Here is a fun Tag that I saw on my friend Bethany's website and since I'm at work counting down the hours until I leave for California I thought, "Why not?".

20 years ago:

I'm with Bethany on this one...it's hard to believe I am old enough to go back that far. If I remember correctly 20 years ago I was living in Tuscon, AZ and just finishing up the 4th grade. I don't remember my teachers name but I do remember that I loved playing tether ball and jump rope at recess. My best friends were Jenny and Erica Maddox and it seems like I was always over at their house. The funny thing is that all of us now live in the Phoenix area. As a matter of fact my mom and I were just at their parents house last weekend and I got to see Erica and her cute girls. I believe sometime in June of that year our family moved to Mission Viejo, CA when my Dad took a job with the GAP.

10 Years ago:

May 1998...I was living in West Jordan, UT with my aunt and uncle Jack and Kelly Barlow. I was working for KinderCare Learning Center in West Valley as a preschool teacher and had just accepted the position of center team leader and took over the Kindergarten classroom. I sure had a lot of fun with those kids.

5 Years ago:

I was living in Logan, UT going to Utah State University. I had just finished my first year as a music major and was loving it. That summer I moved home to Draper, UT where my parents were living and I did two musicals that summer. I was in Brigadoon with West Jordan Community Theater and Carousel with Murray Arts Council. I made some wonderful friends and had SO much fun that summer.

2 Years ago:

I decided to do two years ago instead of three since it was a bigger milestone for me. I had just graduated from Utah State with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. I had been accepted to Arizona State University to pursue a Masters of Music in Opera Performance and so I decided to move to Arizona early and accept an internship teaching music at a summer camp in south Phoenix. I lived with my cousin Elisia and had a blast playing with her cute kids that summer. We swam a lot and even took a really fun trip to CA.

1 Year ago:

I had just finished the first year of my masters and it had been a really great year. There were a lot of difficult things that happened around this time last year but I learned a lot about myself in the process. Last year in May I also auditioned for Footloose at Hale Centre Theatre and got cast as Ethel. I had SO much fun doing that show and made some wonderful friends. I can't wait to do another show with them. From what I understand their next season is full of shows I have been dying to audition for. I'll keep you posted!

Yesterday:

Yesterday I worked until about noon and then I met one of my dear friends from the Footloose cast for a long overdue lunch. Jenn and I have been trying to do lunch for almost a year but our schedules have been SO crazy we haven't been able to do it. I just love her. She is SO sweet and and fun to be around. Plus she is an incredibly talented actress and singer. I hope we get to do another show together soon. After lunch I went to Wal-Mart to get a few things for my trip to CA and then went home to do some laundry and pack. Last night Bud and I went to the temple to do a session and then watched the results show for American Idol. Will it be David or....David? Guess we'll find out next week.

Today:

Hooray! I'm only working until noon and then Bud and I are off to CA for five days of fun and family. We are staying with my parents for two nights and then we are going down to San Diego to visit his family. Should be fun!

Tomorrow:

Tomorrow we are going to Six Flags Magic Mountain in L.A. I'm really excited! I've never been before and I've always wanted to go. There are a ton of intense roller coasters so it should be pretty fun. Saturday we are going to San Diego to visit Bud's family. He is speaking at his nephew's baptism and then they are having a family BBQ. Later that afternoon we are going to do a session at the SD Temple and then he mentioned going down to La Jolla Cove to walk around. I ready for a vacation that's for sure.

This Year:

I honestly don't know what this year holds for me. I'm currently looking for a job now that I've graduated and I'd like to find something as either an Administrative Assistant or Office Manager. I need real income and benefits! I will be house sitting for my choir director in June and July while he is gone to Maine with his family conducting some performances. It's great for me because I get free rent and a whole house to myself with a pool. Plus they are paying me $125 a week to take care of their pets. Not bad eh? At the end of July we're headed back to CA for a family reunion on the Badger side of the family. I'm excited to see all of my cousins and for my siblings to meet Bud. Everyone keeps asking me if we are getting married and...well...I guess you'll just have to wait and see. Let's just say that we are definitely headed down that path. ;)

Ok...that wasn't too exciting but kind of fun. If you have time in your busy schedule take a little trip down memory lane and share it with us.

Final Performance & Big Surprise

Saturday evening after graduation I had my final performance at ASU. I had the opportunity of playing the title role in Henry Purcell's Dido & Aeneas. It is a short one hour opera and the music is very beautiful. The best part was that I got to perform with some of my closest friends at ASU. Most of us entered the program at the same time and graduated on Thursday. It was really fun. Thank you to all who came out to see the show from my ward, from school and most especially to my family. The best part however was that my best friend Stephanie Zundel who I have known since she was 11 and I was 13 flew in from San Francisco to surprise me. She came to the performance and my mom brought her back stage after the show. I was SO surprised that I started crying. I just love that girl and it meant SO much that she would take time out of her schedule to come to AZ for a visit. She stayed until Sunday and went to church with me and everything. I am so grateful for her friendship. She has always been there for me and I know I can call her no matter what time it is . I love you Steph!

Jamilyn and I before the show (I played Dido and she played my handmaiden Belinda)

Nice aim girl

My lovely costume (It was kind of like an prom dress from the early 90s)

Putting Jamilyn's necklace on

Apparently we were photo happy before the show :)

Dr. Schildkret (Choral director and conductor of the performance) and I

Dido and the Evil Sorceress with Belinda peeking in to see what's going on

The Cast: Katy Olsen (Witch & Elf), Melissa Walker (Sorceress), Melissa Solomon (Witch), Ryan Keller (Aeneas), Me (Dido), Jamilyn White (Belinda)

This is right after Stephanie surprised me and we both had been crying (Love it!)

My wonderful family and friends: Uncle Kevin & Aunt Ginnie, Mom, Buddy, Me, Stephanie, Aunt Karen & Uncle Stephen.

The beautiful roses that Buddy gave me after the performance (what a sweetheart!)

A Moment of Pride

Ok...this may be lame to all of you but I can't help but gloat for just a second. Below are my grades for this semester and when I saw them I almost fell out of my chair. I got OVER a 4.0. What a way to end my graduate career! My over all cumulative was not too bad either. I was very happy...happy that I'm done!!! Woohoo! No more tests, papers and homework. Now time to join the real world. ;)

Arizona State University 2008 Spring Grade Report

Kimberly Badger

Graduate

• MTC 516- Baroque Music [A]
• MUP 511- Voice Lessons [A]
• MUP 551- Opera Repertoire [A+]
• MUP 552- Chamber Singers [A+]
• MUP 590- Vocal Coaching (Mills) [A]
• MUP 597- Solo Performance [A+]
• MUP 598- Vocal Coaching (Campbell) [A}

Semester Cumulative GPA: 4.120
Career Cumulative GPA: 3.930

Graduation!

Yes it's true, I finally graduated! I can't believe I'm actually done. I have been going to college since I graduated from high school in 1996. I know that seems like an eternity but I took a year off to work and save money for a mission and then two years off to serve a mission. After I came home the Lord decided that I need to go down a different path than the one I was currently on and that's when I became a music major. Crazy I know but I will be forever grateful for that change in course even thought I basically had to start over. These last seven years have been some of the most difficult and rewarding of my life. More importantly it was a journey to self-discovery which helped me to gain confidence in myself and in my testimony of the atonement. For that I will be forever grateful. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my family, friends and teachers who have believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself. Thank you for your support and encouragement and for sitting through all those long operas where you where wondering what the heck was going on. ;) Thank you for letting me follow my heart and my dreams. I have performed and traveled and met so many amazing people on this journey and I hope to continue to sing and perform in some capacity the rest of my life. I don't know what the next chapter of my life will hold for me but the one thing that I do know is that music will always be a part of my life. I want nothing more than to bring joy to others and to uplift through the gift of song. I feel so blessed to have been given this talent and I know that I never could have accomplished all that I have without the help of my loving Heavenly Father. He is trully generous and kind. My motto has been and will continue to be: "Dream big and sing loud!". Life sure is more fun that way. ;)


P.S. As a side note...I have made a tough decision and have decided not to go to Germany this summer. The tuition for the program was a lot more than I had anticipated and as I was looking for a summer job I realized that even though it would have been an incredible opportunity there was no way I was going to be able to cover the cost of the program even with help from family. I unfortunately lost my deposit because it was non-refundable but I feel really at peace with the decision that I made and know that it was right. Just thought I'd let you guys know the update.

Jamilyn and I before the ceremony

Now without the sunglasses

My dear friend Kaitlynn who graduated with her Bachelors in Music Theater. Look out Broadway this girl is AMAZING!

My friend Meredith who got her Masters in Music Theater

Processing into the Audotorium

Handing the reader my name card

Hugging my professors after the hooding ceremony

Walking off after receiving the diploma cover

My aunt Ginnie, my mom, me, Bud and my uncle Kevin after the ceremony (thanks for the beautiful lei mom!)

Me and Buddy

The happy graduate!

Dale (stage director and professor), me and Dr. Reber (Opera director)

Dr. Schildkret (my choir director) and I

Carole (my amazing and wonderful voice teacher) and I

Graduation Dinner

Mom threw me a graduation dinner at Olive Garden the evening of graduation. We didn't get many pictures but thank you so much to all who came. The food was yummy and the company even better!

Ok these two pictures are funny. In the first I have a weird look on my face and in the other one I'm not sure what Bud is looking at. :)

My sweet cousin Elisia and I (Thanks for the beautiful necklace Elisia!)

One final to go!

This picture describes exactly how I feel right now. There are exactly seven days left until graduation and only one final exam stands my way. I almost can't stand the thought of studying for the final because I just want to be done! It's hard for me to believe that I am actually graduating with my masters degree. And in music of all things! I never imagined that I would ever be where I am today and I have so many people to thank for helping me to get where I am. Thank you to all of my family and friends for believing in me even when I didn't believe in myself. To my amazing teachers and coaches for teaching me everything I know and to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such an amazing gift that I can share with others. I don't how much singing I will really do professionally after I graduate, it's a tough world to break into, but I know that music and performing will always be a huge part of my life and I wouldn't be happy without it. Many of you have asked what I will be doing after graduation. Right now my plan is to stay here in Arizona. I love the weather, I have great teachers and coaches I can work with, there are a many performing opportunities in the valley, and I have lots of family and friends here. I will be heading to Germany for the entire month of August to sing a role with the Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar. I am thrilled for the opportunity and will be spending my entire summer learning the role (it's very long) and working to save as much money as possible to pay for the trip. After I return I plan on getting a steady full-time job and possibly teaching voice on the side. I'd eventually like to transition into teaching privately full-time since I can make a lot more doing that but it takes some time to build up a studio and I need to be in a place where I can rent a piano. All in good time I suppose. More updates to come as things happen!