Grad School Dad

The idea is this: write a blog about a 33-year-old man just starting grad school, working a full-time blue-collar job as a CDL driver, and raising two young daughters, one three years old, the other six months old. This is a lifestyle rife with joy, challenges, drama, heartache, and open ended philosophical questions. I’m hoping to gain some clarity through writing and to start discussions with readers. Please leave a comment if you resonate with the situations or oppose my ideas. All comments good or bad are welcome.

A month before Sophie, The eldest, was born, I took a job delivering home heating oil in Massachusetts. This involves driving a small-ish straight tanker truck and delivering diesel fuel to peoples homes. It’s dirty work. Repetitive. And generally unfulfilling. Something needed to change.

When my wife became pregnant for the second time, I had a paternal reaction to provide. This was the real catalyst for the decision to go back to school. I needed to do something better for my family and for myself.

In order to show my daughters what it means to be a fulfilled person, I needed to pursue something with more meaning. As my résumé was a wreck, and still is, and enjoying learning and being halfway decent at school, I decided to look for a program.

What I ended up settling on was an MBA program a Johnson & Wales University. Basically, I chose this program because a blog on indeed listed MBA’s as one of the top 10 in demand graduate degrees in the job market. I wanted something that would lend me a job afterwards. For the past 10 years, my creative writing undergrad did not impress prospective employers, and my sloppy résumé did not help.

So while raising a two-year-old, while my wife is pregnant, and working overtime, I researched and applied to the program. I got in!

Right now, I’m on my second class. Classes are eight weeks and intense. During the first few weeks of the first class, before I build up any kind of confidence, I had many moments with my face in my hands wondering: “how am I gonna do this?”

It is not easy.

Juggling a grad school program with two young children is a huge strain on your time and your emotional well-being. Thank goodness I’m not doing it alone. It would be exponentially more difficult if it were not for the support and encouragement of Jessie, my wife. I am truly blessed to have her.

For now, I will leave it there. That’s a basic introduction for the blog and my life. Does anyone resonate with this situation?