EEP! And a Review.

So, I take the LSAT tomorrow morning. EEP! Please pray for me, as I am unusually nervous. I think I will do alright, but there really isn't a second chance.

Also, I read a book recently that I think more people should read. Here are the details:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Author: Rebecca Skloot

Summary from Amazon.com:

From a single, abbreviated life grew a seemingly immortal line of cells that made some of the most crucial innovations in modern science possible. And from that same life, and those cells, Rebecca Skloot has fashioned in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks a fascinating and moving story of medicine and family, of how life is sustained in laboratories and in memory. Henrietta Lacks was a mother of five in Baltimore, a poor African American migrant from the tobacco farms of Virginia, who died from a cruelly aggressive cancer at the age of 30 in 1951. A sample of her cancerous tissue, taken without her knowledge or consent, as was the custom then, turned out to provide one of the holy grails of mid-century biology: human cells that could survive--even thrive--in the lab. Known as HeLa cells, their stunning potency gave scientists a building block for countless breakthroughs, beginning with the cure for polio. Meanwhile, Henrietta's family continued to live in poverty and frequently poor health, and their discovery decades later of her unknowing contribution--and her cells' strange survival--left them full of pride, anger, and suspicion. For a decade, Skloot doggedly but compassionately gathered the threads of these stories, slowly gaining the trust of the family while helping them learn the truth about Henrietta, and with their aid she tells a rich and haunting story that asks the questions, Who owns our bodies? And who carries our memories?

My Thoughts:

I know that is a long summary, but this book deserves it. It has been on several top book lists, and I found it on the NPR website. This book is INCREDIBLE. I found myself shocked and horrified and laughing all in the span of a few pages. Don't be intimidated by the Science speech- Skloot writes in a clear, descriptive prose that is beautiful and heartbreaking. I even cried towards the end! Skloot touches on issues of poverty, education, and racial justice. More than being about the HeLa cells, this is a book about a family, and ultimately about the very nature of humanity. Relevant Magazine's review sums it up.

In short, you should all read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks! You will not be disappointed! :)

In the year 2000...

(For those in the know, the title is a reference to one of my favorite Conan skits. Youtube it. Hilarious.)

Onward and upward we go. First, some background.

So most of you probably know that for a while, I was hoping/ planning on getting my Master's in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota. I visited, took a prereq Economics class, and was making the plans to move. Through my cousins, I got a job interview with Campus Crusade, and my plan was to move, work for the year, and then start school this fall. I was super pumped!

Well, I didn't get the job. And the whole thing was more than a little shady. And all of my desire to go to MN just vanished. I once again found myself floundering.

Right about this time, the Sivyers were in Nashville for Steve's sister's wedding, so I went over and hung out a couple of days. (As an aside, let me just say that it was GLORIOUS. I can't express in words how desperately I miss them!) At one point, Steve was asking me what was happening with school and he said "What exactly is your goal with all of this? What are you wanting to do?"

That, my friends, is the question of the year. Because... I am not quite sure. I do know that I want to work somewhere in the public service/ non-profit world. I do know that I am really interested specifically in how the church interacts with social justice issues, along with secular institutions. I do know that when I have worked in these areas (Brussels, Port-au-Prince), I have been encouraged and passionate and felt that my strengths are an asset. I also know that I am keenly aware and interested in slavery/ human trafficking. There's gotta be a career in all that jumble, right?

So then Steve said, "Why don't you go to law school?"

HELLO!!! How had I not thought of this before? For anyone wanting to go into any kind of public service job, law is a great general degree. Steve is a man of many opinions and suggestions, some of which are crazy :), but this one hit the head right on the mark. I started researching and found several programs where I could, in 4 years instead of 5, get a law degree as well as a Master's in areas like Public Administration, International Relations, etc, which would be of use since I am wanting to work with international organizations.

So I am taking the LSAT on Saturday. Yipes! I have been studying, and feel ok about it, but STILL. It is only offered 4 times a year, so if I don't do well on this one, I won't be able to start in the fall. NO PRESSURE, SARAH.

I am looking specifically at three schools. In no particular order:

1)

2)

3)

These are not set in stone, however. I get emails from law schools all over daily, and I have been checking them out. So we will see!!

Please pray for me as I move through this process. I am super nervous about it, and my default when I get that way is to be stagnant and do nothing, which really doesn't help anything. I am eager to see where I end up this fall!