I believe that since birth, my long-term goal has been teaching and designing undergraduate courses. I believe that through effective teaching, I can inspire and guide students to develop critical thinking skills, a deep understanding of the subject matter, and the ability to apply theoretical concepts to the real world.
As a 25+ year banker and a DBA student, I have been exposed to and am developing a research skillset and have acquired a wealth of knowledge in the field of banking. I am driven by the desire to share this knowledge in preparing others for a rewarding career, hopefully in the financial services industry. In fact, my ultimate goal is to assist a university in designing and building a banking concentration or major to prepare students for a rewarding banking career. As someone who has interviewed and hired hundreds of new graduates, I want to prepare candidates for the industry who have the skills, experience, and knowledge that I am always looking for in a potential new hire.
It was never a question of whether I would pursue a doctorate degree. It was a matter of when. The pandemic allowed me to slow down and think about my goals and associated timeline, and I knew it was finally time. Enrolling in the DBA program was a very easy decision, and it would take a big commitment of time and effort. Still, it was a commitment that I was ready to take on to reach my long-term goal of teaching at the university level.
The DBA program’s emphasis on research has been mainly instrumental in strengthening my ability to analyze information and effectively communicate findings critically. As I engaged in the rigorous class assignments and the dissertation work, I better understood how to synthesize information and present it comprehensibly. This skill set has proved invaluable in designing a well-structured and engaging undergraduate course. I am confident in my industry knowledge and what students need to be exposed to. Still, I was not confident in how to effectively deliver the material in a way that would be engaging and encourage retention. The coursework in the DBA program, along with the material covered in the Professional Issues courses, have given me exposure to diverse teaching methodologies and pedagogical approaches. These experiences have been influential in shaping my teaching philosophy, helping me to understand the nuances of effective teaching better, and allowing me to draw upon the expertise of those leading the DBA courses as I prepare to take on a teaching role.
During one of our DBA courses last year, the professor mentioned that a consulting firm was working with UNCC to create banking-related courses. As you can imagine, that caught my attention immediately, and I offered to help in any way. The rest, as they say, is history. I had previously researched all the two- and four-year colleges and universities in the US that have a banking concentration or major. I was doing that to help me identify schools I may want to pursue for post-graduation employment. However, the material that I gathered and the skills I learned in the DBA program proved valuable in designing my first college course, Commercial Bank Management.
The DBA program has been instrumental in confirming my goal to teach and design undergraduate courses. The program has empowered me with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in an academic role through its emphasis on research, exposure to a broad set of topics, interaction with exceptional professors, and networking opportunities. I am incredibly excited to use the DBA experience to create an enriching learning environment for students while also contributing to the next generation of great bankers.
