For those of you looking for a quick and inspirational summer read, I recommend Michael J Fox's (2009) Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist.

I entered a graduate school program for Student Affairs and Higher Education because I wanted to ignite students with the passion to create change, just as my mentors did for me while at Allegheny College. I wanted to work with students to help them put their dreams into action, and to believe in the power of their imagination.  As I reflected on my own journey, I realized that few have doubted my knowledge and abilities, and those that did were supportive while I worked to prove their initial assumptions false.  While reading Fox's work, I realized that I was not treating the students I work alongside with the same respect and optimistic lens as did the mentors that encouraged me throughout my undergraduate career. Perhaps this is the reason that my sense of purpose was lacking, and my soul was not as fulfilled as I longed for it to be during my first year of graduate studies. I did not believe enough in the student’s ability. While I spent my time doubting my students, my own internal hope starved.

Fox (2009) frequently mentions the power of perspective; this is a lesson I carry with me, and I will implement it into my practice with students come fall.  Fox mentions how quickly one can turn a pessimistic thought into an optimistic one simply by viewing the situation from a different angle. This seems like such a simple concept, but it is beneficial to remind yourself of this valuable concept on occasion. Fox reminds his readers that they choose their attitudes and optimism is a choice. His simple and applicable advice inspired me to begin envisioning a productive and fulfilling second year of graduate school, and continue on to make positive change throughout my life. I realized that I lost much of my hope, inspiration, and optimism in transition. Like Fox, I needed to learn to cope with transitioning to a new phase of life. Fox discusses his transition from a healthy and active lifestyle to life as a Parkinson’s patient. His book chronicles his journey through this difficult diagnosis.

Although I am far from the trials and tribulations of Parkinson’s disease, transitioning to graduate school was a journey I initially was not prepared to navigate. I excelled in the classroom, developed relationships, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but once I paused, I recognized a change in how I viewed the world and my place in it. Fortunately, Fox allowed me to regain my optimistic vision and commitment to truly be the change I desire to see. Ironically, I needed someone in constant motion to remind me to pause. Parkinson’s patients have a difficult time starting and stopping any motion. For me however, this summer is crucial because it allowed me to stop moving and reflect. Myself, and many others who are passionate about creating change, often do not take the time to simply pause. I needed someone in constant motion to remind me to pause, slow down, and reflect on where my optimistic views were hiding, and why my visionary imagination was diminishing.  Thanks to Fox's simplistic and realistic advice, I have reclaimed my optimisim and am inspired with undying hope and optimisim for what is to come!

One of the best things about my particular position at my
institution (a 10-month, residence life coordinator post) is that I do not work
in June or July.  I use this time
to recharge and plan for the fall, and I also find myself reading a great deal
for pleasure, a luxury that sometimes falls by the wayside during the academic
year.  Being the geek that I am,
sometimes this reading for pleasure overlaps with my interest in higher
education and students.

 Last week I read God’s Harvard: A Christian College on a
Mission to Save America by Hanna Rosin. 
Rosin details the experiences of students at Patrick Henry College, an
institution founded in 1998 to serve students who are primarily home-schooled
for elementary and secondary school and come from conservative evangelical
Christian homes.  PHC offers
degrees in government and classic liberal arts, and does not receive any
federal financial support.  Patrick
Henry has quickly developed a reputation as a proving ground for students who
are interested in working in the federal government for conservative members of
congress, or within other political roles.  Patrick Henry College aspires to be an Ivy League – quality
institution for conservative Christian students.

In the name of full-disclosure, I am not a particularly
spiritual person, and I am skeptical of most organized religions, especially
fundamentalist Christian sects.  I
picked up God’s Harvard because I am always interested in learning about
different kinds of institutions, and Penn State is certainly a polar opposite
of Patrick Henry College.  I was
also interested in what the student experience would be like at an institution
where religious faith and doctrine are valued above all other attributes.

Rosin does a good job of painting a picture of what it is
like to learn and work at Patrick Henry College. The students that she chose to
follow are diverse (by PHC standards) and have unique experiences and reasons
for choosing Patrick Henry College. 
Rosin really illustrates the tensions that exist when some students want
to push their limits and explore who they are at PHC.  She also brings to life what it is like to teach at an
institution where evangelical principles must permeate all aspects of the
curriculum and secular perspectives are intentionally ignored (and in my
opinion, academic freedom is severely limited).

In all, God’s Harvard was an eye-opening read that I would
very much recommend to others in student affairs.  It made me think about the importance of the work we do in
student affairs and how our unique perspective and training is very much
lacking at Patrick Henry College.