Greetings from the Graduate College.
Last week, I had the honor of facilitating a conversation with Tom Daley, knitter extraordinaire, social justice advocate, and gold-medal Olympic diver. The full house was captivated by his stories.
It was one of his first stories that I continue to think about, a story about fear. Tom shared that he needs a small amount of fear to be a successful diver. It is fear that allows him to climb the steps to a 10-meter platform time and time again. I think about what a small quantity of healthy fear1 has propelled me to do – apply to a graduate program, propose and defend my dissertation, submit my manuscripts for publication, and apply for a job at a new institution. What so impressed me about Tom Daley is how he accepted fear as part of his success. It is a lesson that I continue to learn.
I know our graduate students are constantly doing hard things. As we near the end of the semester, I hope you recognize that a small amount of fear is often necessary to take the next step in your professional endeavors. As we near the end of the semester, I am confident that our graduate students can use Tom Daley’s wisdom and accept that a tiny bit of fear will lead to the successful completion of the fall 2022 semester.
As always, the Graduate College and your program faculty are here to help you.
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1If your fear feels insurmountable, seek out support from the BGSU Counseling Center at 419.372,2081 or contact the Crisis Text Line -Text HOME to 741741 for a crisis counselor or text STEVE to 741741 for a culturally competent crisis counselor. You can also text or dial 988 to be connected to a crisis counselor 24/7.
