Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2018!

Okay…so I might be a little late…but hey, it’s my first post in 2018 so HAPPY OFFICIAL NEW YEAR from my blog 🙂

There’s something mental about starting a new year…I mean, life doesn’t technically reset, but in my head it does.  Everything feels fresher and special, and I feel fired up and ready to start the new year with energy!

With that said, I thought it would be fun to show you my 2017 in review:

In January, I was at the SHINE Conference in Orlando, Florida!  That was an incredibly amazing experience that I will never forget as long as I live!  Such a hectic week…but so worth it!  I was there with AMTC (Actors, Models, and Talent for Christ), and I had 11 showcases where I sang, modeled, and acted in front of industry experts to showcase my talent and gain experience.  I learned so much about the entertainment industry and how it works, and I also met so many amazing people!

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the middle of January to March I was busy with my senior year of high school and rehearsals for CB Productions‘ Robin Hood.  The show ran from April 1st – April 9th with ten shows total!  I had a BLAST!  I met so many amazing people, and learned so much about stage acting!  Our director is truly brilliant and the actors and actresses (as well as the tech crew!) were an absolute pleasure to work with 🙂  I played an ensemble role, which was highly educational since it was my first time being a background character (It’s actually a LOT HARDER than it looks!)

 

 

 

 

I also played high school softball with East Ridge High School on the varsity team for spring 2017.  It was fun, but REALLY COLD.

April and the first part of May were spent finishing up high school and then celebrating my success with my family!  I did it!

Additionally in April, I attended my very first Life Leadership Major Function!  It was so incredible.  I have been attending them ever since!

 

 

 

 

May brought my very first (and only) high school prom.  It was super fun!  Granted it was a home school prom, but there were lots of people there from my acting classes so it was really fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In June, I took an economics class from Dakota County Technical College.  I also had my graduation party!  I made way too much cake…But it was so much fun!  So many people came and so many memories were made 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

In July, I was in drama camp with Out of the Box Ministries and we performed the Sailor’s Bible.  It was fun!  I had a great time with my friends and it was wonderful to be able to bless people’s lives with the story’s message.

 

 

 

 

 

July and August – I finished up my class and found the Praxis program!  I was super excited about it and applied, only to fall short at the last step and be declined.  However, I was determined to be in this program, so I decided to start a marketing campaign to gain experience and apply again.  My campaign consisted of a fundraiser for Operation Underground Railroad and my team and I raised $20,025!  It was a life changing experience that I can’t even describe to its’ fullest, but there are a lot of blog articles and a project on my website that explain that campaign in more detail if you want to read more!

 

 

 

 

Also over the summer….I played softball for the St. Paul Rookies and had the most fabulous softball season I’ve ever had!  I had so much fun with so many talented people!  We placed 2nd place in the State Tournament!  Tier 1 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

From September through December, I was in my first musical, Narnia, with Youth Performance Company!  I had a good time with this production as well.  I played Tumnus the faun and also an ensemble part.  I even got to sing a song by myself on stage, which really pushed me outside my comfort zone.  20 shows from December 1st – 17th!  Phew!

 

 

 

October was the fall Leadership convention where we were named the winners for “Most Money Raised” at the event!  The victory for our team was so amazing…in total, Life Leadership has raised over $800,000 to help stop child sex trafficking around the world!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I reapplied to Praxis and was accepted in November!  I have been working on my website and so many other cool things (such as this blog) since starting the pre-program in December.

In Conclusion…

As I look back on my 2017, I smile.  So many amazing things happened, I met so many amazing people, and I feel like I started my adult life.  It was definitely a roller coaster ride, but that’s okay.  I’d much rather do that than do nothing 🙂

Going forward into 2018, I am excited to see where I go with the Praxis program and my career!

So, happy (late) new year to you!  I hope you make the most out of every day 🙂

 

Until next time,

Hope Frances