Jessica Mobbs

Next week is Thanksgiving and I’ve decided that I will write a blog about all of the things I am thankful for this year.  It has been an amazing whirlwind of a year for me, personally and professionally.  Of course, my husband and I are expecting our first baby, and that is obviously at the top of my Thanksgiving list.  I have the best family in the world, and feel truly blessed to have such a solid and caring support system around me.  I have also made sure to remember how wonderful it is to live and work in such a beautiful place.  It has been so stormy the last few days and the rain has been coming down hard, but I still love it here.  I’m thankful for the sound of the rain at night, for having a warm place to sleep and yummy food to eat (did I mention that Olympia has some fantastic restaurants in the area?!).

I have also been lucky to have been able to visit some really interesting places this year for work.  I had the pleasure of returning to Michigan to meet with more interested Evergreen prospective students, and the visits were fantastic!  More and more people in that area are looking to the Pacific Northwest at our wonderfully quirky liberal arts college, and finding an ideal match for themselves.  I also went down to San Jose, California for a professional development conference.  I’d never been there before but I definitely loved seeing palm trees in November

Overall, this has been one of the best years of my life, and I know things are just going to keep getting better.  I’ll keep you posted on the happenings.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving!!!

The crispness in the air lately definitely makes me think of the winter time.  I actually love the changing seasons here in the Northwest.  The leaves are brilliant colors, and it reminds me how awesomely beautiful nature is.  I particularly like being wrapped up in blankets at home with all the candles burning; it’s really a cozy feeling that you can’t get in the summer time.

My biggest news personally is that my husband and I are expecting our first child!  This is a very exciting time for us, and our little baby boy will be joining the world sometime near the end of February or the beginning of March.  It’s fun to feel the baby moving and see my belly grow as the weeks go by.

As for life at Evergreen, things are going exceptionally well here too.  We’ve had record enrollment numbers over the last couple quarters so I keep urging students to apply early and make sure all of their materials are in before the priority admissions dates.  There is also still time for you to plan your visit to Evergreen during the Fall Quarter.  We’ll continue to offer overnight stays and class visits until December 3^rd.  Give me a call or send an e-mail to visit@evergreen.edu to set it up!

Yesterday was the first official day of autumn, but we’re still experiencing some of the best weather of the year.  It actually still feels like summer to me!  I think this is definitely one of my favorite times of the year.  I love the changing seasons and all the colors that come with it.

A lot has been happening with me lately!  Monday night I had the pleasure of seeing Pearl Jam perform the first show of their latest tour up in Seattle.  I have to tell you that I just LOVE that band, and it’s a truly amazing experience to see them live in Seattle, their hometown.  The energy and excitement they still have for their music after 18 years is inspiring, and the new CD (which came out on Sunday 9/20), Backspacer, is AWESOME!  I’m actually headed down to Vancouver, Washington on Saturday to see them again!

I’ve also been busy at work scheduling visits for students coming to check out the college in October and November.  As more and more of you hear about Evergreen, we become more popular with the visitors, and I love it!  It does mean that we our open visit dates are filling up fast, so call me soon to set up your personalized tour of the college.  We love welcoming visitors to here and showing off our beautiful campus.  Where else will you have the chance to visit an organic farm and a beach at the same college?!

And, I am also planning my trip to visit high schools in Michigan again this year.  Plan to take some time out to visit me.  You’ll find my schedule (and the schedule of all the other traveling counselors) at www.evergreen.edu/gogreen.  I hope to see you on campus or at your high school this Fall!

This summer has been one of the driest we’ve had in years, and I am definitely loving the sunshine. For a mini vacation, last weekend I ventured down to Ashland, Oregon with one of my best friends for the world-famous Shakespeare Festival that they hold there each year. It was a fantastic trip, and I was able to pack in 4 plays in 2 days: Don Quixote, Alls Well That Ends Well, Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth. I have to say that may favorite of the weekend would have to be Much Ado About Nothing. For all of you Shakespeare fans, you know that this play is so much fun, and it was absolutely hilarious to see this director’s vision come to life on stage. Did you know that we had a program here at Evergreen that took students down to Ashland? It was a field trip that was incorporated into their studies. Talk about a great way to get first-hand experience and exposure to the theater!

This week, the city of Olympia is holding its annual Lakefair festival/carnival. It’s going to be a perfect weekend to go downtown to play some carnival games and eat fair food. Maybe I’ll even get on a few of the rides, or maybe I’ll just check out the bands playing on the main stage. I’m particularly fond of the deep fried mushrooms (not very healthy, but so very good)! Saturday I’ll have to go check out the parade, and Sunday night they will put on a huge fireworks display. I love going to see these every year; it’s kind of a tradition for most of us born and raised in the area. Who doesn’t love fireworks?!

Summer time is upon us in the Pacific Northwest, and I am loving every minute of the amazing sunshine! Our patience during our seemingly long winters is rewarded when the glorious beauty of summer shines on us. I love that we have such long days (sunrise around 5:00 a.m., sunset after 9:30 p.m.). All the sunshine makes me get out and enjoy the great outdoors. I’ve already started planning camping trips for this summer, and have dug into my flower beds at home. The roses are blooming and it makes me so happy to come home after work and see them right next to the front door.

As far as the college goes, we’re busy, busy getting ready for graduation in 2 DAYS! I’m so excited for the students who are graduating this year. I have a couple co-workers who are also walking down the graduation aisle, and I really could not be happier for them. The journey through college is a challenging one, but I’ve always believed that if something were too easy there’d be no point in even putting forth the effort. When our graduates walk across the stage, they can be proud that they have challenged their conventional ways of thinking. They have broadened their horizons and have reached heights they never thought possible before. Evergreen gave them the tools to succeed and they went out and made it happen. Congratulations to the class of 2009!!

