Emily Hall ’14 Speaks on her Experience as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in Nepal

On April 15th, Emily Hall ’14 returned to campus to speak to a group of students, faculty, and staff about her nine-month experience as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in rural Nepal. She shared stories of the students that she helped and the things that she learned. She returned to the U.S. only a few weeks ago and has written a blog post for WC Share about the wonders of teaching abroad.

Reflections from the Roof of the World: Ten Reasons to Consider Teaching Abroad 

Throughout colleges across America, the minds of countless students are flooded by the tantalizing question, “what will I do after graduation?” For many, it’s a scary and overwhelming thought. Well, I’m here to offer you some comforting advice. To anyone questioning their post-graduate plans, here are ten reasons why choosing to teach abroad could become one of the best decisions you ever make.

1. IT GIVES YOU TIME TO REFLECT

Most students are really busy in college, spending countless hours studying, participating in club events, working campus jobs, meeting with professors, and socializing with friends. Over our four years at college, each of us changes a great deal, but there is little time to reflect upon who we have become. Teaching abroad for an extended period of time puts you into a situation where you really get to know yourself. It gives you an ideal environment to ask yourself “who have I become?” and “who do I want to be?”—Questions we rarely give ourselves time to ponder in our busy schedule-filled lives.

2. YOU LEARN AND PRACTICE IMPORTANT SKILLS THAT ARE USEFUL IN ANY FIELD

No matter what field you seek for your career, teaching can strengthen your communication skills, leadership skills, presentation skills, and multi-tasking skills just to name a few. Effective teachers are engaging, and understandable. They know their students strengths and challenges. Teachers know when to listen and when to lead—when to step back and when to step forward. They know what material needs to be taught and they set goals/learning targets. Successful teachers are reflective and adaptive. They do everything in their power to help their students succeed. They do not give up in the face of struggle or failure. Whether you want to become a doctor, anthropologist, historian, computer engineer, human rights activist, or whatever, learning the skills of engaging others, listing to others, leading others, setting goals, and reflecting upon the outcomes can make you become even more effective in your future career field.

3. YOU CAN LEARN A NEW CULTURE, LANGUAGE, AND WAY OF LIFE

Traveling is a powerful teacher. It allows individuals to develop empathy, understanding, and respect for people of different religions, races, and cultures. It invites travelers to celebrate the vast similarities and differences of human experience.

4. YOU GET TO TRAVEL FOR FREE (with many programs)

So many college-aged students have a thirst to travel and see the world. Yet, between the costs of paying off loans, bills, rent or saving money, traveling sometimes becomes an afterthought. The good news is, many teach abroad programs such as Fulbright, EF English First, and Peace Corps will pay for round-trip airfares and provide a monthly stipend. I’ve been really fortunate with Fulbright’s generous stipend of $800 per month. I’ve been living with a homestay family, who Fulbright directly pays, so I have actually been able to save a considerable amount of money while teaching abroad. If finances are something that you are concerned about, don’t let it deter you from teaching abroad. You just need to do your research and find the right program for you.

5. IT LOOKS GREAT TO FUTURE EMPLOYERS

It takes courage, adaptability, open mindedness, creativity, diligence, patience, and a number of other skills to teach abroad. When your resume says that you were a Fulbright ETA, Peace Corps volunteer, or participant in another prestigious teach abroad program, future employers are likely to think positive things about your character, leadership, and scholarship. Your experience teaching abroad can set you apart from other job applicants.

6. IT CAN CURB YOUR TECHNOLOGY ADDITION

We live in a society that is so technology dependent. Social media is great in the sense that it allows people to connect around the world and share knowledge at the touch of a button—but think of all the other amazing things you can accomplish in that one hour you would otherwise spend on Facebook. Living and teaching in a country with limited internet access forces you to truly appreciate face-to-face social interactions—something we often inadvertently forget to value.

7. YOU GET TO MEET AMAZING PEOPLE

Between the relationships you will build with your students, their parents, teachers, community members, and other volunteers/grantees teaching abroad, you are guaranteed to meet some amazing people that you will never forget—I know I did.

8. YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE AN INTERESTING STORY TO SHARE

Whether it’s the story of how you had to climb out the window of a Nepali bus, stories about how much your students have learned and grown, or stories about living in a different culture, you will have so many interesting stories to share with friends and family when you return to America (and, yes, many of these stories provide great examples in graduate school applications, cover letters, and personal statements).

