4 Chapter 4

An open letter to Graduate Students enrolling in LDRS 614

My name is Chris Hahn, and intend to graduate the summer of 2017 with a graduate degree in Education Leadership.  I am currently the National Sales Manager for Promotions at WinCraft in Winona MN, and I have 25 years of real world experience.  My undergraduate degree is in Business Administration from UW- Stout. At the time I enrolled in this class, I was about halfway through my Master’s degree program.

First of all, you are already a leader, as evidenced by your enrollment in this graduate program.  Learning is a lifelong endeavor and should be embraced as such.  Remember that education is not only about learning what you need to know, but more importantly,  it is the skill of identifying how to best go about learning what you need to know.

Prepare to become a better writer.  Writing is an iterative process developed through trial, error, experiment, acquisition of new knowledge, changing perspectives, and most importantly practice.  If you don’t already have the APA manual 6th Edition, make the investment, and proudly write your name on the bottom in black sharpie.  While you are certainly able to purchase these as electronic versions, the actual book is the only way to go with this essential tool.  You will come to know this book intimately as you complete your program in LDRS 618.

“Leaders influence outcomes” as I am certain Dr. Holmes will remind you.  As in other classes, you will look around the room, and at the video screen of a classmate on Jabber or in Rochester.   These are your peers and part of your network. Participate, respectfully challenge, engage, and enjoy the unique opportunity that you have as graduate students and leaders to gain from each other’s experiences.  Take the time to listen to everyone.  Appreciate their journey as well as your own, and challenge yourself to take some bit of knowledge from everyone.

Be prepared to leave your comfort zone as this is, after all, a “Change” Leadership course.  Time management, group discussions, sharing your work in class, and defending your statements to your peers are all part of the process.   If this is not something that you are comfortable with, good, you have enrolled in the proper class!    Remember, the classroom is a safe environment in which to grow, and feedback is essential to make adjustments moving forward.

As the French journalist Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr reminds us, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”    Assignments, requirements, deadlines all change, and just as is everyday life; graduate school is no different.   Your expectations of this class, based on what you have heard from others, may change in the first several weeks.  Embrace the change and understand that it has been made by the department to enrich your experience.

“Ah Hah” moments don’t announce themselves, rather they present themselves when you least expect it.  Embrace these moments as checkpoints on your leadership journey.  Whether they offer excitement or that “sinking feeling,” they serve as a sign that you are making progress.

“Doing the work means doing the work!” (This is not a T-shirt design, but it should be.) Instructors will tell you this, and you will hear it, but please listen and take the advice to heart.  If you elect to search for the elusive shortcut, one of the aforementioned “Ah Hah” moments will most likely present itself at a rather inopportune time.

Lastly, have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously.  Remembers that everyone has something to offer in education and life. Children, elders, different disciplines, cultures, and religions, all provide an opportunity to enrich your life, and I respectfully suggest that you take full advantage of the opportunity.

I wish you continued success on your journey.