses connection. My feather, my gift of flight […]

Little Reminders of the Good in the World

I take the same bus every day to my 8 a.m. class. I like getting there early, so I’m used to the bus being nearly empty. However, another quiet, well-dressed gentleman is always on it with me as well. We’ve never introduced ourselves, but I can always depend on this familiar stranger to accompany me […]

Katherine Gillanders

Overcoming Challenges

“PLEASE READ.” Simple, straightforward, and sharp, these words seem so insignificant. Yet, they completely changed MY outlook on life and my hope is that they can change YOURS. When I was 16 I attended a leadership conference where I was told to write down a goal and mine was that I wanted to be a […]

Jessica Pasquarello

Inspirational People

The Road Less Traveled

There’s a huge misconception these days with us millennials. The problem is that all of us seem to think that our generation has such a strong entrepreneurial movement. In reality, what I believe, is that every generation has always had that same drive to change the world, it is just our human nature to want […]

Creative Outlets

Write Up My Alley

I hated writing. If you told me growing up that I’d be doing it for fun after college, I absolutely would have rolled my eyes! Writing was a chore. But…in my third-year-writing class, I completed a 20-page research paper on looping and tracking in education (one of my nerdy passions), and I realized how much […]

Ansley Mcalister

Creative Outlets

It’s 4 am. The sinews in my legs are on fire and my chest feels like it’s caving in, Like I’m being pressed to Death. Like I’m being interrogated as a witch, when I know full well that the witchcraft doing this to me is coming from somewhere buried deep within and I […]

Food Brings us Together and Makes Lasting Family Traditions

The tradition of weekly Wednesday night dinners in Athens evolved from my family. It all started in Calvary, Georgia. For as long as I can remember, Family Night has been a weekly tradition of putting all work aside, relaxing, cooking amazing food, and gathering family together around the table. My older cousins Bradley Jones, Chaz, […]

Baton Rouge: A Catalyst Since 1953

I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, during the turbulent Civil Rights Movement in 1968, the year which epitomized the era with the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy. The Red Stick has always been a catalyst for change, even if she was often times an unintentional participate. The Baton Rouge I […]

Kimberly August

Creative Outlets

Balcony & Uncorked: Poetry

Cut cocaine with my cheekbones; they’re too sharp for kissing, And I’ll lay here in bed, While drunken giggles chime on Clawing the air apart with their caws, Yes I’ll lay on. Or I’ll float away, Drifting and catching air, Like a single strand Of golden thread Plucked from my head. Fly on, netted […]

Diana Vlavianos

The Nashville Guide

Social media has been a great way to shine a light on the best Nashville, Tennessee has to offer…but it’s only #halfthestory. Our Instagram account might make it seem like we are living the dream of eating, drinking, and exploring our way through Nashville everyday. And we certainly do plenty of that. Yes, we do […]

Creative Outlets

I hear their voices. Voices of the people who want the world to stay as it is—the people who have too much to lose if things change. They say to stay quiet. They say to keep my mouth shut. They say to silence my voice. They say to push down my emotions so I can […]

Everyone Wants To Be an Entrepreneur

Ask around, and most people will tell you about their great idea or how they “thought of it first.” A lot of people on the “outside” believe if they wanted to pursue an entrepreneurial idea, they could just do so. But, most people never pursue that path, and those that do often fail. I think […]

Creative Outlets

*Fiction by Danielle Watkins* The season was wintertime. The night, silent as the snow that fell into shimmering piles on the ground, seemed calm. Standing by the door, Jenna, wearing her mother’s winter coat and gloves, wasn’t planning on going far. Just to the giant tree that felt like Christmas. To sit in the biting […]

Danielle Watkins

Overcoming Challenges

Pressure Forms Diamonds

Since the summer before my freshman year of college, I have worked in football recruiting for an SEC school. When I first started I was somewhat awkward, extremely uncomfortable with public speaking, and was somewhat content with just being involved enough to have a full resume. Never all in. As I became more involved and […]

Overcoming Challenges

My Journey with The Rally Foundation

I was about to start high school when my dad was diagnosed with a grade three brain tumor. Even at that age, I did not fully understand the severity of his cancer or what the next steps entailed. Luckily—with one of the best brain surgeons from Duke Medical Center and the right treatment—my dad survived […]

Becca Kanaverskis

Inspirational People

The following composition represents the culmination of around three years of reflections and writings. In 2012, I faced a tragedy that took a great emotional toll on my heart, leaving a scar that would take many months to heal. This article is the story of that tragedy and of the woman that helped me get […]

Shoulder Surgery? Not So Bad After All

Challenges arise in everyone’s life. Knowing how to face them and how to learn from them separates those who overcome a challenge from those who do not. I proudly swim for the University of Georgia, which happens to be one of the foremost dominant programs in the nation, winning two NCAA championships in the past […]

The Importance of “Why Not?”

“Why not”. Two syllables, one question, and a myriad of possibilities. To some, hearing these words may seem insignificant. For me, this simple question is incredibly powerful. It opens our minds to new ideas and cannot be asked enough. I believe that our words hold a tremendous amount of value. If they are thought-provoking, that […]

Robert Liberatore

Growing Up In the Multi-Cultural Country of India

“India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”- Mark Twain When I read this I wondered how much […]

Creative Outlets

A Reflection: A Poem

One day I looked in the mirror To see if what I held most dear Was clear, or if it was fear That held me in its snare. Perhaps I just didn’t care It didn’t seem fair I wasn’t aware Now it seems so clear As long as the Lord is near There is no […]

UGA Football Player’s Suicide Testimony

The cold steel of the knife touched my wrist. I took a deep breath and said “This is it.” I was ready to end it. I tried my hardest to cut up my forearm. I tried once. It didn’t leave a mark. I tried twice. I couldn’t. I dropped the knife. Tears of joy ran down […]

Michael Scullin

Inspirational People

(Co-written by Madison Turner and Jessica Bryant) Between these two young women—from two backgrounds with two amazing bonds—a similar story arose. Jessica Bryant and Madison Turner share their testimonies of friendship, loss, sisterhood, and healing. Loss (Jessica) There are people in your life you think you will know forever – those types of friends that are more […]

Inspirational People

Perserverence and Hard Work Changed My Life

I remember my first day in school at Georgia Military College. It was quiet on campus. The freshly cut green yard had signs that said, “No walking on grass.” The buildings, looming with castle-like features, faced each other across that untouchable landscape. Where in the world was I? Was this college? What kind of hard work […]

Homeless and Anxious

It has been about two years since I came off my anti-anxiety medication. Well, it’s more like I was forced off. When you become homeless, you lose all of the benefits of a home and parents, including health insurance. But, that’s another story. This is the story of my severe anxiety and how I’ve managed it. A […]

Inspirational People

Humans of Athens, Georgia

For two years, though I propelled forward in my career, I remained stagnant when it came to creativity and inspiration. I became so focused on practicality that I forgot my passions. I became so focused on money and trying to make it financially that I forgot that it’s not the hours—it’s the heart and energy […]

Overcoming Challenges

A Proud Mother’s Testimony

When I graduated high school, I dismissed the idea of college. I wasn’t lazy and I didn’t want to take a year off to travel Europe. The idea of college was immediately dismissed because I was too stupid for college. I was too poor for college. My mother didn’t graduate high school and she managed […]

Overcoming Challenges

The Love We All Dream Of

The other night I was sitting around a table playing cards with some friends, while another group of friends gathered around the television engulfed in the finale of the famous show, “The Bachelorette”. Why was I not one of the girls with my eyes glued to that screen for two hours? That love is not the […]

Overcoming Challenges

The Driving Force Within: My “Why”

One reason as to why companies fall short of being great can be summed up by Simon Sinek’s philosophy, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Sinek draws a circle diagram to better describe his philosophy. The circle consists of three rings; the outside reads “what”, the middle reads “how”, […]

Creative Outlets

I Have to Believe

Death. The most earth-rattling, indescribable word. How is it possible that it only takes a matter of seconds to never see someone again? Never talk to them again. Never see their life-changing smile again. You try to come up with any and every possible reason why they were taken away from you, but you never […]

Going Abroad to Solve the Issues Back Home

*True author of the post chooses to remain anonymous* As a child, I was always fascinated by the world around me. The way people interacted with one another. The way leaves crunched on the street under my rain boots. The way people’s eyes got red and puffy when they laughed so hard they cried. My […]

Contradiction and Change

The world is constantly changing, especially the world we call home in the United States. Our economy, political views, social views, business ideas, and individual beliefs are influenced by change, and more importantly those who initiate it. The rest of the world surrounding us is influenced by its own change. Therefore, change is not the same for […]

Overcoming Challenges

“You’re so strong! You inspire me.” From a young age, I was told these words. They followed me to the grocery store, school, the track, and the gym. Strong was what I was supposed to be when I ate breakfast or went for a walk. I existed to exemplify “human perseverance” to those around me. I […]

Death Doesn’t Discriminate Between the Sinners and the Saints

I am a mental health advocate. A stigma fighter. I am the mental health community administrator for the Wish Dish Platform. President of the Loyola University MD chapter of Active Minds. Yet, I struggle with my own mental health. It’s not that I expect others to believe that I don’t struggle with my anxiety and […]

Overcoming Challenges

Six Steps to Surviving your Sophomore Slump

In the midst of breakups, non-stop drama from everyday life, the dreaded sophomore slump, and the quickly approaching future, it can be super hard to be optimistic. It’s difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you feel like the walls are closing in – it seems like there’s no way to […]

Overcoming Challenges

I was a boxer in the United States Army who fought welterweight. I’ve never been a quitter, but one fight made me prove myself more than any other. I had won my first three fights in the sub-novice division. I graduated to the open class. That’s when my troubles began. No one told me I was […]

Inspirational People

How my Vision for Mental Health Became Reality

What’s your vision for next week? The next semester? The next year? For your life? All of these questions were posed to me while in attendance at the LeaderShape Institute retreat in the 2013 summer with 64 other Auburn University students. These were difficult questions for me to answer at the time, but now I […]

Inspirational People

A Week of Magic

Everyone has a moment in their life when their whole perspective of the world changes. Their plans, their dreams, their everyday life, and even the people they surround themselves with begin to change. A little over a year ago, I had my moment. During my sophomore year of college, I followed college protocol by getting […]

Overcoming Challenges

I’ll be the first one to say, I absolutely hate how much emphasis our generation puts on race. No matter the issue, somehow being black or white gets painted into the picture. Nevertheless, race continues to be a significant issue in our society, especially in the southeast. With the riots in Baltimore as well as […]

Inspirational People

The People We Meet

Moments of impact. Impressions. Emotions. All of these things define us as human beings. We have fears, wants, and needs. But what happens when an entire human population is wiped out and you are the only one left standing? How do you grow and develop? The point is, other humans shape us into the individuals […]

From Miami to Jamaica to Georgia

A lot of perks come with understanding and being one with your family heritage. Those perks include a solid sense of self, a feeling of uniqueness in this huge sea of American pride, and even pressure. I was blessed with the opportunity to have lived with my family in Jamaica from ages four to seven […]

Shanice Stewart

Wake up. Roll over to turn off the alarm only after hitting snooze for the fifth time. Check Instagram. Scroll through and live vicariously through fashionistas in California. Check Snapchat. Oh, a rogue camel in a desert from username الشباب وجديدة ? Good. Check Email. “150 Ways You Could Be Kidnapped Via Facebook” article. Thanks, Mom. By then, you […]

Inspirational People

The Meaning of Unconditional Love, For Tyler

We’ve been through a lot together over the last 18 years, you and I. I discovered a whole new level of nervous anticipation when I learned of your impending arrival. I never knew that twelve long hours of excruciating pain could feel like twelve long days, yet all of it be forgotten in the blink […]

Christina Freeman

When Fair Skin is UnFair Skin

I’m white. Fair skinned (or so society tells me). Very pale. And very, very privileged. I can stroll down the street or into a restaurant and be quite certain others will respond kindly toward me. I never fear or worry in the slightest about law enforcement. Magazines, movies, and newspapers are plastered with images of […]

Inspirational People

Design Your Destiny

Entrepreneur. How can one word be so powerful and yet so vague? Is it a career path, or is it a mentality? Let’s explore. Let me ask you: is a clothing store manager that quits their day job to pursue their passion of ceramics an entrepreneur? Is a 12-year-old who codes apps from his bunk […]

Running in Runner’s World

I am a senior member of the James Madison University Club Cross Country team and have been running since the 8th grade. Currently, I run anywhere between 30 and 70 miles a week. I compete mostly in road races and normally place pretty well, but as far as the competitive running community is concerned, I […]

Creative Outlets

Seacrest Studios Gives Hope To Sick Children

Colorful crystals, jewels and gemstones drape and sparkle from the 10-foot ceiling, illuminating natural lighting off the open windowpane in Seacrest Studios, emitting sunshine for some that have only seen cloudy and gloomy skies. The vocals of Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber echo throughout the lobby of the Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, […]

Nichole Mondshein

Overcoming Challenges

Re-Evaluating Rape Culture

I want to get some things clear: A rapist does not have to drive a white van. A rapist does not have to be a bum. A rapist does not have to be strung out. A rapist does not have to be Hispanic, or Latino, or Black. A rapist does not have to wear a wife beater or have any […]

