During her Walden experience, EdD alumna Dr. Chastity Lasley transformed from a classroom teacher into a Walden University Poster Session Presenter, Education Consultant, Higher Ed Instructor, Walden Ambassador, and Dissertation Mentor. How did she become “unstuck” and emerge as an inspirational leader who presents research on high school drop-out rates and evaluates educational programs? Dr. Chastity Lasley said that, during her EdD academic residency, she learned how to capitalize on her skills, build upon her strengths, and re-brand herself as an agent of social change who is able to impact the Education field from a broader perspective.
Dr. Chastity Lasley attended Career Services’ Professional Development session at the EdD academic residency. She sat in the front row and asked inquisitive questions, truly engaging in the discussion. During this session, she learned how to highlight her teacher leader and program evaluation skills on her resume. She tapped into the power of networking, strengthened her social media presence, and became an active member of the Walden community. She continues to engage in professional development in the following ways:
- She applies her skills in program evaluation, teacher leadership, and the doctoral process in her education consulting business.
- She connects with Walden faculty, presents at professional conferences, submitted a poster session proposal that was later accepted, and plans to write journal articles.
- She continuously adds new achievements to her curriculum vita (CV) and updates her LinkedIn profile.
- She networks with educational leaders and communicates her strengths, abilities, and passion for social change during professional events. Through her leadership roles, she built a solid reputation among Education professionals and academics, and was offered an opportunity to teach an online research methods course.
- Recently, a friend forwarded her CV to a Program Chair of a local university who visited her LinkedIn profile and website, and then asked her to teach a face-to-face course.
Dr. Chastity Lasley took full advantage of her Walden experience by connecting with students, faculty, and staff; and tapped into the many resources we have available for academic and professional development. She was featured in the Walden Alumni Magazine as a true agent of social change. Her next goal is to publish in Walden’s Journal of Educational Research and Practice. Dr. Chastity Lasley offers her words of wisdom to other Walden students: “Don’t just get your degree; become a scholar for social change. ”
Written by Career Services Advisor, Dina Bergren