Monday, November 1, 2010

Peace Corps Updates

I'll try and keep this short. I had an interview with my recruiter from the Peace Corps almost a week ago and it went really well! It was held in Arlington, VA which is right next door to DC. I guess that's convenient enough considering there are only a handful of recruiting offices around the country so some applicants REALLY have to travel far just for an interview! I believe applicants from Alaska have to go to Los Angeles and this is before they're even nominated to serve. It was pretty easy for me. It was forecast to rain so instead of walking to the shuttle stop and taking the JHMI to Penn Station, one of my friends graciously picked me up and drove me 10 minutes to the train station. I took the MARC train to DC and then 2 lines on the DC underground metro trains into Arlington. The building where my interview was scheduled was only 4 blocks from the metro station but it was completely uphill and it was raining cats and dogs. Even though I had an umbrella, as I was walking uphill, the wind was blowing downhill and I was drenched from knees down. I was also wearing heels which aren't very agreeable with wet weather since it created very little friction between the soles of my feet and my shoes, which were probably about a half size too big. Those four blocks were the worst leg of the trip but I made it and on time!

The interview process was more casual than Teach for America's. My recruiter's name is Chris and he's a really great guy- very likeable and easy to talk to. The first part of the interview was just him explaining how the rest of the process will go, how long it should take, etc. The second part was the traditional question and answer stage. The last part was me asking him questions. I learned two important things about the Peace Corps at this interview, things I hadn't come across during my traditional research. The first is that PC volunteers can live on their own after training, they don't have to live with host families. The other is that all volunteers travel to their host country together, on the same flight, and actually meet each other a few days before their departure in one US city before traveling abroad together. I thought both of those things were cool.

After I asked Chris my questions, came my nomination. He told me he had no problem nominating me and I was surprised I got to help pick my region and program. Of course I wanted sub-Saharan Africa but I didn't think I was going to get selected to go there because I don't have the skills or the kind of degree they're after. However, Chris found a program in French West Africa (we don't know the country) that can use a volunteer in Women and Children Community Development or something or the other. The thing is this program wants volunteers who have some basic knowledge of French and I've never studied French so I had to sign a contract vowing to learn some French before I depart. The good thing is Hopkins offers a French Elements I Intersession course, or at least they have in past years, so I'll jump on that if it's still necessary. It's also important to note that I very well may not end up in the program I get nominated for, for a number of reasons, so I'm crossing my fingers but I'm still open to change.

I missed my stop on the MARC train back to Baltimore so it took me an additional 75 minutes to get home, but when I did, I looked up programs in French-speaking Africa that typically leave in mid-Sept, the departure date of the program I was nominated for, and found Cameroon and Togo, both francophone, to have departure dates around the middle of September, historically. The next step for me is to get medically and dentally cleared. Everything else is of course just a waiting game.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Teach For America Said NO

It's been a few weeks since I've posted any updates about TFA or Peace Corps. Looks like now it's only Peace Corps as TFA is no longer interested in my candidacy. I had a phone interview with them about a week and a half ago. I wouldn't say it was a complete train wreck but it didn't start out very well and only got a little better as time passed. I don't remember who the interviewer was exactly but she was a TFA Corps member and I think I remember her saying she actually still teaches. Surprisingly, considering the interview was scheduled for 8:30pm, I had all day to think about it but I didn't actually get nervous until she called. She spent like 7 or so minutes just to tell me how the interview was going to be conducted and how phone interviews are sometimes awkward, so what to do if we got disconnected. I'm sure that opening schpeal is designed to make you more comfortable and less nervous but I was just anticipating getting going so I found myself replying "Ok, ok, ok" without actually fully paying attention to her directions. By the time we actually did get going and she asked me why I was interested in joining Teach For America, my ability to convey an actually satisfactory and concise response was already out the window. I don't remember what I said exactly, it was a sort of out of body experience, but whatever it was wasn't as eloquent as it should have been and I remember thinking throughout the rest of the interview that I should have written what I really wanted to do say down and practiced it earlier as that would quite surely be asked.

