Skip to main content

I got my Ph.D!!!

 On October 28, 2020 I successfully defended my dissertation to fulfill the final requirement to receive my Ph.D! Little did I know when I began this adventure just how much life would be thrown my way. However, we did (yes, I say we because it was a family commitment). This is the Facebook post made by my husband. 💓


WHAT A DAY!!!! To understand, I need to put this into context. Amanda started her doctoral degree in 2014. She will say that she didn’t want me to share that, but it’s significant. You see, in those 6 years, we had a son that spent 99 days in the NICU. She took time off for that (as anybody would), but she started back the day before his open heart surgery. In addition, our home flooded in 2019. While she didn’t take time off for that, she worked very hard on getting our house back together AND worked to complete her dissertation. Today, I listened in awe of the women presenting her dissertation defense to her committee. The confident, intelligent woman that shared her research and took so much pride in her work. The committee members were very complimentary of the depth and completeness of the study. Today, Mom/Wife/Daughter went from Mrs. Amanda Dickinson to DR. AMANDA DICKINSON. You are a wonderful example of dedication and hard work to our family, and the boys and I could not be more proud.

Congrats

Dr. Dickinson!!!!!!!!

PS: Thank you Adam Augustine Lisa Augustine and Emily Voelkers for coming to dinner and helping us celebrate!!

Photo credit also goes to Ms. Emily.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My letter to Alex Gordon

Alex, I wanted to share a few pictures with you that show why I'm writing to thank you. You see my three year old, Kaden, knows more about baseball and the Royals than many adults I know. He loves as he would put it "all of the Royals" but without a doubt, without any hesitation when asked who is his favorite player is his answer is always one player; you.  I'm not kidding when I say Gordo was one of his first words. In fact anything baseball for the longest time was called Gordo. I'm not exactly sure why he took such a liking to you. I joke it's because his first ever game at the K and you hit a grand slam when he was not even a year old. For what ever reason he adores you. He even has a little Gordo plush doll that he likes to take everywhere.  This past year has been the toughest year for our family. Our second son, Kaleb, was born 12 weeks early at 2lb 2oz. We also learned of his diagnosis of Down syndrome two days after his birth. He spent
5 comments
Read more

At Papa's Feet

Today the world lost a great man. Often times that statement is said whenever someone loses a loved one. Today is my turn to say it as today is the day I lost my grandpa or the man I named Papa. What makes someone a great man? I could talk about his experience in the military, the hardworking man he was on his farm, the husband of sixty-four years to my grandma, long time deacon of the church, or father to my mother and uncle. I won’t speak to those things. I know of them, some more than others, but my experience my relationship comes from that of a granddaughter speaking of her grandfather. You have all heard the expression of “your happy place.” “Go to your happy place, visualize your happy place.” This is used in order to calm you, to bring you back from stress, anxiety, frustration, anger, or various other emotions. My “happy place” has always consisted on one place; my Nanny and Papa’s house. I believe there are many reasons for this. Perhaps it might be Nanny’s meals, especi
3 comments
Read more

Let Go and Let God: A story of a monkey and a banana, a Casting Crowns song, and my own stubbornness

This post is about a monkey and a banana, a Casting Crowns song, and my stubbornness. Those may sound like completely random things but all play a part in my learning to “let go and let God.”  We all have flaws after all we are human. Two of my biggest flaws are my stubbornness and my need for control. I like to do things my way, after all I tend to think it’s the best way so why wouldn’t I want to do it my way? See, controlling and stubborn. So you can imagine when I have a certain plan for my life I don’t easily let it go. So it’s safe to assume I didn’t like or appreciate being thrown some curveballs this past August and September. They didn’t fit into my plan for my life. I found God trying to show me the same lesson I have yet to learn; once again he was showing me that I am not in control and once again I argued back. Which brings me to the first part of my story.  This was not the first time God and I had words on the subject. This has been a long term lesson and one I have
4 comments
Read more