Boy, I am horrible at keeping this up. I am back in grad school at Minnesota State University and am pursuing a Masters in Sociology with a concentration in Human Service Planning and administration. I have just completed my 1st semester in the program and am 4 weeks out from semester #2. I am really enjoying being back in school but at the same time it is really hectic as I hold down a full time job at the same time - which I realize is something that thousands of other grad students do every year. I am still working at coming up with my thesis topic and really hope to focus my work in a specific direction by the end of the next semester. My program coordinator really advised me to keep a thesis journal and I have begun to do so and hope to highlight that here from time to time.

I have spent the last 20 years in the field of social services and would really like to change directions. So to help facilitate that change in direction, I am hoping to pick a thesis area that will help me do that. I have identified a few areas of interest. I just need to focus these ideas down into actual researchable questions. and of course any input would be appreciated.

1) I am interested in Non profit - private business partnerships in overcoming poverty.
2) Any myriad of Fatherhood issues.
3) Rural Homelessness and issues of causation
4) Outdoor/wilderness therapy programs for youth.
5)End of life/quality of life issues, while combining some aspect of religion and what constitutes a "good Life"
6) Solitude and studying Grizzly Adams and Jeremiah Johnson type people.

I don't know where I am going with any of this but these are my interest areas.