Today has been utter maddness. In fact, it will continue to be utter maddness until I am finally able to go to bed.
In addition to having all of my classes today, I had an essay to complete for tonight, an enormous list of names to type up for work-study, studying to do for my Global Studies midterm tomorrow, the TEDx event, and the Global Amassadors informational session to go to for work. Crazy day! It's 2230 and I still have to study for my midterm.
Despite the fact that today has been the busiest and most stressful day of my life, it has also been one of the most inspiring and profound days of my trip. It's funny to think how even the days when I'm not in the countries are able to be just as important and impacting.
Lately I have been struggling with the need for a role model who models all of my aspirations, embodies the same spirit, and has the same passions as me. I've been needing someone to look up to, someone to push me, someone who can be my friend and my mentor. Today, it was as if the universe was on my side. During my Race, Class, and Gender class, three staff members came to talk about their different identities (ie race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.) impact their experience in their professions. One of them was one of the Assistant Coordinators for the Dependent Children Program on board. Her name is Staci, and I had met her at the very beginning of the voyage. As she spoke and talked about herself, her life, and her work, it was as if she was talking about me. Everything she said reflected who I am or who I want to be. She is the perfect example of a strong woman, a quality I highly admire and very much aspire to obtain. Listening to her speak, I have never felt more validated about my identities, even those that I sometimes struggle with. I knew that she would be the absolute perfect role model and mentor for me. After class, I went and talked to her. Even just the 15 minutes we talked for was so beneficial for me. We are going to start getting together for meals, a glass of wine, just for the fun of it, etc. I am ecstatic. Staci is exactly what I need in my life.
Today was also the very first TEDxSemesterAtSea event! It was awesome. The theme was "Live with Purpose, Work with Purpose, Travel with Purpose," and they had two professors speak, two students play the piano, two students speak, and they broadcasted a stream of a speaker from the TEDxDubai event. The most profoundly inspiring talk was from the theatre professor on the ship. He talked about the importance of storytelling, and how he uses it as a tool for inspiration through the theatre. He talked about how biologically humans across the world are 99.9% similar; we are all the same. We are the same as MLK, Ghandi, Mother Teresa, Hitler, Stalin, Kobe Bryant, Shakira, etc. We are all one. Through his theatre, he created an incredible program known as the Anne Frank Project. Initially it started out as a theatrical production where they did The Diary of Anne Frank. They had a fantastic twist on it though. It was double casted. There was the traditional Jewish, German Anne Frank, but they also had the Tuti, Rwandan Anne Frank. They used the exact same script, the exact same words of Anne Frank, but applied them to the Rwandan genocide setting. He then went to Rwanda and taught the children there about the genocide and the need to be there for each other (since we are all one as humans), and to help make the world a better place through acting. I'm not doing his speech any justice through my description, but it was the most moving and inspirational speech I have ever heard.
Some of the other speeches talked about languages dying, the need for financial literacy programs in our schools, ways to live a better life, and various methods of making the world a better place. They were all so inspiring and motivating. It was during the TEDx event that I had an epiphany about what I want to do with my life. Before coming to SAS, my plan was to get my PhD in psychology and then work with victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. I wanted to be the psychologist version of Olivia Benson from Law and Order: SVU. Since I have been on this voyage, I have been conflicted about this plan. I need to travel. I need to change the world. I need to do something on a much bigger scale than just becoming a therapist. Tonight, it hit me. After I finish my undergrad, I am going to join the Peace Corps. I am going to help those who need it the most. Once I have fulfilled my commitment there, I will go and get my PhD in psychology. I will use my degree and my passion to open up a shelter and a safe haven for women of domestic abuse and sexual assault in a country that has nowhere for these victims to turn to. I want to spend my time on this Earth making it a better place. I want to be there for those who have no one. I want to inspire. I want to change lives.
Before I save the world, however, I have to pass my Global Studies exam, so that is where I must turn my attention to for the rest of the night. I'm worried about this one...
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