Roadblocks are often part of progress

Caitlin Kirby has faced rejection head-on. The doctoral student at Michigan State University says she's learned to embrace rejection. To prove it, she recently wore a skirt made from rejection letters she has received -- while defending her dissertation. She used 17 rejection letters from scholarships, academic journals and conferences. She said wearing her failures felt cathartic

The knee-length, handmade skirt was her way of remembering it had been a bumpy, five-year journey to get to that day. Committee members to whom she was presenting, and her professors, chuckled at her courage. She was grateful her skirt was well-received, and that her dissertation was accepted by the committee.