Just over two years ago I decided to head back to school. I only received an Associates Degree my first time around and it has been lingering within me ever since I left. I would often attempt to convince myself that I didn?t need to go back because it was useless and a waste of time and money. I think that I mostly feared the effort and time to return and complete a degree.

When I left Altra in 2016 I still had no intention of returning to school. After getting laid off from a job as Director of E-Commerce I decided to do consulting full-time. This then freed up time for me. My wife started working full-time as a Registered Nurse so we had steady income and benefits. No time seemed to better than then to pursue my degree.

Initially, I returned thinking that I might teach someday. That idea hasn?t completely evaporated, but I am unsure if that is where my future direction will be.?Upon returning I debated as to what to pursue as a major. I have been in business and marketing for the past fifteen plus years so that seemed like a no-brainer, but it also seemed somewhat boring and mundane to me. I needed something that would be more engaging and challenging. I then decided to pursue something that would cause me to think, challenge ideas, become a more proficient writer, and be able to study and read a lot. This led me into majoring in Philosophy with a minor in History.

Well, fast-forward two years and lots of reading, studying, and philosophizing, and I have completed that degree. I am now officially a college graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Philosophy from Utah Valley University. I now can proudly display that piece of paper. It is more than a new banner for the office wall. It is an accomplishment.

I feel like I have benefited greatly from my studies. They were classes that I was interested in (at least most of them, I could do without formal logic). They were topics that I could directly engage with. They stretched me. They challenged my views, beliefs, and concepts of the world and how it is now. They gave me a deeper look inside myself to open up to diverse thoughts, ideas, and cultures. There is much in this world that we can fix. There is much that we can do to make it a better place. It all begins within each of us, individually.

I am grateful for the support of my beloved wife and each of my children over these past two years. They cheered me. They picked up the slack. They gave me space when I needed long study days. They were my greatest benefactors.

Now that I have graduated I am still unsure what I really want to be when I grow up, but I know a little more of what is important to me. I want to experience more beautiful places, sacred and wonderful experiences, diverse individuals that I meet, and capture these moments in time. Pursuing photography has been one way for me to do that. I also hope to write more and continue to read a lot.

So, here is to the next chapter and whatever that entails!