Networking Made Easy

I have always been a little wary of the concept of "networking." To me, the line between this so-called "networking" and the much less euphemistic "sucking up in order to move further along in your career" seemed to be dangerously blurry and perhaps non-existent. I told myself that I would very much prefer to advance on my own personal merit rather than on my ability to schmooze. Today, however, I learned that the dreaded and slightly disdained world of networking is not actually as tainted as I initially believed it to be. In fact, in the Project 55 world, networking is as simple as showing up to social events planned for you and talking with twenty+ successful Princeton alums who are there for the sole purpose of meeting you and helping you on your way.

That pretty much sums up my experience with networking through Project 55. Earlier this month, AlumniCorps held a special Project 55 gathering for current and past fellows, volunteers, and Board members. I was able to meet and talk with many of the people there and happened to take the metro back to Maryland with one past fellow (Princeton '08) who now works at the Kennedy Krieger Institute (a premier center for kids with developmental disabilities/neurological disorders). She was thrilled to hear that I was interested in child health and development and immediately gave me her card and encouraged me to get in touch with her if I had any questions. I just had dinner with her tonight, and I learned so much about how she got to where she is and the different paths I can pursue. I was so impressed by how quickly she has advanced in just a couple years since graduation, and by her willingness to help me--she even told me to send her my resume so she could forward it on to various people in the field, should Project 55 not work out for me next year! All of this from a quick 15 minute conversation on the way home from a cocktail party--it seems like networking can actually be a pretty painless experience, with minimal schmoozing required!

As for my work at CEP, it looks like big changes are in store for me over the next couple of months. Both my supervisors with whom I have been working closely since the beginning of my fellowship will be retiring/leaving for a new position by the end of the calendar year. It will definitely be interesting to see how the lack of supervision will affect my position--I'm sure I'll have more to report on that in my next blog post!

Importance of the "Unimportant"

Last Tuesday we held our “International Feast,” NYCCD’s version of Thanksgiving. The event took a lot of preparation and to be honest, as I microwaved 300 chicken nuggets, I wondered if it was worth our while. But as everyone arrived for the feast I became sure that it was. Many parents at our school live in rough conditions, work two jobs, and have young babies. It is often difficult, therefore, to get in touch with them and even harder to get them to come to the school. Yet in spite of all this, more than half of the parents filed in that day. Most proudly carried a contribution, a tray of food from their culture ranging from Moroccan couscous to Chinese chicken dumplings. As the children sang festive songs and everyone feasted on the International assortment, I thought about how important the seemingly unimportant is. We spend a lot of time here organizing parties, toy drives, etc., but I now believe this is almost as important as the time we spend orchestrating speech and physical therapy. Making the families feel some allegiance to NYCCD and excitement about their children’s progress is incredibly valuable.

Homecoming x 2

While I did not make it back to Princeton for Homecoming weekend, I was fortunate enough to be home for Thanksgiving last week. During college, it was often difficult for me to travel all the way to California (and back again) over such a short break. This year, I was so grateful to take off for a few days and spend time with my family whom I have not seen in 6(!) months. Vacation time is definitely one of the perks of “life after Princeton.”

Despite battling the busy airports, nearly missing one of my flights, and spending two hours wondering if my checked bag had made it onto the plane, it dawned on me that my return to New York City really was also a second homecoming. Over the past half-year, I truly have settled into my new city. (A former dance professor of mine noted how much more “at ease” I seemed in my body; I certainly trust her reading of body language.)

The first day back to work was a busy day at the Education Through Music office. This time of year is the beginning of the holiday giving season and, as such, we are preparing to send out over 1,000 appeal letters seeking support for our music programs. This is quite a task in organization (and patience) but I know the fruits of our labor will be worth it. From the ETM program staff and music teachers, I have been hearing about the repertoire that each school is preparing for the upcoming holiday concerts. From the handbells to hand-choreography, each one sounds like it is going to be so much fun, not only for the students, but for all the teachers and parents in attendance. I can’t wait to attend and see these kids perform in the first big concert of the year!