I spent the next 15 minutes of the interview just pacing the length of my apartment back and forth. I had researched some possible interview questions and typed notes on them which I taped to my wall but I found them to be quite useless as not much I prepared for was really asked. I was prepared to talk about my views on the achievement gap in American education, what core values central to the TFA mission I aligned best with, what I thought about the articles I was asked to read, etc. but every question was way more broad and certainly more personal. She asked me about people I didn't get along with, how I stay organized, working in groups, and other things unrelated directly to teaching. I think I answered them fine but I didn't have a real warm feeling when it was over.I didn't realize until after I got off the phone how sweaty I was. Even though it wasn't the best of initial interviews, I was still about 70% certain I would have advanced to the final round but I found out on Wednesday afternoon via email that I had reached the end of the road for my quest with TFA.

I still think TFA is a really great program that sets out to address a pretty large injustice in our country and I believe that along with most corps members really making an impact in the classroom, the big name of the program also raises awareness about the issue. Education inequity is not really something that can be easily solved or has a single solution. I still think I would have made a decent addition to the squad but I also believe that everything happens for a reason and denial into the program has gotten me really excited for the Peace Corps!

On Monday, I went to Campus Police and got my fingerprints done. PC sent me some charts and other paperwork needed before I can actually interview with them so I got that sent out with the fingerprints and transcripts Tuesday night to some office in VA so I hope they receive(d) it before the end of the week. I'm also making good progress with my thesis so 'Africa, Africa, Africa' is on my brain. I know that PC process takes a while as with any government agency, bureaucracy is at its finest... Paperwork, interview, more paperwork, extreme medical clearance, background check, probably more paperwork, and since this is an out of country experience, passport and visa nightmares. I'm definitely glad I didn't wait until later to apply. I guess I'll just keep waiting until the next step.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

TFA Phone Interview Monday

At 8:30pm, 2 days from now is my scheduled phone interview. Unfortunately that means I'm going to miss the second half of House (assuming they call on time) but I can always stream it online probably Tuesday. Surprisingly now, I'm not too nervous about the interview. I read a really interesting article today about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's $100 million donation to the Newark public school system and whether that was an appropriate gift. I think it could be relevant to my interview but I'm not yet sure in what context I would bring it up. I'll post an update after Monday.

In other news, all my recommendations for Peace Corps have been submitted and I'm now waiting on a package they're supposed to mail me with more information on what to do next. It's all a waiting game. I have plenty of school work to keep myself busy.

TFA Phone Interview Monday

8:30 pm, 2 days from now is my scheduled phone interview.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Peace Corps app is in!

Ok, so I'm done applying for jobs for post-grad and I'm only 2 weeks into my senior year. On the ball! I'll know in 2 months which organization I'll actually be doing.

In other news, I started the school year and it's so weird being a science kid. I'm used to taking one science course and the rest, humanities. I kind of don't feel like finishing this post so until next time...

Friday, August 27, 2010

TFA Update

I got an e-mail yesterday letting me know I moved on to the phone interview round- the first of 2 interview stages. I've got to do some more preparation but I have plenty of time as sign-ups are not until Sept. 23 and the actual interviews a few days later. I think the point of this round is really just to make sure I understand what the program is about and make sure I know what I'm actually getting myself into. I think I have a pretty good gage of what TFA stands for, who they're looking for, and a confidence that I can be a successful part of their corps. I don't want to cross the bridge before I come to it, but unless my interview is a complete disaster, this is not the stage that I'm most worried about.

Until further notice...

