Graduation and Moving Forward...

I'm a GRADUATE of TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY!! A-WH09P! :)

Ok, I just had to get that out. On December 18, 2009 the statement above became fact instead of just a goal I had envisioned in my mind. To be perfectly honest, it never hit me that I was actually graduating until I was standing on the stage telling the announcer my name and being handed my degree. As I walked off the stage and back to my seat holding 3 and a half years of hard work in my hand, all I could think about was "finally." Finally, I can move on to the next degree and phase of my life.

*Sigh* I must add this sigh of relief because this has been quite the semester. Where to begin? Well, classes went well, I got to take my first graduate class (and loved it) and formed new relationships that will last me a lifetime. However, I also managed to get mono and spent most of the semester sick in bed. The fact that I was able to force myself to still go through my routine and pass my classes is a miracle when factoring in how I felt. I'm still fighting the mono now, but at least it's somewhat under control.

I'm a very impatient person, which makes life difficult sometimes. There is so much I want to accomplish, but I have to WAIT, always wait for things to happen. Yes, I'm a college graduate, but I'm still so far away from accomplishing my goals.

In the Spring, I will be student teaching to finish the requirements for my teaching certificate while I start my Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Reading and Language Arts Education. As always, I'm hoping to rush through this masters degree so I can begin a PhD as soon as possible. I hope to finish my masters by August 2011...we'll see how that goes. I also hope to land a fulltime high school teaching position in the Fall. :) I will teach while I finish my masters, a pretty neat combination.

So, what does the life of a college graduate look like? For the next few weeks, I plan to shop, watch lots of football, read some great books, cook and just enjoy a relaxing break. So far, I'm excelling at this. :) I will begin student teaching on January 5th and graduate classes on January 19th. I also plan to work as an intern for a few hours a week at Texas A&M. I will be overseeing the activities of MSC Hospitality. :) Lastly, I plan to do some independent tutoring and editing work to make a little extra money. I have many plans and goals ahead of me that are just waiting to get accomplished.

Welcome to the next phase of my life. I'm excited and can't wait to see what is in store for me. :)

-Tracey "the college graduate"