The Big Big Dream
There has been this prevailing desire within me to get a degree. For several years now I've wanted to attend Trinity Western University and complete either a psychology or sociology degree. Then, from there, to complete a masters degree in conflict management.
Time and money have been the reasons that I've put off actually doing it. Excuses maybe?
But why not?
So, I took a step a few weeks ago. I sent an email to the admissions department, basically laid it all out there, as in "hi, I'm a 48 yr old women, working professional, who dropped out of highschool...what are the chances of TWU admitting me?"
I received a call back a few days later. The lady on the phone explained PLAR (prior learning and life experience) and I'm now enrolling in a PLA course where they will help me put together a porfolio of all my prior learning, life and work experience, volunteer experience and, yes, even the self learning I've done by way of books I've read. Interesting.
They also have an accelerated adult degree completion program...basically, if they grant me enough credit on my PLAR to equate to about 2 years of university, then it will take me 18 months to get the other 2 years, and I'll have a BA in Leadership. Upon reflection, if my new dream is to lead people and organizations through conflict, then a leadership degree makes more sense than a psych or socio degree.
And if they don't grant me the credit I hope for, well, I'll just have to slog away at it, and put more time in, won't I? You see, any dream worth having and chasing down will require sacrifice and work. No dream comes easy.
That is step 1 of my big big dream.
Step 2 is to do a masters degree in conflict transformation; Eastern Mennonite University has a conflict transformation and peace studies program while Fresno Pacific University has a masters in conflict transformation specializing in church conflict, peace studies and identity based conflict. I imagine by the time I'm ready to go, I'll have made up my mind which one to pursue.
Then, perhaps there is a step 3 ... a PhD in restorative justice and peace processes from Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. Who says you should dream reasonably attainable dreams only?
Obviously, at some point, I need to put all this to use; that is, after all, the purpose of "the call". And I certainly hope to put it all to good use before, and not after I've achieved step 2 or 3. That's why I continue to volunteer as a restorative justice mediator, and look for opportunities to come alongside people who could use some help in their conflicts. Eventually, and hopefully sooner, than later, I'll leave my current career, and move into fulltime conflict and peacemaking work. One step, one day at a time.
There is a purpose to this desire...there is purpose to every good and beneficial desire... and that is the reason I believe we are to follow and chase down the desires of our hearts, no matter how many naysayers tell you that you're crazy. I'm blessed to have naysayers who shake their heads at the fact that I want to leave a career that has been very good to me financially, ( but just doesn't float my boat when it comes to purpose fulfillment ) then after they shake their heads, they tell me, "if that's what you think you really want to do"... and I am reminded again, "yeah, abso-freakin-lutely, that is what I want to do!".
So, I'm doing it!
Time and money have been the reasons that I've put off actually doing it. Excuses maybe?
But why not?
So, I took a step a few weeks ago. I sent an email to the admissions department, basically laid it all out there, as in "hi, I'm a 48 yr old women, working professional, who dropped out of highschool...what are the chances of TWU admitting me?"
I received a call back a few days later. The lady on the phone explained PLAR (prior learning and life experience) and I'm now enrolling in a PLA course where they will help me put together a porfolio of all my prior learning, life and work experience, volunteer experience and, yes, even the self learning I've done by way of books I've read. Interesting.
They also have an accelerated adult degree completion program...basically, if they grant me enough credit on my PLAR to equate to about 2 years of university, then it will take me 18 months to get the other 2 years, and I'll have a BA in Leadership. Upon reflection, if my new dream is to lead people and organizations through conflict, then a leadership degree makes more sense than a psych or socio degree.
And if they don't grant me the credit I hope for, well, I'll just have to slog away at it, and put more time in, won't I? You see, any dream worth having and chasing down will require sacrifice and work. No dream comes easy.
That is step 1 of my big big dream.
Step 2 is to do a masters degree in conflict transformation; Eastern Mennonite University has a conflict transformation and peace studies program while Fresno Pacific University has a masters in conflict transformation specializing in church conflict, peace studies and identity based conflict. I imagine by the time I'm ready to go, I'll have made up my mind which one to pursue.
Then, perhaps there is a step 3 ... a PhD in restorative justice and peace processes from Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. Who says you should dream reasonably attainable dreams only?
Obviously, at some point, I need to put all this to use; that is, after all, the purpose of "the call". And I certainly hope to put it all to good use before, and not after I've achieved step 2 or 3. That's why I continue to volunteer as a restorative justice mediator, and look for opportunities to come alongside people who could use some help in their conflicts. Eventually, and hopefully sooner, than later, I'll leave my current career, and move into fulltime conflict and peacemaking work. One step, one day at a time.
There is a purpose to this desire...there is purpose to every good and beneficial desire... and that is the reason I believe we are to follow and chase down the desires of our hearts, no matter how many naysayers tell you that you're crazy. I'm blessed to have naysayers who shake their heads at the fact that I want to leave a career that has been very good to me financially, ( but just doesn't float my boat when it comes to purpose fulfillment ) then after they shake their heads, they tell me, "if that's what you think you really want to do"... and I am reminded again, "yeah, abso-freakin-lutely, that is what I want to do!".
So, I'm doing it!
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