I know that as I approach those new adventures, I’ll be carrying with me the lessons from my experiences moving through a doctoral program: to practice patience with not just one’s self, but with processes that lie outside of one’s self; to listen carefully to others, as they can provide feedback and insight that you might not be expecting (even if it seems irrelevant at that moment); and to keep moving forward even if that means taking a detour from a plan.
WALTER BUTLER
I am convinced that I would not have been able to keep writing during my years of fear and mourning if it was not for my colleagues-turned-friends. And thus, I wrote in the acknowledgement of my thesis a quote from hooks (2001) stating that “Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion” (p. 215). And I know this to be true. I believe that hooks (2001) was emphasizing not only the importance of being part of a community but also the importance that community has for the possibility of healing.
ULRIKA CENTERWALL
In retrospect, over my seven-year doctoral experience, I came to see my supervisors as my coaches. I was the athlete, the professional in training, and they were my guides and champions. I was the one earning the credit or the criticism; it was my name on the marquee. But they were seasoned experts, advocates, and advisors, a powerhouse of wisdom and support in my corner. They have a vested interest in my success and shared in that success, but ultimately, I was the one who showed up every day and did the work. It was on me to deliver and see it through to the end.
LETTIE Y. CONRAD
Accepting that we could perceive our status as a fluid transition back and forth between novice and expert on each continuum helped us to strengthen our sense of self-worth and confidence.
KRISTEN H. GREGORY AND MARK M. DIACOPOULOS
KARA KAUFMAN
I had the confidence to succeed in this type of program because of their language game values: I felt supported rather than beaten down, and I was allowed to follow my curiosity and cultivate my preferred way of being, rather than follow my superiors’ demands.
I experienced a holistic and fulfilling doctoral journey. This journey was challenging and strenuous, both intellectually and personally; and the opportunity to stretch, expand, reimagine, and grow in persistence and knowledge was realized.
KAREN F. KAUFMANN
Engaging in self-guided inquiry that was supported through mentoring from supervisors who were invested in my success was an empowering learning experience. The interactions I had as a student with scholars from around the world about my research and the ideas surrounding it made me feel more competent as a researcher.
CLARENCE MAYBEE
The element of self-determination is a thread running through all of the chapters in this book. No one completes a task as enormous, unwieldy, long-term, and demanding as a doctorate without being fueled from within, without the self being the propellant and the creative force at the core. Outside forces are necessary—excellent supervisors, family (in whatever form) who believe in you, peers who understand the particulars, all of which were discussed in previous sections—but the actual work is largely done alone, and the impetus and ideas come from within.
VIRGINIA M. TUCKER