Dear Friends,
So, a bit of big news. For the last few months I’ve been musing with the idea of going back to school. This won’t surprise those who know me best. Since I was a child I’ve had an insatiable intellectual curiosity. The reasons compelling me to go back to school are rooted in a desire to replenish myself after years of working 120 work weeks to get the press off the ground and dealing with numerous serious health issues over the last 18 months. In the end, I want to do something just for myself and pursing my next degree is a dream of mine I’ve been putting off for too long. So I started looking into a few programs. I submitted a few applications and took a few placement tests and am thrilled (and overwhelmed) to announce that in January I’ll start my studies at Harvard University. I’ll be pursuing a degree in English and Creative Writing!
Those of you who’ve known me over the years, know that the path to this opportunity has been a long and hard one. Following a number of difficulties to befall my family during my senior year in high school, college was completely out of reach for me. For the 10 years following my high school graduation I was the student of the public library, gathering my education within the stacks and from secondhand textbooks. The fact that I now have the opportunity to attend college, let alone Harvard, is surreal. I feel deeply grateful, exhilarated and (to be honest) a little freaked out (mainly when thinking about the student loan.) I’m heading over to Cambridge at the end of the month to orient myself to the campus!
The lesson reaffirmed after all this: Always—always, fight for your dreams and never let anyone dictate what is and isn’t possible in your life.
~
Post script: Since sharing this news on social media, I have received numerous messages from people who have gone through the same struggle and persevered. It is deeply moving to learn that I’m not alone and that there are so many fighters out there!
