The Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Appalachian State University marked a historic milestone during the 2024–2025 academic year, with 33 graduates completing their degrees across the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters—the largest number of graduates in the program’s history.
Graduates pursued wide-ranging research on critical issues such as student success, leadership, organizational change, and innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Their dissertations reflect both a commitment to scholarship and the program’s mission of preparing scholar-practitioners to lead with vision and integrity.
For many, the doctoral journey was both rigorous and deeply rewarding. One graduate reflected:
“My dissertation journey wasn’t just about finding a project or a topic—it was about discovering my uniquely creative voice. It involved heart work and, at the same time, was a process of challenging the established norms of what a dissertation could be.”
Others emphasized the lasting community they found in the program:
“In this program, I was fortunate to join a talented and passionate group of individuals in both my cohort and the faculty. My cohort provided not just support, but affirmation of our work through their drive, imagination, and brilliance to improve conditions for students.”
Together, these stories capture the transformative nature of the program—not only in advancing research but also in shaping resilient leaders who carry forward the values of collaboration, innovation, and meaningful impact. With this record-setting class, the program celebrates its influence and looks ahead to preparing future cohorts of scholar-practitioners ready to meet the evolving challenges of education.