Dear Sirs

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” (Lao Tzu) and so began my second step towards realizing the second stage of my dream to gain my MA in English Literature.

I found AIU to be very organized, receiving timely encouragement from my Tutor, Arturo Vejar, as well as my Advisor, Dr Jack Rosenzweig, whose advice and guidance encouraged me to find time to keep up with my assignments when my work at school was overwhelming. I found it empowering to be able to design my own course of study, selecting subjects in the areas I was most passionate about. This allowed me to develop my interest in, and knowledge of, an exciting and challenging array of diverse topics, thus enabling me to stretch myself academically as well as personally. I was also encouraged to write an Anthology of 5 Short Stories , which I would like to have published.

On reflection, it sometimes felt like a `juggling act`, choosing which tasks required priority – my parenting and family duties, my role as a busy teacher, or as a student at AIU. You need to be very methodical and organized – sometimes I didn`t feel like doing any studying, as a result of a very heavy workload and schedule at school, which spilled over into the late night and weekends. Instead, I read books relevant to my course, researched pertinent resources, did some note-taking, or wrote short jots as seeds for possible future stories.

Although I was and remain very motivated to reach my goal, I had the loving support, patience and understanding of my husband and son to reach and achieve this. My son, who is now in 12th grade was, and continues to be, an inspiring role model for me by working hard on his IB subjects at school and doing his homework, without complaint. I continue to be a highly driven person, aiming to now continue studying at AIU by taking my PhD, once I have received my MA degree documents.

Your Faithfully

Patricia A. Keal