Why Marymount University Online?
Four factors drew me to apply to Marymount University's Educational Leadership and Organizational Innovation program:
- The cohort model
- The cultural diversity of the students and different student career backgrounds (not just math educators)
- The support completing your dissertation WHILE you complete your other doctoral coursework
- Marymount is a Catholic university founded by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. I worked at an all-girls Catholic school for 8 years and have attended Catholic school throughout my academic career. My teaching pedagogy is grounded in my faith.
The Online Learning Experience
As someone who is extrinsically motivated and was always the student who visited professors during in-person office hours during my undergraduate and graduate degrees, I was nervous to experience learning on a virtual platform. I am grateful for the socials, professor office hours, and synchronous sessions that allowed me to connect with my classmates and professors.
When I entered Marymount University's Educational Leadership and Organizational Innovation program in the Fall of 2022, I had just started a new position as a math intervention teacher, and I was planning my wedding in December 2022. As I navigated the virtual platform during my first semester, I attended the synchronous sessions and professor office hours. I started feeling more connected to my classmates and the professors. Dr. Clara Hauth set up a meeting with just our Cohort 5A section and asked us the question, "Who are you?" She didn't want to know our occupation or vocation. She wanted to know us as people.
Exciting Opportunities
During Dr. Nicole Conners's coaching course, we wrote about coaching conversations we have had in the workplace. With the help of my amazing Lead Doctoral Faculty Member (LDFM), Dr. Anna Macedonia, I used this assignment to create a proposal for the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics annual conference in Chicago, Illinois. My proposal was accepted!
Only 1/3 of the applications were accepted this year. Additionally, Dr. Macedonia helped me write a conference proposal for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual conference. I was accepted to present my preliminary research as a presentation, an interactive burst, and as a poster.
If you had told me a year and a half ago that I would be presenting at not one but two national mathematics conferences, I would not have believed you. Marymount's Ed.D. program has empowered me and helped me to realize that my voice matters and that I have unique perspectives in the math education field that need to be shared with others in the profession.
Balancing Life and Coursework
You may be wondering... do I ever sleep? How did I have time to do my doctoral assignments, work 25 hours a week, and participate in these professional development opportunities? I am grateful that the Marymount Ed.D. program was created for working professionals. It is challenging and, at the same time, empowering and doable with the support of such an incredible faculty, fellow students, family, and friends. My husband is my rock and makes sure that I eat! I truly want to make them all proud.
Professional Goals
My long-term professional goal is to become a professor of mathematics education at a university. With Marymount's Ed.D. degree, I would like to take on more leadership roles in the future as a Department Chairperson and then the Dean of Education or Sciences at a university.
Advice for Prospective Students
When reading the biographies of my classmates, I immediately felt a sense of imposter syndrome. What was I, a high school mathematics teacher, going to offer other students in the program? This Marymount Ed.D. program has taught me that not only do my lived experiences as a math teacher have value, but I am valued, just for being my authentic self. Who wants to lie to themselves anyway, trying to be someone they are not?
My advice is to attend socials, synchronous sessions, and office hours. Reach out to your classmates with your contact information to connect. I will never forget the wise words of Dr. Joseph Pisani, "Your doctorate is 90% desire and passion and 10% content. It is an exercise in perseverance and resilience."
Don't wait! Register for Marymount's Educational Leadership and Organizational Innovation Ed.D. program now! It's one of the best decisions you will ever make.
