I have been waiting to write this for two years now: Tonight, I have finished my graduate program with IUP, balancing teaching and coaching with the academic demands of obtaining a masters degree. I have driven 14,940 miles, sat in class for 450 hours, spent $144 in tolls and driven or rode in a car for 270 hours. It has taken a reasonable toll on my health and mind. But now its over. There is absolutely no chance that any of those things could have happened if not for the amazing friends and family in my life who have supported me. I would like to take the time here to openly thank those who I believe have made the biggest impact in no particular order. Special thanks to: Jesse Haight for inspiring me to continue my education. Tim Stevenson for driving me to class for a semester, serving as an awesome professor and as a road-philosopher in the car rides. Cheryl Ardner Miller for being my mom and doing what all good mothers do all of the time with all of her heart. Flegan Morez for listening to me complain, housing me on long trips, and making sure I was up in time for work the next morning with a smile on my face. Alyssa Cook for listening to me for about 30 of those driving hours. Devin Superfeminist Green for listening to me for about 50 of those driving hours. James Nave for listening to me for about 60 of those driving hours. Without these three conversations I would have died in my sleep... seriously. Nancee Marie for getting on my case at work when I was letting my classroom teaching slip during basketball season. Christopher Bost James Overly and Erickson Pifer for being amazing coworkers who support me in literally anything I do, especially letting me cool off some steam through racquetball. All of the basketball coaches and players who put up with me never being around on Mondays, even if we had a big game --- especially Erickson and Daniel Michael Ion for subbing for me a couple of times in the past two years. Shawn Smith for being the best substitute teacher the day I needed to use a personal day to catch up on research. Meg Ardner for literally showing me the world. Terry Cook for letting me avoid blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, and flash floods for a couple of hours when the road got rough. Brian Reitz Michael Douthit Cailin Marie and Katherine Leary for teaching me at a very early age that learning is cool, being smart is cool, and that you cant do anything without amazing friends. Seth Kerr and Rachael Troyer who made me take my major as seriously as they took theirs. Justin Parson and Kelly Harriger for giving me an opportunity to go back to music as a way to relax and enjoy the world. Zack Buzz Morgans for getting a drink with me after class one night when I was really pissed off. Kyle Purnell and Seth Joseph for being like brothers. Special thanks to the deer for only trying to kill me, the weather for barely letting me survive, and my instinctive reflex to get really intense when I start to feel my eyelids droop on the road. If I forgot someone its because I am tired and I want to go to bed, not because you dont deserve it. Progress truly takes a village and there is no replacing any of you. Believe me when I say I love each and every person in my life.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 02:30:20 +0000
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