Complete Creative Control!

I am endlessly amazed at the variety of different tasks that fall onto my plate here at Achievement Prep.  I will admit that not all of them are intellectually challenging, but those that aren’t still require creative thought and approaching problems from several different angles.  And I most certainly get to be way more creative at this job than I would at a different office job.

Case in point, my most recent “baby,” our High School Placement Bulletin Board.  The task:  create a board that showcases our eighth graders, what high schools they are applying to and what their favorite schools are.  Creative control: complete.  (These sorts of tasks are great for me because I love being totally in control of the execution of my own artistic vision.)  And wow, did I have to be resourceful and make letters out of other letters for the banner because we didn't have enough.  Darn straight those h's are made out of m's and l's.

My list of other tasks in recent days have included:

• Behavioral data tracking for the whole school
• Organizing game bins for use during indoor recess (I LOVE ORGANIZING)
• Online research for potential APA merchandise
• Data entry for updated DC Health and Oral Exams for our scholars
• Data entry to our online disciplinary database
• Updating the school library with loads of new books
• Assisting our Office Coordinator who broke her foot!
• Teaching Art Club
• Helping my supervisor plan, prepare, and execute last week’s Family Night

Today, the teachers are upstairs working with data from our most recent Achievement Network assessment.  I’m down at my desk brainstorming ways to increase attendance at our Family Night Events (last week we had Family Health and Wellness Night, which was awesome!) and trying to decide upon best practices to get the staff and scholars involved at future events.  But as you can see from my list above, I am the go-to person for getting random stuff done that needs to be done.  It’s great to feel that my coworkers know that I am dependable and responsible and always ready to lend a hand!

p.s.  Shout out to Schuyler, fellow DC P55 Fellow working in Education, for telling me about Young Education Professionals DC (YEP-DC) which is a group that organizes events and has a great list serv with lots of event announcements and job postings, all having to do with education in DC.  Anyone who is interested can check out their website here: http://www.yepdc.org/  and join their Google or LinkedIn Group here:  http://www.yepdc.org/join.html

p.p.s.  Related:  for any prospective P55 applications who want to work in education – DC is the place to be!

Blogging

I like to tell people that Project 55 fellowships are a lot more than just the job.  We have mentors, seminars, and social events; plus, fellows become part of new communities of Princetonians through our cities and AlumniCorps.  However, I've recently realized that another part of my fellowship has had a big impact on me: blogging.  I've enjoyed having the chance to write about my experience as a fellow at CEP and in DC throughout the year.  I don't do a lot of extended writing at CEP (Sarah has that covered) but I love to write, so it's great that I've been able to continue to write through this blog.

In fact, my positive experience with this blog inspired me to create my own blog!  I recently started a new blog, dinnerisvegan.blogspot.com, where I record the recipes for and write about the food that my roommates and I cook/bake in our apartment.  I'm vegan and they're both omnivores, so it's fun to keep track of what we eat.  I'm really excited about this blog, especially since I learned that the new AlumniCorps Chairman John Fish is interested in thinking about food and would like to expand AlumniCorps' engagement with food issues.  It's been great to see how my personal interests and AlumniCorps interests are growing together so nicely.

Art in the Philadelphia DA’s Office

Philadelphia has a long history of mural artwork and has more murals than any other city in the United States. Murals are often used to convey the distinctive history and culture of Philly’s neighborhoods.

One of the goals that District Attorney Seth Williams has pursued since taking office has been to restore and promote artwork in the District Attorney’s Office. The intent is to inspire and uplift the many prosecutors who work tirelessly everyday in pursuit of justice. With that in mind, he commissioned a new indoor mural that would symbolize these efforts, as well as highlight the unique communities the office serves.

