A Special Graduation Day

Congratulations are in order to my wife and brother, who today receive their diplomas after completing their respective graduate programs.

I’m actually in Searcy with my wife today, where she will receive a Master’s Degree in Reading from Harding University (that’s right—she has officially mastered a skill which you and I have just been dabbling in since Kindergarten).

This degree will enable her to be a licensed Reading Specialist in addition to being a licensed elementary school teacher, and will also increase her paycheck.

Caroline started the program when we were still in Searcy back in the Spring of 2006, but for the last two years, has taken graduate classes at Harding’s satellite campus in Bentonville while teaching school full-time. To say that I am proud of her is an understatement.

A lesser man than myself might feel ashamed that his wife is both more educated than him and makes more money than him, but me, well, I’m just thankful (besides, I can still dominate her in thumb wrestling and miniature golf).

As for my brother, he will (to my knowledge) become the first member of my family to earn a Ph.D. when he gets his special piece of paper from the University of Arkansas today.

It’s taken a few years for Jared to get through grad school because he’s always had a job or two (or maybe even three) at the same time, but I’m very proud of him as well, and he has been awarded for his diligence with a teaching position in Harding’s history department this fall.

Jared specializes in military history, and probably knows more about World War II than anyone you’ve ever met.

Of course, when it comes to a truly important subject like baseball history, he’s still lagging a bit behind his little brother.