2008 Woodie Awards
Take Advantage of What Hendrix Offers
Heath DeJean
Issue date: 10/21/05 Section: Opinion
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While countless college students across the country were flipping burgers or watching TV all summer, I was in rural South Africa working for the Global Volunteer Network. During my six weeks there, I fought brush fires, brought injured animals to the rehab center, learned to drive stick on the right side of a Land Rover on a wildlife reserve, cleared land for fences and met the most amazing people ever. Oh, and Hendrix covered the tab.
The summer after my freshman year was probably the most boring three months of my life. I had dreams of partying it up and making all kinds of money, but ended up just sitting on my couch watching Nick at Nite until four in the morning. I was determined to keep that from happening again. I was tired of becoming worthless the second exams ended. I wanted to have a good summer for once, in a way that wasn't just a waste of my precious time.
One day in the fall of last year, I got a flyer in my mailbox from the Lilly office, advertising a fellowship for rising juniors and seniors to undertake a service project of their choosing. Under normal circumstances, I would have just tossed the flyer into the recycling bin. But this time was different; I was restless. So, I decided to apply. I looked around online and found the GVN South Africa program. I was taking a course in theatre history at the time, and reading about South African theatre got me interested in the nation's social issues. What better way to learn more about them than to spend time there?
The fellowship proposal consisted of an essay explaining why I was worthy of funding and a proposed budget for the trip. I turned it in and waited. Finally, I opened my e-mail to see a message from the Lilly office. I had been accepted. Two months later, I was on a plane to Johannesburg headed for the Klipkop Wildlife Reserve. No more Nick at Nite for me.
Those six weeks were a life changing experience for me. When I touched down on foreign ground, I never expected to form such a personal connection to the place I would call home for half of the summer. I was able to live with a South African family with fellow volunteers from all over the world, working as a conservationist and learning more about African culture than I could have if I had stayed in America. I was sad to see it end.
The summer after my freshman year was probably the most boring three months of my life. I had dreams of partying it up and making all kinds of money, but ended up just sitting on my couch watching Nick at Nite until four in the morning. I was determined to keep that from happening again. I was tired of becoming worthless the second exams ended. I wanted to have a good summer for once, in a way that wasn't just a waste of my precious time.
One day in the fall of last year, I got a flyer in my mailbox from the Lilly office, advertising a fellowship for rising juniors and seniors to undertake a service project of their choosing. Under normal circumstances, I would have just tossed the flyer into the recycling bin. But this time was different; I was restless. So, I decided to apply. I looked around online and found the GVN South Africa program. I was taking a course in theatre history at the time, and reading about South African theatre got me interested in the nation's social issues. What better way to learn more about them than to spend time there?
The fellowship proposal consisted of an essay explaining why I was worthy of funding and a proposed budget for the trip. I turned it in and waited. Finally, I opened my e-mail to see a message from the Lilly office. I had been accepted. Two months later, I was on a plane to Johannesburg headed for the Klipkop Wildlife Reserve. No more Nick at Nite for me.
Those six weeks were a life changing experience for me. When I touched down on foreign ground, I never expected to form such a personal connection to the place I would call home for half of the summer. I was able to live with a South African family with fellow volunteers from all over the world, working as a conservationist and learning more about African culture than I could have if I had stayed in America. I was sad to see it end.