Six months in, and still going strong!
I can't believe it, my year of service with AmeriCorps*VISTA is halfway complete. It truly is amazing how much you can feel like you've changed in such a short period of time. I feel like an entirely different person than who I was when I started my journey here at Cedar Crest. I've made new friends, become comfortable in a completely new environment, and I've learned so much about myself in the process.
Upon starting my service at Cedar Crest, I was fresh out of college with little to no idea of what to expect. In college, I dedicated so much of my time and energy to my athletics, only to realize later that those memories would soon start becoming foggy and would even feel like they belonged in a previous life. While the experiences I had in college will stay with me and I will always look back on them fondly, I have grown to realize that those things show no sign of resurfacing. I have no future in rowing, but expect to continue challenging myself with new athletic endeavors and hope to be able to encourage others to make healthy choices in their lives. If I learned anything from my athletic experiences, it's that I am very mentally strong and I can handle anything that is thrown at me, which I am eternally grateful for.
Now that I have learned these things about myself, I know for a fact that I never want to end up working an office job indefinitely. I have been blessed with good health and I feel like I am wasting my capabilities sitting at a desk all day long. If there is one thing I know for sure, it's that I want to make a difference in this world, and not by sitting at a computer. While I appreciate what my current position stands for and have total respect for the people who continue to pursue this kind of career, I'd rather be out there doing instead of monitoring and organizing. I want to actually be there to help others, and I plan to take all necessary steps possible to get there. While I realize my GPA in college was not always my biggest concern, to say I am regretting that now would be a complete understatement. I want to prove that I have been enlightened, and that I deserve to be able to pursue my next goals in life... the main one being that I would like to become a teacher. I want to inspire others to be great in the same way that my teachers and coaches have inspired me, and I don't plan on giving up easily.
Finally, I want to send out a HUGE "thank you" to the people I work alongside with every day here in the Allen House. Because of all of you, I hold myself to a higher caliber and have learned what it takes to contribute to something much greater than myself. I'd also like to say "thank you" to my fellow VISTAs throughout the state of Pennsylvania. Your words of encouragement have gotten me through some of my less than desirable days, and I am so proud to be able to call you my colleagues. The lessons I have learned from all of you will stick with me throughout the rest of my professional career.
Six months down, six months to go. Where I'll end up after this, no one knows... not even me! I am confident my life will work out for the best, and I hope someone out there sees me for the genuine and honest person I am! Next stop: Finishing my year of service with finesse, and eventually, BECOMING A TEACHER. :)
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Friday, August 21, 2009
First post!
And so, the adventure begins...
As a recent college graduate, all I really knew what to expect when entering my first professional position was that I'd have to work harder than I did for any other job, I'd have to avoid procrastination, and I'd have to prove myself worthy of continuing on to an even better job once I've decided to move on. I also expected to be getting paid much more than I am right now (which I'm literally getting paid at the poverty line), but seeing how the economy is so low at the moment, I was willing to take any job offered to me. I feel that I am fortunate enough to have gotten a job where I will be working for such a good cause. To get a better idea of what I'll do doing for my job, here's my job description:
"The Cedar Crest College PACC*VISTA member will work with Lehigh Valley agencies providing programming needs for low-income communities in the areas of children, youth, hunger, homelessness and poverty, while promoting volunteerism and civic engagement to the students of the college. The PACC*VISTA member will work closely with Cedar Crest College students to provide training and mentoring while they work to tutor and mentor local children and youth."
PACC stands for Pennsylvania Campus Compact, and VISTA stands for Volunteers In Service To America. My position is unique because I am working on a college campus, but I'm technically not a college employee. I am employed by AmeriCorps, a government funded agency working to alleviate poverty and other issues the country faces on a regular basis. To have a VISTA position, it is required to have a college degree. Seeing as how my degree is in Journalism, I never saw myself doing this. I applied for this position at my college, Marietta College, on an impulse, and when I didn't get the job, some slight panic set in. My AmeriCorps application was already filled out and saved on the website, so I sent it to any other schools offering the same position with the minimum salary, a meal plan, and housing. Needless to say, I got the position at Cedar Crest College, a women's liberal arts school in Allentown, PA.
Basically, I will be using this page to copy down observations I make living in what has been referred to as, "The Real World," and hopefully will be able to use this as a reminder of lessons I've learned in my first year as a professional.
Today has been a long day already, and I'm afraid I don't really have the energy to start reminiscing what I've learned so far. Hopefully you'll hear from me soon and I'll have some useful insight into the world we all strive to someday be a part of.
As a recent college graduate, all I really knew what to expect when entering my first professional position was that I'd have to work harder than I did for any other job, I'd have to avoid procrastination, and I'd have to prove myself worthy of continuing on to an even better job once I've decided to move on. I also expected to be getting paid much more than I am right now (which I'm literally getting paid at the poverty line), but seeing how the economy is so low at the moment, I was willing to take any job offered to me. I feel that I am fortunate enough to have gotten a job where I will be working for such a good cause. To get a better idea of what I'll do doing for my job, here's my job description:
"The Cedar Crest College PACC*VISTA member will work with Lehigh Valley agencies providing programming needs for low-income communities in the areas of children, youth, hunger, homelessness and poverty, while promoting volunteerism and civic engagement to the students of the college. The PACC*VISTA member will work closely with Cedar Crest College students to provide training and mentoring while they work to tutor and mentor local children and youth."
PACC stands for Pennsylvania Campus Compact, and VISTA stands for Volunteers In Service To America. My position is unique because I am working on a college campus, but I'm technically not a college employee. I am employed by AmeriCorps, a government funded agency working to alleviate poverty and other issues the country faces on a regular basis. To have a VISTA position, it is required to have a college degree. Seeing as how my degree is in Journalism, I never saw myself doing this. I applied for this position at my college, Marietta College, on an impulse, and when I didn't get the job, some slight panic set in. My AmeriCorps application was already filled out and saved on the website, so I sent it to any other schools offering the same position with the minimum salary, a meal plan, and housing. Needless to say, I got the position at Cedar Crest College, a women's liberal arts school in Allentown, PA.
Basically, I will be using this page to copy down observations I make living in what has been referred to as, "The Real World," and hopefully will be able to use this as a reminder of lessons I've learned in my first year as a professional.
Today has been a long day already, and I'm afraid I don't really have the energy to start reminiscing what I've learned so far. Hopefully you'll hear from me soon and I'll have some useful insight into the world we all strive to someday be a part of.
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