OPEN DOORS TO FUTURE Graduate studies, hard work pay off for students
Colleges and universities across the state will soon be playing the familiar chords of “Pomp and Circumstance” as students graduate and prepare for the next phase of their lives.
Many of these students will be completing an advanced degree, marking a shift in their career advancement.
Such is the case for Boston College graduate student Meaghan Butler, who has two classes and one paper standing between her and graduation.
“I’m a lot prouder about this degree than I thought I would be when I first started this program,” Butler said, “but what I’ve come to realize is that a lot of people will start the program but not finish it. I’m really glad I am finally finishing the program.”
For Butler, the master’s program has spanned the course of four years.
“Most people can do it within about two years, but where my job requires me to work a lot of nights and weekends, I took a slower approach,” she said.
Butler works for Boston College’s office of Alumni Affairs and said her advanced degree in higher education administration is perfect for her line of work.
“The degree is broad, so if I pursue work in finance or student services, the degree provides me with the skills I need for that line of work,” she said.
Butler, who is in her mid-30s, said the hardest part about completing the degree was committing to make it a priority.
“I had to put aside a lot of social opportunities, so I could focus on my assignments and papers,” she said.
Though Butler said she is one of the older students in most of her classes, she said completing a master’s in her 30s was the right fit for her.
“I’m glad that in my 20s, I was able to relax and spend extra time with my friends,” Butler said. “I’m in a better place now, and I was willing to make those sacrifices so that I could finish the program.”
For example, during her comprehensive exam weekend, Butler had two wedding showers to attend — one for a wedding she was in and one for a friend.
“I couldn’t go to both,” she said, “because I received the two questions on Friday and had to submit the two papers by Sunday.”
The papers, she said, were each around 10 pages and covered content from the entire program.
“I had books and papers and notes sprawled throughout my apartment,” she said, “and I only left the house once.”
Through it all, though, she said the sacrifices were worth it and she encourages others who may be
going through the same process to stick with it.
“It can be hard and sometimes you just want to give up, but I didn’t give up,” she said.
Bonnie Chenette, who graduates from Salem State University with a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership, had similar sentiments.
“My degree will open new doors for me,” she said. “If you are thinking about going back, do it. It will be tough at times, but you’ll find amazing support from other peers.”
Eventually, Chenette said, the program just becomes part of your regular day-to-day routine, helping to give you the mindset you need to stay focused and committed to finishing.