Cum Laude!

I am officially Jessica Asha Flaten, BSBA Cum Laude. I think that's how you say it. But most importantly I am done!!! Thank you to every one who got me this far!!! As far as my life goes, the Babson portion has been very "normal". Girl goes off to college, joins a sorority, is an RA for two years, goes abroad, dates a guy somewhere in there for 1.5 years quite seriously but then breaks it off... If I ever wrote my memoirs, I wonder how long this chapter would be? I guess I've yet to see how it will define the rest of my life. It could have almost no factor in what I do or it could have a massive impact (which would of course make the chapter a lot longer).

And on another note... its funny the reactions I get when I tell people I'm planning to head to West Africa with the Peace Corps. Some people just give a mild "that's nice" but then others have tonnes of questions like what made me decide to go. People that know my background well usually say it fits perfectly. Which I feel it does... it brings everything I want for the next few years oh-so-nicely. My Babson degree with its unavoidable Entrepreneurship flavor, my dissatisfaction with the incredibly selfish values of the business world, my family heritage of international development and working to help the poor of the world, my itchy feet which are dying to get out of this country, the need to do something INTERESTING after Babson...and my desire to escape the humdrum of the norm. Suzy Welch's comment at the Women's Leadership Event was the spark that lit the fuse way back in November. She said she decided on which paths to take in life because she "didn't want a boring life". That phrase stuck with me and it made me realize, neither did I! And then I found the Peace Corps and... voila! Its funny. Ever since I got the idea into my head to apply, I've never wavered from it. I'm dead set on it particularly because it feels so right to be doing it!