Vanessa Vega has earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) from Concordia University Wisconsin.  Ms. Vega, an English Language Learner specialist,  successfully defended her dissertation on Oct. 20. 

Q: What inspired you to pursue a doctoral degree in your field?

A: Well, I’ve always wanted a PhD and it just seemed right. I wanted to contribute more to education and give back to students.

Q: Was it hard balancing school and being a teacher?

A: Yes, because I had to go home and do lesson plans since I have mixed grades but due to my schedule as a parent as well, it was hard distributing time.

Q: Can you share a brief overview of your research topic?

A: My research topic was exploring the science of reading for English language learners. It was an archival study to inform better practices to teach kids that find it difficult to learn in the English language.

Q: What was the most challenging part of your doctoral journey?

A: The most challenging part was doing my proposal and pitching to my professors about why I wanted to pursue this topic because I kept rearranging. It was hard to organize, especially chapters 3 and 4.

Q: How did you stay motivated during difficult times in your studies?

A: Well, I kept saying to myself that the research will benefit the future and students. I have a need and care for helping students make sure their voices are heard even if it’s in another language. I also thought about the fact that those students weren’t getting enough support and I hoped my research contributed to that.

Q: What advice would you give someone considering a doctorate?

A: I’d say go for it! The more education you have, the more doors open for you and you’re able to try new things.

Q: Who were your biggest supporters throughout this process?

A: My biggest supporters were my family, especially my daughter. Also Bronx River, my colleagues and my cohort peers. We were all able to share any information we needed and overall they were just a big support.

Q: Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently during your doctoral studies?

A: The only thing I would have done differently was sustain my attention span and plan my time better when it came to doing my proposal.

Q: Were there any surprising discoveries or moments during your research?

A: What shocked me the most was that the Bronx isn’t doing so well currently when it comes to having resources for English language learning. I wondered, why are other boroughs doing bad equitably, if the program is under one system.

Q: What’s your next step after getting your doctorate?

A: Honestly, I want to go back to school. I got an offer from Alfred State University in Albany. I want to major in school counseling and mental health. It’s like a private practice for mental health.