Why?

I've been asked this question lots of times by lots of people since I started the application process for the Peace Corps last May.

Here's the short answer:  There aren't a lot of teaching jobs, it's something I've wanted to do for a long time, and this is the time to do it (right after grad school).


The long answer takes a little more explaining...
I think the idea of joining the Peace Corps must have started when I studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa during the spring of my sophomore year.  The program I participated in was unique in that each student had an internship three days per week, which allowed us to participate in the community and city in which we lived.  I was lucky enough to intern at Christel House South Africa, a school set up by a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to "helping children around the world break the cycle of poverty."  What many people do not understand is that while apartheid as a government policy is no longer in place in South Africa, the people are in no way living in "equal" conditions.  Many of the non-white citizens of South Africa still live in townships, which are informal settlements outside of the city.  The children in these townships do not have adequate food, sanitation, or health care.  Christel House gives many of these children a top-notch free, private education as well as 2 meals per day, school uniforms, school supplies, medical care, and transportation to and from school.  I absolutely loved working at the school as an intern and getting to spend time with the students, teachers, and staff.  This gave me a firsthand glimpse of a way that I could use my passion for working with children and desire to help others in a non-traditional way.  I had wanted to be a teacher for a long time, but I had never really thought about traveling and working in other countries until my experience in Cape Town at Christel House.  In addition to the internship, I also loved experiencing and becoming immersed in another culture.  It made every day a new adventure and learning experience.  I had definitely caught the travel bug!

After I returned from Cape Town, it took a long time for me to wrap my head around the impact that the experience had on me.  However, I knew right away that there was an impact.  I looked at my peers in my education classes (I had begun taking classes in my major during my junior year), and realized how much the experience had forever changed the lens through which I viewed the world.

My friend Josh, that year, asked me to chaperone a trip he was leading to work with an organization called Simply Smiles in Oaxaca, Mexico.  I had heard a lot about the organization and decided to go for it, even though it meant missing classes for a week.  After one trip, I was hooked and returned twice more after that.  While in Mexico, I was lucky enough to do things like play and do art projects with children at a children's home,  build a house for a woman who makes her living finding recyclables in the city dump, and distribute monthly food packages to thousands of starving people living in the jungle. 

The things that I learned during these trips and from working with the Simply Smiles staff, Bryan Nurnberger, Pete Allen, and Kristen Graves, have really impacted the way I view my interactions with others whom I am helping.  Simply Smiles' work is about building relationships with the people they help and improving their lives in a respectful, dignity-building way.  When I was asked to write my "aspiration statement" upon being accepted into the Peace Corps, I wrote about a lot of these same ideas.  In addition, Christel House's core belief that education is the best way to break the cycle of poverty is something that I will always believe.

I think that my experiences working at Christel House South Africa and with Simply Smiles in Mexico and their impact on my life have led to my decision to join the Peace Corps.  I hope that everything I have learned from these places and people will help me to be a successful Peace Corps volunteer!  

Dispatch Concert

Yesterday I went with Jillian, Stacy, Chelsea, Josh, and Jeremy to a Dispatch concert in New Jersey at the Red Bull arena.  We were right in the front, and the show was great!

The Boys

The Girls

Opening Act: Blue King Brown (from Australia)

Dispatch! (notice how close we were to the stage!)

at the end they sang from the top of the stadium and then ziplined down to the stage--CRAZY!

Saying Goodbye

This week, I went out to lunch with my friend Allie from school and had to say goodbye to her.  She was the first good friend that I've had to say goodbye to, and it's made me start thinking a lot about the next couple of years.  Allie's getting married this summer, and it's made me think about how much will probably happen in the next 2 years.  I'm sure some of my friends will be doing exciting things like getting new jobs, getting engaged, getting married, having kids (maybe), and moving to new places.  It's definitely going to be difficult being away while all of this is happening. 

