Exciting times in DC. :)
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
A seemingly normal Tuesday...
Today was a very exciting day at work! Around 1:00, we found out that President Obama was going to be visiting a public charter school to read to students one block away from my office. LAYC owns several locations on the block. These space function in different capacities. For example, there are group homes for the kids on the back side of the block. Across the street from the group homes is the public charter school that the President visited today. Everyone began running outside to try to get a glimpse of Obama. We were quickly stopped by the police that had begun to line the street. Snipers were pacing on top of the buildings. We began to hear and then see the motorcade, then limo number one, and then Obama! We all started jumping up and down screaming and he waved at us. To explain our location a little better, the street that the President and crew drove down is a one way backstreet. It is just a residential area. We were literally about 15 feet (if that!) away from his car. We tried in vain to get a look at he and Michelle when they got out of the limo, but we were blocked. However, one of the workers at the group home got a great picture of the day's events....
Exciting times in DC. :)
Exciting times in DC. :)
Sunday, February 1, 2009
the beauty of a random day
I know I'm supposed to be writing all about my professional journey in this blog, but I also want this creation to be about my personal journey.
Today was amazing. I started off by meeting up with a classmate that I have not gotten to work with yet. He has had a lot of experience with the corporate world and has a different perspective that I can appreciate. After all, social work is a business too! And you better believe I'm going to be selling myself come May when I need a j-o-b!
We traveled over to a neighborhood called Eastern Market and worked on a project for an upcoming class for a little while. We had some really good conversation and our ideas were flowing. We decided that we made it to a good stopping point and walked down the road to the weekly Farmer's Market. We explored treasures from antique dealers and local artisans. We saw handcrafted jewelry and fabrics, a Tibetan prayer cabinet and a man painting beautiful pictures using a boombox as his palette. The weather was absolutely beautiful and tons of people were out enjoying the day. After seeing all the crafts and oddities, we headed indoors to the food market. We strolled past the fresh slabs of fish, lovely bouquets of flowers, homemade stuffed pastas and vibrant produce. We decided that we couldn't resist a treat from the pastry and bread ladies and endulged a little. :)
All the activity made our stomachs start to growl and we made a stop at the lunch counter. After grabbing my Maryland crab cake sandwhich, I took a seat at the long bar next to a stranger. We quickly started sharing laughs and trading stories. Although we both come from totally different backgrounds, we had several things in common. Before I knew it, I made a new friend!
My classmate and I analyzed our day and agreed that it was quite fantastic. I am amazed by the randomness and adventure that a city can offer by simply stepping outside of your door. What a wonderful way to start the week!
Today was amazing. I started off by meeting up with a classmate that I have not gotten to work with yet. He has had a lot of experience with the corporate world and has a different perspective that I can appreciate. After all, social work is a business too! And you better believe I'm going to be selling myself come May when I need a j-o-b!
We traveled over to a neighborhood called Eastern Market and worked on a project for an upcoming class for a little while. We had some really good conversation and our ideas were flowing. We decided that we made it to a good stopping point and walked down the road to the weekly Farmer's Market. We explored treasures from antique dealers and local artisans. We saw handcrafted jewelry and fabrics, a Tibetan prayer cabinet and a man painting beautiful pictures using a boombox as his palette. The weather was absolutely beautiful and tons of people were out enjoying the day. After seeing all the crafts and oddities, we headed indoors to the food market. We strolled past the fresh slabs of fish, lovely bouquets of flowers, homemade stuffed pastas and vibrant produce. We decided that we couldn't resist a treat from the pastry and bread ladies and endulged a little. :)
All the activity made our stomachs start to growl and we made a stop at the lunch counter. After grabbing my Maryland crab cake sandwhich, I took a seat at the long bar next to a stranger. We quickly started sharing laughs and trading stories. Although we both come from totally different backgrounds, we had several things in common. Before I knew it, I made a new friend!
My classmate and I analyzed our day and agreed that it was quite fantastic. I am amazed by the randomness and adventure that a city can offer by simply stepping outside of your door. What a wonderful way to start the week!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Welcome!
Hi everyone and welcome to my blog! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop in!
I would like to start things off by giving a little background about how my adventure became a reality. In the summer of 2008, I decided to go back to school to get my Master's degree. I had only worked in the field for three years as a social worker, but I knew it was essential for me to have more education to reach my goals. It didn't work out for me to have educational leave through my employer, but I was informed that I was awarded a scholarship that would cover almost all of my tuition. Even though it wasn't an easy choice to make, I quit my job and left my security to become a student again.
I learned about the opportunity to intern in DC through my program at the University of Alabama and knew that I had to take full advantage. I was given the chance to choose a placement from a very long list of organizations. When I thought about my goals and what I wanted my learning experience to embody, I knew that I had to be at the Latin American Youth Center. I had a phone interview with a staff member (who is now my supervisor) of the LAYC and things went very well. I was pumped and even tried to recruit others to come along. In the lull of waiting, I wrestled with my thoughts and wondered if I had made the right decision. After all, big changes are hard and the beauty of the unknown can be very intimidating.
However, as I have settled in to my life here, I know that this was my plan all along. The timing could not have been more perfect in regards to this pivotal point in our history as a nation. I have been in DC for only three weeks, but it feels like years. I feel so lucky and cannot wait to wake up each morning.
I would like to start things off by giving a little background about how my adventure became a reality. In the summer of 2008, I decided to go back to school to get my Master's degree. I had only worked in the field for three years as a social worker, but I knew it was essential for me to have more education to reach my goals. It didn't work out for me to have educational leave through my employer, but I was informed that I was awarded a scholarship that would cover almost all of my tuition. Even though it wasn't an easy choice to make, I quit my job and left my security to become a student again.
I learned about the opportunity to intern in DC through my program at the University of Alabama and knew that I had to take full advantage. I was given the chance to choose a placement from a very long list of organizations. When I thought about my goals and what I wanted my learning experience to embody, I knew that I had to be at the Latin American Youth Center. I had a phone interview with a staff member (who is now my supervisor) of the LAYC and things went very well. I was pumped and even tried to recruit others to come along. In the lull of waiting, I wrestled with my thoughts and wondered if I had made the right decision. After all, big changes are hard and the beauty of the unknown can be very intimidating.
However, as I have settled in to my life here, I know that this was my plan all along. The timing could not have been more perfect in regards to this pivotal point in our history as a nation. I have been in DC for only three weeks, but it feels like years. I feel so lucky and cannot wait to wake up each morning.
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