… and I’m finally able to share it!
I’ve been holding this close to the chest for a few months now, because although the decision has already been finalized, letting the dust settle and having everything gel into place has been a very cathartic way to prepare for the change this decision brings.
In fact, I’ve been in a system of self-catharsis since last summer on my 25th birthday. Things weren’t as I’d imagined they’d be when I hit the age of 25, and I immediately knew that I needed to take time to reflect on my career, explore new options and test the waters at learning new skills both inside and outside of work in order to move forward in my life.
It’s been quite a year (almost). I’ve set and achieved many personal goals and I’ve done things in the last year that I didn’t think I was capable of before now – and the goals are just getting bigger and bigger as time goes on. It’s the small wins like donating blood for the first time, learning to drive a standard car, learning the art of letterpress printing, renewing my love of bicycling, drastically changing my eating habits and running a 5km race that have helped me get to a place where I’m about to change the course of my career in a very exciting way.
So, after many personal milestones in the last year, a lot of studying for a big test (the GMAT), and an application that many people helped put the finishing touches on, I’ve been accepted to the Masters of Management Science (Marketing) Program at the Queen’s School of Business for September 2012.
That’s right, I’m going back to school.
It’s not just going back to school for the sake of education, but a careful career move. I am pursuing a field of deep personal interest, one that can shape the next steps that I take in my career. I have plenty of big ideas as to where this move may take me in the future, and I’m over the moon to be embarking on this journey.
And, at the same time, it is a decision that further exemplifies the amount of change I’ve been able to make, and will continue to make in my life over the 12 months that I will be studying. I have to pack up, and move away from a city that I’ve truly made into a home. I have to say goodbye – even if only temporarily – to both family and friends, and I have to drastically adapt my day-to-day schedule to be an effective student; a very different kind of student than I was when I studied for my undergrad.
This time, the stakes are very different; they are more defined, more specific, and more enticing.
It’s another large shift in my career path, one that I’m confident will open up many new directions for a career path that is more and more focused on learning, teaching, and the general pursuit of knowledge. So stay tuned, and wish me luck!
