Awards & Recognition

May was a month of awards and recognition for both of us. Yes, in this post, I get to share the spotlight with my son, Lewie!

First, let me brag about my son in typical mom fashion. He's taking a boatload of challenging courses this year — Algebra II, Chemistry, AP Computer Principles, Honors English, History, American Sign Language, and gym — and earning High Honors for all terms so far. (We shall see what the fourth quarter brings...) On May 21, hubby, Grammy, and I piled into the high school auditorium to see Lewie get inducted into the Mu Alpha Theta National High School and Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society. We were so proud to hear his name called on stage! However, in an earlier morning ceremony (for students only), Lewie also received an Academic Award for Excellence in Computer Science Principles and American Sign Language. (I promised Lewie I wouldn't post pictures of the awards on Facebook, but I never said anything about my blog--lol!)

Lewie's "come-back" this year was exactly what he needed. Last year at this time, he was recovering from two lung surgeries (after having a spontaneous lung collapse) and doing everything he could to pass his finals in biology, geometry, and Spanish--three courses that gave him problems right from the start. He needed a "reset," so to speak, and this year provided just that. This year, he also played on the boys' tennis team (something he wasn't able to complete last year). While his lung still gave him problems at times, he was able to push through, and now he's more motivated than ever to get better at the sport. My first assignment for the summer is to find him formal lessons!   

For me, this month brought three great surprises. First, I was accepted into the University of Kansas's Doctor of Education program (Ed.D.) in Higher Education Administration, and formally attended my first orientation as a doctoral student; my first class begins in less than a week! 

Then, one day, as I was reading through my emails, I was surprised to see one titled "Congratulations on Winning the Good as Gold Award!" "The what?" I asked myself in disbelief! I had to read the email three times to believe it was real. It read...

Several CT State Community College Honor Society Collective (PTK/ABG/EX) inductees have nominated you for the Good as Gold Award, recognizing faculty, staff, and administrators who make extraordinary contributions to students at CT State, and your nomination has been selected for the top award.

I was shocked! A total sense of gratitude and overwhelm took over. It was obvious that some of my students were being inducted into the PTK National Honor Society, and they nominated me for the award. I was asked to give a speech, and of course, I couldn't say no. I was allowed to invite my family (my husband, Grammy, and Lewie) to the ceremony where I delivered the speech, meant to inspire, uplift, and remind my students (all the PTK students) of their extraordinary accomplishments. I rehearsed the speech for weeks and weeks, not wanting to disappoint. To me, getting an award from my students was the highest honor and privilege of all!!!!

My last surprise was to learn that a conference proposal I wrote for the CT School Counselor Association was selected to be part of their program. This may sound unusual, but despite having taught and worked in higher education for 25 years, I had never submitted a proposal to present at a conference before. This year, I was asked to do it (as part of my job), and the response from the conference organizers was yes--go for it... (in my words--not theirs). It was super exciting, but also a little nerve-wracking, to have both of these events within a week of each other. No less--the show (or shows) must go on!

Yes, this May was a pivotal month. It was BUSY, but it helped Lewie and me get back on track. For Lewie, (after his lung collapse), it was a year of getting back in the game; for me, (after a year of working at a land trust), it was a reminder I needed to stay in higher education. What a great feeling it is to know we're on the right path!

Hello 2025!

Hello 2025. It's nice to meet you. To be perfectly honest, I've been waiting for your arrival for quite some time. It's not that I was trying to wish 2024 away, but it's been a year.

Image from Pixabay.com

If I had one word to describe 2024, I think the answer would be EXHAUSTING. I can't say it was a terrible year, but it did have its challenges. Here is a recap of what I've learned, how I've grown, and why I'm so excited about 2025.

Our Health is Everything

This year gave us a few health scares. I started January with umbilical hernia surgery, which in hindsight wasn't that bad. The worst part was knowing that I wouldn't be able to take long walks or exercise for 6 weeks, so instead of beginning 2024 with my normal enthusiasm for getting in shape--I started it more with a shrug.

