ALUMNI SIGHTINGS
Nancy Martinez ’11 , Ed.S. in Administration and Supervision and ’14 Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, is a direct beneficiary of National Louis University’s (NLU) continued expansion in Florida. She was among the first graduates to receive an Ed.D. through NLU’s Florida Regional Center in Tampa.
After overcoming her hurdles, Martinez completed and received her doctoral degree. She was even selected as NLU’s 2015 Florida commencement speaker. But what sticks with her most is the moment she defended a dissertation that almost didn’t happen: “The day I had to defend my dissertation was, to me, the most important day of my educational career. I remember waiting to be called back in the
But it almost didn’t happen.
room after my presentation, feeling anxious and very nervous. I will never forget the emotions I felt when I was asked to return to the room and my dissertation chair presented me to the panel as ‘Dr. Nancy Martinez.’ I began to cry and realized that I had finally done it!” Martinez is currently a literacy coach with Orange County Public Schools in Florida and specializes in curriculum and government compliance for English as a second language education.
THE FLORIDA DEGREE THAT ALMOST GOT AWAY Nancy Martinez ‘11 was excited about receiving NLU’s new Ed.D. in Florida... ...until it almost didn’t happen. By Nicholas A. Love
A new principal at the school where she was conducting research interviews with teachers locked Martinez out from finishing her study. Frustratingly, she was already over a year into her doctoral program. It seemed as if she was back to square one. Determined to finish despite this major setback, Martinez reached out to her cohort and her professors with the news. “A couple of principals in my class opened their schools for me to come in. That, for me, was a surprise I will never forget — that level of caring,” she recalled.
She still gets little reminders of her most important day. Sometimes it’s the occasional alert notifications when her dissertation is referenced in other academic research. More often, it’s the professional esteem she feels when working with her colleagues. “It’s another level of respect — when you speak, people really value your opinion. It really gives a weight to your work,” she explained.
But it wasn’t just her fellow students who got her through. She received an outpouring of support from faculty members. “It was key, really, the level of commitment from my professors. They really care,” she said. “These people are true heroes.”
Nancy Martinez ‘11 spoke at National Louis University’s Florida Commencement Ceremony on June 12, 2015.
Nancy Martinez ‘11 stopped to take a photo at the National Louis Chicago campus.
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National Louis University VIEW | FALL 2017
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