At the UNLV Grad College celebration for doc graduates.

First of all, to those of you who have been following me for years, a huge thank you. If you’ve been following me for a little while or you’re just stopping by to visit, you may have noticed that I had gone dark, meaning no new posts here and little by way of social media. That’s because on May 12, 2018, I had the thrill of a lifetime as I crossed the stage at the Thomas and Mack Center at UNLV with my very own PhD.

I had the goal of completing my PhD from the time I finished my Master’s degree, but one thing or another caused me to set that dream aside. In 2014, I decided it was time to get ‘er done and get ‘er done I did. I’m happy with the way my dissertation turned out, even if it meant months of hair pulling (my own, mostly). I was able to complete my dissertation on topics close to my heart—creativity and storytelling—and my committee chair said that my research was groundbreaking, which was lovely to hear. My goal when I set out to write my dissertation was to do something new, something different. So many professors said there was nothing new to do because everything had been done. I didn’t agree, and I was determined to carve out my own place in scholarship. I’m still digesting the experience and trying to understand what it all meant, but I’m grateful for everything I learned.

I told a friend recently that even when I wasn’t in class, completing classwork, teaching classes at the university, or working on my dissertation I found that my doctoral duties were always on my mind. This last year was the toughest since all my energy was focused on my dissertation—devising the study, writing my exam and passing the defense, writing my proposal and passing the defense, completing the study itself, and then finishing my dissertation and passing the defense…whew! But pass I did thanks to a great team of professors who understood my vision and encouraged me the whole way.

I knew when I began the doctoral program that it would take time away from other writing, but I made the decision to complete my degree because there was something in me saying I needed to check the box for that life goal. Now I have the brain space to resume writing Down Salem Way. The second installment in the Hembry Castle chronicles, When We Danced at Hembry Castle, is next on the horizon. There’s so much I’m looking forward to these days.

After the ceremony when I was all official. Hooded and out!

Achieving a goal is hard work, certainly. It can be stressful and cause sleepless nights, and there were definitely times over the last four years when I wondered why I was putting myself through such strain. Yet somehow I never thought to give up. I believe in the power of resilience. I believe in staying focused on your dreams and putting one foot in front of the other, inching closer and closer until that dream becomes a reality. Whatever your goals are, I hope you discover the stubbornness within you that will help you reach that goal. That’s really what achieving a goal is—stubbornness and the refusal to be put off when the going gets tough.

Another friend asked me how I felt now that my doctoral program was done. I told her I’m happy to be on this side of the experience. I’m glad I did it, but I’m also glad to be finished. It’s time to start looking for new challenges and new opportunities.