Please read this San Angelo Standard-Timesarticle about my grad school classmate who asks for us to donate in the wake of the Nepal earthquake (in which I’m also quoted)
Throwback: Decade ago when we were awarded with our ASU grad scholarships
Here are throwbacks from celebrating Cinco de Mayo Fiesta when I was teaching en el Valle
Our Lady of Guadalupe (Suegra) * Peace bracelet (Nanay), St. Benedict & Puerto Rico jewelry (Brunos) * St. Pope John Paul II Cross (yours truly) * St. Pope JP2 Rosary (Joe) * Straight from the Heart: A Prayer Companion (Vince) * St. Agnes Church Cross (Sis) * Deuteronomy Cross & Philippians 4:13 Ichthus (Tita Brenda)
Hello Kitty in purple and pink match OLG from México wrapping
Plus, my family and I visited St. Agnes Catholic Church in Terlingua, Texas.
St. Agnes Catholic Church (Terlingua, TX)
Here is a prayer that my Pinoy boy Vince wrote for me:
LORD ~ Give me the ability to maximize the gifts you have blessed me with. Let me have the vision, the discipline, the commitment, just a little bit of habit that gets me from talking about where I’m being, to actually living it. AMEN.
St. Agnes Catholic Church ☼sunset☼
For me, GOD has graced me with my most memorable birthday to date!
Thanks to the Reverend Doctor King, whose quotes you can find on my FB Fan Page, our world is more open to diversity to this day. Many of us have opportunities to offer our gifts from GOD and learn more about others’ cultures because MLK’s message continues to resonate…
One of GOD’s gifts that I offered was at Church this past weekend. That was when I was lector for the first time at my parish. The good LORDgave me strength as I stood before our congregation and proclaimed His Word from the Books of Isaiah and First Corinthians, as well as Psalm 40. Thank GOD for using me as His servant and instrument to speak through Him.
Also, thanks to GOD, I keep making progress with my dissertation study. Now that I may have an adequate amount of NCAA schools in Texas from whom I have approval to recruit student-athletes to participate in my research, my next step is to acquire approval from the my school, OLLU’s Institutional Review Board. All I can do is move forward…
Another way to move forward is to keep moving! There are plenty of ways to stay Pretty Fit, as I’ve recommended on the app. Even while you’re about to eat and waiting for your meal to be ready, you can stay on-the-move and in-the-groove! With Heart Disease Awareness and Black Heritage/History month coming up in February…
~*~ Happy 85th Birthday to the Late & Great REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. ~*~
Our world most certainly has come a long way since the death of MLK over 45 years ago, and his legacy lives on. Now we’re a more integrated and global. Thanks to Dr. King’s dream of GOD’s people appreciating, welcoming and embracing diversity, those of us out there who are living in that vision are more open-minded to other cultures.
Throughout the Reverend King’s Birthday week and Martin Luther King Day and week, I’m posting quotes from this legendary advocate on Elaine Dispo – Rant Sports. Another relevant philosophy that I wish to draw to your attention comes from John 13:34-35:
… Love one another. As I have loved you…
Let us love GOD, His creatures and ourselves. With Valentine’s Day on the way in less than a month, I’ve encouraged my Pretty Fitstersto love themselves and those under their care.
Here, I discuss the importance of living the Pretty Fit Way, which comes from leading a healthy and happy lifestyle for ourselves and our children. That being said, we must not consider exercise as a chore (here’s an idea: dance cardioduring your chores), but rather, as an activity that we enjoy. Of course, the same goes for our kids, so we want them to choose workouts that they look forward to doing.
My GODdaughter Reyanna the Birthday Girl and I about to workout with her Zumba game on the Wii
When I mention our loved ones, I’m not just extending them to people, but to our own animal companions as well. For those of us who are pet parents, if we want our fun, furry, fuzzy family and friends to live long lives, then we also must ensure that they have health. I’ve had health scares for my big, almost eight-year-old cat, Asia, for the past few years. Exactly two weeks ago today, on New Year’s Day, I found our latest one (a growth on her front right paw), Upon taking her to her and my little sweet Annie’s clinic — Windmill Animal Hospital (which I consider as the BEST animal healthcareever) — Dr. Price concluded that Asia’s condition (corn) came from being overweight and prescribed her this metabolic diet for her to shed pounds without deprivation.
