20 and over Nerdfighters!

[Mauricio]

Hello everyone! I'm from Costa Rica and I would like to know if there are any nerdfighters out there that are over 20.

I'm 26 myself and I'll be honest, even with the pure awesomeness that nerdfighteria is, it feels kind of odd to be among so many 15-17 year olds.

Not that it is bad, I just don't wanna have any misunderstandings. Safety is the most important thing.

So, nerdfighter of the 20 and up variety. Are you out there?

[Raj]

Hey I'm 25 here. Just started the using the Ning after finding the Vlogbrothers during a lunch break. I find it reassuring that there are others out there who felt somewhat hesitant in interacting with the "youngons" lol. As much as I want to take part in some of the discussions on here, I always find myself not participating due to the age gap, which is sad since teenagers can be equally engaging (or not so much) as the older folk on here in a discussion. 

Anyway, hit me up. I live in Cali and good to meet you all. 

[Alyssa]

Hi everyone :). I'm 22.

[David Zebarah]

22, huh?  College, job, or still looking for a job?  Everyone I know at that age (which is most of my friends) are one in of those three.

[Alyssa]

Yes, you're right. I just graduated college in May so now I'm in the process of looking for a job. 

[David Zebarah]

I creeped a bit on your profile and saw you majored in education, and I know how hard it is to find a job, as my sister's fiancé is in the same metaphorical boat.  What kind of education?  I bet it's elementary.  All of my friends that majored in education are elementary.  I wish you luck in your searching, though I don't know if anyone would still be hiring this close to the beginning of the year.

[Jessica N]

21 year old nerdfighter here :)
I'm new here, but I guess it's somewhat like tumblr age-wise?

[Scott]

21 here, finished my BA in English and am now starting career-mode. Nice to see others that are in similar boats. 

[Michelle Cook]

Hey Scott!

Where would you like your career path to take you? I also graduated with a BA in English Lit, and I'm currently tutoring. I have a pretty vague idea of what I want to do, but I know that I'd like to get a Master's degree.

[Scott]

I'm hoping to teach and/or go into education research. I'm currently subbing (as well as working a part-time job). At some point in the near future I do want to go for a Master's and possibly PhD, but I'm waiting until I figure out exactly what I want to specialize in. 

[Michelle Cook]

Neat! We're not on such different paths then :) I'm currently applying for a substitute position in my county, but I'm not sure whether I'd want to focus on K-12 or higher education. Perhaps we'll run into each other some day. Have you seen the TED Talk on creativity and education? It's what first got me thinking about a career in that direction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

[Scott]

I had seen it before, and I just watched it again! I really like the way Ken talks about talented kids and how every child has some passion, and it's really luck of the draw as to whether or not that passion is considered "worthy" by the education system. 

The bit about degrees not being worth anything anymore hits home every time. We're seeing this more and more lately, especially in the arts and humanitie. 

The one question I always have while watching that talk is how do we ensure that our education system is specific enough towards a learner but also provides a general knowledge base for that learner to make intelligent decisions from? Is a "broad, liberal arts education" completely valueless in the modern world, or is there some compromise we can make such that students are able to follow their passions but also be informed and aware members of society? 

He did a follow-up to that talk in 2010; if you haven't seen it it's definitely worth a look. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LelXa3U_I&feature=relmfu

[Steph Crandall]

I just turned 23 so I'm not too old yet, but I was looking for this when I first signed up. And by 'looking' I mean 'I thought about it and it never showed up in active discussions'