Becoming something…

If you're new here, you may want to register as a member of this blog and check out the first post! As member you can comment, participate, and share. Enjoy! Subscribe

PDF Version (last updated - May 8 2008) - Download

**Objective**

Combine current cultural, social and economic knowledge with new ideas and concepts in a rigorous learning environment exposing new solutions for today’s businesses and organizations.

**Education**

Kalamazoo College Bachelor of Arts Kalamazoo, MI 2003-2007
+ Major in Economics and Business - Minor in Chinese - 3.4 GPA
+ Senior Individualized Project - English Department - “Couches”

Capital Normal University Intensive Mandarin Study Beijing, China 2005-2006
+Cultural/Sociological focus
+Intercultural Research Project: observed local restaurant business

**Employment**

MI Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA MI 2007-2008
+Is national service fighting poverty through student empowerment and departmental development via service at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) to the campus and surrounding community.
+ Administered scholarship; 250% increased enrollment
+ Created and/or facilitated over 25 professional level trainings
+ Established department standard for tracking Learning Beyond the Classroom, a general education requirement
+ Developed training curriculum and new recruitment system
+ Helped recruit over 600 volunteers who served over 2,700 hours

Kalamazoo College Computer Lab Assistant Supervisor MI 2004-2007

Y.M.C.A. Professional Rescuer & Swim Instructor MI 2003-2006

Times Ledger Newspaper Subscription Telemarketer NY 2005

**Other Experiences**

Community Records Volunteer
+Attend board meetings and vital to recent recording project

National Collegiate Athletics Association Swimmer
+Teamwork, led underclassmen, time management, goal setting, Most Valuable Freshman

Answers for Students with Sexuality Questions (ASSQ) Founder
+ Campaigned successfully for gender neutral restrooms; peer-counseling

Human Rights Campaign Statistical Analyst
+Introduction to statistical results, pre-coursework conceptual application

Manpower Inc. – Externship Executive Assistant
+Presented customer intake analysis, front-desk, assistant to Vice President

ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS

**Professional Development**

MCC Solutions Summit –
+A collaboration between groups/educators with similar missions who want to encourage the greening of service-learning, volunteerism, community-based research and place-based education
National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) conference -
+Focusing on precision in experiential education outcomes, assessment and promising practices
IMPACT conference -
+The largest campus community conference on service, activism, politics, advocacy, and other socially responsible work across philosophical and ideological lines
Pre-Service Orientation -
+Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA; community partnerships, identity and privilege, recruitment and volunteerism
The Institute -
+Tackling issues and exposing best practices in service-learning and civic engagement
EMU Office of Research and Development grant writing workshops –
+Topics included an introduction to and funding sources
MCC AmeriCorps*VISTA trainings –
+Fine tuning the skills of collaboration, meeting facilitation, problem solving, and youth outreach

**Trainer Experiences**

ASSQ and EMU’s PRIDE Education Coalition - sexual identity and peer counseling
EMU students and staff - general education system
EMU Emerging Leaders - citizenship and service
EMU New Student Orientation Advisors - diversity issues and awareness
Life-size Game of LIFE reflection activity - social privilege
EMU student program coordinators and staff - program development, delegation
Michigan Service Scholars - cohort development
One-on-one student development and mediation; including web-based group surveys and team building activities

**Professional Skills**

+Scholarship administration
+Job description development
+Volunteer recruitment
+Workflow and staffing systems
+Staff orientations, student/staff meetings, and classroom presentations
+Conflict facilitation and resolution
+Program presentations and promotion
+Hiring and interviewing systems

Like how Iraq was mission accomplished 5 years today, I too felt accomplished. I was just about to finish high school and I hadn’t even decided on a college. I was though flying high, mission accomplished. I had recently regained trust by my parents and summer “adult” freedom was ripening on my tongue.

I forgive Hilary for voting for the war. If was voting on mis-information too. Grownup had arrived. Today I know I have a lifetime of growing up to do.

So I am reemerging not to fill the spaces of the pages but to fill some parts of me that I too often look elsewhere to. I know that my mission isn’t accomplished and that I’ll consume lots of coffee to get there. The reset button is close by, could you push it? No, just a soft reset. I don’t want to lose everything.

Lets not fault Bush for calling a war or even calling it to a close super early, lets fault him for not listening to the experience and learning from it. Get out of there!

It is hard. It is what defines his stay in office. Victim to simple quick fixes, time is a difficult illusion. The longer you stay in it, the further you fall face first into reality.

I have spent a lot of time recently on MBA applications. It has been a while since I had to so craftily praise myself in front of others; it was never this specific. I am defending passion and my future career plans. In definition, I have gone through a transition. Unlike the addictions of war, I have turned the red tide. What are you surfing on when you need something else to keep the momentum?

We are not alone for a reason. Use your developing intuition and growing heart in sync to determine self-motivation. Look to those you know to be real sensors of your being. At the very least there is a technique that is simple to surf through the rougher and lonelier times.

List accomplishments of your day, w/o your minds side commentary; if any slips in, you are forbidden from making further note of it at all.

Today:
•  Entry to baited blog
•  Made progress on scholarship guidebook at work
•  Speedily organized home office
•  Felt reemergence of China-fondness
•  Large Mexican latte instead of small

Find your coastline and ride…summer is coming whether you want it to or not.

