Joyce graduated from OAESA in conjunction with Concordia University Chicago with a Leadership Doctorate – Educational Leadership and currently works as a principal for a middle school in Ohio. With nearly three decades in education, we asked Joyce to tell us about her experience obtaining her doctorate at OAESA in conjunction with Concordia University Chicago.
Why did you want to work in education? What inspired you?
I don’t really have a great story that led me to being an educator. I couldn’t decide on a major, and a nun at Ohio Dominican suggested education to me and that’s what I did. Since, I have realized how much of an impact that a good or bad teacher can have on a student’s success or failure and on the rest of their life.
Why did you choose OAESA in conjunction with Concordia University Chicago for your Leadership Doctorate – Educational Leadership?
I started my work on my doctoral degree at another university. I originally stared my work towards a Ph.D. After taking many classes, I was told I would have to take sabbatical leave to finish. Due to my situation at home being a single parent of four children, I was financially unable to take sabbatical leave. I found out about the program with OAESA in conjunction with Concordia University Chicago. After contacting Concordia University, I realized I could transfer some of my credits and complete my degree online. They also explained the difference in the Ed.D. and Ph.D. My desire is to stay in the K-12 schools as a school leader and use my education in a practical setting. Therefore, I decided to pursue my education to get an Ed.D.
What skills did you gain or sharpen through your program at OAESA in conjunction with Concordia University Chicago and how do you use them today?
Taking classes at OAESA in conjunction with Concordia University Chicago gave me a larger skill set. I not only had to learn the content and more computer skills, but also how to navigate online courses. I had to work at setting up a schedule and having good time management. All of this has helped me in my job as a school principal, but the most important thing I learned was how personal and engaging online classes can actually be. I always felt that you would not learn as much or get as much help taking online classes. I had personalized help throughout my program. Many of the professors were even willing to call me on the phone to help me with assignments. Now that I currently teach online classes, I have used the skill of personalizing classes in my work.
How has your doctoral degree impacted you in terms of your current position or a position you’d like to attain in the future?
Currently I am a middle school principal and I also teach online classes for Concordia. Having a doctoral degree opened up many new opportunities in my school district for me and it allowed me to become an adjunct professor for Concordia. It has given me the ability to start looking into superintendent jobs because many require you have a doctoral degree. The knowledge I gained during my studies gave me a whole new perspective on leadership. It helped better prepare me for the challenges and give me the ability to make decisions based on research.
What was a challenge you faced during your educational leadership doctorate program, and who or what helped you overcome it?
The biggest challenge I faced was trying to figure out how to narrow down my topic for my dissertation and then actually go through the process. The whole process is very lengthy and challenging. It is a marathon not a sprint. I got a lot of help from my dissertation committee. Every step of the way working through my dissertation, I had a wonderful committee who gave me a lot of feedback. They were always there to answer any of my questions and encourage me when I was frustrated. I would like to take this time to really thank Dr. Sims, Dr. Safer, and Dr. Tagaris.
What was the biggest takeaway from your doctoral program?
My biggest take away from my doctoral program was really learning how to research something and defend it. I learned how important it was to do thorough research and provide complete evidence to defend your opinion about something. Many times, I submitted chapters that came back to me with many questions where I did not provide enough evidence or research. I learned how to really pay attention to details and provide documentation. Now when I am asking for something for my building or I am trying to convince senior leadership of something, I am fully prepared. I have found many times I am overly prepared and usually receive compliments on how prepared and thorough I am.
What would you tell (or what advice would you give) prospective students considering the Leadership Doctorate – Educational Leadership degree program at OAESA with Concordia University Chicago?
If you are interested in working on an Ed.D. program, I think the best place to do the work is through OAESA in conjunction with Concordia University Chicago. As I said before, I started my doctoral degree at another university in face-to-face classes. It was very difficult to work a full-time job and raise kids as a single mother. I struggled to get babysitters and to complete classwork. When I started with OAESA in conjunction with Concordia University Chicago, it was much easier for me to schedule time to study and complete the process online.
I worried the program would not be as rigorous and would be very hard to complete since I did not have face-to-face interaction. I was concerned about how I would get the help and support I needed through a computer. I quickly found out that it is very personalized and you have all of the support you need. Everyone is very friendly, easy to get in contact with, and they always respond quickly to questions. Many of my professors did phone calls to help me through questions and assignments. I felt like my dissertation committee really cared about my success and they were there to do whatever they could do to help me succeed.
Everyone was very positive and encouraging. They understand that most of us are working, have families, and life happens. They do everything they can to work with you and your schedule. They really provided me with courses that have helped me to be successful at my job and related to my work. I found myself using what I was learning at work at the same time I was learning it. The curriculum is very practical and practice based.