Ok, God, You Win

I boasted too soon and too often about escaping the problem economy with my year of service. Ever since 6th grade when I realized I could have a career besides writer or teacher, I expected not to end up in a school. And as I kept growing, I agreed with a priest who once suggested putting all 12 year old children into glass jars until they were old enough to think again.

Only months after I agreed with the priest, I became a counselor at a Girl Scout camp. Working with middle schoolers. Surprise! I hoped for mostly high school students. Ditto for the summer with YouthWorks -- I didn't realize until after I applied that middle schoolers were a possibility. And then, we had mostly middle schoolers.

I now have a placement for next year: a Catholic K-8 school, working with grades 6-8. Okay, God, you win. Most students come from at or below the poverty line, few are Catholic, and only 230 are enrolled. The school aims to break the cycle of poverty by placing these students on college-bound tracks. I will help with writing skills.

The idea of working with writing and helping people write excites me. Also, one of the other VSC women will work there with me, which should make the adventure more fun. It's just another case of God throwing the unexpected at me.