Doctoral Journey part 5 – Wrap up and defense

Continuing the story of my dissertation journey, I’m nearing the end of the experience. Taking the information from my qualitative and quantitative data, I finished writing two of my three papers. My third paper took a different approach in the form of a thought paper. Also known as a position paper, it allowed me to share my views of my topic with research to support. It also brought a call to action to those that make decisions related to supporting remote and hybrid workers. Once my papers were completed, it was time to prepare for the culmination of my doctoral program – the dissertation defense.

The defense was a presentation of my research, summarizing the three artifacts I wrote and sharing the importance of the results. The group that would hear my defense was my dissertation committee, consisting of my advisor and two faculty members that I had asked to support me in the journey. I could not share every little detail of my papers, so I had to choose the key points with guidance from my advisor. My presentation included background on my topic, the purpose of my research, the methods used in my research, who would benefit from my findings, and a summary of each artifact. It was still a lot of information to present in 25 minutes, so I had to be as precise as possible. After creating my presentation, I reviewed it with my advisor and practiced ensuring I was within my time limits and prepared for any questions the committee may ask me.

Finally, the day I’d been working up to had arrived – dissertation defense day. I got on a Zoom call and presented my dissertation summary. After the presentation, I was asked a few questions to clarify points I had shared in my research. Then, I was sent to a virtual waiting room while the committee discussed my presentation. After many minutes, they brought me back to the group and gave me the news that I had passed my dissertation! It was a very emotional moment for me as I reached the moment of celebration and accomplishment, remembering all that I experienced along the way both academically and personally.

Following my defense, I finalized my paper to submit to the offices of the graduate school and prepared for commencement. On May 3, 2024 (which happened to be my 48^th Birthday), I walked onto the stage and received my doctoral hood as did one of the friends I had made in my cohort. My mom was able to join me for the celebration, which was a great honor to have her with me.

Over one year later, I still reflect on the journey and am on the next steps of my goal to get my articles published. For this reason, I am not sharing details of my research currently. I hope to share the story of that journey in the months ahead. In the meantime, my future posts will focus on learning and development and leadership related topics.

I hope that this series of posts gave you insight into the doctoral program experience. If you are considering this path, I’m happy to answer questions to help you with your decision. Even if you are not looking to get a degree, feel free to share questions and comments you may have related to my experience.