Overcoming Challenges

Our Everyday Habits Define Our Everyday Happiness

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle. This quote was painted on the wall in the cafeteria of my high school growing up. At the time, I couldn’t appreciate how it truly describes all facets of life. Only after years of learning to be independent in college […]

Jonathan Teymouri

Performance Isn’t Everything

Too often in life we focus on performance and assessment. We are expected to hinge our success on how well we have performed. How am I doing in my job? Am I performing well enough to get that raise? Am I out performing my coworkers? All these things continually keep us preoccupied and focused on this […]

Close Encounters of the Cannibalistic Kind

The following accounts are true, and there is no fiction or hyperbole present. It may be hard to believe. It may be hard to understand. But, even though it’s been almost two years, I still remember everything as clear as if it were just yesterday. Before I begin my story, let me provide some context. […]

God Helped Me Fight Against Comparison

I can wish for something different forever, but at the end of the day I am simply all that I am. I can strive to change different aspects of myself, but I’m still me. The hardest thing for people to accept is themselves. I still struggle daily to fight against comparison and loving myself, but it’s something […]

The Vegan Lifestyle

“Be the Change” – I had heard this quote when I was younger, but never did it resonate with me quite like it does now. It seems that Ghandi might have known a thing or two. Growing up I was like any other kid when it came to eating. I may have been a bit […]

A Week in a War Zone

Imagine a country that is not only holy to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but is also in the middle of a war zone. Israel is at the crossroads of religion, culture, customs, war, and tradition. When I arrived in Israel in December 2014, it was only months after the country’s most recent conflict in the […]

Match Point: Serving with Passion

I started playing tennis between 6 ½ and 7 years old. Most of my tennis friends started playing tennis through a family member, but I was introduced to tennis in a fairly unique way. I remember being introduced to tennis like it was yesterday. I was sitting on the bleachers located inside the basketball gym […]

Inspirational People

Homeless in the Home of the Brave

A twenty-something man sits on the ground next to a bus stop reading a worn, paperback book. His skin is pale and his hair a light shade of brown, stopping just below his shoulders. It’s a cold day in Chicago. He wears a thick, over-sized, tan coat, a winter hat, and gloves with holes at the […]

Cynthia English

My Struggle in Battling Bipolar Disorder

I am an avid gamer, I love video games, and for a while video games were the only thing I had going for me. Skyrim, Dark Souls, Civilization, all of these games can be set to varying degrees of difficulty. Most games start you out on a “standard” mode. If my life were a video […]

Overcoming Challenges

Real Talk: Let’s Get Something Straight

I hate politics. Well actually, I despise politics. If you know me personally, you know that. But I just have to ask that you keep a few things in mind when you brag to me how you are a part of the “Drumpf Train.” First of all, it’s not Drumpf that I hate so much, […]

Creative Outlets

MCCVANI: Appreciating Wrecked Hands

“We don’t value craftsmanship anymore! All we value is ruthless efficiency, and I say we deny our own humanity that way. Without appreciation for grace and beauty, there’s no pleasure in creating things and no pleasure in having them. Our lives are made drearier, rather than richer!’’ – Bill Watterson Today is the era of […]

Aatika Siddique

Overcoming Challenges

Why a Rape Whistle Couldn’t Save Me

I have tried to recreate events, locales, and conversations from my memories of them. In order to maintain the anonymity of the people involved in what you are about to read, I have changed their names. My name is Audrey, and I thought this type of thing only happens to others. Yet I woke up […]

End Rape on Campus

Overcoming Challenges

Building a Foundation for Growth

“You don’t set out to build a wall. You don’t say ‘I’m going to build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that’s ever been built.’ You don’t start there. You say, ‘I’m going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid. You do that every single day. And soon you have a […]

Inspirational People

I’ve Become My Mother and it’s the Best Thing to Happen to Me

I think every girl at one point in their life comes to the realization that they’ve become like their mother. Most people meet this realization, however, with much hesitation and anguish. Many resent the idea of becoming like their mothers. While I’m only 18, I realize I have become my mother and wish I was even […]

“Never Say Never” is a Real Warning

I’ve gotten myself into a lot of trouble with two unassuming words I use all the time: I’ll never. I never intended to do a lot of things. I never intended to go to UGA. I never intended to fall in love with Jesus. I never intended to even major in what I studied in […]

Inspirational People

Death Is Not an End, but a New Beginning

“It is a curious thing the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited and that eventually all of us end up under some sheet never to wake up. And yet, it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking […]

Overcoming Challenges

My Breakup Taught Me It’s Okay to Not Have A Plan

This spring break was one of the most emotionally exhausting weeks of my life since I started college. Despite my hectic academic course load, the root of my exhaustion was not school. In fact, the main catalyst for my exhaustion was my rocky relationship with a boyfriend that I went to high school with. And I didn’t have a […]

Inspirational People

Dealing with the Life After Death

Life is crazy. Life is weird. Life is unexpected. “Life” is all about how you choose to live it. As you get older, you start to ponder about your life and your future more often. You get scared, you get sad, you get worried, and you get anxious. In the midst of all these emotions, […]

Overcoming Challenges

Perfectly Okay with My Imperfect Life

Two parallel lines, two faint blue strips that dictated how drastically my life was about to change. Pregnant. There’s no way, this can’t be right… can it? Not me, it was only once, so it doesn’t even really count, right? Wrong. So, so wrong. Lets back up for a minute and start from the very […]

victoria collins ♔

The Art of Climbing

“What do you want to do this summer?” This was a question Brandon’s dad asked him every summer since he could walk. At age 12 his dad and his uncle traversed all across Europe, from the Notre Dame Cathedral to the breathtaking Berlin Wall. His father’s adventurous spirit inspired their atypical itineraries of adventures that […]

Overcoming Challenges

How to Conquer the F-Word

Fear, the one word that summarized the single demise of every person. Fear is the reason that our society has not progressed at an even faster rate than it should, and fear is what holds people back from their real potential. In Seth Godin’s Tribes, the concept of fear in great leaders in heretics is […]

Overcoming Challenges

When I Look At It Now

At the time, I thought it was a sign that I never got an actual acceptance letter to Virginia Tech. I remember logging onto the application site one night at the request of my high school counselor; I glanced quickly across the screen, trying to find the proper button to hit to get me where […]

Overcoming Challenges

Effective Leadership is Rare

In my twenty years of existence, I have never experienced what Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, refers to as level five leadership. Many people like to say they have great leadership qualities, but Collins exposes the truth that most people do not know what it means to be effective in leading a group. I […]

On Camp Kesem and Magic

Speak with anyone within the Camp Kesem community- counselor, camper, benefactor, family member, or friend of the organization- about “what Camp Kesem means,” and you will almost certainly hear the word “magic” within five to ten minutes of conversation. I’m being generous with my estimate. More likely it will tumble out of their mouths, as if […]

Creative Outlets

Dare to Dream with All of Your Heart

Dare to dream. And if you are really berserk, dare to pursue. The average person can dream, but not many pursue their dreams successfully. Be the one to stand out, be different, because why not?! You are on this earth for a reason, so you might as well be influential. So much talent and many great, […]

Hit Records Worldwide

Confront the Brutal Facts (Yet Never Lose Faith)

I believe time is something most of us take for granted. In the literal sense, time is something that we can never get back, yet most people don’t seem to realize that until they lose something of value. I’m not saying be anxious all the time and worry about what you’re doing every second of […]

How Far Does the Apple Really Fall? What Makes a Broken Home

How far the apple falls… Are we doomed to relive our parents’ mistakes? You are your mother’s daughter. Many of us have heard these sayings in regards to similarities between our parents and ourselves, whether it is a striking physical resemblance, similar likes or dislikes, or similar personality traits. But to someone who is haunted […]

My Friend Gave Me My Future Calling in High School

It seems from the moment I was born, I was thinking about my future calling. I remember back in high school when my idea of a perfect, successful life entailed both my husband and I being renowned doctors and our children going to prestigious schools. But, you know what they say… if you want to make […]

My Trip to Spain Transformed My Life (Even When I Hated it at First)

In July 2015, I traveled to Spain for a study abroad program through my university. This was my first time outside of the United States, and I had never taken a Spanish class before, so I figured that having this experience (or lack thereof) would be unique and challenging, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Boy, was […]

Bradley Burroughs

Overcoming Challenges

My Biggest Regret in Life Happened When I was Six Years Old

Everyone has regrets: something you should not have done, or maybe something you should have. Whether that means a hook up that should have never happened or not going on that trip to Europe, we all have them. My biggest regret, however, is one that continues to haunt me. I wanted to make sure people understand […]

Annabelle Chang

What Keeps You Going? God and Travel

What keeps you going? In life, we all have something that keeps us going; a passion, a goal, fear of failure, love or hate, or maybe just a dear friend or sibling. The most important to me, through experience, is love for those around me, especially my family and friends. What do I mean by […]

Learning to Cross The Rubicon with God

In 49 B.C., during a time of political unrest, the Roman senate ordered Julius Caesar to disband his army. Ignoring this order, he led his army across the Rubicon River in an act of treason. This was called, “The point of no return” because this tiny river represented a boundary that by law prevented generals […]

Over the past year and some change, my life has been flipped upside down. I always prided myself in thinking that I was a “go with the flow” kind of girl, and able to handle change with open arms, but this I was very wrong about. When my dad was diagnosed with Stage IV brain […]

Caitlyn Denkler

My Stuttering Problem Helped Me Inspire Millions

I’ve always wanted to be a difference-maker. I always wanted to be part of something bigger than myself and inspire millions. Four months ago, I found my way and my mission in life. I decided to turn my adversity into something bigger than myself and be of service. My story began 22 years ago when […]

Halloween, Mental Illness, and Suicide Create a Disgusting Mix

With Halloween behind us, people with mental illnesses were reminded that our society still thinks mental illnesses are a joke. Last year, costumes like the infamous “Ana Rexia” were criticized on Twitter for making light of a deadly eating disorder. This year, I saw a costume that is the most appalling thing I have ever seen. […]

Discovering Wanderlust From A Week in Washington

The following is an old journal entry directed towards my best friend. I guess you could consider this as my explanation to her of why I felt I HAD to move away from our hometown, an idea that she most definitely did not favor. In the passage, I discuss my love of travel in relation […]

Creative Outlets

If We Are All Leaders, Who Will Follow?

Leadership. This is a buzzword we hear time and again each day. Leaders are what so many of us aspire to be, and especially in college, there is a huge push for students to gain these so-called leadership skills. However, I think we have a nationwide problem in this push for leadership. Yes, almost all […]

Overcoming Challenges

How To Travel The World With An Anxiety Disorder

About a month ago, I decided that I would extend my 3 month study abroad experience into an entire year. This was not a rash decision, but one made on the thought that a semester was not enough time to settle into a city, or to explore all the countries I had on my bucket […]

Nicole DeAcereto

Overcoming Challenges

Experiencing Life Through The Eyes of a Book

Hello, My name is Isha. This is my story. I have always been that child who looks around for inspiration, who admires people for their strengths. I have hated how weak human can be sometimes. I hate the fact that Love makes human weak, why? I have seen my parents work really hard so that […]

Overcoming Challenges

Let Me Tell You the Story of Elle

No one else can write the story of your life, except you. Once upon a time, there was a little girl. And this little girl believed that she could do anything. That she could be anything. Perhaps it was an astronaut, or a veterinarian, or a singer. To this little girl, the world was her playground. Now […]

Inspirational People

How To Go from Being a Leader To Someone Who Leads

For two years, I worked for the Rutgers Football program under the direction of Kyle Flood. In my time there, beginning with the 2014 season, there was a universal thought amongst my co-workers and college football fans that Kyle Flood was in over his head leading the Rutgers Football team program as it entered one of the most competitive […]

Creative Outlets

Know the Art Rules Before you Break Them

This particular work of art was presented to my drawing class last spring for a critique. Our assignment was to draw whatever we wanted, however we wanted, and with whatever we wanted. No rules to break, no limitations to adhere to. I chose to draw a nude figure with acrylic paint and indie ink and make […]

My Boxing Victory Changed Me

Competition has been in my blood for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I begged my mom to let me do mixed martial arts, and she finally relented when I was eight years old. After my first Tae Kwon Do class, I was ecstatic. After my first competition victory, I was hooked. […]

Inspirational People

How I Became Stronger Than I ever Thought

As our past selves make appearances in our present and our future, it can become difficult to keep hold of the glory that is ourselves. But we have to be stronger than our past. In life we have many experiences: some extraordinary, others abysmal and some we are just plain indifferent to. We choose to either feel these things or to […]

Quinnita Edwards

What Would You Take a Punch For?

