Will Healey

Name: Will Healey

Current location: West Hollywood, CA

Current status: juggling multiple part-time gigs, searching for a higher purpose.

Way for others to contact you: wfhealey{at}gmail.com

Briefly describe your current situation: I am currently living in Los Angeles, CA.  I moved out here in June of 2011 to explore acting, writing, and musical pursuits; to “test my mettle” and see whether these hobbies of mine can be careers or whether they should stay hobbies. I also very much needed a scene change from the east coast, where I’ve spent most of my life. I’d lived in New York City for the past 3 years and felt stagnant. L.A. is at the same time completely different and incredibly similar to New York. Right now I’m juggling 4 part-time jobs so I can pay the rent and still be able to work on my creative pursuits. That lifestyle was great when I first came out here hungry, but it’s starting to lose its luster. I wish I had more time to enjoy the many fun things and natural beauty that abounds in L.A. and its environs, but I have to hustle to pay my bills. The life of a starving artist is not the most glamorous thing. I doubt whether I’m doing the right thing all the time, but I’m happy to know that I’m challenging myself in a new environment.

Challenging yourself seems to be a strong suit of yours. People always hear such positive things about Teach for America, but your experience was not as delightful. Tell us a little about your 2 years with the program: I had a tough time in Teach for America, for a multitude of reasons. I taught 7th and 8th grade English and ESL on the border of Texas and Mexico. I had a pretty romantic view of going down there, thinking it would be much easier than it was, and I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was and remains the hardest thing I’ve ever done. My hat goes off to any career teacher who loves what they do- they have the hardest jobs in the world, and they directly shape the future. I could continue to make excuses for the problems I ran into during my commitment, however I realize that first and foremost, the problems I brought to the table (I simply wasn’t ready for that much responsibility at that point in my life) exacerbated the problems I encountered in my placement.

Would you recommend TFA for other 20somethings? I would. It’s a great program. Not a perfect model, but a necessary program until we fix education in this country.  I would however caution applicants to think long and hard about their reasons for doing it, and to understand what they’re getting into.  The day to day ain’t gonna be pretty.

It takes a lot of courage to pack up and head out across the country without much of a plan. What is the most valuable thing the experience has taught you? That I still have the courage to do something like that. At 22, I would have done it in a heartbeat, but at 27 there was quite a bit more trepidation. That terrified me: that I was becoming this complacent guy. I’m glad to know that I’m still the type of person that won’t just settle for things.

Is there anything that scares you now? Not taking risks. I decided to move across the country ultimately because I was more afraid of the fallout that would result from not having taken a risk than taking it. I’m also afraid of not being true to myself. Honesty with oneself is paramount to being happy and therefore better serving the world. The scary thing is not liking what you find, so you should constantly strive to be the best you you can be. Easier said than done.

Best thing about being a 20something: Trial and error. For the majority of people that aren’t blessed with knowing what their career and life arc should be right out of college, being able to try a bunch of different things out and cross them off the list is critical. Your 20′s, as I’ve come to understand them, are all about self-discovery.

In a perfect world, by the time you are 30….I will be working on something that drives me and sustains me over time, making a significant contribution that adds to life on this planet in a positive way.*