Should You Go to Grad School?

Sometimes, you get to be a part of something that feels so important, so meaningful, so much greater than you are that it will always be remembered as your once in a lifetime.

That's how I feel about my time spent at The Erikson Institute.  Erikson was not only where I went to graduate school.  It's where I came to understand my place in something greater.

I have a colleague who thinks that graduate school is a waste of money.  He believes that  you can learn everything you need to know online or in print.  Let me say this: I do believe you can become a lot smarter by being an avid reader.  However, in my opinion, you pay to go to the best grad school so that you can sit in the room with the smartest people in your field.  You set yourself up to have personal relationships with professors that are top researchers, will provide you with reflective supervision and will take an interest in your career.  And at the core of "sitting in the room with the smartest people" are the other students.  I wanted to be a shared learner, friend and future collaborator with the most intelligent, diverse group of students possible.  

Those were my intentions.  To get smarter.  And to find a high paying job in a field I loved (oops- should have picked a different field).  But it became so much more.  I couldn't help but be caught up in the wonder of the multi-disciplinary approach.  The faculty at Erikson are not only teaching; they are producing leading research that is impacting policies and programs, spearheading community initiatives and new schools and providing direct services to families in need. 

Yes, I left Erikson with a great education, relationships with smart people, and an attractive job offer at Loyola.  But more importantly, I left with increased vision, purpose and resolve to do what's right in the lives of kids and their families.

Sometimes I'll take the hard road, make risky career choices, push people to have dialogues and make changes that they weren't ready for.  But I've been set on a course that is right, is needed, is in my heart and has been nurtured.  And I'm forever grateful.





Photos were taken on a recent visit to The Erikson Institute.  A special thanks to Stephanie Bynum who took me on a tour of the new building and spent time collaborating with me on a special project.

Posted in: Chicago,Intentional Living