My name is Tracey Jamison, and I’m a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership and Organizational Innovation program at Marymount University.
During the pandemic, I came to realize that in order for me to move up professionally, I was going to need a new credential. My 33 years in higher education was no longer enough, and although I recently retired, I’m simply not ready to sit back and travel just yet. Because we were in a pandemic, I started looking at doctoral programs online, but as those Instagram algorithms would have it, an ad popped up on my phone and took me directly to the Marymount website, and I was instantly sold.
It led me to the course content, and I realized it was perfectly in line with what I was doing professionally. It also allowed for some flexibility for me to learn, grow and put me on the path to where I’d want to be in the future.
Honestly, the process of becoming a student at Marymount was so easy and comforting, and I was a nervous adult learner. Even though I worked in higher education for so long, being on the other side was a nervous experience, but my dedicated student advisor made me feel at ease from the very beginning. It was after my interview with Dr. Turissini that I really realized that Marymount was hopefully going to be my new home. I crossed my fingers that I would get admitted into the program, but I really wanted to be a part of the Marymount family, and I had this desire to work there as well.
The structure of the program itself really allowed me to manage my work-life balance. Even though my children are grown, and I still had a full-time job, I never felt overwhelmed in the program. I also knew that I had the support of the faculty academically, and even outside of the academics. Marymount faculty are always open to assist and be there to support you because they want you to be successful. But in addition to the faculty and the coursework, some of the courses did allow for team projects and team interaction. Even though our program was online, my teammates have been probably the most valuable aspects of being in the program. They were not only a huge academic support, but a wonderful support network if we just needed to talk.
As I mentioned before, I luckily had an opportunity to apply for and become Assistant Vice President for Graduate Enrollment at Marymount. I still maintain my aspirations of a college presidency someday because with the curriculum content, I believe that Marymount will provide that foundation for me.
My best advice to anyone considering this program is to absolutely take full advantage of being in the Marymount Ed.D. program. Whether you work in education like me, or you work for a nonprofit, or you’re simply a business entrepreneur, this program will provide a solid foundation in leadership, innovation and critical thinking. It is by far one of the best decisions I have ever made professionally.
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