For the past few months, the question I have been asked most often by my family and friends has been: “Have you told them yet?”

Until last week, the answer was “no.”

I feared that when I told my employer that I was leaving to go to grad school, I would be turned into a lame duck, ostracized, or worse.   That’s why I waited until three weeks before my departure to reveal my plans.

Happily, the news went over well.  Each person I told initially had an pained expression, somewhere between “shock” and “deer in headlights.”  After a brief pause, their faces softened into smiles, and they congratulated me and told me I’d be missed.  Whew!

Now that my office knows, I can write about my decision here on my blog.   Therefore, for those of you who don’t know, I am happy to announce that I will be attending Stanford University starting in September.  I will be working towards an MS in Management Science and Engineering.

Three more weeks in Minnesota.  I’m nervous, but I’m also really excited.   It will be an adventure.