Making a Difference

Every year on New Years I set goals for myself, but I do not always reach them. Do you know what goals are? No, not the kid you score in football or rugby. They are instead something that you work at to achieve. We have been learning about the Pt. England Way, teaching about yourself, how you can help others, and how you can make a difference in the world.

I've decided to set three goals for myself. These goals are going to reflect the Pt. England Way!

1) Make a difference for myself: RUN!

When I was in high school, I ran everyday. Since I came to Furman I have not been running a lot. I want to get back into it to keep myself healthy and to spend more time outdoors in nature. If I had a buddy, it would be a great way to spend time with my friends also.

2) Making a difference for others: Be a friend to others!

I care about people. I want my friends to be happy and healthy. I want this goal to be to be there for my friends through anything.

3) Making a difference in the world: Volunteer!

I have been lucky because I have so many opportunities, or surroundings that allow me try new things. There are some places in the world and in our communities that children do not. I want to help these children in anyway I can. Whether it is offering a smile or planting a garden.

This is a little boy from the Dominican Republic.
It is country that is an island and it has a lot of poverty.

Another friend from the Dominican Republic.

To finish off this post, I would like to quote the President, or leader, of the United States, Barak Obama. "Be the change you want to see in the world."





Also here is a song by my favorite band about making a difference. It's called "Difference Maker."

All About My Community

I am from a city named Greenville. It is in South Carolina. I have lived here my entire life and I have seen it grow so much. I now never want to leave!

Greenville is highlighted in red.

South Carolina was originally settled by the English in 1663. Greenville used to be a cotton mill town. This means that there were lots of factories where they make fabric. Now Greenville is known for being a fun place to visit and live.

This is an old mill that is still in Greenville.

Greenville is in the foothills of the mountains of South Carolina in a mountain range called the Appalachian Mountains. (That means that we are near the Appalachian Mountains.)

The Appalachian Mountain stretch all the way up the eastern side of the United States.

Greenville has temperate climate. This means that we have four seasons, summer, fall, winter, and spring. During the winter it gets cold but it does not snow too much. (We did have snow this week!) During the summer it gets hot but it a fun time to go to the lake and swim.

This is Zoe in the snow. She loves playing in it

Lily loves playing outside during the summer

One of my favorite places in Greenville is downtown. We have a pretty park called Falls Park. There is a bridge over a water fall which is part of the Reedy River. This river runs through Greenville. During the summer there are outdoor plays in the park and it is a pretty place to go and relax.

This is the waterfall in Falls Park

Here is a video that shows you around Greenville. You can see how pretty everything is.

I am a student at Furman University which is also in Greenville. It was founded in 1862. We are the oldest private university in South Carolina. It has a beautiful campus. One of my favorite places on campus is by our lake. I like to go read by the lake on a pretty day or go for a run around the lake.

This is the Furman lake known as Swan Lake.

That is just a little about my community! I cannot wait to learn all about yours.

All About Me!

I'm Madeline Marguerite Gentry

but I go by the nickname Maddy!

That's me!

I am a tall, 20 years-old. I love smiling and making people laugh. 

I'm from Greenville, SC. It is in the South-Eastern part of the United States. It is a small city but it's home to me. My school Furman University is also in Greenville. Furman is about 25 minutes away from my house. I am working towards being an elementary school teacher. Greenville is a fun place to go out to dinner and hang out downtown in the park. 

Greenville is located on the North-Western side of the state.

This is downtown Greenville, SC.

My family is made up of five people and two dogs. I have an older sister, who is 22 years-old, named Tory and a younger brother, who is 16 years old, name Worth. My mom is named Mary and my dad is named Ted. I have a golden retriever and golden lab mixed dog named Lily. She is 13 years-old. I also have golden doodle named Zoë. She is 6 years-old. 

That's my brother, sister, and me!

I love spending time with my family. Every time I go home it feels like I never left. While I was in middle and high school we took big family vacations and it gave me the chance to travel. I have some of my favorite memories from these trips. 

This is my family from when I graduated high school.

That's Lily underneath Zoë.

I love both my dogs. They are big goofballs and they are cute to have around. Whenever I go home they act like they haven't seen me in ages. 

This is my siblings, my dogs, and me.

I play the flute for fun. I also enjoy running and listening to music. My favorite band in NEEDTOBREATHE and I love country music. I also like listening to musical soundtracks. I also like spending time with my friends. We watch movies together and talk about what is going on in our lives.

These are some of my friends.

This is my best friend Ava. 

This is my favorite song by NEEDTOBREATHE. It's called "Drive All Night."

This is me playing my flute!

This is just a little about me and I cannot wait to learn more about you!