In honor of Mother's Day, Doctoral Mom would like to introduce you to the amazing women that make up the Doctoral Mom group. Join us as we listen to their advice and stories.
It’s day seven and today we would like to introduce Randi Miller from Walden University. Randi is the mother of two and her area of study is early childhood education.
Motherhood
What’s your favorite part of being a mother? Can you give us a specific example?
"My favorite thing about being a mother is that your kids bring out aspects of yourself that you didn’t know existed. This goes beyond patience. My daughter has brought out my perseverance, my understanding, my ability to find happiness in all moments and most importantly that I need to live in the moment to get the most out of life. I remember watching my daughter play at her birthday party and watching other people trying to capture every moment on their phone. I almost felt guilty for missing the opportunity to get her on camera but that smile she gave me; I knew that living in that moment was more important."
Doctoral Program
How did you choose your advisor and/or committee?
"I spent a lot of time thinking about how to pick my chair and co-chair. I’m a sensitive person. So, I decided to pick the kindest professor I had in my program for my chair because I knew I would need a soft place to land. However, for my co-chair I chose the most challenging professor I had in my program. She really challenged me as a writer. I figured that if I could get my writing through her, I could get it through anyone. I would often regret my decision for my co-chair but in the end, I am so glad I chose her."
What is the most difficult part of the dissertation process?
"I felt that the most challenging part of my dissertation process was not understanding the process. I spend hours researching how to research to complete my work. It was like building an airplane while flying. Almost impossible or at least that’s how it felt as times."