Dear UIC

The last 2 ½ years of my life have been so amazing. There was a lot of hard work, headaches and late nights. There were tears, usually after the first class and a good hard look at the daunting syllabus, and some screaming in pillows looking at a never-ending “to do” list. But that’s grad school. That’s life. Even with all of that, the people I’ve met and worked with, the knowledge I have acquired, and the experience I have received trumps any frustrating, head-pounding, tearful moment. In fact, it makes this feeling of graduating THAT much better. Attending UIC for graduate school was, by far, one of the best decisions I have ever made. Thank you for that.

I am a lifelong learner and I plan to continue my education in the future.

Writing this blog has been an adventure and I want to thank all of you for taking this adventure with me. I have been given the amazing opportunity to write what I think and feel, and I was able to show you a glimpse of my life.

I am officially done with classes and I have a few days to turn in my papers. I just can’t believe it’s over. It feels like it was just yesterday I said, “I just feel like I can’t see the light at the end of the graduate school tunnel. When will I be done?” And here I am.

I wish we had a winter graduation. But don’t worry! I will come back in May, in my cap and gown, and I will walk across that graduation stage! I’ll see you then UIC. Thank you for everything. It has truly been a pleasure.

Lauren Muellner will receive her master’s degree in early childhood education with an endorsement in special education in December. She is student teaching in a self-contained special education preschool classroom in Oak Park and is a part-time nanny. Born and raised in Chicago, Lauren likes culture and adventure. She received her bachelor’s degree in theatre from Columbia College Chicago. She plans to integrate music and theatre into her curriculum and teaching.