Graduate Programs:
- Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership (MEd)
- Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies (EdD)
Shortly after she completed her doctorate at Lynchburg, Donna Lewis ’07 MEd, ’15 EdD became director of the LAUREL Regional Program, a public school program for students with severe disabilities.
LAUREL concentrates on functional academics: basic skills like self-help, life skills, communication, recreation, and leisure. High school-aged students focus, when possible, on community-based instruction, to interact effectively in public.
“LAUREL is the perfect place,” said Lewis, who has an MEd in educational leadership and an EdD in leadership studies. “It’s not at all about me, it’s just us all working together — the staff and the parents and students. It’s a wonderful, rewarding place.”
Lewis was part of Lynchburg’s first EdD cohort, which she says is a wonderful way to complete such a rigorous but rewarding program.
“The interdisciplinary approach to leadership was a plus,” she said, “and our excellent professors were passionate about their field of study and eager to share the most important aspects with us.
“The EdD program opened my eyes to a world beyond just K-12 education,” she said. “I had the opportunity to understand the role of leadership from many perspectives, as well as the importance of community partners, which is now essential to my new position.
“I also learned the importance of transparency as a leader, and this drives my decisions daily.”
