How to Become an Effective Leader through living a Virtuous Life?

This Saturday I attended the Catholic Leadership Conference at Catholic University. Although I have been to the National Shrine before, I never actually walked around the campus before and I contemplated upon applying to law school there. One of the breakout sessions that I attended touched upon the topic called How to Become an Effective Leader? I learned about upholding the moral cardinal virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice, in order to become an effective leader. In the world we are living today, I noticed most politicians no longer established themselves as humble, sympathetic, or charitable. Sometimes exhibiting these moral behaviors labels a leader as weak. There is so much public distrust between the people and the politicians that the general public disconnect themselves from becoming politically engaged in the community.

Take for example what happened in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. There were various reports of high ranking officials staying at home and sipping their coffee, while many people affected by the storm were desperate for help. The problem revolves around political corruption in the Philippines, because high ranking political officials are notorious for laundering money, tax evasion, bribery, and stealing relief aid from the Filipino people. In addition, how often do you see our elected officials exhibiting humility and empathy by going out of their daily routine to help the most vulnerable individuals in society, such as the poor and sick. Too many elected officials become so caught with power, wealth, and fame that they forget about their finding resolutions to the various problems plaguing their constituents.

We need more leaders to step out their party lines to appeal to the people by upholding moral virtues and reestablishing trust. It concerns me to see we are slowing dissolving moral virtues, because the media always depicts politicians cheating on their spouse, promiscuity, excessive drug use, money, violence, etc. I am seriously thinking about putting my law school application for Catholic University, I looked over their curriculum and they offer classes and a certificate program for the concentration in law that I want to practice in. Before I leave Washington DC, I hope to attend a admission tour before I leave; but the rich Roman Catholic atmosphere throughout the campus has really grabbed my attention throughout the time I was there. Lastly, I took the time to tour the entire basement of the National Shrine after the conference. I was amazed to see so many artifacts, informative exhibits, and the rich history of the Catholic Church in the world. Here is my favorite picture that I took of the Blessed Mother.

The Purpose Driven Life

At the end of class on Tuesday, our in class assignment was to reflect upon our lessons learned throughout our time in DC and also write our individual bucket list for our remaining time till the end of the semester. 

My Bucket list includes:

-Visit the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorial

-Watch Idina Menzel's new broadway show called If/Then, which is currently in preproduction this month in the National Theatre

-Go Hiking

-Attend a congressional and Surpreme court hearing

-Conduct an information interview with Congressman Mike Lee during his "Jello" hours on Weds

-Attend a concert or sporting event

-Volunteer, because as Mr Feeny said from Boy Meets World "Do Good".

-Train and run a race in December.

I am slowly but surely trying to cross out each of those bullet points in my list as my time in DC is ending soon. I took the initiative this week to discover the one mile radius within the location of my internship by walking around. I finally walked the steps of the Supreme Court and Capital Hill. 

My all time favorite "New Yorkers" came to DC this week. Thanks to a Groupon deal, I bought a ticket to Kevin James (Doug from King of Queens) and I witnessed my first overtime game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards. Unfortunately, my Nets still do not have the ability to close games.

Lastly, after class last week I attended an event called Theology on Tap. I spoke to the guest speaker before her speaking engagement. She is a practicing lawyer in Washington DC, who specializes in education. To be honest, I am tired of both law students and current lawyers that constantly discourages prospective law students about going to law school. I refuse to change my opinion upon the reasons why I want to go to law school. I believe that obtaining your JD will lead you towards other prospective jobs besides practicing law, such as becoming a lobbyist or a government position. I believe that each of us are called for a certain purpose in this life and people will try to crush your dreams throughout the way, but if passion drives us to fulfilling our propose- nothing could stop the inner human will to succeed. I am a big believe in this quote that, "Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own."-Paulo Coelho 

Ask, Seek, Knock

This week started off in a negative overtone, because this sporadic weather left me with a fever, migraine, coughing, body aching, and sneezing all of last week. I laid low this week and took it easy as everyone in the office encouraged me to stay at home. Nevertheless, I kept that promise to myself to explore DC while I still had a chance too.   Less than 6 weeks and counting as my undergraduate studies approaches to the last page my chapter, I desire to persist in enhancing my experience by searching for new opportunities to "knock" the doors of people that will help me in my voyage. Illness cannot impede me from discovering the endless possibilities in DC of my pursuit of knowledge, even though I probably infected a few people along the way.

