Senior chooses meaningful service project before heading into career
Becca Doel
Issue date: 3/16/07 Section: Opinion
This past October, I began to think about what I would do after graduation.
Not because I felt like I needed to start looking for a job; I was reminiscing about the first week-long summer mission trip I had ever gone on, nearly a decade ago now.
Throughout the course of junior high and high school, I attended five more similar trips, the last ending shortly before my summer orientation at Bonaventure.
My trip with YouthWorks, at an Indian reservation in Arizona, was by far my favorite. College students - a group I was beginning to identify with - organized and ran the entire week, and I left thinking, "I want to do that next year."
Six months passed by, and I contemplated applying for a summer position. But ultimately, I didn't. After that I pushed the idea to the back of my mind and focused on college - classes, The BV, internships.
And I had almost entirely forgotten about my original idea - until October.
I was browsing the YouthWorks Web site and noticed an ad for summer staff applications. I printed out the application more as a joke than anything else and filled it out for fun.
Then I mailed it in.
I justified my actions in my mind by saying it was good practice (in the past two or three months I've spent two and a half hours doing phone interviews and another couple on an in-person interview). It was just my back-up plan.
Until about a week ago when there was a message on my phone waiting for me after class. I attempted to identify from the caller's tone of voice what the news would be, but I needed to call back to know for sure.
My entire walk home I played out the possibilities in my mind of what could happen. Nearing my townhouse, I decided I wanted the job, but I would not be devastated if they were calling to say I didn't get it.
But I did.
The easy conclusion to this story would be to say that accepting the job was the easiest decision I've ever made, seeing as it is a job I've dreamed of doing for almost four years now.
Instead toiled with wondering if it really is what I want for weeks.
I asked myself: Can I wait a few months to start working in journalism? What if an offer for my dream career comes along after I've already signed a contract for my dream summer job? Do I really want to live in a church or school classroom for the entire summer?
How do I know I'm making the right decision?
The truth is I don't think I can know - at least not until about mid-August.
I have committed to my decision, although I am constantly aware that my decision to say "yes" to this opportunity is a "no" to every other chance I might have had this summer. In the end, I can't help thinking waiting an extra three months to start my career is a very small price to pay for the opportunity to do something I know will be worthwhile and meaningful.
e-mail: doelrk@sbu.edu
Not because I felt like I needed to start looking for a job; I was reminiscing about the first week-long summer mission trip I had ever gone on, nearly a decade ago now.
Throughout the course of junior high and high school, I attended five more similar trips, the last ending shortly before my summer orientation at Bonaventure.
My trip with YouthWorks, at an Indian reservation in Arizona, was by far my favorite. College students - a group I was beginning to identify with - organized and ran the entire week, and I left thinking, "I want to do that next year."
Six months passed by, and I contemplated applying for a summer position. But ultimately, I didn't. After that I pushed the idea to the back of my mind and focused on college - classes, The BV, internships.
And I had almost entirely forgotten about my original idea - until October.
I was browsing the YouthWorks Web site and noticed an ad for summer staff applications. I printed out the application more as a joke than anything else and filled it out for fun.
Then I mailed it in.
I justified my actions in my mind by saying it was good practice (in the past two or three months I've spent two and a half hours doing phone interviews and another couple on an in-person interview). It was just my back-up plan.
Until about a week ago when there was a message on my phone waiting for me after class. I attempted to identify from the caller's tone of voice what the news would be, but I needed to call back to know for sure.
My entire walk home I played out the possibilities in my mind of what could happen. Nearing my townhouse, I decided I wanted the job, but I would not be devastated if they were calling to say I didn't get it.
But I did.
The easy conclusion to this story would be to say that accepting the job was the easiest decision I've ever made, seeing as it is a job I've dreamed of doing for almost four years now.
Instead toiled with wondering if it really is what I want for weeks.
I asked myself: Can I wait a few months to start working in journalism? What if an offer for my dream career comes along after I've already signed a contract for my dream summer job? Do I really want to live in a church or school classroom for the entire summer?
How do I know I'm making the right decision?
The truth is I don't think I can know - at least not until about mid-August.
I have committed to my decision, although I am constantly aware that my decision to say "yes" to this opportunity is a "no" to every other chance I might have had this summer. In the end, I can't help thinking waiting an extra three months to start my career is a very small price to pay for the opportunity to do something I know will be worthwhile and meaningful.
e-mail: doelrk@sbu.edu
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