What made you choose Marymount University?
I had been considering a doctoral degree from the moment I earned an MBA (some 40 years ago!). Life had other plans—family and career—until 2021, when I began looking for a program that was accredited, flexible, affordable, online, and with a goal of creating a diverse and inclusive community of life-long learners. I would say that “Marymount found me” rather than my choosing Marymount. I found the Ed.D. program to check all the boxes!
What did you hope to accomplish by earning an Ed.D.?
By earning an Ed.D., I hope to advance my consulting practice to offer my clients “good thinking” for “better results” as they strive for relevance and sustainability in their teams, their organizations, and their communities. With this degree, I hope to grow toward realizing my full potential while helping others realize their own.
What are your long-term professional and personal goals?
In the long term, I hope to fulfill my purpose of connecting people and ideas to provide leadership and inspiration, tactics, and tools that will result in personal and professional growth. I hope to continue my consulting practice but build in further study in the area of my research (cultural competence in patient care) not only in healthcare but also expanded into fields such as education, police/community relations, and customer service.
Personally, I am applying some of the same skills and tools that kept me on track to complete the accelerated Ed.D. program on time (September 2021 to April 2024): time management, self-care, mindfulness, growth mindset, asking for help, and celebrating small wins.
Background up to this point?
My background may be best described as a 70-year academic journey, since I entered first grade at age 5 and earned my doctoral degree at age 75. My journey is not over yet! I’ve had probably five “second acts,” the latest of which will be 30 years old next year. After a Bachelor’s degree in English, I began in teaching, moved to corporate communications, then advertising and marketing agencies, then back to corporate positions in marketing and then government affairs, and then consulting. My Master’s in Business Administration gave me the knowledge (and credibility) to serve corporate clients and then as a consultant who has both the corporate and the client perspective. My husband and I have two grown daughters and one teenage granddaughter. Life is good. I volunteer on the development committee for The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati and as a member of the strategic planning committee for the Society of St. Vincent DePaul—Cincinnati.
What motivated you to complete an online program?
One of my favorite inspirational quotes is, “Always take on more than you think you can handle, or you’ll never do all you can do.” In addition, I realized that if I had not entered this Ed.D. online program, I would not have achieved this long-standing dream. The Marymount program turned the dream into a SMART goal for me.
What is your favorite topic or moment in the Ed.D. program?
There are too many favorites from which to choose! Favorite topic: transformational leadership, global leadership, and inclusion. Favorite moment (should be plural, moments!). These would be engaging with faculty, staff, and fellow Cohort 3 students. Learning from each other online was unlike any in-person instructional experience I can recall.
At first, we thought the dissertation defense and publication would never come. Then, in seemingly a blink of an eye, it happened. Another favorite experience was the fall ’23 Write-Up lab on campus—this “up close and personal” scholarly writing coaching experience was unmatched.
What is the biggest highlight of your Ed.D. experience?
The biggest highlight of this experience was turning the corner on the Dissertation in Practice manuscript—completing the draft, working with an editor, and working with my Lead Dissertation Faculty Mentor (LDFM) and Committee. It was shaping the defense presentation, rehearsing, and refining it. There was no more “hope so,” only “do so.” The support of the faculty and my cohort classmates helped me make it over the finish line. For this experience, I am most grateful.
Anything else?
I believe it is important to return the favor. For that reason, I’m supporting the new Ed.D. Fund with a monetary gift. The Fund will support future Ed.D. students to help lessen or remove barriers to full participation in their academic journey.
