Some Magnet School students get to see the “doctor” every day – their VMT teachers hold the highest academic degree available.

Elsa Ruiz, former Magnet teacher who in September became the district’s math coordinator, is studying for a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) and World History Instructor Vincent Clark’s wife, Jennifer, is also working towards hers. She once taught music at VMT.

Mary Grace Carroll, DMA, director of piano studies, has had hers for 15 years, while Linda Mitchell, Ph.D., GT/AP English, just received her Ed.D. last May.

Ruiz, a native Laredoan, is working towards a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in in Mathematics education from Texas A&M in College Station, in collaboation with TAMIU. Under her belt is a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree in secondary education and a certificate in mid-management.

Ruiz credits her educational success to her parents.

“Education was always a top priority,” she said in describing her parents’ passion and desire for all 11 children to graduate from high school. “My parents were always involved in our education.”

Ruiz said the keys to her success are the students.

Her motivation to acquire her Ph.D., she said, is because Ruiz likes being a “role model.”

“I want for my students to know that learning never stops. I want to learn as much as I can so I can be a better teacher.”

Although completing higher education is not easy, it can be accomplished. It has taken Ruiz 27 years to get this far, and she is planning to finish her Ph.D. in May or August of 2003.

Ruiz said her parents, 11 siblings and assistance from D.D. Hachar foundation have helped her earn her degrees.

She has attended Texas A&M at College Station during recent summers while working for her Ph.D., but started her college career at LCC in 1971.

“Education is expensive, but ignorance is even more expensive,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz explained that earnings have nothing to do with her receiving her doctorate, but that if the opportunity to advance came along, “it would be a tough decision to leave VMT” because “I have an on impact students from all over Laredo.”

She said her research interest is on motivating students.

“I think it is worth it,” Ruiz said of earning her doctorate.

Mitchell, also a native Laredoan, has her B.S. degree from Texas A&I University in Kingsville, master’s degree from Laredo State University (now TAMIU) and doctorate in education leadership from Texas A&M in Corpus Christi.

“I started teaching when I was 20 years old. I will let you figure out how long it took me to finish,” Mitchell said of the time she needed to finish her master’s and doctorate.

She credits several people for encouraging her to finish her degrees.

“I attribute my success to my parents, grandparents, and most importantly, my Lord, my God,” Mitchell said.

She said the love of learning has motivated her to continue past her bachelor’s degree.

“I have always loved learning and being a student. I love school. I also wanted to start a degree since my daughter Lesley was leaving to Harvard University and I would really miss her. Now, this is great because we both graduated at the same time,” Mitchell said of their May graduations.

Looking ahead, she said most universities require instructors to have a doctorate degree.

Mitchell urged students to continue their educations after high school.

“I strongly encourage anyone and everyone to be a life-long learner.”

Jennifer Clark, World History Instructor Vincent Clark’s wife, is getting a Ph.D. in music education.

“I am very excited for her. Completing her terminal degree will allow her to continue her teaching career at the university level,” Clark said.

Jennifer, who has taken a year off from her teaching position at TAMIU, is living in Dallas and is attending the University of North Texas this year.

“She is completing a requirement of her degree called the ‘year of residency,’ and is attending classes full-time as well as being a teaching assistant,” Clark added.

“The separation is the most difficult sacrifice that Clark and Jennifer are making,” he said.

Another sacrifice of Clark and wife is that they are trying to run a household on just one salary.

“The leave of absence granted to my wife by TAMIU is unpaid,” Clark said.

Jennifer received scholarships from various sources and will also be paid for being a teaching assistant at UNT.

“In addition, we worked very hard to put aside the money in preparation for this ‘year of residency,’” Clark said.

The last sacrifice is personal for Jennifer, he said, because she is sacrificing a year away from her students in Laredo.

“It is very hard for her to be away from them and entrust their education and development to someone else,” Clark said.

Clark said the sacrifices for he and Jennifer are small compared to what she can accomplish by completing her degree and then helping to put more music educators in the classroom.

Jennifer has also been attending classes during the past few summers. This year she will be completing the coursework for her degree.

“The final phase will consist of the writing of the dissertation. This phase will probably take another two to three years,” Clark said.

Clark is satisfied his wife is working for her doctorate.

“I am very proud of her for taking on the very daunting task of completing a doctoral degree. My wife is firm believer in the notion of being a ‘lifelong student.’ By this I mean that she constantly strives to learn new things to improve her teaching. I also believe that by pursuing her education to the highest level, she can serve as a role model for young women in our community,” Clark said.

Carroll’s degree, Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), is performance oriented, with more emphasis placed on performance and less on research.

“In addition to course work, accompanying and ensembles, doctoral candidates are required to prepare four solo recitals and one chamber music recital, and submit research tools and a thesis,” Carroll said.

Her research tools included a history of contemporary music notation and a dictionary of musical terms.

Carroll’s DMA is from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. It is the largest music school in a private university in the United States.

“The course requirements total 48 hours of residency (living in Miami) and 12 hours of research,” Carroll said.

For the first semester enrollment is probationary, and all doctoral music students are required to take entrance exams in music theory, music history, music education and music psychology. All these comprehensive written exams take three days to complete.

“My residency lasted three years and was funded by the teaching assistantship, and then I applied for and was appointed to a university position in Louisiana. I completed my dissertation two years later,” Carroll said.

Carroll’s area of research discussed the “applications of the kinesthetic imagery, muscle memory and mental practice in piano playing.”

She said this means “how we learn through our fingers, and how communication between mind and fingers can be improved through a combination of physical and mental practice.”

Carroll encourages other teachers interested in earning a doctorate to begin a program.

“If a teacher or any college student is willing to make the necessary sacrifices to obtain this educational summit, then I strongly encourage them to seek a doctoral degree, if for no other reasons than to satisfy the question, ‘Can I do it?’” Carroll said.

Carroll said a doctorate benefits people who are willing to earn one.

“There are numerous benefits from an earned degree of this latitude,” Carroll said, explaining two. “First, is satisfaction gained from having achieved the highest degree in a field. Second, is the contacts made with others that have achieved similar goals. It was my choice to pursue this degree, to better myself and secure my future.”

(MT staff writers Joey Hernandez and Wesley Leal graduated in May.)