GOAL REFLECTION ESSAY

Reflecting on my Personal and Professional Goals

by Casey Platt

Although I completed my bachelor’s degree in secondary education, I realized after graduating that teaching in a traditional K-12 classroom setting might not be my passion after all.

This discovery was difficult for me to handle, and just before experiencing a career crisis, I landed my first full-time job in higher education! Working with adult learners in a University setting was exciting for me, and at the time I felt as if I had finally found a career trajectory that made sense.

There are a few reasons I decided to begin my Master of Arts in Education program at Michigan State University 3 years ago:

First, I believed that a graduate degree would allow me more rapid career growth within higher education. University leadership and faculty all had graduate degrees, and most of my University colleagues were aware of this and were in the process of pursuing their degrees. I knew I enjoyed working in higher education, and figured that a master’s degree would enable me to grow into a leadership and/or faculty role within higher education.

Second, I felt a strong enthusiasm for learning and a passion for exploring the ways in which adults learn. It might sound strange, but I felt jealous of the adult learners I was serving as a Student Success Coach. I wanted to take part in discussions, read course materials, and be involved in the learning process! Therefore, I saw this as an opportunity to acquire some unique skills and knowledge about effective theories and strategies for teaching and learning that I could use in almost any higher education job.

Lastly, an important factor that compelled me to pursue my master’s degree was that my employer at the time offered generous tuition assistance.

So, with my career ambition, excitement for learning, and financial support, I jumped into my degree program head first in August 2017.

Now in September 2020, I realize that my personal and professional goals have evolved quite significantly. A lot has changed for me in the three years since I started my master’s program. I began a new job as a Career Advisor, I got married, bought a house, and have learned a lot in each of my classes. While these are all certainly positive things, they have caused a clear shift in my goals.

I’m still passionate about teaching and learning, but my life changes as well as my time as a Career Advisor have inspired me to consider more lucrative educator roles outside of higher education. I’ve discovered that a career in Learning and Development is aligned with my enthusiasm for designing unique and engaging learning experiences for adults, and so I have been pursuing those career opportunities.

Although my career goals have changed, my academic goals and passion for adult learning have remained the same, and I’m confident that my Master of Arts in Education degree will serve me not only as an important life milestone, but as an essential achievement in the pursuit of my personal and professional goals.