This skit is very significant in my life at the moment. Not because I plan on making music with Kanye West but people that know of or heard this skit, tease and joke about my life as it pertains to this skit.  The subject matter is about getting another degree and in general having so many degrees.  At first, it was funny, then it became irritating, now I just embrace it. In fact it has even become part of the soundtrack to my life. I have accepted my pursuit of education as part of my life goals. I chuckle every time people ask me what I am doing in life and I tell them I’m working on my second Master’s. If you could see the facial expressions on people's faces and their non-verbal expression, they are priceless. What can I say, I enjoy learning and it’s so much to learning and I have many miles to go. 

 

          In August, I would have finished my second Master’s degree in Educational Technology (MAET) at Michigan State University.  This is a great achievement although, in my eyes, my education is not complete until I have obtained my PhD in media and film studies at NYU, Northwestern, or UPenn.  In the midst of this program, the in between phase from Master’s to PhD became clear.  I realized I wanted to move on to become an instructional designer or educational technologist. Hopefully, I will be able to secure one of these positions and continue to hone my skills in educational technology. This degree will complement my future long-term goal of being a professor by allowing me to incorporate more diversity into my teaching methods and course structures. 

 

“I'm a constant learner. You need to be a constant student because things change and you have to change and grow. And I emphasize the word grow."  

 

                                                      ~Hilary Hinton "Zig" Ziglar

 

             If there is anything I know, it’s that I will forever be a student and learner in both the formal and informal education spheres. I have realized that I can take the things I enjoy, hobbies for example, and let them become my life’s focus. What I enjoy most are cooking, culture, pop culture (comics, film, video games, television), and I want and plan to continue growing my knowledge of all of them. If I could knock out culture and cooking by going to another country, that would be fantastic.  While working on my first Master’s degree during my 2009 study aboard trip to France, I fell in love with Paris. I am not sure how this happened, but it was probably because for the first time I was immersed in a completely different culture. It was the biggest culture shock I ever experienced, and I loved every moment of it. The food, people, history, culture, and major difference in language; I could not get enough. I remember when I first arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), and being so scared that I would die of thirst because I didn’t think anyone spoke English and at the time I didn’t know how to order water in French. Being there for those couple of weeks made a major impact on my life forever. I am not sure when I will be able to have a similar experience like that, but, in the meantime, I'll settle for Food Network and the Travel Channel. As for pop culture, I find myself increasing my book arsenal about these various topics by the month.  The research that I am currently working on regarding pop culture continues to expand along with my book collection.

 

          I find it funny how my friends and family always make sure I stay in the know. They send me articles and tag me in posts on Facebook saying “have you seen that Thor is going to be a woman now” or “did you know they are making another Batman movie”. I smile at the fact they take an interest in and contribute to my learning experience. One thing I am still a bit unclear on is if I still want be obtain my ESL certificate. It’s a desire of mine to live overseas, and I would love to immerse myself in another country’s culture, food and language. In my professional life, I plan to keep attending academic conferences such as PCA/ACA National Conference and non-academic conferences like San Diego Comic Con or CES, seminars and workshops; whatever it may be to get in the in the places where information is being exchanged. These gatherings simply overflow with information and knowledge from people of various backgrounds, and that always makes for a chance to learn something new.