Welcome to 2026!

Y'all, we made it! It's kind of crazy because I didn't want to say we made it until I actually got out of 2025. It was actually one of the few years I hadn't lost anyone close to me so shout out to God for giving me a reprieve.

This is a little mini update. I'm percolating along with my doctoral program. I'm in term eight, which is basically marking that I've been on this journey for about two years. I'm not sure how many classes that has been. Actually, it is eight because I'm only taking one per term. (And believe me, that's more than enough!)

People always ask what I'm studying ... I'm pursuing a doctorate in strategic leadership in the educational stream. I'm passionate about knowledge and I am a perpetual student. I'm a firm believer that we don't stop learning until we exit this planet, or at least we shouldn't. No one except God knows everything.

Apart from my doctoral program, I am focused on building my YouTube channel so if you don't follow me there, please do so (@msrisingstar23). The emphasis is on books and book reviews, and I'm also working on becoming a voice actor so I am reading books on there. If you have a suggestion, one that is out of copyright, let me know. YouTube is very strict about not letting you read copyrighted material, and as a creator I support that.

So, to you, I hope that you are having a bright and beautiful 2026. I hope that you have set your goals and intentions for the year. And I hope you took some time to celebrate your wins for not only last year, but your entire life. I often focus on the setbacks and the things I didn't get quite right, but we have to take time to celebrate the things that we did get right by the grace of God.

Take good care of yourself until the next time we chat. You can follow my journey on Tiktok, Instagram and YouTube. You can find all of my links here.

Regards,

Ms. Rising Star/Renée