In April, we went on our long-awaited trip to Costa Rica and ended it battered and bruised. My husband, who has not one but two bad knees, couldn't walk by the end of our trip, so we had to use a wheelchair to help him get around the airport. My son took a header when he hit a pothole on a bike riding excursion, and I was bruised from our tubing adventure. When we came home to "recuperate" from our trip, less than four days later, my son was in the ER for pneumothorax (a spontaneous lung collapse). The doctors didn't think there was a connection between the trip and his lung collapse, but they didn't know the reason either. Two surgeries later, we left the hospital knowing just as little as when we entered. They tested him for a condition called Marfan syndrome, but thankfully, it was negative. The only advice that was given to us was no scuba diving or jumping out of airplanes. Also, they recommended Lewie not fly for a year either.

Lewie leaving the hospital after his surgeries.

In the summer, I had my own scare when an ultrasound found two cysts on my right breast. Everything ended up fine, but I could have done without the weeks of worry. Then Hubby was slated for a full knee replacement surgery in September. The surgery got pushed back to November when he came down with pneumonia. Then, his sister, at the young age of 57, passed away from a brain bleed--she had been battling Cancer and kidney disease. Her death happened two days before my husband's surgery in the same hospital! We thought about postponing it yet again but decided to push through... His surgery, especially the pain and the immobility, was rough, but two months later, he's already feeling a drastic improvement. He started back to work two days ago!

Worry Can Take a Toll

This year was all about worry. I started the year worrying about my hernia surgery and my position at the land trust. I worried throughout our entire trip to Costa Rica--the plane flight, the driving, and the mini-excursions that were more adventurous than I had originally thought. Then, after my son's lung collapse, I worried about the surgeries, his recovery, and getting him through his final weeks of school. (Can you believe the school made him take his finals?!) I worried about my breast scare and then worried about my husband's surgery. (He became addicted to opiates back in 2006, so the idea of him taking a low dose of opiates again to reduce the pain was downright paralyzing...)  Then, of course, there was worrying about wars and political unrest around the world, climate change, and our presidential election...

New Beginnings are Hard, but They Make Us More Resilient

In January, I was still a "new" employee at the land trust, having started only five months earlier in August 2023. While I had spent a good portion of my life wondering what it would be like to work in conservation, now I was actually doing it. I was learning how to run a small non-profit, how to work with a board, and how to cultivate donors. I was also learning about all the amazing organizations, both small and large, that work together to contribute to land conservation and stewardship. 

I started the year committed to my new career but then a series of events changed everything. First, our Development Director left.  Then, when Lewie was in the hospital, I couldn't take time off. Since I was the only person to "run the show," which included a number of events, I was stuck having to oversee them while my husband sat at Lewie's bedside.

I offered to take on more responsibility but then received a grim reminder that taking on more responsibility didn't equate to more pay. The directors around me, at bigger trusts, were making $20,000 to $30,000 more, but they also had years if not decades of experience. Was this truly my start to a new career or a dead end?

I started to realize how much I missed working in higher education, and so, with a lucky twist of fate, I was hired to work in recruitment strategy for our Connecticut community college system. It wasn't a huge bump in salary; if fact, the increase was modest at best, but making this move did three major things...1) It gave me a chance to go back to a familiar career that I love, 2) It helped me realize I am GOOD at higher education administration, and in fact, this is where I belong, and 3) It provided the confidence (with a little financial incentive) to go back to school for my Doctor of Education. Now, I am four months into a new position again, but I love it, and I love knowing that I have the opportunity to go back to being a dean, a VP, or maybe even more.

Opportunity is Available if We Look for It

This is my motto for this year--2025.  After I was laid off, I spent almost two years in self-reflection. Who am I? What's important to me? What am I good at? I spent an equal amount of time worrying about everything--from our finances and our health to Lewie's education and the future in general. Like I said before, it's been EXHAUSTING.

