Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership

Reyes Gauna: From Custodian to Superintendent

Dr. Reyes Gauna is the superintendent of Byron Union School District in Northern California. He may have a big title and a ton of responsibilities, but Dr. Gauna says he never forgets his humble beginnings. Dr. Gauna started out as a school custodian in a nearby district. He held that job for four years while he was in college, then worked his way up to campus safety monitor. He was then inspired to become a teacher, and next, an administrator. Full Story "From Custodian to Superintendent"

Nnenna Okpara: Empowering Her Community

Nnenna has been working in Special Education her entire career. In her most recent position as a Program Specialist for a large urban school district, she is actively involved with teachers, administrators, and parents in meeting the needs of children with special needs in her district. Her coursework at Concordia not only gave her the practical skills to support her community but also has helped her to understand the global impact education needs to have. Full Story "Empowering Her Community"

Dissertation: A Mixed Methods Study of Charter School Administrators' Perspectives of Effective Inclusion Practices

Vendetta Dozier Brown: A Passion for Literacy

Long before Concordia, as a teacher and administrator, Vendetta had a passion for being a voice for the children in her school district and was particularly vocal about the fact that the children weren't reading and writing at acceptable levels. Her time at CUI served to deepen her passion with respect to this issue, and has motivated her to continue working in her community to improve literacy. Full Story "A Passion for Literacy"

Dissertation: Improving Students' Writing Skills in the Age of Common Core: The Effectiveness of Explicit Prewriting Instruction and Teachers' Views, Perceptions, and Concerns Regarding Implementation

Vonda Rogers: Stepping Out in Faith

Most of us cringe when we think of spending a full day with Middle Schoolers, but not Vonda. She has always had a heart for adolescents and a passion for equality and equity. That combination has made this middle school science teacher a powerful force for change on her large urban middle school campus where she is educating her entire community on culture and the need for understanding one another. Full Story "Stepping Out in Faith"

Dissertation: The Relationship Between Spirituality and an Adolescent's Perspectives and Experiences with Peer Victimization

LaVonne Riggs: Engaging in Restorative Practices

LaVonne has been sticking up for the underdog her whole life. Long before she came to Concordia she was passionate about standing against injustice and standing up for those who don’t have a seat at the table or who have been looked at as “less-than.” She currently works with university students implementing restorative practices in higher education. Full Story "Engaging in Restorative Practices"

Corinna Lee-Hathuc: Impacting Educators

For as long as she can remember Corinna always wanted to be an educator. But growing up as the daughter of a teacher, it wasn’t always easy to distinguish between where her mother’s dream ended and hers began. It wasn’t until she stepped out of classroom teaching and into Administration that this calling became her own. Full Story "Impacting Educators"

William Nelson: Uplifting Students to Reach Their Goals

Will’s goal is to uplift his students, offering them more opportunities than those he was afforded early in his life. He’s a strong believer that a student’s success reaches far beyond the individual student, but also impacts the students’ family and community. The more success a student has in school, the more likely they’ll find success in their adult lives - hopefully a future with less reliance on government resources. Full Story "Uplifting Students to Reach Their Goals"