{"id":2532,"date":"2014-05-06T11:33:44","date_gmt":"2014-05-06T18:33:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/education\/2014\/05\/06\/dr-mike-madrids-retirement-celebration\/"},"modified":"2014-05-06T11:33:44","modified_gmt":"2014-05-06T18:33:44","slug":"dr-mike-madrids-retirement-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/education\/2014\/05\/06\/dr-mike-madrids-retirement-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Mike Madrid's Retirement Celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today I close the door to the past, open the door to the future, take a deep breath and step on through to start the next chapter in my life. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

–Sheila Christensen\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>A younger me once thought of retirement as an end, a time to stop working. Being far removed from retirement, I never thought much about the life of a retired person, but I had a vague notion that retired people were either happy working in the garden, content playing golf, or feeling miserable because they lost a sense of purpose. The last possibility always perplexed me.\u00a0 As a person with limited life experiences, my younger self thought, \u201cAre you kidding me?\u00a0 You can travel, go to the beach every day, take up painting,\u201d etc. However, having over 20 years in the field of education, I get it; our profession is intimately connected to how we define ourselves.<\/p>\n

I am at an age where I have friends who are retiring.\u00a0 They share the calculations involved, figuring how they will live with their pensions and wondering if it is the optimal time to retire.\u00a0 This is something my younger self did not know.\u00a0 They consider their health and if their insurance will provide security as some of the little aches and pains grow into potential health concerns.\u00a0 These friends think about working on their own terms- volunteering in classrooms or mentoring new teachers.\u00a0 They consider the opportunities to share their lifetime of experience and knowledge- perhaps by engaging in consulting work.<\/p>\n

I had the honor of attending the retirement celebration for Dr. Mike Madrid on April 23rd, and it was a wonderful example of this.\u00a0 Mike has provided Chapman\u2019s College of Educational Studies with many years of leadership and friendship and has made personal connections with students as well as faculty; he sees our hearts and recognizes potential. Many generations of teachers experienced his personal approach to the work he does.\u00a0 I sought his advice one afternoon.\u00a0 His door was open, and he pulled up a chair.\u00a0 With his gentle and steady way, he humbly poured out advice that could only come from lived experiences.<\/p>\n

I guess what I have come to understand is that retirement is not really an end. Instead, retirement is a beginning. All good things, Dr. Madrid.\u00a0 Here is to a happy beginning!<\/p>\n

*Note: \u00a0Please click here <\/a>to view the slide show images that were displayed during Mike Madrid’s Retirement Celebration<\/p>\n

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