What I Have Failed to Mention: I'm a Nerd.

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  Kingston, Jamaica
Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Going through high school and university, I never would've been mistaken for a nerd (as far as I know - ;)). I was a soccer player, a long-distance runner, and a decent (mid to above average) student.

Immediately after sending my last updates (full of day trips to Cable Hut Beach and Boston Bay, service placement visits, and current affairs), a family friend inquired, teasingly, if I was attending any classes. ;) I guess I forgot to mention my newly gained title.

Here, I'm a human stationary store ("Heather, can I borrow your mini-stapler, hole punch, highlighter...."), the girl that always hands in assignments (typed, double-spaced, APA-appropriate) on time or in advance of due dates, the student that wakes up next to oddly creased textbook pages, the bus passenger that has a book cover instead of a nose and mouth. I'm a total and utter nerd.
;)

For the first time in my life, I care about my studies, and about how each class relates to the program and my thesis (noted as a dissertation in the West Indies). And, for the first time in my life, I am striving to learn rather than to obtain a grade. Luckily, our courses encourage us to be social, to experience the Caribbean culture and be a part of the community, to "have a life" in Jamaica, as well, which is a relief.

During the week, I greatly enjoy my classes. One of my teachers writes for the national newspaper. Another recently hosted a lecture with the author of one of our cultural texts. All of them seek unique ways to introduce new material. Most encourage us to relate our assignments to our dissertations. For the most part, I have felt like I've gained information or insight from each assignment and have been proud of what I've submitted (save, honestly, one paper, that would've gotten more use if it were rolled around a miniature cardboard tube and placed in a lavatory).

By December, we are supposed to have collected all of our fieldwork data and written the first three chapters of our dissertation. If we are able to do this, it allows us to have a more manageable/reasonable schedule in England. I'm shooting for this goal.

My dissertation discusses the relationship between the use of visual media and effective fundraising in the nonprofit sector of developing countries. I am fortunate to be providing a service to my agency (Dare To Care) that directly relates to my topic and to my past work with SwaziHope. I will be creating multiple promotional and educational videos for their cause while in Jamaica, which is very exciting.

As I mentioned to my friend earlier this morning, if books were waterproof, I would be strapping them to the surfboards and reading them in the line-up. ;) In lieu of this, I carry them with me everywhere else, tucked in my backpack or back pocket; a nerd, perhaps...but still, a bookworm with a tan. ;)

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