As the semester comes to an end, our interns are taking time to reflect on their work with the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace. The second post comes from our Graduate Assistant, Stella Hudson.
Starting a new chapter can be daunting, especially in a time filled with such uncertainty. I graduated from college during the pandemic. My junior and senior years were unconventional and were filled with much excitement and also a significant dose of disappointment. I had no idea what to expect from Grad School, but I knew I needed to find a job.
As I conducted my interview with the Chair over Zoom while sitting in my parents’ basement surrounded by all the things I had yet to pack, I could not have known what an impact this organization would have on my semester and my life.
Professionally the Chair has given me so much more confidence. I have been able to share my thoughts and writings on genuinely difficult and important topics. I have been able to engage with the world in a more intellectually and emotionally fulfilling way. I have also been able to indulge in my passion for learning in such a deep and productive way.
Each speaker who generously shared their time and research gave me new perspectives and ideas to contemplate. Writing responses and blog posts allowed me to engage deeply with scholarly work in a way that is unique from classes and papers required by school. Many of the lectures genuinely changed how I look at certain issues and reframed many of the important and divisive conversations going on in America and around the world. As I applied to jobs before the start of classes, I could not have imagined finding one that was intellectually stimulating, inspiring, and fun.
Personally, the Chair has been a necessary haven in the midst of the pandemic storm. Making new friends and filling my time was a daunting task. Luckily for me, the people I have met through the Chair have shaped my first semester of Grad school in such a positive way. The projects I have helped work on, the productive and collaborative meetings, and the simple conversations during breaks have been some of the highlights of my time as a new student at Maryland. The combination of serious work and raucous laughter may seem odd, yet at the Chair, we have found a way to find this balance.
This semester has shown me the value of people and relationships. It has encouraged me to look at a more service-focused direction for my career aspirations and has helped me rediscover my love of writing, research, and academia. I know these past few months would have been incredibly different if I had not found the Chair, and I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. I can’t wait to find out how I will learn and grow as I work for the Chair next semester.
About the Author:
Stella Hudson is a Graduate Assistant with the Baha’i Chair for World Peace. She graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2021 with a B.A. in English. She is attending the University of Maryland and pursuing a Master’s of Library and Information Science.