When I finally stepped foot onto UGA’s campus as an eager freshman, I had two things on my mind. Join a fraternity Exercise my newfound freedom I joined Kappa Sigma in large part due to this kick-ass inter-fraternity boxing event they were planning. I didn’t know if I wanted to fight, or if I wanted […]

One Mom’s Belief

The power of belief. Over the last five years my mother has been battling lung cancer, beating it twice, to only have it come back a third time. I still remember the first time I flew home for the surgery as they were going to go in and cut out of the infected portion of […]

Chop til’ You Drop

Baseball. Cheering. Crack of the Bat. If you’re at Turner Field, the Tomahawk Chop. Growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta, my summers included hanging out at the pool, country concerts, going to as many Braves games as possible, and tailgating in the infamous blue lot. Goal-Setting I was always fascinated by the game of […]

Finding the Hidden Treasures in Transitions

What has made the biggest difference in my life has been the knowledge that God loves me and He has a plan. I believe (as presented by my favorite author C.S. Lewis) that life is a series of peaks and troughs, and it is a ridiculous assumption for us to believe that it would be […]

Caroline Elliott

Inspirational People

Manufacturing Serendipity | Brett Hagler & New Story Charity

They say it’s not the name, but what is associated with the name that stands out. When I hear the name Brett Hagler, Founder and CEO of New Story Charity, the words grit, determination, hustle, willpower, generous, and purpose-driven ring loud and clear. For the past year and a half, I have followed Brett’s journey from […]

Finding Balance On and Off the Mat

My body couldn't keep up. I was tired, overwhelmed, and stressed. I was off balance.

Morgan Reynolds

Overcoming Challenges

My Struggle with Borderline Personality Disorder

My name is Erika Evans. I am 22 years old. I have been attending college for 4 years now, yet still have the academic standing of a freshman. I have made bad choices. I love dogs. And I have Borderline Personality Disorder. The last part is something I recently discovered about myself. Or at least […]

Creative Outlets

A Hobby That Is Becoming My Passion

On the first day, walking into lecture for Organizational Behavior in Sport Management, I had the mindset I had for most of my classes. Another day where I learn information that most likely will not impact my life after the class is over. However, I was wrong. Out of all the lectures I have taken […]

Inspirational People

Get Up and Move

The headline in the paper read: “Opportunity House Playground Design First in Berks: Volunteers Help To Build a Facility To Accommodate Children With Disabilities.” I was involved in this project through a youth service group called Berks Youth in Action. I helped to raise money for the playground and assisted in building the structure. It […]

Madeline Hanley

Overcoming Challenges

Don’t Pray for an Easy Life

“Don’t pray for an easy life but pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” -Bruce Lee As a kid, I was bullied a lot. I was one of six Asian kids within a five mile radius in my town. In elementary school, I was one of maybe two Asian kids in my elementary […]

Overcoming Challenges

From a Cub to a Lion

Perseverance. It is only one word, however it is a foundation in which has built me. Ironically enough, if you asked me if I knew how this word related to my life when I was younger, I couldn’t tell you. Growing up I had a comfortable lifestyle where I lived with my two parents and […]

Creative Outlets

Being Daddy’s Little Girl

She hung from the balcony with her arms hanging over head. Her pretty Prada heels hanging by her pedicured toes. Her hazel eyes flickered from above her to the fast pace moving street of New York below her. Her lotioned fingers were slowly slipping from the frozen metal railed balcony, bringing her inches closer to […]

Hit Records Worldwide

He May Be Gone But He Is Not Forgotten

I’ve often had people tell me that as you lose more and more people to death, Heaven just starts to seem that much sweeter. February 8 was the day that Allen Nasworthy died after losing a battle with depression. That Monday is engraved in my mind as a day I will never forget. I’ll never […]

Try Not To Blink

It took me 90 days, 10 countries, 20+ cities, and experiences that will last me a life time to figure out what I would say to any 20-something: “Try Not to Blink.” I am fortunate enough to say I just got home from spending three months running around Europe, studying business, exploring, jumping out of […]

What is Motherhood?

I have been praying about what God wanted me to talk to you about. In praying, the topic of motherhood continually keeps coming to my mind. Motherhood is something that has been on my mind from a young age. I remember the stories my mother would tell me of when I was young. I would […]

#BeTheVoice to Stop Suicide

I lost my father to suicide when I was nine years old. At the time, I had no knowledge of mental health conditions or why someone would take their own life. Our family was completely shaken; none of us saw it coming. My dad was always so full of life and love for everyone around […]

Mozingo Unlocked

Rarely have I found a door to be locked but even rarer have I found one wide open. I remember sitting in court during my internship with a judge. The victim who was on the witness stand, an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s, was visibly shaken as the prosecutor questioned her. The woman continually watched her […]

Overcoming Challenges

Piggyback Adventures Day 1

Appalachian Trail | Day 1 — Raising Awareness for Muscular Dystrophy! How many of you would be crazy enough to take a stand for a cause you were committed to changing by walking the whole section of the Georgia Appalachian Trail? … Especially when for the entire 79 miles, the special person you are raising […]

Goodbye, Little Brother

There’s something that people never tell you when working in suicide prevention – it’s easy to blame yourself when you lose someone. On February 13th, 2012, I missed a call from my parents. I listened to a panicked voicemail urging for a callback immediately. In my gut, I knew something was wrong. My mind fluttered […]

Taylor Chambers

Let me start with this: do not include your daughter in your divorce. Do not include your daughter in your divorce. Do not include your daughter in your divorce. Now we can proceed. I’m not going to discuss the events. I’m not going to discuss my feelings toward the events. I’m not going to discuss […]

HRW Music Group

What I Hate Most

A lot of people have things they don’t like. And you know what I hate the most is being called a bitch and nigger. First, do I have a tail? Four legs with paws and do I have fur all over my body? Also, do I have my tongue sticking out of my mouth? Do […]

Hit Records Worldwide

Chasing a Broken Dream

When I graduated high school, I was voted ‘Most Likely to go to the Olympics.’ Well, I’m going. But not in the way I always dreamed. To be honest, I don’t actually know how old I was when I did my first triathlon (a race comprised of swimming, biking and running). If I had to […]

Nicole Chrzanowski

Ignorance Can Be a Lethal Disease

It has the uniquely horrible ability to inflict masses of people and blind them from seeing any potential beauty or art. This unfortunate condition inevitably inhibits any person from acceptance of other cultures or other beliefs. Ignorance is not bliss – it is destructive. On Friday night, I received word of an attack committed against […]

Monika Ammerman

Creative Outlets

Knowing Your Self-Worth

For 18 years I lived a cold story repeated over and over, in the winters of my mind. One night I stood outside and looked up to the stars with my watery, hollow eyes questioning my self-worth. My emotions were an amusement park in a tornado of confusion. In 2012, my world almost ended… The […]

The Five Levels of Leadership

There have been many times in my life where there was good and bad leadership. Whether it was in a classroom or playing sports, leadership played a big role in my life. I was able to watch the leaders throughout my life and learn from their good ideas and bad mistakes. According to Jim Collins, […]

ROBERT CRITELLI

How to Talk to Someone about Mental Illness

For those of you who don’t know, this week is National Suicide Prevention Week. So, I’m just going to start this off by throwing some statistics at you. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US. On average, there are 117 suicides per day. Each year, 42,773 Americans die as a result […]

Inspirational People

Every Tree Needs a Bee to Give it Guidance

When I think back to every time I accomplished something, there was someone there to guide me. When I was in school, there was a teacher and my parents. When I played soccer, I had coach or my parents. Even at my first job, where I casually crafted Quiznos subs, there were managers there to […]

Wish Dish Staff Blog

How My Conversation with Wayne Kimmel Changed My Life

I walked out of the doors of SeventySix Capital shaking. It was May 20th, 2016, and I was in Philadelphia on a work trip where I had just left a conversation that changed my life… As an entrepreneur, there are some conversations that leave you feeling worthless, leaving you feeling like your idea isn’t good […]

Inspirational People

Why I Founded The College Moving Company

Why did I decide to found The College Moving Company (now called Lift It https://liftitmovingco.com/)? When I was asked to write on the topic, I had to ponder the question as many days have come and gone since. In search for how I could possibly summarize this into anything less than a novel presents quite the challenge, but here is my most noble attempt. […]

Track and Field Got Me to Where I Am

My name’s Mary Terry—does that rhyme? I’m a freshman at the University of Georgia. I’ve grown up in the Athens area for most of my life, where else would I go? Go Dawgs! I’m honored to be one of the younger people to write for this platform. I hope you find what I have to […]

What an Eight Minute Nap Means to a Student Athlete

The 5:15am alarm has always made me wonder what my punishment would be if I just skipped one day of weights. The intimidating roar of Coach Smith yelling “GO!” as I run another sprint always makes the thought of quitting cross my mind. And the quick glance at 1:45am on my iHome as I return […]

Creative Outlets

Succumbing to Piano Scales

I am 10 years old, dressed in a fancy dress and sparkly black tights, and in the passenger seat of my father’s SUV. The heat is blasting my face and it is a cold Minnesota winter afternoon outside. I don’t mind. I am afraid I will waste my favorite fancy outfit on a bad day […]

Creative Outlets

Shoes Are My Kryptonite

Shoes! They come in different colors, textures, patterns, sizes, prices, and brands. The joy that I get when opening or trying on a new pair is just unexplainable. The fresh smell, the never been worn aspect and bright colors, untouched by nature, is just so enamoring. It’s like being knighted from the queen, being told […]

Hit Records Worldwide

Racism, Hatred, Love, and Hope

I am a former resident of Charleston, South Carolina and for the last two years I have been working with the Charleston County School District as their diversity consultant. On the evening of July 8th I was fortunate to attend bible study with members of the Sister Emmanuel A.M.E. Church. This was the first bible […]

A Teacher Who Cares

I was a music teacher at a private school for two years before deciding to teach public ‘high’ school. What I did not know at the time was that the school that I was assigned to was the guinea pig for ‘universal education,’ which meant that any student, no matter their ability, was given the […]

Samantha Alexander

As the engines started to roar and the giant metal bird started to take flight my head spun in a million directions. My time had finally come to leave home and move abroad to embark a new challenge against all odds. I started to grin, I had proved everyone wrong. I went against the current […]

Inspirational People

Four Ways to Live Life to the Fullest

Are you happy with your job? Are you looking forward to the future? Do you love the people who you surround yourself with? Are you motivated to do your best? If the answer to any of these questions is no… then hear me out. If you are just living life through the motions, are you really living? […]

Lauren Poythress

Overcoming Challenges

Losing Weight Doesn’t Solve All Your Problems

You’ve finally made it. You’re wearing the cap and gown, anxiously awaiting the moment you’re ushered to turn your tassel, signifying the declaration of that you’re a college graduate. You’ve dedicated four hard years to furthering your education and are now sitting in the stadium of one of the top universities in the country with […]

6 Truths About Pageantry

Pageants haven’t always had the clearest reputation. One or two interesting answers on stage, one wardrobe mishap, or one trip and fall…magnified by half-factual media stories by individuals who are far separated from the actual industry. This Dish’s purpose? To surface the truth, hope, and light that is the true beauty of pageantry. I hope you all […]

Inspirational People

What if Impossible Is Really Just Unlikely?

I believe that most things are possible. I also believe that people often confuse “not likely” with “impossible,” and they live by and limit their life by that innocent ignorance. But there is a difference! When I think of things that are truly (seemingly) impossible, I think of things like living until you’re 200 years […]

Inspirational People

Labels Don’t Define Us

When you think of the word “Value” what comes to mind? Maybe it’s the following numbers, 3.89 GPA, 1150 SAT, 25 ACT, 155 pounds, and the $25,520 student loan debt. These are the numbers that for so long defined my value. The culture within the United States places crippling pressure upon beating the odds, the […]

Overcoming Challenges

10 Student Athletes Talk About Student Identity

#MORETHANMYSPORT Over the past year, more than 50 student athletes have shared their story on Wish Dish from across the country. If you read some of these stories, you will notice that many of these stories share consistencies such as injury, faith, anxiety, depression, isolation, identity, and suicide. While student-athletes might struggle with similar pressures […]

An Ounce of Hope is Worth a Pound of Cure

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is vital for your overall health and wellness in life. The way that best fits for me to do so is through conscientious routine and consistency. Since 2012, when I went on my first International competition outing in Puerto Rico, I kept a training log to monitor my progress. I started […]

Battling Bulimia As An Athlete

(Written by Ally Goff) “You’re buff, you have a man body, you’re not feminine, strong women aren’t beautiful women” I’ve heard all of it from a young age until now. The years and years of ignorant comments finally took a toll on me. Slowly, I began to look in the mirror at myself in disgust […]

Wish Dish Staff Blog

Rallying the Wish Dish Community, One Leader at a Time

I want to thank everyone who took the time to read my last post, “If I Were to Walk Away from Wish Dish”. The support we received from the contributors was unbelievable. About 20 minutes after the release, I received a phone call from Carden Wyckoff, an amazing contributor of ours, who wanted to share […]

Overcoming Challenges

A Very Different Type of Love Story.

