Why I decided to go back to school (again)
Getting an art school degree isn’t usually deemed a practical decision, but for me it is. I’ve been dealing with cancer while enrolled in grad school for the past two years, so juggling coursework and cancer treatments at the same time is what I know.
I was diagnosed with stage IV rectal cancer with metastasis to my brain in June 2018, the summer after my first year of an MFA program in creative writing. Almost immediately, I knew that dropping out of school wasn't an option. My husband and I are both on student health insurance (he’s self-employed). Dropping out would have meant I’d forfeit my insurance, which would have been a financial disaster. I also couldn’t drop down to part-time; I had a graduate assistant position that was paying for my schooling and I didn’t want to start piling on student loan debt on top of my mounting medical bills. So, I pushed through a full course load and a part-time GA job while undergoing chemo and multiple surgeries. I had to.
During the spring semester of my second year, I achieved NED status (No Evidence of Disease) after twelve rounds of chemo, five rounds of radiation, brain surgery and two other surgeries. However, a few months later, the cancer came back and spread to my lungs. I was hoping for an easy, breezy final year; I only had to take one class each semester to graduate. Instead, I lost my hair again and went through more chemotherapy. This time, I wasn’t holding down a job but I was working on my thesis, which is a job unto itself.
Flash forward to May. I graduated with my MFA in Creative Writing and I was accepted into an MFA program in photography for the Fall 2020 semester. So why in the hell am I going back to school again without a break? A few reasons.
I’ve been practicing and studying photography largely on my own for the past six years. I really didn’t think my photos were good enough to get into a program. My husband has been pushing me to apply for an MFA photography program a while. I’m mostly self-taught, aside from two non-credit courses at a community college. I don’t have a background in fine arts and no, those high school classes I took more than twenty years ago don’t count. I’m shocked that I got into the program and thrilled that I have the privilege of deepening my practice in a formal capacity.
As a cancer patient, I need good health insurance. I’ve been on my school’s student health insurance for the past three years; going back to school again ensures that I’ll be covered. (Trying finding a job with benefits during Covid-19.)
I know how to balance classes and cancer treatment. I missed little to no classes (depending on the semester) and turned in all of my assignments on time, if not early. That said, my teachers were willing to work with me if I needed extra time. A job would be much less forgiving. Even if I did find a job with benefits, what would stop an employer from laying me off? What if I got too sick to work? I’m big into the idea of we fall where we’re supposed to land. More school feels like a natural fit in my life at this time, so I’m going for it. Besides, with stage IV cancer, I never know how much time I have left on this planet. No regrets.
