I'm attempting to think of something witty, baseball related that I could write here, but it's impossible. I have nothing. I don't have something funny to write about. I don't have a poignant story that parallels the situation in my life right now. I don't have a thought-provoking question that causes you to doubt life's purpose. I just don't.

However, I do have a recollection to share with you. A few months ago, I was talking to my mother. She asked me about my college plans, what I wanted to do with my life and what would make me happy. During this time, the A's weren't doing too well. It was late July, after the horrid losing streaks, after the Jason Kendall trade, and after the hopes for 2007 had been thrown out the window, and I had been contemplating everything in my life. I didn't know what I wanted, where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be. I knew that I had worked incredibly hard in high school to get somewhere, but this somewhere was unknown. I told my mother that I knew I wanted to be involved in something that required me to talk and to be around people, but as to where I was going, I had no idea. She just stared at me and kept cooking. In the week that followed, my life began to take a turn for the future.

For the next week, my life revolved around baseball. I went to six baseball games in seven days, which included Root Beer Float Day and AN day. At Root Beer Float Day, I had an hour and a half long conversation with some pretty cool fellows from an A's show. I talked about what I wanted out of life and where I hoped to go and these pretty cool fellows guided me in the right direction. They talked to me about the internships they offered and what types of people they were looking for. They talked about the industry and what was required to succeed and how they believed I had what it takes. As with any high school student in the summer of their junior year, this conversation caused me to re-prioritize my goals and needs and threw my college ideas for a loop. AN Day was a major eye-opener. Special thanks to those of you who sat around me for what seemed like hours discussing what I should do. I spoke about my classes, my goals and my aspirations and you guys interjected advice, ideas and a plan for action. I left AN Day much more sure of myself and my future.

In the next few months, my senior year began, I wrote my UC personal statements and college applications were the whirlwind of conversation. Everywhere I turned, I was faced with the questions, "So where are you going to go to college?", "What do you want to do with your life?", "What are you going to study?", "Where are you applying?" Fuck, man, it was INSANE. I was sick of it. I didn't want to answer the questions anymore. By the end of November, I had finished applying to my modest three schools, all of which had high praise from my counselors and teachers, and proceeded to block myself from the never ending questions and queries. No more college and career talk for me.

The second weekend in December, I left the Bay Area and went down to Orange County for the Sports and Entertainment Conference for my DECA class. We were going to go to a conference put on by the marketing management of the Clippers and we were going to get the opportunity to meet the best of the best of the company. I got the chance to talk to the head of fan relations, the group sales event specialist, the inside sales rep, and most importantly, the director of sales. Each person gave their perspective of the sports industry, telling of their jobs and responsibilities. Each rep emphasized the same thing over and over, time and time again.

The most important thing in the industry is passion and dedication.

I have that. I have the passion and dedication this sports industry needs. I have what it takes and I believe I will go far. The sports industry needs more women and I can bring diversity to a man-concentrated business.

Oh, and by the way, I got accepted into all three of my colleges. Including my first choice, the University of the Pacific in Stockton.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas :]