Success Stories

After 23 years in the classroom, teacher Donna Just wasn’t content with earning advanced degrees, or awards like Reading Coach of the Year, or starting a mentoring program for new special education teachers.

So, Just went back to school–again–earning a doctoral degree at NSU. She retired from the Orange County Public Schools, and switched from teaching children in the classroom to teaching college students online.

Just, Ed.D., earned a Doctor of Education degree with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. It was her third advanced degree from NSU: She also has a Specialist of Education degree and a Master of Science degree in Exceptional Education.

“Having a doctoral degree opened up more leadership positions. It also offered opportunities to present at conferences,” she said.

Just moved into online college teaching after a long career at Orange County (Orlando) Public Schools. With a focus on exceptional student education, she taught all grade levels and primarily students with disabilities. She also taught English as a Second Language (ESOL) and worked as a curriculum resource teacher and a literacy coach.

Now, Just is teaching graduate courses at the Fischler College and pursuing her goal of teaching college fulltime.

Why did you pursue the Doctor of Education program?

At that point, I had a master’s degree and a specialist degree. I was working for Orange County Public Schools and I thought I would never retire. My dream was to become a doctor of education and teach college fulltime. Without the doctorate, you can’t do that. In any field of education, the first thing they ask you for is an Ed.D. or a Ph.D.

I also wanted a degree that was open to other areas. With an Ed.D. from the College of Education and a concentration in organizational leadership, I could pursue many jobs.

How did you apply what you learned in the Ed.D. program?

My dissertation in the doctoral program, “It Takes a School to Raise a Beginning Teacher,” helped me start a mentoring program for new teachers working with severely disabled children. I was a curriculum resource teacher at a special education center for students with severe disabilities. I wanted to start a program to help new teachers become successful. It was a very difficult school. Every year we lost teachers because they did not have the resources or the assistance of veteran teachers. I handpicked mentors for the beginning teachers.

What was the value of NSU’s program? Why did you choose NSU?

I made up my mind when I saw NSU’s doctoral program was online. Between teaching fulltime and family obligations, I would not have been able to do this without the online experience.

Being an online student helped prepare me to be an online teacher. I knew what worked for me when I was an online student and what didn’t work. I can tailor my teaching because of my student experience.

What has been most satisfying about your career in education?

Nothing is more satisfying than seeing your students’ success. As a special education teacher, I had students with emotional disabilities, learning disabilities, autistic students. I had students I didn’t really think I could help. Years later I helped them move into careers.

What was it like moving from teaching young children in a classroom to teaching college students online?

Three weeks after getting my doctorate, I got my first position at a community college. I walked in and all these adults were sitting there waiting for me, asking me all kind of questions. That was the biggest eye opener for me. My doctorate helped me deal with that.