9. YOU WILL VALUE THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE YOU ONCE TOOK FOR GRANTED

After living without toilet paper for eight months, I can’t wait to buy my Charmin Ultra when I return to the states. Hot showers, electricity, heat, and a diet that consists of more than rice will also be things that I will value for the rest of my life. After teaching abroad, who knows what your experience will teach you to appreciate.

10. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF YOUR STUDENTS

This reason alone has made living without toilet paper worthwhile. By teaching abroad, your students will never forget you. It gives you the opportunity to be that teacher—the teacher who can motivate, inspire, and validate students who wouldn’t be otherwise. Plus, as a graduate of Washington College, you’ve got a lot of knowledge to share!

You can begin your journey by visiting the following websites and searching for the teach abroad program that is right for you. Happy traveling!

Fulbright: http://us.fulbrightonline.org/countries/regions

EF English First: http://www.englishfirst.com/trt/job-openings.html

Peace Corps: http://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/learn/whatvol/edu_youth/

Chris ’85 and Bevin ’88 Buchheister Speak to Students and Former Professors During CSA’s First Path to Passion Event of 2015

On Monday the 16^th of March, the Community of Students and Alumni committee had the pleasure of welcoming Chris ’85 and Bevin ‘88 Buchheister to campus for CSA’s first Path to Passion event of the semester. The event was advertised to the Washington College student body as a chance for students to hear stories and gain insight from Chris and Bevin who have both led exciting lives together after their time at WC.

Jenny Hutton (Volunteer Coordinator in the Alumni House), Chris and Bevin and I met for dinner at the Lemon Leaf before the event. It was great to catch up with Chris who I had met the previous summer while working as a Washington College Voyager in Annapolis. I had emailed him at the beginning of the summer and asked to meet with him to hear about his experience at WC and his journey after. We met and chatted for about two hours, which just shows how willing WC alumni are to talk to current students if they are willing to reach out!

The event was held in the living room of the Alumni House and had a cozy, “fireside chat” sort of feel. Chris and Bevin were both excited to see that two of their favorite professors, Sean O’Connor and Jeff Chaffin had come to see them and hear them talk. After a brief introduction by CSA co-chair Arian Ravanbakhsh ’89, Chris and Bevin began by talking about their experiences as students at the College. They shared some of their favorite memories and recalled a few that they shared with Professor O’Connor and Professor Chaffin. They spoke to the student attendees as if they were speaking to their own children and asked each of them questions about their interests, majors, and possible career plans. One student who attended shared Bevin’s interests in the Chesapeake Bay and she gave him insight on her professional experiences writing and enacting environmental policy regarding the Bay. Chris shared stories about his time in the U.S. Navy after college, which included spending months at a time in Antarctica!

To end the program, Chris and Bevin discussed how much their experiences at Washington College helped shape them into the people that they are today. Their four years at WC were invaluable and various parts of their experience at WC contributed to the paths that they followed. Everyone who attended, as well as Chris and Bevin, had a wonderful time and got a lot out of the evening.

CSA looks forward to hosting more Path to Passion events in the future. If you are a WC alum and would like to be a part of or volunteer to speak at one of these programs, please let us know!

The Importance of Exploration After Graduation

When I graduated college, I decided I wanted to spend a year losing myself. Since high school I secretly dreamed of being a dirt poor writer in New York City, living off of Cheerios and Ramen and working on “the next big thing.” Cliched as that dream may be, the real root of it was the idea of losing myself. No five-year plan, no defined career path, no commitments or obligations. Sneer at the idea of a typical millennial wanting to find her “spirit animal” or being a little selfish, but it’s how I felt. I had been on this strict path since the day I entered first grade, and I felt stifled. I was in cruise control through a good part of my senior year. Life seemed dull, and it showed. It showed in the way I talked to people, in what I did in my free time (a lot of TV…), in what I prioritized and what I didn’t. Heck it even showed in my seemingly perpetual weight gain.

So, I wanted to lose myself, but I needed to still pay the bills on time (that six month grace period for loans is a lot shorter than you think). What to do? To keep the story short, I took a job offer to teach in Jeollabukdo, South Korea. The actual story is incredibly long with a lot of pros and cons, but ultimately I saw it as my way of getting out in the world again. After a summer in Seoul and a semester studying in Madrid and traveling Europe, I needed to get back out there. Korea would pay more than enough for me to be comfortable and pay the bills, and it was somewhere I was eager to return to. I told my recruiting agency that while Seoul was nice, I actually wanted to be put somewhere in the countryside. Here I am, almost three months later, glad I chose to do what I did.

