And so it begins!

Hi all!

Thanks for stopping by my blog space... this is a first for me, so please be patient with me as I work to get this stuff figured out!

I'll start by introducing myself a little:
I am completing an honours degree in Mathematics at the same time as I earn my Bachelors of Education. Science, and math in particular, have always been my strong suits. Along with my strong hope to "make a difference" with my choice of career, the Math-teaching option offered through the University of Waterloo and Queen's University seemed like a natural selection for me.

Perhaps more importantly than academics, my entire life I have been extremely interested in other cultures and ways of life that differ from the traditional Canadian household. In addition, human rights and acting as a responsible global citizen have been of great importance as I make my mark on this planet. Both in high school and in my decision of which university to attend, the ability to find ways to contribute in order to make that bit of difference has always played a key role, whether it be on a large global scale or on a small community level.

Ultimately, I found the perfect program that would allow me to pursue both my areas of interest. St. Jerome's University, a partnering school with the University of Waterloo, offers degrees in Mathematics, and more importantly, an international service-learning program called Beyond Borders. Through international partners, student's will spend three months in a developing country, living with a family and working in a community on a variety of projects.

Fortunately, I have been accepted into the program. In the first week of May, I will be on my 24+ hour flight to Mochudi, Botswana to start my 3-month adventure! (More to come on my placement in later blogs!)

Having been in the program for over 4 months now, I have been able to see why this program is truly special and one of a kind. As a requirement to the program, last term I took a course in Current Ethical Issues. This program was designed to develop and understand the theory behind programs such as Beyond Borders. As a follow up to the ethics course, I am now enrolled in Justice, Peace and Development, which gives me the opportunity to put the theory from last term into practice in our own community.

I am thrilled at the opportunity to begin volunteering at The Working Centre in downtown Kitchener. I feel that this experience will both help me in preparation for volunteering abroad, as well as provide me the means to continue such work upon my return from Botswana. (More to come on my volunteer placements in later blogs too!)

So I guess that wraps up this introductory blog. I really hope you continue to follow me through this wild journey I have embarked on. It is my hope that through the blogs, I am able to effectively reflect on my experiences both in the program and at the Working Centre and better understand the theory of ethics. I also hope that I can show you that no matter the walk of life, or faculty, or interests and hobbies you may have, so long as you have an interest in putting your education to use in the pursuit of a more peaceable world, you should GO FOR IT!

OH - and I encourage you to leave comments/questions and anything else for me.

Thanks again for reading,

Matt