Changing Careers, Changing the World

Lewis & Clark’s teaching and counseling programs attract career changers interested in service, community, and systemic change.

by Bobbie Hasselbring

Cataclysmic forces are reshaping the American work world, especially for people at midlife and beyond. As companies struggle to cut costs in a difficult economy, they are laying off or offering buyouts to thousands of seasoned workers.

At the same time, people of all ages are searching for more meaning in their lives and in their careers. Books like How to Do What You Love for a Living, Do What You Are, and Finding Your Perfect Work crowd bookstore shelves. Many workers, especially those in midcareer, are asking themselves, “Is this all there is?” They want more than just a paycheck—they want personal satisfaction and meaning from their work.

For these reasons, and more, courses in teaching and counseling are proving popular; at Lewis & Clark’s Graduate School of Education and Counseling, students are taking 12 percent more on-campus credit hours than last year. Many graduate students are established professionals in their communities and are looking to extend their impact in more service- oriented professions. All desire to be agents of change.

Meet three of them:

• Tina Decker: An Airman’s Journey
• Jeff Rogers: Of Counsel
• Michael Arrieta-Walden: Writing a New Chapter

Award-winning writer Bobbie Hasselbring frequently writes for the Chronicle. Her last story focused on the International Environmental Law Project.