World Lit: Our Last Lecture, pt. 1 ("My Vocational Journey")

To My Sophomores:

As I prepare to embark on an amazing adventure abroad, I can't help but reminisce on the year we had together. It was challenging in many ways, and a great deal was learned; what you may not realize, though, is that I was challenged and learned as much, if not more, than you. Nevertheless, I want to leave you with some last thoughts, and encourage you to stay in touch--I will be keeping the blog up and running during my travels, so feel free to stop in and cook the rice with me. 

What I'm including below is actually a lecture from a symposium I taught several years back to a group of Santa Clara University students who were
in the process of choosing career paths. I hope it gives you a little insight into why I chose to work with you in this way this year, as well as encouragement for following your own dreams and passions in life. Parts 1 and 2 are just a few pages of reading, so take some time to read them all the way through. You will not get credit for this, of course, but you know how I feel about points... :)
Sincerely, 
Mr. Franklin

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My Vocational Journey (note: In Progress)
Disclaimer: I did not follow a step-by-step process to “get where I am”; truth be told, most of it just kind of happened to me. That being said, here’s the step-by-step process of what happened…

What did I want to be when I grew up? Happy, and kind. Who did I want to be? Stan Lee. I wanted to write or draw comic books. That’s what I loved to do. I would read and draw with every spare moment I had; in fact, I learned to read before I even started school by sneaking my older brothers’ X-men, Fantastic Four and Spider-man comics! That was what I was best at: reading, writing, and drawing. However, when I came to Santa Clara University from the Midwest, I didn’t want to study art; honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted to go to school for! (I just saw the palm trees on the brochure and figured I’d be surfing to class everyday...)

As an undeclared freshman, I took philosophy for my western civilization requirements, and really seemed to enjoy and do well in the classes. My adviser, a philosophy professor, asked me to be a TA for one of his classes, and I accepted. Unbeknownst to me, that was a crucial experience to identifying a gift that I didn’t know I had: teaching. Even in this low-level capacity, it was something that I really enjoyed. I just didn’t know at the time how that would be connected to my vocation.

Around my junior year in college, I felt both I had pulled what I wanted from my philosophy studies, so I decided to shift gears and pursue English. I did this because I was good at English, and the philosophy courses had made me much better… at convincing people that I was good at English. This was also a turning point for me in that I “encountered social justice” that year, both in becoming involved in volunteer work part-time for two years at the Nativity School (through SCCAP), and going on the Tijuana immersion trip. Those two experiences literally changed my life, by helping me find a focus and a direction. I always wanted to experience what I felt working with those young people in that way, tutoring and helping them move beyond their circumstances. For me, working with youth was a form of activism, one which I began to feel really strongly about.

Upon graduating college at the top of my class, I accepted a position as a full-time volunteer (English) teacher at Sacred Heart Nativity School. I was making about $100 a month (literally!), but got free housing and grad courses at SCU. And, I was teaching! Not observing, not student teaching, TEACHING, a trial by fire in a class full of 7th grade boys! Looking back on it, I realize how crazy it must seem to go into teaching full time with no experience, but at the time, it was the ultimate thrill! I just remember feeling so passionate and bohemian about it all, it didn’t matter that I was totally working too much and eating too little. I was changing the world, dammit! (Yes, I was a bit naive at the time…) I did that for two years before I realized that there was a “healthy” way to go about pursuing this dream, while having a balanced and well-maintained lifestyle—make a career of teaching—and then I realized, whoa, this had become a dream for me! Cool! I now find myself working at an incredible school and making a great living, but more than that I'm doing what I love. While my circumstances have changed, what has not is this: my passion for what I do. That which drives me also serves a need in the world, leading me to believe that this fits that idea of “vocation”…”where your gifts connect to a need in the world/community.”