30b430 Goal #21 and #24: The Summer of Social Justice

Last year, I declared the summer of 2012 "The Summer of Jen." It was a good summer full of triathlons, swimming, going up north, moving into my new classroom, and tackling my goal list. I loved it and I could have done it again this summer, but I feel like something has been missing from my life this school year and I need to work on figuring it out.

I'm no depressed cat, but still!!!

Goal #21 from my 30b430 list was to get chosen for one more summer fellowship in another country where I am able to work with youth. I revised this goal a little when I couldn't find fellowships where I was able to travel and work with youth. I was tempted to apply for a fellowship in South Africa where I would study apartheid or a fellowship in India where I would examine education, but I wasn't feeling it.

I'm making another sweeping declaration for the summer of 2013: This is the Summer of Social Justice. I heard that the Freedom School in my town was hiring Servant Leader Interns. If you don't know what the Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools are, I encourage you to learn more here. I got the internship, so as I round out my eighth year of working in schools and my seventh year of teaching full time, I'm going a little crazy and teaching full time this summer as an intern. I'm probably the oldest intern they have, but this work is so energizing. I have a feeling that this is what I should be doing this summer.

The summer is shaping up to be quite busy. I'm presenting on my master's thesis work with some of my favorite people at the Free Minds, Free People Conference in Chicago, working on turning my thesis into something more teachers can use, and I'm sending out inquiries about PhD programs (AKA Goal #24). I'm still on the fence about more graduate studies, especially after Sallie Mae got ahold of me a week after I finished my graduate degree:

I mean... I get it. I just don't want to get it. 

...but I'm thinking about it. 

So what's next? I don't know, but I don't think I'm ever going to settle down. 

1. Complete an indoor triathlon. 2/12/12

2. Complete an outdoor triathlon. 6/2/12

3. Swim across West Twin Lake and Rose Lake (or Pine Lake). 7/14/12 and 6/26/12 

4. Bike the Kal-Haven Trail.7/30/12

5. Play the piano in front of people.

6. Visit my family in the Philippines (or at least have tickets booked by my 30th birthday).

7. Have a conversation with a dear Senegalese friend in French or Wolof (preferably Wolof).

8. Visit my grandparents in California.

9. Pop a champagne cork with no fear.

10. Make leche flan (it's Filipino, it's amazing, and I'm makin' it).

11. Jar or can veggies, pickles, sauce... something.

12. Revised 5/1/12 because I remembered that I'm supposed to graduate in December and my Master's degree is really important to me!!! Get my Master's degree and submit some of my academic writing and then, maybe, you know... get it published.

13. Travel out of the country with Nate.

14. Pay off at least 50% of my remaining undergraduate credit card debt.

15. Sing karaoke by myself in Kalamazoo in front of all of my friends.

16. Eat clean for one month.

17. Pick berries and bake something with them. 8/24/12 

18. Write at least one chapter of the novel that I write in my mind while I'm walking the dogs.

19. Thank my mom for everything she's done for me.

20. Go further into the UP than the Mystery Spot tourist trap and jump into Lake Superior.

21. Get chosen for one more summer fellowship in another country where I am able to work with youth.

22. Go on a police ride along.

23. Get to 200 blog posts.

24. Revised 5/1/12 Make some decisions about my career and/or PhD prospects. Apply for PhD programs.

25. Attend roller derby training so I can learn the moves.

26. Learn how to flip turn when I'm swimming laps. 4/19/12

27. Take a real personal day. 6/8/12

28. Learn how to drive a stick.

29. Go horseback riding.8/8/12

30. Poach an egg perfectly.