Introduction

 Hello, everyone! 

Welcome to The Method is Blue, a blog project for Oregon State University's Communicating Online class. 

This post is an introduction where I can share a few things about myself so we can get to know one another. 

My name is Heidi, and I am from the Charlotte, North Carolina area. My degree path is in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with a focus on Queer Studies. After graduation, which will thankfully be in two semesters, I will be entering a graduate path in Mental Health Counseling that will focus on marginalized communities, particularly LGBTQ students and the elderly. With this education, I hope to serve as a LGBTQ counselor either in a social work or higher education setting, with time and service also devoted to the aging population. 

I am currently using my education as well at the college for whom I work. I serve on the Anti-Racist Initiative Leadership Team, work as a Fellow for the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (a group that teaches people how to facilitate civil conversations around polarizing topics), and work as a Holistic Adviser to freshmen, transfer, and international students. 

If you're curious to learn more about the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative, please visit the  website here.

An interesting fact about myself is that I am a calligrapher. I studied calligraphy when I was young, and the art form just stuck with me. Though I am an advocate for online communication because of its accessibility and speed, I take time to practice the art of physical handwriting not only to preserve something of historical value, but also because it gives me a sense of calm when creating. 

This is a picture of a large project I did some time ago, a Quaker Wedding Certificate: 

I look forward to hearing from my classmates, and reading the various blog posts written over the course of this semester! 

-Heidi