Departure

I was recently told a piece of advice that I imagine will prove pertinent throughout the coming year. To paraphrase, “if you find yourself disillusioned, remember that it was you who created the illusion in the first place.” Sitting here at Dulles International Airport in DC awaiting my flight to Dakar, I think it would be valuable to lay out some of the things I am expecting or anticipating from this experience. I do this mostly for my own benefit, as an opportunity for self-analysis further down the road. In the past, re-reading things I had written prior to significant life changes could be at times cringe-worthy, but also helpful in determining exactly how I had grown and what I had learned during those experiences. If I do find myself disillusioned at a future date, this will be a good reference point to figure out what illusions I may have carried in with me. 

The centerpiece of this experience will be my work at KF. Thanks to conscientious efforts by the founders of the organization I have a pretty clear idea of many of the projects I will be working on. I expect the largest of these to be creating a plan for the gap year experienced by all Zambian students who finish secondary school. The goal will be to find work experience and other activities for the students to help launch them into the next phase of their academic or professional careers. I also expect to spend a good deal of time structuring an alumni network for KF scholars. As the first class of scholars graduates this year, the organization must have a system in place to connect them both to each other and back to KF. Their experience and insight will be invaluable for future generations of scholars. Outside of these projects I imagine I will be spending time furthering the mentorship program already in place, participating in the application process, and tutoring students when they need help in school. I do hope to spend a good deal of time with the students, I’ve heard so much about their great personalities and dedication. I expect that becoming close with them will also provide a strong, tangible motivation for my work. This work experience will vary greatly from any I’ve had in the past. With a good deal responsibility and freedom to create one’s own schedule I definitely hope to hit the ground running and get into a good routine right away. 

Picturing my life outside of work is more difficult. As of now, I know next to nothing about Lusaka, not even where I’ll be living, so it’s hard to imagine what daily living will entail. But there are some things I can’t expect to know or even predict. As long as my mind is open I think many other things will fall into place. I just hope that as I move forward I will encounter enough good people to help fill the void left by the co-workers, family and friends in Boston. I recently asked a friend who’s moving to Texas to teach what her expectations were, and she answered “frankly, I have none.” While this was a good exercise and could prove informative down the road, I think I’ll follow her lead and keep myself open to all possibilities.