“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” -Confucious
It’s only been a year and a half since I left my corporate job (and California), where I was making great money, but professionally bored. During the day I’d take care of business, and at night I’d volunteer for a start-up high school study abroad organization creating manuals, strategizing, researching, etc. – for free. And I didn’t mind. Because ever since I went to Italy during my study abroad at HU, I’ve made it my life’s mission to make sure more people that look like me are able to have similar experiences. But this post isn’t about that (click here for that post). This post is instead about how I started a new position this week. A position that reminds me of that Confucious quote above. And I’m constantly thinking “Someone’s actually paying me to do this?!” As the new Coordinator for Diversity and Semester Programs at the University of Maryland, I’ve talked to classes of underrepresented students about going abroad, learned an insane amount about the background administration work of my two programs (Rome and London!), met with the financial aid and scholarships offices about how we can make study abroad more financially accessible, tabled at the Unity Welcome student org fair and met some amazing student leaders on campus (and Testudo of course), [insert more amazing stuff here], [...here], and [...here]. I just feel ridiculously blessed and almost want to cry. I don’t care what you Debbie Downers say, this is not a honeymoon phase! If it were, then my team wouldn’t be as awesome and happy as they still are… and they’ve been around for years! If you know me you know this is what my life’s calling is. And I can’t wait to make a tremendous impact on this campus! (Did I mention that I’m still in grad school. So far, so good. Just keep me in your prayers 
.)
You have to go here to figure out the other reason why this was the best week ever. No really, click it! I’ll wait. Did you see it? Vai Via is the GoAbroad.com Blog of the Week! Again, I feel so blessed to have my site recognized by a resource such as GoAbroad.org. I have used GoAbroad dozens of times when searching for programs, advising other students, looking for information for school - so for them to have noticed little ol’ me. Humbled! It makes me want to write more regularly!
(Ok, so if you didn’t really click it the first time, here ya go. I know how y’all are!)
Best. Week. Ever!
Congrats!
I’m so excited you are really enjoying the new gig! And woo hoo on being the GoAbroad.com blog of the week! It’s well deserved. Keep on doing what you do and making a difference!
Wonderful. Good for you for finding your lifes passion. We all need passions in our lives. If we did, we would all be so much happier…like you obviously are. (btw, just found your blog and it is helping to keep my travel juices alive as I save money for my next adventure).
Thanks ladies! @Rhona where’s your next adventure??
That sounds amazing. I would love a job like that, congrats girl! As long as you are having fund doing something you like, it’s all good.
Congratulations! That’s actually in my neck of the woods (sort of), I’m from Columbia, MD!
I’m so excited that you were able to turn your study abroad passion into a career. That makes me feel better, as I’ll be graduating from school this spring!
Yeah it’s a jungle out there… but when you let your passion lead you things fall into place! Thanks ladies
[...] On This Episode of “The Best Week Ever”: I got my dream (right now) job. And this post is announcing the job just one week in. And what’s funny is that as I re-read this post and feel all the giddiness of that first week – I recognize that I still have that giddiness damn near every day at work! I try not to talk about my job every day on twitter and facebook but the excitement in this post really sums it all up. I still love my job! The other special thing about this post is that I was recognized by goabroad.org as the Blog of the Week! And I didn’t even have to pay them to say all the nice things they said. Check it out! (There were quite a few other posts – but these are just the highlights.) [...]