SCHOLARLY WORK

I am an EdD candidate whose scholarly work examines postsecondary readiness, educator advocacy, and educational systems through qualitative research, policy analysis, and practitioner-informed inquiry.

DISSERTATION RESEARCH

School Counselor Narratives in Postsecondary Readiness Systems: Supporting Black Students in Racially Marginalized Suburban Contexts

Research question

How do school counselors in racially marginalized suburban high schools interpret and navigate institutional structures and political dynamics to support Black students' postsecondary readiness?

Overview

This qualitative narrative study explores how school counselors support Black students as they navigate postsecondary planning and preparation within racially marginalized suburban high schools. Centering counselor experiences and perspectives, the study examines the everyday realities of helping students pursue opportunities while working within educational systems that are often uneven in access, support, and resources.

At its core, this research is about the people behind postsecondary readiness work and the systems that shape it. Grounded in Bolman and Deal’s political and structural frames, the study examines how school counselors navigate institutional expectations, organizational processes, resource limitations, and competing priorities while advocating for students. By centering counselor narratives, this work highlights how postsecondary readiness is influenced not only by individual effort, but also by school structures, access to information, decision-making systems, and educator advocacy.

Status

Dissertation Proposal Approved; Preparing for IRB Submission

RESEARCH FOCUS

My work centers education, postsecondary readiness, and equity, examining how students and educators experience and navigate pathways to opportunity within broader educational systems.

METHODS & APPROACHES

Qualitative narrative research
Interviews
Practice-informed lens
Artifact collection

SCHOLARLY PRESENTATIONS

Educator Advocacy of Postsecondary Readiness Politics (Poster Presentation)

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Institute of Urban Education Research Symposium | 2026

Governors State University Research Day | 2026

Examined how educators navigate institutional power, policy, and practice in supporting Black students' postsecondary readiness, presented across multiple academic and research settings

Examining the Intersection of Leadership Development and Online EdD Studies for Black Women (Poster Presentation)

Association of American Colleges & Universities Conference on Diversity, Equity, and Student Success | 2024

Explored how online doctoral programs shape leadership development and educational experiences for Black women, informed by leadership development frameworks

Summer Bridge Programs and Black First-Year Student Retention (Paper Presentation)

Social Development Lab Interdisciplinary Research Fair| 2021

Examined how summer bridge programs support the transition and retention of Black first-year college students, with attention to social and cultural capital development

Relational Leadership Theory and Shared Nonprofit Leadership (Paper Presentation)

Social Development Lab Interdisciplinary Research Fair | 2021

Explored how nonprofit organizations utilize shared leadership practices through a relational leadership framework

EMERGING RESEARCH AGENDA

My research agenda explores how institutional power, policy, and educator practice shape postsecondary readiness for Black students, particularly within suburban and underexamined educational contexts. This work bridges research and practice to better understand how opportunity is structured, navigated, and experienced. This work contributes to an evolving research agenda that centers:

Postsecondary Readiness as a Political and Racialized Construct: Examining how postsecondary readiness is defined, operationalized, and influenced by policy, power, and racialized assumptions.
Institutional Power and School-Level Decision-Making: Exploring how authority, roles, and internal dynamics shape how readiness efforts are implemented and prioritized.
Resource Allocation and Access to Opportunity: Investigating how funding, staffing, and program access influence which students receive meaningful postsecondary support
Educator Navigation and Strategy: Understanding how educators interpret constraints and leverage formal and informal strategies to support students.
Suburban Contexts and Educational Inequities: Centering underexplored suburban spaces to examine how race, geography, and resources intersect in shaping opportunity.

RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS

UWM Institute of Urban Education Research Symposium | May 1, 2026

Presented a research poster that examined how educators working in racially marginalized suburban communities navigate institutional structures and power dynamics to support Black students' postsecondary readiness.

Learn more about the Institute for Urban Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: HERE

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