Extended Weekend

So, I made it through my first week of grad school ALIVE! I really forgot how much I hated writing papers on useless mindless topics. I enjoy projects where I can apply what I'm learning to real life and hopefully I will have some of those in this 8 week semester! Yes, I take classes every 8 weeks instead of 16 weeks! I love it, it's not as overwhelming because I can take 2 classes for 8 weeks, have a week break, then take 2 more classes for 8 weeks! So, I'm still taking a full time load, just breaking it up a little! It's amazing how many other military spouses or military members are taking these classes online as well! I love Liberty, they offer so many amazing programs for people who can't take classes on a campus! Some people are just too busy, have families or they are military so online classes is the perfect solution! 

My online classes require us to post on a discussion board each week, this past week we just had introductions. I found a few other students who are also pursuing the School Counseling degree, so that was nice! What I enjoyed the most from these introductions, was the stories people shared about their lives and about what made them choose the path they are on now. (e.g. why they decided to switch from the business world and become a teacher or why they chose to become a counselor) You meet people from all different walks of life and the ages vary greatly!  

I shared my story of how I have come to be where I am....It took my husband(Boyfriend at the time) & I taking a break for me to realize I wasn't on the right career path. During that time I realized I wanted to go back to school for education, so I enrolled at Penn State for Elementary Education. I did a year of school there and I loved it but as luck would have it, during my first semester, we got back together. During my second semester, he found out he was coming back to US from Japan and had orders in CA. We knew we wanted to be together & eventually get married. So after some research and discussion I decided to switch to Liberty University Online to finish my Bachelors in Education. This meant I wouldn't have my teaching license but I could go back and get it through their MAT program when I was ready. We got married & then he left for Afghanistan. During that time  I finished my degree. I applied to grad school & got accepted but I decided I would take some time off from school before jumping back in. I was newly married, moving to CA and I wanted to enjoy it! Had it not been for all of those things playing out the way they did....I could of ended up going down the wrong career path...again!  

Why did I pick School Counseling?

Last year there was a discussion between my mom, my sister and I about some things that had happened with my sister over the years. She will probably hate me for sharing this but it's important. It started in Jr. High for her, she was bullied and picked on by some pretty nasty girls....then high school came and she still had problems with girls treating her badly. My sister was pretty shy and she's too nice to fight back, so it ate away at her. She ended up dropping out of high school to take classes online and finish that way. Well, she began to miss some of her friends and eventually she went back. The school counselors are suppose to be there to GUIDE YOU, support you and make transitions easier for you. My sister was having a hard enough time at that school and the counselors didn't make it any better for her. I remember her telling me that they LAUGHED AT HER! It still makes my heart ache thinking about how that must have made her feel. That is just cruel and unprofessional! After that, she dropped out of public school & never returned but she did finish high school online! I knew after that conversation, I wanted to be a school counselor. I know I can't change the world and that I can't help every student but I am sure going to try. A student should never be made to feel the way my sister felt and they should have gotten to know more about her situation so they could have helped her in any way possible. There are so many people working in the education field that should not be and honestly it's just a paycheck to them, they could care less about the well being of the students! It breaks my heart. 


On a better note.....

So my husband had an extended weekend for MLK Day(Fri-Mon off) and after the rough week I had he made sure he did everything he could to make me feel better! Friday night he took me to dinner & we were suppose to go to a movie with some friends but I just wasn't feeling up to it! He went with the guys and I went home, put my PJS on, ate some chocolate chip cookies and watched Say Yes to the Dress, my idea of a perfect Friday night :) (haha) 

Saturday wasn't anything too exciting, I did schoolwork most of the afternoon and we just chilled at home. Sunday, I finished up my paper and then my husband and I went out to dinner at his choice --Buffalo Wild Wings & then he took me to get Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory! Yummy. 

Funniest thing, my husband has been wanting to check out this store called Trader Joes, it's got a lot of organic food & grass fed meat, etc etc. Well, here we were in Southern CA and we saw chicken from Mifflintown, PA, which is our hometown. We were shocked and all I can say is what a small world it is!!!

xoxo,

Sarah P.