I really love PROMISE....

This semester has been one of the hardest ones yet. Trying to get a doctoral degree is like climbing a mountain and the closer you get to the top, the steeper the climb feels, the wearier your muscles, the weaker your resolve ("WHY did I decide to do this again??"). But PROMISE has been there for me the whole way, and even though I've been cutting back a lot on a lot of things, the program deserves at least this note to say: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

I have never before witnessed program leadership that was so dedicated to helping students build useful, specific skills that will boost us toward a successful career in academia, to meeting graduate students' needs where we are, no matter how desperate or hopeless.. I mean, not that we are ever desperate or hopeless or anything... aww, who am I kidding?

But really, when those desperate times do hit, PROMISE is there. When we just need to bounce ideas off of someone neutral who we know is an advocate for us, PROMISE is there. When we need to practice, or learn, or share, or just relax, PROMISE is always there. I can't imagine how I would still be dedicated to getting this degree if PROMISE had not been there for me. Hey, that rhymes..


And, like any truly good thing, PROMISE doesn't just stay put. It has expanded from a dream of its leadership to a network of caring professionals and true friends who can't help but continue to spread the potential of excellence. The people that I have met because PROMISE found me give added meaning and value to my life. And I have also found PROMISE in myself; this program has helped me realize that it was there all along.