Here is What I Know Now

Many of you are wondering what in the world the Johnson Intern Program is. Even in my best attempts to describe the program I think I've come up short. So I will describe it to you as best I can today, and once I've started the program I'll revisit this description to see how much I really knew about what I signed myself up for ;)

"Based in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC, the Johnson Intern Program (JIP) recruits eight young-adult men and women (college graduates and young adults with comparable experience ages 21-30) for eleven-month hands-on service placements, leadership training (in the servant leader model), and spiritual formation. Our program is organized around the five values of Communion, Compassion, Co-creation, Collaboration, and Character."

1. Intentional Living Community: we will all live together in an all expenses and utilities paid house. 8 people, 4 bedrooms. We will be given money for groceries which we must purchase corporately.
2. Within a month I will be assigned a non-profit organization to work at 4 days during the week. The partner organizations and my program supervisors will review my profile and my site preferences before deciding the best placement for me.
3. At least once a week we will have servant leadership classes/sessions
4. I will be assigned a mentor
5. This program is part of a much larger cohort of social justice/faith based programs around the country. One of our activities will include traveling to D.C. (in December) to meet up with some of the other programs.
6. I will create my own Praxis: an independent service project that will positively impact my community
7. I will be a part of AmeriCorps (again) and receive the perks that come along with that like loan forbearance and a monetary educational award at the end of my service, plus some leverage in applying to government jobs
8. http://www.johnsoninternship.org/

At it's core, JIP is a vocational discernment program. It will be a chance to live in an environment where I am encouraged to self-discover. The million dollar question for me is not if but HOW will I impact the world and become a person of influence.

These are some of my goals for the year:

• become more intentional about daily devotion
• push myself to do things I wouldn't normally do (like cooking for a whole household)
• take the GRE and apply to grad school (NYU and Brandeis are very attractive at the moment)
• develop a personal mission statement and vision
• audition for a role and/or work the set for a community theatre
• continue to take care of my physical body 
• master the bass guitar
• maintain a regular sleep schedule :)

There are exactly 7 more days until I move to Carrboro

The best is yet to come,
~Adwoa