Hey, I’m Jeremy! I’m a stay-at-home dad and grad student… two things I thought I’d never say.

I always wanted to be a dad, but I’ve had a job since I was 14 and loved the career I’d spent the past 15 years building. Staying home with a kid was never a consideration.

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My undergraduate “career” left a lot to be desired. I certainly enjoyed my college experience but after eking out a degree, I bid farewell to higher education with no intention of ever going back… even if they let me.

Well, things change. As I advanced in my career I realized that there was a lot I didn’t know and I gradually developed an intense passion for learning and self-discovery. I also began to recognize that I was missing critical tools and skills to really make a difference in the work I was doing. I began looking into grad schools and at the end of 2020, I took a big swing and Gonzaga graciously accepted me into the Organizational Leadership program.

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As the world came to a screeching halt due the COVID 19 pandemic, my wife and I were at a loss for what to do with our then six-month-old son, Connor. We both value our work and had built careers we loved. But, given the environment, sending Connor to daycare simply wasn’t something we were willing to do. With my recent acceptance into the ORGL program, my wife and I decided that it would be a good opportunity for me to step away from my career, focus on school and be home with Connor full-time. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.

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The past two years in the Organizational Leadership program have been transformational for me. Stepping away from my career and going through this program has allowed me to internalize the content and teachings in a way that I never could have had I been working full-time. Doing all that while raising a son provided an environment where I put skills to the test on a daily basis in a context more meaningful and important that anything I’ve ever done.

This program has changed me. I’m an exponentially better version of myself. I’m a better dad, better husband, better friend and better member of my community. I probably wouldn’t have chosen this path. But, I wouldn’t change it for the world.