Dr. Michael Carey Retirement Q&A

Dr. Mike Carey is retiring after a lifetime career at Gonzaga with the M.A. in Organizational Leadership, but before he steps into his next chapter, he reflected on his time at Gonzaga.

How long have you been at Gonzaga?

I came to Gonzaga first as a graduate student in the School of Education in 1982. I received a M.A. in Educational Administration and Curriculum in 1985 and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership in 1987. I was hired as an Assistant Professor and Director of the newly created Organizational Leadership graduate program in 1987.

What are three lessons you are taking with you from your time at Gonzaga?

Change is difficult for most people, so you need to be patient with and understanding of resistance to change—neither of which I did very well . . . .
While the Jesuits founded and preserved the Mission of Gonzaga University for many years, it is now the responsibility of the staff and faculty who are not Jesuits to guarantee that the university community stays connected to the Mission into the future.
Although Gonzaga’s self-identity often focuses on itself as a traditional-age, campus-based undergraduate institution, distance-based, adult graduate students are critically important, not only for the university but for the Mission. I am given hope for the future from my interaction with adult graduate students in the School of Leadership Studies.

What has been your favorite memory from working at Gonzaga?

My favorite memories have to do with the immersion experiences I shared with graduate students in Florence, Italy (for the Renaissance Leadership for the 21st Century course) and Valyermo, California (at St. Andrew’s Abbey for the Leadership and Community course and for alumni retreats I facilitated there).

If you could go back to the beginning of your career, what would you tell yourself?

Be sure to take time to reflect daily on why you do what you do—and let go of any resentments you have toward people who disagree with you.

What are you looking forward to most in your retirement?

Spending more time with my wife, daughters, grandchildren, and friends. Naps. The Pentimento Podcast, in which I will interview people I have known during my over 50 years as an educator, asking when something that happened to them in their lives changed the way they looked at the world.