My Love For Dogs

For many dog lovers, their love for dogs started at a young age. I am no exception to that statement. Today I am going to tell you a story so old that I have no actual memory of it.

One of my favorite movies as a toddler was 101 dalmatians. It is said that I would watch this movie repeatedly, every day if my family let me. Even at the young age of three, I knew I wanted to be a dog owner, and I didn't hesitate to advocate for my wants. My mom tells me I would mention to everyone we happened to be around that I wanted a dog, specifically a Dalmatian.

One day after my many hours of 101 Dalmatians on repeat my dad came home with "a special gift" just for me. I was excited before I even knew what it was. My dad hands me a gift bag and inside lays a toy dog. It was definitely more like a robot dog with fabric covering. I assume this had to do with the fact that it could bark and walk around. As thoughtful as the gift was three-year-old Jamila wanted no part of this robot dog and went running for the hills screaming when it was turned on. My family makes it seem like I cried about this for days, some say they thought it would never end. What none of us knew was there was light at the end of this toddler tantrum nightmare.

The next Friday, my dad came home with a cardboard box that had a lid with holes. On the top, there was a bow and writing that said, " For Jamila... and the family". He walked directly to me and placed the box down at my feet. He crouched down and began to take the lid of the box and a nose and two paws popped out the little gap where the lid was being lifted. My dad likes to joke and say that once I saw the paws I pushed the lid back so fast he almost lost a finger. Looking inside the box there are four eyes looking back at me, the eyes of two Dalmation puppies.

At that moment my life changed forever and I did not even know it. That moment has impacted my entire life and still is daily. It started with just dogs and now I enjoy most creatures I encounter. Right now I live with three dogs ( Willow, Lincoln "Link", and Maggie), and two cats (Leo, and Hazel), but I know there are more to come.

Starting Over

Deciding to go back to school for a degree is something I have been saying I wanted to do for a while now. My last time being in an actual college course going towards a degree was May of 2016. Life came around and things had to be put aside, unfortunately school was the thing that had to go. I was not able to be as successful as I wanted while working full time and having a full class schedule. Since then I have done many things as a professional, I have even taken courses/programs for certifications.

I decided to apply at CSN in late November 2021, to continue my journey in getting my degree in Animal Science. After being accepted and getting all of the welcoming emails I had true excitement for returning to school. I was proud of myself for taking the first step, anxiety followed soon after the excitement. the fear of being out of school was overwhelming, but I decided to push forward and register for classes. The closer it got to the start of the semester the more anxiety and fear started to creep in my mind. I received an email from Mr. Wu to have a WebEx meeting a few days before the start of classes. As soon as I logged onto the video meeting the energy I felt from Mr. Wu honestly made my anxiety disappear. By the time I was finished with the meeting I felt excited for this new beginning all over again. 

Since the semester has started I have received nothing but encouragement and support from everyone I have encountered here at CSN. I am so glad I took this step to better my future. I am happy to be a CSN Coyote.