Working on this issue—our Education issue—has been a fun way to reflect on the many ways we can learn, both inside and outside of the classroom. While my formal education ended 10 years ago when I graduated from college, I have certainly not stopped learning.
For me, entering the workforce was an education in itself—learning new skills, adapting to changing priorities and discovering what it means to advocate for myself. Not to mention that, in writing and editing, I’ve been able to learn about a myriad of new topics and even become an expert on a few.
But I’ve also done a great deal of self-learning, which I hope continues for the rest of my life. Through friendships, marriage, therapy, church and life itself, I am constantly learning how to better love and be loved and how to exist in the uncomfortable space of the unknown. (And, in the case of marriage, how to share a budget.)
I think our ability to learn and grow is one of the sweet and precious things about being human. We’ve never fully arrived, nor is there a cap on what we can learn or experience. A sense of curiosity—about ourselves, others, the world around us—is something we can carry with us, no matter our age or circumstance.
That’s one of the attitudes I always try to bring into my work for this magazine: a sense of curiosity and a desire to learn something new. And that is certainly reflected in this issue, which not only includes our annual Senior Spotlight feature, but also looks at education through the lens of mental health, finances and good manners. I hope that you, as readers, enjoy learning about everything and everyone featured in these pages just as much as I have.
–Amy Overgaard
