A lot of online students write and talk about all the work
we have to do, all the sacrifices to be made and the rigor that is forced upon
us and sometimes it can sound a little like complaining. But the truth is many of us really love this
stuff and all of us see value in it. I’m
glad for all of you that read my blog posts and to those who take the time to
write me about it I just want you all to know that I really, really appreciate
it. Recently I was shocked with a “stick
with it, you’re almost done” kind of email which got me to wondering “wow, do I
really make things sound that bad?” and I suppose it can be taken that way at
times. So here is a brief list of things
that I am thankful for being an online student.
I am thankful for
1.) eLearners
and the wonderful people who run this site.
Being able to write about my experience in this blog has been therapeutic
for me at times and has been one of the true joys I have had in my long tenure
as a student. Being a moderator on the
forums and blogging has enabled me to help others and has only compounded the
sincere gratitude I have for eLearners and I just wanted to thank Victoria,
Helen, Steve and the whole eLearners team for giving me a chance to do this. It’s wonderful!
2.) Ashford
University for an unbending rigor
combined with people who truly care about my success. I feel fortunate to have found such a
wonderful school filled with wonderful people and I simply cannot wait to meet
some of them in December.
3.) Those
of you who read my blog. Really there is
nothing like the thrill of getting an email from a reader telling me how much I’ve
helped them or inspired them. It is
truly a humbling experience and it fills me with joy to know I’ve made a
difference in my own small way. When I
was first starting out I remember being helped along by a guy that I consider a
saint and here I am helping others in my own turn.
4.) My
family for being so supportive. My wife
who supports me unendingly, my sister in law who is soon to be an Excelsior
College student (go Jodi) and my brother who is a graduate of Colorado Tech and
soon to be a graduate student at Southwestern College in their Master of
Science in Leadership (which I have no problem being on record as declaring to
be the best pure leadership program in the country). These are the people who currently live with
me and although we are like a noisy version of the Brady Bunch it has been an
experience I will always remember and cherish.
I’m even thankful for my wonderful and very cute nieces who live with
me, Reagan and Riley. Riley is the loud
one for those of you who must know…kind of like a 50 pound 2 ½ foot tall air
raid siren, but I digress.
5.) I
am thankful to God for all that he has provided for me and for all the opportunities
that have been made available to me.
6.) I
am thankful to Southwestern College
for adequately preparing me for the rigors of graduate school. I cannot imagine jumping from a lesser school
into a program as demanding as the Ashford MBA.
If I do graduate with a 4.0GPA it is in no small part due to what I
learned about work ethic from Southwestern.
7.) My
dog and cat. No matter how stressed I
get they are always a willing friend, my dog on my terms and my cat…well…more
on his own terms.
8.) My
job. It’s a love, hate relationship but
there are a lot of people out there with far less supportive employers so I am
thankful for what they have done for me.
9.) I
am thankful for my new house. It still
feels new…but thanks to my nieces it has a nice, casual, lived in feel
now. Kind of like my favorite
jeans.
10.)
Last but not least I am thankful that I couldn’t fit
all that I am thankful for in a 10 point list.
How’s that for upbeat?