Doctor of Education, 2018
Three words encapsulate your Northeastern University experience:
Transformational | Experiential | Foundational
What has yor journey revealed to you about yourself?
My journey has given me more confidence and compassion for others. I went through my struggles and watched others struggle. I have been lifted and held up by the Northeastern community and helped others along the way. When we use the word colleague at Northeastern, we mean it. I have also been called to be a leader at Northeastern, either as a student leader or one of the few African American male leaders in my department. I take it very seriously to be an exemplar to the students and faculty I get to serve. Black men only make up 2.5 percent of all doctoral degrees at PWIs and HBCUs. If that number is to increase, it takes a village and role models.
What were some of the reasons you chose to join the Northeastern community? Since joining, what have been some of the opportunities and challenges you have experienced?
COVID-19 impacted our students at Northeastern, and I was asked to be on a call about how it harmed us mentally. One student shared that she was being told that she was failing a class because she missed some work due to deaths in her family and being sick. She stated she needed help, support, and mentoring. I pulled some of my colleagues together to create a student organization where graduate students could support each other. We called it the Graduate Student Education Research Association. We also wanted to connect to the broader education doctorate community, so we became student members of the American Education Research Association and benefited from their graduate student opportunities such as scholarships, grants, conference opportunities, and getting our research published in their newsletter. After presenting our vision to the Graduate Student Government at Northeastern, we got approved as an organization and started hosting meetings, events, and even a mentorship program.
I am proud to say GSERA is still strong today and has hundreds of students involved. My classmate and one of the Professors nominated me for the Huntington 100, a prestigious recognition of student leaders at Northeastern that I did not even know existed. I was honored to be added to that group in my final year on campus. What a great opportunity!
When I was nearing the end of my dissertation stage, I was told I needed a liver transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville right away! The goal for the transplant was August, and I needed to complete everything by July to graduate—my Dissertation Chair Dr, Cherese Childers McKee, and my second and third readers, Drs. Rashid Mosley and Darlene Booth Bell were so supportive. They made me believe I could do both. I also had a crew of colleagues we called ourselves the “Team Lit” (referencing the literature review, one of the most complex parts of the dissertation process) we pushed each other, and we all made it through. I cannot thank Drs. Melissa Wrenchey, Arria Coburn, and Edwina Bowers enough! The Northeastern community helps you face the challenges, so you will not fail if you keep trying.
My final opportunity came before my final challenge. My dissertation chair asked me if I would consider returning to Northeastern as a part-time lecturer/professor once I got past my liver transplant. I then spoke with Dr. Sara Ewell, who directed the Ed.D program at the time. Sara is such a fantastic person, and it gave me the confidence to try. I had my transplant at the Mayo Clinic on April 7th, 2022. I started lecturing at Northeastern in August of that same year! Everyone, even the doctors, was amazed at my speedy recovery.
Northeastern doctoral students give me life! Each one has fantastic stories and a passion and commitment to be a change agent for social justice and scholar-practitioner. They inspire me to keep going through the difficulties of the transplant process, including the physical and emotional challenges and the uncertainty of recovery. I made it two years post-transplant and two years at Northeastern in August. I am living the dream! #Grateful
What advice do you have for others considering higher education, either at Northeastern or elsewhere?
“I would advise anyone who wants to give back to get involved with students. You will never regret it. If you are looking for a place that fosters social justice and experiential learning, the Northeastern Graduate School of Education is the place. The students say the professors create a nurturing environment for success.”
What are some of your hobbies and other passions? Where do you find your joy?
Besides teaching, I write for an education media channel called “Getting Smart” on equity and access, experiential learning, the future workforce, and mentoring. I serve on Boards like Carolina Crown, a nonprofit performing arts organization, and the Lion’s Den, an African American Male mentoring organization. I am also publishing my first book with Kendall Hunt Publishing.
In my free time, I like to DJ and play the piano. I enjoy walking near the water, listening to House Music, traveling, and hanging out with my friends and fraternity brothers. My greatest passion is my three grandkids and my family! I cannot get enough of bragging about them and posting pictures of them, and my most significant focus is my relationship with God!
