Beyond college

I often forget that there is a world beyond collegiate institutions. I go to college to become more worldly, but while I'm here I rarely watch the news and find it difficult to find time to volunteer in the surrounding communities. I spend most of my time doing school work, and when I'm not doing school work I am usually with other college students. Sometimes I pick up information about the world beyond the 'ivory tower' in class or through friends, but too often I find myself caught up in the small world that surrounds my dormitory. I am beginning to make more of a conscious effort to keep track of world events. This weekend I had an inspiring conversation on an airplane with a Foreign Service Officer (I'll post more on this conversation later). We discussed the role education plays in international relations and peacekeeping. I was inspired to spend some time online searching related organizations and came across a video that brought to my attention a huge issue that was not even on my radar because it is so unlike anything I have to deal with while in school. It is about the impact of armed conflict on education. When I think about educational environment, I think of desks and chairs etc. I forget that some children do not even have access to safety. Stories like this provide me with an immeasurable amount of inspiration. Through this video and the conversation with the man on the plane I remember why I wanted to study education, why I feel that it is my duty. To have education is to have understanding, to have the potential for empathy, to have the tools to create a safer world for all.

I am starting to think about studying abroad. In fact, I have to decide what I want to do before December. If you have any ideas please share!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnpUcQ5WlNE&feature=player_embedded