Kesha Harden

Rushing was so much fun!!! My best friend and I had a blast!!!

Kesha talks about her summer, training for track, her classes and life as a sophomore.

It's amazing how different I feel compared to how I felt this time last year. Last year I was in my room a lot because I hadn't mad many friends yet and I was extremely home sick. Now I am barely ever in my room and I have a single this year, which I am very ecstatic about by the way. I'm not home sick either. I know I'll see my family for breaks so right about now I feel amazing. Hoping for a year filled with fun, laughter, and many memories!!!

I'm realizing it's almost time to get back to school. We have about a month or so left!! I'm really excited to see my friends. I'm excited to get back to track. I've been lifting weights and running this summer to stay in shape. I'm really excited for the season to start, even though I know that's a long ways away. I've still got pre-season to make it through. I am excited to be living in a single this year!!! I am just excited to have a room to myself. I guess the only thing I'm not so excited about is actually doing school work, but then again who is!! My summer is going great and I hope everyone else's summer is going great too!! =)

I have one final tomorrow and on Tuesday I turn in a paper and take my last final then I'm home bound on Wednesday. This year has went really well. The track season ended good and I'm excited for next year. I know I'm going to miss my friends. I guess its going to be weird being home for a whole 2 to 3 months. I'm so used to being here, but I'm excited to see all of my family and friends. I hope I can get a job this summer and save up money. The only thing that I guess I'm really worried about is having to pack all my stuff up to take home. This is going to be interesting haha. Well, I wish everyone a good summer!!!!

I can't believe my first year is almost over. It seems like I just said goodbye to parents yesterday. I'm really excited to go home and see my friends and spend time with them, but I know I'm going to miss my friends from here. It's hard to believe that track is almost over too. We had conference this past Friday, and Saturday. We took third place as a team and I am All-Conference in long jump, triple jump, and the 4x4. It was a really exciting meet. I'm really excited about track next year because I've learned so much this year and I just can't wait to see what happens!!!

Kesha opens up about coming out of her shell, getting out of her dorm room and finding success on the track team.

I've been extremely busy lately between school and track. I'm really excited that the whether is warming up. It's not fun running outside when it's cold. My classes are going really well. My favorite class right now is my philosophy class. My teacher is extremely funny. It's week five and we have midterms this week. Only five more weeks of school, one week of finals, and finally it will be time for summer!!!!! I'm going to be happy to be home to see my family and friends, but I'm going to miss my friends from here too!!

I'm sitting in my dorm room watching tv. It's quiet since no one is here because its break. I'm still here for track. I'm glad that we don't have school right now. I needed a break!!! I'm excited about my next term classes though. I got into all my first choice classes, so next term should be really good.

At Saturday's Sol Butler Classic in Dubuque, Kesha placed fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 33 feet, 9 inches.

I feel extremely tired right now. Track meets have finally arrived. We have a meet this Saturday and I am nervous!!!!!!! I am so busy with school and track I don't have time for much else. The phoneathon is only two more weeks and I don't even know if I'm going to be able to finish working it. I'm just don't seem to have time. Classes are going okay, but I still hate spanish. Well I think I'm going to take a nap now since I have no more classes. Practice is 4:30 in Carver then 5:30 in pepsico. I'll sleep until 3:30. NAP TIME!!!!!! =)

Kesha placed third in the 55-meter dash and in the triple jump at Saturday's season-opening triangular meet.

So, this is a random post because its one in the morning and I haven't blogged in a while. It's Christmas break and I am enjoying my family and friends. Its sad that my vacation is going to be cut short. While everyone else has another week of fun, I will be going back early for track. I'm sort of happy though. I've missed my track friends and I'm looking forward to seeing them. We have our first meet in like two or three weeks. I'm excited but nervous because I feel like college meets and high school meets are going to be so different from each other. I guess I'll find out soon enough. Now I'm going to watch tv and eat popcorn because I'm bored and I'm not tired!!! =)

I am extremely tired right now. I had a good weekend though. I got to see my brother play here in rock island on Friday, I was excited about that. Yesterday I barely did anything. Today I worked and studied. So we had a new boss after fall break and her last day was Thursday. We met our new boss today, and in two weeks we get a new boss. It's a little confusing, but I actually really like this new boss. She's really nice and considerate. Track is going good, but my knee has been giving me trouble. It's popping and that's a little weird, but I just keep icing it and hope that it gets better. This week is going to be so busy. I have a paper due Thursday, quiz tomorrow, oral exam on Tuesday, and a test on Friday, but I'm not stressed. I just know I have to stay focused this week. And now I'm headed to bed!!!

Fall break was really good. I got to see family and friends, and I got to see my brother play in his first high school basketball game. Classes started on Monday and I am taking LSFY Magamas to Movies, Sociology, Spanish, and I have a volleyball class, which has been postponed until after thanksgiving break. I love my new spanish teacher. She is a great teacher who jokes around and makes learning fun. I like my LSFY teacher and my sociology teacher as well. Official track practice started on Monday. I can honestly say at this moment my whole body is sore, but I love it. I have amazing coaches and amazing teammates. Honestly I was really worried about not making any friends on the team, or the girls not liking me, but everyone is so nice and hilarious!!! I love working on triple jump, it’s my favorite event. I have a really good jumping coach, so I know if I work hard I can get better. Yesterday seemed like such a long day. I lifted before practice at 3 and then I went to practice at 4 and that ended at 5:35 and then I went straight to work until 9. I was exhausted and starving!!!! I ate so much when I got back to my room. lol That’s going to be my Wednesdays for like a month until my job, the Augustana Phoneathon, is over. We got a new boss over fall break. I really like her, not to say that I didn’t like my old boss, but I really like my new boss. Tomorrow I only have my spanish class, which is from 8:30am to 9:20am and then I am done because my Sociology class is cancelled. Then I have practice at 4:30 and then my weekend will start!!!!! My parents are picking me up at 7am on Saturday and we are going to Chicago to go see my grandparents because it’s their anniversary. I can’t wait to see my family and spend time with them. Saturday can not come fast enough!!!

Finals weren't too bad, but I'm glad it's over. I'm happy to be home spending time with my family and friends. I really missed everyone. I'm enjoying my time here until I have to go back!!! =)

Kesha Harden is from Galesburg, Ill., and is interested in psychology. She's also a sprinter on the women's track team and is learning to manage her schedule as well as her early-morning alarm.