Education is the key

Yesterday I attended a fundraiser for Building Tomorrow. Building Tomorrow is "an international social-profit organization encouraging philanthropy among young people by raising awareness and funds to build and support educational infrastructure projects for underserved children in sub-Saharan Africa." In short, they work with organizations in the US (mostly high school and college students) to raise money that will go to building schools in Uganda. During the summer of 2007 I took a 2 week humanitarian trip to Uganda and that's when I officially realized the power education has on youth all over the world. During the next school year, I helped Butler's chapter of Ambassadors for Children raising about $40,000 to build a school in Uganda. To date, this school has been built and opened it's doors to the children in the surrounding community. The kids at this school now have a chance to be something. They will be the next leaders of their country and some will choose to have a voice when it comes to the education of the youth of Uganda.

That being said, I kind of feel bad for helping change so many lives in Uganda, but not being able to do that here in the states. I am completely torn between the joy of seeing the pictures of the new school and it's students and the anger I feel for not being able to make that same impact here in my own country. I know why I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to be able to touch the lives of young people. I STILL want to that, I just don't want to teach music. I want to get my foot in the door at IPS and smack some people around. There is NO reason for the Indianapolis Public School system to be so bad. That's why I wanted to be a VISTA for Starfish so much. It didn't matter that all I was doing was event planning, I knew that I'd be a apart of an organization that was helping kids graduate and do something with their lives.

So, 3 months and 1 week left and I'm wondering where I'll be on December 6th. I want to do something that will help HERE... I want to help change things. Yesterday really empowered me to find a way to do that. I'm not sure what that may be, but I'm bond and determined to do SOMETHING.

Definitely not what I want to do...

I've come to the ultimate conclusion today that I DO NOT want to be an event planner for the rest of my life. In fact, after my VISTA term is over, I never want to do it again! I mean, I knew that this wasn't going to be exactly the job for me, but I really don't like planning events. More specifically the one's that have nothing to do with our Scholars. I guess it's just my personality... Needless to say, I will be happy when I leave the world of event planning.

I'm officially back in the swing of things. Planning College Fests, the breakfast, the gala, and getting small in-kind donations from local restaurants and such. I'm also slowly becoming a Microsoft Publish Pro! I just made a flyer on it today... I'm so proud of myself. :)

On a non-VISTA note: Congratulations to Dan & Anne O'Brien!! They got married on the 15th!

I'm still the event planner?

So, I haven't updated my blog in awhile. Sorry about that. Things around the office have been pretty uneventful and I've had nothing of great importance to write about. I've been on an event planning lull and now that school is starting again I'm trying really hard to get back into the swing of all the usual events here at Starfish. College Fests are coming up on my radar again and I'm finding it extremely hard to make all the necessary phone calls. It's like I've forgotten why I was put in this office in the first place. I have to plan events? What?!?!

Nevertheless, things have still been going on at Starfish and in the wonderful world of VISTA...

Here's my Starfish update:
On July 25, we had the second installment of College Costs Estimator. The families that attended in the spring came to the Starfish office and received their Estimated Family Contribution packets. New Starfish Scholars got a chance to get information at this meeting as well and we're hoping to have David Murray back in March to it all over again. This program is so amazing and I only wish that I would have had this help when I was applying to colleges. I probably wouldn't be in so much debt now... Well, maybe. If I would have had help from a program like David Murray's I, most likely, wouldn't have ended up at Butler and then I would be in a completely different place right now. I have no regrets... Now I just have a lot of knowledge to pass down to my children.


On the mentor front, we're coming along (but not as fast as we'd hoped). At the end of last week we still needed 27 female mentors for this years incoming freshman class. Know anyone that would be interested? Let me know.

As for Scholars, Matching events have been going on since July 27 and I think the new relationships that have started will be great! I've heard some wonderful stories about orientations and trainings and can't wait to hold more Scholar events so I can meet more of the new students.

Here's my VISTA update:
Indiana's monthly VISTA luncheon is going to be at Starfish this Thursday. I'm really excited! I love our luncheons and this time I get to plan it at the Starfish Office. I'm really happy that the other VISTAs will get a chance to see our office space and learn more about what we do here.

I just looked at the little countdown I have at the bottom of this page... 3 months, 3 weeks, 4 days left until I'm not a VISTA anymore. This year has flown by! I'm getting really antsy about what I'm going to be doing come December 6. I'm keeping my options wide open in hopes that I land a "real" job so I can start paying off my student loans (trying to get the private ones off my back). I'll definitely be staying in Indy. My lease isn't up until mid-May and I'm happy with my Indy family. :) I'll just have to wait and see where life takes me in 2010.

That's all for now! Have a wonderful week everybody!