Stories…my story. It sounds so simple, but where do I begin? What story do I tell? One that’s easy? Or do I dare go deeper? You see, for a long time, I didn’t tell my stories. It wasn’t that I chose not to share them. I just didn’t. Life was life. And, if I were […]

Hit Records Worldwide

Life as an Incognito Minority

The older I become, the more I realize the importance of family and remembering your roots. Looking at my light brown hair, blue eyes and last name, you wouldn’t think I have a Hispanic background. My dad’s heritage is German, hence my last name, and my mom’s heritage is Hispanic. Being an incognito minority all […]

Catherine Schmitt

Why Walk When You Can Skip

The importance of a positive attitude and an optimistic outlook on life is a concept that is repeatedly emphasized and thrown around casually. This is a bit of advice that is easy to brush off and push to the back of our minds, but I have found that regardless of its commonality, is vital to […]

Valeries Miller

Five Years: How Your Suicide Made Me a Better Person

5 years. 1,827 days. 43,848 hours. 2,630,880 minutes. 157,852,800 seconds. That’s how long it’s been since you’ve been gone. Some days, it feels like a lifetime some days. Other days, it feels like it was just yesterday. I remember the phone call. I remember the way the room smelled and the color of the sheets […]

Heart: The Key Ingredient to Good PR

The PR world is extremely cut throat. Not to mention, there’s a lot of bad PR out there. So now I, like many other business owners, am working solving the very problems that they have struggled with themselves. But that’s only half the story. Prior to founding my PR business, I worked as a teacher, and every day, […]

Overcoming Challenges

Trust in The Timing

Trust in the timing of your life. It’s a phrase that has become my anthem. A mere few months ago I flipped my tassel from my safe haven of college to the terrifying unknown of the working world. With that single transfer on my graduation cap, I ended one journey and braced myself to begin […]

The Hidden Story Behind the Bammies Brand

Entrepreneurship is trending these days. In our post-Zuckerberg, Unicorn-abundant world, starting one’s own business to pursue our passions feels de rigueur. In this world, authenticity drives (and sometimes trumps) aspiration, personal and business branding aren’t mutually exclusive, and community comes before corporate culture. And the umbrella under which all these truths can exist? Entrepreneurship. People perceive entrepreneurship as liberation from […]

Two Years Ago Today

9/28/2014 Two years ago today… my faith became a little shaky. My mind became a little restless. My emotions became a little unstable. A year ago today.. my world became a little uneasy. My days became a little slower. My community became a little smaller. A year ago today… my heart became a little heavier, because the world lost […]

Overcoming Challenges

The No Good Very Bad Day

I don’t think anyone understands mental illness. Even if you’ve seen a friend after they’ve finished up having a panic attack or experience fairly severe anxiety yourself. And that’s not to discredit or invalidate whatever feelings you yourself may have sometimes. But this feeling. It’s like a drop of ink into water. It slowly and […]

Inspirational People

Are you leaving your life up to chance?

It has been almost a year since I last posted an article on Wish Dish and there’s been a bit of change since then. If you haven’t had a chance to read my first article please do so before continuing with this one. You can find it here: http://thewishdish.com/she-did-it-her-way/ In life, some people are where they are […]

Overcoming Challenges

Being an Attractive Woman is a Double Edged Sword

I’m a woman with a good amount of male friends. Perhaps it’s because I’ve entered a rather male dominated discipline, and only eight women sit in our class of around 40. I get along with my guy friends; we’re a close knit group of friends. For the most part, it doesn’t bother me that I am […]

Inspirational People

What Do You Want, Really?

As a senior in college, I look forward to the many new beginnings that are fast approaching me—a new internship, new jobs and career to explore, new people to cross paths with, new places to adventure off to, and whatever else “new” that life might bring my way. I’ve got no clear idea of what […]

Inspirational People

How To Win the Championship, Not Just the Game

With so many intelligent, competent, qualified individuals in this world, it is difficult to reach the top and stay there. There are so many people with comparable resumes and skill sets that it appears as though anyone could do the job. With so much talent, experience, and knowledge, what is the difference then, between Kyle […]

The Terrifying Thing About Dreams

Dreams are a scary thing. Hopes, desires, longings; they all open oneself up to the possibility of failure. For in the grandest of dreams lies the deepest of holes, waiting for you to fall. Allowing yourself to dream that impossible dream is allowing yourself to possibly fail, to possibly not reach it. How scary a […]

Chantal Van Landeghem

Our Hearts, Swollen With Stories

As a filmmaker, entrepreneur, and journalist, I feel I’ve had a lifetime’s worth of fascinating experiences since I’ve graduated from college. I’ve been invited to speak coast-to-coast from the National Press Club to Stanford Medical School. My film, Forgotten Plague, which tells the story of a disease called myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has been hailed […]

Inspirational People

What a Great Leader is Made Of

To many people, being a quality leader may be distinguished as a person with great bravado and a dazzling command over a group of followers. For a person to be a good leader, some believe it is necessary to have an egocentric personality, constantly expressing their superiority. Leaders are assumed to be known as larger-than-life […]

Inspirational People

Tears of Perseverance

Meet Manuel Vivanco. I went to school with him from 3rd-5th grade and then we went off to different middle schools. Our friendship was lost for a few years until Facebook brought us back together in 9th grade. From 9th grade on we would talk on a regular basis. Karate, girls, sports…you name it! He […]

Inspirational People

To the Friends Who Never Left Me

To the friends who never left me, “Friendship isn’t about whom you’ve known the longest. It’s about who came into your life and never left your side”. This quote is something that I relate to when it comes to four of the most important people in my life. They are my four best friends who have […]

A Reflection on Violence and Diversity

I can’t sleep. My heart is too heavy. Too many people have died in my lifetime because of violence – whether it is due to mental illness, drugs, bullying, domestic violence, terrorism, or one-by-precious-one in gang warfare. It’s overwhelming to grasp the enormity of it and it starts to feel normal, like that’s just the […]

Cynthia English

Creative Outlets

How the Musical Hamilton Helped Reinforce My Beliefs

Two words: Alexander Hamilton. Anyone that knows me personally immediately recognizes (and is annoyed by) my complete obsession with the musical Hamilton. For those who aren’t aware of the Broadway phenomenon, Hamilton is a musical unlike any other that precedes it. Telling the life story of the “ten dollar Found Father” Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton shines […]

Finding your Purpose by Being Yourself

What is purpose? Honestly, there may be definitions on google that might tell you what purpose means. But let’s all be real; the dentition on google isn’t always true. All those songs, movies, artsy tumblr posts, and Bible verses can sometimes show you that people have a purpose, but what if you can’t find your […]

Courtney Thomas

Thursday Thrive: How to Be Vulnerable

On April 30, 2016, after almost a year of planning, I launched @Thursday_Thrive, a web series featuring people’s personal stories of overcoming adversity. Our mission is to inspire people who are going through a difficult season by introducing them to someone else who has been there too. We launched the site with four stories, including […]

Cortney Edmondson

When You Grow Up

How about that infamous “what do you what to do when you grow up” question? We’re somehow supposed to have a well thought-out, pre-planned, and articulate answer. When your grandparents, your friend’s parents, or that family member you only see at Thanksgiving, asks you the question, you’re expected to have that answer memorized—and it better be […]

When you decide to become a college athlete people tend to tell you all of the horror stories that come along with it. They tell you about conditioning, the long nights and early mornings, and the responsibility that comes along with it. But what they don’t tell you about becoming a college athlete is that… […]

Acknowledgement

I thought my high school experience was normal at first. Surely everyone in my AP World History class sobbed into their pillows three times a week. We all joked about the class making us unhappy. We all felt consistently stressed and anxious. We all struggled to sleep and spent our nights googling “how to be […]

Overcoming Challenges

Growing Pain Rewards

Life is not perfect. Cliché as it sounds; life has its ups and downs and it is sometimes really disappointing. My story is not to drag you down and talk about all the upsetting things that have happened in my life, but to explain to you that you should never give up. My sophomore year […]

Taylor Townshend

If I Were A Girl

Growing up in a Hispanic household has taught me a lot about gender roles and biases throughout the years. In general, growing up and the way I was raised differed from many of my friends who assume that just because I was born in the United States I had a similar upbringing as they did. […]

From Isaac Newton to Kanye West – A Story of Survival

In 1867; a certain Isaac Newton, still trying to dodge falling apples, was working on the 3rd law of motion – ‘For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.’ I’d like to discuss how this law worked for me, by giving me as much energy and inspiration to fight a disease that took […]

Life Will Take You In All Directions

Where do I even begin? Let’s start with the word “family.” I have been a family-oriented person since the day I was born. My support group includes my parents, grandparents, sisters, Godparents, nannies, Uncles, coaches, friends, and so many more people I know I am forgetting. They have loved, supported, disciplined, and raised me to […]

Patience Reveals The Blessing

First of all I want to thank everyone who took the time to read my first piece with the wish dish. You never know how ones story can affect you and the Wish Dish has a ton of great stories that are inspiring and insightful. Will Smith stars in a movie called Seven Pounds as […]

Austin Hamilton

Inspirational People

Meeting Mark Cuban

April 2014: It was a warm spring day at Terrapin Brewery in Athens, GA. I was out with friends having a great time, but then all of a sudden my focus suddenly shifted to business. I overheard a girl I knew from class mention that her friend from home is the nanny to Mark Cuban’s […]

Just a Girl and Her Cat

I am a college student dealing with my daily depression and social anxiety. I have a constant internal struggle because I suffer from loneliness, but having social anxiety makes me afraid to put myself out there to new people. I want to build connections, but I’m too afraid of being rejected. So, I stay at […]

Overcoming Challenges

Rollin’ through Life on Wheels

I didn’t believe my 14 year old self when a physician told me I was to be reliant on a mobility scooter or wheelchair by 25. I laughed and played it off reassuring myself I was different than the rest. My FSH muscular dystrophy progression wasn’t as noticeable; I could still run and play competitive […]

On a typical morning I wake up, put on my calf braces and while getting ready analyze every single accessibility obstacle I will encounter throughout the day when traveling to my destination and then I walk out the door. For you running through your mind might be does my breath smell ratchet, do i look […]

Food Poisoning in South Korea

I opened my eyes to my dark room in the middle of the night. Feeling groggy, I rolled over on the bed and plopped my hand the neighboring nightstand, moving it around until making contact with the edge of my phone. I squinted with one eye still closed as I tried to make out the time […]

Overcoming Challenges

The Stockdale Paradox

Throughout your life no matter how privileged you are, how much money you have, how high your GPA is, what kind of car you drive, or how much real estate you own there are always going to be tribulations. The amount and circumstances of the tribulations that you face will always vary when compared to […]

Michael Cummings

Nothing Will Pull Me Back

“You will never make it,” “You need to play club,” “You’re only a show-off.” As the engines started to roar and the giant metal bird started to take flight my head spun in a million directions. My time had finally come to leave home and move abroad to embark a new challenge; against all odds. […]

Overcoming Challenges

No One Else Can Play Your Part

I know it hurts when others can’t see how hard you’re trying to claw your way out of the pit that your worst days drag you to. It’s a kind of hurt that makes your heart ache, your hands cold, and your eyes overflow. It’s a kind of hurt that makes you want to give […]

Inspirational People

Running Through the Pain

It all started in 8th grade when my coach at the time Coach Roller threw me into a race I had never once before tried, the 400 meter. Me, being the scrawny, nonathletic-looking kid that was mainly a distance runner from a small country town of Braselton In (Jackson County Ga) not very known for […]

Creative Outlets

This is an epic. It’s not about dragons or cyborgs or space or zombies. This is an epic about how seeing humans through a camera lens helped me to focus less on defining myself, and more on acceptance and living in the moment. I was born three months early–in March, in a snowstorm, in Georgia. […]

Overcoming Challenges

Go Where You’re Celebrated, Not Tolerated

There are successful companies and then there’s successful companies that make people emotional. When a critic writes a nasty comment, they don’t have to defend themselves. These evangelists step up and rip that person a new one for them. These companies create NDAs because their attorneys require it — not because they’re worried about their past or current employees […]

Lauren Holliday

Culture Since the Crib

Culture has always been a big part of my life. As a youngster, my parents raised me to learn the importance of the Greek from which my family originated. In turn, I learned about other peoples’ cultures, too. I wasn’t always surrounded by a sea of vibrant cultures and foreign languages, however. I lived a […]

Father’s Day: What Could Have Been

Father’s Day always brings mixed emotions for me. While I honor the important role fathers can play in a child’s life and I see my husband thrive as “dad”, I also lament the years of fatherhood lost for so many others. My own dad died when I was 14 after a long illness. He wasn’t […]

The Dark Side of Sheepwalking

It is said that a person who does the same thing over and over again expecting a different result is insane. So what do you call a person that follows the lead of others into a path lined without any meaningful results? Seth Godin has a name for these people, sheepwalkers. They say sheep will […]

Steven Quintero

Creative Outlets

The Battle, Upon Losing Artie

The Battle, Upon Losing the hurricane of havingherheart t-o-r-n f r o m h e r BREAST her grief threatening to drown the mosh pit dancer of a ballerina in a river of her own tears as all await that first sal. t. y. d. r. o. p. to. s. l. i. d. e. d […]

Attempting Suicide to Swimming Above Water

I thought I would never see my family again. I was told I was a disgrace and that I had committed one too many betrayals against the Arab culture. I went to my half-empty dorm bedroom and tried to kill myself. I was so sick of the pressure and the blame of being who I […]

