Collegian

This December I'm participating in An Advent of Gratitude to help remind me of the gifts I already have, what I often take for granted, and what I can and should be grateful for.

Today I was invited to pay $1 per degree if I graduated from college. I did. I'm the proud holder of a 1981 Bachelor of Arts in Education and Special Education.

Neither of my parents went to college, but from my youngest years the expectation was that I would.  When I completed my degree I was confident that I would spend my career using that piece of paper.  That hasn't turned out to be the case.  For the first three years I was a teacher.  Then my career turned into full-time mothering.  Years later I was back in the classroom as a classroom volunteer and then a substitute teacher.  Still later I ran a tutoring center for teenagers who were completing a correspondence curriculum and worked as an aide at a preschool.

Even though my non-teaching jobs outweigh the degree related ones, I'm glad I had the opportunity to go to college. I can't imagine my life today without the experiences I had during my four years on campus.

Five years ago today: Merry Christmas To Me