From the moment we start elementary school we are being
groomed into future college students. I
remember my junior year of high school very clearly.
“What schools are you applying to?”
“Have you even applied to colleges yet?”
“What’s your top school?”
I remember the pressure that my peers and I felt to apply to
and get accepted to a “good” college.
Now don’t get me wrong; higher education is a great way to learn life
skills and gain knowledge that will help you succeed post-education. However, getting into “good” school isn’t the
be-all and end-all. And on top of that,
there are so many opportunities out there that can teach young adults important
skills that will help them down the road.
Unfortunately, high schools don’t push the idea that upcoming grads can
take time off before or during their college education. Before they even know what they’re doing,
fresh high school grads are shelling out tens of thousands of dollars and
taking out huge loans to attend their dream universities; neck deep in debt
with no direction. I started my freshmen
year at UNH-Manchester with no idea what I was doing. However, I stumbled upon an opportunity that
drastically changed my path in life.
During the summer of 2013, I took two weeks off work to
embark on a road trip by myself; staying on the couches of friends I had made
online through the DIY music community.
During this trip I made new friends and became even closer to those I
had never met in person. While I was in
DC with a friend that had put out some of my music through her DIY record
label, I was told about an opportunity to intern with a non-profit organization
based out of southern California. I had
heard about the organization before, but I had never considered working with
them. Before I knew it, I was packing my
bags and boarded a flight to LAX to work for Liberty in North Korea (LiNK);
an NGO (non-governmental organization) that focuses on raising awareness
about the human rights crisis in North Korea.
During my time with LiNK, I made hundreds of phone calls to
churches, high schools, and universities; pitching them the idea of hosting a
presentation about the North Korean people.
I learned a lot about rhetoric and how to talk to people. Remember:
manners are very important! After 5
weeks in office, I hit the road for ten weeks with two teammates, along with 4
other teams, to present to anybody that had expressed interest in learning more
about North Korea and its amazing people.
I learned how to meet deadlines, how to organize myself, and how to be comfortable speaking in front of
hundreds of people at once. I ended up
spending two semesters working for LiNK, which lead to more opportunities and
guided me in the right direction with my education.
Ultimately, I just want to emphasize the importance of
exploring your opportunities. There are
so many ways to grow as an individual while being able to see new sights and
meet new people.
