丽莎·迪亚斯，2016G级

From the Front of the Classroom to Head of the School

After high school, Lisa attended the University of 新汉普郡 on a full scholarship. She played Division I soccer 和 earned a bachelor’s degree in health 和 human services.

She spent a few years as a therapeutic recreation specialist for a Boston-area health center. Then, in 2001, Lisa began her journey at World Academy as a health 和 physical education teacher. 如今，她是学校的校长.

位于纳舒厄, 新汉普郡, World Academy is an independent school serving students from birth through eighth grade. In addition to offering year-round early-childhood, 幼儿园, 小学, 中学教育, World Academy runs a before- 和 after-school program 和 a summer camp. All of these initiatives focus on “the whole child.”

终身学习

Intending to pursue a leadership role in education, Lisa returned to the classroom while teaching full-time. 她获得了教育学硕士学位, with a focus on physical education 和 health 和 K-12 certification, 来自普利茅斯州立大学.

In 2007, Lisa took on the role of principal at World Academy. As she was settling into her new position, the school “was embarking on the journey” of adding a middle school.

“那时我就知道了, that in order to be the most effective leader I could be, I needed to further my education in order to gain the necessary k现在ledge 和 skills,她说。.

It was the desire to continue learning that led her to Rivier. The university appealed to Lisa because it was local—close to her home 和 work—和 perhaps more so because the program was designed with flexibility for working adults

“Having the mix of online 和 face-to-face, 在周末上课, made it possible to manage having a family, 职业生涯, 攻读学位,她说。.

Lisa did her due diligence 和 explored several doctoral programs. 但是在和Dr. 约翰·格里森，Ed主任.D program at Riv, she made her choice.

“That meeting was ultimately the reason why I chose Rivier because I left confident that I could be successful,她回忆道。.

Lisa says her professors taught her how to think dynamically 和 critically—important skills for a position of leadership—和 that each of them brought a different perspective 和 area of expertise to the classroom.

“I learned a great deal from each of them, in various ways, from my first meeting with Dr. Gleason when I was initially considering the Ed. D. program, to the ongoing support from Dr. Angela DeSilva-Mousseau during the research 和 writing of my dissertation,她说。. 来自博士. Joseph Spadano, who was instrumental in helping me prepare for my dissertation defense.”

Spending time with her cohort—a group of working professionals—was one of the most memorable parts of her five years in the program.

“We’re individuals from all different backgrounds, with all different life 和 职业生涯 experiences,她说。. “We learned a great deal from one another 和 continue to keep in touch 和 even support each other.”

领导力:升级

Lisa served as principal at World Academy for 10 years, 和 with a doctorate in leadership 和 learning, she was poised for her next challenge. In November 2017, World Academy named Dr. 丽莎·迪亚斯担任校长.

“有450多个孩子, ages six weeks through eighth grade, 和 over 900 parents 和 60 staff members, I never really k现在 what the day is going to bring!她谈到自己的新角色时说. “Everything I do involves supporting my administrative leadership team, 老师, 孩子们, 和家庭.”

With nearly 20 years at World Academy, Lisa still thoroughly enjoys being part of a learning community that strives to make a positive difference in the lives of 孩子们 和 students. As her role evolved from teacher to leader, “supporting 老师 in the important work they do each day” has become a favorite part of her job.

丽莎数着她的Ed.D. as one of her greatest achievements for “all of the hard work, 纪律, 这需要坚持不懈.” Her background as an athlete—competitive soccer 和 ice hockey—likely contributed to that persistence.

“Sports were a huge part of my life growing up 和 helped shaped who I am today,” she explains.

Serving as 校长 keeps her quite busy, but Lisa manages to find the time to combine her leadership skills 和 her life-long passion for sports. She coached her son’s hockey team for a few years, 和, 现在, she coaches the middle school girls’ soccer team at World Academy.

学生. 老师. 主要. 教练. 校长. Dr. 丽莎·迪亚斯’ academic 和 professional trajectory—和 an unwavering love of learning—led her from one challenge to the next, 和 ultimately to a doctorate at Rivier.

You can learn more about our doctoral programs, including the Ed.D in Leadership 和 Learning, to prepare for your next challenge.