Excited for the Journey Ahead

I began teaching undergraduate students in the fall of 2015 with the intention of pursuing my PhD in a few years. My teaching responsibilities increased over time and it became clear that I needed to pursue my PhD sooner rather than later.

In 2017, I began my search for a program that would fit several of my criteria. I wanted a flexible and affordable program that would allow me to continue teaching. I wanted a combination of in-person and online courses. More importantly, I wanted to study International Business with a mix of finance and/or economics.

As I plugged my search criteria into Google, one school kept coming up: International School of Management (ISM) in France. I immediately recognized the logo from past mailings I had received and began reading about the school and its programs.

I was completely fascinated by the structure of the PhD program that spans across continents, its diverse student body, and, more importantly, its high-quality and talented faculty. The application process went smoothly. I received a phone call from Sara in Admissions who politely answered my endless number of questions.

In the summer of 2017, I had the opportunity to sit in on one of Dr. Reeve's PhD classes. First of all, I was so thrilled to know that I was actually sitting in a PhD course, but then I got even more excited when I realized I understood the material taught. For some reason, I was fearful that the material at a PhD level would be beyond my comprehension. Later in the evening, I attended a networking event hosted by ISM and was able to meet several current students, alumni, and staff. I must say that all of my interactions that day were encouraging, positive, and motivating, to say the least.

It is now January 2018, and I have begun this new journey of pursuing my PhD. Yes, it was scary and uncertain at first, but I am ready and excited for the journey ahead. I know that I have a support system of family and friends, but also a support system at ISM through my mentor Joseph, as well as ISM's vast network of students, alumni, and staff.