Tomorrow evening, I will hear back from Teach For America as to whether or not I get to advance to the Final Interview stage… needless to say, I’m pretty nervous for that e-mail, and also excited for the further opportunities that it might bring. I had a friend tell me when I first applied that, although she had gone through the interview process but was not hired, she still valued the interview process and all the things it taught her. More and more, I’m realizing this, too. It’s been an amazing learning experience about my own educational background, the inequality in our country, and basic interviewing skills!
Before I hear the verdict tomorrow, though, I want to take a little bit of time to reflect on the amazing academic experience that I have had here at Puget Sound. It has been one of the driving forces behind my wanting to apply to TFA… I want to encourage all students to get the same caliber college education that I have been lucky enough to have. Of course the liberal arts aspect of my time here has been so great (each semester, I make surprising connections between subject areas that I never would have expected otherwise), and I have enjoyed dappling in classes outside my major… but what I think I will remember most after graduating are my science classes and the multitude I have learned from – arguably – some of the best professors out there.
I could go on and on about my science education at Puget Sound: from the Organic Chemistry struggles made worthwhile by “Aha!” moments, or the all the goofy jokes that came out of Physical Chemistry (“What the fugasity?!”), up through Biochemistry which I’m taking right now. I think that Biochemistry has been a great representation for all that is great about this University. My professor, Amy (To all the high school seniors… yes, we really do call most of our professors by their first name), presents so much challenging material in class, but it’s all so COOL that I can’t help but want to study. From the fact that cold-blooded animals can change their lipid bilayer composition depending on their surroundings (which I’m still amazed by), or understanding how a perm works (by breaking and then reforming the disulfide bonds in our hair), I am able to better explain and understand something about the world around me each day. This is why I love science, and it’s just one of the reasons Biochemistry is so great. Some other reasons? Well, it’s my major, so it’s kind of like the capstone of my college education. The class is filled with just over 20 friends that I have made over the past 2 years (after transferring), and we get just as much of a kick out of our own antics as Amy’s great acronyms and mnemonic devices. The class – and lab – are held in Harned, which is the newest (and, in my opinion, prettiest) building on campus. Oh, gosh! I could go on and on and on.
In short, Chemistry rocks. And I just hope that I can inspire some future students to love science as much as I do. We’ll see what tomorrow brings!
With that, I’m off to a Chemistry Club meeting, a Pre-Dental meeting, and then to TA an Organic Chemistry lab (after working on a Biochemistry lab report all afternoon). See? I really do love this stuff!
Another reason Chemistry rocks? One of the Chemistry professors invites everyone over to his house each fall to press fresh apple cider. YUM!
