May 19: CSA(A) Everywhere

I wonder if one of the College Student Affairs Administration students put these letters in this order. I cannot be certain, but when I saw it, it made me think of CSAA (yes, I realize it's missing another A, but it wouldn't have fit on the display anyway).

 

May 13: Ginny & Michigan

Ginny got a job as a faculty member at Michigan State University.  She will be up there with some great people in the field, and some great friends including Christa (from our cohort) and Alex (recent master's graduate).  She'll be up there for at least two years, as that's her appointment, and I plan on visiting at some point.  Preferably when it's hot in Texas and nice in Michigan.  Or in the fall or spring; but I will avoid that winter-mess.  No, this isn't Ginny's car, I just saw the Michigan plate and thought of her!

May 9: Phinally Done!

Well, today, I graduated!  The ceremony was long and it was for all the master's and doctorate degrees.  As part of the ceremony, your major professor (Dr. Cooper) and an assistant (a dean) help hood you on stage.  The man was talking about my 'entourage' who clapped and cheered (briefly) even though they were asked not to.  Seriously, it's the quietest ceremony you will go to.  They ask that you don't cheer as to not cover up the name of the person behind you.  For the most part, even when people do applaud or cheer, it is very brief and respectful of those names being read next.

Here are a couple other photos from the day (off my phone, the real ones still need to be uploaded from my camera and resized before anything can be done with them.

The group of us from our program: me, Phil, Matt, Ginny (my cohort), and Sheree

The stop in party food table!

Check out the cute cupcakes & grad hats we made!

April 24: CSAA Banquet

The annual CSAA banquet was a wonderful time of celebration.  I was asked to give the doctoral student speech.  For the presentation, I did a modified version of pecha kucha which is a form of presentation with 20 pictures for 20 seconds each.  I was honored to be asked.  I was even more honored to win the outstanding doctoral student of the year.

Dr. Cooper awarded me this outstanding doctoral student of the year award.

The three speakers (doctoral student, faculty, & master's student).

March 25: Dr. Jones

Tonight we celebrated the newly minted Dr. Jones who successfully defended her dissertation today! Congratulations Dr. Jones!

March 10: Commencement Information

I have submitted my information for the graduate school commencement, which means my name and information will be in the program.  Woo.  It's getting closer and feeling more and more real!

February 28: Grad Regalia!

Our first tax workshop went really well!  I was part of the quality control which double checks all the paperwork.  It was fun finding some mistakes that resulted in students getting money back, instead of owing money!

 

Also, it's official... Ginny and I purchased our graduation regalia!

February 1: Taxes

This is the  earliest I've every done my taxes.  I usually finish them fairly early, but don't submit because of fear.  However, this year, I really need the refund with all the upcoming purchases (grad regalia, editor, graduation fees).  And as of 4:32pm yesterday, the IRS accepted my return.  Woo!

January 24: Budgeting

It's hard to not budget on a grad school salary, however, it's also virtually impossible to save under those circumstances as well.  Yesterday I went to a budgeting workshop hosted by the training and development center and today I took a good long look at my budget.  I looked at loans, income, retirement, all in an effort to be prepared for what is to come...hopefully a job.  One can only plan so much when they don't know what their income will be in the future.  But it was good to take stock of the money I have and where that money is going.

January 15: Stress(ful) Release

I don't like days with back to back meetings.  It doesn't leave much time to get things done.  Nor does it allow much time for interaction with students.  Today was one of those days.  It also doesn't help when meetings run over.  It wasn't a bad day, just busy.  Two highlights, however, were my deep tissue massage (25 minutes) and coming home to January and February's issues of real simple.  My back has been bugging me for awhile.  The knots and headaches at the base of my skull are not pleasant.  I know this dang PhD is doing a number on my body.  Anyway, I found a 30 minute block to get in and have them rub the left side of my back and neck.  I am so grateful for the health center.  Ohh it helped so much.  And...the lady told me I may qualify for medical massages (under my graduate student insurance).  Definitely something to talk with my doctor about (especially since I have to go see him for my annual thyroid appointment anyway).

December 11: Last Semester Registration

Today I registered for my last semester of classes at The University of Georgia (Lord willing).  I used this outdated system from the 1970s only FINAL time to register for 18 credit hours.  I'm not convinced these are the last classes I will ever take.  However, this is the last semester of classes I intend to take seeking a degree!  What a wonderful feeling.  Graduation count down begins.  Yikes!

The Dissertation & Human Subjects Internal Review Process at Nine Institutions

I wish this would write itself.

Give me a C

On Tuesday, September 4th, I found out I successfully passed the written portion of my preliminary exams!  WOOHOO!  Although it is quite an accomplishment, it still feels a bit anticlimactic since I still have to defend orally.

