The end of an era...

Today marked the end of another era of my life: the grad school era.

Now I'm not saying I'm done with grad school for good, and anyone who knows anything about teaching (which given the news lately is probably not many) knows that I don't really have a choice about not continuing my education.  But my time as a true grad school student has ended (successfully I might add) and I am feeling so relieved.  I am relieved that I will have less stress and more free time.  I am relieved that I won't have to write any more 36-page research papers any time soon.  I am relieved that I can finally just focus on my teaching and my own personal life.

But, I must admit, I am also a little sad. 

Though some may not know it, I actually began this degree quite some time ago.  Back in 2006, with a newly completed bachelor's degree and no real job, I could still attend Kent State tuition-free thanks to my dad's full-time employment there.  I started with some basic graduate education course online and then began coursework to earn a Master's degree in Gifted Education.  Then I ran into a problem: the GRE.  In order to be accepted into this program at Kent, I had to take the GRE.  The GRE has math on it.  I hadn't taken math since junior year... of high school.  So after 12 hours of graduate work - the most you can complete on a guest admission - my grad school career ground to a halt.  Luckily by then I had an ok job and was moving forward with my life.

Then came Rootstown.  When my alma mater hired me, I was to teach both gifted and public speaking.  As I did not have a degree in gifted ed, I was required to begin coursework again in order to be licensed to teach it.  As the math portion of the GRE still had me scared stiff, I began to research my options.  Hello CSU.  Because of my undergrad GPA and my confidence in my ability to maintain a high GPA in grad school, I was able to join the graduate gifted program at CSU without having to take the dreaded test.

That was in Fall 2009.  Two years later, I am officially done, and though the relief is washing over me, I am a little sad that it is the end.  Grad school has consumed so much of my energy and my time over the past two years, that I can't help but miss it a little.  Notice I said  a little.

That being said, I am quite proud of my accomplishment.  It really hit me this morning how much I have accomplished.  I have grown so much since I began this process.  I am now (at least I hope I am) the type of teacher I always hoped to be, but only dared to dream I actually could.  And I am so proud of myself because it has not been without hard work, dedication, and sacrifice.  That is not the only reason I am proud though.  This morning it also hit me that, as with my bachelor's, I am the first person in my dad's bloodline to earn a Master's degree.  And in my family, that's kind of a big deal.





To the end of an era...
and on to the next.  I hope it brings me half as much satisfaction as this one has.