Editor's Note: This is the third in a series of journal entries written by Heidi Lynch as she reflects on her undergraduate educational experiences. Part 2 was published on August 14, 2003.

3/10/04

Well, here we are at the beginning of “spring” semester, digging out of the snow and ice of another Happy Valley winter. It's hard to believe that, at the end of this term, I'll be halfway done with college. Wow. Last semester went quite well for me academically. I enjoyed my classes a lot, and I actually earned a 4.0 GPA! I am especially proud of this accomplishment because, beginning last semester, I balanced school with a part-time job at the dining commons and increasingly active involvement with the Political Science Association and Conversation Partners Program. Needless to say, fall semester was a busy one for me.

I really enjoyed being active on campus and in classes last semester. At the same time, though, I was also looking forward to winter break and a hiatus from responsibility and stress. I had planned to work a bit to earn some pocket money and simply savor being at home in Pittsburgh. However, my break ended up being somewhat different from this expectation. While it was fantastic to be home with my friends and family, the hectic pace of my life unfortunately didn't slow down at all over the holidays. I spent the majority of my time over the break either working or recovering from wisdom teeth surgery; I had a regrettably small amount of time to spend simply relaxing with my friends and family.

When I did have a moment to spare, I reflected on the fall semester and the course my life had taken over the past few months. I realized that, though I was proud of my academic accomplishments and excited to be involved on campus, I really missed spending time with my friends. My busy schedule was at times too busy for anything other than work and school. I became even more discouraged with my fall semester when I thought about my search for an internship, which had yet to produce any results. It seemed that the payoff for all of my hard work in school, in the form of a good job or internship at least, was still dishearteningly far in the future. By the end of my busy winter break, I was still tired, still frazzled, increasingly discouraged, and not ready to come back to school.

In this state of mind, I began spring semester. To my great relief, my classes all seemed interesting enough. I was signed up for two courses in political science, one in political geography, one in accounting, and one in German. The content of each class seemed to integrate with and reinforce the material of every other course. These connections made me feel increasingly confident that I made the right choice in deciding on a double major in German and International Politics and a minor in Business.

While I was pleased with my courses for the second semester, I was still feeling anxious about the prospect of another semester of hard work without a payoff or break in sight. But, on the second day of classes, I finally got the boost I needed to regain a positive outlook on my life. Earlier in the year, I had applied for an internship with the U.S. Department of State, expecting nothing at all to come of it. I truly thought I had no chance of even being interviewed. But then, on the second day of the spring semester, a woman called and offered me an internship with the U.S. Department of State in Frankfurt, Germany! Assuming that my security clearance goes through, I will be working with five other interns at the American Consulate in Frankfurt this summer.

Needless to say, this phone call changed my attitude drastically. This job offer seems like a milestone of sorts. Not only will this internship be my first real job, but also the offer itself seemed to tell me that all the late nights, early mornings, trips to the library, and all-too-short weekends weren't for nothing. Each of my classes, especially German, takes on increasing relevance, as I will actually be putting what I learn to use this summer. I feel much more confident in my choice of a double major and a minor, and I'm actually in the process of formally declaring a major. I am proud and excited for being selected for this job, but it still doesn't seem real to me. Forgive me for sounding trite here, but I've always dreamed of working in international relations overseas—and now this fantasy is becoming a reality.

Now in addition to my school work, part-time job, and involvement in clubs, I am also making preparations for my internship: applying for scholarships to help cover expenses, renewing my passport, shopping for a business suit and other work clothes, and taking care of other such tasks. With my internship coming up, I am also extremely motivated to continue to do well academically. However, after last semester, I promised myself that I would also spend more time with my friends and family. Since I will be overseas for much of the next two years, I want to make the most of the time I have with both my family and the extraordinary people I have met here at Penn State. Continued academic achievement and quality time with the people I care about—hopefully I can manage both!

—hjl