In 2016, I began reflecting on my career of over
30 years. I enjoyed what I did, but needed a change. I thought that I was finished
with my schooling and that my job was a career until retirement, but as I
reflected, I could see how my work was no longer as fulfilling it once was. I
needed more.
I was a school counselor and loved connecting with my students and colleagues but wanted to provide more in-depth therapy to others. I was 53 and realized that I qualified for early retirement at 55, but the pay was significantly less when retiring at the age of 55 rather than if I waited eight more years. Could I wait eight or ten more years?
I knew that I needed a change, but more importantly, I needed fulfillment. A job that fulfilled me for over 30 years no longer gave me joy. That realization catapulted me to begin looking for educational programs that would allow me to provide a deeper level of counseling to people needing therapeutic services. After talking to professors and evaluating the program at a university near my home, I decided to take the plunge. Before finalizing my retirement, I made some appointments with the retirement system that I belonged to. We needed to see how my husband and I could manage our finances. We realized that it would be difficult, but it could be done.
My choice was first to add to my current master's degree but found that I needed to pursue a new master's degree from start to finish, and it would take two years (if I attended full-time) to complete. The other option was to take three years and get my doctorate in the same field. At first, my plan was to go to school part-time, but the more I thought about it, I realized that I wanted to complete my degree more quickly. I began the process of applying. I requested letters of recommendation, filled out paperwork for my ancient transcripts (they were on microfilm), and completed the application. I practically held my breath when I pushed the button to submit my application. The journey had begun.
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