Category Archives: Careers

Plan B – Not so bad after all

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I spend a lot of time meeting with students and talking about their plans: plans for major, career, creating a new club, traveling abroad, and just planning in general. It is one of the reasons I love my job so much. Whether it is a high school freshman (e.g., my own daughter, who just entered 9th grade!) talking about her intended major or a Penn State senior debating about whether to go to grad school are start directly on a career it is important that we (1) have goals and plans and (2) think them through and consider all our options. Very often I am encouraging students to embrace the change of plans of which life is inevitably made.
This past year I heard a great episode from This American Life, which is actually ten years old, called Plan B. We all have plans of what we are going to do with our lives and then there is what we actually end up doing. It is important that we (and our students) realize that this is not a bad thing, since “Plan B” is often the best thing that could ever happen to us. Or Plan C, D, or E. If, on the other hand, we spend our lives lamenting that we didn’t follow that first path, well, the one thing that is certain is disappointment.
I often share my own life experience. I am on “Plan B” with respect to my field, relationships, and career. I think it is working out just fine.
When I started college I was going to be a research physician, a “real doctor” as my now-93 year old grandmother says (or more accurately, today she says, “This is my grandson, Dr. Brady, but he is not a real doctor”), and entered college as a Chemistry major. I had done internships at NIH, worked in labs, loved science and technology, and was certain that I wanted to be a medical researcher. Until I didn’t. Which was about 2 months into my freshman year. I then turned to studying biblical literature and history, taking two majors (History and Near Eastern Studies), and was the first student to graduate from my alma mater with a minor in Religious Studies. But then I had to figure out where to go next. I had considered ministry, but I really thought that academia was where I should be, so I enrolled in a short (1.5 years) masters degree program to shore up my language skills. I had wanted to go directly into a PhD program, but my advisor and I both realized that this intermediate step was the best idea.
Now, when I graduated from college, I had been dating the same woman for 3 years. We thought, OK, I thought, we were going to get married. Except we weren’t and didn’t. But remember that masters program I had not intended to go to? Well, that is where I met my wife. She had, coincidentally, been engaged prior to my meeting her. (Her engagement had been broken off before we met. While I had to go to Mexico to be turned down, her fiancé had to go all the way to Africa!) So while I had not really wanted that intermediate step of getting the MA and had intended to be married to another woman, instead not only did I meet the most incredible friend and wife I could have imagined (in our 20th year!), but new opportunities opened up for me academically.
The day before our wedding I was meeting with my advisor. I had been accepted into the University of Toronto (after turning down the Univeristy of Chicago) and we were looking forward to moving north of the border. That day my advisor announced that he had just received a call from a friend who was the director of studies for what is now called the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. They had a full scholarship for their graduate program and wondered if my advisor had any students appropriate for the program. I had to ask my advisor, who was from Alabama, to specify whether this was Oxford, Mississippi or Oxford, England, and then pointed out that we were getting married the next day. So we did. And then we went to England 6 weeks later. We spent our first year of marriage on a 16th century Jacobean manor (poor as the church mice in the floor boards of the converted rectory we lived in) and a total of 4 years in that amazing city.
(Quick unsolicited tip for starting your marriage: When you get married, move over 3,000 miles away from both sets of parents. That way, whether your marriage survives or fails you know it is not because of in-laws interfering. )
From Oxford I expected to build upon my academic research as a scholar of ancient Hebrew and Jewish literature. I loved teaching, researching, and writing (and the occasional nap in the library stacks). My first job was as a visiting assistant professor of Jewish studies at Tulane University that turned into a tenure-track position. The one catch: I would also be the director of the Jewish Studies Program. The most commonly asked question while I was in that position: “What is a nice Jewish boy like you doing with a name like Christian?” It was a wonderful opportunity, but usually young scholars just starting out do not have such administrative responsibilities. It was a very challenging time, balancing all of those duties with my academic obligations and we had just started a family, but it was also very rewarding. Not least because it led to my being asked to direct the Tulane Honors Program. And that, of course, led to my becoming the second dean of the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State. Not what I had planned to do at all.
It is important that we have plans. We need goals and objectives. But it is even more important that we allow ourselves to grow and change and allow our plans to change along with us.
Some of my colleagues have suggested that I must be disappointed, having to spend so much time on administration and not being able to really become the scholar I had intended to be. It is true that I am not producing articles and books at the rate of some of my peers, but I love what I do and would not be here if it had not been for that academic work. On the other hand, had I stayed on the path of books and articles, I would not currently have the best job at Penn State.

