International Affairs at Northeastern

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Well this is it. This intro class has come to an end. It’s crazy how fast the time has passed this past four months. Only finals and a six-hour flight separate me from home. And only seven more semesters separate me from my degree. So this tumblr blog is dedicated to where my future is going to be. Coming into Northeastern I was an engineering major and I thought that was my calling. This semester I though I was meant for International affairs and now I’m pretty sure Political Science is where I belong. So when it comes to my future I’m really not all that sure. I know I want to help people. I know I want to give back to my community. But I figure the best laid plans of mice and men always go awry. Why should I stress myself trying to plan my entire life when I am 18?

If I had to guess what things are going to be like, this is how I see it happening. I finish school at Northeastern or wherever life takes me and I go to law school. After I pass the Barr I’ll work for a firm and maybe intern of someone’s campaign trail. I’ll run for a small office and slowly climb my way up to state Congress and beyond that try to win a bigger office like Mayor or possibly Governor.  I would be perfectly happy working at a local level for the rest of my life, but my mom wants me to be secretary of state. She’s a funny woman.

I want to be able to be among the people I am helping, on their level. I think it’s just as important to give back here, as it is to reach out to people abroad. I have seen the underbelly of American poverty. In this country we are truly blessed beyond belief with the small things that we have. At the same time, there are things that I have seen that some kids in my classes could never possibly imagine. I want to go into politics to reach some lives and show kids who grow up in underprivileged neighborhood like mine that there is so much more to life that gangs and guns. I would love to be as rich as some of the friends I have made here but at the same time, I know that the chances of that are low. I just want to do well in my life and make the way my mother has struggled for me to do well worth her time. I want to struggle so that my children won’t have to.

My mother constantly quoted Mother Teresa in my children. Reminding me that, “We can do no great things, just small things with great love.” That is all that I want from my life. In closing I would like to share another great quote by which I live my life:

“The elemental fact, present in our consciousness every moment of ourexistence, is: I am life that wills to live, in the midst of lifethat wills to live. … The essence of the humane spirit is:Preserve life, promote life, help life to achieve its highest destiny. The essence of Evil is: Destroy life, harm life, hamper thedevelopment of life.”  [Albert Schweitzer]

Clubs.

I’m not sure what kind of clubs I’m interested in joining just yet. I spend this semester getting used to school. I applied to be an RA and I felt like I sucked because I did not have any clubs or anything from Northeastern to put down on my app, but I don’t think that I made any bad choices. Getting good grades in school is way more important than anything else. The spring semester will be when I really get to start enjoying being at Northeastern. Right now I enjoy college, but nothing that is completely specific to NEU. Here’s a list of clubs I’m thinking joining:

§                     Armenian Students Association

§                     Northeastern Black Student Association (NBSA)

§                     Cultural & Language Learning Society of NU (NUCALLS)

§                     Hip Hop Culture Club

§                     College Democrats

§                     Political Science Student Association and Northeastern University Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha

§                     Campus Against War & Racism

§                     Campus Center on Violence Against Women

§                     Debate Team

§                     Females’ Center of Excellence & Leadership (Xcel)

§                     Feminist Student Organization

§                     NU Eats

§                     Peer Leadership

§                     Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP)

§                     Teaching English Language & Literacy (NU TELLS)

I would also be open to writing for the Huntington news, as I was an editor and contributor for the school newspaper in high school.

I think all of the clubs and organizations I have picked seem like things I would enjoy, but next semester I’m going to put time into to look at each of them carefully before I make any commitment. Along with the mission of the club itself, it’s important to feel like you fit in with the group of people. What’s the point of joining if you hate going? That sounds like a waste of time to me. 

Northeastern’s website describes Cooperative Education and Experiential Learning as:

“Co-op (short for “cooperative education”) makes a Northeastern education richer and more meaningful, providing students with experiences at home and abroad that help them develop the knowledge, awareness, perspective, and confidence to transform their lives.

Our co-op program, founded over a century ago, is one of the largest and most innovative in the world. Students alternate semesters of academic study with semesters of full-time employment in positions related to their academic or career interests: in business, health care, education, engineering and technology, the visual and performing arts, and public policy, to name a few.

Co-op coordinators in each college provide support for students in preparing them and succeeding on their co-ops.  Students are assigned to a coordinator based on their major.

More than 6,000 Northeastern students are on co-op during some part of each academic year. Students have the option of pursuing up to three co-op experiences.

Co-op is closely integrated with our course curriculum, our scheduling, and our advising system. A network of co-op coordinators within each college support students in preparing for and succeeding on their co-ops.”

So this week I’m supposed to be talking about Co-Op. Like most people, Co-Op was a big part of my decision to choose Northeastern for my tertiary education. I am very interested in all of the options for Co-Op when the time comes for me to do one. There is one thing that I’m very sure about in the ways of Co-Op. Under no circumstances do I want to accept an unpaid Co-Op. I know, I know, I should be open to all of my options, but I chose a school with paid Co-Op options because I need the money to help pay for Northeastern.

 Besides that I’m open to any type of Co-Op although I would like to stay domestic since I’m looking to pursue a domestic career. Now that I’ve decided on changing my major, I know that the Poli Sci department has great opportunities for paid Co-Ops. I think the whole thing is just a great opportunity for everyone. In economic times like this, things like Co-Ops and internships can make a huge difference on your resume. Having work experience of any kind is important; especially when it correlates to the field that one is perusing work in.  

One thing I would sort of like for Co-Ops is to go back to California. The East Coast is nice and all but it would be really nice to be back in my home state and work with the California government, because it is the one that I do know the most about. In my future career I can see myself going back home to California. I originally wanted to travel and see the world and I still do, but not in my work. I want a stable home in a beautiful place that I love and for me that is California. 

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