Ngonya Tajong

I attended the PGCC vs. CCBC Catonsville Men's Basketball Game. My attendance was also a part of a team bonding exercise with the school's Men's Soccer team, which I was a part of. PGCC won against Catonsville 92-80. I think PG beat Catonsville thanks to their depth and consistency: they were able to defend, possess, and score regardless of who was on the court, allowing for constant rotation to preserve the players' energy all around. Catonsville was good as well, but they struggled with depth and needed certain players on the court for most of the game, i.e. number 5 and number 3. The boys played really well, and the game was surprisingly exciting as someone who does typically watch basketball.

Today, I attended the Fireside Chat on Generational Wealth. The seminar discussed investing and the stock market, delving into the intricacies of investing, how to begin investing, and the most efficient ways to navigate stocks. Learning about the potential for my wealth to grow was insightful and further developed my interest in investing (eventually).

I attended the Soft Skills webinar hosted by OWL Careers. The presentation taught about skills such as teamwork, communication, time management, creativity, and networking. I particularly appreciated learning about networking because I want to develop more connections that will support me in pursuing a career. I plan to attend the webinar on setting up a LinkedIn account on the 21st to learn how I can capitalize on the networking skills I was taught today.

I attended a Fireside Chat hosted by employees at PwC, who taught about the career of accounting and its opportunities. The Fireside Chat discussed topics such as AI, common misconceptions in accounting, and the breadth and flexibility of the field. I collected contact information from a few of the presenters—Frank Carrow and Alana Welch—and hope to connect with them again soon to assess internship opportunities within the firm.

I attended the October 24th Virtual Career and Internships Fair. I consulted two organizations for the Business & Entrepreneurship department: Rosyan Bookkeeping Services and CASH Campaign for Maryland. The CASH Campaign focuses more on tax writing for the community, while Rosyan offers more general financial services. With more insights on internships for my current career path, I feel more assured that I will acquire much-needed (and much-sought-after) experience.

I attended a seminar dubbed "Building Brand Recognition" sponsored by PGCC's Business and Entrepreneurship department. The speaker, Alexus Neidert, discussed how a brand is more than just a statement: it tells a story. She also explained how her passion for her job fueled her ambition and urged aspiring business owners to work because they love what they do, rather than for the potential money. The seminar was meaningful to me since I've been hoping to start my own "business" as a music producer.

I attended a Zoom call discussing tips to succeed in a virtual job interview, sponsored by OWL Careers. The call emphasized the importance of things that are often overlooked when you're behind a screen, such as having a completely organized space and dressing professionally from head to toe. It also reminded me of the upcoming Careers and Internships fairs, which will take place every Friday in October. I have plans to attend the fairs on the 24th and the 31st for business and social sciences, respectively.

Today, I attended the Owlapalooza end-of-semester celebration. One of my friends had performed for the audience with the stage name K.F.A. I also met a few new people, whose names are Mocha and Bushida. I played Jenga and Connect 4 with the both of them. I had a fun time at the event, but I lamented that it happened by the time most people were done with classes; it wasn't as lively as it could've been.

I found out that Promise covers three years of a student's tenure at PGCC rather than two. I was expecting to be dropped from the scholarship for my upcoming fifth semester, so it's nice to know that I can stay so long as I figure things out. I also learned how to log my hours on GivePulse properly.

I was invited to attend the PGCC Athletic Banquet for my time with their soccer team in the fall. Many of my teammates were also there, some receiving awards for their performances, academics, and discipline. I received an award for "academic excellence," given to athletes who achieve a 3.0 or higher during their season. I felt that the banquet was a nice way to close out my year of PG athletics, though I'm not particularly proud of my performances in the fall, as I only played a combined 54 minutes in the season. I will return much stronger next fall season and see myself playing far more often.