I never thought I would have ever wanted to go back to school after having received my MBA in 1987. But as they say– never say never.
I was past my mid-50s when I started thinking about going back to school. I had been facilitating case studies and discussions on various leadership and management topics for executive search firm John Clements Consultants, Inc. (JCCI) clients for several years. When I went through the various teaching notes of the case studies I was to facilitate, I always found material that was new to me. So I would look them up to make sure I would discuss them properly. It made me aware of how ill-equipped I was to teach and felt I needed to learn more about it in a formal way. So that started my search for a program that would address what I wanted to know more about. I looked at several schools and I chanced upon the Adult Learning and Leadership (ALL) Program at Teachers College (TC) of Columbia University. The program aimed to help its students “help individual adults learn, and help organizations, institutions, and communities learn from and with those adults. The focus was on adult education and organizational learning that shapes and is shaped by diverse views and cultures through societal learning.” It addressed what I was looking for. So I applied to the Masters program and luckily I got accepted into the program.
At the same time, my eldest daughter had also wanted to apply to a Masters program in Mental Health Counseling. She applied to TC and was accepted as well. So she and I embarked on an educational journey in 2016. Although her program required more credits than mine, we managed to graduate together in 2018. What an exhilarating experience to be able to graduate with my daughter!!
When I went back to Manila, I thought I was done. But somehow, I could not ignore the pull of learning. I had gone back to TC to attend the Transformative Learning Conference in November 2018. I loved being back in TC and learning about Transformative Learning! By January of 2019, with the support of my family, I applied to the ALL doctoral program. Once again, I got accepted. I knew it was fate.
I went back to NYC in August 2019 and enthusiastically started the program. At the same time, I was offered to work as a Graduate Assistant (GA) for the head of the ALL program, Dr. Victoria Marsick. I admired the work and teaching style of Dr. Marsick so I considered myself lucky to be her GA. When the pandemic hit in 2020 and all our classes went online, Coach Victoria (as I fondly called her) and I learned to adapt her courses to the new platform. This was another learning opportunity for me, exposing me to design online courses and familiarize myself with applications that would make courses engaging and more participative.
Dr. Marsick also offered me the opportunity to be involved in outside research such as being part of a study with medical professionals’ informal and incidental learning during times of complexity and uncertainty such as the beginning of the pandemic. My experience with the study helped me in understanding the nuances of conducting a qualitative research study which, in turn, helped me when I embarked on designing, executing, and completing my dissertation.
I look forward to being back in Manila and working as a Learning and Development Consultant with HR firm John Clements Consultants, Inc. (JCCI). Although I was able to work with the employees even when completing my doctoral degree, it will be nice to conduct learning programs in person. My aim is to design curriculum and facilitate programs that would help individuals discover their purpose and passion and help themselves be better at what they would like to do. I would like to be able to assist employees realize their full potential. I hope to be able to make a difference in the lives of the Filipino worker.
My doctoral journey was arduous and challenging and there were times when I questioned my decision to do it. But I was lucky enough to have had a community of family, professors and classmates who helped me get through and be successful at completing my studies.