I've had numerous dreams recently about the Peace Corps.  In one of them, I woke up and had to leave for the airport and was not packed yet.  In a recurring dream (more like a nightmare), I come home and all of my friends are gone or do not remember me.  Although that dream scares me a little, I have spent enough time with my good friends recently to realize that there's no chance that would happen.  Some of them have talked about coming to visit me, and they have been so supportive that I know they're not going anywhere. 

Now that subbing is over (yay!), I finally have time to start preparing to leave.  I borrowed a couple of Spanish learning CDs from the library, and unfortunately (or fortunately) they are at too low of a level for me.  Maybe I'll just start watching Spanish soap operas on tv :-) 

I had my last SLCC Board of Directors meeting last night, and I'm planning on heading up to the lake one more time before I leave.  It's definitely going to be hard to say goodbye and leave behind one of my favorite places in the world where I've met all of my very best friends, but luckily I know it's not going anywhere.  I know that all of the skills I've learned in my 7 summers there will be put to good use in Honduras!

I have been driving all over the place and making tons of plans with people to make sure I can say goodbye to everyone...so make sure you contact me so we can get together and I can say my goodbyes before I leave on July 6th!

Less than a month away!

I'm leaving in less than a month, and I can't believe it!  I've been feeling a little stressed because subbing has kept me busy for the past few weeks, and I haven't been doing much to prepare.  However, there are only 2 1/2 days left of school (thank goodness!), so I'll be having a lot more free time soon.  So far I've bought some clothes, signed the forms to give my mom power of attorney over me (so she can handle taxes and other things while I'm gone), and I just booked my flight down to Washington D.C. for staging on July 6th.  Staging is the last phase of preparation before heading down to Honduras.  We have a whole afternoon and evening of training and leave for Honduras on the 7th.

Things to look forward to before then:

• The last day of school!!!
• Shopping for more things that I need before I leave
• Dispatch concert in New Jersey next weekend
• My brother's high school graduation
• James Taylor concert at Tanglewood on the 4th of July!!!!

Hope everyone's staying cool!  I'm doing my best to get used to the heat because I realized it will be like this all year round when I get to Honduras!

Top Ten: Lessons Learned While Subbing in 7th Grade

I had a great Memorial Day weekend by the beach with good friends.  I've got the sunburn to prove it. Today was day 6 of subbing for 7th grade math, and it looks like I'll be in there until the end of the school year (8 1/2 days and counting...). They have had a lot of different subs in the past couple months, and apparently I've done the best job keeping them under control, so they're keeping me there.

Funny and so true.  Especially since I haven't had much experience with middle schoolers.

I've learned a lot, so I've decided to come up with the top 10 things that I've learned. Maybe top 10 lists will become a recurring theme for this blog...we shall see!

Here we go...

10. Say "please." Saying, "Please put the cell phone away," or, "Sit down, please," usually works better than yelling, "Put it away!" or "Get in your seat!"

9. Try to teach them something.  Even if you can just teach the few kids who will listen to you, it will at least make you feel like you accomplished something.

8. They will not walk in a line.  Getting them anywhere is like herding sheep.  Watch out for stragglers.

7. If you sneak up quietly enough, you can grab their cell phone/iPod/DS out of their hands before they can pull it away.  Also important to wear clothes with pockets so there is somewhere to store all of these devices.

6. When in doubt, stand by the door so they can't run.  I'm serious about this one.  Apparently I am very skilled at keeping the kids in the room (according to the other teachers, secretary, behavior managers, etc.)

5. Choose your battles wisely.  Running around the room and throwing things is worse than staying in your seat and listening to an iPod.  Sometimes it's just not worth the struggle.

4. Don't turn your back.  Crazy things can and will happen.  I would prefer not to give examples for this one.  Just trust me.


3. They'll do anything for candy.  Even math problems...imagine that!

2. Don't take it personally.  They're seventh graders.  Who cares what they think about you?  Don't let them make you cry. (I have been told that they have made many other subs/teachers cry)

1. As they get to know you better, things get easier.  Once they realize you won't give up on them, it gets better.  You have to earn their respect.


We learned a lot about resiliency in my seminar class this past year, and I am happy to say that my resiliency is at an all time high! :-)