*VIDEO - 4 Million Chinese Evacuated

Focusing on the dam, it hopefully will direct your attention to some of the ills in the system when it comes to environmental issues and management in China.

Historically the Three Gorges have been of inspiration to many famous forms of expression. I’d like to begin with this poem.

Sadness of the Gorges

Above the gorges, one thread of sky:
Cascades in the gorges twine a thousand cords.
High up, the slant of splintered sunlight, moonlight:
Beneath, curbs to the wild heave of the waves.
The shock of a gleam, and then another,
In depths of shadow frozen for centuries:
The rays between the gorges do not halt at noon;
Where the straits are perilous, more hungry spittle.
Trees lock their roots in rotted coffins
And the twisted skeletons hang tilted upright:
Branches right as the frost perches
Mournful cadences, remote and clear.
A spurned exile’s shrivelled guts
Scald and seethe in the water and fire he walks through.
A lifetime’s like a fine-spun thread,
The road goes up by the rope at the edge.
When he pours his libation of tears to the ghosts in the stream
The ghosts gather, a shimmer on the waves.

Meng Jiao (751–814) tr. A. C. Graham

At the railings edge of the boat you are looking up into the awe-inspiring Three Gorges area, located in China’s southeast, in the same way that has been done for centuries. Inspiration captures you just as it had to those millions before you floating by or sitting at the banks. Yet, clearly you see in front of you those painted markers reminding you that soon probably over 175 meters of this very awe inspiring space will be under water. It becomes visually obvious some of the use values lost by water cover already.

China’s water resources are one of the most historically manipulated resources for reasons ranging from a symbol of political power to the practical use of flood control. The Cultural Revolution brought China into its dam boom, having built over 80,000 dams since then, 1966 (Chetham, 186). When ground broke in 1994 for the construction of the Three Gorges Dam a discussion had finally met an abrupt conclusion that had been going on since early that century. A discussion that in fact was limited in itself. A landslide vote in the congress came from a silenced voice of many who had tried to speak out against the project. Ridden with holes in the protection of free speech the market for information suffered its greatest negative externality, conversation without criticism.

As recent as 1999, 2000, and 2002 issues regarding embezzlement, quality of materials, and cracks in the walls of the dam have had to be investigated. It now, is an expensive reality that cannot be ignored. Improvements and alternatives aren’t commonplace considering that criticism of the dam remains strictly forbidden. The integrity of the dam is up in the air and it begs the question if it is worth all the negative externalities created as a result.

Do you think it’s worth it? They do…

Part One - A river of example
Part Two - A river of example - mismanaged
Part Three - A river of example -damned

*VIDEO - Yangzte Notebook: Part Two

Although we may not live there, this example is a constant reminder of the affect of our decisions across the world. Cheap goods may come out of China, but at what cost? It makes me think twice about the voice I have as a consumer and as a world citizen. We are ever more connected and with that comes responsibility.

Any parallels you see to the US? How do our actions in the US support this disarray?

Have you made any changes recently? I know “buy local” is a nagging phrase that has begun to take shape in more than just my thoughts recently.

Part One - A river of example
Part Two - A river of example - mismanaged
Part Three - A river of example -damned

To get things started:
*VIDEO - Yangzte Notebook: Part One

This report helped me summarize a few things that I’ve been trying to share for a while. Part 2 will be coming soon.

At the heels of another decade of record-breaking growth China continues to follow the philosophy of economic growth that emphasizes the sacrifice of people now for greater advances later. The argument also becomes clear that this is true of their use of the environment as well. Expand supply to meet demand, a style of command and control that doesn’t take into account the scarcity of resources. The basics of economics become lost on minds expecting to exploit now and recover later. As fields of groundwater pumps come up empty, old reservoirs are polluted, and nearby regions are experiencing water shortages as a result of water diversion around Beijing, China’s pampered capital, the new solution is to divert water from the Yangtze River made possible by the Three Gorges Dam project.

Thanks to the upcoming Olympics you will begin to see many stories that expose a bit more of the underbelly of China’s dealings. Charles Gibson started his introduction to these video segments (seen above) something like this, “We have done many segments about the colossal economic growth of China, this report will show us the other side…” The International Olympic Committee has requirements about press and expects China to comply.
(1) Where’s the IOC’s Voice on Press Freedom in China?
(2) China, IOC Flailing In Response To Protest

China’s economic growth is rooted in separation. To “ease” the country into capitalist growth they put all their marbles in one bucket called special economic zones (SEZ). Benefits provided by these areas included things like low taxes, subsidies for development, and longer government land lease agreements. These SEZs began on the coast and in the capital and moved slightly inland. Even with some recent evening out, the capitalist “bug” never caught on elsewhere in the country as incentives rooted investment in now already economically networked and viable city centers.

What is surprising? What would you like to learn more about?

Part One - A river of example
Part Two - A river of example - mismanaged
Part Three - A river of example -damned

No wonder my friend Lauren was worried when she was treated at a Chinese hospital for a week last month…

Sometimes I definitely had a better time translating the characters myself…

New pictures thanks to pocopico.com

Follow the series:

When Chinese goes awry: Part 2

When Chinese goes awry: Part 1

On the subway we tried our hardest not to beam on the glass barrier, but we weren’t even sure how we could beam on something.

FYI - Just make sure you aren’t leaning on the barrier while in town.

Beam me up Scotty!

Follow the series:

When Chinese goes awry: Part 1