Hello Everyone! I had the opportunity to go back to Michigan again about a week ago. This time, I was visiting for a conference in the beautiful city of Grand Rapids. Unfortunately, it was raining the entire time I was there which was a bummer, especially since I didn’t bother to bring an umbrella with me. During a few of the sun (and work) breaks, I did walk around and check out all the cool shops and restaurants in the area. All in all, it was a great trip though. I met some interesting and fun people, and I just love being in such a beautiful area. It reminds me a lot of the Northwest – I think that’s why I like it so much

Anyway, Spring Quarter is nearly over, and I can hardly believe that graduation is coming up so soon. Even though the rain has been coming down the last week, there is an energy around campus, an exhilarating buzz for the upcoming few weeks of excitement. I’m busy in the Admissions Office scheduling visits and planning for my involvement in Freshmen Advising Day which is on Friday, May 8. The newest class of Greeners will be here to do their initial advising session, meet faculty and register for their programs of choice! It’s an exciting day, and it’s my first glimpse at the class of 2013!

I’d like to also take a moment to remind you that our visit program will be continue going throughout summer time. We will continue to offer information sessions and campus tours throughout the summer, so it’s not too late if you’re thinking about getting up here to check it out for yourself, we’ll be here to greet you with a big smile and some Northwest sunshine!

So Spring Break is wrapping up for all the Greeners on campus. Class starts again for Spring Quarter on Monday, March 30^th. Spring quarter is very exciting for students at Evergreen. Often, this is when the most interesting individual contract work happens, not to mention the exciting study abroad options students take part in as well. One of the Student Ambassadors that works in the Admissions Office is taking a trip to India this spring. He’s going to create a film of his experience – all while earning Evergreen credit towards his degree! I can’t wait until he gets back so that I can watch his documentary.

For me, it’s business as usual in the Admissions Office. We’ve begun admitting our next batch of Greeners, and are still accepting applications for Fall 2009 (it’s not too late to become part of our next class!).  Aside from that, we’re gearing up for the heavy flow of visitors we expect to be traveling to see us soon. Spring is always busy for us because so many of you elect to visit during your high school spring breaks. This time of year is a great time to check out our campus because the flowers are beginning to bloom and the weather is beginning to warm up too. The winter has been long for us, and we are anxious to see the shining sun light up the campus again. If you’d like to check out this place for yourself, remember to contact me to set it up. The organic farm will be selling fresh produce again soon, and you don’t want to miss it!

Preview Day (our largest open house event on campus) was held last Saturday, and it was a big success! We saw lots of potential Greeners, and there was a feeling of excitement all across the campus. There were student panels, faculty panels, campus tours and lots of information everywhere. For all of us working, it was a preview of what our incoming class is going to look like in the Fall. I’m excited to meet the students in the new incoming class. Wow, the entering freshmen in the 2009 class will be graduating from Evergreen in 2013! Exciting times!

On another note, I think everyone’s getting anxious for the change of season. Springtime is so beautiful in this area, and my favorite part is all the flowers… and my birthday, which I think should be a national holiday   Oddly enough, we had another few inches of snow yesterday, and that is not typical February weather here. Just the week before we had 60 degrees and sunny skies… so crazy! Anyway, springtime also means lots of spring breaks! I haven’t decided if I’ll take a little vacation this year or not, but either way, I know that we will have lots of visitors to the campus. Spring breaks are the perfect time for you to plan a college tour. Check out all those schools you applied to in the last few months! We’ll have information sessions and campus tours all through March and April, so feel free to stop in and check out the campus for yourself.

I’ll leave you with a picture of the waterfalls at Tumwater Falls Park just about 15 minutes from campus. I love this place, especially on a brisk, sunny day like today. This is a beautiful place to get away for a little while (and not very far from the amazing house I was married in!).

We have officially moved into our new (old) location in the Library Building right below the big clock tower on Red Square. I love the new and improved look of the area. We’re now up-to-date and we can show off a little. Most importantly, our students and guests now have easier access and nicer facilities to work with. Our new conference space has great big windows and everyone can see outside. I love having the natural light; it just gives such a positive energy to the room. I hope you’ll be able to come and check it out for yourself sometime soon.

Right now, I’m excited for the three day weekend, and the historic inauguration that will take place next week. How amazing to have Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and this inauguration in the same week! What a great time to be part of history… Anyway, I hope you enjoy the holiday, remember our past, and become hopeful for our future. I know we have a long way to go, but it gives me hope to see progress happening right before my eyes. Have a fantastic weekend!!

The Puget Sound region of Washington State is not generally known for big snow storms, but the last two weeks were crazy! I was snowed in for a week and a half (yes, I had some serious cabin fever), and the College actually had to close for a couple days. Evergreen rarely closes since so many of our students live on or very near campus. At least all this craziness is happening during our winter break. Classes weren’t missed, and most of the employees had less work to do anyway. I took it as a beautiful gift from Mother Nature. I love the snow, and this area is beautiful all year round.

Here’s a picture of the road near my house after the first of three storms… I love it!

I hope that this New Year brings you happiness.  Be safe and have fun!  If you’re considering The Evergreen State College, give me a call. I’ll help you figure out your plans for the future. Maybe one of those resolutions is to get back to school… I can help!