Sunday, June 5, 2011

Inaugurating Post

Hey y'all!
As some of you know, yours truly is leaving sunny Los Angeles tomorrow morning for Indianapolis, Indiana. To confirm the rumors, yes I will be an elementary school teacher for the next couple of years. I haven't received a grade or school assignment yet but once that becomes available, y'all will be notified. As for why I'm doing this, it should be obvious if you know me. I'm passionate about public service and narrowing the gulf of opportunity between the privileged and underprivileged. This is one avenue where I can exercise that disposition.

As of right now, I'm feverishly packing. I don't know why I'm taking so many articles of clothing. I've literally stuffed fifteen dress shirts, seven ties, eight pairs of pants, two suits, a dozen t-shirts, dozens of socks and pairs of underwear, six pairs of shoes, belts, etc. into two regularly sized pieces of luggage. I've got all my favorite philosophy books with me as well. I really hope I won't have to pay for any "extra weight" fees. God dammit...

Teach For America--the program that I was accepted into--will be welcoming new Corps Members this week as part of the Induction segment. Though I'm not quite sure what the next five days will entail, I am certain that we will get better acquainted with the program and learn more about what is expected of us. I'll keep you posted.

On Saturday, June 11th, I will be carpooling down with other Corps Members to Cleveland, Mississippi. The kind folks at Delta State University have been gracious enough to host us for six weeks as we submit ourselves to the brutal and constructive "Institute". This is an intense training session where we will learn how to become better at the task we signed ourselves up for. But I'll be posting updates throughout this next month and a half so stay tuned.

For now, I want to say goodbye. Goodbye to my friends in Glendale/Los Angeles. Goodbye to my friends in the Bay. I love you all. And to my new friends in Indianapolis and Mississippi--I can't wait to meet you!

With Unwavering Love,
Derik Ohanian

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