First of all, despite my condition, I decided to walk into the Pentagon City mall to find a seasonal part time job. From my past experiences, I learned that I have to ask to speak to the manager and greet my potential employees with respect and kindness. A couple of weeks ago, my friend suggested to me to apply for Brookstone. As soon as I walked in, I asked the manager if he was hiring new employees. He told me to finish the application and come back for an interview as soon as I am done. After 15 minutes, I went back upstairs, interviewed with him, and he offered me a sales associate position right on the spot. He said his first impression of me approaching him with warmth and a smile caught his attention immediately. Secondly, I did NOT take the opportunity to explore any of the famous Smithsonian museums since I first stepped foot into DC. Yet again I probably infected the people around me as I walked around the Natural History Museum, the Botanical Garden, the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, and the National Mall. My favorite part of all the exhibits that I saw was the butterfly room in the Natural History Museum. Butterflies represent growth and renewal, my old nickname from my father used to be butterfly.

One of my favorite quotes is "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."  This quote is not only relevant to its religious meaning, but also in some ways networking and finding yourself. Inside of me my heart, the flame continues to rapidly burn brighter as I desire to seek and find the next step in my journey. What mesmerizes me the most about the vibe in DC is many people are willing to honestly open up about their life and work experiences. Wholeheartedly, I believe people walk into your life for a reason. On Sunday, I had the random urge to watch football in the Crystal City Sports Bar. No, the least of the NFC east aka the Giants were not playing, but I always enjoy the atmosphere of passionate fans cheering on their beloved teams. Little did I realize, I was going to meet a woman sitting right next to me; in which she is currently employed by the Department of Defense.

The ice breaker of the conversation started off as she said apologized to me for saying a derogatory term as she was talking about her past relationships to the bartender. Out of curiosity, I began the conversation by asking, "What are you currently doing"? I conducted another informal informational interview as she opened up about her experiences as a defense contractor that specializes in Information Technology. Throughout her career, she was deployed to various parts of the globe, such as Iraq. Her hands on experience of immersing herself within Iraq by emphasizing her Greek heritage assisted her in gaining the trust of the Iraqis. She basically assured to me to use certain aspects to help you in your job, such as cultural, religious, and traditional values. She said once you get your foot in the door by working for the government, they will immediately take your word more seriously.  Moreover, she asked me if I knew how to speak a language and I emphasized to her that I understand Tagalog and I know how to casually speak the language, but I am not yet fluent. She gave me advice to put in my resume to include that I know how to speak Tagalog and to research American companies that have branches overseas. Many of these government contractors or even the Department of State are diversifying their workforce.

I also disclosed to her the high level of uncertainty I am experiencing as I am officially done with my undergraduate degree. As she labeled herself as an expert in interviewing, she provided me with the idea to be unique in your resume and the way you present yourself by wearing an eye catching colorful necklace, clothes, or even put on a strong perfume. She emphasized to me to look different from the rest of the crowd for the employer to remember your name.  I explained to her my situation that I am leaning towards a government position as my "next" step, because I want to be eligible for the student loan forgiveness program. Luckily, she was nice enough to write down my email, because she promised me that she will email me job postings from the DoD. I explained to her my ambitions of running for Congress and going to law school at night. She encouraged  me to continue to keep moving forward by not giving up in that dream, because she understands the lack of women in powerful roles. Lastly, since she has been a loyal patron in the bar for years; she introduced me to the owners since I am thinking about doing waitressing if I decide to live here beyond the internship program.

 In the end,  I am beginning to believe these random instances are no longer occurrences of "luck" as I continue to "Ask, Seek, and Knock" by putting myself out there throughout my time in DC. Particularly, I appreciate the honesty and rawness from all these people, who I met so far. I am sure that the universe is beginning to conspire around me since I am setting that goal for myself that I refuse to become a statistic that college graduates cannot find a decent entry level job....not me. 

Turning Point?

I have been walking around Washington DC contemplating with this question: "Why am I here when I am feeling like I do not have a purpose right now?”

Once again I realize that I am not putting in enough effort and this week I admit that I have been feeling down. I rented a car (and felt liberated for once)  this week to go to the doctor's office and he told me that I am not digging deep enough within my heart to fuel that inner fire. I had the opportunity to conduct an informal informational interview to a defense attorney/ former prosecutor. He currently employed by the Army as a defense attorney and he defended infamous clients in the military, such as Bradley Manning. It was a privilege to meet him, because he was the first lawyer in DC that DID NOT discouraged me to go to law school. 

Ironically, it’s funny how this world is becoming smaller and smaller each day, as I become transparent enough to seek advice from random strangers. I always believe that there are people that walk into your life to relay a message to you, especially when you are down in the dumps. John is originally from Woodside, NY; my parents lived in Woodside before moving to New Jersey. His family attends the same church, where they dedicated mass to my grandmother. And most importantly, he went to St Johns University School of Law and that is where I want to apply too. The best piece of advice he gave me was to "Do not settle in life. If you see yourself as a Congresswoman down the road, the experience you obtain as a lawyer will help you think critically and you will expand your problem solving skills. For the hour that I spoke to you, I can easily tell you will be a great defense attorney and Congresswoman. This is because you want to get into Constitutional Law and you want to help other people for the greater good." I believe that there is a reason why we had this conversation, because I met somebody else who honestly was open about his beliefs in God. 