While I recognize the need to explore after graduation is not for everyone, and some people knew what they wanted and are doing awesome things right now, I knew it was something I needed to do. I needed to evaluate what I truly wanted out of life, not what society dictates, not what my family or friends want, not what I thought I should want.

College is incredible, and WC allowed me to realize how big this world is and how all lives are different, but it is, ultimately a giant bubble. People become revolved around their majors, especially by senior year, nights are spent more in the library than anywhere else, and discussions are more about whatever’s going in class or complaining about our work load. We’re so busy trying to graduate the best we can, that it’s hard to see anything else. This is why it’s important to jerk yourself out of this bubble immediately after leaving college, or else you’re going to be stuck in that same mindset for a long time, and that’s how you lose your twenties.

So I gave myself permission to take a year to not plan. If you find yourself in cruise control by the end of senior year, you’ve got to let yourself explore right after you graduate. Break up with bad relationships, forgive yourself for things you’ve said or done, finally quit bad habits, and explore however you think will benefit you the most. For me that was moving out of the country and forcing myself to stop planning for the future. It’s going to be different for everyone. Just know graduating from WC is the end of a chapter, and entering young adulthood is the beginning of a new one. Don’t worry, it’s not as terrifying as it sounds. You will always be a part of the WC Alumni community, and that community is forever tight knit. While you’re out there exploring, discovering, and growing, you will always have this wonderful, diverse, and ever growing group to turn to throughout all your experiences.

Young Alumni Seeks to Stay Connected to WC

Ryan Bankert
Class of 2013

It’s funny how life can come full circle. I still remember sitting in the newly constructed Washington College Decker Theater in the summer of 2009. It was summer advising day and I was listening to President Baird Tipson welcome the Class of 2013 to the Washington College community.

Now, as a Financial Analyst for Stanley Black & Decker, I routinely find myself sitting in the Alonzo G. Decker, Jr. conference room at the company’s headquarters in Towson, MD. You got it, the inventor of cordless electric power tools left his mark on the Washington College campus. Thanks to the Decker family, we have the Decker Theater and Decker Laboratory Center.

What drove the Decker family to support a small liberal arts college on the Eastern Shore? Well, as a tool manufacturer, I can imagine it was easy for the Deckers to recognize that a Washington College education provides students with the tools to succeed (see what I did there?).

I can’t argue with their thinking. I honestly feel like my education and experiences at WAC have positioned me for success in the business world. In the classroom, professors encouraged active learning through collaboration and critical thinking. Outside of the classroom, I had the opportunity to lead organizations and teams. Having seen my ability to transition from a Washington College student to a young leader in a Fortune 500 company, I’m inspired to stay active as a WC alumnus and give back to the College that gave me so much.

I choose to donate to Washington College because I want to help deliver an outstanding liberal arts education for future generations of students. I see it as an investment in my own degree. Think about it… The more alumni we have giving back, and doing amazing things all over the world, the stronger the perception of Washington College. That’s something I can be passionate about.

If you share my passion of building an even better Washington College for future generations of students, athletes and innovators then I encourage you to also give back. Every dollar counts when it comes to continuing the legacy of a superb academic institution. Like the Decker family, we can all play a role in shaping the future.

We’re back!

Hello everyone!

Without further ado, the WC Share is back!

Be sure to check back here every two weeks for new posts about life after Washington College!

Jade Walter ’15
Community of Students and Alumni

Welcome!

Welcome to CSA!

The Community of Students and Alumni (CSA) of the WC Alumni Board welcome you to our blog, The Share! CSA works to connect students and alumni to help bridge the gap between the on-campus experience and life after graduation. We look to build opportunities for students to meet alumni who are working in fields related to their major or who can answer any questions about post-WC life. By way of introduction, we are Jade Walter ’15 and Arian Ravanbakhsh ’89. Jade is a biology major graduating in May 2015 with hopes to one day go into the medical field. Arian is a 1989 graduate who majored in Political Science and currently works for the National Archives and Records Administration.

This blog is to be used by anyone and everyone who loves WC! Let us know the topics that you would like us to discuss or the questions that you want answered. Please get involved and let us know if you are an alum and would like to contribute a blog post about your experience at WC and/or your life after graduation.

We are so excited to let the sharing begin. Huzzah!