Done in conjunction with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, the mural was officially unveiled this Tuesday. As you walk off the main elevators, a wall-to-wall mural depicts scenes such as the Italian Market as well as neighborhoods across the City. This innovative piece incorporates technology in a unique way, with six WiFi-enabled frames that rotate to show photographs of the ongoing work at Community Action Centers.

November

It may be cheesy, but I decided to stick "I'm Thankful For ______" slips of paper on the office fridge so coworkers could fill in the blanks. When I came back, the slips had multiplied! So in honor of my coworkers and their willingness to participate in a cheesy tradition, I'll reveal a few of my own answers. :)

I'm thankful for... the moments when hard work pays off.

We finally launched the completely NEW HDF website redesign I've been working so hard on! It's such a relief not because it's done, but because we really believe the new site is much more clear and that potential clients will be able to access the information they need far more easily. (And it got rave reviews! Check it out here: hdf-ct.org)

I'm thankful for... work/life balance.

Working at a nonprofit (and/or doing a fellowship) may not rake in big bucks, but there are other benefits you can't take for granted. Consistently working 9 to 5 leaves me time to take a painting class and make art, join a local dance studio and even perform in a show, as well as read, cook, and so much more. Not ever working weekends also lets me take trips (like to Princeton for homecoming weekend!) and generous vacation time allowed me to visit my brother in San Francisco this month - a city I fell in love with.

I'm thankful for... new, unexpected experiences.

- At the NYC PP55 seminar on the economy, I had the opportunity of talking with (the Emmy-winning) CBS News Business Correspondent Anthony Mason one-on-one and getting his insight on the housing crisis - and what he believes was the cause of the 2008 Recession (securitization). Unexpected and enlightening!

- I've never been to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade but I watch it on tv without fail. Every. Year. Decided on a whim to check out the big parade in Stamford this past Sunday, and to my surprise and excitement, it was just like a local version of the Macy's Parade with HUGE balloons (see below), floats, and bands.

How can I not count my blessings? :)

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.

- Meister Eckhart

An Education Technology Conference

I was recently at a great conference in San Francisco on education technology. The education technology field is really taking off these days, and it was fascinating to be immersed in the topic for a day of interesting speakers and panels. One of the highlights of the conference was a talk by Sal Kahn, founder of Kahn Academy. Kahn Academy is an online-learning platform consisting of lectures on a range of topics and subjects, practice exercises that accompany the lectures, and a data dashboard that allows teachers to follow the progress of their students. The amazing thing about Kahn Academy is the way it is being used to allow teachers to spend classroom time helping students understand key exercises, while they assign Kahn Academy lectures as homework. This model of utilizing Kahn Academy in classrooms is showing initial promise, and it will be exciting to see how it fares in a number of different pilot classrooms in the coming years.

There were several other interesting talks at the conference, on topics ranging from how to best evaluate new online educational games to what the future of education technology will look like. I am looking forward to diving deeper into the research on education technology in the coming months and will no doubt be at many more exciting lectures and panels on the topic.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Without the usual, college time-markers of midterms, finals, and classes starting and ending, life goes by so quickly in the "real world." I can't believe it's already Thanksgiving - I feel like summer only recently ended! So, in the spirit of the holiday, I thought I'd do the cliche but valuable exercise of sharing what I'm thankful for about my job at World Faiths Development Dialogue (in no particular order). There really is so much I love about it, and the only times I grumble in my head about Monday morning rolling around are times when I've lost sight of that. So, here goes.
(1) I'm thankful that my three (and only) co-workers are kind, patient, and compassionate people, who are passionate about what they do and the role religion plays (and should play) in peacebuilding and international development. I never really expected to have "work friends," but I consider each of them someone I could always turn to for help. They make me laugh, too, which definitely came as a surprise to me that work could be sometimes, maybe, kind of... fun?
(2) I'm thankful that our little NGO holds frequent conferences, often organized by region or issue of interest, inviting religious leaders and development experts from around the world to get together and discuss challenges, share experiences, and brainstorm about next steps. I take notes during these meetings, and I always learn a ton. Plus, it's a nice break from the usual office routine.
(3) I'm thankful that our office is housed in Georgetown University's department of religion, peace, and world affairs (the Berkley Center) because it keeps me connected to the academic world, with professors and undergrad/grad students running around the place. It makes me feel close to the good parts of college, as well as appreciate my recent separation from the stressful parts.
(4) I'm thankful for my walk to work, and the same people in the same shops who I wave hello to every morning and late afternoon as I'm going to and from the office.
(5) I'm thankful that my first major project here, a report on the faith-linked institutions doing work to reduce maternal mortality globally, was recently published. It felt nice to hold in my hands something that took months to research, write, and edit, not to mention the excitement of seeing my name in print.
(6) I'm thankful that my supervisor decided to take the entire Thanksgiving week off, so I wouldn't have to feel so bad asking if I could leave tonight (Tuesday) for the week.
(7) I'm thankful for the crepe place around the corner that gives me discounts with my Georgetown ID. Yummy.
(8) I'm thankful that our office has three windows, so the space is always filled with light, or (as is the case this morning) when it's raining, it feels nice and cozy.
(9) I'm thankful that I get a paycheck!
(10) I'm thankful that I enjoy my work, that I sometimes even look forward to going to the office. I feel a sense of purpose here, and I think I'd like to stay in this field. I'm excited about what the future holds.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone !

