Prepared for what?

I don't often write about something that is outside of my own little world, but what happened last Friday in Newtown, Connecticut is something that affects all of our worlds.  And will.  Forever.

No words can express the absolute tragedy that occurred.  I won't even try.  This horrific event reminded me of how precious life is, and how something that we never thought could or would happen, can and did.

On Saturday, the Dean of the School of Education at the University of Michigan sent an email message to all affiliated with the school in an attempt to allow a community of educators to come together and to take action.  Further, the website (www.soe.umich.edu) reads:

The School of Education community is shocked and saddened by the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14. We send our deepest sympathies to the families of those who were killed, and to all those who witnessed and experienced this terrible and senseless event. In memory of the children and adults who died, we are committed to work against violence, to become more knowledgeable about mental illness, to increase our sensitivity to threats to the safety of others, and to develop ways to support survivors of tragedy.
--Dean Deborah Loewenberg Ball

This is a reminder to me, that as an educator, I have a responsibility to be prepared and knowledgeable about issues that I could never imagine.  I'm thankful during this time that I am part of a community ready to acknowledge this and face the possibility that this - what happened in Newtown - is the reality of not only that town, but for parents, families, and educators everywhere.

Close...

This week, I will have my two final classes at the University of Michigan (after 15 total semesters including undergrad), will finish my final two papers, and one final exam.  Pair that with last week's three presentations, one group paper, and another final paper, and that's a lot of finals work.

So, I'm not feeling creative today, and thus am not going to write here.  But next week at this time... I'll be done. :)

What really matters - past to present

Finals time!  The next couple of weeks will be dedicated to the final semester push to finish graduate school. It's hard to believe the end of the road is so near... five semesters of studying, paper writing, reading, and learning are about to culminate into a goal I set out to achieve three years ago.

Three years ago, in December 2009, I was studying for the GRE, transitioning jobs back to the UM library (while consulting for my previous employer), gathering letters of recommendation for my graduate school applications, filling out the applications, and writing numerous essays.  I remember at the time feeling so much stress and pressure, because my future aspirations hinged on my acceptance to the University of Michigan School of Information (UMSI).  My work then paid off, and I'm starting to feel the weight of the past three years of challenging and meaningful school work, paired with working in professional positions, lifting.  It's starting to feel like I really will have fully accomplished the goals I set for myself.

People ask me what I'm going to do when I'm done - with those weekends and evenings free for taking care of "real life things" (and not having to squeeze them in when I can get to them) and whatever else I want.  I want to concentrate on becoming great at the amazing job I have, do a lot more yoga, read books for pleasure (my book club will appreciate that I don't simply show up for the good company), indulge in the pile of US Weekly magazines that has grown tremendously since August (it's my guilty pleasure), learn to cook(?),  and so much more.

But most of all, I'm excited to spend more time on the things that really matter... the friends and family whom I've barely seen and who have supported me so well over the past three years.  Without them, I wouldn't have been able to accomplish my goals, and so while the time to relax and think will be nice, I can't wait to support them in their endeavors... or just enjoy spending time with them.