Graduate School - Focusing on a major that deals with one of the following subject areas: Public Policy, International Affairs, Non-Profit Operations, Community Development, etc.
Portland, Oregon - A progressive city that focuses on environmental awareness as well as other things I am interested in. I have only heard good things about it and I believe it would be a good place to find a job with a non-profit or other organization.
Peace Corps - A chance to live with the people I've been reading about in the books I've been reading. A chance to understand the daily struggle of individuals in 3rd world countries and get experience with ways to improve their lives. Get real experience as a leader of a community to help develop and educate those with less opportunity. My main reservation is the 27 month commitment away from friends and family and everything I'm familiar with.
Being a transient bum - Always the "or I could..." at the end of a long research session on one of the above mentioned choices.
I could, and I'm thinking of this right now as I type, feasibly take a year after Americorps and study for the GRE while working at home and becoming fluent in Spanish, then get into graduate school at Marquette and have it paid for through their fellowship and get a degree in International Affairs, Political Science, or some other related field. Then during that apply for the Peace Corps and spend two years implementing what I learned in graduate school and Americorps. With that plan I would have a B.A. in Mass Communication, a M.A. in something related to community service or international affairs, a year of state-side Americorps NCCC experience and two years of international service from Peace Corps, as well as Spanish as a secondary language (and perhaps another if I'm sent somewhere that speaks another language by the Peace Corps). I would be able to get life experience in a lot of different areas, from undergraduate life to U.S. service life to graduate life to international service. Also I'd get some time in between Americorps and graduate school to reflect and prepare for everything... Hmmm...
Well, if you've read this entire thing and haven't moved on to watching videos of people getting beaned in the crotch yet, I apologize. I didn't intend to let you in on my internal ramblings, but, there you go!
-J
Joey I think this is great idea! The 27 months away would be very hard though, but if anyone I know can do it it would be you! You still have time to decide so don't stress yourself out too much right now!
ReplyDelete~Summer
I also like this idea, particularly because it has to do with becoming fluent in Spanish, which as we all know is the coolest language around. The only advice I would give is to find a way to bring your Xbox with you for those 27 months, because otherwise you will lose focus, you will lose your grip on reality, effectively, you'll be jonesing pretty bad to pwn somebody...
ReplyDelete-K
I like the grad school option best. Why don't you get the cliff notes on the GRE and take it now? Can't hurt and you might do well on the first try.
ReplyDeleteSpanish as a second language is a very good idea as well.
Fine tune your thoughts on these options and take the first step in the direction you choose. Ponder, prepare, execute.
Dad
Already executing, sending out resume's and lines of communication with nonprofits around Tulsa for a job during my time there.
ReplyDeleteAlso, taking the GRE now is expensive! I don't know, I'll look into it or something like that...
I'm currently going with "all of the above" starting with acing the GRE and learning spanish. Then, on to grad school!