Inspirational People

Replacing A Leader

A change in leadership can be difficult, especially when it is unexpected. In most cases, when a leader needs to be replaced their departure usually comes at an expected time. Usually. Toward the end of my junior year of high school my football team’s head coach passed away unexpectedly. The news shocked everybody. It not […]

Overcoming Challenges

Just Wait For Trudy

“Just wait for Trudy. Believe in Trudy. Trudy will come.” When I began watching the television series Monk, I didn’t expect to get anything out of it aside for a good way to waste some (maybe a lot) of my downtime over the summer. What I didn’t know, however, is that in watching the show […]

Goals as a Wish Dish Health Community Ambassador

When I saw that becoming a Health Community Ambassador was something that Wish Dish was doing, I jumped at the chance. By serving in this role I can impact so many people and the health community by helping people share their stories. I’ve come up with some goals to accomplish along the way. Create a […]

Savannah’s Challenge Part II

My first post on Wish Dish — Savannah’s Challenge — was a short summary of some of the things she’s been dealing with for the last 10 years. Part II is a specific story about what happened over the four days that followed that posting when her cough turned into an emergency. This is Savannah’s story, […]

HRW Music Group

I’ve Learned From Life’s Obstacles

I have always been very adventurous, outdoorsy, active, and energetic; I’ve been this way since my childhood. I became an avid runner and deemed most valuable player on my high school cross country team. Outside of school, I rode my bike, roller-bladed, traveled to the mountains to white-water-raft and the beach to try my hand […]

Hit Records Worldwide

Overcoming Challenges

Moving Mountains

Atlanta? I thought you said Atlantis. We were moving to the other side of the country and I barely knew about the one I am living in now. They could’ve been at the bottom of the ocean; all that I really knew of Southern states were stereotypes. Calling our kitchen small may have motivated my […]

Why we should Praise Kaepernick, not Criticize

Dear [white] America, I would like to ask for a favor. Leave Colin Kaepernick alone. Kaepernick has been vilified in the media for what may I ask? For not standing during the national anthem? Or is it because he dared to challenge the status quo that works for some but not all? Being pro-_______, doesn’t […]

What’s Underneath All The Clothes?

If you are a One Tree Hill fan, then you know the most infamous question that Owen, the bar manager, asked the one and only Brooke Davis. It is a question that has plagued us all to this day. On the outside Brooke seemed to have it all together. Like me, Brooke had the appearance […]

Kyasia Benjamin

How to See Beyond the Pretty Pictures

Hi, I’m Daisy Alexandria, I love designing and making one of a kind jewelry. When looking at my social media you’ll see lots of inspiration, fun, events, and “pretty pictures” but what you rarely see is my daily yoga wear, chipped/broken fingernails, the relentless dark circles, the fear battling, the shame healing, the truth telling… […]

Daisy Alexandria

Overcoming Challenges

No Balcony Too High

I’m not a very creative person. I was given the task to think about a time where I was creative in order to solve a problem and naturally, nothing came to mind. But there is one story that sticks out. This past school year was my first year in the Terry MBA program. One weekend night […]

Benjamin Heflin

Inspirational People

Simply Put, He’s My Hero

Coming into college, I had no idea how I was going to utilize my free time. I remember my older brother telling me that his best experiences in college were volunteering with organizations on campus that were involved in making the community a better place. I will never forget being introduced to UGA Miracle during […]

The Hospital as My Second Home

As I stepped on the scale looked down at the little digits that were quickly calculating my weight, they finally stopped on barely a three digit number. That’s when I knew I was in trouble, that’s when I knew that I was on the brink of death, and that’s also when I started to see […]

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose

In one of my favorite TV shows, the hit 2000s drama Friday Night Lights, Coach Eric Taylor, portrayed by one of my favorite actors Kyle Chandler, declares one simple phrase to his players before every high school football game he coaches. “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose.” This chant became the thesis for the whole series (2006-2011). […]

Overcoming Challenges

Living An Authentic Life

Twenty-three years ago my parents were told “it’s a girl.” The doctor marked ‘F’ under gender on my birth certificate, slapped a pink bow on my head and I was off to face the world full of society’s expectations of gender. For the next twenty-two years I lived in a body that never felt quite […]

My Suicide Saved My Life

It was an elegant ceremony. I cleaned my room for the occasion, making it spotless. It had been in the back of my mind for weeks and finally the plan was coming into fruition… Bipolar disorder is one of the hardest things to battle through. It is a daily struggle to find comfort and balance. […]

Creative Outlets

The Invaluable Luxury of a Second Chance

I’ve heard the saying “Everyone deserves a second chance” about 13 million times over the course of my life. At one point it lost all meaning. This old adage suggests second chances are available to anyone whom might ask for one like they’re on reserve. What I’ve come to learn is second chances are hard […]

Savannah’s Challenge

Everyone has challenges. Savannah’s spine is twisted so much that her diaphragm on one side can’t punch her lung to get gunk out … on top of that her body is too weak to cough with enough force anyway. She had to stay home from school today because she coughs incessantly when she gets just […]

Overcoming Challenges

Out of Darkness

Clouds gather overhead. They thicken, culminating into pure darkness. From the caliginosity, a spark is born. The spark is nurtured until it reaches its precipice. It is too much for the darkness to handle. Suddenly, it escapes the clutches of the gloominess. In wondrous fashion, the spark has evolved into a towering lightning bolt, and, […]

A Father’s Legacy for his Son

I am a big believer that everything happens for a reason and that every situation we experience is according to God’s timing and according to HIS plan. I lost my father a week before I turned 8 years old. Anyone that has lost someone special will understand that this truly is a life-changing event that […]

Creative Outlets

Learning To Go For It

Our lives are all stories in some way or another. As a creative writer, I see everything as a story. We have a beginning (our birth), rising tension (everything that leads to our decisions, small accomplishments and problems), climaxes (our biggest successes and failures), and resolution (our death.) As of right now, I’m learning how […]

Inspirational People

If I Were to Walk Away from Wish Dish

I’m laying down in bed right now. I can’t see a light besides what is being displayed on my phone screen. It’s the darkness that has steadily reaped havoc inside me the past 3-4 months. This darkness can be crippling. It’s darkness that is there until you turn the light on, but sometimes the light […]

Creative Outlets

Milk Eggs Flour

Caroline V. Corbitt is an intended Graphic Design major and Photography minor at the University of Georgia. She did a series, with the help of her close friend Ashlyn Davis, titled Milk Eggs Flour for one of her photo classes. Her series depicts herself being covered with the three ingredients milk, eggs and flour, to […]

Caroline Corbitt

My Life as Sleeping Beauty

Imagine that you’ve just pulled an all-nighter studying for exams. Your brain is tired. Your eyes are tired, You can barely function. You stumble to class and feign alertness until they end at 3:00pm. But wait! Your day still isn’t over. You can’t sleep yet; you still need to do homework and get groceries. Your […]

Victoria Arnold

Why Student-Athletes Make Great Employees

About a month ago, I wrote an article pertaining to this topic because it is something I’ve been struggling with. Sometimes, it’s hard to imagine how I will measure up in the workforce next to my colleagues that spent their time doing part-time jobs or gaining real work experience. However, once I sat down to […]

The Price of Tunnel Vision

For years, my entire life has revolved around athletic endeavors. At an early age as a gymnast, I began spending all of my free time in the gym. I was always the kid that would gladly go to the gym over hanging out with friends or relaxing on the weekend. I never thought twice about […]

A Touch of Grace

I knew there was something out of place with me since my mom had been diagnosed with stage 3B breast cancer the summer going into my freshman year of high school. It mainly expressed itself in extreme loneliness and despair, profoundly low self-esteem, isolation, racing thoughts, irrational fears and worries, suicidal ideations, and weight gain […]

Overcoming Challenges

It was pretty difficult to come up with one part of my life that I could consider “My Story” when I was being interviewed by The Wish Dish. After talking things through with Maghen Moore, my interviewer, I felt a lot more comfortable simply telling a little about myself. I grew up living in a […]

Finding God, Finding Me

(Written by James Martin, SJ) Growing up, I wasn’t very religious. Sure, I was baptized (as a Catholic), received my First Holy Communion, was confirmed, and even spent a few years going to Sunday School learning about the Catholic faith. But, frankly, that was about it as far as my religious education went. I didn’t go […]

Creative Outlets

SAT: Just a Hoax

Language Arts teachers just love synonyms in essays. In an ideal world for me, people aren’t judged on their ability to know pointless “vocab.” Apparently, knowing words that mean other words makes you smarter than others; I know that after incorporating synonyms into my essays, my essay grades were notably higher. Perhaps my true opinion […]

Inspirational People

One Man’s Journey to Understanding Success

Picture for me a young, naïve, optimistic man. The young man walks into his first college class. Nervous, anxious, enthralled, overeager, he sits down in the first two rows. He has been thinking of this day for years now; he has heard the stories, understands the importance, and knows he is taking one of the final […]

Twirling Through Life

If you told me at 5 years old twirling baton would shape who I am today, I wouldn’t have believed you. I have been a Feature Twirler of the Redcoat Marching Band for the past four years. Leading the band with flaming batons has been the best part of my journey. This sport, that most […]

It’s Still Who You Are

If you read my last post, you’ll remember I emphasized the fact “It’s who you are, not what you do,” that people will remember you far more for your personality and how you treat others than your athletic and academic achievements. I wrote that article two months after a rotator cuff repair surgery, and now […]

Rachel Zilinskas

Inspirational People

Publishing a Book at 19 Years Old

My name is Ashley Olafsen, I am 19 years old, and I literally just published a book! I’m really excited for you all to read it – It’s called Survival of the Prettiest: The gender, mental health, and sexualization crisis as told by a teenager. I wrote it because it’s the book I wish I […]

Overcoming Challenges

Who Runs the World?

Despite what Beyoncé says, it is not girls who run the world. Nor is it boys and not even money makes the world go round. Simply speaking, words run the world. Growing up I would always think about the first person to ever say the word “tree”. Who looked at this living piece of wood […]

Overcoming Challenges

One Fall Changed Me

“The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why we call it the present.” Throughout high school, I constantly found myself wishing the days away, and college was often the only thing on my mind. I couldn’t get out of my hometown fast enough; figuring that […]

How I Defied Expectations and Became a Champion

Let me give you some background on myself. I’m Mady Fagan, and I just finished my sophomore year at the University of Georgia. I am a native Californian who chose to come to UGA to be a part of their tremendous track and field program. I struggled through last year in a number of ways […]

Telling the Story of a Forgotten Plague: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

(Written by Ryan Prior) Aristotle wrote, “where the world’s greatest need and your greatest skill meet, therein lies your calling.” That’s been the story of my life since 2013, when I began co-directing and producing a film called Forgotten Plague. More than 9 years ago, as a high school junior, I fell ill with a […]

Overcoming Challenges

Purposeful Positivity After My Parents Divorced

(Written by Emmy Jewell) Positivity is a strange concept. It can be elusive and hard to find, but it has the power to move mountains. The best part about positivity is that it is easy to find if you know where to look for it. At this point it is a broken record, all of […]

The Place Where It All Came Together

Sports have always been my thing. I started playing soccer when I was three. It was my first love, but I never thought 19 years later it would be the reason I landed my first job. Growing up, I was a tomboy and always wanted to spend my time around anything to do with sports. With […]

Kimberly’s Snapshot: Devon Gales and Coach Bryant Gantt

(Written by Kimberly J. August, Esq.) This story is a snapshot of my Godson, Devon Gales, and the relationship he shares with his Godfather, Coach Gantt. This story is the inspiration for the book project they are working on about Devon’s life and injury; their relationship and the commitment to clinging to faith in the […]

Kimberly J. August

(Written by Andrea Fernandez) I went to Brazil in the summer of 2015. Spent a lot of time meeting people and working on my Portuguese. I quickly trusted everyone I met there. The weekend came when I would travel alone to Rio De Janeiro, an idea that very few people encouraged. I had started reading a […]

Andrea Fernabdez

Overcoming Challenges

Struggle is Beautiful

(Written by Tiffany Arnett) Have you ever had one of those days where regardless of what you do, or how positive you try to stay, nothing seems to want to go in your favor? Literally the only thing you can ask yourself at this point is can this day seriously get any worse? This was […]

Finishing The Fight

(Written by Lauren Glenn) “You have cancer.” Three words you never want you or your loved ones to hear. Cancer will soon surpass heart disease as the leading cause of death in the United States. By 2030, there will be more than 13 million deaths from cancer. One in three people will contract cancer, and […]

An Opportunity to Lose Myself and Find Everything

Sitting in the airport awaiting my 5’o’clock flight I was anxious, nervous, and totally unaware of the adventure about to take place. I arrived in Florence unsure. Unsure about what I was doing, unsure about spending 4 months in a foreign country without my closest people, unsure about my relationships and myself. It took me […]

NICE: The Come-Up With a City on His Back

My buddy Pmang told me I needed to interview this rapper. Told me he was one of the most talented lyricists he’d ever heard. NICE (a.k.a. Nyuanru), 20-years-old, born and raised on the streets of Providence, Rhode Island. Well, shit. I had to find this guy. I was down but the problem was he didn’t […]