SHC and Penn State Hershey College of Medicine Early Assurance Program

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We have been working with the Penn State College of Medicine to develop a new “early assurance” program for our students and I am very pleased to be able to share with you all the details!

Beginning in spring 2012, the Early Assurance Program will select up to five Schreyer Scholars, offering them an early assurance of admission into the College of Medicine prior to the start of their junior year. The early assurance decision secures selected Scholars a spot in the medical school’s incoming class in the fall after the Scholar’s spring gradu- ation. Admission is contingent upon the Scholar having successfully completed all requirements for graduation with honors outlined by the Schreyer Honors College and Penn State.

For successful candidates, the academic rigor of the Schreyer Honors College and the leading research and excellence of care practiced at Penn State’s College of Medicine may be a prescription for a lifetime of success in the medical field. Smart medicine, indeed.

Scholars must meet the following requirements to be eligible:

  • Hold a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher at the end of their sophomore year with demonstrated high academic achievement in both science and non-science curriculum
  • Have completed 8 of 10 required math- ematics and science courses. The required courses are:
    • Biology (2 semesters)
    • Inorganic Chemistry (2 semesters)
    • Organic Chemistry (2 semesters)
    • Physics (2 semesters)
    • Mathematics* (2 semesters) — *Calculus recommended

The application review also includes an evaluation of:

  • Extracurricular activities
  • Community service
  • Medical experience exposure (clinical observation, job shadowing, summer internships, etc.)
  • Letters of recommendation from the Scholar’s honors adviser and from two faculty members

Application deadline:
May 15 of the sophomore year Application review:

Applications will be reviewed by the Schreyer Honors College Selection Committee with finalists submitted to the College of Medicine’s Admissions Committee by the middle of June. Upon further review by the College of Medicine, selected finalists will

be interviewed and decisions offering early assurance admission will be made by early August, prior to the start of the Scholar’s junior year.

For more information about the Schreyer Honors College-College of Medicine Early Assurance Program, contact Dr. Arun Upneja, associate dean, Schreyer Honors College, at axu4@psu.edu.

Where do you go to school to be an entrepreneur?

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Matt Brezina is a Schreyer Scholar graduate, a member of our External Advisory Board member, founder of Xobni and now Postagram. Oh, and a real mensch! He has some very interesting thoughts about how to become an entrepreneur. For those not familiar with Y Combinator start at their site: http://ycombinator.com/

I’ve always been interested in starting companies. Ten years ago I was an undergrad at Penn State. I was told by professors, my parents & the press that the best way to start a company was to go to graduate school, become an expert in your field and start a company with a classmate.   Ten years ago grad school probably was the best place to meet potential co-founders. That’s what Larry and Sergey did.  That is how Filo and Jerry met.

So I went to grad school.

I did not love my time stuck in the dark corners of the control systems lab at the University of Maryland.  The opportunities to evaluate and work with potential co-founders were lacking. Note* I realize this concentration would have been higher at a place like Stanford or MIT. Luckily I met Adam Smith on Craigslist during a summer internship, we became roommates, did a lot of brainstorming over hot pocket dinners and eventually started Xobni together.

From the outside Y Combinator may simply look like a new disruptive venture fund. And it is. But the secondary effects may be even larger.

I often say Paul Graham doesn’t do YC for the money, he does it to teach.  He is a professor in a new type of university. And as an entrepreneur himself, of course it is a university he founded.

Read it all  YC: The new grad school | The Blog Of Matt Brezina.

 

Support for study abroad – The Strategic and Global Security Scholars Program

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Don’t let the name fool you, this program is not just for those who want to go into intelligence work for the government (didn’t we all want to be James Bond or Alias at one point in our lives?). This program is a great opportunity for any student who is interested in a career that has a global and/or security component. I met earlier this week with John Hodgson, their project manager, and they would love to have applicants from Schreyer Scholars and their support for study abroad is significant.

More info is below, but if you are interested rather than fill out the application, drop Mr. Hodgson a note first. It is not too late to be considered for summer grants!

