Five Things I'm Glad I Did

After a post on five things I wish I did differently as a student, I decided to look at the other side of the coin and reflect on five things that I am really glad that I did as a student.

1. Studied a broad liberal arts education. I approached all of my courses - whether Chemistry, Creative Writing or World War I - with an intent to learn. At the undergraduate level, I majored in the Humanities with a focus on History, Religious Studies and Literature and minored in Exercise Physiology. At the graduate level, I majored in International Studies. I developed the ability to think broadly using many different lenses and to make sense of complex interdisciplinary systems, which is a skill I use day in and day out in my career.

2. Stayed healthy. I exercised often, ate my fruits and vegetables, got adequate sleep and avoided addictive toxic substances. A healthy body feeds a healthy mind.

3. Made good friends. All the academic literature on student success highlights how important it is for students to form positive support networks. I chose to surround myself with students, faculty and staff that made me a better person and challenged me personally and academically. I stay close to many of these people to this day and they continue to have a positive impact on my life - first and foremost my amazing spouse.

4. Worked hard. I remember that the neighbor in my dorm had a sign on his door: "Hard work pays off in the future but partying pays off now." Well, the future is now here and the adage holds true. The discipline and focus that I developed through sustained hard work serves me well to this day.

5.   Pushed outside my comfort zone. I have 29 aunts and uncles and over 50 cousins, and almost all of them live within a 60 mile radius of St. Cloud, Minnesota. As time passes, I am gaining a greater appreciation of how fortunate I am to have such strong family roots. Yet, my life has unfolded in wonderful ways as I have unbounded my educational and career pursuits. It was uncomfortable to move away for my undergraduate education and then to move even further afield for my graduate degree, but pushing outside my comfort zone has enlivened many opportunities.