It鈥檚 expected that more than 3,700 students will pass through cap and gown pickup at the 麻豆原创聽FAIRWINDS聽Alumni Center this week in anticipation of Summer Commencement.
Some dance in excitement. Some are jittery from too much coffee and not enough sleep. Some are snapping photos for social media love. Some simply are there to cross off another to-do on the list.
When Taylor Bousfield 鈥�13MEd strolled up to claim her doctoral regalia as she breastfed her 5-month-old and cared for her nearly 3-year-old while maintaining a Zen-like calmness, the regalia distribution staff took in the scene before them and wondered: is Wonder Woman real?
鈥淢ost of the time I鈥檓 a mess,鈥� Bousfield said with a laugh.
Bousfield was born and raised in Orlando and attended The First Academy through middle and high school. After earning her bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University of Mississippi, she taught for three years in Louisiana before moving back to Central Florida to teach at Lake Howell High School.
She had an itch to further her education, and when a grant opportunity arose to do so at 麻豆原创, she took the chance to earn her master鈥檚 degree in exceptional student education with a certificate in autism spectrum disorder.
While she was in graduate school, Bousfield learned of a doctoral grant from Lisa Dieker, a 麻豆原创 professor and Lockheed Martin eminent scholar chair.
鈥淚 figured, why not try?鈥� Bousfield said. 鈥淲e have an incredible education program that has faculty members who are so innovative. Not to mention the opportunity to work with聽TeachLivE. That is something I wouldn鈥檛 have been able to do anywhere else.鈥�
A month after starting the doctoral program, she learned she was pregnant with her almost 3-year-old, Luke.
鈥淗e literally went to every single class, one way or another 鈥� whether it was in person, in utero or on Skype,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no way I could have been able to accomplish everything without the support of our special-ed faculty and my chair, Lisa Dieker.鈥�
Bousfield鈥檚 interest in special education and teaching was instilled at a young age. Her aunt, Charlotte Day, is the county coordinator for Special Olympics in Orange County. Bousfield said from the time she could walk she was volunteering at events.
She will graduate on Aug. 5 with her doctorate in education, and her children and husband will be in attendance. She hopes that her family鈥檚 immersion in her university experience will instill a drive and a passion for education in her sons.
She plans to stay at 麻豆原创 as a聽Teach Live liaison as she works with associate professor Rebecca Hines, PhD.
鈥淭aylor will be an amazing addition to our program. Her doctoral work included research methods in TeachLivE that we will use to help prepare future teachers,鈥� Hines said.
Bousfield said her biggest challenge over the years has been balancing her roles as a mother, a wife and a student, but she wouldn鈥檛 have traded the experience for the moment when she learned she had accomplished her goal.
鈥淗earing 鈥楧r. Bousfield鈥� after passing my dissertation defense 鈥� with my husband and both of our boys there in the room 鈥� was amazing. It鈥檚 probably the best moment I鈥檝e had in a while,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y advice to anyone is find a support system and don鈥檛 wait. Don鈥檛 put it off. Now is the time. Somehow it will always work out. Don鈥檛 put off life for school, and don鈥檛 put off school for life.鈥