Beauty Tuesday: These Boots Were Made for …

• Defending🎤 my dissertation📖 to complete my Doctor of Philosophy📜 ~ YES, I rocked out my Docs when I became Doc!
• Undergoing my Graduation Church💒 Rituals ~ I wore my A+💯 booties
• Walking across the stage at my Commencement Exercises🎓 ~ a professor told me that my cowboy boots👢 were the best pair in the house (two great minds think alike)

4:44 ~ make a New Year’s wish!!!

Sports Spirit Sunday: Score Goal, New Roles, More Soul

Two-Day Game Warning: Almost the End of Regulation!

As I approach my Big Day (Public Dissertation Defense) to complete my Doctor of Philosophy, my journey toward this ultimate goal may be drawing to a close while my next one toward my career advancement will begin.

However, my Ph.D. pursuit has helped me grow, not just professionally, but also personally, and most of all: spiritually. Furthermore, this undertaking couldn’t have been accomplished single-handedly: GOD’s grace provided, JESUS’ example was all-sided, and the HOLY SPIRIT’s light guided, in addition to Team Dr. D, who had my back. I forever will be grateful to the †Heavenly HOLY TRINITY† and my positive supporters here on Earth, who’ve rooted me on all the way, leading up to this Tuesday, December 8 ~ save-the-date!

My next anticipated title this Advent: Tita Elaine.

We expect my future niece or nephew to arrive around CHRISTmas time ~ the very 1st grandchild of my parents, who recently celebrated their ♥wedding♥ anniversary.  Yes, my family is very blessed. Regardless of these joyous times, I pray that we’ll always turn to the LORD, as we lead our lives here while preparing our eternal home in Heaven.

Sending peace and goodwill to San Bernadino, CA, in the wake of this terrorist tragedy. ✌

Working Woman Wednesday: PhD Pro

As I aim to reach my terminal degree🎓 🏁finish line, what more will be in store?

• 📜Majority of my paper done ~ check ✅
• 💻Preparation for my presentation ~ in progress 📈
• 🎤Successful dissertation defense ~ projected 📉

I’ve even already set out what I’m wearing👗 that day! 📊

When I was recommending 👔suitable “Dress to Impress for Success” wear 👊🏽 to my students for their mock 💼interviews, I actually received this timely article (that included a Clueless 👛cameo) written that same week that also somehow inspired my ☼summer☼ theme! ⚓️

 

The professional who wrote it📓 just released her book📖 15 days ago!

 

 

💺The Professor Is In📰

 

  

I’m toting this on my trip to start preparing my career prior to completing my PhD!

Manic Monday: P, S & R are for …

The time is here!!!

As the Golden State Warriors of the West one-upped the Cleveland Cavaliers of the East to lead the 2015 NBA title series, I also reached achievement to feel victorious:

I landed at a happy medium for my Ph.D. participant total for my survey sample!

Come a long way … Still more to go! #DISPObustAFlow

One step closer toward World Champions status for these ballers, one step closer toward dissertation defense for yours truly!

While this may not be the most exciting news for the entire world, what it means to me is that

I now can run my stats STAT #DrDISPObustAFlow

P	S	R
Doctor of Philosophy	School/Scholar/Study	Research
Professional Pursuit	Social Science
Participants	Survey
Players	Sports/Student-Athletes
Performance	Satisfaction
Population Percentage	Statistics	Run Stats/Analyze Results

Exactly eight months after I started collecting data (despite the slow start, it’s really about how I execute and complete), I’ve now entered this well-anticipated phase …

#NumberCrunchTime

Study Saturday: Elaine the Educator’s College Guidelines

ConGRADulations, 🎓Class of 2015!!!🎉

Throwback: School Portraits of yours truly from Pre-K-12th Grade

My H.S. Grad: Abilene Cooper, Class of 1999

 

 For 🔔high schoolers, I’m imparting advice💭 that worked to my advantage when I prepared for college🏤 and throughout my career:

• College Applications📑
• College Internship💼
• College Bucket List📋

Additional Articles by Educator Elaine

For your health as a student:

• Healthy Lifestyle
• Stress Reduction
• Organized Desk

For studying and writing plus speaking :

• Note Mastery
• Writing Benefits
• *Speech Pros*

For learning:

• Intrapersonal Style
• Technology Enhancement

For student-athletes:

• Athlete Expectations

For exercise enthusiasts:

• Fitness Degree

For electives:

• Unique Courses

For graduate students and researchers:

• Ethnography Programs
• Dissertation Hypotheses
• Online References

Bachelor of Arts in Communication, McMurry University, 2003

I’ve been beyond blessed to have taught college students who were valedictorians (No. 1), salutatorians (No. 2) and top-ranked out of their class ~ two during this graduation season alone who are speaking🎤 at their commencement:

• Student Body President (female 💪🏽powerlifter) from last 🌞summer🌼
• Valedictorian (state 🏁championship🏆 🏈football🏉 player) from this past 🍀spring🌷

Master of Arts in Communication, Angelo State University, 2006

We present … The Graduates!!!👏🏽 {☝🏽️GOD-willing🙏🏽, I’ll walk👟 for my doctoral degree}

Beauty Tuesday: Fruit from the Roots

S is for:

Spring * Scents * Sense …

From myself to my clothes!

