Hey everyone who might read this (that's right, all five of you!),
I haven't blogged for a really long time about my terrific trip of another T word, so I decided to give you all a little update.
First off - I have so many little snippets of blogs-to-be that I wrote and decided that they weren't exactly blog worthy, so I decided I am going to post them throughout the summer as footers for my blog posts overseas. I am dreaming that I will be able to mash up the posts in a way that ties the two together - be it a solution to a question I was thinking about that particular day, or just a general brainstorm about different ideas I had. So that could be cool, but it could also fail miserably - time will tell!
Now - On to the actual meat and potatoes of the experience.
Important Update Numero Uno: I am going to Ghana. It was decided a few weeks ago that I am on the AgEx team (Agricultural Extension for those of you who hate abrev.). This seems really awesome, and was my first choice in teams - so I am pretty well all around stoked.
Important Update Number Poo: I get to send an email tonight explaining what specific team I want to work with, and why I would be awesome. This is pretty cool, and pretty damned nerve racking - so I hope I am able to piece something together in between supper and food coma o'clock. I don't want to go too in depth at the moment because I am really hungry and have a gift certificate to a buffet (score!) - but the two teams I am interested in are:
Short Agribusiness Farmer Training Opportunities, which is a program about knowledge spread and developing short courses about agribusiness through working with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture as well as the Farming Institutions.
Kuapa Kokoo, this is a Fair Trade Certified cocoa company that operates as a co-op. I would be assisting in the day to day operations of the company through interaction with farmers as well as extension staffers, as well as examining the company looking at the success and failures of certain programs. The idea here is to look at the third party company and how they operate, compare that with what we know are already good extension techniques and practices and find the best way for the company to operate. I am most excited for this one (crosses fingers / knocks on wood and all that jazz)
OH YAH, update on my dates - I go to Toronto on May 5th and get back from Africa on August 27th.
Anywhosits,
I leave you with one request: If you feel comfortable, I ask you to write me a letter. This can be about anything you would like - serious, funny, random, or inspiring. Just write the letter, seal the letter - and leave me instructions on what date, or what time, or during what event / feeling you would like me to read it. Thank you very much to those who have already done this, and thank you for considering it.
'till next time,
-Nathan
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Sunday, 6 November 2011
The (Junior) Fellowship of the Ring
First of all I would like to thank everyone who came to read this, with an especially big thanks to the Regina Engineers Without Boarders Chapter for making this dream become a reality. That being said, I am a very new blogger - so please be patient if this is a less-than-refined looking blog. Now - On to the show!
I am a 22 year old Industrial Systems Engineering student from Weyburn, Saskatchewan and I just started the process of becoming a Junior Fellowship with Engineers Without Boarders, which will bring me to such far away lands as Ottawa (National Conference), Toronto (JF training), either Malawi or Ghana, and then back to the good ol' UofR to pass on my gained knowledge and experience to raise awareness of the need for overseas development.
My journey started in mid September, during the usual 'summer just ended, well - time to apply for a summer job' phase that the Crown corps like so much, I stumbled upon the EWB main website where I learned about the JF program. I initially thought, "Man - that sounds like a really great idea, I wish I could do something like that" and passed it off as a 'what if' day dream. Fast forward to a couple weeks later I was walking down the hall towards the engineering lounge and I stumbled upon the EWB office and a quick chat later I was looking forward to my very first EWB meeting. After attending the meeting and meeting a lot of really fun and dedicated people - I knew that I was in the right place. After an information session I decided that I was going to try to turn this daydream into my life.
The next step in the process was to fill out the application for the JF and submit it on time (the last part turned out to be harder than it sounds). After my application got approved I did an interview with two members of the Regina chapter and our chapter buddy from the national office. This was an interesting bag. I didn't feel that I did too particularly well in this interview - but as it turns out I did do well enough, because earlier today I got the call, and I got the go ahead!
I guess the main point I want to make is - go for your dreams. If I hadn't decided to take a chance and put my self out there - the only thing that could happen is I could have faced a little rejection and I end up getting the same old vanilla job I have worked in the past summers. Now, after taking the mild risk I get to do something that has the chance to make a difference - to others, as well as me.
-Nathan
66 days until EWB National Conference 2012
177 days until May 1, 2012 (likely start of the JF program itself)
299 days until Aug 31, 2012 (likely repatriation to Canada)
I am a 22 year old Industrial Systems Engineering student from Weyburn, Saskatchewan and I just started the process of becoming a Junior Fellowship with Engineers Without Boarders, which will bring me to such far away lands as Ottawa (National Conference), Toronto (JF training), either Malawi or Ghana, and then back to the good ol' UofR to pass on my gained knowledge and experience to raise awareness of the need for overseas development.
My journey started in mid September, during the usual 'summer just ended, well - time to apply for a summer job' phase that the Crown corps like so much, I stumbled upon the EWB main website where I learned about the JF program. I initially thought, "Man - that sounds like a really great idea, I wish I could do something like that" and passed it off as a 'what if' day dream. Fast forward to a couple weeks later I was walking down the hall towards the engineering lounge and I stumbled upon the EWB office and a quick chat later I was looking forward to my very first EWB meeting. After attending the meeting and meeting a lot of really fun and dedicated people - I knew that I was in the right place. After an information session I decided that I was going to try to turn this daydream into my life.
The next step in the process was to fill out the application for the JF and submit it on time (the last part turned out to be harder than it sounds). After my application got approved I did an interview with two members of the Regina chapter and our chapter buddy from the national office. This was an interesting bag. I didn't feel that I did too particularly well in this interview - but as it turns out I did do well enough, because earlier today I got the call, and I got the go ahead!
I guess the main point I want to make is - go for your dreams. If I hadn't decided to take a chance and put my self out there - the only thing that could happen is I could have faced a little rejection and I end up getting the same old vanilla job I have worked in the past summers. Now, after taking the mild risk I get to do something that has the chance to make a difference - to others, as well as me.
-Nathan
66 days until EWB National Conference 2012
177 days until May 1, 2012 (likely start of the JF program itself)
299 days until Aug 31, 2012 (likely repatriation to Canada)
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