Today, I received my first news about grad school- an acceptance letter from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at Denver University. I’ll study international development, with a focus on Africa. My ultimate goal is to work for an NGO or government organization in Africa. DU is widely considered one of the top 10 schools in the field. Although I’ve applied for more prestigious programs (like Georgetown), DU is honestly my top choice.
I’m stoked! I feel like finally my career is on it’s way. I’m also excited about the chance to return to school and do things right- I wasn’t very involved in undergrad. But now I have the focus and confidence it’d take to take advantage of the resources around me.
I should hear back from other schools in the next few weeks, but what a relief to know that I’m going somewhere! The bad news is that they could not offer me much in the way of aid. I’m probably going to be in debt up to my ears for years- but I think the career opportunities this will open up will make it worth it.
It was a long process, from having to slog to Bankok to take the GREs to tracking down recommendation letters from Cameroonians. I’m so psyched that I got it together and it paid off! Go me!
Plus if you say the name of your school fast, it’ll sound like the Joseph Goebbels School of International Studies. Which is probably…not as prestigious.
My Foreign Policy professor went there, and eventually went on to become the head of Amnesty International. (And, obviously, a professor of foreign policy.) She once told us that when she was there, she shared a carrel with Condoleeza Rice, but they were never really friends. The lesson was that you should always make friends with your grad school classmates; there’s no telling which of them will eventually be in a position to get you a job.
(I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have worked in the Bush Administration anyway.)
