During March 22-24, I along with 119 other semi-finalists all flew out to the IPSE (In-person selection event) - located in Chevy Chase, MD this year - which is required for all semi-finalists to attend. To basically sum it up: it was a weekend that was full of excitement, new friendships and nervous feels! We had SO much free-time to explore the 4-H "campus" to get acquainted with the interview room locations so we wouldn't be late and we also used this time to get to know each other! (Which was the best part)!
Our first night there we were able to attend a "welcome ceremony" and got to listen to a few guest speakers and meet all of the YES Abroad staff members! -I think my favorite speaker was the FSO (Foreign Service Officer), she just exuded confidence and had us all laughing....plus that's my dream job!
Our first night there we were able to attend a "welcome ceremony" and got to listen to a few guest speakers and meet all of the YES Abroad staff members! -I think my favorite speaker was the FSO (Foreign Service Officer), she just exuded confidence and had us all laughing....plus that's my dream job!
Also during the IPSE we had two group evaluations and one individual interview.....I can't talk much about the Individual Interview portion, or the group evaluation portion but just BE YOURSELF and you'll do great! I remember getting out of my interview and thinking to myself "Why on Earth was I nervous in the first place?" And I didn't even feel like I was being evaluated during the group interviews... it felt like I was just hanging out with a bunch of really close friends! Just remember, the people who are interviewing you aren't there to intimidate you, they're really nice and are just wanting to know more about you and your interest in the program!
BREATHE! You're going to do fantastic.
BREATHE! You're going to do fantastic.