Where the hell do I start? I've set some of my own deadlines for getting my paperwork in for entry into the master's program. Now, I'm toiling over my personal statement which sounds like this:
I sat among a scattered bunch of desks full of hopeful University of C. seniors. As we looked towards graduating with our degrees in Creative Writing, we met with the English faculty to discuss our job prospects. Some suggested we apply for ground level positions at the Sentinel. Others mentioned the idea of teaching or pursuing further education. My professor, J.L., revealed, “If you want to sell your soul, you could try your hand at technical writing.” Since my family had a background in computer software, I dove straight into working as a technical writer, creating help files and user manuals. It was the beginning of the Internet boom and the start of my uncreative writing career. I graduated and, at the same time, sold my creative soul.
Outside of collegiate life, I found other ways to bolster my creativity. Though my academic coursework was complete, I continued to write poetry and read both classic literature as well as modern works. I began to rethink my career choice and started to entertain the notion of becoming a professor. After all, I had been heavily influenced by my literature and poetry instructors at UofC. W.C., a well-known author and respected professor, was my mentor and advisor during my coursework at the university. He certainly inspired me by imparting his own love for writing and sharing his life experiences. I hope to have that same impact on my own students someday.
However, another aspiration, (one of starting a family) brought a different direction to my life. I had two little children to raise. I channeled my creativity into weaving imaginary stories for their pleasure. Soon after becoming a mom, I began working part-time, teaching group exercise classes. Along with being a healthy role model to my children, becoming an instructor fed my desire to stay fit and inspire others. I realized my gift wasn’t in writing the instructions of “how-to,” but rather, by coaching and motivating people to push their limits. Between diaper changes and play dates, there were Zumba, Cycle, and Body Pump classes to fill my weekly schedule.
Once my children-- no longer small and helpless-- began their own academic life, I started to think again about my goals and achievements thus far. I had been a scholarship collegiate athlete – a 4-year rower at UCF. I had graduated with my degree in English. I’d worked in corporate America in various roles. With children in school, I was ready to explore the idea of returning to work and dialing in my future goals. I still had interest in working in an educational environment. To that end, I applied and was hired as a tutor at Country C. College. Currently, I work in the writing center tutoring undergraduates and incoming high school students on grammar, the structure of writing essays, as well as, thesis development and proper citation. During the fall semester, I was offered the opportunity to teach the great art of grammar and writing in a College Prep English course. Having a college class of my own to teach has inspired me even further to continue my education and work toward a master’s degree.
Accompanying my growing love for my new academic position, I also began practicing yoga. My personal reading list and studies began to drift into the principles of Buddhism and the art of meditation and mindfulness. This year, I studied and completed a 270-hour Hatha Yoga teacher training program. My role as a yoga instructor began and concurrently, a whole new perspective on life with a concentration on the ideas of mindfulness began. In the past couple of years, I’ve discovered that there is a deep interconnected network of events and experiences that have all come together to influence my personal journey. Though writing and literature have been a big influence on my life, I realize that my interest in studying has grown beyond those areas into art history, philosophy, eastern thought, and the cultural connections one can make in the human experience. Specifically, a fellow colleague suggested I examine the tenets of Stoicism in relation to my studies in the Buddhist teachings. I find these correlations to be what stirs intellectual curiosity and my desire to continue as a lifelong academic.
The Master of Liberal Studies program represents a perfect variety of areas that I want to further explore. I have a particular interest in studying Gandhi’s Philosophy, Life and Legacy offered in the spring term. With my background in creative writing, Dr. Phelan’s Poetry of the Earth course also resonates with my love of the natural world as it relates to poetry. Though this part of my journey has just begun, I’m hoping it leads to a doctoral program and to a continuation of understanding and sharing my passion for learning.
Outside of collegiate life, I found other ways to bolster my creativity. Though my academic coursework was complete, I continued to write poetry and read both classic literature as well as modern works. I began to rethink my career choice and started to entertain the notion of becoming a professor. After all, I had been heavily influenced by my literature and poetry instructors at UofC. W.C., a well-known author and respected professor, was my mentor and advisor during my coursework at the university. He certainly inspired me by imparting his own love for writing and sharing his life experiences. I hope to have that same impact on my own students someday.
However, another aspiration, (one of starting a family) brought a different direction to my life. I had two little children to raise. I channeled my creativity into weaving imaginary stories for their pleasure. Soon after becoming a mom, I began working part-time, teaching group exercise classes. Along with being a healthy role model to my children, becoming an instructor fed my desire to stay fit and inspire others. I realized my gift wasn’t in writing the instructions of “how-to,” but rather, by coaching and motivating people to push their limits. Between diaper changes and play dates, there were Zumba, Cycle, and Body Pump classes to fill my weekly schedule.
Once my children-- no longer small and helpless-- began their own academic life, I started to think again about my goals and achievements thus far. I had been a scholarship collegiate athlete – a 4-year rower at UCF. I had graduated with my degree in English. I’d worked in corporate America in various roles. With children in school, I was ready to explore the idea of returning to work and dialing in my future goals. I still had interest in working in an educational environment. To that end, I applied and was hired as a tutor at Country C. College. Currently, I work in the writing center tutoring undergraduates and incoming high school students on grammar, the structure of writing essays, as well as, thesis development and proper citation. During the fall semester, I was offered the opportunity to teach the great art of grammar and writing in a College Prep English course. Having a college class of my own to teach has inspired me even further to continue my education and work toward a master’s degree.
Accompanying my growing love for my new academic position, I also began practicing yoga. My personal reading list and studies began to drift into the principles of Buddhism and the art of meditation and mindfulness. This year, I studied and completed a 270-hour Hatha Yoga teacher training program. My role as a yoga instructor began and concurrently, a whole new perspective on life with a concentration on the ideas of mindfulness began. In the past couple of years, I’ve discovered that there is a deep interconnected network of events and experiences that have all come together to influence my personal journey. Though writing and literature have been a big influence on my life, I realize that my interest in studying has grown beyond those areas into art history, philosophy, eastern thought, and the cultural connections one can make in the human experience. Specifically, a fellow colleague suggested I examine the tenets of Stoicism in relation to my studies in the Buddhist teachings. I find these correlations to be what stirs intellectual curiosity and my desire to continue as a lifelong academic.
The Master of Liberal Studies program represents a perfect variety of areas that I want to further explore. I have a particular interest in studying Gandhi’s Philosophy, Life and Legacy offered in the spring term. With my background in creative writing, Dr. Phelan’s Poetry of the Earth course also resonates with my love of the natural world as it relates to poetry. Though this part of my journey has just begun, I’m hoping it leads to a doctoral program and to a continuation of understanding and sharing my passion for learning.
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