Tara Overzat

I was having dinner with my boyfriend the other night, and we were discussing the WikiLeaks scandal and its founder, Julian Assange. “It doesn’t matter,” he told me, “Privacy doesn’t exist anymore.” No privacy? “But,” I countered, “Those memos that were leaked – people said those things believing they would remain confidential. They felt safe to speak because of confidentiality.” “Confidentiality, privacy – the internet is getting rid of all that.”

I spent two years in Beijing, China working as an English teacher. It was a fascinating opportunity to see a different culture and immerse myself in a completely foreign world. I was afforded the opportunity to travel throughout the country and have many treasured memories of my time there. Additionally, it has made me sympathetic to the challenges faced by international students attending college here in the US.

Like most of the students in my Masters program, I took a big risk in going back to school. For me, it meant leaving a steady full-time job in an economy where such a thing is a luxury. It meant facing the uncertainty of returning to my studies after a multi-year hiatus. I broke it down into baby steps. Register for classes. Check. Go to the bookstore. Painful check. I had forgotten how expensive textbooks were – even used ones! Fill out financial aid forms. Check, though I had forgotten what FAFSA even stood for.