playing in traffic

"Go play in traffic and find out what's possible... in your own way, take risks, mix it up and make something happen." That was the message that my Commencement speaker (Joe Plumeri) had for my class on Sunday and I feel like I am well on my way to heeding his advice. I still don't know where exactly in Africa I'll be and I still don't know when exactly I will be leaving the country, but I do know that this - working for Grassroot Soccer - is exactly what I am supposed to be doing.

After just one day away from William and Mary however, I can already tell that I am really going to miss that place. On the drive from Williamsburg to northern Virginia, I couldn't help but feel that I wasn't driving home, not really anyway. And as I drove up I-95 listening to a CD that my friend Joe gave me, I became filled with excitement and anticipation for the many return visits that I know I will make - after I get back from Africa that is.

My grandfather said it best when he told me, "there is just such a great energy at your College." And there really is. The place, the people, the traditions, the history, and even the plain old day to day are all so 'William and Mary.' And try as I might, there really is no other way to describe my College. Sunday night I met up with my friend at the Leafe and he told me that he knew there was no way he could ever marry someone that did not go to William and Mary because they just wouldn't get it. And he's right. I could try to explain how great William and Mary is and try to tell you how much it means to me, but if you haven't gone there, then you just wouldn't get it.

But to all my friends that do get it, we're the lucky ones. And the experiences we've had together, whether it was a late night dance party in McGlothlin, an eating competition at Five Guys or just shambling about, they have all prepared me to go play in traffic. You all mean the world to me and have helped me get where I am today. I was hesitant to write a blog entry about Graduation because I wanted this to be a blog about my experience with Grassroots and not just about me ('cause let's face it I'm not that interesting), but I realized that William and Mary, and especially the people I've met over the past four years, are a part of the reason I had the courage to accept an internship with Grassroot Soccer and they will definitely be a huge source of support while I am in Africa.

So this entry is dedicated to William and Mary. Its dedicated to the generations of alumni that came before me, to my friends that graduated with me a few days ago, to my friends that are still at the College and to the William and Mary Tribe. I know where my home is and knowing that has made me ready to go on my way and play in traffic.

on my way

Exactly one week from today, I will graduate from the College of William and Mary. I cannot even begin to describe how much I am going to miss this historic place and the incredible people that I have met over the past four years. But, I am very excited to be on my way towards something new. And for me that new place is Africa.

Looking out on the Sunken Gardens with some of my best friends.

Talk about new... Most of you are probably familiar with Williamsburg - it is the nation's 'Colonial Capitol' where a good night begins in one of the three local delis (the closest thing we have to bars) and ends with an adventurous trip to Wawa. Now, I'm betting most of you are not familiar with Africa. So excuse me while I provide you with a brief history lesson. Africa is huge. The United States can fit into Africa three times, with room to spare. Africa is also diverse. If you walked from Alexandria, Egpyt to Cape Town, South Africa, you would travel through desert, grasslands, forest, mountains and even cities that are comparable to those found in the Mediterranean. The people in Africa are even more diverse than the landscape and many Africans overcome tremendous adversity daily. Africa will be a lot different, and likely a lot less narrow-minded than Williamsburg. I have not yet been assigned to a location in Africa, but I do know that in less than three months I will be on my way to somewhere in southern Africa.

I am going to Africa because I will be working for Grassroot Soccer. Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is an organization that uses soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize communities to stop the spread of HIV in Africa. I first heard about GRS a couple of years ago when I was writing a paper for one of my history classes about how Nigerians used soccer as a way to protest racial discrimination during the colonial era. After doing a little research I knew that working for GRS would be perfect for me. I have an unbridled passion for soccer, I have spent the majority of my College career studying African history and I have been contributing to "grassroots" movements in Africa since high school.

When I was applying to Colleges four years ago, every essay I wrote was about soccer. I called soccer my paradoxical drive - it pushed me physically and mentally to work myself harder and harder each year, and not always in a good way. My uncompromising efforts did lead me to some pretty sweet victories, but I also had to deal with my fair share of defeats. Through it all, my love for soccer stayed strong and soccer continued to be - and still is - the best outlet for me physically, mentally and even spiritually.

My soccer team at a tournament last Spring.

This love for soccer has stayed with me and has transcended personal enjoyment to become something more. I understand the potential that the game holds to bring about change, especially for women. I've learned that the HIV epidemic in Africa has resulted in part from the gender roles and the migrant labor systems that are in place in Africa. Women do not feel like they are respected enough within their social echelons to make sexual protection and sexual health a priority. I think soccer can serve as a great tool to not only educate children about HIV, but also to begin tackling some of the gender discrepancies that exist in Africa. I am very aware that these social paradigms have been in place for centuries and will not be easily overturned, but I think soccer will provide a tool through which communities can begin to re-assess these hierarchies.

While working for Grassroot Soccer I will have the opportunity to utilize my passion for soccer in a region  that I have learned a lot about, but have not yet gotten to experience first hand. I am eager to assist communities in Africa and am ready to have them educate me too. I am excited to continue my growth while helping to tackle the greatest public health crisis of our time. I could not dream of a more fitting post-undergraduate endeavor for myself and I am ready to be on my way.

I'm in the beginning phases of preparing myself for the upcoming year - taking care of documents and papers, getting doctors and dentists appointments figured out, and working to raise the money necessary to support my year of service. If you're interested in supporting me in this process, I would greatly appreciate any and all donations. You can make a donation in the top right corner of this page where it says "Help Send Me on My Way." Just enter a dollar amount in the box and hit the Google Checkout button. Any donations made here are tax deductible and go directly into an account that is dedicated to my fund raising efforts. But the main purpose of this blog is to keep everyone state-side up-to-date with my summer preparations and then my adventures throughout the year. Hopefully you will keep checking in to see what I've been up to, and maybe even to learn a little bit about HIV, soccer and Africa as well!