Why I Went Back to School in My 40s — And What Idaho Had to Do With It

I wanted to be called Dr. Jones since I was a kid.

Part of it was Indiana Jones — we shared the last name, after all. He wore the hat and carried the whip and made being called "Doctor" sound like the coolest thing in the world. I used to joke that if I ever had a boy, I'd name him Indiana. The good Lord apparently saw through that plan and gave me six daughters instead.

But the dream of the doctorate never left.

Ten Years After the Bachelor's Degree

I had been out of school with my bachelor's degree for over ten years when I took an honest inventory. Time was flying. I was managing a radiology department — a career I loved — but that nagging sense of unfinished academic business wouldn't leave me alone.

So I went back. Part-time, online, while working full-time and raising a family and building a homestead. It wasn't easy. It was absolutely worth it.

There's something about the wide-open pace of life in southern Idaho that makes long-term goals feel more achievable. When you're not spending two hours a day in traffic or burning energy on the constant noise of a metro area, you have something left in the tank for the things that actually matter.

Cassia County Is a Place Where You Can Think

In Cassia County and throughout Magic Valley, the quieter pace of life isn't just pleasant — it's productive. I wrote papers at the kitchen table with the window open and the pasture in view. I attended virtual seminars from a house where the nearest neighbor was far enough away that I could think clearly.

That environment shaped who I became as a professional and as a person.

Your Next Chapter Might Start Here

If you're thinking about what southern Idaho could make possible for your own life — personally, professionally, academically — I'd love to have that conversation.

I'm Dr. Ron Jones, Magic Valley real estate agent. The "Doctor" part is real, and it happened here.

Dr. Ron Jones | Rim & River Real Estate | rimandriver.com | 208-712-8386