Deborah Ash says she's not a typical PhD candidate. “I dropped out of high school. I'm covered in tattoos.” But at Capella, she found an educational environment that brought out the best in her. “I never felt out of place,” she says. Because of the excellent support she received from faculty and other learners, she has always felt welcome.
Ash earned an MS in Education at Capella, and is now writing her dissertation for the PhD in Education with a specialization in Instructional Design for Online Learning. She teaches at three online colleges and tutors at-risk youth online, and says that Capella's faculty have shown her how to be a better teacher.
“Never in my prior education did I experience the incredible level of support I found at Capella. Now that's reflected in what I do. I go the extra mile for my students, too.”
That “extra mile” was something she experienced in her first PhD-level class at Capella, which she took as a master's student at the encouragement of faculty. “I was scared,” she recalls. “My instructor was located in Australia. He was willing to get on the phone with me very early in the morning his time, and stayed on the phone with me until he knew I got it.” That professor is now her dissertation mentor. “At Capella, I have had instructors who changed my life.”
Ash found her passion for online teaching in her Capella master's program,
and decided to pursue a PhD. Throughout her studies, she has made friends that will “last a lifetime.” Ash says that their support has been critically important to her success.
“I tell people all the time, latch on to other learners, stay in contact.” Ash reports there were many times she wanted to give up, and recalls a specific instance when she couldn't find work and was having trouble securing financing to finish her courses. “I was done. I made a Facebook posting saying, ‘It's been nice knowing you.' Within 30 seconds, my phone was ringing.”
Friends she'd made at Capella asked what the problem was, and worked with her to find a solution. A friend she'd met at her first colloquium told her, “You're not quitting now. We're graduating together. We're walking across that stage together next year.” Ash stays in close contact with them. “Without them I absolutely know I wouldn't have made it to this point in my PhD program.”
“When I used to talk to people with PhDs, I thought I could never be one of them. Don't ever think you can't. Capella will make sure you can.”