SOOOO Excited!!!

Unless you are very new to this blog, you’ve probably already picked up on the fact that I love BYU’s Education Week. It is held every August (although was virtual during Covid), and it is quite literally my all-time favorite week. The things I learn and the spiritual boost I receive help buoy me up for the next year. I take copious notes, and I will study and regularly refer back to them. I have things down to a system, how I determine which classes I will attend, etc. Sometimes I’ll even attend classes “in behalf of” other people who don’t have the same opportunity to attend in person. And while my life circumstances since being widowed have (so far) not been conducive to my attending the entire Ed Week, I have still felt like I got exactly what I needed from it, at the time when I needed it most.

So what is my exciting news, then? Well, a lifelong dream of mine (at least for the past 20 years or so) has been to someday be able to present at Education Week. My dad is a long-time veteran of being an Ed Week presenter, and with his encouragement I decided to apply for the 2023 session. I knew that my chances were slight. It’s difficult for first-time, unknown presenters to be accepted, unless they already work for BYU or within CES (the Church Education System). A further count against me was that I wasn’t applying to present within my professional field, and I also knew that rules had changed in the past few years that made them even more selective about choosing applicants. But I figured that it would at least be a learning experience, and I didn’t mind applying for several years with the hope that I would some day be able to do it. So without a lot of expectation of success (OK, but definitely some hope and wishful thinking!), I sent in my application last fall.

I’m sure you see where this is going, considering the title of this blog post. Because guys, cross off a huge bucket list item for this girl, today I got my acceptance email to be a presenter this year at Education Week!!! I am SOOO pumped about this! You are welcome to start buttering me up now (I accept all forms of chocolate, and involving caramel or peanut butter is a definite bonus, haha), because in addition to my Presenter’s Pass I think I will also be given a Guest Pass (and I wonder if I might even be able to get a parking pass – wouldn’t that be amazing!). So if you happen to be in the Provo area come August 21st, come pop into my class! Cause hey, as a brand new presenter and surely assigned a classroom way off the beaten path, I’ll need to have at least some people attend, right?

Woohoo, gonna do Ed Week!!!!!