This year, my goal is to funnel this worry into action. Instead of worrying at the sidelines, I'm going to turn this negative energy into something positive. I'm not going to have any delusions. Going for an Ed.D. will be hard, and I don't want this to undercut important time with family and friends. It will require some extraordinary time management skills (which is not my forte), but as long as everyone in our immediate family has their health, there really is no excuse not to seek opportunity. I'm not getting any younger, and at the same time, I still have another 20-year work career left. There are no pensions for me, so I can either worry or look for opportunity.

This year I will turn 50, too. If I'm going to have a mid-life crisis, I might as well make it a productive one--LOL.

One of my favorite pictures from Costa Rica. If only I had stopped the
worry enough to fully embrace the beauty.

Wishing everyone a year of "a little more laughter, a little less worry, a little more kindness, and a little less hurry." May health, love, and happiness be yours.

The More You Learn, the More You Earn!

A week ago, I was asked to speak briefly to 20 high school students who are involved in a summer school program called "Dare to Dream." Our local community college wanted me to talk about higher education and the career benefits of receiving a degree.

Since I love learning and love encouraging students to believe in themselves, I was excited by the task. It also made me consider the strategy I would use with my Lil' Lewie once he was in high school and considering going to college. Here is the advice that I shared with the "Dare to Dream" program, and the advice I would share with my son:

1. Remember the statement, "The more you learn, the more you earn." In 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau reported the average income by educational attainment as...

--High school dropout $17,299

--High school diploma $26,933

--Associate's degree $36,645

--Bachelor's degree $52,671

(Statistics are expected to change slightly for the 2010 census but not by much.)

2. Start a journal. Students in high school should start creating two lists. The first list should consist of activities, skills, and talents. In other words, it should mention everything they are good at. For example: "I am good at reading, writing, talking to people, listening..." The second list should consist of their interests (what they like to do). For example: "I like animals, fashion, computers, teaching, helping people..." It's never too early for children to begin understanding themselves--this means their talents and dreams.

3. Take a survey. Most colleges offer surveys that ask a variety of questions to determine a student's interests and match those interests to possible careers choices. Some of these surveys include the SIGI 3 or the Myers Briggs Personality Survey. There are other free surveys that can be accessed online. One example is called The Drive of Your Life.

4. Find a career mentor. Once they have a few career choices in mind, high school students should begin looking for people who are currently working in these professions. For example, if they're considering becomming a police officer, they should consider talking to someone they know that's in this field. Perhaps, there is an uncle, aunt, or long-time family friend on the policeforce that can provide some words of wisdom about the job, the salary, the required education, and the quality of life, etc.

5. Consult the Occupational Outlook Handbook online. This book lists various occupations and tells people the following:

--The money/income they can expect to make in this career.

--The education needed for this career.

--The lifestyle they can expect with this career. (For example, will they have to work in the evenings, on the weekends, on holidays, etc.?)

--The job prospects/opportunities . Is this a new and emerging field with lots of job growth/opportunities, or is this a saturated market?

When I mention these steps, incoming college students seem to glaze over. They've been so protected or coddled by their parents at home that don't know where to start. They don't know much about the work world, and they know even less about today's salaries. Many of my conversations sound like this one:

Me: "So, how much money do you want to make each year?"

Student: "I want to be a millionaire."

Me: "Really. So what type of career do you want to pursue?"

Student: Silence.

Most of the time the students I encounter either expect too much or too little when it comes to a salary. They have never been taught about finances, how to manage money, or how to create a budget. Many don't know what a regular mortgage payment, car payment, car insurance payment, or tax payment look like. And, they really don't know what a regular student loan payment looks like either. They'd cringe if they saw the $600 that my husband pays for his student loans each month.

Once our children become teens, I think it's important for them to begin researching careers and to begin learning about money, salaries, and bills. (They can even watch how we take care of the monthly budget at home.) The more teens know about real life, the more they can actually plan for it. Successful students are the ones who are proactive (not reactive) about their futures. In today's economy, there's no room for surprises. The more our children know, the better.