Various hurdles came her way but she made it. Dr Mahani shares her story:
Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate the kind of hardship I went through during my EdD studies. I’m glad I had pulled in a good friend so that we could motivate each other.
The coursework was smooth-sailing but my work responsibilities increased after I submitted my concept paper, causing me to neglect my research writing. My challenges ballooned when two people fell sick – first my supervisor, and then my daughter. Taking care of my daughter as she went in and out of ICU taxed my strength. I was tempted to quit but my family and colleagues spurred me on.
Nevertheless, I dragged with the dissertation. That was until I had two wake-up calls – my friend submitted her dissertation and the Vice President (Academic) kicked my chair for my tardiness. So, I sped up and finished my dissertation. The second part of my journey would have taken a longer time if not for my dedicated co-supervisor who stepped up as my supervisor to help me complete my dissertation.
As a supervisor myself, I encouraged my master’s students to graduate together with me. I’m proud to say five of them will be joining me on convocation day. My daughter and son-in-law too have submitted their master’s research, which makes me happy even though they could not graduate with me.
Congratulations, Dr Mahani!
