Meghan with Chief (Photo: Reed)
Last Friday I went for a walk around DC with Ruben, the dog that I have been taking care of while my friends Chris and Karrin are traveling. I thought I would let Ruben help me pick the recipient of the day. We walked around for a while and made our way over to Dupont Circle. He spotted another dog and started to lunge forward toward Chief, his new canine buddy.
Chief’s owner Meghan accepted the $10 on their behalf. Meghan is from Philadelphia and splits her time between the City of Brotherly Love and the Nation’s Capital where she is working toward her masters’ degree at Johns Hopkins School of International Studies (SAIS) where she is focusing on International Public Health. Coincidentally through the Year of Giving I have met four or five people who are studying or recent graduates in this field.
Meghan was taking a much needed break from writing her remaining three papers and studying for her last exam. Despite being in the eye of the storm, she seemed rather relaxed. Perhaps that is because she is graduating in two weeks and will be done with all of her studies. As we get close to those momentous occasions our brains seem to somehow remind ourselves that we only have to suffer a little bit more before things improve.
With no job lined up after graduation, Meghan’s life after school is up in the air right now. She has decided what area she wants to work in though. Meghan is passionate about maternal health, particularly the areas of child survival and vaccinations.
As the 27-year-old finishes her school and internship at UNICEF, she would love to find a job in Philadelphia or possibly Baltimore. If you know of any positions in Public Health in or around Philadelphia, please leave a comment here or send me a note and I will forward that to Meghan.
So where did this $10 go? Well, Meghan said the actual bill would probably get spent on lunch that day, but she would most likely think of some way to “pay it forward or donate it” and let us know where it ends up. I heard from Meghan today and she said:
I ended up giving the $10 to someone who is usually asking for money near my house and always hangs out with and pets Chief when we walk by. I hope this helps. Thanks again for making my day of studying a little more enjoyable and social!
Watch this video to meet Meghan, Chief, and Ruben for yourself. Let’s just say that trying to conduct and film an interview with two dogs was a new experience.
Year of Giving 