Lately I can’t help but ask myself what my “next big thing” will be in my personal and professional life.  I feel really good about where I’m headed, but as my graduate program and assistantship in Aggieland both draw to a close, there is an ever-increasing impatience to “get started” on the next step.  I certainly have learned a lot in my graduate program, equipped with the knowledge and skills that coursework and practical experiences provide, along with the challenges, rewards, and self-exploration that come with moving across the country to a school ten times bigger than what I was used to.

But this was all part of “the plan.” 5 years ago I set out to pursue a career in student affairs– changing my major, refocusing and recalibrating what I believed was personal success, and seeking out guidance from trusted professionals while I got involved all over campus.  And while I’m already “there” in many respects, my “arrival” has fixated on a Masters degree and a full-time position for quite some time.  Oddly enough, as hooding quickly approaches, I’m left with an odd disposition towards the event. I am certainly excited, overwhelmed, and thankful with respect to the accomplishment, recognizing the privilege associated with the opportunity, let alone the achievement of acquiring my Masters; but I’m uneasy.  I’ve looked to this event and accomplishment as my next aspiration for such a long time that it’s hard to imagine not having such a focused purpose in my horizon.

I spend a lot of time thinking about my future– strategic and futuristic strengths mean that I’m always thinking about how my actions now will prepare me for the future, and what I need to work on to be better equipped once I “get there.” But having lost my most recent iteration of destination, I’m struggling.

It certainly gives me pause, thinking about how “present” I’ve really been over the recent (and not so recent) past– the dissonance certainly isn’t going unnoticed, so I don’t want to rush the process.  But we need hope. I need to define the next dream.

In the meantime, here’s to reframing work once interested in titling the next chapter, to putting some thought and effort on the next page for a while.

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KONY 2012 – Online Activism in Action

March 19, 2012
KONY2012

It is not uncommon to visit this site and read about my focus on, or interest in, utilizing social media tools for social change, and this post bears no exception. Unfortunately, while the example that I bring forward this time is perhaps one of the most widespread example that we have seen, the ethics and [...]

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#GKNASPA12 Proposal

February 20, 2012
Source: NASPA.org
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Online Advocacy: A Call to Action from “Waitin’ on the World to Change”

February 9, 2012

As a student affairs professional, I recognize that my contact with students provides me with both an opportunity and a responsibility to aspire to influence them in meaningful ways. Increasingly, my growing interests in advocacy, citizenship, and social media have collided and evolved into a focus on research and encouraging conversations about using social media to advocate for [...]

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Leading by Example (Through Experience)

January 25, 2012
Source: LA Times

After an exciting announcement last week about my plans for the future, I’m excited to say that today I’m heading to the University of Southern California for my first on-site experience with the domestic exchange program I described in my previous post (read more about the program and some of the press it has received here and here). [...]

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The Next Step

January 21, 2012
Thumbnail image for The Next Step

“Yes, I accept.”  Three words that immeasurably impacted my immediate future, and represent something much greater than their presumed simplicity.  They are a sign of things to come, an acknowledgement of skills and goals accomplished, and the realization of a plan that began 5 years ago. Today I am extremely excited to announce that I [...]

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Connecting, not Collecting.

January 16, 2012
Source: http://www.CentreForSocialMedia.com/

I’ll admit it, over the last few months I’ve become a bit of a collector.  Not of postcards, or books, or knick-knacks, but of people in my social networks.  When friend requests come in I’m quick to friend, follow, group, list and organize, but often epically fail at connecting.  I’m the first to say that [...]

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#OneWord Reflection & Definition: #Explore & #Engage

December 31, 2011
Source: blainerogers.blogspot.com

To say the least, it’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since writing my post on my One Word definition for 2011, and that it’s already about time for a look back on my progress.  The idea of developing a “word” to define and guide my year bears so much fruit, and I [...]

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TEDxHampshireCollege – Jay Smooth – How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Discussing Race

December 12, 2011
Source: Feministing.com

Last week during our Residence Education meeting, Angie Harris shared this TEDx video with the group.  It brings a different perspective to the concept of talking about race, so I had to share.  More reflection and thoughts to come soon, but needed to get this in the hands of others.     What do you [...]

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Course in Progress: “Social Media & Citizenship”

December 5, 2011
Source: ConvergencePartnership.org

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the type of content I would include if I were to be asked to create a class since a lecture that I gave to a group of students in an intro class focused around the 7 Revolutions via Skype earlier this semester. I was asked to create [...]

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