Pulling Back the Curtain: The Path to My Doctorate

This past weekend, I graduated with my Doctorate in Strategic Leadership with an Emphasis in Global Consulting from Regent University. And I couldn’t feel prouder of myself! I’ve had plenty to be proud of throughout my life, but this one really tastes sweet.

This dream took an immense amount of discipline, focus, and sacrifice. And let me just say that life does not stop when you set an ambitious goal like getting your Doctorate. I was two months pregnant with my first son when I started my Doctorate and had my second son one month after completing my doctoral work. And in the middle of it all my dad unexpectedly passed away. Not to mention countless other moments in between.

My 10-Year-Old Dream

Over 10 years ago, the dream was planted in my mind and heart to get my Doctorate.  It was one of those “someday” things that I wanted to do in life. And I always imagined it being someday way down the road when “the time was right.” And then shortly after I got married, my husband and I realized that now was as good of a time as any for me to go for it! So, we sacrificed our time and money to invest in my Doctorate. And we couldn’t have done it without our families who have helped us take care of our boys since the day the first one was born (and I was still working on assignments because school deadlines don’t stop when you have babies).

When Life Happens

But life hasn’t always tasted this good. Growing up, my biological father was an alcoholic by the time I was 2 years old. It became clear to my mom that he was never going to get help for his disease and my parents divorced when I was 6. And sadly he never did get help. This incredibly bright man with great taste for the finer things in life went from having a very successful career to being homeless. And his disease eventually took his life when I was 21.

When I was 8, we moved to Minnesota from Texas, but not before our house in Houston was broken into leaving its mark on my life for a very long time. If you’ve had it happened to you, you know.

I was raised by a single mom until I was 10 when my stepdad came into our lives and our family expanded exponentially with aunts and uncles and cousins galore.

Life Shapes Us For Better Or Worse

I share all this because whether you have a similar background as me or your story has different life events that have left their scars, I know that you can achieve your dreams too!

Life events shape all of us. If we let them, what happens in our life can shape us into the dead sea where no life survives because the river that flows into it has no outlet. Or, life events can shape us much like a winding river that, when you move just one stone (like my aunt loves to do), it changes the sound and path of how the river flows.

We can live our lives to their fullest, letting events shape our sounds and our paths, but not letting them stop us!

Based on the statistics, I know that I could have easily lived well below my potential and that it would have been okay given my background and life experiences. And believe me, there have been moments in life when I’ve wanted to quit. And there have been people in my life who have told me my dreams aren’t really meant for someone like me.

But by the grace of God, an amazing husband, and incredibly supportive parents, I've pursued my dreams and get to stand here today as Dr. Granholm!

The Future Belongs to You

For graduation, my mom gave me a plaque that has hung in my parent’s bathroom since I was 10. It reads, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Whatever the dream in your heart, don’t let anything hold you back from investing in it. Making a lasting impact in this world comes in so many shapes and sizes. Mine led me back to school where I spent the past four years pursuing my Doctorate so that I could better serve the leaders around me and around the globe.

So, where’s your dream leading you?