Here I am playing some Futball. This is my Saturday women's outdoor league, one of the five teams I'm currently playing with. I've been with the Predators for over three years and absolutely love them! This team is awesome, we play especially well together considering how long we've all known each other. We love each other so so so so so so so so so so so so much. Sometimes it may not be obvious considering we are a vocal bunch and like to "communicate" loudly often. This team ROCKS and I will continue to play with them as long as I can walk. :)

THE PREDATORS

We're pretty much amazing, the best that's ever been. Last season we moved up from the B-Division and were creamed every game! But this year we have rocked it like its 1999! The teams we played last year beat us like 5-1;we're now winning or tying every game. Heck yes! This is one experience in my life that proves if you keep on keeing on you'll get there. Now it's the A-Team's turn to come to the top! We Can Do It!

Check it out

These awesome pics of my team and I rocking the florescent green jerseys. NO NOAH I will not let you borrow it again, you got it dirty.

Project #3

Alright here we go...hold on. The A-Team came at this project like a whirling tornado of enthusiasm. We dove in, got our hands dirty and coordinated one freaking spectaculicious science camp. Here at our science camp the kids blew stuff up, raced solar cars and created some gross gooey slime that honestly I didn't understand their infatuation. The day was a hit. Not only did the kids leave with a kit that included fun inexpensive experiments to do at home but almost everyone left with a PRIZE! The prizes included Frisbees, baseball bats, Monopoly NBA boardgames and much much more. This was a special little extra something we were able to provide for our Dreamers thanks to our sponsors.

Our Dreamers

The kids were out of this world AAAAaaaaamazing. Many of our trained professionals (teachers) made comments on how well behaved our Dreamers were. These kids are something to talk about. We were so privileged to get to know them during and prior to Metro State Science Camp. Ben and Chris coached the kids to victory against the opposing Dreamer team. Cindy and I taught Jesus how to shoot a soccer ball. We came to find that the most effective learning style was hands on so we put Jesus in goal while Cindy and I shot at him. He handled the heat especially well and in turn truly learned a valuable lesson, don't let a couple of cute girls convince you to stand against a fence where they kick a ball as hard as they can at you. JK JK JK JK JK(just kidding) Anyway, this project by far takes the cake when it comes to projects. It was so much fun I don't even know where to start.

Metro State Science Camp

This camp was so cool simply because not many of these kids will ever be able to afford a Science Camp. So this may have been the one chance we had to get them excited about Science. The kids started their day breaking into teams where name tags were written and team t-shirts were given. Then they witnessed four pop bottles pumped full of Mentos and blown up! Kids love stuff that BLOWS UP! The kids were PUMPED and ready to learn. We had a total of 7 stations. The students rotated every 15 minutes. At our lunch break the students all guessed how many M&Ms were in a jar. The top three were awarded their prize at our award ceremony at the end of the day. Each kid left with a STEM Kit (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) which included tons of fun experiments like grow your own candy and make it rain in your kitchen.
I loved every minute with the Dreamers. The kids were outstanding and hilarious...shot out to William William, you rock buddy! This is an experience that has changed my life and I can't wait to spend more time with Erin and her class, influencing the Dreamer's lives.

Some Extra Jazz We Did On the Side

My team and I looked at our budget and decided that $100 is great and we can do a lot with it but what if we had more? So we hit up all of our awesome resources and went to town. We as a team raised a grand total of...........Dah Dah Dah Da....

$2,000

NO JOKE KIDS....NO JOKE

It was un-flipping believable. We had tons of supplies and prizes and toys and cash. So we looked at our resources and began to plan how to use the tools to best benefit the kids. We all put our heads together and realized, we had enough funding to buy STEVE SPANGLER'S ENTIRE Science line!! This was beyond cool because not only did the kids leave with over $700 worth of prizes but they will also be able to continue their new love for Science with Erin in their after school program. How cool is that?
We delivered the supplies to Erin this past Monday. She informed us that they have decided to run a Camp this summer and had no idea what to do for the Science section. This literally came at the perfect time. Not only did they have Chemistry Lab Kits, Air Bazookas but also two books that included step by step instructions to over 730 experiments on top of the Curriculum Binder we designed specifically for her class. We know that these kids won't be leaving with just the memories of a fun day at Metro but the tools to build their knowledge and excitement for a field that probably wouldn't have been available prior to our involvement.

Special Thanks To:

The Dreamers!!!!!

Erin Larrabee

Steve Spangler Science

Sports Authority

Mike McDonald with McDonald Automotive Group

Planet Honda

Don Jones with Air Ambulance Specialists, INC

Mike Braun with Quality Mechanical

Roger Mangan

Our Teachers Help

+Everyone that participated in helping us further the education of these Dreamers!

