I have been waiting to post in part about my notification of being a semi-finalist for the 2018-2019 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship to make sure I wasn't giving away top secret information and also because I did not know a lot of the details. After participating this weekend in the semi-finalist weekend events, I have more information to impart.
Listing to the AEF alumni
Imagine my surprise when I see friends from the past summer's USPTO NSTI workshop.
This past weekend was an opportunity to travel to Washington D.C., meet with existing and alumni fellows, and, the primary purpose, interview with interested participating organizations that feel the semi-finalists might be a good fit for their fellowship opportunities. I felt very honored to have two interviews. The first was with the Library of Congress, which is the first time they will have a fellow, and the National Science Foundation working on the Presidential Awards for Excellence
in Mathematics and Science Teaching. If a semi-finalist is offered a position, they have less than 24 hours to accept or decline. The weekend offered the opportunity to learn much more about how to embrace and make a life change like moving to and working in D.C. work for a finalist and their family. We even had some time for sightseeing.
So much to see and do. I can't imagine it getting old after 11 months.
The first major takeaway was how valuable this weekend was to prepare semi-finalists who are offered a position in the fall to make a quick decision. Semi-finalists were able to go to lunch and dinner with current fellows, learn about the D.C. neighborhoods, experience the Metro, and get familiar with the area. In addition, the fellows shared about their experiences as a cohort, in their positions, and how to make the most of our time there if we are selected as fellows. They made us all feel a part of their professional circle and honored to be there.
Waiting for my interviews!
I arrived late on Saturday. We had a meeting on the first half of Sunday that allowed us to learn more about the logistics of being an #einsteinfellow. Learning from the current and alumni fellows was a critical part of connecting the logistics to our personal situations. It is important to have weighed options and understand the logistics for any potential decision that may need to be made. After all, if we are lucky enough to be offered a fellowship, we are contacted on one day and have to accept or decline the position by 5:00 pm the next day. The ins and outs of moving to D.C. have to be considered so the decision made is an informed decision. Monday morning, we started the interviews. The number of interviews varied from candidate to candidate. Some of had one and some had up to five. I had two interviews with the Library of Congress and PAEMST with the National Science Foundation. I was lucky to have completed both of my interviews by lunch. I won't say yet which is my preferred position, even though one seemed to be a much better fit for me. They were both amazing panels and I would be honored to receive an offer from either organization. No matter the outcome, it was an amazing weekend full of opportunities even if I do not continue on as a fellow. I encourage all to apply. Good luck to all the candidates in the running and congratulations to the organizations choosing fellows. You have an amazing group of educators coming to you in the fall of 2018.
Final views of Washington D.C. as I am heading home. I can't help but wonder if I will be back in August.
