My Next Great Adventure!

I have some Big News that has started to leak all over social media. It appears the streets are talking so it’s time for me to put the rumors to rest. After a year of careful deliberation, prayer and soul-searching I’ve decided to take my talents….to graduate school! This week I accepted the invitation to join Jackson State University’s prestigious Executive Ph.D. Program in Urban Higher Education! It’s a huge accomplishment, a tremendous responsibility, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic about the opportunity!

Twenty years ago, I made a mistake in my pursuit of an advanced degree. I was accepted into the Hatchett Pre-Law program to have my law school expenses paid for in exchange for five years of commitment to work in Florida. However, I let some well-intentioned people (my parents) convince me that there was no future in law. This begs the question, what lawyers were they hanging out with?!! Clearly, as I look around at all the lawyers becoming university presidents and prominent civil rights attorneys and on and on, I’m certain I would’ve found my way, but at the time I was young and uncertain of what a future in public relations would look like for me. I was skilled, but would I be successful? Well, I can proudly say I’ve been blessed to live an exciting career in the worlds of entertainment and higher education PR that has been both rewarding and fulfilling.

So why go back to school? Why now? Why pursue a terminal degree when I’m already in a leadership role in my field?

First, I still have a thirst for knowledge! I love to learn new things and I want to enhance my understanding of the challenges facing our treasured historically black college and universities. Second, I want to help find solutions to those challenges. My dissertation will be related to my area of expertise, university communications and marketing, because I believe HBCUs are not taking full advantage of the contributions professionals in my role bring to the table to help recruit prospective students and donors. And third, given the spontaneous nature of my work, I believe an executive program is my best chance to complete grad school successfully. For years, I watched others master the art of balancing work and class and having a social life, and to be honest… their work is what I’ve witnessed suffer. I’ve managed staff in tuition remission programs who tried to convince me that taking class wouldn’t interfere with their work, only to be disappointed later by their productivity on the job. ?

Slacking off at work is not an option for me when I know my roll requires me to be on call for the next big crisis or to work long hours to get the project done on time. So, I sacrificed opportunities to participate in traditional Ph.D. programs because I could already predict the number of classes I’d likely miss in order to put out the latest fire. By contrast, JSU’s cohort model is designed for working professionals to meet in-person one weekend a month for two years. The benefit is I’ll receive the camaraderie of collaboration with like-minded professionals combined with the flexibility of working on assignments, research and writing on my own schedule.

So, what does this mean for us? To be honest, it’s going to be tough to stay consistent with the newsletter with all the reading I’m going to be doing for class this fall. However, I’ll stop short of saying my posts are completely over (I’ve got one cued up for next week). Perhaps my thesis will provide opportunities to test portions of my research out on you! We’ll see!

In the meantime, I’d like to give a big shout out to my mentors who provided letters of recommendation to get me into the EPHD program: Sharon Saunders, Crystal Brown and Dr. Valencia Matthews. Thank you to my new mentor, Donald Comer, cohort 18, who will be my EPHD whisperer throughout my matriculation. A HUGE Thank You to President Thomas Hudson for his support of my academic pursuits. And thank you to my mom and dad! They didn’t want a lawyer in the family, but they totally support having another child with a doctorate – Thank God!! Last, but not least, to the members of JSU EPHD Cohort 19: you’ve already left an indelible mark on me through your impressive resumes, infectious personalities and determined spirits! This week we fortified a bond that will carry us through the highs and the lows of the road ahead. The next 24 months will be intense, but we’ve got one another to help us see it through. The tough part is behind us, making the conscious decision to go confidently in the direction of our dreams. Now, let’s live out the lives we’ve imagined!