I had a feeling I’d found my dream "job" when I found myself waking up every morning, excited to check my STAND email inbox before even getting up to eat breakfast. I knew for sure I’d found it when I realized it was almost time to graduate and, accordingly, pass on the torch to another STAND student, and I felt more than a touch of sadness at the prospect of leaving.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not planning on giving up the fight to end genocide. It’s become a part of my core, a de facto essential in my life. Even after I graduate from Berkeley this spring, I’m sure I’ll still make calls to 1-800-GENOCIDE, meet with my elected officials – you know the drill. But what I won’t have, and what I know I’ll miss, is that constant support group behind me, that team of STAND students from across the country that I can call bleary-eyed at 5 am to discuss the ICC indictment we’re all watching live or meet for a weekend in D.C. to create a detailed plan for how we’re going to try to end genocide in the coming months.
Maybe the most fulfilling thing about serving as the College NOC, though, has been representing your guys’ thoughts to the Managing Committee, the group of students that creates STAND’s campaigns and actions. All – and I mean all – of STAND’s best ideas come from our chapters, the groups of students working diligently across the country to tangibly and positively impact the lives of people suffering on the other side of the world. It has been my absolute honor to work with the other Outreach Coordinators on the STAND Leadership Team – the ROCs, the SOCs, the New Chapter coordinators – to make sure your thoughts, complaints, and awesome campaign ideas are put into play.
But even though it’s time for me to head out, and even though I know I’ll miss STAND – to put it bluntly – a hell of a lot, at least I know that one of you, some awesome STAND student from Texas, from Delaware, from Florida, from my home state of California, will be taking over and lifting this movement to new heights. And even though I love opening my email to find a billion and one STAND emails, I know that someday, I’m going to get the ultimate email, the one that reports that the genocide in Darfur is officially over. And the best part? It’s you guys, you powerful, inspiring activists, who are going to make that happen. I can’t wait.