The Strategic and Global Security Scholars Program at Penn State sponsors and supports students who desire a career in government, the private sector, or in the Armed Forces, working on global, national, and homeland security issues. The program is open to undergraduate and graduate students of all academic majors, minors, and programs, with an emphasis on those with diverse ethnic, cultural, professional, and academic backgrounds, language proficiency, and geographical expertise. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.

The Program

The program will provide students with financial support and opportunities to:

  • Study abroad
  • Attend professional and academic conferences
  • Receive individualized professional development and career counseling
  • Attend recruiting events and meet hiring managers
  • Receive priority for internships and co-ops

The Application Process

To apply for the program, students must:

  • Meet the eligibility requirements
  • Complete the Undergraduate or Graduate Program Application
  • Submit academic transcripts (they may be unofficial transcripts)
  • Complete a two-page statement of purpose essay (Undergraduate)
  • Provide two references from faculty members and/or employers

An interview with the program director may also be required.

Eligibility Requirements

An applicant must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen, or capable of obtaining a valid U.S. passport
  • Be in good academic standing at the Pennsylvania State University Main (University Park) Campus or a branch, Commonwealth, or affiliated campus.
  • Hold a GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Have an interest in a career in a government organization such as the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Energy, the intelligence community, local, state, or federal law enforcement, and the Armed Forces.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding the program or the application, please contact John Hodgson, Office of Military and Security Programs at 814-865-1513 or jgh161@psu.edu. Submit the application and all supporting materials to:

Office of Military and Security Programs
Strategic and Global Security Scholars Program
117 Transportation Research Building
University Park, PA 16802

Internships and Research Opportunities, Scholarships and Grants

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All of our students should be recieving the weekly listserv with information about interships and research opportunities, but I thought I would post this week’s here as a reminder of that listserv and an example of some of the many opportunities available to our Scholars.

(If you are not on the list please email Ashlee Klinger.)

FULL-TIME/INTERNSHIPS/RESEARCH:

1. CONFERENCE ON ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEADERSHIP (CAPAL) INTERNSHIPS 2009- 4/17
CAPAL is looking for Asian Pacific American (APA) undergraduate and graduate students who identifies as future civic, community, or professional leaders in public service. CAPAL is partnering with four federal government agencies to award eight paid internships to APA undergraduate and graduate students. Two interns will be placed at each of the following United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies: Agricultural Research Service (ARS); Rural Development (RD); Forest Service (FS); and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Each intern will be assigned mentors and will receive a $2,000 stipend. Please visit http://www.capal.org for the application form, additional details, and address any questions to scholarships@capal.org. The internship application deadline for the four USDA agencies is April 17, 2009. Decisions for internships will be made by April 30, 2009.

Continue reading →

Scholar in Pirates Credits

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Pirates 3I just had a wonderful conversation with a very proud mother. The mother of Mike Knuff, a 2005 Engineering and Scholar graduate and a 2007 M.Eng. graduate, called to thank me for the opportunities that her son has had at PSU and SHC and the inspiration he received to “shoot for the stars.”

Why did she call today? Because last night she saw the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Mike, who has since gone out to Hollywood to work in special effects, was in the credits! (And you can see his name in the credits here.)

Congratulations Mike! And we recognize the you had nothing to do with the tortuous plot lines. :-)

SHC Student in Newsweek

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A Boot Camp for the Next Tech Billionaires – Newsweek Technology – MSNBC.com

Chris Fanini, David Rusenko and Dan Veltri [started Weebly] A ridiculously easy-to-use system for setting up your personal Web site, allowing you to add features like blogs and Google Maps with a mouseclick

Read the whole story and the video/audio interview with Schreyer Scholar David Rusenko can be heard here.

SHC Announcements

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This is from the listserv, but I thought it would be wise to pass it along here as well.

This listserv contains information on the following opportunities:

1. **MERRILL LYNCH PRESENTATION FOR ALL PSU STUDENTS – 11/9
2. **TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS – 12/6
3. **CONGRESS-BUNDESTAG YOUTH EXCHANGE TO GERMANY =96 APPLICATION
DEADLINE 12/1
4. BARRY M. GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP WORKSHOP – 11/8
5. **CAREER SERVICES CONTINUES WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS IN NOVEMBER
6. OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST FIELD – 11/9 – *NOTE NEW LOCAT=
ION*
7. **RISE: RESEARCH INTERNSHIPS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IN GERMANY
8. WOMEN & PUBLIC POLICY SEMINAR, WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/2 TO 1/7 =96 SHC
APPLICATION DEADLINE – 11/10
9. WOMEN & SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY POLICY SEMINAR – 1/8 to 1/12 APPLICATION
DEADLINE – 11/10
10. STUDENT PANEL ON SUMMER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE U.S. – 11/29
11. **THINKING ABOUT A CAREER IN LAW? PLANNING TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL?
12. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE EXCHANGE OF STUDENTS FOR
TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE (IAESTE) GENERAL MEETING – 11/9 (UP)
13. HONEYWELL INNOVATOR INTERNSHIP SCHOLARS PROGRAM FOR SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING MAJORS – APPLICATIONS DUE 11/15

