In January I almost lost it in front of a room full of sophomores.
I spoke at Wheaton’s Sophomore Symposium, and it was a rather amazing day in several respects—from the thoughtful programming aimed at inspiring sophomores to avoid the traditional slump and explore life options; to the fact that some 100 or so sophomores opted in to this weekend programming; to the honor of being invited to tell the story of my linear then divergent paths; to the pleasure of interacting with a remarkably thoughtful, smart and mature group of students.
To take a few steps back: Wheaton was where my passion for studying music and psychology bloomed. And as I later progressed through my M.A., Ph.D., and postdoctoral fellowship, the notion that I had evolved into something of an academic poster child for the college was not lost on me. Let’s be frank: I photograph and speak well, was pursuing an interesting interdisciplinary research trajectory, and was an active alum. The stars were aligned.