The One Year Mark of a Side Project

Wow, it’s been a wild ride with Brunch Media (facebook.com/brunchmedia) over the past one year (and still going strong). What began as a blog to write about issues that matter to Millennials in an authentic, relatable approach has morphed beyond that into multiple podcasts, Facebook Live date nights, self-help videos, and hopefully much more in […]

Harrison Forman

Converting the Energy Behind Self-Destruction into Positive Action

People often ask – either with a curious or perplexed expression – “What made you want to start the nonprofit?” I smile and say something to the effect of, “A lifetime of screwing up.” Be About Change (the nonprofit) provides higher education scholarships to students from low-income households, and we write about individuals and organizations […]

Making My Idea into a Reality

One quote that I have really lived by throughout my entrepreneurship journey is “Luck is when opportunity meets preparation”. To start off, I never imagined myself joining the “entrepreneurship world” my junior year of college. However, it happened because I was prepared when the opportunity presented itself. Being a successful entrepreneur takes a bit of luck, […]

Justine Avoudikpon

The Depressing Reality of Owning Your Own Business

I started my first business at 14. It was a pressure washing company. At that time, I did not know what the word entrepreneur meant. All I knew was that people needed their driveways pressure washed, and my best friend and I could do it while making $50-100 per hour. We ran that business for […]

On Alton Sterling

We at The Wish Dish try to be as apolitical as possible. But, when certain issues befall this nation we are compelled to comment. Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Lequan McDonald, Walter Scott, and now Alton Sterling. He was outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge selling CDs. Officers responded to a […]

Overcoming Challenges

Certainty in Uncertainty

(Written by Shelbi Johnson) I turn 23 this month. 23. And I’m not exactly looking forward to it. I wish there was such a thing as freezing your age/appearance once you reach 21 and being set for life. Unfortunately there isn’t, and I’m forced to celebrate yet another year of accomplishment AND uncertainty. While I did […]

Four Months, Forever

Sitting in the airport awaiting my 5’o’clock flight I was anxious, nervous, and totally unaware of the adventure about to take place. I arrived in Florence unsure. Unsure about what I was doing, unsure about spending 4 months in a foreign country without my closest people, unsure about my relationships and myself. It took me a […]

I Want To Get Some Things Clear

I want to get some things clear: A rapist does not have to drive a white van. A rapist does not have to be a bum. A rapist does not have to be strung out. A rapist does not have to be Hispanic, or Latino, or Black. A rapist does not have to wear a […]

Inspirational People

(Written by Lauren Lamutt) You wake up, roll out of bed and silence your iPhone alarm to greet the beautiful morning exactly 23 minutes before you’re supposed to be in class. Fast forward four (or six if you’re going the long route with a couple of victory laps) years later; you wake up, roll out […]

Things That Matter

(Written by Clinton Brannen) “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” – Steve Jobs Who am I? I am from a small town in Middle Georgia that has around five hundred total people. Most […]

Clinton Brannen

It’s Who You Are

(Written by Rachel Zilinskas) Picture the things that define your life the most. It might be a sport, an activity, a talent, a hobby. What’s the first thing you say when someone asks you about yourself? Now, imagine if that “thing” disappeared. Who would you be? This is the question I have been struggling with […]

Rachel Zilinskas

Shedding Light On My Virginity

(Anonymous) Control. Life doesn’t give you many circumstances that you can control. We don’t get to choose what we look like, who our parents are, or where we come from. Certain circumstances in our life, such as a divorce, death of an immediate family member, or a parent being an irrational alcoholic can completely alter […]

Jessie, It hurts. Being in love hurts, right? You told me once that I do not know what it is like to truly feel the pain of a broken heart if I had never been “in love” for that first time. The truth is, I have. It might not have been a first love in […]

Michael Rouillard

Creative Outlets

The Curves of Wellness

Looking at myself in the mirror, I focus on the gentle bulges across my hips and thighs. I see the new found curve along my waist. I see me, not just the shadow of myself I saw a few years ago. I’m a recovering anorexic. For me, anorexia is like alcoholism in the way that […]

A Skeleton’s Secrets

My still-wet braid dripped water down my back, providing a cool relief from the sun rays dancing over my skin as I trudged up the swim trail from the lake. My ankles were now covered in a thin coat of dirt that had been kicked up by the boys running ahead of me, excited to […]

Inspirational People

In Light of SCOTUS’s Decision: Love Wins

(Written by Shawn Reilly) “You left school for a sex change, that’s why you were gone from school!” a girl said in the cafeteria, “Shawn thinks she’s a boy!” She turned to the other sixth graders at the table, laughing, “Right guys?” The other students laughed. I laughed along with them, pretending that I wasn’t […]

Inspirational People

Rejecting Rejection

(Written by Quintunya Booster Chapman) The day I stepped foot on the University of Georgia’s campus was the day I knew I wanted to become an athletic trainer. It had been my dream since high school and I was going to do whatever it took to become one. My family and friends were so encouraging […]

Quintunya Chapman

After the Dish: Robert Liberatore

(Written by Rob Liberatore) About two months ago my first article was published on WishDish. This was the first time I’d had any sort of writing published since the online journal I was asked to keep during nationals when I was 14. So for me, this was a big deal. Not in the sense that […]

Robert Liberatore

Creative Outlets

Angel? Nah, That’s My Mom

I remember my first Picture day ever. I was 5 years old and my mom dressed me in this bright, flowery shirt that I absolutely hated. I threw a tantrum! I despised that shirt, but I wore it anyways. By the end of the day, I remember all of my teachers and friends telling me […]

Inspirational People

Mom — Take a break — Day

Mom… Mother…Ma…Amy… Amy Shay! Well now that I have your attention, I can start. For one, I want to apologize that I’m not there with you today. I’m sorry my finals schedule sucks. BUT I promise I will make it up to you next week when we’re at the Biltmore. We’re not going four or so months […]

The Five Levels of Leadership In Society

There have been many times in my life where there was good and bad leadership. Whether it was in a classroom or playing sports, leadership played a big role in my life. I was able to watch the leaders throughout my life and learn from their good ideas and bad mistakes. According to Jim Collins, […]

ROBERT CRITELLI

Young People Are Ready to Change the World

This past December, young leaders came together in the legendary land of possibility, New York City. AIESEC’s Youth Action Summit summoned the youth world and the business world to the United Nations Headquarters for a three day summit which aims to discuss and create an agenda which will define youth implementation of the UN Sustainable […]

Inspirational People

Driving Success in a Company

The leadership of upper level management is a key factor of what drives success in a company. Without proper leadership, sustained success is unattainable. Each individual’s definition of leadership is going to be different. In “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, he introduces this concept called Level 5 Leadership. A level 5 leader is an […]

Overcoming Challenges

A Tribe Out of Tragedy

Within today’s world, business is extremely difficult. It seems as if we have created most anything and it is becoming increasingly more difficult for people to stand-out in our society. However, author Seth Godin poses that in today’s world, we have an extremely rare opportunity: to bring people together. In his work Tribes, Godin suggests […]

Inspirational People

Say ‘Why Not?’ By Joining A Tribe

What is a tribe? According to Seth Godin, “A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea”. Throughout everyone’s lives there is something that puts people together. They have things in common with other individuals. A shared common interest is extremely important to me […]

CHRISTIAN ROBERTS

Overcoming Challenges

The Leadership in Tribes

There are two important topics I have learned in Organizational Behavior of Sport Management that are very similar to experiences have had in my life. These two topics are the subject of Tribes from Seth Godin’s novel “Tribes” and Level 5 Leadership from Jim Collins’ novel “Good to Great”. The definition of a tribe is […]

Glenn Bouthillette

Entrepreneur Spotlight: George Yu’s WindPouch

One of this year’s most unique new products, WindPouch™, is taking the outdoor recreation market by storm. The product, a self-inflating hammock that takes only seconds to set up, has been met with a recent flurry of consumer interest and demand. WindPouch™ appears to potentially be on the verge of huge commercial success. But for […]

Creative Outlets

The Endless Hope

The first night of auditions, the first person to arrive stepped into the TV studio, soaking wet. I thought, it is raining out why would you walk to the studio, why not drive? It turns out, the man had just gotten out of prison ten days ago. He had no money, no car, 5 children, […]

Hit Records Worldwide

Organizational Behavior

Reading both Tribes by Seth Godin and Good to Great by Jim Collins has given me a much more positive outlook on my future. Both books were very powerful and really spoke to me in an influential way. Godin teaches how to become a leader, and to not be afraid of leading. Collins teaches how […]

Anthony Salierno

More Alike Than Different

If you have social media, you’ve probably seen videos of someone with Down syndrome opening his or her acceptance letter to college, a girl with Down syndrome finding out she made the cheerleading team, someone with special needs being crowned prom queen or king, or someone with Autism being asked to prom. When people see […]

Love All You Can, While You Can

Our University of Georgia community was struck with a horrible tragedy and immense heartache this past week. We lost the lives of four amazingly beautiful young women and our prayers are with the fifth whom is still laying in a coma, hoping that she is able to pull through. I faced what I thought would be the […]

Cassidy Sauvageau

Living With A Transplanted Heart

My twin sister and I were born in 1994 in Mobile, Alabama. Excluding many details, less than 11 months after my birth, I had a heart transplant in Atlanta, Georgia at Egleston Children’s Hospital, today known as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Those who know me know the lengths I go to to appear as an […]

Overcoming Challenges

Life Begins Where Your Comfort Zone Ends

Everyone has a story. This story is a journey of one’s life. It is this journey and our experiences which define who we are today and who we will become in the future. Like everyone else, I have a story. I went into my senior year of high school with the goal of being accepted into […]

Inspirational People

Those People You Will Never Forget

“There are some people who walk into your life, and you don’t know why they come in … But some people come in at just the right time and change who you are for the better. Sam Dickinson was one of those people.” Dear Sam, I remember meeting you my senior year of college at […]

Rallying the Students of Rutgers University

I don’t consider myself leader material. I am a “normal” college student that is doing everything in his power to make sure that I along with many “sheep-walkers,” finish college, get a steady job, get married, and retire. This unfortunately, is the easy way out according to many, including myself. One thing is for sure, […]

Steven Westreich

Creative Outlets

You will never be special to them. Not unless you have the assets that he ultimately requires. They want you to be “bad” Bad as in you smoke marijuana, get drunk, and party all night. They expect you to be beautiful in the face, thick in the waist And a ten in the behind. They […]

Hit Records Worldwide

Overcoming Challenges

A Place To Call Home

Hello I am really not good at these so please bear with me. I am 17 turning 18 in July. I am mentally ill. I have been on my own ever since I was 15. My mom died when I was born (due to massive blood loss). Ever since then I was treated unfairly. I […]

Fire, Water, Blood

I look to my left. The orange flames burn bright against the dark background of the midnight sky. They’re so bright, in fact, that it’s hard to look at them directly for too long. I know that if I were to touch them, they’d scorch my skin and burn me. The burns would be an irritating […]

Elizabeth Raedels

The Stage Before Graduation

Trying to think of an article subject has daunted me for a few weeks now. What will I write about? Will people like it? Will it resonate with others? A plethora of questions weighed down my brain until I realized I needed to start writing; even if I wasn’t sure where this would end up, […]

Mary Zilberfarb

Creative Outlets

It only Took Four years

It’s been four years. Four years with almost no word from you. Four years of working on fixing what you broke. Four years of pushing every boy away that tried to get to close. Four years of trying to remember what it’s like to love someone as much as I loved you. The story […]

Lime Green & Pink

In April of my junior year of high school, I was a midfielder for my high school lacrosse team. For our cancer awareness game, Coach Dan Kaplan informed us that a 10-year-old named Lily Anderson, who was currently battling cancer, would be singing our national anthem. Little did I know, this girl would end up […]

Overcoming Challenges

Level 5 Leadership

Out of all the things I have learned about so far in my Organizational Behavior in Sport Management class this semester, my favorite topic and the topic that I can compare to my own life the most is level 5 leadership. There is something that Collins calls a level 5 hierarchy which is what makes […]

It is common for people to say that time heals all wounds, but in my case, that is not quite accurate. I believe it is the manner in which one is able to deal with those wounds and want to change which is the determinant in the process of healing. Three years ago around this […]

Overcoming Obstacles Through Faith

My name is Lauren Beers Stanton and I am a daughter, sister, graduate student, friend, wife, and a senior on The University of Alabama’s gymnastics team. I wanted to share with you my story and the challenges that have influenced who I am today. I was born April 1st, 1994 in Sayre, Pennsylvania. My parents, […]

Creative Outlets

I try over and over, and I tire with every effort put forth. I want to combat this. I want to be better, but somehow the things that make me better can sometimes make me worse. It is hard to explain to people who haven’t been here, walked under this cloud that fogs my visibility […]

Creative Outlets

8 Minutes a Fool

For a couple of days she couldn’t feel the trouble. She couldn’t sense the issue. She just knew that he was quieter. And that he was more neutral; more resigned. At first the front of her mind felt that everything must be alright; that perhaps there wouldn’t be a fight after all. That maybe he […]