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. **MERRILL LYNCH PRESENTATION FOR ALL PSU STUDENTS – 11/9
Merrill Lynch will be giving a presentation to
all PSU students interested in summer internships
in Investment Banking, Global Markets, Private
Client, Accounting & Finance, and Technology. The
presentation will take place on Thursday,
November 9, from 6-8 p.m. in Ball Room C of the Nittany Lion Inn.

2. **TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS – 12/6
The Truman Scholarship Foundation awards merit
based $30,000 scholarships to juniors who plan to
pursue careers in government or other public
service sectors. The PSU campus deadline for the
Truman Scholarship is Wednesday, December 6. In
2004 Sara Ryan from the SHC won the Truman
Scholarship. For more information see
http://www.truman.gov/
and contact the University Fellowships Office (UFO) at 863-8199.

3. **CONGRESS-BUNDESTAG YOUTH EXCHANGE TO GERMANY – APPLICATION DEADLINE=
12/1
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for
Young Professionals is currently accepting
applications for the 2007-2008 program year. The
application deadline is DECEMBER 1st, 2006 for
this unique work/study scholarship program to
Germany with a strong focus on cultural exchange.
CBYX is designed to give participants an
understanding of everyday life, education, and
professional training in Germany. Funded by the
Bundestag and US Congress (through the a US
Department of State grant), the program enables
75 Americans every year to work and study in
Germany. The program year consists of 2 months
of intensive German language instruction (no
prior German language skills required!), 4 months
of classroom instruction at a German university
or vocational school, and a 5-month internship in
the participant’s career field, all while living
with a host family or in a shared-apartment.
Applicants must be between the ages of 18-24 at
the start of the program, and should have a
combination of some internship or work experience
and a solid academic background in their field.
For more information, or to complete an
application online, visit www.cdsintl.org/c=
byx

4. BARRY M. GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP WORKSHOP – 11/8
On Wednesday, November 8, from 6-7 p.m. in 106
Boucke Building, Dr. Tineke Cunning, Director of
the University Fellowships Office will be
conducting a workshop on the Barry M. Goldwater
Scholarship. If you would like more information
on the scholarship, contact the University Fellowships Office at 863-8199.

5. **CAREER SERVICES CONTINUES WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS IN NOVEMBER
Penn State Career Services continues its
Wednesday Workshops every week throughout
November at the Bank of America Career Services
Center on the University Park campus. Sessions
include information on preparing for graduate
school, resumes and more. All sessions take place
in 103BC of the Career Services Center.

Nov. 8 sessions
- 4:30-5:20 p.m. Filling out graduate school applications
- 5:30-6:20 p.m. How to create a resume
- 6:30-7:20 p.m. Finding government employment

Nov. 15 sessions
- 4:30-5:20 p.m. Interview preparation
- 5:30-6:20 p.m. How to write a cover letter
- 6:30-7:20 p.m. Working at summer camps

Nov. 29 sessions
- 4:30-5:20 p.m. How to choose a major
- 5:30-6:20 p.m. Preparing for a second interview and site visit
- 6:30-7:20 p.m. Internship and summer job searches

For more information on Penn State Career
Services, visit http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/

6. OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST FIELD – 11/9 – *NOTE NEW LOCATION*
As a graduating senior you are no doubt trying to
decide what you will do next year, or even for
the next 5 years. U.S.PIRG is a federation of
state-based public interest advocacy groups. This
year they are hiring 100 graduating college
students to determine where this country is
going: to solve our energy problems; to reform
the campaign finance system; to safeguard
individuals from identity theft; to fight hunger
and homelessness; and make an impact on many
other public interest issues. They will be
holding an information session and interviews on
Thursday, November 9, at 4 p.m. in 107 Willard.
For more information, check out their Web site at
www.uspirg.org/jobs
or send an email to: jossi@pennenvironment.org.

