Chapter 8: Becoming Scholarly and Influential Practitioners: The Journeys of Two Professionals in a New, Innovative Doctoral Program: The Journeys of Two Professionals in a New, Innovative Doctoral Program

We chose the preceding epigraph because it aptly depicts and summarizes the endeavors of any individual on a journey through a doctoral program. Doing that which is new and not yet mastered is the quintessential aspect of doctoral study and, we might add, maturing professional practice. We describe the journeys of two professional educators, Veronica Vasquez and Maria Paredes, two of the co-authors, in this chapter as they traversed the challenging terrain of completing a doctoral program while continuing to fulfill the obligations of their professional roles and personal lives. Their stories are told against a backdrop of a new, innovative Doctor of Education program, which they completed.