Ch.1 Reflect: new year, new experiences: the Johnson Service Corps

I am now based in Durham, North Carolina

After a busy month, it is good to be finally updating this blog post about my experiences. It certainly has been an eye-opening several weeks for me, especially during this overwhelming time of transitions, meeting new people, starting a new job, and embarking on a (possible) career in nonprofit. Admittedly, I have been very anxious about this year and what it would bring, but I have also been very excited about the opportunities that are coming my way! I always remind myself that "Change is an uncomfortable, but vital component to our life experiences". Therefore, I (and we all, in general) must take change in stride, and understand that our struggles - even our triumphs - are  impermanent.

These past three weeks have brought about a mixture of emotions, such as anxiety and excitement. When I first met my housemates, I was a little overwhelmed at the fact that I would be sharing a house with four new people. As someone who lives more inwardly, I began taking into account that I had to adjust to four different types of energies in the house. When we began the retreat, I was really overwhelmed with how affectionate the majority of the members were with each other. I decided to chim in anyways, because one of my major goals for this very is to be more open and interactive with those around me. I tend to be a “woman of few words”, but that should not mean that I should shy away from being social. 

I noticed right off the bat that there would be a great deal of group collaborations within our group. This was definitely noticeable during the first Servant Leadership Training session. Everyone, for the most part, was open and willing to engage in discussion about servant leadership and what it meant to them. It really moved me to tears in the sense that this was something that I have been yearning for my entire life. However, I did sort of panic at the support and affection that I received from others. This definitely comes from growing up in a rather emotionally unsupported home, as my family is not very affectionate. I still feel a bit awkward about affectionate. Which is pretty ironic, because I adore physical touch, as it gives me a sense of validation and comfort.

As for my placement at the Pauli Murray Center, my supervisor Barbara Lau and co-worker Frachele Scott both exemplify the meaning of collaboration. For instance, during our staff meeting, one of the questions on the agenda was, “How can we support each other”? This question particularly stood out to me because it showed me that Barbara and Frachele wanted to divide and conquer our work and not be too overwhelmed (I mean, it’s liable to happen). I also met with the staff of the Franklin Humanities Institute, and they all are always collaborating with each other -directly or indirectly - on various projects and assignments. As the “baby” of the Johnson Service Corps, Pauli Murray Center, and now Franklin Humanities Institute families, I am looking forward to learning a multitude of things throughout my year here.

Even though much more has happened over the past month, I will not go into too much detail as I could go on for days if I wanted to. Just know that I will be reflecting on my experiences on over the next year. 

End of Blog Song, "Haru Jongil" by Jazzyfact!