Reflections

I am slowly but surely being phased out at CEP.  My farewell lunch has been scheduled (June 5^th at the Army Navy Club, the go-to office lunch spot for CEP). It has been decided who will take my desk when I leave (Brian, the incoming intern and one of two named Brian [confusing, I know, especially in light of the fact that one of the two males currently worked in our office is already named Bryan]). I have been asked whether my workload is slowing down as my last day approaches and I am therefore in need of more projects (it’s not, and I’m not). And, in response to all of these impending farewell gestures, I am feeling…a combination of many things. I am excited at the thought of moving on to my second PP55 fellowship at the New York Center for Child Development, where I will have the opportunity to work directly with special needs children and psychologists on staff.  I am nervous at the prospect of leaving a city I have grown so familiar with for a city that is unknown and seems overwhelming and maybe slightly hostile. I am grieving the loss of my long summer vacations—taken for granted and too little loved for so many years and now wholeheartedly missed.  But I think my predominant emotion right now is gratefulness. This past year has had its ups and downs for sure, but overall I was blessed with a wonderful work experience with people who I believe genuinely cared about me and my interests and my happiness. And as a result, I think I really grew enormously…not just as a “young professional,” but as a person as well. As I head up to Reunions tonight, I’m looking forward to connecting with the AlumniCorps staff and hopefully some of the founders of PP55 at the AlumniCorps Open House tomorrow and telling them in person how fortunate I was to have been accepted into this program. The extent of the impact that a small but dedicated group of people can have is really amazing…which, now that I think about it, is the premise of many of the PP55 nonprofits as well. What a strong community of thinkers, creators, and difference-makers I’ve been inducted into…OK, now I’ve come full-circle back to excitement!

Finishing the Year

My fellowship is officially over. This fact is quite remarkable to me. The year has been, at times: new, exciting, invigorating, surprising, frustrating, and, overall, rewarding. Minus the word 'new,' these words could describe any year in my life. But I know that this year, in particular, has been especially rewarding.

I have learned about the complexities involved with non-profits, academia, education policy and litigation, the big apple, working for a very small organization, working with minimal supervision, intermingling politics with policy, spending frugally (almost always), cooking, yoga, and how to be a working, independent adult.

Specifically, I have learned: always error on the side of caution--it is always best to overdress, better to do more research than too little, better to get in early and leave early; before asking your director a question, think about all of his or her possible responses and identify when you are asking a question because you do not know which response is the best or because you cannot imagine any of the possible responses; it is important to eat good food to think well; find and appreciate simply joys in every day; try to wrap your head around other people's opinions even if they strongly clash with your own; and say 'thank you' for an opportunity even when you have not yet fully appreciated what you have learned or how you will grow from that opportunity.

At the beginning of my fellowship position, I didn't fully understand how working at the Campaign would further my intellectual, career, and overall development. And on my last day of work, I was amazed at how many opportunities and experiences I witnessed in the past year that have strengthened my appreciation for leaders in the public sector and my passion to be one someday.

My first real job search

Now that my fellowship at CEP is coming to a close, I'm looking forward, working on finding my next job.  I have only been looking for a week or two, but I am already beginning to realize just how good I had it last year as a graduating senior at Princeton.  I didn't have to go through a "real" job search--I didn't have to scroll through pages of job listings on generic websites nor wonder if I'd ever hear back from the organizations to which I did submit applications.  Instead, I made use of the incredible resources at Princeton and gained employment (and a lot more) as an AlumniCorps fellow. 

However, even though my job search might be a more difficult in some ways now that I'm on my own, I can tell it's also going to be a lot easier in other ways.  Last year, I was a student who knew how to research and write papers; today, I'm a college graduate with a year of work experience under my belt!  As I update my resume and write cover letters, I'm in awe of how many concrete skills I've gained through just one year of work.  I was given a lot of responsibility during my fellowship, and I think I made the most of that opportunity.  I'm actually looking forward to job interviews and being able to talk about how I've grown at CEP. 

