JHU's Center For Talented Youth

This past week I received a phone call from a Project Manager for Johns Hopkins University's Center For Talented Youth Program saying that I an employment opportunity opened up for me as a Senior Resident Assistant at a site in Pennsylvania. I was originally told the enrollment rates were so low, they had been forced to cut a number of spots and that the likelihood of new ones becoming available were slim to none. You can imagine my surprise when a Baltimore area code appeared on my phone and I found myself accepting the position immediately!

I am a former student of the program back when it was called IAAY in '96 and then CTY in '97. I came back to work for their Civic Leadership Institute (developed with a sister program in Chicago) as a Resident Assistant. Grateful for what my experience had been as a student, I was eager to play a dynamic role in creating a similar positive experience for my own students. The three weeks I spent in Baltimore were truly remarkable and I cannot wait to join the staff at my new site this summer. As a Senior RA, I will be in more of a supervisory position, responsible for training and leading the staff, handling any disciplinary issues, and maintaining a close line of communication with administrators. The hours are crazy and I get maybe two days off in seven weeks. I will be distracted beyond belief and for that I'm even more grateful.