I remember a poster in one of my middle school teacher\u2019s classrooms that read \u201cYour\u00a0attitude<\/em>, not your\u00a0aptitude<\/em>, will determine your\u00a0altitude<\/em>.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n How high we can go in life depends on our vision, our dreams, and our often-crazy willingness to put those ahead of the practicalities and traditional demands of life. Yes, being born with good looks and money, and perhaps white skin and a good head of hair, gives you a \u2018one-up\u2019 in today\u2019s world, but it\u2019s no guarantee. And perhaps what is so\u00a0quintessentially\u00a0\u2018American\u2019 about me is the motivation I draw from those who have overcome society\u2019s obstacles<\/strong> to find joy in life and the ability to help others. People who start out \u2018well-off\u2019 in life and manage to stay well-off are fine \u2013 at least they haven\u2019t squandered what has been given to them \u2013 but it is those who manage to rise just a little higher, to give just a little more, that inspire me.<\/p>\n Of course, being \u2018American\u2019 in that sense may be what has drawn me more to Europe in the current day, as discussed in a recent Slate article<\/a>.<\/p>\n Turning to education more specifically, a few years ago, as I was just beginning to stumble into my PhD studies, I received a free copy of The Next Step in Studying Religion: A Graduate\u2019s Guide<\/a><\/em>. The very first words of that book are:<\/p>\n It has been rumored that about 50 per cent of those who enter a doctoral programme in the social sciences and the humanities never finish. It is common knowledge that it is not necessarily the brilliant who survive; it is the persistent.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So, while I have had my own trials and tribulations in academia, I have held strong to the idea that if I just persist, I will A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine shared a video with me. It is a very short monologue by Ira Glass (host of This American Life), discussing the importance of perseverance for creative people.<\/p>\nsurvive<\/del> thrive<\/strong>. And so far so good. Thanks to the generosity and support of far too many people to name, I have made it this far.<\/p>\n