Goals for Summer

Like many of you, I’m pretty excited to head back to Princeton for Reunions next week. After Reunions, I’ll be doing some traveling for work – first to Jefferson City, Tennessee and then to Chicago! Between all of the travel, it looks like I’ll only be in my office for 12 full days in June, which will be a shift after the past two months.

I’m excited to report that I will be staying on at Echoing Green past my Fellowship which would have ended in August. My title changed recently to reflect my current role at Echoing Green; I’m now called the coordinator of Work on Purpose. When I was hired, Work on Purpose was a book and my role centered around tracking its sales and building partnerships with organizations that could use Work on Purpose, but now Work on Purpose is a fully fledged program at Echoing Green. I look forward to being part of some of the strategy conversations as we think more broadly about how Work on Purpose fits into Echoing Green’s mission and how we scale the program to increase our impact. This summer I’ll have the chance to work with our Work on Purpose intern and also dive into some research projects for our team.

One of the things that I love about Echoing Green is the incredible office culture we have. We passed around a study recently that suggests that one of the best ways to develop employee retention is to allow staff to bring their ‘whole selves’ to the office and our managers do a great job of living that practice. At the end of our recent staff meeting, we went around the room and shared a personal goal for the summer. It’s a great way to be held accountable for growing ourselves outside of the office and it was really energizing to hear about my colleagues’ amazing side projects, hobbies, athletic feats, and more. One of my goals is to start volunteering again and hopefully get involved in some art projects.

Looking forward to seeing you back on campus!

Onwards and Upwards!

To preface this blog post, I would like to introduce the most amazing video of all time, featuring a unique rendition of "Wild Heart" by Ms. Stevie Nicks, performed at a Rolling Stone photo shoot. I watch this video on a yearly basis to get goosebumps and to be reminded of the amazing power of Stevie's voice and of music in general.

As my time at the Library winds down, I have been told by many people around me that my next steps (a month-long artist/media residency in Mexico, followed by a move to Peru to do media work for the International Center for the Potato) are similarly wild and crazy. There are times when I think, "Hey, I'm leaving the country for the foreseeable future in a matter of days- that's totally insane!" (I leave June 3.) Yet despite the large geographical shift (and linguistic one- so excited to return to speaking Spanish all the time!), the transition seems to be a natural result of the work that I have done in Philly and the things I have learned about myself during this past year. I managed to get involved in public programming and digital media projects at work and work with people whom I will miss terribly and who have inspired me to think seriously about pursuing journalism/media/filmmaking. In my spare time, I have been lucky enough to work and interact with people involved in Philly's phenomenal food scene. I was a cheesemonger for Fair Food, a research assistant for Farm to School, an urban farmer, a budding chef, and a consumer of (delicious) local foodstuffs. I am so lucky to be able to take this next step and combine my developing personal and professional interests and passions into one position in a country rich with culinary and artistic traditions that I can't wait to enmesh myself in.

Upon graduating from college, you immediately realize how fluid time is. Gradually, you come to see that life is equally malleable and that the opportunities available to those who are ready, willing, and able to go out on a limb for what they love doing are endless. We all have wild hearts and should cherish them for the possibilities they open us up to.

Farewell Philadelphia AlumniCorps Dinner

Tonight we had our end of fellowship dinner at Su Xing House, a delicious vegetarian restaurant in Center City.  The evening was a nice way to wrap up the year and it was great to hear what we each took away from our Project 55 fellowship.  I could not have asked for a better experience working in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and I am grateful for all the opportunities it provided me to learn about the issues facing our criminal justice system.  As for Philly, I have thoroughly enjoyed all that it has to offer and I am excited that I get to stay for graduate school next year in the “City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection.”  Best of luck to everyone who is transitioning from their fellowship position to something new!

Under African Skies

This is unrelated to the fellowship, but hey.

Saw this last Thursday. It was fantastic. 

Was drawn in by the fact that my uncle edited it. Came for the family support. Stayed for Simon - an infectious, gifted creator, but yet undeniably complex as well.