7. **RISE: RESEARCH INTERNSHIPS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IN GERMANY
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is
pleased to announce the RISE (Research
Internships in Science and Engineering) Program
will take place in the summer of 2007. Undergrads
spend the summer working on a research project
with a German Ph.D. student, who serves as a
personal and professional mentor. Students
receive a scholarship to cover living expenses,
and the Ph.D. student will help find housing.
Participants get exposed to advanced research and
learn about Germany from the inside, make new
friends and establish professional contacts, and
spend weekends exploring the heart of Europe.
Online registration and internship database open
on Thursday, December 7. Online registration
opened on November 1. The internship database
will be activated on Friday, December 1. Find out
about eligibility and the application process,
and read reports from past participants, at
www.daad.de/rise.

8. WOMEN & PUBLIC POLICY SEMINAR, WASHINGTON,
D.C., 1/2 TO 1/7 – SHC APPLICATION DEADLINE – 11/10
Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN)
announces its 25th annual Women & Public Policy
Seminar to be held in Washington, DC the week of
January 2-7, 2007. PLEN is a national
organization whose sole mission is to prepare
women for public leadership. For 25 years, PLEN
has been bringing hundreds of women students from
universities across the country to Washington,
D.C. to experience first-hand how public policy
is shaped and implemented at the national level.
This seminar brings participants behind the
scenes of official Washington, introduces
participants to women policy makers and allows
participants to observe the system at work.
Seminar participants learn how public policy is
made and how current policies affect women.
Speakers are women leaders from the Congress,
courts, government agencies, media and advocacy
groups. Students will have the opportunity to
visit the State Department, discuss important
policy issues, converse with leaders of interest
groups and meet congressional staff members. For
additional information or to download and print a
registration form, go to
www.plen.org. If you are
interested in attending this seminar, and would
like to contact SHC students who have attended
PLEN seminars, e-mail Clare Cowen at
cec15@psu.edu by Friday, November 10. The SHC can help with registration fees.

9. WOMEN & SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY POLICY SEMINAR –
1/8 to 1/12 APPLICATION DEADLINE – 11/10
PLEN (the Public Leadership Education Network) is
offering a seminar in response to the growing
importance of science and technology issues in
public debate. The seminar’s goals are to: 1)
increase students’ understanding of the public
policy dimensions of science and technology and
2) prepare women for active participation as
citizen/leaders in public debate and
decision-making on science and technology policy
issues. Students participating in the seminar
will: 1) meet and learn from women leaders in the
field of science/technology policy; 2) discuss
public policy issues relating to science and
technology and 3) learn how public policies
affecting science and technology are shaped. This
seminar is designed for women students majoring
in science and technology and provides the
opportunity to explore the public policy
dimensions of their fields. However, the program
is open to all students who have demonstrated a
strong interest in science and technology issues.
For more information and for the registration
materials see
http://www.plen.org. The
SHC can help with registration fees. If you would
like to attend this seminar, or would like to
contact SHC students who have attended PLEN
seminars, contact Clare Cowen at cec15@psu.edu by Friday, November 10.

10. STUDENT PANEL ON SUMMER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE U.S. – 11/29
Join us on Wednesday, November 29, at 7 p.m. in
C-007 Atherton Hall and learn from SHC students
who have participated in REU’s (Research
Experiences for Undergraduates–funded by the
NSF) and in NIH sponsored summer research
programs at universities all over the U.S. If you
are considering doing research this summer and
want to be fully funded, this is the perfect
program for you. For more information on REU’s
see
http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/index.jsp.
If you have any questions, contact Clare Cowen at cec15@psu.edu.

11. **THINKING ABOUT A CAREER IN LAW? PLANNING TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL?
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about a wide
variety of law careers and law schools from
lawyer-alumni from Philadelphia, Washington,
Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Harrisburg who are in
large and small private practices, government,
and teach law. There will be a panel presentation
and Q&A on Thursday, November 16, at 7:30 p.m. in
112 Chambers Building. They will also hold
one-on-one appointments from 8:30 a.m. to Noon on
Friday, November 17 in 232 HUB. (advanced sign-up
for one-on-ones is required) If you would like
lawyer bios, more information, and/or sign-up for
a one-on-one appointment, visit the Web site at:
http://www.la.psu.edu/cla-alumni/law/
If you have any questions, contact Chris Gamble at cvg4@psu.edu.

12. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE EXCHANGE
OF STUDENTS FOR TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE (IAESTE) GENERAL MEETING – 11/9 (UP)
Attention students interested in working abroad.
On Thursday, November 9, at 5:30 p.m. in 123
Hammond, IAESTE will hold their general meeting.
IAESTE offers paid internships abroad and
provides great leadership opportunities. It is a
great way to get involved, make friends, and gain
international and cultural understanding.
Internships are open to all engineering, science,
agriculture and any other technical majors. Come
out to the meeting and learn more about IAESTE.
Contact IAESTE@psu.edu for more information.

13. HONEYWELL INNOVATOR INTERNSHIP SCHOLARS
PROGRAM FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING MAJORS – APPLICATIONS DUE 11/15
Honeywell is looking to build relationships with
students where they can apply their classroom
learning in a practical, real-world environment.
Honeywell Innovator Scholars will participate in
a paid summer internship. Under the direction of
a Honeywell supervisor, they will be assigned to
a team and participate in carefully selected
projects that are aligned with achieving business
results. The Honeywell internship is a
requirement of the scholarship program, and
therefore, recipients must complete the
internship prior to receiving the monetary
portion of the award. To be eligible for the
scholarship award, applicants must be enrolled in
a science, technology or engineering major,
demonstrate superior academic ability, as well as
leadership and community service qualities
outside of the classroom. For additional
information about eligibility and the
application, refer to
http://www.honeywell.com/careers/innovators_program_description.html.
The applications must be received by Wednesday, November 15.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions regarding the Wednesday listserv can be
addressed to Clare Cowen at cec15@psu.edu.

Visit the University Fellowships Office (UFO) at
http://ufo.psu.edu/, in 212 Boucke Building
or by phone at 863-8199 or 865-5196

Visit Career Services at
http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/

Visit the SHC Event Calendar at
http://www.shc.psu.edu

Urgent Deadline: Teach in MS

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I received the following email tonight and the deadline is Sunday! The MS region has always been in deep need of good teachers and now this is more true than ever.

Hello Dean Brady,

Hope your weekend is looking like a good one.

I’m a recent (May 2006) graduate of the SHC, and I’m e-mailing to let you know about a very quickly approaching application deadline for a teaching corps program in which SHC scholars might have an interest, and to ask if you would be willing to forward the relevant information- I apologize for the late notice.

The (first, and most likely to result in admission) deadline is this Sunday, October 22nd, and the program is the Mississippi Teacher Corps. It’s much like Teach for America, but a bit more competitive (by the numbers, at least, but getting in is not impossible so people shouldn’t be discouraged by that), much smaller, and very personal. The geographic focus is the Mississippi Delta and surrounding regions. I’ve been thoroughly impressed by the program’s design, by the support it offers, by the intentions, dedication and fierce passion for success shared by the directors, staff, and other teacher corps participants, and (most deeply) by the kids. Here’s a short description that our program director posted on the site (which, by the way, is mtcorps.net ):

The Mississippi Teacher Corps is a two-year program, similar to the Peace Corps http://www.peacecorps.gov/ , that recruits college graduates to teach in the Mississippi Delta http://mtc.smugmug.com/gallery/1621095. The program is designed for non-education majors and offers a host of benefits, including:

Teacher training and certification

Full scholarship for a master’s degree in education

Job placement that includes full pay ($30,000+) and benefits

The opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students in one of the poorest areas of the country

It’s a fairly easy application, so hopefully the short notice won’t dissuade any potential applicants. The application can be filled out on-line at the Mississippi Teacher Corps website- http://www.olemiss.edu/programs/mtc/. The same page will come up if you type in www. mtcorps.net.

There are also later deadlines (the next deadline after this Sunday is December 22nd), but the earliest is really the best shot at getting in.

If anyone would like to know about the program or my experiences thus far (it seems like they’ve been extensive already in just four and a half months), I would love to talk and can be contacted at lrs179@psu.edu, or 601-415-5455 (cell); (662)-873-2779 (land-line).

Thank you, Dean Brady, for your time. Please feel free to contact me, also- perhaps we’ll even meet in person if I can make it for a visit around Thanksgiving. Hope you have a great weekend!

Sincerely,
Lisa Shaffren