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What happens when a doctoral learner steps into the room with the very people they’re studying?

In this episode, doctoral learner Sandra Salazar-Colon shares how attending a higher education conference during her data collection phase became a turning point in the way she viewed her research, but also her identity as a scholar and future leader. What began as an effort to recruit participants turned into an experience of connection, affirmation, and renewed purpose.

Together, we explore the realities of data collection, the power of proximity to your research population, and how moments outside the dissertation document can reshape confidence, clarity, and direction. If you’re feeling stuck, isolated, or wondering whether the dissertation truly matters beyond graduation, this conversation will remind you why it does—and why you do.