I made the decision that it is imperative to listen to my calling that subsequently the step in my journey is to go to law school. I have to stop doubting in my abilities by not listening to those, who discourages my ambitions. Yes, I am taking the personal statement assignment very seriously, because I started the application process for St John’s University. I am unsure about taking the LSATs again. Maybe? I have a few weeks to decide to take the LSATs in December or February. Hopefully, my new chapter in life in September 2014 will be attending law school part time and also working full time on top of that. I still prefer to work in campaigns and  to continue my pursuit to run for office in the future, but I do not know where is life going to take me. If I decide to continue to live in New York or move to Maryland, I can't run for city council in NY nor Congress until the next election cycle in 2018. In the meantime, there is no reason why I shouldn't go to law school. I am learning from my current and past experiences that I have to be able to be passionate about my career or else I will lose that inner fire to live life to the fullest. My goal in life is to serve others and make a difference in this bitter world as a Congresswoman and lawyer. 

My philosophy in life entails that every human being experiences a period of time, in which hurdles and burdens stray us away from making the right choices. As our negative experiences shape our outlook in life, some people turn to substance abuse, stealing, or committing crime. No matter what you've done in your past, everyone deserves a second chance in redeeming themselves in life. I do not want to settle and struggle to get up from bed every morning hating my job; I want to strive for greatness. I am not defining greatness as gaining prestige, fame, or becoming rich. I define greatness as fulfilling our purpose in life  to defend innocent people and to become the voice for the voiceless in our broken society. This is why I see myself as a lawyer and Congresswoman. In the end, maybe this conversation might have been my turning point during my time here in DC. As my time in DC is slowly ending as November approaches next week, I want to speak to more lawyers and admission officers from George Mason University, American University, and Catholic University. 

She's Leaving on that Midnight Train to DC

As I am sitting in the Amtrak train going back to Washington DC, I am contemplating upon my future. I no longer want to be "scattered brain" as I am nearing the end of my undergraduate degree. There is an inner spark that awakens my soul in DC that I am no longer feeling in New York. Ironically, in my senior year of high school, I aspired to go to college in NYC and it happened. I went to the Borough of Manhattan Community College for two years, in which I earned my Associates Degree in Writing and Literature. I believe that if you put your mind into striving for a goal with hard work and determination, you will reach the finish line.

I can't describe it in words, but the inner flame continues to guide me within the darkness as I search for my personal legend (as in my purpose in life). This is because the dream of working in government and politics is embedded deep within my soul since I was young. In my heart I understand that I am meant to make an impact in DC as a lawmaker. I was looking through indeed.com for full time jobs in New York and to be honest New York's reputation is well known as "The Financial Capital in the World". Yes there is government jobs in New York, but its not the same as DC.

There are three things that are truly important to me in life: God, love, and fulfilling my purpose in life by serving others. Honestly, I thought being in a long distance relationship for the second time in our relationship in 5 years would be easy. Nevertheless, I was wrong, because it becomes harder and harder to say goodbye to the person you truly love. Holding back the tears with that last kiss and moving forward to evolving into a stronger well rounded individual is rather difficult.

          I don't know what will happen when I will be in that crossroad to choose between having full time job in DC or in NY. The conflict within my decision to completely uproot myself is ultimately sacrificing my comfort zone in NY by leaving my parents, family, friends, and most importantly the possibility of being in an extended long distance relationship with my boyfriend. I already made the decision that I will work full time and go to law school at the same time. I found a couple of job prospects in both cities ranging from government organizations to marketing/public relations positions.  I plan to start applying for full time jobs throughout all of November in DC and NYC. Nevertheless, I am beginning to fall deeply in love with the possibility of working in our nation's capital and living in Maryland instead of Virgina, since it reminds me of the suburbs outside of New York in New Jersey. 

I am a Jersey girl at heart and a born New Yorker, but what if I am meant to fulfill my destiny in DC. It would be comforting to earn money by doing what you love to do instead of being miserable sitting in front of a dreary back room all day contemplating about the "what if's" at your job. I believe in the healing power of prayer and I ask for clarity in my life as I go through this difficult time of growing and finding my personal legend in life. 

In the meantime as the weather finally becomes cooler I will begin to start running. Unfortunately, I searched deeply within myself that I am not putting a 100 percent in my school work, my workout regime, my prayer life, and lastly finding myself in this city. I'm changing my attitude completely this week since I am not giving up in my goals for my last semester in DC. 

