What has made my sophomore year stand out from the others is that it was this year that I found what I truly wish to study and make a career out of it. All throughout my freshman year, I still lacked any sort of vision of what I wished to accomplish in my 4 years here as well as the kind of professional life I wished to lead after I graduated. I was a History major with some vague goal of becoming a teacher at either the high school or collegiate level. As that year progressed, however, I began to lose faith in this vision for my future. I decided to dedicate the fall semester of my second year towards zeroing in on the kind of fields I truly wished to study and the careers I could potentially have with those fields of study in mind. I took a history course, but I also took a course in geography, political science, and international studies. During this time, I was also introduced to the idea of working for the federal government after college after joining some clubs and meeting people that already have those kinds of jobs. At the end of the term, I settled on pursuing a dual degree in Geography and Political Science. If nothing else, I found what I wanted to do in college this year as well as potentially what I wish to do for the rest of my life.
Over this year, I have maintained my commitments both to the International Affairs Scholars group and my Second-year Transformational Experience Program (STEP) cohort. In order to be in good standing with the International Affairs organization, one must attend a series of events both hosted these groups and outside events, and report on these events to make sure you are meeting these requirements. For the STEP program, one must devise a plan for what you wish to spend the STEP fellowship funds on (i.e. internship or study abroad), meet with a faculty adviser who checks in on what you plan to do throughout the year and determines whether or not to approve of your plan, and report back after you have undergone this transformational experience to serve as an example for the STEP members in the grades beneath you. For my STEP program, I have chosen to do a study abroad internship with the Canadian Parliament next summer. While in Ottawa, Canada, I will be introduced to how the legislative body of the United State’s northern neighbor works as well as the legislative bodies of dozens of Parliaments that are scattered throughout the globe.
Over the next two years, I plan on finishing out my dual degree while maintaining a high GPA. I also intend on broadening my probability of landing a job after college by pursuing the aformentioned internship as well as networking with individuals who already work for the federal government. With these goals in mind, I will hopefully begin my professional career early and successfully. I eagerly await the future.