eye-opening experience

The Promise Retreat to Rocky Gap could be described as tremendous learning experience for me, not only because of the outdoor activities, but also for the opportunity to meet and interact with students of various majors and cultural backgrounds. If I were to look back 4-5 years and ask myself whether or not I could see myself attending a weekend where I am in an unfamiliar atomosphere with individuals that I have never met before, I would probably have declined to attend. In the begining I was reluctant to attend, given the circumstances I previously mentioned, however I received so much positive feedback from those who had previously attended, which assisted in my decision to attend. I can safely say I enjoyed every moment of the retreat. Each outodoor activity, conversation, and social interaction was an opportunity for me to step outside of my comfort zone and expand my experiences. It also provided an atomosphere that allowed us to take a break from our studies, share experiences and network with fellow students that are going through the same proces (PhD/graduate studies), which was very theraputic and beneficial for me. I only hope to be able to attend further retreats by the Promise program. Thank you for this opportunity

Carlton Marshall

Hi!
I just want to thank everyone for the great weekend at Rocky gap (even if it is a little late)
I had so much fun and it was a wonderful experience meeting you all!
It is good to know that if something happens we know what to do and not to panic in order to survive.
Again thanks again
A big hug to all of you
Nanda

wonderful experience

Hi
The Promise retreat'09 was a great experience and a good way to connect with other graduate students .It was a welcome break from the everyday routine of studying ,TA work or research and as a first year student it was very encouraging to meet other people who are going through the same things as me. A big THANK you to the organizers :) .

DIssertation House

Participating in the Dissertation House gave me a better perspective on the dissertation process. It was encouraging to see so many of my colleagues motivated to finish...by any means necessary. Dr. Carter imparted valuable knowledge to us all and gave us the encouragement and advice we needed to press on...15 min at a time.

Promise 2009 - Learning basics on survival

We learned the four basic priorities in a survival scenario. These are how to get Shelter, Water, Fire and Food. Learning what's what we should care for and what are the priorities will maximize your chances of success in a outdoors survival scenario . In the same way, in the day to day problems, being able to identify what are your real needs and what is the relative importance of each problem will maximize your chances of success too!

Rocky Gap- wonderful trip

I just wanted to thank the PROMISE staff and all those who made this experience possible. The trip was a great way to detox from all school related matters and meet others who are feeling a little demotivated from graduate work too. It is great to know I am not alone in that aspect. I really enjoyed networking and spending time with so many talented people. I will never forget the discussion about fungi in the Sahara desert during dinner. I hope that the PROMISE group will continue its mission and offer similar programs in the future. I know a lot of people felt they really benefited from this experience.

Warmest Regards
AC

This is living

The PROMISE retreat was exactly what I needed: an opportunity to work effectively with my Dissertation House coach and peers' help, to have fun with and catch up with people I hadn't seen in forever (or with new friends that I'd just met), and to get away to a beautiful place and eat regular, balanced meals and get up on time. Lol.

The Joy of Learning

Rocky Gap was nothing short of amazing from start to finish. Not only was the retreat just good ol' fun, this retreat also brought out the kid in me. Do you remember being a child and when you did something that was great, you couldn't wait to go home to show/tell someone? That was the feeling I had at this retreat. As soon as I got a moment, I ran back to my room to call my parents to tell them all the cool things I had experienced.

While the excitement of the program is worth mentioning, excitement always fades but a life lesson stays with a person forever. My Rocky Gap life lesson was simply learning is fun and learning is a choice. Sometimes we all get so tired of reading, writing, researching, studying etc. As a result, we try to breeze though our program and adopt a "get it done" attitude without enjoying the process of learning. Or we may get frustrated which also takes away from the joy of learning. Just as acquiring a new skill can be a challenge, mastering that same skill provides a sense of accomplishment. We do have a choice, we can get mad at the process and dread every moment, or we can relish in the joy associated with learning as well as the power of accomplishment.

Thanks to everyone who in one way or another made this retreat special. I hope to see you at future events.

Danielle Jolly

An experience at Rocky Gap

As with many students, the stress of going trying to obtain a graduate degree can be overwhelming and you may feel isolated and alone in all your struggles.

I was near a stress point when I found out about the retreat and knew I had to go. Though at first leery about participating in an outdoors survival type course( in this weather??) I soon found that the skills that I learned were not only practical, but strangely empowering!

The other benefit was meeting and interacting with students from across disciplines, cultures, and stages in their graduate careers. It helped me both mentally and emotionally at a times I may have needed it the most.

