Becoming Dr. Liz

It was on my birthday in the year 2000 when I first understood the direction my life needed to take. Funny, isn’t it, how we have these glimmers of absolute clarity wedged within otherwise fairly murky days and weeks? On my birthday that year, I had a full 15 minutes on the agenda at a half-day workshop for nonprofit organizations; the seminar was to help grantseekers write more compelling — and successful — grant applications, and my role was to give them the foundation perspective, drawing heavily from my experience working at the Council on Foundations and writing for Foundation News & Commentary in DC.

(Aside: I also had some time on the agenda more towards the beginning where my brother, coworker Tim, and I staged what I believe was a brilliant skit illustrating some of the more common mistakes grantseekers make. The picture in the paper the next day was of Tim leaning over me (I was sitting down), pointing at his forehead (he was asking, “Do I have _____ written on my forehead?” — the exact line of dialog escapes me now), and glaring, while I tried desperately not to burst out laughing. I only marginally succeeded.)

Those 15 minutes of speaking to the crowd literally changed my life — and I know that’s a cliche oft abused, but in this case, it was absolutely the truth. Hearing my voice over the PA system, seeing the eyes in the crowd trained on me as I conveyed years’ worth of knowledge in a few short minutes, and sensing the light bulbs of comprehension illuminating around me … those sensations were felt and appreciated within me for the first time in my life, and they inspired me to the realization that I am meant to teach.

That fall, I started a master’s program at Arkansas in journalism, and had the privilege and joy of teaching undergraduate news writing for several semesters that affirmed my earlier deductions. Since leaving Arkansas and returning to the workforce fulltime, I’ve continued taking classes and exposing myself to the classroom environment in an attempt to combat the nagging sense that I’m not using my talents as they should be used. I’m nearly done with another master’s program and am currently wandering around Web sites and graduate catalogs trying to figure out what my next conquest will be.

I was moments away from submitting my registration to take the December LSAT, fully intending to start law school next fall, but I hesitated. Last week, I spoke at TBUG and was grateful for my hesitation. Law school, no matter how appealing it sounds, just is not the direction I need to go. My only hope of finding true professional fulfillment, I’m convinced, is as a higher ed teacher, and my next step must be calculated to get me closer to that goal. It just MUST.

With that in mind, I’m currently weighing a graduate program in political science. My graduate course this fall at TWU has been one of the most enjoyable educational experiences of my life (and Lord knows I’ve experienced enough to make the competition fierce!). I couldn’t move straight to a Ph.D. — in fact, I’m a couple of undergraduate courses deficient to even begin a master’s program, but I am increasingly convinced a Ph.D. in political science (or some closely related field) is my best option.

I wouldn’t be starting this journey until probably fall 2005 — I still have a semester left of library school, and can use my relatively lighter courseload to correct my deficiencies concurrent to applying for fall admission.

I bring this up and ‘splain myself mostly to get your feedback — what do you think? Any suggestions of other academic disciplines at which I ought to take a look? Think I should go forth with the law school plan after all? Give me your thoughts!!