Nicaragua: Push them clouds aside
Becoming Responsibly Engaged in the World (also known as "BREW") is a motto which oozes throughout every class, every extracurricular activity, every staff/faculty member, and every student of Concordia College. It was part of what drew me to that place in the upper-midwestern tundra just a few years ago. My years at Concordia were filled with multiple service-learning opportunities, both local and abroad. By the time I received my diploma I had Cobber-brewing experiences in Guatemala, Baja California, and Mexico City. While tough to determine, perhaps I wouldn't be where I am today without such roots.
Recently I connected with a group of Concordia students who were spending a few weeks "brewing" in Nicaragua.
We gathered in a post-dinner reflective conversation circle, as Concordia College students are so accustomed. I shared my story with them and answered their questions. We chatted about the Peace Corps approach to development, my biggest challenges and triumphs here thus far, and the transition between college and the "real world."
"What advice do you have for us?" one student asked.
I took a few moments to collect my thoughts. "Embrace the uncertainty," was all I could muster.
Because honestly, who really has it all figured out? And isn't being uncertain part of what it means to be a lifelong learner? Being responsibly engaged in the world involves a constant questioning of thought processes, traditions, and policies. It's a thirst for pushing limits. To a degree, feeling insecure is what fuels our greatest growth.
While the college classroom may provide a safe learning space where perfection is rewarded, the environment in the "real world" feels everything but secure and perfect. This recent piece in TIME magazine caught my attention with its advice to female graduates in particular. The writer advises to "drive a stake through perfection, do more and think less, and fail fast."
If I have learned anything during my Peace Corps experience up to this point, it is just that: there is no such thing as perfection. So I've stopped striving for it. Whereas once upon a time I would get upset over nit-picky details, I am now embracing every "thing not gone according to plan" as an enriching opportunity to learn and do better next time.
And with that, may the opportunities to BREW continue to evolve.
Recently I connected with a group of Concordia students who were spending a few weeks "brewing" in Nicaragua.
We gathered in a post-dinner reflective conversation circle, as Concordia College students are so accustomed. I shared my story with them and answered their questions. We chatted about the Peace Corps approach to development, my biggest challenges and triumphs here thus far, and the transition between college and the "real world."
"What advice do you have for us?" one student asked.
I took a few moments to collect my thoughts. "Embrace the uncertainty," was all I could muster.
Because honestly, who really has it all figured out? And isn't being uncertain part of what it means to be a lifelong learner? Being responsibly engaged in the world involves a constant questioning of thought processes, traditions, and policies. It's a thirst for pushing limits. To a degree, feeling insecure is what fuels our greatest growth.
While the college classroom may provide a safe learning space where perfection is rewarded, the environment in the "real world" feels everything but secure and perfect. This recent piece in TIME magazine caught my attention with its advice to female graduates in particular. The writer advises to "drive a stake through perfection, do more and think less, and fail fast."
If I have learned anything during my Peace Corps experience up to this point, it is just that: there is no such thing as perfection. So I've stopped striving for it. Whereas once upon a time I would get upset over nit-picky details, I am now embracing every "thing not gone according to plan" as an enriching opportunity to learn and do better next time.
And with that, may the opportunities to BREW continue to evolve.
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