my job

sooooo i will write a bit about what i do, for those of you who are interested. first off, i am supposed to put in 6 hours/day (since i am actually a paid intern) and i usually end up working at least 7...something i definitely need to work on. i think it depends on whatever's going on at the time though, and we've been pretty busy ever since i got here. basically, i work as a general adviser for anyone interested in studying in the US. this often consists of answering questions like "where can i get the scholarship" or "i need the college application." i usually just tell people to come back for one of my general advising sessions, which i hold every saturday to tell people about the application process, required tests, choosing a school, scholarships, etc etc. i also help people individually if needed (often for those who are asking about grad school, or something specific that i don't address in my general session), for which i am supposed to charge them $20/hour...usually doesn't happen. it just seems a little ridiculous when all i'm doing is basically google searching everything that they would be unable to find themselves. in addition to general advising, i am in charge of sending US school/college transcripts to the US embassy for verification/accreditation. this actually takes up a lot of time as well, as i need to verify each school and write a letter to the embassy each time...in addition to the time i spend checking transcripts to see if i think they will be verified (which i often cannot be sure about) and telling them what i think they should do. and then of course they call me to see if their transcripts are ready, which is fine, but all they say it "i am mohammed, you remember me from last week?" no, i do not.

in addition to these things, i am in charge of 2 programs: the YES (youth exchange and study) program for yemeni high schoolers to study in the US for one year, and the OG (opportunity grant) which basically covers students' costs throughout the application process (sometimes even including travel to the US and start-up costs). we are currently in the process of collecting applications for the next group of YES students, visiting schools to advertise, holding YES alumni meetings, etc. in terms of the OG, i am getting them signed up for all the necessary tests, providing them with study resources, and making sure that they are on the right track throughout the application process.

sooooo all of this really adds up, but i think i'm getting the hang of it and just need to know when to say no to people. also, i work with some AMAZING people at amideast, both employees and interns (mostly yemeni), and i really really enjoy their company. so while i usually come home with a headache each day, at least i get to feel like i definitely accomplished something and got a lot of laughs at work. :)

alright, off to my first yemeni wedding!!!! very excited! :)