03/16/04– One of the highlights of my college career has been the opportunity to work and intern downtown. Although it is a fairly small area compared to most major cities, it still has a very unique dynamic and atmosphere that I find to be invigorating. I’ve been able to meet and eventually get to know many people on the state political scene, including many Senators and Assemblymen, as well as both governors. During the summer in Cesar Chavez park, just blocks from the Capitol, there is a farmer’s market on Wednesdays and live local bands on Fridays. There’s the woman with a sign attached to her electric wheelchair that reads, “Legalize Pot for Everyone”. Always speeding past pedestrians, one must wonder: Where is she going in such a hurry? And of course, there is the frequent protest or rally occurring in or around capitol park. Since these folks directly affect my access to my office, I dread these days. While they can be interesting, like the day there were hundreds of motorcycles and their drivers parked all along 10th street, they are always a hassle and an inconvenience. Today there was a rather large rally in opposition of the Governor’s cuts to community college funding. Normally, I am able to brush these protesters off, but today they caused me to become genuinely angry. One of them actually put their hands on the hood of my car! Where there not cops on horses everywhere, I might have run her over. Anyway, I later felt vindicated because I really don’t think that upsetting the entire downtown workday is going to cause anyone to change their minds… 03/15/04– I have been thinking a lot about the actual graduation event that is going to occur in two months and of late have developed some very distinct feelings about it. First of all, this graduation is very different from my first, for several reasons. The most striking to me is the attitude we as graduates now have. High school graduation seems to have been about loss. We were leaving the friends we had grown up with all of our lives, our graduation theme songs were “I Will Remember You” and “Time of Your Life”, and it was something all of our friends were going through — in short, a huge milestone in one’s life. This graduation is different. It’s about finally making it out of college, about achievement, and about having forged our own identity. We come to college unsure of who we really are (hence the layers of make-up and streaked-blonde hair) and eventually learn that who we are is what we make of ourselves. We stop defining ourselves by what others think of us (or what we THINK they think of us) and start pursuing self-fulfillment in our own dreams. 03/12/04– For the most part, my excitement about graduating has made me overlook the painful process entailed. From submitting my graduation application to ordering announcements, this has been grueling. So far, I have had to fill out over 10 forms in the past year, each of which had to by signed be at least one person. And this was just to graduate! In the past few days, I have ordered announcements, purchased my cap and gown, singed up for commencement, checked my records, and stood in line at admissions and records to deliver a grade change form. This is not even the worst part. I am .06 point away from Cum Laude. After this semester, assuming I continue to do well in my classes, I will easily make it. However, I will not be allowed to wear a cord at commencement because they only take into consideration my grades up until last semester. Great. With all these other procedures, one would think I could appeal this. Maybe I’ll take it to ASI. 03/11/04– So how does volunteering overseas relate to my future since it occurred in my past? Well, not only does it put the perfect pair of heels on my resume, it is also something I will absolutely consider doing again. In fact, maybe I should leave the country for good and devote the rest of my life to lifting the impoverished out of economic hardship. Maybe not. There is a happy medium and I intend to find it. Peace Corps is an obvious option, and truly one of the best. The perks are too many to list here, but I highly recommend checking it out. In addition, one can find many volunteering and internship opportunities on the Internet, which is how I came across Open Mind Projects . I’d also be happy to answer any questions if anyone has them, feel free to email me at [email protected].

As for my own future, only time will tell. I would love to spend some time in China working with development economists and studying Chinese. Or even working in Africa on AIDS projects. It’s something to think about.