Welcome to the Real World

Yesterday (Thursday) morning, my boss asked me to look up an article that she had seen in the Philadelphia Inquirer about Philadelphia being the largest poor city in the country. I thought nothing of the article when I found it and sent the link to her. Due to my sleep deprivation, I am unable to come across the blog post at the moment, but a personal experience that caused said sleep deprivation made me very much aware of the socioeconomic inequalities that continue to plague this city. In a town where only 18% of adults hold degrees from four-year colleges or universities and the poverty rate stands at 25%, there is clearly much to be done to address inequality constructively. Sadly, I was part of a nonconstructive outburst reflective of these disparities.

Two weeks ago, I bought a new phone. My old one finally bit the dust, and, in a burst of upgrading glee, I secured a new iPhone for myself. I spent a little time tinkering with it, but mostly was just happy to have a phone after several weeks without one. Last night, while walking home, I called my uncle to catch up. In the middle of our phone conversation, my phone was ripped from my ear by someone who then proceeded to run off with it while I chased him, screamed, and incited others to tackle him. This was followed by an hour circling through Center City in a cop car and two hours at the police precinct. Suffice it to say, my phone was not found and I am back at square one in terms of mobile communication, albeit without the several hundred dollars I had to spend to upgrade to my now lost phone.

The very nice policemen who helped me told me that this happens all the time in Philadelphia- people will be using or talking on smart phones, and someone will come along, grab it, and run off with it. I spent the majority of the evening bawling, largely due to the shock of the experience. It's disorienting and slightly scary to have something ripped from you, and it's equally disorienting realizing that you've just lost something that you'll never get back (but still had to pay for). It's saddening to realize that I live in a city where this is a common occurrence, but the statistics certainly explain the behavior, even if they don't justify it. I would love to be in a city where everyone had equal access to various opportunities; hell, I would love to live in a country where that would be the case. But the sad reality is that we live in an incredibly unequal society, and random occurrences like my being robbed reflect these persistent inequalities. The bigger bummer is that I am now out a lot of money for what was ultimately nothing, whereas other people might be able to cover the cost of the theft of their smart phones more painlessly.

To whomever ends up with my (now cancelled) phone: I hope you got what you wanted.

¿Puerto Rico? ¡Sí, por favor!

Bienvenidos from the Region II Head Start Professional Development Conference in sunny Puerto Rico! Well, actually the conference ended yesterday and I’m back in New York, but I brought the greetings with me. The conference was an amazing opportunity and I still can’t believe I got to attend. Every day I went to fabulous trainings and seminars on various topics pertaining to running a successful Head Start program. It was like a crash course in everything Head Start. Furthermore, I was able to meet Head Start directors, staff, teachers, and parents from all of Region II. For four days we met in groups to discuss our programs’ strengths and weaknesses. We exchanged stories, ideas, and resources and worked together to find solutions to our problems. It was an amazing time to spend collaborating with colleagues towards a greater purpose.