One of the more interesting parts, the tension between differing views of what Simon had created in Graceland. Nearly all the instrumental parts are played by a South African band he commissioned. It's a collage of moments where he takes others' musics, and throws his own lyrics and melody on top. Is this honest? Is this, as a Howard student calls Simon out with, yet another example of white people stealing from black creators?

Simon, rightly, doesn't care much for the criticism. He sees himself as poet, wordsmith, singer, and a creator and collaborator in that way. 

Not to mention the political backdrop of apartheid in South Africa and the U.N. boycott.. which, again, Simon doesn't care much for criticism about. He's obviously the star of the show here. And he presents as quite complex. 

I'm not doing it justice, but this is definitely worth a watch. 

"Won't Back Down"

(This post sort of straddles two locations since I'm a current fellow in Connecticut, but I will be a fellow next year in the Bay Area!)

As the next fellow for NewSchools Venture Fund for the upcoming year, I was lucky enough to fly to San Francisco to attend their annual Summit, attended by almost 1000 of the nation's top education reformers. To listen to and be among (and even having a chance to interview) the most innovative and rebellious thinkers and change agents in education reform today - it was truly the two most inspiring days of my life.

At the conference, I was able to attend an early screening of a movie called "Won't Back Down", which stars Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal (who are both absolutely brilliant in this film), as well as listen to a panel with the director. I cannot recommend this movie more, it is not only extremely powerful, it is also much too important not to see. While the film is centered around the controversies of the parent trigger laws of certain states (that allow parents to overrule administrators and bad teachers at failing schools), it touches on so many of the key issues with our school systems and so many of the reasons why education reform is critical.

"Won't Back Down" will be in theaters this September. Whether you watch it for the issues, the controversy, the touching storyline, or the incredible acting by Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and others - it doesn't matter, just watch it. And tell your friends and family! I promise that you and they will not only enjoy this movie, but will want to pass on the message.

Here is a New York Times article on "Won't Back Down": http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/21/movies/viola-davis-and-maggie-gyllenhaal-in-parent-trigger-film.html?_r=1

Unexpected Lessons

Somehow it's already May and I only have two more months here at World Faiths Development Dialogue... How did that happen?! It wasn't that long ago that I was drinking egg nog with my co-workers at our holiday party and fighting to beat the DC traffic to Union Station in order to make it home for Christmas, and now it's... almost over!

 These past few months have been full of activity here at Georgetown University. Our Board of Trustees meeting was a highlight, which gathered ten or so religious leaders, scholars, and development actors to discuss the future of this "small, but robust NGO," as our executive director says. I was stunned (almost literally) to have the opportunity to meet and casually chat with Lord George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury (aka the principal leader of the Church of England and symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion), as well as with Akbar Ahmed at dinner, considered by many to be the world's leading authority on contemporary Islam. Part of me felt like I was too naive and uneducated to appreciate fully the amazing company I was keeping over that week. I am so grateful for and humbled by the opportunity to work here at WFDD, as I daily learn more and more about how the worlds of faith and international development can and should find common ground to address some of the world's biggest challenges surrounding poverty.

 We also convened several conferences: one on Women, Religion, and Peacebuilding at United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on the Mall, another on Faith and Immunizations here in our offices, and the most recent on Faith and Global Health, featuring Ian Linden, Director of Policy at Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Although the work that goes into organizing and facilitating these events can be somewhat stressful, I always look forward to them because it's a glowing reminder to me of why I sought a Princeton Alumnicorps position in the first place, over a year ago: an opportunity to learn, engage with others, and enrich my understanding of what a civic leader is and embodies.

