My husband and I were fortunate enough to get accepted to different programs at the same graduate school. When we started telling ward members that we were moving for graduate school, everyone’s immediate response was to turn to my husband, congratulate him, and ask what he would be studying. It got really tiring to have to chime in and state that I was going to school as well. People didn’t always know what to say and it ended with a lot of awkward looks and questions about when we’d start having kids. No one was concerned about our ability to care for children when my husband was accepted to graduate school, but my education seemed to be a barrier to our eternal family and salvation. Ward members’ reactions left me feeling guilty for choosing to finish my education before we started a family. It was a very disheartening way to begin a new chapter of my life that I should have been very excited about.
-Anna
Pro Tip: Support women’s educational goals. Show enthusiasm when women talk about their plans to pursue higher education.
Click here to read all of the stories in our #hearLDSwomen series. Has anything like this happened to you? Please share in the comments or submit your experience(s) to participate in the series.
“If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:23)
One Response
If you don’ mind my asking, what are you going to study? How long is your program? Will you be doing research in a library or a lab? At home or abroad? Grad school is such a big, exciting, sometimes intimidating undertaking. Good luck!