Counting Down

Yesterday I finished my final assignment as an undergraduate at Green Mountain College. The week prior was one of intense, manic activity, which concluded with a huge sigh of relief and a well-deserved nap with the satisfaction of knowing I had finished student teaching, handed in a 130 page portfolio, taken a Praxis II test, and finally completed my Senior Study. All since Wednesday.

The remainder of this week will be filled with tying up loose ends, nostalgic reflection, and spending time with friends who will soon go their own way. On Saturday we will all don our mortarboards and robes and take that last long walk down Main Street in Poultney to receive our diplomas in front of a crowd of friends and family.

After graduation I will luckily still have a few weeks to spend in Poultney, but then I too will begin a time of huge transitions. I am getting ready to leave the comfort and security of Poultney, the campus community I have come to love and count on, and the vibrant culture of Vermont to pick up and move to an unfamiliar part of the country. I have accepted a job with Teach for America teaching secondary English in South Carolina, which from here might as well be a foreign country for this born and raised New Englander. While I feel incredibly honored and proud to have been selected for this competitive job (only 12% of applicants are hired), it is also intimidating. However, as I get ready to move on with this next big step in my life I have the security of knowing  that I have an incredible network of peers, professors, and co-workers behind me who have lent support through the last four years and will continue to be within reach even when I am far from home.

With love,

Alison E. Putnam