MSBAnew Beginning

This past summer was not only the busiest, but also the most confusing 3-month stretch of time that I can ever recall. Summer mornings were spent teaching my three- and four-year-old students at their preschool on Capitol Hill; afternoons and evenings were spent babysitting former students at their homes. I woke up at 6:45 am and sometimes did not return home until 11:00 at night. The summer days were structured and perfectly predictable; but, at the same time, I felt completely and utterly unorganized.

The moment I walked across the stage to accept my college diploma was the same moment my life was stripped of the academic routine I had inadvertently relied on for the past sixteen years. For the first time in my life, I had absolutely no idea where I would be or what I would be doing when the last week of August rolled around. My summer months were spent seeking direction and listening to the advice others had to offer. I knew that my passion for helping went beyond what could be accomplished in a single classroom – but, how could I accomplish more, I wondered, when I was only equipped with a bachelor’s degree in education studies? More than anything, I wanted to know the steps I needed to take to achieve my goal.

Now here I am, a little bit over a week into my master’s program. In class, I sit next to people who are motivated, strong-minded, and eager to learn; I am consumed by lectures and conversations that are relevant and engaging; I am studying subjects that challenge me to think about the world from a completely different perspective. Now, every day is a new stepping stone…