Unfortunately some of this camaraderie was spoiled at the closing ceremony when we all learned that President Obama had announced new regulations on Head Start programs. The regulations state that if a Head Start program fails to meet certain quality standards they will have to compete for funding, with the losing programs being forced to cut slots or even close down. The entire conference was in a tizzy over this announcement and before we knew exactly what was going on it sort of felt like a grenade went off in the conference hall. After we had time to come to a full understanding of the new regulations, we realized that some of our panic was unwarranted because in and of themselves, these regulations are not a bad thing for Head Start. They will motivate poorly performing programs to get their act together, thus leading to better education for their students. If some programs are unable to make the cut, then they need to be cut so we are making the most of our taxpayers’ money. Fair enough.

In terms of the big picture, however, these regulations are worrisome because they signal a change in the attitude towards Head Start. In some ways these regulations are a warning that if the Head Start program cannot clearly demonstrate that it is effectively doing its job to close the poverty gap, it will be on the federal budget cut chopping board. I don’t believe that we need to worry because every day I see that Head Start is making a huge difference in the lives of the families we serve. Unfortunately, there is another audience that needs to be convinced if we want to continue our work. I’m confident though that Head Start can rise to the occasion.

Education Reform in Philadelphia

With the recent departure of Philadelphia School District Superintendent Arlene Ackerman amid severe budget cuts and political infighting, Philadelphia's students started school in a district uncertain about its future. Organized in conjunction with the Princeton Club of Philadelphia and Princeton AlumniCorps, Tuesday’s forum brought together educational leaders to discuss the future of Philadelphia’s education system and ongoing reform efforts. The panel featured Dr. Leroy Nunery, the acting CEO and Superintendent. It also included Marc Mannella, CEO of KIPP Philadelphia, Edward Mensah, Director of Steppingstone Scholars, Alyson Goodner '00, founder of The School Collective, and Matt Troha, Principal of Mastery Turnaround School Thomas Campus. The panel discussion was moderated by Rosalind Echols '05, a high school teacher at the Science Leadership Academy.

The focus of the discussion was on education reform and turning around a school district that for far too long has been underachieving. How can Philadelphia attract the best teachers and keep them? How can teachers from charter, public, and private schools collaborate to ensure that they are using the most innovative and effective learning techniques? How do we provide a quality public education when funding to the School District has been cut drastically by the state? How does the School District work most effectively with the Teachers Union? These were just some of the main topics covered in a lengthy question and answer session.

The overall takeaway of the evening was that while the challenges we face within Philadelphia's education system are difficult, they are not insurmountable. There are many dedicated educators and reformers who are committed to improving classrooms and making sure Philadelphia's students are college-ready and can compete in the new global economy.

The Windy City in November

It's raining in Chicago and the closer you are to the lake, the windier...which means umbrellas won’t keep you from getting wet. I work in the West Loop, which is part of downtown Chicago, and my office, the National Equity Fund (NEF), is located on the river and not too far from the lake. Needless to say my trenchcoat is getting a lot of use.

I’ve been at NEF for almost 4 months now, and feel like I’ve really gotten into the swing of things. I work in the New Markets Tax Credit department, which invests federal New Markets Tax Credits into real-estate in low-income areas. These credits are allocated to fund a variety of projects, ranging from community centers to grocery stores to charter schools. My specific role is to become the “community impact expert.” This entails understanding the variety of tools that exist for measuring and reporting on the community impact of our investments (particularly nonfinancial impact) and analyzing our community impact system. I was surprised when I first started my research that not much literature exists on nonfinancial impact measurement (think jobs created, goods and services provided to low-income communities, environmental sustainability), especially as it relates to the New Markets Tax Credits. The existing literature is scarce because the investor demand for nonfinancial performance measurement is relatively new. Looking at the “triple bottom line” (people, planet, and profit) rather than just the “bottom line” (profits) is a recent trend for investors.

