Why I’m Pursuing a Ph.D.

People start doctoral programs for a variety of reasons, and my decision is rooted in a few different categories. The reality of my decision has honestly been years in the making. Ever since my Masters program at Vanderbilt, (more) higher education has been occupying my thoughts and dreams. Y’all know that I love school: the learning, the challenges, the reading, the peers, the coursework, the professors, etc. I relish the opportunities for furthered education that I’ve both been offered and sought out myself- this Ph.D journey is one I have certainly mulled over deeply and am thrilled to be starting so soon!

The first and main reason that I am pursuing a PhD is because I want to extend my learning and be at the forefront of research and practices around secondary literacy. Vanderbilt’s Reading Education program instilled a strong sense of scholarship in me, and that is an avenue I want to explore and deepen at the doctoral level. I am looking forward to this highest level of academic achievement that will take place over the next 5-ish years. One career path I am considering is working as a professor teaching university-level students, particularly those in teacher or reading education programs. While the job market in academia borders on slightly bleak right now, I am hopeful that my previous experiences and this program will help me achieve this goal eventually, though perhaps not immediately after graduating. I want to be studying the literature, doing the research, publishing the articles, and contributing to this vast field of literacy that can often leave my precious young adults out of the conversation.

Another reason a PhD drew me in has been the changing landscape of K-12 education. Certainly the pandemic changed how the public views education, schools, and teachers; sadly, that change has not been overly positive. The degradation of the profession of teaching has been hurting my heart and contributing to my lowered morale for multiple years. There are still so many parts of being a classroom teacher that I love (and am already missing), but the realities of the job have become harder and harder to bear. And, that is coming from someone who *loves* teaching, who is *great* at teaching, and who works to *inspire* and *support* colleagues and other teacher friends… Eventually I will write another post that dives into this topic further, but suffice it to say (for now), that I want to work at a different level to impact the wider perceptions of education and teaching.

It simply wouldn’t be truthful to omit another factor in my decision, which has been the book banning happening across country. South Dakota is no exception to this disheartening trend. My experiences working on a district curriculum adoption committee over the last two years have pushed me to look honestly and critically at the harmful juxtaposition of what I know is best for students and what the upper echelons of leadership decide is ‘appropriate’ for those students. (Un)ironically, I used a personal piece about book banning as my writing sample in my PhD applications, and it was an important point of conversation amongst my various PhD interviews. The realities of shrinking teacher autonomy and distrust when it comes to curricular decisions impacted my resolve to seek out a different path in education. I desperately hope that the general public, parents, local politicians, and school districts will lean into the expertise of teachers instead of the pundits whose voices are getting louder and louder.

While these tidbits of course don’t encompass the vast range of emotions and realities of my decision to pursue a PhD, they hopefully help answer the general question “Why a PhD?”. Returning to higher education is a dream becoming reality, for which I am grateful and invigorated. I often think of that quote that says “Remember that you once dreamed of being where you are now”- it rings true!