PhD Life

In preparation for pursuing a PhD in Workforce Education and Development (WED), I discovered that my master’s degree study in pedagogy (K-12) from Pepperdine University, as a teaching methodology to children, was not my passion. Throughout my 2-year academic career in workforce education from Southern Illinois University (SIU), I firmly assure myself that andragogy, the method of teaching adult learners, is my true calling. Although some scholars argue that pedagogy versus andragogy is a false dichotomy since pedagogy can represent teaching methods for both children and adults, I do believe that educators teach adults differently from pre-adults.

The road to a doctorate is long and arduous, but exciting and rewarding at the same time. Throughout my academic career, I am constantly reminded of the value of the WED program. The WED faculty at SIU is knowledgeable, estimable, and inspirational. I do believe that their engagement with students go beyond mentoring and encouraging to profound and critical conversations. This coincides with my inner desires to tackle intellectual problems and explore new areas of knowledge to a doctoral level. I appreciate all the help and advice my professors have provided, and I look forward to the possibility of working with the entire WED staff for a long time as I pursue my academic passion and goals.