It's about to go doooooowwwwn….

Tomorrow is the BIG day and I'm feeling all sorts of ways. I'm extremely nervous. I'm tired. I've tried to run through my presentation several times and have been totally unsuccessful. I'm overwhelmed. I'm literally feeling it ALL.

I'm trying hard to release and settle into what I know. I trust that it is all within me, but geesh. This is not easy.

BREAAAAAAATHHHHHE!!!

God, I'm just gonna do what I know…PRAY. You know everything that I feel. You know all the thoughts, emotions, this lump in my throat. I surrender it all to you right now. Please comfort and strengthen me. Please provide the right words and go before me and create the right energy in the room and in the committee. Lord, please cover me.

If there is anything that I know from this whole journey, it is that I should trust you…and trust in me. I have arrived at this moment because it is my time. I am capable. I am brilliant. I am articulate. I am ALL that I need. I am whole and complete…and I have you.

So I lay it all down now before You…and I thank you in advance.

Here it goes...

Wow. Just wow…and Thank You!

This past weekend I had the privilege to travel with a group of students from Howard to be inducted into the Edward Bouchet Graduate Honors Society at Yale University. It was an extremely humbling and memorable time.

I met and mingled with scholars across disciplines from about ten other Universities around the country. I learned about research that examines human bones to make determinations about race and mental health. I met a gentleman who is doing work to enhance response to safety alerts in cars. I met a sister whose research enhances the capacity of batteries…brilliant ideas beyond my wildest imagination. And I got to be among the many, presenting my own research to this distinguished group.

I was dog tired, but so excited and proud. I met some great people, and really experienced a defining moment in my PhD experience.

Look what God is doing all en route to the completion of this process. Who would have thunk that all of these blessings would have been granted to me along this journey.

#atalossforwords

Thank You.

Introducing…Dr. Jessica A. Pryce!

I remember when we first met. It was in room 336 and we all sat around the conference-style table anxiously waiting to embark on this academic journey.

There were seven of us then. For various reasons, only two of us now make up our cohort. We have weathered EVERYTHING together.

Today, I witnessed one of THE best oral defenses I have seen here. It was concise. It was informative. It was inspiring. And now, it is finished!

Today, my colleague and dear friend completed one of the last major milestones on the road to graduation. I am SUPER proud.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Jessica Pryce on a job extremely well done!!

Now, I'm ready.

I have known that my advisor had planned to schedule my defense date for about a month now. I've known for the past two weeks, at least, when the official date was going to be. However, I did not fully own that I was actually graduating until about five minutes ago.

I've been going at it with my documents for the past few weeks. Struggling to make sure that I've given my best and that I accurately honored the voices of the teens who lent their voices to this work. I was unsure and anxious about whether or not what I wrote was good enough. Scholarly enough. Strong enough.

About 140 pages into edits this afternoon I still wasn't convinced, but was trying hard to force a conclusion so I could send it off to the committee.

It wasn't until stepping away and really taking in what this work means and what value is in the messages of those youth that I really felt complete.

Finally, after over 5 years, I feel like I've produced what I came here for.

This is definitely just the brink of another beginning, but I am UTTERLY ecstatic that I can finally feel like "that's a wrap"…well, real soon!

I'm graduating, y'all!!!!

Power in Unpredictability.

Here's a powerful message from the 21-day meditation I have been doing. I place it here just as a reminder for me…and you too.

"Day 17 - Taking Advantage of Unpredictability

“If you put yourself in a situation of unpredictability and then find that it's completely possible to accept it, then you become an observer.” – David Tudor

Today we look at unpredictability in a new light. Typically we find unpredictability stress-inducing because it forces us to move out of our comfort zones of expectations, beliefs, and hopes. A change in plans from what we hoped for is often felt as a disappointment or failure. But if we can see beyond the apparent randomness of life and recognize that a larger purpose is always being served, then we can relax and welcome unpredictability, and observe how we can redirect our efforts to contribute to the bigger picture that is unfolding.

Our meditation today opens our awareness to this grand purpose of the evolving universe and its infinite creative possibilities."

Save the Date.

So, yesterday, I got the official word that my dissertation defense will take place in less than two weeks.

So many emotions, and so much to do, but I really just had to take a moment and take in the fact that IT IS HAPPENING!!

The finish line is nearing. Can't stay here long because I gotta keep pushing, but prayer is definitely welcomed, please and thank you!

#getthiswork