The next big adventure

I got the call :-)

A few months ago I got a card from the University of Maryland asking for money to support the University Farm. I got my Master's from UMD and have fond memories of my time there.

I was intrigued that the Department Chair was someone I knew so I start searching the site to see what else had changed. Through alot of websurfing, I found myself at the Animal Science job website. I have checked it on and off since leaving Langston University and moving to Columbus.

Lo and behold, a faculty position in Wisconsin was on the job site. Specifically, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (small school near the Iowa and Illinois borders) is looking to hire an Assistant Professor in Dairy Science. It is a tenure-track, 9 month teaching position (summers and holidays off) and includes potential responsibilities for things like the dairy judging team and other student organizations. Quite honestly, this position could have been written for me and my strengths and professional desires, so that is exciting.

I don't NEED to work. I am very happy being at home with my girls and we don't need extra income. But I also know that someday we want to be back in Wisconsin where my family is and that someday I would be going back into academia for either teaching or research or both. And even though I was hoping that it would be a few years before I would find myself in this situation, I knew I would be a fool to pass up this opportunity so I applied. And I have been asked to interview for the position at the end of February.

Lots of things have been going through my mind since I found the position announcement. I want the job for a million reasons and I don't want to consider the job for a million reasons. Step one was applying and step two has been accomplished (the request to interview). Will we get to step three (a job offer)? We will find out. I am confident in my abilities but they will be interviewing other candidates.

God has me and my family in His strong and capable hands and we will be alright as long as we do our best to stay in His will. I can't possibly discern God's will on my own. But we pray. And we try new things with the best intentions. And then we wait and see how it plays out.