Four years and one very expensive piece of paper later...

 Sunday was the big day! After four years, lots of readings, numerous papers, and approximately 3 hours of sitting in the sun I received that very expensive piece of paper that marks me as a college graduate.

Taking pictures in the Rose Garden.

Graduation weekend was intense. Saturday my parents arrived, I watched as several of my super impressive friends were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and then wandered over to Baccalaureate. Baccalaureate was long and hot, and I wished it was a little more like a Quaker meeting. I'm going to miss spending my Sunday mornings sitting in silence and prayer. After Baccalaureate I dragged my parents to some department receptions to meet my professors- and may of gotten an ego boast from hearing all the nice things they said about me. Then we meet up with my sister and her boyfriend and went to dinner. We were supposed to go out with a group of my friends and their families but there was a mistake with our reservation, so that didn't quite work out as plan. When we returned to campus we watched a beautiful fireworks show before telling each other goodnight.

Getting my rose for Commencement.

The next morning I meet up with some of my friends in the Rose Garden to pick out a rose to wear for graduation (Swarthmore tradition), and then went to breakfast with them and my family. After that was the big event: Commencement! I highly enjoyed the speakers, especially the one who gave a shout out to Peace and Conflict Studies majors saying, "Peace and Conflict Studies majors would reason you into submission. More like, talk you to death." Waiting for everyone to receive their diplomas was tiring, we had to stand while all the students receiving BA degrees walked, though I loved that someone placed a giant cut out of Where's Waldo in the trees right before we walked across the stage it definitely made my smile more authentic. Afterwards, I took a great many pictures, packed up the rest of my room, and headed on home with my parents.

The family!

People keep asking me how it feels to be a college graduate, the only answer I've been able to give is weird, because I haven't felt like a college graduate. I haven't felt like one because I'm working Alumni Weekend, so I'm already back on campus, sleeping in a dorm room again. I think that when I leave after this weekend, I will feel more like a college graduate.

Almost Graduated.... Almost.

Longwood Garden

These past couple weeks have been really strange. About three weeks ago I finished my undergraduate classes, and two weeks ago I finished all my work. I've spent the last two weeks hanging out around Swarthmore doing very little. It's been a strange feeling not having anything to do. One of my friends actually went through some really intense feelings of guilt over it... Swarthmore may have made us all workaholics who can't handle ourselves without work. I do not think I have quite grasped the idea that I will not have piles upon piles of homework to do everyday anymore, well at least until I go to grad school and that's at the very least a year away!

Fancy Dinner

This past week has been crazy. It's Senior Week here at Swarthmore. Basically, the college is trying to make up for running us ragged the past four years by giving us fun things to do and lots of food. Some of my favorite events this week included going to Longwood Gardens, the Phillies vs. Red Sox game (Phillies won!), fancy dinner, and Last Collection. Collections are a Swarthmore tradition, well really a Quaker College tradition, where the community comes together and listens to each other. During Orientation, all the freshmen attend First Collection which ends with a candle lighting ceremony and inducts you into the Swarthmore community. Last Collection also ends with a candle lighting ceremony, but it sends you out into the world. Our homework assignment was simple: go change the world, make it a better place-- well, maybe not so simple, but I think SALT is a good step in the right direction.

Phillies vs. Red Sox

My family is coming up to Swarthmore today! Today is Baccalaureate and department receptions. Tomorrow is the big day: Commencement. After tomorrow I will no longer be a college student, and I will officially be a college graduate! EEK!

Last Collection

In Fundraising news- since I know you are all dying to hear about it- the total donates on my MCC page has passed $2,000! According to Dad's calculations that combined with the donates from my home church, we've reached over $3,000, that's about 60% of my total goal. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated. If you haven't PLEASE donate

Guess Who's Going to JORDAN!

Swarthmore Senior Portrait
Class of 2013

Ever since I can remember, I've known that I want, and feel called to, two things in my career: to travel and to help others. It's looks like I am on the right path to such a career. Almost two weeks ago I accepted an assignment for my first post-college job: I will be working as a Teacher Assistant at the Arab Episcopal School, in Irbid, Jordan, through Mennonite Central Committee's (MCC) Serving and Learning Together (SALT) program.

For the past year or so I have been researching organizations with whom I could potentially work for or serve with after I graduate from Swarthmore College this June (less than a month?? say what??). I'm a Peace and Conflict Studies major so the top two suggestions I've gotten over the year were the United Nations (UN),  and the Peace Corps. I decided early on that I want to spend some time doing on-the-ground service work, which took out the option of going directly to the UN or similar projects. And by the time I actually had enough time to work on job applications, I had missed all the deadlines for the Peace Corps if I wanted to leave soon after graduation. So, I spent the year researching humanitarian aid organizations and service programs.

Anti-Racism Audit Team, MC USA 2011 Pittsburgh Convention
Photo by Everett J. Thomas.

I decided on SALT partially because of my high opinion of MCC as an organization. In the summer of 2011, I interned in their Peace and Justice, US, Office with the Peace Education, Women's advocacy, and Anti-Racism Programs. That summer was amazing and transformative. MCC is one of the oldest humanitarian aid and peace advocacy organizations in the country, and the work that they have done and continue to do around the world is incredible. Looking at the amount of work MCC does, it is easily apparent that SALT is not the only work they do, which sets them apart from other young adult one year service programs. I am looking forward to the opportunity to be part of and contribute to MCC's work.

The moment I opened the email offering me the position in Jordan, I was so excited that I started crying. I called my mom and could barely form the words to tell her "I'm going to Jordan!" My crying was bad enough that even though I immediately knew I was going to accept I had to walk away and calm myself down before I could even write my acceptance email. I am still overjoyed with my plans for the next year, but I am also realistic. I know that life in Jordan is going to be different from anything I've experienced before, even though I've traveled abroad before. I mean almost as soon as I told Mom about it we started discussing the new wardrobe I'm going to need (I'll need trousers, long skirts, high cut blouses, and sweaters for both work and for when I have free time). I have never been to a country where are Christians are a minority. I don't speak Arabic. Moving to Jordan is going to be one of the most exciting and fear inducing things I have ever done.

Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Study Abroad, Fall 2011

I am glad that when I am a SALTer, I will not just be serving somewhere on my own but I will be part of a supportive, world wide community. There are not only young adults serving with SALT and MCC's other young adult programs (IVEP and YAMEN) internationally, but there are also MCC offices throughout the world. This means that while I am working in Jordan, I will have the support of both my co-workers at the Arab Episcopal School and the staff at the MCC Jordan office. This support, and the prayers and encouragement of my friends and family back in the States, are what I am counting on to help me through my transition to life in Jordan.