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Congratulations, Doctor!
The yellow brick road to getting a PhD
The road toward a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is long and winding.
If I could choose a metaphor, it would be Dorothy’s journey to visit the Wizard of Oz to find her way home. The yellow brick road of my PhD was filled with discovery. The guidance of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion was the support I received from my three dissertation committee members.
Like Dorothy, I had moments of questioning and doubt that were the apples thrown from angry talking apple trees in an orchard and flying monkeys sent to hunt you down in the forest. But having a purpose and mission is a powerful thing. My driving force was finding a new home, a place that would allow me to teach at a college or university and be called “doctor”.
December 17, 2024
It was a typical morning. Waking in a minor fog, my first thought was what time it was. A glance at the modern-day alarm clock, my cell phone read 7:05 AM. The next steps included the traditional rituals of making tea and booting up my computer to check emails and Medium.
Looking up from my PC at my framed PhD diploma hanging on the wall, I noticed it was the anniversary of my graduation in 2003.
