I didn’t get my first degree until I was 43, which was December 2019. As we all know, the world shut down very shortly after that in March of 2020. Since I was (and am still currently) in the healthcare field, I did not utilize my bachelor’s degree in Supervision and Management and continued working in the healthcare field as well as taking some part time positions in customer service and substitute teaching.

In addition, I would face another type of challenge between 2018 and 2022 which would influence my decision to stay in healthcare and utilize my workplaces degree seeking assistance to obtain a graduate degree beginning in January 2024 and finishing in March of 2026. It took me two years to decide which degree to pursue, I had originally thought Public Health, however, as I rebuilt my life and smashed the previous version of myself to bits in order to find the parts of myself which contributed to me allowing certain types of disrespect in my life, I determined that a degree in psychology would be a best fit.

Educational psychology combines education and psychology with the main focuses being on how humans acquire knowledge and the theoretical underpinnings of cognition and knowledge acquisition. The degree content was engaging, covering the History and Philosophy of Education, Diversity, Educational Psychology, Lifespan Development, Learning and Behavior, Cognitive Psychology, Neuropsychology, and so much more.

One of my greatest takeaways from the program is that Cognitive theories explain how experience is the catalyst for knowledge acquisition and behavioral change and that this is triadic. Triadic causation means that the more interactions and experiences an individual has leads to new (neuronal) connections which then leads to new interactions and experiences. This, in turn, explains people who excel and those who stagnate. The more you are willing to experience, the more neuronal connections you can form, the less you are willing to leave your comfort zone, the more stagnant you become. The brain is a muscle bruh, use it or lose it.

There was so much to be gained from this degree, and YES, I do see a PHD in my future as well. I have been blessed in my life by having a vibrant and dramatic landscape of experiences ranging from childhood abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, motherhood, familial suicide, marathon and ultra marathon running, domestic abuse, world travel, and so much more. The addition of this master’s degree at this time in my life ties all of my experiences together into an even richer and more incredible story. Never stop exploring, never stop learning, never stop growing, never stop trying, never accept failure, and never listen to anyone else’s narrative of who you are.