 As much as I've appreciated and valued my time in the office, the beauty of the P55 year is that the 9 to 5 schedule affords me the time and flexibility to engage the community here in DC in other ways, too. Coming as more of a surprise to me than anyone, I have mentored and led a group of fifteen 11th grade girls through my church. It requires a bi-weekly commitment of youth group meetings, in addition to several, fun retreats they organize for the kids (we just got back from Ocean City, MD a few days ago!) and as many one-on-one meetings we can fit into our schedule, in order to get a little deeper with each of the girls. The time that I have spent with these girls has been some of the more intense learning experiences I've ever had. Even though it was only 6-7 years ago that I was in their shoes, I had forgotten how hard it is to grow up, insecure in who you are, and unsure of what you want out of life and who you can really count on to guide you along the way. These sweet girls are dealing with broken families and homes, the highs and lows of high school, the approaching anxieties of college applications and decisions, leftover hurts from middle school, pains of divorce, bullying, eating disorders, depression, heartbreak over friendships and relationships, and pressures of all kinds. And yet they exhibit so much joy, eager to share their stories with each other and encourage one another. I've been blown away by that incredible and distinctive quality of kids everywhere: the ability to love freely, innocently, and whole-heartedly. Spending time with them has inspired me to reflect on how I am loving the people in my life, whether they are friends, family, co-workers, the cashier at Trader Joe's, or the homeless man, Mickey, who stands outside CVS. And while it may seem like I'm going off on a random existential tangent, isn't that what Princeton and P55 is all about? Isn't it love that enables us to be in the nation's service and the service of all nations? Isn't it love that motivates the faith leaders and development actors that work together to address development and poverty-related challenges? I would like to think so. It's the unexpectedness of lessons like this that have made this past year in DC such a great time in my life, and I am so excited for what's in store for me and all of us next year.

It's the first day of May which means I've been at NEF for almost an entire year!  During this year, we have rebranded our organization as the New Markets Support Company and have a new website (www.newmarkets.org) which I am in charge of -- until the next fellow!  One of the most exciting parts about being the first fellow at an organization is watching the fellowship role mold into a formal position with distinct responsibilities.  One of these responsibilities is to produce an external annual report for our website as well as internal report that digs deeper into the impact data our projects have generated.  I've had a great fellowship year, and I know NEF is excited to continue its participation in the AlumniCorps program!

Building Bridges

Yesterday, all Achievement Prep employees got an email from our principal that mentioned the fact that Monday, May 7th marks the start of the last 30 days of school.  This spring has FLOWN by.  I've kept a calendar on my desk all year and have been crossing off the days as they pass and now I only have two pages left.  Now that it's May, I'm in the second-to-last month of my PP55 Fellowship.  The time is drawing extremely near that I will no longer be a member of the most recent class of graduates of Princeton University.

 Despite my concerns about the passage of time, I'm really looking forward to this Saturday.  And no, not because it's Cinco de Mayo (or Trucko de Mayo, for that matter), but because it's Achievement Prep Academy Community Day, of course!

 Achievement Prep has been working really closely with the CityBridge Foundation (home of current PP55 Fellow Jon Extein as well as at least two former fellows) over the last couple of months to pull this event together.  The event is intended to help build new relationships with the Ward 8 / East of the River community and to express our gratitude for being welcomed into the neighborhood for the last four years.  Community Day is being held at a park near the school and will have a wide range of social service and health vendors, as well as free food, music, and fun activities for children.

Community Day is a large part of our drive to cultivate community partners, as well as to collect as many student applications for the 2012-2013 school year as possible.  Far too often, people will say to us, APA is such a great school, I can't believe I haven't heard of you earlier.  Unfortunately, we don't have a prominent location on a main thoroughfare like some of our competitors.  We are tucked into a residential neighborhood very close to the border with Prince George's County, so we are working as hard as we can to promote the school and the great work we do for the children of this community.  I personally have spent a good amount of time in the last two weeks driving around to different organizations that serve families in the area and dropping off marketing materials with them and trying to cultivate contacts who might be interested in developing a partnership with Achievement Prep.  It was pretty scary the first time I had to "cold-call" an organization and walk in unannounced, but sometimes actually walking into a building is the best way to get your foot in the door.

On a personal note, a friend from work and I joined a kickball team that plays on the National Mall on Sunday afternoons.  It's super fun.  I highly recommend our next round of DC fellows look into it.

Also, Carol and I made delicious black bean burgers last week.  You can find the recipe here:  http://dinnerisvegan.blogspot.com/2012/04/southwest-style-black-bean-burgers.html