I graduated high school in 2004. Barely. I frequently considered dropping out and just getting my GED. I hated the high school environment and spent as little time at school (and doing the least amount of work) as possible. And yet, I always knew I would go on to college.

Starting in middle school, I would get university course catalogs and plan out my entire 4 year undergrad degree. For fun. Seriously, this is the kid I was. Planning was awesome, but I changed my mind constantly – political science, biology, psychology, pre-med. When it came time to actually do the work in college, I fell to one of the two extremes – I loved the class and got straight A’s or I hated it and never showed up. It took me 12 years to get through undergrad – changing my mind, taking time off – but I finally graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Linguistics and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

I went immediately to acupuncture school for my masters program. I was introduced to the idea about a year before I graduated from my undergraduate studies and it seemed a perfect amalgamation of my interests and previous plans – except for the political science, I’m not sure how to fit that in. I did the 3-year accelerated program at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) and graduated with my Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in 2019.

I enrolled in the doctorate program at OCOM in 2019, but I took a leave of absence when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I returned to the Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) program at OCOM in 2023, but the school closed in 2024 at the end of my first year. I transferred to Five Branches University to complete my DAOM in 2025.

For the completion of a doctorate in the DAOM program, one must complete a capstone project. I completed a scoping review at OCOM before I transferred, and I am now finishing up a second scoping review as my capstone at Five Branches.

I am walking for graduation in August 2025, but I am not defending my capstone until October. Once I have passed (hopefully with distinction!) and turned in my final edits, then I will be entitled to use the title of Doctor!

Graduation is next week and I’m super excited to see family and friends! I know that it is customary to offer gifts at big milestones, but it can be awkward to “ask” for them. So I’m making a graduation page I can send people to and include links to gifts I’d enjoy. For the especially astute, you may notice that one list is all Pampered Chef stuff, because let’s face it, when I’m done with this degree, I will have a lot more time to engage with one of my favorite hobbies – cooking!