Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Graduate School - Decisions

Graduate School has arrived and has knocked me in the chest and thrown me overboard, but then, just as I was losing hope, it swooped down at the last moment to catch me and catapult me into the air, higher than I've ever been before.

Monday was a snow day and the day that I received a letter from University of Texas, Austin sincerely thanking me for my interest in their program, but respectfully rejecting my application. I was devastated as I had decided that Boston University is far too expensive for me to attend school there this past weekend and felt the sting of defeat. I explained to a friend that in my world, if you work hard for something you usually get what you worked hard for and that this just stunk. I worked so hard. No doubt about that.

Yesterday I fought off thoughts that were telling me I wasn't good enough for grad school and maybe it was time to redirect my dreams. It was rough -- after dedicating so many thoughts and so much time to this goal, coming out with no reward was pretty terrible.
Then, around 4:00, my phone rang and the Director of the Department of African-American Studies in Global and Comparative Perspective was on the other line to tell me I had been accepted to Boston's MA program. This was great news, however, the cost of tuition is unreal so I was grateful, but hopeless. THEN she told me that I had been recommended to be awarded a 100% tuition scholarship and a stipend to cover living expenses during the time that I would be a student in the program.

I am still processing this whole thing. It is truly unbelievable.

My students are expressing joy and pride as they fake frowny faces and follow up with, "but Ms. C-------k! Who will teach us next year?!?"

I am telling them that maybe I'll teach them in college.
Wow. Maybe I will.

I am so unbelieveably grateful for those who have helped me and supported me.
It was their help that got me to where I am and will keep pushing me in the direction of where I'm heading.

This is the opportunity of my lifetime and I intend to meet it head on, if given the opportunity.

Thanks to you even, those of you who read this blog and are interested in my life. I'll keep it up during this waiting time. I'll keep it up if I'm lucky enough to get the scholarship and I end up freezing my tail off up North.

How great!

No comments: