Mary Dowdell
I am a student in the NCU School of Business, public administration doctoral program. I am
currently in the dissertation phase. I received my undergraduate degree in political science
from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia and a Master of Public Administration
from Strayer University. In 2015, I retired from an executive director position of a local
nonprofit organization that provided foster care placement and supervision services to
children in social service custody. Having served as an administrator in child welfare, both on
the public and private sides of human services, I was aware of the struggle in public welfare to find
resources and the struggle within the nonprofit world to sustain services (the focus of my research). I
decided to study public administration in preparation for teaching at the college level. As I researched
my available choices, I was drawn to NCU because of the public administration program offering.
This caused me to think that perhaps a broadened knowledge of business administration would aid
me in understanding public administration at the level that would make me valuable as a university
professor. From there I spoke with NCU recruiters and learned of the mentoring process, the tutorial
support, the benefits of online structured coursework, and NCU affordability compared to other
universities. It was an analytical decision and the NCU School of Business won out. I am nearing
the end of my plan now and the university has lived up to every promise.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT:
