Part of the Journey Is the End…
–Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man
This class marks the start of your journey toward earning your Ph.D. in English in the Graduate Studies in Composition and Applied Linguistics (CAL) program.
It’s a long journey, and this class is only one stop along the way. I’m glad I was here to help you begin.
I won’t kid you, it’s going to be a tough journey. You’re going to travel far and you’re going to get tired. Sometimes it will feel like you are trying to reach the mountain Neil Gaiman talked about, far off in the distance. Sometimes you will feel tired or frustrated or discouraged. The journey might start to feel too hard. There may be detours or obstacles or setbacks. Sometimes you might stumble and lose your way. And, on the worst days, things will grow dark and it will be hard to find the path forward.
That’s why I’m giving you this lantern. It will light your way. Keep it where you can see it. Use it as a reminder of the light inside you, the light burning to learn and to think and to read and to write. Each person has a light inside them, a fire and energy that can be harnessed to accomplish great things.
So, on the day when things seem dark or you are discouraged, find this lantern. Light the candle inside. And remember that you have a story to tell of how you became a teacher scholar and earned your Ph.D. and shown bright for all the world to see.
So keep going. Don’t give up. Do the work. Do what it takes. Push yourself. You don’t have to be the best or the smartest person, you just have to be determined. You have to keep telling yourself, I won’t stop until I reach the end. I’ll just keep going, no matter what. Because part of the journey is the end.