I’m originally from the Midwest, and though I had visited Chicago numerous times, living here is another story. I’ve become familiar with Chicago’s many neighborhoods (instead of just the Museum Campus and a few blocks on Devon Ave.) as well as its public transit system (no car this time around). In fact, I’m a pro Chicago bus-rider; and I’m sure that once it hits zero degrees outside I’ll appreciate that buses stop every block. In addition to riding buses, I’ve also been able to explore Chicago a fair amount since moving here. It is a fun, beautiful city, though very spread out and segregated. I especially noticed this while training for a Halloween half marathon (the Monster Dash—I really recommend it for all you runners!); demographics and neighborhood services really do change block-by-block.

It looks like my lunch break is over and thus, so is this blog post. Have a great week and Veteran’s Day weekend!

I guess it really isn't summer anymore...

I think I was in denial for a while that I had actually graduated and wasn't going back to Princeton. The fact that I started my fellowship a whole 5 days after leaving Old Nassau didn't help that illusion, as it just felt like another summer internship that would end in 10-12 weeks and have me back in my dorm by Frosh Week. I can't decide if it's a good or bad thing that I've fallen into such a routine that I've barely noticed how much time has really passed. I guess it's good in the sense that I feel comfortable with my routine and I'm enjoying what I'm doing, but a bit of a bad thing because it is going by so quickly and I want to make sure I make the most of the time that's left. But now, as the leaves are changing, Macy's is decorated for Christmas, and I need to wear my ColdGear Under Armour to go running outside, I think it's finally sunk in that it is not the summer anymore and I am indeed in the "Real World."

Granted, my "Real World" is living at home with my parents, but with the free rent and home cooked meals, that's not a terrible deal. I could do without the commute, but there are worse things. People-watching on the LIRR has quickly become one of my favorite pastimes - every Long Island stereotype you can imagine is present in full force on those crowded trains home. I like to think I don't fit into any of those categories, buttt I have been told my accent is coming back a bit (although I still contend that "dog" should not rhyme with "frog" or "log"... all of you non-LawnGuyLanders are saying it wrong). Being at home has also been more exciting than I anticipated. For instance, a week or so ago there was some drama on the homefront when the Jets' Monday Night Football game conflicted with Dancing With the Stars. Needless to say, my mother won and got to watch DWTS... which by the way is quite an addicting show (vote for JR and Karina!).

But in all seriousness, if any prospective fellows are reading this, living at home really isn't bad at all, and you'll actually be able to save up a bit of money from your fellowship. It hasn't had any impact on my ability to attend the Project 55 seminars and other events, and I've had a couple of great meals with my mentor (who has been FANTASTIC to talk to, so make sure you take advantage of that relationship). It did seem a bit harder to meet new people at first since I wasn't actually living here, but there are definitely ways to do that - I just joined an intramural soccer team with some other Princeton alums, and I'm really excited for that to get underway. Going out does take some extra planning and foresight, but I'm sure you'll have friends living in the city who will let you crash on weekend nights (or whenever else you need to) so you don't need to worry about catching that last train home. Just offer to pay for the cab ride back to their place and maybe some late night pizza and you'll be good to go.

Confidence Boost at a Conference Booth

Recently I had a week-long work "field trip" of sorts: I spent the last week of October at the Union World Conference on Lung Health in Lille, France. Actually, it qualifies as my first business trip! This was a very exciting opportunity I owe to Aeras' amazing Project Coordinator's being in her third trimester of pregnancy, as she normally is in charge of representing Aeras at our booth at this annual conference. I was really looking forward to meeting people from around the world and getting to dust off my French. However, I was also REALLY nervous about saying the right things about the organization, answering any hard questions and flying. (Gosh, traveling is awesome, but people just were not made to be shot through the air at 35,000 feet... or at least that's what my sweaty palms always tell me...)

