A to B: Why I Got into Education

The Dorm and a Webcam Marriage

My transition from "A" to "B" is somewhat of an interesting story. My life prior to enrolling at Harvard was great. I had a steady career path as an up-and-coming manager at a higher education marketing and consulting firm while simultaneously completing an MBA program. My wife and I, along with our 150-pound Great Dane, lived in a nice Cape Cod-style house in the beautiful state of Iowa. This has all changed in the last five months. My new life now consists of attending the Harvard Graduate School of Education to study higher education policy, living in a 12x12-foot dorm in Cambridge, and carrying out a long-distance marriage.

My decision to upend my life stems from a bit of a quarterlife crisis (at 28 I'm far too young for a mid-life crisis). In many ways, my work as a higher education consultant should have been fulfilling. If I did my job correctly, colleges and universities would be equipped with solid data and recommendations that would allow them to make wiser decisions. The colleges would thus improve, and all parties -- students, faculty, staff, and alumni -- would theoretically be more satisfied. However, I wasn't sure my work was making a difference in the world. I felt there was more fulfilling work worth doing that would have a greater impact.

I felt that if I could just tweak my current career in higher education enough to project me on to a different career path, I could be satisfied. After all, education, at its core, is about helping people reach their full potentials. If I could change my role within education, my career could offer the opportunity to make a difference by creating real and lasting societal change. This idealism is what led me to change career trajectories. It is what has convinced me that these goals are worth nine months of dorm living, cafeteria meals, and a webcam marriage.

I had become familiar with the Ed School through my consulting work. My former company was hired by the school to conduct a research study examining why students chose to enroll. In interviewing students, I saw a diverse group of individuals with interests ranging from early childhood development to education administration and policymaking. Each group of students I met was just as passionate about their potential role in education as the next. Most importantly, though, I saw a community of students that shared a common belief -- the belief in the power of education to solve most societal problems and the power of their individual contributions to make this happen.

Being introduced to this community confirmed that there was more I could be doing with my life and the Ed School was the place where I could shape a career that would have a larger and more direct impact in higher education. It was with these points that I made the case to my wife that it was a good idea to leave my job, quit my MBA program, and move a thousand miles away for the better part of one year. Much to my surprise, she was very supportive of my idea. Her support came from her understanding of how important it was to me to engage in a career of work worth doing. She understands how passionate I am about making an impact, and we both know that an education from the Ed School will provide me the opportunities to fulfill these aspirations. Plus, as she likes to joke, there is an unwritten marital vow that says if your spouse is admitted to Harvard, you let him or her go.

Admittedly, I do not know exactly where my life will lead me after graduation. My eyes have been opened to a variety of opportunities to make an impact in higher education. HGSE's focus on operating at the nexus of practice, policy, and research serves as an excellent example of how effective one can be in any of these three areas. The big question I am currently wrestling with is where my talents and abilities best fit within this spectrum. Whether my career leads me into a role as a higher education practitioner, researcher, or perhaps even as a policymaker, I am confident the knowledge and skills I have acquired at the Ed School will serve me well in any of these endeavors.

-- Denton DeSotel is an Ed.M. candidate in the Higher Education Program from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Upon graduation he plans to leave the dorm and return to eastern Iowa.

Photo by Jeff Hopkins, Ed.M.'05