"you may not always end up where you are going, but you will always end up where you are meant to be"
if you would have shared this quote with me one year ago i would have rolled my eyes, laughed at you, and responded with something sarcastic with an undertone of you must be kidding me.
a year later, i am the one sharing it with you and i think that is a great sign of transformation in who i am, what i believe, and where i feel called for my future!
there is no doubt in my mind that i am not the same person that i was when i began my journey as a lasallian volunteer last year. i would even argue that i am not the same person i was at the beginning of the summer. i like to think that the changes that are happening in the way i think and the things i value are positive changes. i am still me of course, but i am most definitely different.
i have seen a whole different side to the world of education and have worked with people who experience poverty on a daily basis. i have challenged myself to live a simpler lifestyle that helps me to better understand what is a need and what is want and how i can tell the difference between the two. i have grown in my faith and spirituality. i am more aware of social issues that surround people of specific cultures and economic status and find it easier to sympathize with people who experience those struggles. i am more patient and understanding with people who would have otherwise "rubbed me the wrong way". i am more flexible and dont allow one thing going the wrong way to ruin what has gone the right way. and ultimately, i have truly learned what it means to be resilient.
so different? yes, most definitely. better? maybe. im not so sure that i would go as far as saying that im a better person because of this experience, but i am most definitely thankful that i have had the chance to be part of it.
with all of this in mind, and with the thought in the back of my mind being a little bit along the lines of "so what happens after this year?", i have even seen a change in where i see myself heading in the future. and despite my previous resistance to working in the education field, i have decided that i want to pursue teaching for the future. completely crazy! definitely not where i was planning on going, but maybe its where im meant to be?!
i spent a lot of time this summer thinking about where i see myself going after my volunteer experience is over. i am still interested in public health and the advocacy that goes along with it, but i dont feel like i can just walk away from the work that i have been doing. i have seen how powerful education can be and how the education system that is in place has so many flaws and i feel somewhat responsible to help do something about it. for many of the students that we work with, the only chance that they have to better themselves is to get a good education. without an education, they are trapped in a place where they will spend the rest of their lives working a minimum wage job and struggle to make ends meet. and they are smarter than that! but without good teachers and people working in education who are committed to ensuring that all students get a quality education, they fall through the cracks and the cycle of poverty just keeps perpetuating itself.
so this is what i feel called to do. and i am actually really excited about it! i hope that this year will help me to learn even more about education and students and how i can potentially have a part in ensuring all students, even those who are often written off because of things they struggle with, have a chance at getting an education and bettering themselves. i feel like i can make bigger ripples by empowering students and helping realize their potential than i could doing something else. i want to be able to make a difference and i think this might be the best way for me to do that going forward.
so now what?! im looking into a couple different programs in nyc (sorry wisconsin!) that offer classroom experience and a masters degree and a salary (yayyyy!) all at the same time. they would all include working at inner city schools and i would end up getting my masters in education and my certification to teach. middle school science here i come?!? :)
