Alumna Look: Jessica Kaufman, Part II

From Emmitsburg to Bangkok.

It's crazy to think that I am 2 months shy of officially being graduated from the Mount for a full year.  The past 8 months have honestly been the craziest, most exciting, life changing months of my life. So let's go back to Spring 2014. As I'm currently writing this post while sitting on a ferry headed to an island in Thailand, I can't help but stop and think, “How the heck did I get here?!”

I can vividly remember that once my basketball career had come to an end, graduation was just around the corner and I honestly had NO clue what I wanted to do with my life once I left the Mount. And as we all know, post-graduation means questions, and I wanted to be prepared with answers. The only thing I was confident about was that come fall time, I would be working somewhere outside of the U.S.  I've always had a desire to travel and work internationally so I had at least a start to a plan.

I spent a lot of my time brainstorming ideas with a professor in my business major department (Sandra Sjoberg). She wasn't my advisor, but was just someone who I respected and felt very comfortable seeing/talking to on a daily basis, especially because she has spent a lot of time working internationally. She had a former student who taught English in Russia through a company called Language Corps. The Mount is the type of community where professors build relationships with their students, because they truly wish the best for them.  Without Professor Sjoberg, I would have never even considered teaching internationally.  She helped guide me throughout the end of my college career, and helped supply me with the support and confidence I needed to embark on this journey. The community we have at the Mount is definitely something that I didn't honestly appreciate until after I left the Mount. After talking to a Mount alum who had worked in Russia through Language Corps, I instantly knew that this is what I wanted to do. So I applied, packed my bags and moved to SE Asia to become an English teacher.

It's been 8 months since I've left. I have learned a lot since I've been here, and I think one of the main things I've learned is to appreciate where you've been, and where you're going. The Mount shaped me into a woman who was brave enough to move to SE Asia on her own. The Mount gave me the confidence I needed to leave my comfort zone. The Mount helped me build lifelong relationships, friendships and connections. Everyone has a different story that consists of different experiences. Everyone has a unique journey that develops them into the individual they are. I wouldn't be on this journey in Thailand, if it wasn't for the Mount.

To read Jessie blog "Living the Thai Life" about her experiences in SE Asia, CLICK HERE!

Alumna Look: Jessica Kaufman, Part I

After graduating from Mount St. Mary's last year with a degree in Business and a minor in Communications, Jessica Kaufman '14 traveled to Southeast Asia to teach English to children Thailand. Here is a powerful snippet from her blog:

 

 

"7 months ago, I left everything that was comfortable in my life, to move half way across the world to be an English teacher in SE Asia. At the age of 22, with nothing but an over packed suitcase, an empty passport, and some cash saved up, I embarked on arguably the craziest journey of my life. My teaching here in Thailand is coming to an end this week, and I can confidently say that I have gained more knowledge from teaching abroad than I could have ever imagined.  Here are the top 8 things that the mini humans/teaching in Thailand taught me:

1. Courage

 

I moved half way across the world, having never been to Asia before, didn’t know the language, didn’t know a single person living here, had ZERO qualifications to be a teacher… in other words it was easily the scariest moment of my existence. I will never forget the adrenaline rush that overcame me when I stepped off that plane in Cambodia. But most importantly, I will never forget the courage it took to get on that plane in the first place...."

 

To read the other seven things Jessie's experience have taught her, as well as more about Jessie's amazing year teaching in Thailand and see all of the amazing pictures, click HERE to access her blog.

Part II - In our next blog post, we will hear specifically from Jessie about how her time at the Mount helped prepare her to embark upon her Thailand teaching experience.