My first blog post as a doctoral student was written on May 18, 2018 and appropriately titled “Becoming Dr. Clark.” I find it befitting to wrap up my journey as a doctoral student with this blog post by reflecting on my initial posting. It’s funny reflecting on the goals that I set for myself as I applied to this doctoral program; I had no idea all of the ways I would learn so much about myself in addition to the curricular content areas. At the completion of each semester, I would write my reflections and focus on highlights that stood out to me. Just like changing my desired future career as a Vice Provost for Student Affairs, I had no ideas the way my world and the world at large would change.
In the 1,093 days between the first day of classes and graduation, I have evolved and become a more authentic version of myself — as a mother, leader, scholar, and human. But most of all, I have evolved to be in a position to explore my passions and develop additional talents. I began early on providing additional blog posts and thoughts about course content, the areas of my scholarships, and sharing my presentations from local and national conferences. That began to fade away as the world began grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. I began prioritizing the things I had to do as a way to make room for the things I wanted to do. No longer did I desire to spend my free time (what is free time anyway?) burning the candle at both ends and overworking myself to prove my worth and value. Through this, I’ve come to realize that while this last year in the doctoral program is about research and a final product (hello, capstone dissertation and data website!), it was also a testament to the many nuances learned about oneself in this leadership program.
And just when I thought I had nothing more in me to write and reflect on, here I am again thinking (and currently writing) about “Have I ‘become’ Dr. Clark?” In the literal sense, yes, I am officially, Dr. Stevara Haley Clark, but I truly believe that I will forever be in a constant state of becoming. Evolving, learning, and challenging myself. So please, stay tuned as this site will continue, but will be rebranded over the next few months — moving away from a doctoral portfolio and evolving into a website for consultation and musings.
As always, here are reminders of what I thought after I completed my first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth semesters. Thank you all for coming on this journey with me.