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Post-grad Plans Are Officially in the Works

I submitted my Teach for America application on Friday morning. Otherwise known as my first real job application.  They wanted a resume so I had to search my old computer for my last resume draft. On the upside, there were jobs I had and extracurriculars I was involved in that I completely forgot about until I reopened the file so I'm feeling a little more confident about my background now. In addition to the resume and all the other same old regular application information, I had to include a 500 word letter of intent. I think mine was slightly under 700 but it was pretty good so hopefully they won't mind. It answered all the questions and I think I presented myself as someone who "gets" what TFA is all about by relating personal experiences- some good and some not- working with children. I originally didn't want to write about my tutoring job because I didn't want them to think that I was equating tutoring 1 child at a time with teaching 30-plus kids but after all my other brainstorms and rough drafts, it kind of just came back to that. We'll see. I'll find out if I make it to the interview round on August 27th. I'm expecting to seeing as how I don't think there is anything on my application that disqualifies me right off the bat. Knock on wood.

As for my Peace Corps application, I'm working on it. I'm not feeling very pressured nor motivated into getting it finished though. For one, TFA has precedence over Peace Corps so I'm kind of in a second rate hurry for a second rate option. PC also accepts apps on a rolling basis with "suggested" submission dates unlike Teach for America's rigid deadline dates. Plus, I really don't like the second essay question for the PC application. It's something to the lines of telling of an uncomfortable situation where I was surrounded by a different culture. I guess I can write about my study abroad experience. Hopefully I'll get it finished before school starts.

Speaking of school, I've been slacking on my thesis research. I've been too excited planning my Europe trip for next summer. Not knowing what exactly I'll be doing job-wise in a year kind of hinders those plans a bit. I'm going to try and finish this book that I checked out on Botswana by tonight. 

Until next time...

Friday, July 9, 2010

Little Things

At work, I went to pick up a biohazard box and all labs are required to write the name of the professor, the building and the room number on each individual box so we know which lab it came out of in case there are any problems. Someone wrote the required information and then at the bottom- "Have a nice day :)"

It made me smile and I keep thinking about it.

Monday, June 28, 2010

1 Year Left

I got kind of tired of my blog mid-way through Study Abroad and took quite a hiatus. I've been back in the States now for 6 months and have finished up my junior year. I took a great class last semester called Decolonization and Nationalism in Africa. Definitely my favorite class of the year. Looking back on my three years, two of my favorite classes- material wise- have been classes that I took to fulfill my African Studies concentration requirements. On top of Organic Chemistry, Calc II and Physics (and yes, everyone has advised me against this schedule), I've decided I'm going to write a thesis on economic prosperity in Botswana. It's my way of legitimizing my undergraduate career that has thus far, I feel, been a kind of jack-of-all-trades minus the jack, and has really lacked any substantial focus. As many of you probably know, I hate economics. I don't understand it and until this past semester, it continued to be a thorn in my side (and the contributor to my first collegiate C as a final grade). However, Botswana's economy is absolutely fascinating as it continues to rise, year after year, while the rest of Africa is mostly stagnant or worse off than Europeans left it after decolonization. I want to explore why this truth is (and it ain't all diamonds and DeBeers, folks). I have a great advisor who is really passionate about Africa and was actually my professor my freshman year. She is full of great ideas and is there more as a guide than a critic. My thesis is the number one thing I'm looking forward to next school year.

As for my summer, besides researching for my thesis and sleeping 8-10 hours a day, I am putting together applications, letters of intent, a resume, and lining up recommendation authors for two post-grad options: Teach for America and Peace Corps. I have always (lent/leaned?) more toward Peace Corps because I really want to get involved in HIV/AIDS activism but right now, TFA is looking like a better option. A real salary will help me pay off my loans plus I can stay on my medical track more easily by staying in the country. I know TFA is wayyyyy more selective and from some of the quite depressing blogs I have read, a LOT more challenging. This is not at all to discredit the Peace Corps because living in 110 degrees with no A/C, no landline within a 50 km radius, and no running water or electricity is obviously no walk in the park. I leave my fate up to God. I will apply to both, give it my all, and whatever happens is meant to be.