Before leaving, I reviewed information about Aeras' tuberculosis vaccine pipeline, our mission and strategy, but I was still pretty nervous walking over to the conference center the first day the exhibit booths were open. I had never worked at a booth; I didn't know what to expect. Luckily, Aeras was co-sponsoring a booth with a European-based organization that also is working to develop TB vaccines, so I had some company and a live example of how to properly deliver our messaging to passersby. After the first few people had visited our booth, my nerves died down, and I began to really enjoy interacting with the conference attendees and became confident in my knowledge of Aeras and its mission. I got to meet doctors, advocates, and potential collaborators from Afghanistan to Zambia. And though I was in the conference center on most days from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. or later, I was able to walk around the incredibly charming city of Lille and enjoy the local delicacies, mussels (moules) and waffles (gaufres)--but not at the same time... ew! Another highlight was getting to sit in on a session about TB diagnostics when a very kind work colleague took over booth duty for a few hours on the last day of the conference. We also got a tour of the Museum of the Pasteur Institute of Lille, which presents history on Louis Pasteur (who would have been a painter rather than a scientist if it weren't for the disapproval of his father) and Albert Calmette and Camille Guerin, who developed the first and only vaccine against tuberculosis (BCG).

This experience was meaningful for several reasons, but the two biggest takeaways were 1) having a chance to practice Aeras' messaging in an active way that improved my confidence in my ability to effectively communicate information and 2) meeting people who shared their communities' struggles with TB. It's one thing to hear figures like 1/3 of the world has TB and 1.4 million people die every year, but the cause of developing more effective tools to combat TB gained new imperative after meeting people for whom the development of a new TB vaccine would directly improve their quality of life.

First Seminar

Last Friday, October 28th, the Washington DC PP55 Fellows had their first seminar.  We met at the law offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Farragut and boy, have I never sat at such a large, fancy, stone conference room table.  The lobby of the office alone was like something out of Good Housekeeping and I reminder myself vigorously that paralegal is one of my many potential career paths for next year.

Our speakers were Ambassador Anthony Quainton '55 and Alan Platt '65.  The two made up a panel of sorts that was moderated, so to speak, by former PP55 Fellow Alison Laporte-Oshire '09, on the topic of careers overseas and in foreign policy.

I must admit that a negative experience overseas last summer left me discouraged from working abroad and I've never really had an interest in being a policy wonk.  I chose to be a History major because I like narratives and looking at broad themes over time, and never once took a Politics class because policy doesn't really interest me that much (although I am gradually learning more about education policy and finding myself interested in that).  HOWEVER, I still found the seminar, which mostly addressed  our panelists' career paths and some of their opinions on the foreign policy stance of the USA, very interesting and informative!  I really enjoyed meeting Princeton alums who have done a lot of great things over the courses of their long and distinguished careers, and I felt reassured to hear that even these men weren't really sure what they wanted to do when they left Princeton.

Upcoming seminars will include topics such as grad school and managing up -- I can't wait!

October 28th was a big day for me because:

1. I got to sleep late.  (A seminar at 9am vs. being at school at 645am?  yes please!!)
2. We had our Public Charter School Board enrollment audit which I've been preparing for since literally my first week of work and everything went well and as far as I know all the paper work checked out.  (This is a big deal because we get money for every student who attends the school that is a DC resident so everyone has to prove that they are truly enrolled in the school based on attendance and actually live in DC.)
3. We had our annual Fall Fest celebration to celebrate the end of Quarter 1 Exam week and we got to do lots of fun fall crafts and dance in the cafeteria to fun music.  LET ME TELL YOU, the 5th grade scholars at Achievement Prep sure as heck can teach you, me, and everyone and their mom how to dougie.

This is the 11th week of school which means it's my 17th week of work!  And I can't believe how cold it is here in DC -- it totally snowed over the weekend.