While some students come to National Louis University (NLU) looking to find their passion, many of our students begin their programs with clear goals in mind. Our personalized programs and small class sizes ensure that students receive one-on-one attention from faculty and can customize their programs to match their goals. That was the case for Dr. Debra Wright-Hudson when she enrolled in the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program at NLU.
Dr. Wright-Hudson was already employed as the principal of McLaughlin Middle School and Fine Arts Academy in Lake Wales, FL, a position previously held by her father, when she decided to earn her doctorate. Coming from a family of educators, Dr. Wright-Hudson knew from a young age that she wanted to work with students and serve as a leader in the community.
When she was searching for universities, Dr. Wright-Hudson says NLU’s strong reputation, small class sizes and flexible course options stood out:
“I needed to attend a university that is aligned with my values and would lead to the attainment of my personal and professional goals. National Louis University's continuous listing as one of the ‘Best Universities’ in the country made the university a viable option. The flexibility provided by the university would allow me to obtain my doctoral degree while continuing my work as a principal. The teacher-student ratio at the university appealed to me as I prefer a more interpersonal approach to learning. The doctoral program, course load, and reviews of National Louis University was the deciding factor.”
The one word Dr. Wright-Hudson would use to describe NLU is “innovative.”
Dr. Wright-Hudson also saw that NLU’s dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion aligned with her own values and priorities as an educator.
“National Louis University's approach to creating equitable learning experiences and innovative thinking was what resonated with me the most,” she says. “This approach to learning aligns with my belief that education must move past the status quo to create equitable opportunities for
learners to be college- and career-ready.”
The challenge in front of Dr. Wright-Hudson was daunting. Her school was underperforming, and public perception of the school was negative:
“When [I came to] to McLaughlin, the school was underperforming. The state was ready to close the school if there were no improvements within the year [...] The opinion for years had been that McLaughlin was a throwaway school for the poor and disenfranchised.”
By utilizing the skills she learned in her doctoral program, Dr. Wright-Hudson was able to help turn around the performance of the school and realize her dream of turning it into a middle-high school.
“During the last 3-years, McLaughlin has seen unprecedented gains academically during a pandemic. The dream was to make McLaughlin a high-performing school that would prepare students to be career- and college-ready [...] The dream has always been to grow McLaughlin from a middle to a 6th through 12th grade school. Through hard work and passion, I have realized the dream. On May 10, 2022, the Polk County School Board voted unanimously to grant my request to move forward with high school.”
Dr. Wright-Hudson credits the school’s transformation to everyone’s hard work and passion, along with the skills and knowledge she gained during her doctoral program at NLU:
“I have broken down that barrier with the hard work of staff, students, parents, and community partners. We are now the school that everyone is aspiring to become [...] My education at National Louis University has provided me with the knowledge to obtain this goal!”
When asked to elaborate on which skills she gained from NLU, Dr. Wright-Hudson notes that her program gave her the ability to put in place organizational systems that helped her school reach its goals.
“National Louis University has provided me with the organizational skills necessary to put systems into place that move toward an equitable education,” Dr. Wright-Hudson says. “Through the discourse and personalized education I received at the University, my goal of growing my school into a middle-high is being realized.”
Dr. Wright-Hudson tells current NLU students not to let their educational opportunities pass them by:
“As life-long learners you have a responsibility and moral obligation to seize every opportunity to grow yourself and others. National Louis University’s innovative, committed and highly effective instructors are skilled at providing rigorous real-life tasks to help prepare graduates to accomplish unmeasurable achievements.”
Interested in our advanced degree programs in education? You can view all of our programs here, and if interested, you can request more information online. An Enrollment Specialist will be in touch shortly to discuss your educational and career goals.
Original source can be found here.
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