Post 9

I don't think I like grad school anymore. I'm feeling done. Job searching is bumming me out and stressing me out, classes aren't slowing down at all (not that they would this time of year), and work is hectic. I wonder if my brain has stretch marks from all this rapid development.

Job searching is on my brain. There's not a whole lot of leadership development positions out there. Some of the closest things I've found are mostly student activities, or student organizations with some leadership mixed in. Why aren't there more Blue Chips out there? I mean, I knew Blue Chip was "the first of its kind", but that was 8 years ago. So, what's my next step? I went through this whole student affairs grad school process so I could work with leadership programs, and do something like Blue Chip at another institution. I don't know that I'd want to go back to Arizona and work there (even though I am applying for a job in the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership there), because I wanted to "spread the fire". I know Blue Chip is in good hands, and it's going to keep being awesome. So, I guess the question is, how do I make things happen at another university? I thought I would be doing that here at MSU, but our attempts have been pretty feeble.

I guess I'm wondering how to use what I've learned in this class. I know I can't just come in with a vision, and compel others to "follow" me. That ain't gonna work. I know I'll have to learn the culture of the institution, figure out what the needs are. How do you create a culture of leadership? A culture that supports a "Blue Chip"? And more importantly for me personally, how do I figure out that out as I'm job searching? Are my expectations/hopes unrealistic? I don't want a mediocre job. That's what I have right now. I'm ready for something that is going to get me excited about student affairs again. I want to feel empowered, I want that energy. I know it's got to exist somewhere.