Project #2

El Centro Humanitario Para Los Trabajadores

This project was AWESOME! El Centro is a nonprofit organization that protects the rights of day laborers. Often the men work a full eight hour day for employers and do not receive wages. El Centro provides a set wage for each worker and a safe gathering place for them and their families. The men gather every morning with their families at El Centro. Over 95% of them are homeless. This community of laborers and families struggle to find permanent positions constantly. When we came to El Centro they expressed their dire need of tools to start their new training program for the men. This program would train the workers providing them with the necessary skills making them more marketable to employers. In turn put them in permanent positions and get them and their families off of the streets.


Our team decided to run a tool drive which is not as easy as it may seem. We utilized student activities and posted our drive to as many Auraria students as possible. We connected by the LED Board, Facebook, student email, flyers, a booth (that I'm sure many of you saw. I was the construction worker that many mistook for a lumber jack :) hee hee ha ha so funny)---I know that this is perfect ammo for Noah but I am going to post it any way. The drive ended up being a huge success. We collected roughly $3,000 worth of tools for El Centro. I was shocked at how many students wanted to be involved. It was touching to see how many people went out of their way to lug around heavy tools for this cause. It truly was inspiring.
Now to the disappointing part....Yes we lost- OK I've said it! To be perfectly honest, this was a hard one. Simply because tons of work and effort went into this project. After the presentations and the awards we delivered the tools to Harold, the project manager of El Centro. Harold met us at the door with a big smile and encouraging words. He thanked us for all of our efforts and emphasized the impact we made on their center. To hear that we didn't let them down, left me with a sense of peace. Cindy said it best, "Win or lose we made a difference in many people's lives and that in itself has been more than worth all of hard work and efforts."

Big Thanks to El Centro Humanitario!

- Harold Lasso
-Minsun Ji
-Jesus Orrantia
-Nancy Rosas
-Freddie Medina

Thank You to Everyone who Donated

You Totally ROCK!

Smart Meal Program: Project #1

Hey ya'll,
Blogging... o.k. I've never done this before but I think this is going to be a lot of fun! Yeah Blogging! Let's start off with....

Project Number One:

My team (The A-Team) had a blast with this project. We found ourselves eating wonderful food while enjoying the company of some fasinating hosts. As a team we signed one restaurant, Rosa Linda's Mexican Cafe. Oscar the "main man" was a real cool guy! He and his family were so excited to connect to one more part of their community.
I know that this program is going to be huge and I think it is doing an awesome job of assisting Denver in being a healthier city. From this point forward I'll be looking for the Smart Meal Seal and I encourage anyone who is interested in improving their healthy life style, to do the same.

Congratulations to the 5280 Closers! You may have won this battle but The A-Team will win the war! (Yea I know it's pretty lame but I really don't have anything better than that ;)

Thanks for checking out my blog and I am going to try my darnest to make it as exciting as possible for all of my fans.

Talk to you all soon
Kaleigh

My Bio

Kaleigh Braun

Name: Kaleigh

Hometown: Littleton

Major: Marketing

Favorite class: Western Civilization

Background:
I’ve been a Metro State student for a year and a half. I plan on graduating in the Spring of 2009 with a degree in marketing. Before Metro I completed my core classes at Arapahoe Community College where I was the only student to receive both the Mile-Hi Optimist Club of Denver and Arapahoe Sales Professionals scholarships. I also work for Vail Resorts as a sales representative and Starbucks Coffee Company as a shift manager. As a Colorado native, I grew up enjoying the outdoors and mountains by snowboarding, hiking and camping. The mountains are where I seek peace of mind from my busy schedule. I grew up the oldest of four and I truly enjoy my big family. Outside of work and school I try to stay active by playing soccer with a variety of recreational teams around Denver. Soccer is one of my passions where I’ve built solid relationships with outstanding people

Favorite quote:
“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; and the tree is the real thing.”
– Abraham Lincoln

Why are you excited about being part of “The Apprentice Challenge @ Metro State”:
I know that The Apprentice Challenge will allow me to gain experience while learning group dynamic. I’m excited about the skills this challenge will provide me for my future career.

Why I should win “The Apprentice Challenge @ Metro State”:
I have a competitive spirit and I love to be challenged. I am willing to venture outside of my comfort zone while applying my developed skills. I am flexible when faced with new and innovative ideas but still maintain my confidence and strong work ethic. I believe all of these attributes will build my character and my character is what will win me this competition.