We’ve been talking about education a lot lately at Working Mother. Executive Editor Barbara Turvett is looking at colleges with her daughter, senior writer Jennifer Parris is navigating that no-man’s-land between summer camp and the start of school for her two kids (me, too!), and Creative Director Ebby Antigua is getting her eldest ready for the first day of middle school. Oy! Remind me, when is summer vacation??

But what has really gotten me thinking about school has been my recent decision to apply for my own scholarship—and the fact that I got it! I’m not going to share how long it’s been since I stepped into a classroom for myself, but in the spirit of our issue this month, I will share that I applied to a weeklong academic publishing course and am thrilled, if a bit nervous, about going. It won’t produce a degree, but it will give me time to learn something new about my vocation and make new connections, not to mention time to think (the ultimate luxury these days!). Now that I’ve won the scholarship, I already feel a stirring sense of revival at the idea of taking time out from work and family to concentrate on something I’m interested in. My family is on board, and my boss (the savvy Ms. Carol Evans, whose latest words of wisdom you’ll find here) even wrote a recommendation letter for me. That alone was worth the effort to apply.

Consider this my first step in getting back to school, something we hope to inspire you to consider with this issue’s cover story. We all need to stay sharp, either by learning a new skill or following a passion that inspires us. After you read our story, look around for opportunities to stretch yourself. Go back to school, no matter what form that might take for you. I promise, you’ll be revived, inspired and ready to take on the world!