Overcoming Challenges

The Goals of UGA Miracle

UGA Miracle is the biggest philanthropy on campus. There are thousands of members and the goals we set each year are outrageous. This year, we raised over $1 million dollars for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. That is amazing. Raising that much money is something I never thought I would be a part of, especially as […]

HRW Music Group

A Life Changing Sign I Could Not Ignore

My name is Kristian Silva. I am 24 years old. I am a professional musician, and I am Acting Regional Manager of the Artist Intern Program at Hit Records Worldwide. I was born on March 24, 1991 in beautiful, sunny, Miami, Fl. I was raised in a middle class family in the suburbs with my two 2 […]

Hit Records Worldwide

HRW Music Group

Thirteen teens act the same and talk the same, One teen has trust issues, another is abused, The teens that are thirteen hide behind their swag, And are afraid to admit they are human, Humans aren’t perfect, In these thirteen teens eyes they seem to be beyond it, With their make-up, new clothes, and new […]

Hit Records Worldwide

Inspirational People

How to Shine Brighter Than Your Self-Doubt

I never thought that skills I learned when I was 12 would play such an important role in my adult life. It’s funny. We go through life knowing that the things we learn in school build on top of each other to teach us things we will need to know to go to college, but […]

Hit Records Worldwide

Soccer Made Me a Leader

Throughout the world, there are very few organizations and even sports teams with Level 5 leaders. Level 5 leaders are explained to be an executive in whom extreme personal humility blends paradoxically with intense professional will, according to Jim Collins, author of Good to Great. Having such contradictory characteristics, coming across someone like this is […]

Creative Outlets

Giving Assigment: A Class Project Turned Personal

Rarely does a class assignment lead to lasting relationships or memorable experiences beyond the class itself. But this semester, one project turned out to be a lot more than I expected – all in the best way imaginable. When my partner and I were assigned to Paint Love for a semester-long project in our public […]

Overcoming Challenges

The Day We Lost Our Daughter

It was April 16, 2012, just another day of awakening to get ready for our family to head to school and work. Kisses were given out, my husband and daughter loads up in the truck to head to school and I get in my car headed to work. Little did we know that would be […]

Angela Anderson

I Hate When People Tell Me Not To Let My Depression Define Me

I hate when people tell me that I shouldn’t let my depression define me. Depression is and has been a part of my life for the past 7 years — my entire adult life and a third of my life as a whole. Depression is an integral part of my identity; it is something I […]

Jake Rubenstein

Inspirational People

An Open Letter to the Grandpa I Never Met

My mom’s dad is famous in our family. He had the bluest eyes, the biggest heart, and the greatest sense of humor. Mom always swore “Oh Lyss, he would’ve just loved you. He loved feisty girls.” To her and his 7 other kids’ dismay, my grandpa lost his life to lung cancer while my mother […]

Inspirational People

The Comparison Leaders of Hollister

Being in high school the typical job for many of us was working in retail, usually at the mall at either Hollister or Abercrombie. So I decided to give it a shot. I did not think it would be that bad. It would give me something to do after school and I’d make some money […]

On Febuary 8, 2016 My Friend Killed Himself

February 8, 2016 was supposed to be a lot of things. It was supposed to be a lazy day full of studying, catching up on sleep, and preparing for the week ahead. It was none of those things. If I am being completely honest, that day was a blur. A blur that consists of my phone […]

Cassandra Whisnant

Being A Student-Teacher Isn’t Free Time

My friends that are not education majors believe that my final semester in college is basically five months of free time. After all, I am never on campus, and I do not have exams. Obviously my semester of student teaching is a breeze, right? WRONG. Student teaching is basically three months of you paying college […]

Maria Van Allen

Drew Gladstone was my nephew. My sister, Tammy, is fifteen years younger than me. My children were much older and so it was nice to have babies around again when Tammy had her children. I loved them like they were my own. When I think back, I would never have believed that Drew would have […]

Creative Outlets

Until We Meet Again

I often tell people that I was given an incredible gift when my Dad remarried. Up until that point, I was an only child. My stepmom, Pam, had two sons by a previous marriage. I became a sister overnight and I took my role very seriously. In my family, the word “step” was never a […]

Caroline Latham

Inspirational People

RocketSpace: Launching Startups

Upon entering the office of RocketSpace, we were welcomed with a colorful lobby, hallways leading to a maze of desks and offices, and sheet metal lounge chairs. A sense of ingenuity and creativity was in the air as we toured the first floor, and every other floor provided a similar feeling that something truly innovative […]

Inspirational People

Remembering Drew

When I agreed to share Drew’s story, I knew it would be hard—so many buried emotions and feelings rising to the surface again. It has been said that if you can tell your story without crying then you know you are healed. It has been almost five years since Drew’s death and I am not […]

Overcoming Challenges

The Year I Learned There Is Something Great Every Day

I did not use to be a hopeless optimist. In fact, I think I generally saw the glass as empty more than full, but through my past three years in college I have learned one monumentally important lesson – it CAN get worse. It can always be worse. I realize that doesn’t sound terribly optimistic, […]

Trisha Falcigno

Overcoming Challenges

Levels of Leadership

My 5 Levels of Leadership (as inspired by Jim Collins’s book From Good to Great) As a high class Division I athlete I have had a lot of experience involving leadership throughout high school and college. With the changing environments between high school and college I have experienced different types of leadership between myself and others. […]

The Atlanta Hope Lodge

“It’s cancer.” We hear these words every day—whether it’s in reference to the lump they found in your mother’s breast, the reason you just lost a loved one, or a friend’s recent diagnosis. This is the reason I immediately joined UGA Relay For Life when I entered college, because I was tired of living in […]

Treating People like People: It’s Easy

I can remember as early as age 7 being interested in special needs kids. We had an opportunity in elementary school to volunteer in their classroom. I have very fond memories throughout elementary and intermediate school of these people. I can still remember all of their names and faces. I do not know what initially […]

Creative Outlets

I am no expert in what it means to be perfect. What it means to be the better person in this world. It’s hard to know what it means to really feel like you deserve things. Like you are worth more then what you give credit for. Trust me when I say… I lost my […]

Four Life Lessons From My Trip To Iceland

As I write this piece, I am on a plane coming back from Iceland. I am the most sleep deprived I’ve ever been, I am wearing the same clothes I flew to Iceland in and I am pretty sure I am getting sick but my goodness…it was the best trip of my entire life. Let’s […]

Finding the Story: Being the Editor of The Wish Dish

We were in the car driving past the hubby buildings of Athens, Georgia and I was scared shitless. They were classic American structures no more than five stories high made entirely out of brick. Refurbished factories converted into retail hotspots and trendy bars. Athens was a complex in the middle of a vast expanse, like […]

Inspirational People

The Power of Vision, Belief, and Action

Time is the most valuable asset on earth. Many of us depreciate the value of time and it’s impact on life. I spent this weekend reflecting on the power of time and the value of life. The knowledge I gained from this experience was powerful. On one side of the spectrum, it was demoralizing. On […]

Anthony Magaraci

That’s Not Even a Sport…

Being an Exercise Science – Sport Management major gives people the impression that I know what LeBron James eats before a game; in reality, I’d have to Google what team he plays for because I have no idea. While I posses very little knowledge about traditional team sports, my focus is completely dedicated to the […]

If You’re Going to be Dumb, You Have to be Tough

“If you’re going to be dumb, you have to be tough.” The smartest man I have ever met taught me this at the impressionable age of five. That year, he also attempted to teach me calculus while reconstructing a lamp shade we had broken throwing a ball inside the house. Roger Henry was an engineer […]

Rain Makes Trees Grow Deeper Roots

I can remember the day so clearly. I had just started 6th grade. I was worried about going to a new school with kids I hadn’t grown up with my whole life, learning how to use a locker, and trying out for sports. I didn’t think I’d be worrying about a deadly illness that alters […]

Why I Quit Gymnastics

It’s probably no surprise when I say that gymnastics is one of the toughest sports, but what studies don’t take into consideration is the mental factor involved with it. Gymnastics isn’t a very popular sport, it can get pretty expensive and it will most likely take over your entire life. Almost no high schools in […]

Creative Outlets

I’ve heard the saying before that your earliest childhood memories are often the ones that will dart through your head at the end of your life. Just like Charles Foster Kane gasping out “Rosebud” on his deathbed, these are the things you take with you, the things you hold onto when nothing else is left. […]

Creative Outlets

Lightning Bugs & Life Lessons

Dusk is my least favorite part of the day. As a morning person who loves to see the world come alive with the sun painting pinks, blues, yellows, and sometimes even green across the morning sky, seeing the day end is always slightly sad. Not that a sunset isn’t gorgeous in its own right, mind […]

June 15th, 2012. A day that I will never forget. But this story starts long before that day and long before I was ever even born. Flash back to the 1985. My parents were in their mid-twenties and had just gotten married. One day, two months after they had gotten married, my dad suddenly felt […]

Don’t Give Up: Life Has More

As a nursing major who has been through a mental health class I was taught all of the signs and symptoms of depression. I was taught how to help detect it, I was taught how to treat it, and I was taught how to help others cope with it. What I wasn’t taught and what […]

HRW Music Group

Getting Over The Fear of People

Have you ever felt like people do not understand you; or maybe you feel nervous talking to people? I use to feel this way especially during a speech; predominantly through high school. I was shy, reserved, and didn’t have many friends. I wondered, “What do I say”? In those situations I would lock up or […]

Hit Records Worldwide

Overcoming Challenges

Belief Among Others

We sucked, we were embarrassed, and we were defeated. For six years, I trained my ass, thinking that the outcome will be worth it. When the time came, I was wrong. I suffered for two years. During training, I questioned my ethics and morals among my teammates. Fights broke out people went through the motions. […]

Inspirational People

Convincing My Parents Why I Chose My Path

Just recently, while attending my class in Organizational Behavior in Sport Management I was exposed to my favorite TED Talk once again. Simon Sinek speaks passionately in his TED Talk called “Start With Why”. He makes you question everything you have ever learned about what you are doing and why you are doing it. All […]

SAMANTHA FERRIS

Creative Outlets

The Broken Girl

The worlds will never know about it. The cries I cry go unheard no doubt about it. The feeling is normal for me now. The sting of the razor sharp edge piercing my skin. I’ve become aware of my surroundings. The dark room swallows me whole. I stare into the nothingness of the wall. This […]

Hit Records Worldwide

Creative Outlets

What is Depression Like?

“What is depression like?” They ask her. The number of times she has tried to explain this, put her feelings into words, was innumerable. There’s no way they would ever understand, but at least they were trying. It was nice that they wanted to know her. “It’s hopelessness,” she replied, “It is walking into a […]

The Ball’s in My Net: A Lacrosse Story

Sophomore and junior year of high school I continuously struggled with the decision to play a sport in college. Its around this time high school athletes not only need to start thinking about the schools they want to attend but also whether pursuing their sport is even realistic. The commitment, time, efforts dedicated to a […]

When being a part of a population, humans find different ways to separate themselves from the norm of that population. And with doing that, some are chosen to lead and some are chose to be lead. The author Seth Godin in his book Tribes was mainly speaking about how the individuals that are the leaders go […]

Creative Outlets

“It’s the size of a grapefruit.” I imagined the bitter, fleshy pink fruit. In my mind’s eye the fruit sat, covered in layer of white, granular sugar, untouched with a silver spoon gleaming beside it. My trance dissipated like a curling cloud of smoke as I listened to my mother’s voice through the phone. “It […]

Chandler Johnson

The “C” Word

She found the lump. She was told it was breast cancer and that it needed to be removed. The lumpectomy did the job, and she was considered cancer free shortly thereafter. At age forty-eight, it must be empowering to look cancer in the face and give it the finger. It must be harder when twelve […]

Overcoming Challenges

When Abuse Becomes Your New Normal

“Come on, open the door,” I said, not sure of what to do. I waited for him to move, but he stood his ground in front of the doorknob. It was past midnight, and I remained trapped in his room. I wondered how long I would remain here before our friends took notice of my […]

Creative Outlets

An Expression, An Ode

Expression is an expulsion of the self, sense of being, and a freedom to live, so here I am ready to express myself. I am a human, and I am flawed. There is both light that is elicited from my bright and eager smiles, exposed from the volume of a careless laugh and exemplified in the […]

Fighting Back Against Cancer

The summer before my sophomore year of college, I took my dad to his annual colonoscopy. As he was waking up from under his anesthesia, the nurses called me back to see him, where he was in a room with other patients waking up from their procedures. My mom had warned me that morning that […]

The Trip That Almost Wasn’t

Schools support entrepreneurship in a number of ways. They connect students to the local startup community, teach classes to guide students, engage in hackathons, and more. Another option is to take students on a trip and visit a thriving startup ecosystem like Silicon Valley to get a full perspective of entrepreneurship. Supporting students interested in […]

My Trip to Japan: Why You Should Quit Comparing

I was in Japan, walking toward the sunset above Lake Biwa, with a sticky rock in my hand. Senior year of high school I joined Teen Advisors, a Christian-based organization committed to helping freshmen handle stress, problems, and issues they might face in high school. Every fall, there’s a Teen Advisors retreat, and at that […]

