Are you considering earning an online EdD?
What’s it like to earn an online EdD?
Concordia University Wisconsin’s online EdD program is proud to be innovative. This cross-disciplinary doctoral program aims to create and develop innovators who make a lasting impact wherever they serve and work. What does this even look like, though?
EdD student Jenna Roeske recently shared what her experience has been like in Concordia’s Doctorate of Education in Leadership in Innovation and Continuous Improvement (LICI) program. Keep reading to hear about her experience in this online EdD program.
Tell us a little about yourself and your current position.
My name is Jenna Roeske. I am in my fifth year serving as the Principal at Trinity Lutheran School in Sheboygan, WI. I also teach 8th-grade writing. My undergraduate degree is in Secondary Education, English, and Spanish, and I have a Master’s degree in Literature and Cultural Theory from UW-Milwaukee. This past year, I was the recipient of the Kohl Principal Leadership Award.
Prior to serving at Trinity, I taught English at Sheboygan Lutheran High School and served as English Department Chair, Dance Team director and coach, Cross Country assistant coach, and Head Soccer coach. I have experience teaching ESL through immersion camps at Concordia University, Wisconsin, and frequently act as a guest speaker for leadership classes at CUW. I’ve been married to my husband, Tom, for eight years, and I reside in Kohler with my son and daughter.
What made you choose Concordia University’s online EdD program?
What I love about the LICI program is its versatility. I enjoy taking classes that focus on both education and business, and I am coming out of the program a much more well-rounded professional. Additionally, I love that I am in a program that aligns with my personal values. I am comfortable sharing my faith and appreciate learning about leadership through a Christian worldview.
What course did you enjoy the most in the program?
I really enjoyed Professor Jameson’s Educational Marketing and Media class. It caused me to reevaluate our school’s marketing and branding, and we have made some excellent changes in recent years. This was an area of my professional life in which I really needed to grow, and this course helped me do just that.
What were your professors like?
The best part of this program is the incredibly supportive staff. Going into this program, Dr. Jim Pingel assured me that I would be supported from day one through the time I defended my dissertation, and I cannot believe how accurate his assertion has proven! The professors are communicative and helpful, and I am thrilled to have a fantastic dissertation chair, Dr. Nicole Muth, who is guiding me through the research process. Dr. Kathleen Kannass helped me through two statistics courses, and that was basically a miracle! They are quite simply the best.
How has this online EdD program helped you reach your goals?
My ultimate career goal has always been to work at the university level, and this program will help me reach this goal. In the meantime, I am committed to my vocation as a school principal, and this program helps me reach my goal of being a better leader every single day. Taking these classes has pushed me to dive into professional reading more than I would have dreamed possible, and I use class projects and assignments as ways to improve my daily practice.
Would you recommend this program?
Absolutely! I am a full-time professional who is also a mother and a wife, and I am still able to achieve in this program. The content is engaging and professionally stimulating, and the collaboration among other professionals is incredibly beneficial. This is a program for any leader who is looking to improve her practice.
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