Hi Everyone,
My name is Bridget Gavigan and I am 18 years old. I live on a farm 10km south of a small town called Pahiatua (which is about a 30 minute drive to Palmerston North over the Pahiatua Track). I have a lot of interests and hobbies which include; animals, hockey, swimming, rugby, weight lifting, horse riding and I would say that my 'unconventional' passion is definitely music.
Ever since I was young, I have wanted to study at Massey because that is where my Dad got his degree. On a home video we have video footage of me at aged 5 saying something along the lines of "I'm going to go to university and be a Zoo Keeper and look after the monkeys during the day then every night I'm going to play my guitar and sing to big crowds." I know that sounds like quite a profound thing for a 5 year old to say but I have always had big dreams and I have always stuck with what my little heart was set on.
I intend on either study a Bachelor of Science majoring in Zoology or study to become a Vet Nurse when I study full time next year. Whether I decided to go down the Zoology path or the Vet Nursing path, I think my 5 year old self would be proud (as long as I end up performing to big crowds at some stage of my life!)
My science interest comes in from my beautiful best friend Maddison who suffered from a genetic disease called Cystic Fibrosis and sadly passed away last year. Cystic Fibrosis attacks mostly your lungs but also the liver, pancreas, intestines and kidneys. It intrigued me as to how this disease was impacting her so since hanging out with her in hospital for years, I became a little sponge for anything to do with human or animal science.
My strengths as a communicator definitely include my ability to talk in front of crowds and not get nervous. I also think my ability to communicate my thoughts through writing and speech. My weakness is probably when I sit back when working in a group and let others make a decision that I don't totally agree with. I tend to do this because I'm quite a shy person (weird considering crowds don't make me nervous!) and I don't want to upset anyone or disrupt the dynamics of the group.
I had an idea that I would finish off my blogs with a quote that I found over the week that inspired me or made me think extensively about it.
"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." - Mahatma Gandhi
5 comments:
Hello Bridget,
I am so sorry to hear about the passing of your friend CF if a terrible illness. It's so nice to have you on our team, please don't hold back when we are talking, let loose and make your voice heard.
I look forward to working with a fellow farm girl!
thanks for sharing such a personal and private introduction with us.
Jade.
Hi Bridget,
Great introduction, nice to hear from you. It's great to hear that you're following in your Dad's footsteps and studying at Massey! My Gran used to work at the Massey library, and she got her degree when she was a bit older. She passed away some years ago now.
I'm so sorry to hear about your friend passing away from that horrible illness, cystic fibrosis. I saw on the news today that Countdown (of all places) has donated a new machine to help with diagnosing and treating the illness. It's called a "paediatric body plethysmograph". The first of its kind in New Zealand. I had a friend in high school with cystic fibrosis. He was a great dude. I haven't heard from him in a long time.
I understand what you mean when you talk about sitting back and letting others make decisions in a group situation. I'm a shy person as well.
Great to see we have another music lover in our group too. I have been in love with music since my early teens. Especially metal, now it's moved onto more progressive metal as my taste has developed.
Good to hear from you and I look forward to working with you all.
Shaun
Kia ora Bridget,
"Quiet people have the loudest minds" - Steven Hawking
When it comes to our group discussions, I'll be getting your opinion first!
Being in a group environment and communicating all ideas will be vital to our group pursuing and eventually obtaining excellence.
I am both sad and happy about your discovery of a passion for science. I look forward to seeing your name in the near future graduating the course and furthering your dreams.
Kia Kaha,
Nate
Hey Guys,
Thanks for your comments showing support! I look forward to working with you all this semester!
Nate, I 100% agree with the Steven Hawking quote! I think a lot more than I say!
Thanks!
Bridget
Hi Bridget,
Apologies for my late comment, I have been away with family for four days.
Firstly, what an awesome introduction, you kept it very informative while still being easy to read. Awesome to see you following the dreams of a 5 year old you and I'm sure 5 year old you will be proud.
Very sad to hear about your friend, but also very good to hear how it allowed you to form a passion, and a passion that will serve you well.
Please don't be shy within the group, join in with the chats and also make sure you voice your opinion. We all have to work together and that means all having input in order to move in the right direction as one. I tend to write a lot in our group chats (as you have probably noticed), so please feel free to join in.
Looking forward to working together within this group!
Ryan
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