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I know this is a bit self-indulgent with all that is happening but....
YA BOY GOT A DISTINCTION IN HIS MASTERS!
Confirmed by Durham exam board last week. Big thank-you to @CMSPioneer, @RiponCuddesdon, all the people who have supported me along the way.
Academic timeline below:
YA BOY GOT A DISTINCTION IN HIS MASTERS!
Confirmed by Durham exam board last week. Big thank-you to @CMSPioneer, @RiponCuddesdon, all the people who have supported me along the way.
Academic timeline below:
1987-1995: Primary/middle school - I have severe eczema meaning I can't hold a pencil properly, impacting my learning. My teacher makes me stand in front of the whole class while holding my work book up to tell everyone what a horrible mess my work is. I fight back the tears.
1996: I land in the borderline on the 12plus (Bucks still has Grammar schools). Same teacher as above hated my guts so there was no way in hell I was going to successfully appeal 12plus result, so off to secondary modern I go.
1996-2000: I go to a troubled secondary modern. It is almost impossible to learn. I hate school and I hate teachers. I am voted 'most likely to go to prison' in a badly thought out gsce drama exercise. Despite terrible predicted grades I do ok at GCSEs.
2000-2002: I somehow get into a Grammar school for sixth form. I get way more stimulation but already have a deep distrust of school. I make terrible subject choices at A-level, get some stellar grades and some terrible ones. I suspect one of my exams was marked 'U' due to handwr
2002: Having become a born-again Christian in 1999, I see no need for worldly things like education. So I tell the careers advisor I will be a missionary so no point in uni, I will live by faith. I finish school, the happiest day of my life to date. I am finally free.
Weird middle bit: I get indoctrinated into increasingly extreme forms of Christianity. I start to hate 'the establishment' including academia. Mission/Church stuff goes wrong when I ask hard questions. I have no job prospects. I start labouring on a building site.
2013: I have joined a Christian motorcycle club. I finally feel like I 'belong' somewhere as a working-class Christian. @seanstillman667 says he thinks I should explore theological education. I am bewildered but look in to it.
2014: Sean introduces me to @jonnybaker. I am concerned @CMSPioneer might be a bit liberal and not teach 5 point Calvinism. Jonny and others I meet are lovely and amazing. I enrol for part-time certificate and our Church generously cover the fees. Still bricklaying 4 days a week.
2014: I get my first assignment back. I have no idea what I'm doing. I get a mark of 72. I ask if this is a pass. I'm told it's a bit more than a pass. I start to quite like this whole studying theology thing.
2016: I have several sessions to seek diagnosis for ADHD. Local NHS trust has no-one qualified to give adult diagnosis and no funds to go elsewhere, but strongly suspect I have it. School experiences start to make more sense.
2017: I spend a year turning my now diploma into a BA at @stmellitus, am now in 'full-time' ministry living on grants and giving. People like @EdwardBGreen are telling me I might be called to ordained ministry. I laugh at these silly people. Farv. Eddie writes to the bishop.
2018: I just about make it through the BA with a child who doesn't sleep and busy ministry commitments. Amazingly the Church also thinks I'm called to be ordained. I can't really believe it. I start training mixed-mode between @CMSPioneer and @RiponCuddesdon. It's amazing.
2018: People start making "potential theological educator noises" even though I didn't get the 'tick'. I'm encouraged to fit the full MA into two years mixed-mode training alongside pioneer ministry @stmarysluton. @CMSPioneer and @RiponCuddesdon help me start to thrive.
2020: I start to find my voice while writing my dissertation with lots of support. I am accepted onto a doctoral program @UoRMinTheology. I am booked to give a conference paper at a Cambridge college. I receive a distinction in my masters. I am incredibly grateful.
So many people have invested in me, believed in me, supported me, put up with me and my meltdowns (thanks Mrs. Larner). They were patient with the angry white working class calvinist with a chip on his shoulder because they saw the theological butterfly inside. THANK YOU.
P.S. I had a lovely 1-2-1 with someone today from a very different social location who is also passionate about access to education for people experiencing various forms of marginalisation. #WorkingClassAcademic people - hit me up if I can be of any support / solidarity. Peace.
Give @ParentpowerSL some support - so exciting to hear about what they're doing :)