Therefore, I truly appreciated my experience at the PROMISE student retreat and want to thank all the staff, outdoor coordinators, and people whom I met that weekend for giving me a breather and new inspiration!

A Wonderful Experience!

What a wonderful experience to get away from it all and at the same time make significant progress towards writing my proposal defense. No "What's for dinner, Mom?" or other distractions. Just Dr. Carter's "Get your butt moving, Susan!" (I can deal with that!) I feel privileged to have been invited to participate in such a community-oriented event. One of the biggest mistakes I've made since I've entered my PhD program is isolating myself. That's just how I am, but it's not the way to make progress in this particular situation. I came away with new friends and a "writing buddy." And I really feel that there are people who will be there for me throughout the remainder of my time pursuing my degree. Thank you sooooo much! I hope to give back to the PROMISE program in some way, some day, whether it's my time or a financial contribution.

Dissertation House

The Promise retreat was amazing and productive...providing the much needed time, resources,space and support to work on completing dissertation goals.

Dr. Tull, Dr. Carter, and Gloria, I cannot begin to thank you enough for absolutely everything that you did to make it possible to be there!!
You are incredible and inspirational!!

PS Writing blessings to all of the dissertation house family & best wishes to everyone at Promise!

Thank you for the great time at the Rocky Gap Retreat!

Thank you for the great time at the Rocky Gap Retreat!

This weekend was excellent and helped me to refocus on my dissertation. Thanks so much for providing great accommodations and the opportunity to focus on my dissertation, meet with my advisor, spend time with friends and make new friends. Thanks Dr. Tull, and Gloria, Dr. Carter and all others for making Rocky Gap possible.

Promise Retreat

The retreat was a very inspiring and empowering experience. I enjoyed learning all the outdoor survival skills. I believe they that I will need at least one of the skills in the future. The Polar Bears were a fun group to work with and we work so well together. The most empowering station was around shelter. It took me back to my childhood days when I used to play in the mud. Johanna, Barbara and myself collected leaves, brush and branches, while the rest of the team laid the foundation for the shelter. It was truly amazing to see the end result and what can happen when people are allowed to move in their natural talents. I love the nature and the outdoors, it was the first time that cooked on a rock and I see that it is very effective. I had fun meeting students from all over the world in various disciplines. I was inspired by them to keep moving forward toward higher educational goals. Thank you, Dr. Tull and other staff for all your hard work

Hello all,

I am so glad and refreshed after going to the retreat. It was amazing.
The week after the retreat had been very severe for me, and I was having quite a difficult time. It was truly a blessing to find myself amongst such great people, and to find that I was assigned an angel for roommate (Patricia from UMBC). I am not much of a writer, so I will be brief, but I wanted to thank Dr. Tull, and Gloria for organizing such a wonderful activity. I am much refreshed and ready to continue the battle for my dreams.

Thanks to all,

Serenella

Dissertation House and More

Dissertation House was nothing short of a blessing!! I came to Rocky Gap with an idea for my dissertation, but no research question, no hypothesis and no direction. By the time the weekend was over, I formulated a research question, developed two hypotheses, started working on my problem section and found direction (due to my discussions with Dr. Carter). Although I greatly appreciate the progress I made with my dissertation, I am equally grateful for the time I spent interacting with fellow members of PROMISE. Talking with Dissertation House participants about their research and anticipated graduation was inspirational. Thanks to all of you, my “I think I can” attitude towards the completion of my dissertation has changed to “I know I can”. In addition, the conversations and laughter I shared with old and new PROMISE friends was a much-needed stress relief.

Dr. Tull and Dr. Carter, thank you for the Rocky Gap experience!!

The promise of PROMISE

The PROMISE family just returned from another wonderful session at Rocky GAP. I know all of us have shared in the creation of some amazing memories. I wanted to start a small thread on people's view of the PROMISE program.

Personally I view the program as more than just retreats and the chance to get together. The program carries with it a sense of belonging. It gives hope that "we will never walk alone" in the graduate school career we have chosen.

Videos and photos/Melissa Browning

Great Time at the Rocky Gap Retreat

I had a wonderful and productive time at the Rocky Gap Retreat this past weekend. I participated in the Dissertation House (DH) and finished a poster that I will present at a conference next week. I received feedback on my research from my fellow DH participants, and good advice from the Dissertation Coach, Dr. Carter. I enjoyed spending time with my old PROMISE friends and making new ones. Thanks Dr. Tull, Gloria, Dr. Carter and everyone else involved in making this retreat possible.

Dissertation House

This weekend was excellent. Thanks so much for providing great accommodations and the opportunity to focus on my dissertation for the whole weekend. Dr. Carter, as always, you are the best!