Some students become intellectual children and stay close to home. Every once in a while, some chemistry happens between a student and a faculty that somehow bonds the two. It's a good feeling, that has overtones of successes and pride and optimism.
Lisa, Michelle, Erica and Jamie are good examples. It's more than us being Facebook friends or connected through LinkedIn. We went through the tough times of working out the research, plugging through the details of writing and data analysis. We shared some sweat and tears. By the time we had reached the graduation side of the mountain, we were friends who had shared a rite of passage in life.
Rite of passage. Graduate education has that potential to be more than getting a degree. It's about becoming someone new, with eyes open, sleeves rolled up, and enthusiasm in approaching the next challenge. This doesn't make either me or the student smarter, but it does make us each more than we were before. And, for that I am as grateful as for the new friendships.
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