But I earned my C (in D-O-C-T-O-R) and now I'm studying for my T...which will take place on Thursday, September 27th.  If I successfully defend that day, then I will change from a doctoral student to a doctoral 'candidate' (or sometimes referred to as ABD 'all but dissertation').  It's exciting and a bit terrifying.

Somedays I feel this PhD journey is taking for-e-ver, and other days I realize how quickly it's flying by.

Post Prelims

Well, I realize I've been m.i.a. from the blog world...let's be honest, m.i.a. from much of the real world as well the last month.

The Olympics happened, right?!

But what have I been doing? Well, one word...studying.  On August 1st, I started my preliminary examinations.  These are essentially the comprehensive exams over a four day period.  The first, second, and third days you meet in a computer lab, receive a question, and have four hours to answer it. Then on day three, you are also given a take home question that is specifically written for you, you have twenty-four hours to read/write/submit your case.

On August 4th at 1pm, I submitted my case study.  And now, I wait.

In the midst of waiting, I started classes yesterday and I am working on the introduction, literature review, and methodology chapters for my dissertation.

I should find out at the beginning of September if I passed my written prelims at which point I'd schedule an oral defense.  So for now, I wait, and work, and go to class, and write.  This is a big step in the journey and I'm grateful to have it behind me (and I'll be even more grateful when I find out that I've passed).

Happy New Year! (yes, I measure my year's by the academic calendar)

April

Wow, it's April already.  Lots of things happen in April... my sister's birth, projects due, finals, prep for Africa, a trip to Texas.  I am very excited about this month, but there is also a lot going on and it could becoming overwhelming (quickly).  Thus, I want to remember to take moments to be thankful.

A few weeks ago I had a training at UGA late on a Friday evening.  Since the bus system is less consistent at night, I decided to drive.  Well, I accidently parked in a housing lot that is monitored until 10pm.  I got a ticket.  I got a $40, parking ticket.  Yikes.  Anyway, I felt I had a decent case...it's was after 5pm on a Friday (most other lots are open to the public at that time).  I wrote a nice letter pleading to reverse the charge.

Guess what?!

They did!

Thank you God for caring for the little things in my life!

Thoughts on Community & the Ecklunds

I spent the evening with the lovely Ecklund women! Gianna is 2, Selah a few months, and Em...well, older than me (but not by much). Emily, Adam (her husband), and I met at Azusa Pacific, during undergrad. I also had the privilege of going through graduation school with them! One of our professors, John Hoffman, on the first day of class said, 'you won't be able to do this program alone.' How true I found that statement to be. The three of us (and a few others) quickly became good friends.

So when I came out to Baylor in 2005, they soon followed, but not for me of course. :) Anyway, it has been a pleasure having them here. I've been blessed by their friendship through the years and it's a joy to walk life with them! For me, it's nice to have people who know me, who I don't have to 'get to know', and who have seen me in different stages/phases of life. Additionally, I get to walk life with them. They now have two beautiful daughters and I find such delight in both of them!

Tonight it was just Em, the girls (Adam joined later), and myself. What fun (and trying at times). I get the pleasure of watching, helping, and being able to leave discipline to the 'parent'. At one point, after G was ready for bed, I had Selah in one arm and G next to me on the couch reading her a book about dinosaurs. They are great girls, and I love spending time with them.

After they went to bed and Adam came home, the three of us caught up on life, talked about PhDs, and other oddities.

Now stay with me for a bit. Last Sunday, my pastor was talking about Psalm 133. This is 14 of 15 Psalms about the ascension of Israel. These 15 Psalms represent the 15 steps that lead to the top of the mountain where the Holy of Holies was kept. As the Israelites (in community) would travel the journey to and up the mountain, they would recite these 15 Psalms on the last 15 step leading directly to the Holy of Holies. So Psalm 133 is the last step before the Holy of Holies and it says in short, how good and pleasant it is when brother & sisters live together in unity. Symbolically, the last step before they reached the Holy of Holies, God's dwelling place, is about community. Maybe it's suppose to represent the idea the one cannot make it to God alone. Maybe it's suppose to represent the journey is meant to be lived in community. Or maybe it's that the closest thing to Gods dwelling place, his heart, and essentially himself is community. And not just surface level community but community in which one lives, suffers, shares joys, and caries one another's burdens...true kiononia (Christian community).

I've been thinking this week about community and what it means for me. Tonight was a great opportunity to bless Emily. And yet, I received more than I probably gave. I am so grateful for Adam & Em's friendship and the joy they and their children bring to my life.