Let me tell you—this Ph.D. journey is NOT for the weak-hearted. and barely for the Strong willed. Because I was tested.
It began with those “just one weekend a month” classes … and somehow became academic bootcamps. Friday nights? Gone. Saturdays? Fully booked. Sundays? Reading and questioning my life choices.
Then the SARs came in—Sexual Attitude Reassessment weekends. Now… nobody prepares you really to get that much personal AND professional reflection in one sitting. Growth? Yes. Uncomfortable? Also yes. Transformational? Absolutely.
Next: Comprehensive Exams. A test of intellect, stamina and how long you operate from caffeine, prayer and determination.
Certified Sex Therapist… Yep, got that. Through more overnight and early morning supervision
Then the PROPOSAL… Writing it. Rewriting it. Refining it. I wonder if I even know words anymore. The “am I smarter than a 6 grader” moment. The “yall can have all of this” moments. The “I got to shut everyone out and hire an editor because I write how I speak because it makes sense to me” moment. The ” i need a drink” moment. And then… that moment: “Approved.”. Whew. I know I got my friends to celebrate and i lterally stared at the approval because whew, I was over it.
But here, THE WORKBOOK. The vision. The labor. The late nights. The edits on top of edits. The “this all made sense at 2am” moments. But also — the beauty of building something that really will work, help people heal and to grow and to be seen. That part? Sacred. So this was the journey that challenged me, stretched me, and expanded me in ways I never expected. Doubt abounded. A moment”
There were dazed moments… and second to remind myself: You didn’t get to this point in time to end here. So with you at your side now, I am standing. But you remain right here, standing. Still writing. Still evolving.
From weekend classes… to SARs… to comps… to proposal approval… and to building something of substance… And very quickly … diving into that defense like: “I said what I said.”
#OnTheRoadToPhD #DoctoralJourney #PhDLoading #SexForEveryBody #BlackWomenInAcademia #FaithAndFocus #ShePersisted #AlmostDoctor
