Jack of All Trades - Master of None.....

.......also known as my extended resume.

With a little less than 7 months before graduating from grad. school, people have been asking the dreaded question - "What's next?" My mom is especially inquisitive in this regard - I'm not sure if the interest is necessarily in what I'll be doing but more the where I'll be. For right now, I'm taking the approach of "we'll see what happens" and "there are just so many opportunities!"

In the meantime - while I await the perfect job to land in my mailbox, leave a message on my phone, or shoot me a line through email - I've been thinking about what I've done already and what skills I have (or, if you prefer planner language - what tools I have in my toolbox). Well, I haven't updated my resume for a while, mostly because I don't have anywhere to send it yet, but I thought I would entertain you with an "extended" version. Here's a story of my "career" thus far, going back to the very beginning.......

Fall 2009:

Intern, Institute for Environmental Negotiation -

• Work on logistics for Virginia Natural Resource Leadership Institute - i.e. make copies and phone calls

Intern, Twin Springs Farm

• Assist with planting, harvesting, and general farm maintenance - i.e. physical labor, play in the dirt, smash bugs, and eat fresh veggies

UVa Community Garden Manager

• Organize volunteers and manage garden tasks - i.e. maintaining a blog, sending emails, meeting with undergrads, working in the garden, soliciting donations, organizing workdays, watering, weeding, teaching, squashing bugs

Poplar Ridge Challenge Course

• Part -time facilitator on ropes course leading groups through team building and leadership development initiatives - i.e. play with ropes and harnesses and challenge people to do things they think they don't want to

Summer 2009:

Twin Springs Farm Intern

• Assist with planting, harvesting, and general farm maintenance - i.e. physical labor, play in the dirt, smash bugs, and eat fresh veggies

Poplar Ridge Challenge Course

• Part -time facilitator on ropes course leading groups through team building and leadership development initiatives - i.e. play with ropes and harnesses and challenge people to do things they think they don't want to

Fall 2008/Spring 2009:

Teaching Assistant

• Assist Professor Tim Beatley with PLAN 103 - Introduction to Planning and other research interests - i.e. grade papers, organize field trips, and answer undergrad questions

Poplar Ridge Challenge Course

• Part -time facilitator on ropes course leading groups through team building and leadership development initiatives - i.e. play with ropes and harnesses and challenge people to do things they think they don't want to

Summer 2008:

City of Charlottesville - Summer Day Camp Counselor

• Work with children grades 4-6 to provide meaningful activity and recreation - i.e. be reduced to tears by pre-teens on a regular basis; play kickball and go to the swimming pool

Summer 2006-Spring 2008:

Assistant Director Student Activities and Greek Life, Washington and Lee University

• Advise five sororities, organize events, and provide guidance to over 100 student organizations - i.e. counsel students, counsel parents, counsel more students

Spring 2005-Spring 2006

Intern - University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension 4H Center - Environmental Educator and Ropes Course Facilitator

• Teach environmental education classes to 4th-6th grade classes including fishing, canoeing, rock climbing, orienteering, astronomy, and nature awareness. Facilitate on high ropes course - i.e. coolest job EVER

Fall 2005:

City of Conway, Special Census - Census taker

• Collect US Census information for City of Conway - i.e. go door to door asking people to fill out forms, worst job ever

Summer 2002 - Fall 2005:

Cracker Barrel - server

• Work to achieve the company goal of "pleasing people" as a food server - i.e. take compliments and complaints in stride, take orders, serve food, bus tables, wash dishes, prepare food, act as hostess, open store, close store, collect tiny paychecks

Fall 2000 - Summer 2001:

Cadron Creek Arabian Horse Farm - general labor

• Perform general labor tasks to assist with horse farm management including feeding and watering; administer meds and take care of injured horses - i.e. work with horses all day - sweet job

Personal "business" - landscaping

• Mow and weedeat several lawns in neighborhood - i.e. exactly what it sounds like

Summer 2000:

Haydiddle Farm - general labor

• Perform general farm labor tasks such as fixing fence, painting, raking hay and working hay - i.e. often HARD physical labor on family farm - reiterate the importance of going to school

1996 - 2000:

Newton Contracting and Newton Line Painting

• General construction labor including framing and assist with parking lot line painting business including preparing lots and painting - i.e. wake up at the butt crack of dawn to go pick up construction sites, carry lumber, and sweep parking lots - learn the importance of getting an education so I don't have to do physical labor (that didn't really sink in....)

Throw in the mix middle school, high school, four and a half years of undergrad, one and a half years of grad school; study abroad in Australia and Costa Rica; volunteering at a Therapeutic Riding Center, an environmental education center, an afterschool garden club; getting married; living in three different states, at least 10 different houses; buying and selling three vehicles; and.......

that's the story of my life!