Along with working more on my body during my break from full time teaching, I’ve also improved the body of my hair! Plus, my slimmer budget is always happy when I can $ave through my Beauty Rewards that included di$count$ or ExtraCare Buck$ for some of the following hygiene products …

New additions to my bath: Suds up with fruity fragrances chock-full of enriching elements!

Garnier Fructis

• Full & Plush Shampoo
• Marvelous Oil

The former has worked for me these ways:

• Pumped up the volume
• Sensation with the scent

The latter boasts these following 5 functions:

1. Pre-Shampoo Primer
2. Conditioner Additive for Detangling
3. Blow-Dry Speeder-Upper
4. Ends Protector
5. Sleep-In Leave-In Treatment

I’ve tried ALL of the above and noticed a difference:

• My hair’s now more manageable, as I was able to comb through it smoothly after washing
• I see and feel more bounce ~ now my long locks are more lively!

My sister-in-law’s secret: Degree deodorant! So far, I haven’t seen residue from this on my whites, lights, brights and black clothing!

 I’m also ways all about seeking stain-preventative measures!

Since I want my clothing and environment to smell good, why limit it to laundry? As the ads say, it’s like deodorant for our workout gear! #UnSTOPables

Added bonus: Bestie gave me her Vera Wang 🎤Rockstar🌠 👑Princess👸 🎁gift💝 👛set!

Vera Wang Rockstar🎤 Princess👑 Gift💝 Set: EDT Perfume * 💄Dual-Lip Gloss💋 * Body Lotion👛

On top of the cosmetics, the caps actually double-function as rings!

 

Like my crown👑 heart💝 & sparkly spinner ring💍 💎bling?

Study Saturday: Every Moment Counts

With all of the abundant activities that have called for my attention lately, I’ve been mustering up every extra waking moment away to work on my dissertation ~ which is why I’ve actually appreciated these recent snow days.

• Some of my colleagues have considered their own hours per day of dedication on their doctoral research as shift work
• Others have only been able to devote even just a few minutes per day to their study

Lately, I’ve fallen under the latter category, rather than the former. Once upon a time, I was able to spend a whole work day’s worth, but with countless demands, I’m fortunate to invest up to an hour or so; for instance, with the additional studies that my department requires for us to review for our doctoral degrees, I’ve included at least one more per day. Regardless of how much time I’ve been able to write and research, the process is paying off as I keep making progress

Because not a day passes without my discipline and determination to stay focused and deter distractions.

Unless you count my catastrophic pleasant distractions, including my neighbor, who’s welcome to chillax ’til her ♥heart’s♥ content snow or ☼shine☼

#DOnotDisturb mode

After our early week Snow Day and before our Snow Weekend

And with †GOD’s† ☼grace☼

Study Saturday: Strong Work Ethic

Lately, I’ve been in conference calls with doctoral graduates for tips on getting on the grind and finishing our respective terminal degrees. Here are some of the paraphrased pieces of profound advice that they imparted to this candidate, yours truly, as I push through my dissertation:

Dr. Alex

• You’ll graduate in †GOD†‘s time.
• If †GOD† led you this far, He won’t leave you at this point.

Dr. Díaz*

• It takes ♥love♥ and commitment because it is a labor of ♥love♥.
• Treat your dissertation as your job by putting in your hours and ♥love♥ what you do.

*Also, my aforementioned colleague — with whom I used to teach in South Texas who always has been a brilliant mastermind and now has his book on the way (about the border, around the corner) — who is a fellow, active Catholic, who pointed out that we all have our †cross† to bear, established this group for St. Joseph the Worker …

… to whom he would pray everyday before writing his dissertation.

Dr. Toya

• Treat your dissertation as your final project: the last assignment that you need to graduate.

  

• Write an affirmation …

… and place it on your bathroom mirror…

… or refrigerator.

I also posted it on my desk!

I’m ♥lovin’♥ it!

Constant reminders may be just the key to my Ph.D. to become Dr. D (as I pop these choco Coffeebeats that may not be the best bet for my teeth)!

Study Saturday: One More Hour

That’s all I need to earn my degree🎓: my dissertation📖 defense🎤

In PURRfect Company😻: My Grad Cat *ASIA* has been with yours truly since I before I completed my Master’s degree!

Let’s do this!!! Add 🍓fuel☕️ to the 🔥fire💥!!