Mentors

Today I talked to my former doctoral advisor, Nancy on the phone. I've been working through some professional decisions (nothing earth shattering), and I needed her advice. As per usual, she didn't "tell" me what to do. She simply talked me through it, and told me to trust my instincts, because they were good. There are truly no words to explain my love for this woman. She pushed my to my LIMITS, but in ways that were good for me. She made me who I am today in so many ways. To say I adore her, would be an understatement.

This is what I said to her (and others) in the dedication of my dissertation three years ago:

"I would like express my sincere appreciation to several individuals who have been

vital to my success. First, I would like to thank my advisor, Nancy Cooke for setting high

expectations for me to become a better thinker, a better writer, and a better researcher,

and for raising the bar every time I met it.I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my family. First, I would like to thank my

husband, Phillip for making space in our marriage for this professional journey. Second, I

am grateful to my parents, who pushed me to go after my goals, and who always believed

I could accomplish them. Third, I am grateful to my family and friends outside the

doctoral program, especially my sisters, for helping me remember the most important

things in life."

Talking to Nancy today didn't make me less confused. But it did make me more confident in myself.

I'm lucky to have an equally amazing mentor at JMU-Laura. She couldn't be more different from Nancy, but she has guided me and supported me in ways I could never explain on this blog. I came to JMU mostly because of her.

I'm so lucky to have had these women in my life. I can only hope that one day, I'll return the favor to someone else. They constantly remind me that I'm capable, which this insecure chic needs to hear on a regular basis! I'm so thankful for the amazing women who continue to prop me up in my journey.