Inspirational People

Life is full of obstacles. Some hardships are easier to overcome than others, but in actuality, all hindrances are the same; difficult to bear and even more difficult to overcome. I truly believe that encumbrances can make an individual stronger within a more powerful sense of self-being. My personal experiences have led be to be […]

Gabrielle Clifford

Running Out Of Time

What is your most valuable resource? Some answers might vary to scarce resources like coal or oil or natural gas, some might say money, some might say people. I say time. Everyone has the same amount but everyone uses theirs differently. You cannot exchange it or return it. You cannot go back. You cannot go […]

Finding Hope Two Hemoglobin Levels Away From Death

Cancer… That disgusting, evil, dreadful, horrifying, life-changing disease that affects each and every one of us in some way or another. Why does it exist? I am not really sure. But I do know for sure that we must stand up and battle it until the day that it no longer exists. My very close […]

Building a Strong Relationship

I’ll admit – I’m a layperson when it comes to relationships. The longest relationship I have ever been a part of was in high school, and since I am only 20 years old, I am not the most qualified person when it comes to discussing how to build lasting relationships. Regardless, I will attempt to […]

A Twist of Fate

Why do bad things happen to good people? That’s the cliché phrase we’ve all heard and used before when unexpected things happen to people we know and love. It’s hard to accept these unfortunate events, but sometimes there isn’t such a horrible ending. An unexpected twist of fate happened to my aunt and uncle’s family, […]

My Human Being Story

Human beings are living in a time of great transition. The shift away from the medical model, to new ways of understanding how our emotions shape our day-to-day reality, is now increasing in awareness. We are learning how our emotions influence our day-to-day experience of life on earth. We are learning to understand how the heart […]

Cancer and the Creek, An Epiphany

It’s the fall of my sophomore year. I’m settled, feeling confident, and more ready than ever to start pumping up my resume with extracurricular activities. I’m interested in health science, so when presented with the idea of joining Relay for Life at the University of Georgia, an organization that raises money to support the American […]

The Persevered Path

I am truly blessed to be in the position that I am in now and I owe it all to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Around this time two years ago, I was in my last semester of college and similar to mostly everyone else I was trying to figure out what my next chapter […]

Overcoming Challenges

Life With My Step Brother Works Out

I was nine years old. I had a seven-year-old younger sister Kate. My mom had just passed away from breast cancer, and my dad felt hopeless. Things didn’t seem like they could get any worse. The next year or so is a complete blur in my life; I think I have subconsciously blocked out that […]

For the UnderDAWGS

(Written by Rennie Curran) The stigma and perception of being a professional athlete and what you see on TV is 90% inaccurate for the majority. I fall into the greater pool of professional athletes that have to wake up everyday with nothing guaranteed. I wouldn’t be able to write this without the struggles that I […]

A Trip to Singularity University

As someone with a passion for technology and innovation, being able to visit Singularity University was an amazing experience. I am an avid fan of SU’s founders, Ray Kurzweil and Peter Diamandis, two technology visionaries in their respected spaces, and to visit their campground for innovation has been the highlight of my trip to Silicon […]

Inspirational People

There’s always that one kid you know. The one every mind jumps to when anyone mentions anything strange or out of the ordinary that happened that day. For the purpose of this story, I’ll call him Jack. Jack was small, moody, and hyperactive. He was also smart as a whip, but his grades didn’t always reflect […]

Three Months In My Father’s Battle With Hepatitis C

LaGrange, Illinois. July 1965. It’s a bright, beautifully sunny day in the suburban American Midwest. The setting mirrors that of the peaceful Main Street post-war image we so often associate with complacency and prosperity; a young mother sits on her front law and reads the newspaper as she watches her two young boys frolic carelessly […]

Overcoming Challenges

A Leading Record

I cross the line and hear a roar from the crowd that reassures the doubts in my mind. That was when I heard him say those three magical words: “new national record”, words we had been working all year to hear. We were a complete team, with no one part being lesser than the other […]

Zachary Ghizzone

Unlike many of the other WishDish articles, I do not have an extraordinarily amazing message or inspirational story. I’m just a simple guy who likes to drink beer on the weekends and eat good food. So I come to you today as a poor college student with an omelette prep guide. Eggs! Eggs simply put, are […]

Jason Kobylanski

I am bigger now than when I left home for college. My freshman year has gone by in the blink of an eye and I am bigger now. The “freshman fifteen” became something that took over a multitude of conversations I had when I entered college in the fall. Everyone chats about the calories here […]

Inspirational People

Why My Father is My Superhero

F.A.M.I.L.Y- forget about me, I love you. This is what family means to Rutgers. And personally, I believe in it because my father proves it to me everyday. Those who are fortunate can say their family means the world to them…and this is my explanation. In Jim Collins’s book Good to Great, he explains what […]

Who Rescued Who?

There was one thing I always knew growing up – I loved dogs, and so did my family. We always had a full house of four-legged fluffs. When I moved away to college, life started to become overwhelming. I had always struggled with depression and anxiety, but it didn’t start to become unbearable until the […]

Allie Merdinger

Countering The Reality Of Cancer With Relay For Life

We live in a day and age where it’s difficult to find someone who’s life hasn’t been affected by cancer in some way. Unfortunately, like many others, I can’t remember the point in my life where cancer wasn’t in my vocabulary. From a young age I have been exposed this disease that has robbed me […]

Creative Outlets

Dublin – a Cultural Choice

Dublin has been a popular tourist attraction for many years. And rightly so. The city boasts some of the liveliest bars and fun-filled nights out in Europe, and thousands flock to the Irish capital every week. But do not be mistaken, although Dublin is a warm and hospitable city that loves nothing better to sing […]

I Forgive GOD! Forgive GOD?

The very idea may seem ridiculous, even offensive to some people. However, prophets can be cited as examples of powerful spiritual personalities who have held a temporary resentment toward GOD for the judgments HE brought down because of the sins and evils committed by HIS chosen people. The punishments often seemed worse than the crime, […]

Kimberly August

Inspirational People

VentureStorm: Build Your Own Future

The story of our company, VentureStorm, dates back to winter break sophomore year – and it’s been quite the experience to say the least. I really want to share the ride we’ve been on these past few years. There have been plenty of struggles, success, and everything in between; but by the time you’re done […]

Creative Outlets

Faith’s Value

The man who went where none should go and saw what none should see, Had his knowledge wrapped around an eternal mystery. He witnessed many glorious things, and many heinous too, Yet ev’n his stores of knowledge failed to reveal something of the truth. Then one day the man encountered a knocking at the door, […]

Does Anyone Know What They Want To Do In Their Life?

So my question for you is do you know what you want to do for the rest of your life? You do you say? Well, really… Are you sure that even 20 or even 1 year down the line you will still call that your dream job? You see, I am dubious of anyone who […]

Creative Outlets

Missy Taylor peered over my shoulder as I struggled to remember the combination to my locker from the past two years. “Lyla,” she paused, holding out the end of my name for much longer than was necessary. “Did you hear?” “Hear what, Missy?” Missy loved discovering the latest gossip at Walburn High School. We were […]

Overcoming Challenges

Finding Happiness After The End Of My Relationship

Being happy sounds so simple. We’ve grown up learning “happy” as a common adjective to describe our mood and how we’re feeling. We are continuously finding ourselves evaluating whether we’re happy or sad, but sometimes we can lose sight of what makes us happy. Whether it’s love, friendships, school, or work, it’s so ridiculously easy […]

Learning Lessons from My Life on a Boat

It took me seven minutes and 56 seconds to know when I was experiencing the best moment in my life. It can be hard to quantify or operationally define such a moment. But I knew when I had mine, I knew it more than I knew my own name. I sat soaking wet, voice hoarse, […]

Monika Ammerman

Her name was JuJu. A nickname from childhood that her dad had called her before he passed away. Juju was one of my campers in the Yellow unit of nine to eleven year olds and was a natural born leader. She was only in elementary school, but carried herself as an outgoing young adult with […]

Creative Outlets

It’s Just Easier That Way

On the outside, she is brightness, radiance, beauty, and kindness. On the inside, her light has gone out. The darkness that lies there is emptiness, loneliness, hopelessness. There is nowhere she can hide from the darkness that lives inside. She puts on a smile to try to hide the darkness from others, but there’s no […]

Not Ready to Be a Real Adult

Being a second semester junior in college, I really thought I’d have my life figured out by now. Truth is, I don’t and I’m slowly learning to be okay with that. For the longest time, I had always dreamed about my life after college. I wanted to move to some cool new city in a […]

Why I Will Never Return to NOVA

I grew up in Loudoun County Virginia, also known as one of the richest counties in America. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a teacher. I tutored in high school and even took a Teachers Cadet course my senior year of high school. For the most part, it is […]

Understanding My Independence

Around the time I entered middle school, I began to resent my family and the town where I lived. Naturally, a lot of this frustration came from the usual teen angst that most adolescents experience at some point. I knew there was something about my hometown Peachtree City that irked me. It was probably the closed-mindedness […]

Overcoming Challenges

Finding Our Grit

The key word to focus on in this statement alone is ‘grit.’ We will not be able to win on talent alone. He did not say we are never going to win a game. If this were the case we may as well all toss in the towel and never look back. The conversation […]

As I cringed and opened my email, my first reaction is the all too familiar “I must not be Mexican enough for their program.” Followed up with incidences of colleagues using of my racial status in quotations, I am left feeling both arguments of not enough. Not enough Mexican. Not enough White. If you ever […]

Creative Outlets

Using My Loud Mouth to Make an Impact

There’s a story that has greatly inspired me over time. A boy, whose teacher asked the class to write down what they wanted to be when they grew up for homework. The boy then went home and wrote down that he wanted to be on TV. He turned in his assignment the next day to his […]

Shallum Atkinson

The Invisible Hair in Buenos Aires

There aren’t any blacks in Buenos Aires. I heard this many times before arriving. I heard it even more after arriving. Even so, I was prepared for it. My mother felt assured that I would be alright once I arrived in Buenos Aires, because she gave me personal hygiene supplies as if I were Noah […]

Inspirational People

Learning Not to Always Smile

This is not my story. It may be about me, but it’s really a story of pain. A story that everyone can relate to in one way or another. We view pain as an obstacle to overcome, a nuisance that must be obliterated, and yet, I think all of us realize that it is inevitable. […]

The first time I heard the word ‘cancer’ was in the third grade when it was on one of my Words of the Week sheets. The class received the sheet on Monday and by Friday we all had to know how to spell and the definition of the word. For me, the word itself was […]

Creative Outlets

Behind the Lens

I took my first photography class when I was 11 years old. I was artistically ignorant, shy as a mouse, and didn’t know how to turn on a camera. It was horrible. Fortunately, my parents are strong advocates for facing fears and refused to let me quit the summer camp. I stuck it out for […]

Creative Outlets

The Year of the Dish

Imagine waking up every single day for the last 400+ days and having one thing ever-present in your mind. How are you going to build a business? How are you going to create something that can have a meaningful impact and support yourself and the others working for you? At 23 years old, I wake […]

Defy the Status Quo

My name is Kasondra “Kaseii” McConnell and I’m from California by way of Atlanta. If I could think of a word that describes everything I encompass it would be Freedom. I realized early in life that I marched to the drum of my own beat and sought out the sort of freedom only a small […]

Kasondra McConnell

Overcoming Challenges

Purposeful Living

“Courage doesn’t happen when you have all the answers. It happens when you are ready to face the questions you have been avoiding your whole life.” – Shannon L. Alder “At the end of the day, the questions we ask of ourselves determine the type of people that we will become.” – Leo Babauta “It’s […]

Tim Butterfield

The Woes and Wonders of a Traveler

Picture this You’re in Prague. You have no access to money. Your debit card was stolen in Barcelona and your credit card has decided to deplete your credit line down to zero. You’re sitting in your hostel with the few crowns you have left trying to figure out your next move. Picture this You’re in […]

Overcoming Challenges

Why Settle for Crumbs?

Have you ever heard someone say, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” Isn’t that what cake is for? Last time I checked, the only time cake was on display only, was never, because if it’s a real cake and someone spent the time to think of it, design it, then create it, […]

The Impact of Insecurity

I looked at my best friend dead in his deep brown eyes and solemnly nodded my head. As I began to close my own eyes, I knew it would hurt. I knew it would really hurt, but I also believed it was what I wanted. I heard him take a deep breath, and I clinched […]

Who am I and what am I doing? This question has plagued me for the past three and a half years. It has consumed my time, energy, thoughts, and emotions. This fundamental question of why. And my attempts to answer this question have only made me more and more confused about the realities of this […]

Playing with the Cards Life Has Dealt

We live in a small world where we must learn how to play with the cards we are dealt. Everything is part of a bigger picture and the slightest detail can make the biggest difference. Life is chaotic, confusing, and challenging, but that is part of what makes it beautiful and worth living: it is […]

Nathalie Martinez

Dear Elizabeth, Ten months ago, I was driving through a parking garage in Athens, Georgia on a call with my father. He said to me, “Bryan, are you ever going to date anyone and grow up?” I replied, “Dad, I am too busy and don’t have time for a relationship.” At the time, I did […]