NAME: Jewel Pointer ’15, ’13
DEGREES EARNED: MS in Leadership and Master of Information Systems Management (MISM)
CURRENT PROGRAM: Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
CURRENT JOB: Zoning Inspector III, City of Dallas
YOUR HUSBAND RECENTLY COMPLETED HIS MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (MPA) AT WALDEN. WHY DID YOU REFER HIM TO WALDEN? James has served as a police officer for several years, and he wanted to build the skills and knowledge he needed to advance in his department. He knew from seeing me earn two master’s degrees that working one-on-one with the instructors helps you understand the material much better. Walden has an amazing staff that provides students with all the information they need. The workload was more manageable for working parents like us; the hours of our jobs didn’t work with classes offered at local colleges. Walden was a great solution for both of us.
WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN IN JAMES SINCE HE EARNED HIS MPA? Not only is he using what he learned at work, he’s also mentoring young men in our community. He teaches them the importance of education and why it’s so important for them to see and act on the potential within them. He tells them, “Don’t quit. Always keep moving forward. Look at me. I’m older, but I still took the time and effort to go back to school and earn an advanced degree.”
YOU’VE ALREADY EARNED TWO DEGREES FROM WALDEN. WHY HAVE YOU DECIDED TO ENROLL AGAIN TO PURSUE YOUR DBA? My master’s degrees helped me get a promotion and move up in my career. Now I’d like to prepare myself to move into management, and the DBA will give me the additional communication and leadership skills I need to make that next move. Eventually I want to open a facility for single parents to help them complete their education and assist them with finding employment. I’m also teaching computer science at a local community college and I want to show them how they can tap into their own leadership potential. It will be my opportunity to step up and help individuals who cannot do it by themselves.
Jewel Pointer Photo credit: Teresa Berg