What made you choose Marymount University for the pursuit of your Doctorate?
What made you choose Marymount University for the pursuit of your Doctorate?I like the support Marymount offered to students like me who would be fully remote—as well as the emphasis on access to professors and their willingness to be available.
The organizational innovation component of this degree program was also a big factor for me. So much of what educational leaders are called on to do these days transcends the traditional administrative functions and asks us to reimagine, reframe, redesign what has been done before to generate improved student outcomes. Innovation is the watchword for all of these new demands and getting to focus on growing in that respect really appealed to me.
What do you hope to accomplish by earning an Ed.D. degree?
I hope to create a greater opportunity for myself to meaningfully affect educators’ thinking on aspects of the educational experience. I’m particularly interested in innovative learning environments and how physical spaces impact student engagement and instructional strategies.
Tell us a bit about your background up to this point – personal and/or professional.
As a campus principal, I feel that a central part of my obligation is to lead learning. If I’m going to ask teachers to be innovative thinkers, to have a growth mindset, and commit to a cycle of continuous improvement as an instructor, I can’t do that very credibly by sitting on the sidelines.
So, pursuing my Ed.D is somewhat about setting an example as the lead learner, but it’s mostly about dedicating myself to working on my own continuous improvement and growth so that I can be the leader my staff and students deserve.
What do you think of the Ed.D. program so far?
The MU professors have been flexible and responsive. They realize that we have obligations outside of our coursework. They have done an incredible job making sure our learning experience is a productive one.
What is the biggest highlight of your experience with the MU Ed.D. program?
The faculty definitely has been the highlight of my experience with the Ed.D. program. This program is different from others in that we have had the opportunity to work on literature review in our second semester. We’ve also had an introduction to the dissertation process early on.
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