Latinas Completing Doctoral Degrees: 05/12/13

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Galeria de Doctoras Latinas

We can never underestimate the power of mentorship and guidance from those who accomplish the goals to which we aspire. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I would like to feature some inspiring Latinas who have completed their doctorates, either recently or some time ago. They are proof that it is possible and that hard work and perseverance goes a long way. So please join me in congratulating Dr. Delmy Lendof, a very good friend and colleague who just completed her doctorate at Teachers College, Columbia University. Felicidades Doctora Lendof!!! Happy Mothers Day to all moms who want to be their best selves for their children. Yes, we can have it all!

Galeria de Doctoras Latinas

Congratulations to Dr. Nelly Cardinale, our featured Doctora in the Galeria de Doctoras!
Dr. Nelly Cardinale shares some words of wisdom with us about who she is and what helped her in her journey to become doctora. Please read on: 1. What is your background? I have been working in the education field for the last 26 years. I have taught at the K-12 level for approximately 3 years and the other 23 years at the higher education level. I teach Computer Science to first and second year college students. I have a BA in Criminology from the University of South Florida and an MS degree in Computer Education from the Florida Institute of Technology. The college where I teach used to be a community college and just became a four-year state college on July 1, 2013. The new name of the college is Eastern Florida State College and my faculty webpage is located here: Http://home.easternflorida.edu/cardinalen 2. Why did you decided to pursue a doctoral degree? I was nine years old, I was fortunate to stumble across the book,"Manchild in the Promised Land" by Claude Brown. The story was about a boy who grew up in Harlem, which is an area in NYC similar to the South Bronx where I grew up. Despite being a former street gang member, he managed to become a successful attorney. This book inspired me to dream big. I decided that if he could do this, then I would do something similar someday. In 2010, my youngest child started the 11th grade and I decided that the time was right to pursue this goal. 3. Who were your biggest supporters? My husband, boss, work colleagues and sons were my major supporters. Unfortunately, my mom, sisters and other extended family members still do not understand what a doctor of education (Ed.D.) degree is all about. I recently called my mother to let her know that I defended my dissertation successfully and therefore would be graduating soon. Her response was to ask me if I could write a prescription for her. 4. What are the top three things you believe kept you motivated to finish? a. My Age: I am 56 years old and at this age, I really do not like wasting time since I have no idea how much longer I will continue to keep working. b. My Students: Most were really excited when I started to pursue this goal and many kept asking me how I was doing in the degree program long after they were students in my classes. c. My Sons: During the third year of my doctoral degree studies, both of my sons and I were all college students at three different universities. My youngest was a freshman and my oldest was pursuing a Masters Degree in Human Resources. We started to compete for grades. I just had to finish in order to be a good role model for them. 5. Are there any websites that were helpful to you? Most of the students in my Ed.D. degree program are online students from all over the world. Therefore, some students started several Facebook groups so that we could support each other during different phases of the dissertation. Unfortunately these group pages were created solely for Ed.D. students from Northeastern University, which is located in Boston. However, I highly recommend that if you have some buddies in your doctoral degree program, contact some of them and start your own group.

Latinas Completing Doctoral Degrees

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Galeria de Doctoras Latinas

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