New York Penn Station 

After the train was delayed for a couple of minutes due to a mechanical inspection in Philadelphia, we finally arrived in Union Station at 2:45 am. I shared a taxi ride with a student from GWU and a tourist from California. The taxi driver gave us a short tour of DC, he even stopped the car for us to take pictures of the monument. Here is a fun fact that I learned from him. Did you know the Jefferson and MLK memorial face each other?

  

P.S. this song was stuck in my head during the train ride. This short clip is a 30 Rock parody of Gladys Knight's "Midnight Train to Georgia". Ironically, Phil is originally from Georgia and he is going back to his hometown in Georgia next weekend for a job training program. 

Jack McBrayer is so funny - watch more funny videos

Value Voters Summit 2013

After a family emergency trip to New York, I rushed back to Washington DC to attend the annual Value Voters Summit from October 11-13, which is hosted by the Family Research Council. I refused to miss out on this opportunity to go to the Value Voters Summit, because I was given a scholarship during the summer. Members of Congress, political commentators, and individuals from various organizations were speakers at the Summit. As soon as I walked into the conference, Senator Ted Cruz energized the conference attendees with his passionate speech on defunding Obamacare, being an advocate for the prolife movement, and courageously standing bold against his opposition in the crowd. The speakers in the Value Voters Summit included: Sen Ted Cruz, Sen Rand Paul, Sen Marc Rubio, Rep Michele Bachmann, Dr Ben Carson, Dr Avela King (niece of Dr Martin Luther King Jr), Mark Levin, and the notorious Glenn Beck. I exhibited a sense of fascination as I sat in the audience listening to all of the conservative speakers in the Value Voters Summit.

I never imagined myself being in the same room with all of these powerful politicians, because I would always watch them on TV. Everyone that attended the conference came from all across America. I met so many people from all ages, who shared the same Christian and Conservative beliefs that I have. I had the opportunity to meet both Governor Huckabee and Senator Rick Santorum. They both gave me advice by reflecting upon their own political career. One day, I strive towards being a speaker one day in the Value Voters Summit. Republicans normally align their values with Christian principles. For once, I was able to be open about my own Christian morals outside of a Catholic church or even my church group. I learned that despite the different Christian denominations between all of us in the conference, we emphasized the importance of holding on to our religious, family, cultural, and political values. In the end, this is an exciting time to be interning in DC. As the government shutdown looms, who knows what will happen on October 17. Will the Republican party continue this government shutdown or will both parties come up with a compromise with President Obama, in order to avoid the US from defaulting with our loans. Stay tuned.

Here is a link to the Value Voters Summit website: valuesvotersummit.org

And lastly here is a link to Senator Cruz shrugging off the hecklers during his speech: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/10/11/video-ted-cruz-shrugs-hecklers-gets-big-ovation-values-voters-summit


Here is a slideshow of all the pictures that I took throughout the conference:

The Fresh 9/11 Memories

The memories of September 11, 2001 lingers in the back of my mind, because it was the day that changed "The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave". As a native from the New York metro area, I understand firsthand the nature of the September 11 terrorist attack. My parents were working in New York on September 11 and both of them did not go home until the next morning. From where I live in New Jersey, I witnessed the smoke from the Twin Towers. Sadly enough the terrorist won, because they inflicted fear into our great country. Extra security measures in the airports, the NSA, and the Department of Homeland security are tangible reminders of the fear that another attack could happen in US soil. Out of all days, October 3rd at 2:30 was the day that I went to the Canon Building for my informational interview with Congressman Tom Rice. The moment when my supervisor and I stepped into his office, the alarm went on for "Shelter in Place". It didn't hit me until that moment in time when I realized that I am in one of the targets for an attack. I never felt my body frozen and shaking in fear ever in my life, because I thought our lives were in danger. Capitol Hill was lucky on October 3rd, because the event was not a terrorist attack. This is the post 9/11 world that we live in today. My classmates from the Washington Internship Institute and myself are experiencing a pivotal moment history unfolding front of our eyes, because the government is shutdown and many federal workers are furloughed until Congress agrees on a budget plan/Obamacare funding. It is so unusual to see all of the museums and national memorials barricaded, because of the government shutdown. I am sure that our founding fathers are shaking their heads right now since non of our elected lawmakers cannot seem to compromise a deal to end the shutdown. The question remains will the United States default in our loans on October 17th? Will both parties come up with a solution to raise the debt ceiling? Is our country still safe after September 11? Hopefully Congress will come up with a solution soon before it is too late. Here is a picture of me and Congressman Tom Rice by the way.