Education First, My Life Second

In these past few days I have tasted the joy of working whole-heartedly for something that I believe in - having the Utah legislature stop cutting the funding of higher education. Although it has resulted in me staying up later and getting up earlier all the while filling in the middle of my day as well with tabling and handing out petition cards, I am deeply satisfied to see the posters that I've worked to hang up around campus and to see the giant thermometer-banner that I made hanging in the Union.

In case I haven't explained Education First to you before this is what it is all about: Education First is a non-partisan group that largely works with business leaders of Utah (predominately republican) to tell the Utah legislature that Utah's economy cannot be maintained and the businesses cannot employ Utahans if the legislature does not put education first. Education First is also working with all of the higher education institutions in Utah to mobilize the students to prove that the students care if funding gets cut and tuition gets raised. It is even a competition between the universities and colleges of Utah to get the most petitions signed and whichever school wins will be awarded a table at the Governor's Gala (wouldn't it be amazing to be there?).

So, this is what I've been working on - heart and soul - for about a week now. It has reminded me that I love this sort of life: the sort of life where I am working relentlessly on something that I am passionate about. This in turn makes me believe that I would enjoy a job, as consuming as it might be, working for the government on education reform.

P.S. Next time I am in the Union, I'll take a photo of my giant thermometer. :)