Asia‘s latest doctor’s visit
Therefore, I have that typical New Year’s Resolution: to lose weight — not for myself, but for my older cat! Now this goal isn’t some form of vanity; it instead very much is an effort to lead her to a more active healthy life. Despite my disappointment in Asia’s sedentary nature and failed attempts to get her to exercise, Dr. Price pointed out that she may not be as playful as Annie because of her extra body mass preventing her from that ability, not necessarily resulting from an unwillingness. Since my Double A-Team can’t verbally voice their desires, I must look out for their best interest without them telling me.
Looks like Annie wants the diet more than Asia does
Meanwhile, one way that I’m taking care of myself is by making progress with my dissertation. If any of you are connected with college administrators in the state of Texas, please network them to me as I’m seeking approval from NCAA-affiliated schools to recruit participants in my research. For my study, I plan to survey student-athletes, so here is my memo below:
To: College Administration
From: Elaine J. Dispo
Date: January 1, 2014
RE: Approval to Recruit Participants
My name is Elaine Dispo, and I am a Ph.D. candidate at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU). I am seeking to
recruit student-athletes to participate in my dissertation study, The Relationships between Student-Athletes’ Perceptions of Their Intercollegiate Coaches’ Leadership Practices and Student-Athletes’ Satisfaction, Athletic and Academic Performance.
Participation is completely voluntary, and participants are free to stop participation at any time. All data collected
will be anonymous and confidential. Participant data will be coded such that individual identifications to particular
persons, teams or schools will not be possible.
Please sign this memo below indicating your approval to recruit your student athletes, upon approval of OLLU’s
Institutional Review Board. Thank you for your consideration.
__ I agree to allow Elaine J. Dispo, Ph.D. Candidate at Our Lady of the Lake University, to recruit our studentathletes,
to fulfill part of her measurements for her dissertation research, upon approval of OLLU’s IRB.
Thank you for any of your help, tips and references. May we make 2014 our year!!!
3:33 ~ make a wish!!!
†R.I.P., Savannah Elizabeth, on her One-Year Anniversary†
Now that my blog for Rant Sportsis in full swing, I seriously must get on the ball with my dissertation. As a Ph.D. candidate who completed my comprehensive exams and doctoral coursework last year, I’m ABD (All But Dissertation). If any of you who read this have achieved an ultimate dream like finishing your terminal degree, your suggestions on time management for me to become Doctor would be greatly appreciated.
When I taught at South Texas College, I asked two of my colleagues for the keys to them unlocking their goal of graduating with their doctorate. Theirs were:
Perseverance ~ Dr. Rosalinda Cantú
Endurance ~ Dr. Roksana Alavi
Dr. Cantú was my former boss for our Communication Arts department, and Dr. Alavi was my next-door office neighbor who also used her “endurance” when she happened to run one of the same races with me, the Fiesta 5K, back in 2009. Even though we’ve gone our separate ways since then, these two mentors’ messages still resonate in my mind as I muster up my focus.
Another South Texas colleague, who I would fondly call “Thaddeus,” as he was named after St. Jude and with whom I was connected because he was also in his 20s when he went through grad school for his doctoral program, also gave me these two-cents that are worth abundantly more:
We all have our own crosses to bear ~ Dr. George Thaddeus Díaz
My Pinoy friend, Sammy Antonio, who is from my father’s province and now lives in the RGV after teaching at Pangasinan State University, provided me with this advice, as his wife is also pursuing her Ph.D.:
You will hitch your wagon to the stars. * ~ Professor Sammy Antonio
Meanwhile, I pass along to you my freshest Dallas MavericksHoop Scoops and more NFL and college footballBall Calls — lucky “No. 13” since my last post:
Welcome/Mabuhay/¡Biénvenidos! I am a USAF brat who was born in Germany and grew up State-side while celebrating my Catholic and Filipino heritage. ☼Sunny☼ DISPOsition Elaine’s Eye Candy/DISPhotos ~ I love GOD & His creations, so I take photos @ any given opportunity. Elaine DISPOrts ~ I am passionate about sports, which is my research focus on my ... Continue reading →
The Elaine Dispo Journal 