August 28, 2024 | News
Seeking a doctoral program compatible with her busy work and family life, Dr. Sarah Skoy was delighted to find the Higher Education and Leadership Studies program at Edgewood College. Eager for the opportunity to dive into more learning, she’s found a path to reaching her academic goals.
A Winding Adventure
Driven by a rich sense of adventure, the trajectory of Sarah’s educational journey has shifted over the years. A native of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, Sarah earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She has always been inspired by her father, an attorney, and believed enrolling in law school would be the next logical step. Despite being accepted into several law schools, an internship gifted Sarah with real world experience and a glaring realization: working in an office simply wasn’t for her.
That restless feeling, she found in an office setting, led Sarah to follow her affinity for the outdoors. Growing up with a love for hiking, mountain biking, and skiing among other activities, Sarah worked seasonally for two years across several outdoor recreational companies in northern Wisconsin. Ultimately, putting ambitions to become a lawyer behind her, she dared to transform her career into its own adventure. And that led Sarah to move to New York and work for Hamilton College as their Associate Director of Outdoor Leadership. She began a career as an educator but ventured outside of the conventional walls of a classroom.
Integral to her journey and career aspirations, this position fostered a continued interest in academics. Sarah continued her education obtaining a Master of Arts degree in adventure education at Prescott College, where she aimed to assess student satisfaction in higher education through her thesis research. She found that student satisfaction was correlated to the quality of student-faculty relationships. Fascinated with this research and its findings, Sarah began searching for a doctorate program. She found a perfect fit in Edgewood College – not only was it a familiar location, but the program supports her continued research.
Finding the Right Balance to Keep Pursuing a Doctorate
It was important to Sarah that she found a doctoral program where she could continue to work her full-time job, parent her elementary-aged daughter, and work towards completing her degree. Sarah has been able to balance all the demands of her life while also working through the program requirements. Two years into the program, she even met and married her wife, Evie, at Hamilton College.
Living a full and multifaceted life, what stood out about Edgewood College’s Higher Education and Leadership Studies doctorate program was its online learning platform. This offers Sarah the flexibility to complete her coursework, from her home in New York, with minimal disruption. Further, she appreciates the structure of asynchronous classes and how they enable school to fit conveniently into her life. Sarah can manage the various responsibilities alongside a convenient schedule to complete her work rather than dealing with the stressors involved with set class dates and times that would conflict with the rest of her busy schedule. Though an online program was desired, Sarah feels it is important that Edgewood College is a brick-and-mortar institution because she was drawn by a culture physically exhibiting its Dominican values. With family members living in the Madison area, she was compelled by the idea that she could visit campus in-person and meet faculty face-to-face.
Regarding her learning experience at Edgewood College, Sarah stated, “After researching other doctoral programs, I can’t imagine going to school anywhere else.” While her research is based on examining the impact of student-faculty relationships, she notes that her own relationships have yielded meaningful interaction. Through online interactions, Sarah highlights the positive relationship developed with Associate Dean for Educational Leadership Programs, Dr. Suzanne Otte. Approaching their relationship as mentor and friend, Dr. Otte has supported Sarah in navigating her coursework and has been helpful in working through her dissertation research. An opportunity prompted by Dr. Otte, Sarah has also been able to work as a graduate assistant where she can practically and objectively observe student-faculty relationships as part of her research.
A Community of Online Support
It’s no surprise that Sarah’s research is rooted in helping other students prosper in the pursuit of their passionate endeavors. Continuing to work toward completion of her doctorate degree, Sarah hopes to maximize and improve student experiences through the application of her research. The objective of her dissertation is to publish academic research titled, “How Faculty-Student Interactions Influence College Student Satisfaction.” As the results of her student satisfaction research suggest, interactions with Dr. Otte have been an influential part of Sarah’s experience.
Initially following in her father’s footsteps, Sarah’s professional pivots have enabled her to thrive as both a leader and educator while pushing the boundaries of a traditional office space. Brave living and bold career choices have defined her quest to meaningful work. She recognizes the mutual investment she is experiencing from Edgewood College faculty as they practice what they teach and strive to build a community of online support that fosters the significance that relationships have on long-term academic success. Though the journey continues with much learning and work left to do, Sarah is energized to be increasing her knowledge, building professional relationships, and positioning the advancement of her career.
Fostering student success, the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program is available to working professionals. Featuring online coursework and faculty willing to build relationships with students, Edgewood College is committed to the growth of the person and the professional.