Tammy Daugherty began her education in 2014, earning her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Education. In 2022, she entered the EdD program at Ball State and earned her EdS along the way. Now, as a doctoral candidate, she is working on the pathway toward completing her dissertation.
When Tammy began pursuing her advanced degrees, she was not certain what university she was going to attend. She wanted to do her research before selecting a school for her Education Specialist and Doctor of Education degrees.
Choosing Ball State University
When it came time to choose a university for her advanced degrees, Tammy did a lot of research about the online educational leadership programs all over the United States. She found that Ball State consistently topped the lists. This was hugely important to her as she was committed to receiving a quality education that had a strong reputation and would help her grow in leadership.
“I felt like I mattered at Ball State.”
Ball State Online’s asynchronous programming offered her the flexibility to continue working her full-time career while studying. In every class Tammy took at Ball State, Tammy felt that the professors she worked with were interested in her progress and responded to her questions promptly. “I felt like I mattered at Ball State,” Tammy said, explaining why she was excited to choose Ball State again for her advanced degrees.
The Ball State Online Experience
When Tammy first started with Ball State, it was back in 2014. She pursued coursework in high ability education. A few years later, she earned her Master of Arts in Educational Administration and Supervision, focusing her studies on Educational Leadership. Now that she is a doctoral candidate, on the challenging pathway toward completing her dissertation, she can look back on her positive experiences and recall fondly how helpful and supportive her mentors have been along the way.
It would be difficult, Tammy says, to choose her favorite course from among the many that led her here. She appreciated that many of the courses she has taken worked together toward the common goal of developing a career-ready professional with strong leadership skills. The ability to work full-time while studying gave her the opportunity to immediately apply new things learned in class. The courses that directly applied to her course of study, as well as professional internships, were the most valuable to her professional growth. “I believe these experiences have helped facilitate the growth in my career,” Tammy says.
Choosing a favorite professor is equally difficult, according to Tammy, but she does want to recognize two who were influential in her education and career: Dr. Serena Salloum and Dr. Tracy Caddell. Dr. Salloum was the first professor who encouraged Tammy to continue her studies beyond the master’s degree, helping her to first realize her goal toward an advanced career. And Dr. Caddell was an encouraging and guiding force to Tammy, especially during the internships, helping her to stretch her thinking. Tammy explains that “both of these professors consistently demonstrate not only their expertise in the field, but also their passion for helping their students grow and be successful.”
A Career After Graduation
Throughout Tammy’s educational experience at Ball State, she was given many opportunities that led to professional successes. Because of this, she has always felt like Ball State was a professional partner of practice, helping her along the way to achieve her career goals and wins. Before she began the program, it was her goal to serve as a director or assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. While she did not follow the traditional leadership track to get there, she feels that her training at Ball State University helped her accelerate her career to achieve her goals.
“This series of degrees—the MAE, EdS, and EdD—have helped me dive deeply into problems of practice, and this spring I landed my dream job as Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment!” Tammy proudly shares.
This series of degrees—the MAE, EdS, and EdD—have helped me dive deeply into problems of practice, and this spring I landed my dream job as Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment!