Excited About My New Job!

Hellooooo!! Ok, it has been about 4 months since I wrote a blog update despite several requests for one. Oops. I will give you all a brief rundown of what’s been going on in my life, but mostly I want to tell you about my new, amazing job!!

My first semester of teaching English at Wenlan Middle School wrapped up December 29^th. I spent all of January tutoring a young man who wants to study in the US, as well as teaching a few classes on the side. I had been dissatisfied with a few things about my job and living situation at Wenlan, so I had been researching some possible new job options during my time there; essentially, I was looking for a better English teaching gig. In my search for a better job, I emailed Hangzhou International School. The director of the school emailed me back and said that while he did not have an available position that I fit into, he thought I would be perfect for an organization that did some work with his school, and he offered to send my resume/info over to them. That was how I was first introduced to The JUMP! Foundation. I was in love. Seriously. I thought that it looked absolutely perfect for me, and I was dying to hear from them. I believe everything happens for a reason, and I became convinced that everything that led me to China and my whole experience in China was for the sole purpose of leading me to this organization and the job of my dreams. Long story short, I have been offered a position and I am a Program Designer/Facilitator for JUMP!, and I will likely become Program Manager after the first few months.

I just spent the last two weeks in the Philippines enjoying some amazing sun and beaches. It was absolutely beautiful! I arrived back to Hangzhou last night. I will be here for a few days, and next week I will be moving to Beijing for my new job. I will first do a First Aid Wilderness training with JUMP!, and my work officially begins February 27^th. Many people have been wondering if my new job would take me out of China, but no, I will still be living and working here. However, the Beijing office will likely be moving to Hangzhou this summer, so my time in Beijing will be brief, and then I will be moving back to Hangzhou with my colleagues which I am really excited about because I really do like this city and I haven’t heard the greatest things about Beijing.

So everyone wants to know what exactly my new job is. Well, it seems like I will be doing a bit of everything. I can tell you more about the organization and then you can have a better idea of the kinds of things I will be involved in. JUMP! is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 whose mission is to EMPOWER youth with leadership skills and tools, INSPIRE youth to be change makers, and ENGAGE youth in global development. JUMP!’s core values are (I’m taking all of this from their facebook page, by the way J ):

 • Social Enterprise
JUMP is a social enterprise. We are committed to the design, development and implementation of youth-focused development projects on behalf of marginalized or at-risk youths all over the world.
• Community Development
The JUMP! Foundation is committed to the development of the communities in which we live and work, as well as those around the globe.
• Collaboration
Collaboration is an integral part of JUMP’s everyday existence and vision of the future. Through collaboration with individuals, schools, organizations, businesses and communities, we strongly believe that we can make the world a better place.
• Sustainability
JUMP is committed to the concept of sustainability in every way. We live and teach the idea of sustainable development, whether it is in our business plan, in the classroom, or in our personal lives.
• Responsibility
JUMP is a socially responsible organization. We believe it is the responsibility of all youth and all people to act as global citizens.
• Global Network
A key focus of the JUMP! Foundation is to support the development of global networks. Incorporating facilitators from around the globe has enabled JUMP to create a multicultural facilitation core that fosters world-class programs and projects.

Hopefully this gives you a better idea of the kinds of things I will be doing. Basically this job combines EVERYthing I am most passionate about: people, travel, mentoring, encouraging and inspiring others, global issues, international/community development, etc. I am beyond excited to be a part of this organization!!