In Ways I Could Not Measure

Katie Steed

Associate Clinical Professor, Counseling Psychology and Special Education

Obtaining the education I have was not my first option for life. I thought surely I’d be married with a child or two well before receiving my undergraduate degree. However, as my graduation day drew closer, I found myself a bit shocked and overwhelmed that my single status stayed quite constant and real. In my state of confusion, I ran into a dear friend I had made in my college courses. She was a non-traditional student who had come back to finish her degree after she had raised her five children. I told her that I was trying to figure out what to do and she commented, “You should go to grad school.” I said that I could see myself doing that someday and she looked me right in the eyes and said, “Katie, you’re not married, you don’t have any babies, and life is not going to get any easier. Now is your time to go to grad school and get all the education that you can.” She was absolutely right, and I began to fill out my application that night.

The opportunities and blessings that have come through choosing to push myself through the pathways of educational degrees have blessed my life in ways I could not measure. I have come to learn that knowledge not only means power, it also means flexibility. As life has progressed, I have found myself married with three sweet little babies. My education has granted me the ability to be the mom I want to be while still having the ability to juggle a career that I love.

I find myself feeling very fulfilled and satisfied at the end of every day because of the various opportunities I have been given to utilize my talents and gifts both as a homemaker and professional in the work force. I get to spend one moment kissing boo-boos and the very next lecturing on the critical court cases that have defined the field of special education. And when all is said and done, I have the opportunities daily to know that I am making a lasting impact on the lives of children.